I practiced about 4 of the individual tests yesterday for about half an hour each. I'm going to go for a perfect score in the near future
Billiard University (BU) playing-ability-exam scores and ratings
- Thread starter dr_dave
- Start date
JC
Coos Cues
I practiced about 4 of the individual tests yesterday for about half an hour each. I'm going to go for a perfect score in the near future
Hope two of the four you practiced were the wagon wheel and the last target drill. I see those as the major obstacles to the perfect score. :smile:
JC
JC
Coos Cues
You can't make a bridge on half a table width? Where are you placing the cue ball? Place it closer to the object ball. This makes no sense.
On the Bachelors Skills part of the exam. I got the highest possible score on the Fundamentals while still falling in the Bachelors level. I see individually the break being the toughest to get high scores for me. And then the second thing which is huge, is putting it all together successfully on the same attempt.
I'm going to go for it
After I spend a while on the Bachelors practice and retest, I will then practice the fundamentals exam, to bump myself to the Masters level test.
I look forward to seeing how close to perfect you can get.I practiced about 4 of the individual tests yesterday for about half an hour each. I'm going to go for a perfect score in the near future
Catch you later,
Dave
No. You can place the CB wherever you want, but the OB location is fixed and the target must remain on the table centerline when it is moved after each shot.
As JC pointed out, you should consider moving the CB if your bridge is uncomfortable.
Good luck on the exams. Please post your scores (and videos if available) after you practice them some.
Catch you later,
Dave
Dave,
I think you are missing the gist of the concept of adding a *dynamic* final exam like the Joe Tucker 10 ball ghost drill or the Hopkin's Q test(?) thing vs just having static drill tests.
What's the difference? With static,set drills, you can score quite a bit higher with a small amount of repetition, once you get familiar with the set up shots. In fact, if you take someone's score from the first time trying it, then let them practice for 1 month and re-test, you might get a DRAMATICALLY higher score.
A "dynamic" test like the JT 10 Ball or Hopkins Q test gives you some real life randomness to the ball layouts and patterns/shots. As everyone knows, every shot in a drill can have slight variations due to randomness, that can add a lil more difficulty that you won't get with the same drill set up.
Shooting the same drill over and over, if anything, just makes you the "drill master" of those particular set up shots.
Eric
I think you are missing the gist of the concept of adding a *dynamic* final exam like the Joe Tucker 10 ball ghost drill or the Hopkin's Q test(?) thing vs just having static drill tests.
What's the difference? With static,set drills, you can score quite a bit higher with a small amount of repetition, once you get familiar with the set up shots. In fact, if you take someone's score from the first time trying it, then let them practice for 1 month and re-test, you might get a DRAMATICALLY higher score.
A "dynamic" test like the JT 10 Ball or Hopkins Q test gives you some real life randomness to the ball layouts and patterns/shots. As everyone knows, every shot in a drill can have slight variations due to randomness, that can add a lil more difficulty that you won't get with the same drill set up.
Shooting the same drill over and over, if anything, just makes you the "drill master" of those particular set up shots.
Eric
Trial 2 of bachelors exam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJtMRAq6nT0
I did this trial after practicing the individual components of the test for about 3 or so hours between yesterday and today. The first trial was completely blind, with no practice. I expect to score higher still with the next trial after more practice on the individual components.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJtMRAq6nT0
I did this trial after practicing the individual components of the test for about 3 or so hours between yesterday and today. The first trial was completely blind, with no practice. I expect to score higher still with the next trial after more practice on the individual components.
Last edited:
This is correct. Check out my post above this one, and the scores between the two trials. When the video comes up, you can see that I wasn't even thinking on the shots. I knew exactly how to go about the patterns because I spent a lot of time trying different routes during practice, and found what was most successful for me. I'm going to practice the individual sections even more, and I expect my 3rd trial of the entire test to look even more "automatic" and score higher.
Now, in a game, if those patterns come up, I will remember them... But the test should find a method to test "thinking" at the table, in addition to the memorization that it does now. I leave it to the test creators to come up with a method to test that. Without thinking skills in a real game, we are dead.
Dr Dave, question on rules that came up during my 2nd trial:
The "3 balls pocketed or driven beyond head string".
1. If a ball is driven beyond the haedstring, but then bounces back to the center of the table where it comes to rest, does it count as 1 of the 3?
2. If a ball is pocketed in the sides or corners by the rack (opposite of head string) does it count as 1 of the 3?
For the rail drill, if you pocket the OB on a scratch, do you get credit for it? You clarified it on another drill, but not that one. It came up during my 2nd trial.
Thank you.
The "3 balls pocketed or driven beyond head string".
1. If a ball is driven beyond the haedstring, but then bounces back to the center of the table where it comes to rest, does it count as 1 of the 3?
2. If a ball is pocketed in the sides or corners by the rack (opposite of head string) does it count as 1 of the 3?
For the rail drill, if you pocket the OB on a scratch, do you get credit for it? You clarified it on another drill, but not that one. It came up during my 2nd trial.
Thank you.
