Noob Needs Advice

[Mike the Beginner]

Need your advice--how would you play this? Any order, just want to play position to clear the four balls.

I just took up the game in April. Every day I clear a few tables (well, sometimes more than a few) and then mark a shot I missed or one where I don't know how to play position for, and then practice it for half an hour or so with all sorts of different spin and distance to see what happens, until I feel I have a handle on that shot. (Or, I pick a shot from the "99 Shots" book and practice it. If I can make it at all.)

This is what I marked off for today, but I'm just not seeing the best pattern to play it. Again, it's not 9-ball, I just want to clear the balls in any order, playing position on each shot for the next ball. I can play follow and draw and some English, but I'm not good at English on longer shots. Here, I can see all four object balls and can (well, theoretically--the 2 isn't so easy) pocket any of the four as the balls lie in the photo.

How would you go about it? Thanks for any help!

 

[Neil]

Shoot the 5 in the corner. Draw back to about even with the left cube of chalk on the rail there. Then shoot the 9 in the side, coming down table to a little past the 4. Shoot the 4 in the side with a little draw and then the 2 in the corner.

 

[prewarhero]

Five down the rail, assuming I can pop the cb out far enough to get straight in o. The 4. Stop shot so I have a natural angle to go from the 2 to the 9 in the side.

 

[RRfireblade]

5 stop,

9 side, drift down for the 2,

Easy off the rail for position on the 4 in the side.

It's all stop or natural follow.

 

[prewarhero]

5 stop,

9 side, drift down for the 2,

Easy off the rail for position on the 4 in the side.

It's all stop or natural follow.

That's good too

 

[vasilios]

5 - 9 - 4 - 2



bill

 

[Mike the Beginner]

Shoot the 5 in the corner. Draw back to about even with the left cube of chalk on the rail there. Then shoot the 9 in the side, coming down table to a little past the 4. Shoot the 4 in the side with a little draw and then the 2 in the corner.

I see your pattern there but I can't quite play it. I guess I was overoptimistic when I claimed I can draw the ball...sometimes I can draw the ball, and when the CB is that close to the rail, apparently I can't. And the concept of "draw the ball TO..." is one that is beyond my skills. What happens is that most tries, I draw the ball 2-3 inches back, and then once every 20 tries, it draws back three feet.

It doesn't help that if I hit the 5 with more than moderate speed on my table, it rattles and hangs in the corner pocket. (My nickname for