I guess I don't understand the reasoning that the test is flawed because if you practice the drills you will do better on them.??? That's the whole purpose of doing drills, to get better at them. If you don't think that translates to your game, well...for most it does.
Of course they have the potential to help your game. But, what is our "game"? Its 9 ball for most of us. (or straight pool, 1 pocket, etc). Its not drills.
Did the "homework" and "study sessions" and "example problems" of the "drills" in the "text book" translate to helping your "game"? That is in the end all that matters. What can you do in the real world, which is random.
I think the test is a great start, its just missing the randomness of the real world as many others have mentioned. Adding that component to the test would make it more thorough.
Edit, and the randomniss is what tests your thinking process at the table. The static drills test your memorization (of what you discovered during practice) and execution.
Did the "homework" and "study sessions" and "example problems" of the "drills" in the "text book" translate to helping your "game"? That is in the end all that matters. What can you do in the real world, which is random.
I think the test is a great start, its just missing the randomness of the real world as many others have mentioned. Adding that component to the test would make it more thorough.
Edit, and the randomniss is what tests your thinking process at the table. The static drills test your memorization (of what you discovered during practice) and execution.
Last edited:
Here's what I feel drills do for you-
1. If you didn't already know how to make the shot, they will teach you that. If you knew how to make the shot, but weren't consistent in making it, it will make you more consistent in making it.
2. I do not feel that practicing a shot until you master it means you can only make that shot. It does translate to any similar angle shot you will encounter.
3. Any position drill will teach you how to move your cb if you don't already. If you do, it will help make you more consistent.
4. Drills (with some kind of reward, such as scoring) will teach you to start really paying attention to just what you are doing. If you succeed on the shot, what did you just do to succeed, and are you able to duplicate what you just did?
5. They can teach you shots that you have been avoiding, or position routes you never attempted much before.
6. They will give you a real world percentage on what you can and can not do. Almost all will be surprised the first time they attempt drills like these on the areas they didn't do so well on, and the areas they did do well on.
7. Doing them once, gives you a good idea of where you now stand. Practicing them, you will find that in some areas you may go down a ways, other areas you may go up some. In other words, you will test yourself on your consistency.
8. To do well consistently from day to day, you will have to learn to focus all the time. Never taking anything for granted because you did well on it in the past. Each time you focus, you get a little bit better at it, and at the shot or position. That also helps improve your game. Sometimes dramatically in a short period of time.
9. Practicing the drills gives you confidence when they, or something similar, comes up in a game situation. Confidence in play is a huge factor in playing well.
Also, here's the big problem with breaking and running out to score yourself one point per ball. I'll use me today for an example. I rack up ten ball. I break and run out and don't need ball in hand. Next rack, same thing. Next rack, I take ball in hand, and still have no way at all to break out the 2. Can't even come close to getting to the two because of how the balls lie. So, on that rack I get a whopping one for a score. Next rack basically the same thing. Take ball in hand on the one, but due to it having balls near it, cannot get to the two decently, and have to shoot a tough combo on the two-6 anyways. So, now after 4 racks, I have a whopping 22! (just to clarify, the racks were spread pretty well, in ten ball you almost always have something to deal with. In these two examples, it was early in the rack, so I was screwed for running out)
So, as you see, break and run scoring has it's faults also. It too can vary big time from day to day. More so than the other drills will. The other drills teach actual improvement better than scoring balls or trying to run out. That said, one should also practice running out. And, adding safety play in the running out practice, and kicking and banking.
Last edited:
Dr Dave, slight error on scoring spreadsheet for bachelor's. The max points for S6 should be 3, not 6. Total possible points of 54 seems correct.
Also, I think it would be nice if on the log tab of the spreadsheet it would show the maximum point value for each column. This could be in the same cell as the text description as I've quickly typed in the below screenshot as a rough example. When reviewing the scores, this would help show what areas were strong, and what were weak.
Also, I think it would be nice if on the log tab of the spreadsheet it would show the maximum point value for each column. This could be in the same cell as the text description as I've quickly typed in the below screenshot as a rough example. When reviewing the scores, this would help show what areas were strong, and what were weak.
This is a great post. Every single one of your numbered points I have personally experienced, and only when I started doing drills from Tucker's Guaranteed Improvement book about 6 or 7 years ago.
Regarding the break and runs, they have to be done over a long period of time to average out. I would say 100 racks minimum. I've done it in Tuckers book 10 racks at a time, and repeated that 6 or 7 times in the span of a couple months. It still didn't average itself out.
Either Dave just fixed it, or it was fixed a while back. Either way, it shows correctly now.
edit: However, the total score should be 49, not 54. 4,7,10,10,6,3, 3, 3, 3= 49
Last edited:
And +5 for the break
Are you looking at the hand entry score sheet? The error I found was on the excel version that I was using. Btw, I just watched your video, nice shooting.
And +5 for the break
Are you looking at the hand entry score sheet? The error I found was on the excel version that I was using. Btw, I just watched your video, nice shooting.
You are right, up 5 for the break for a total of 54. Was looking at the BU website. And, thanks.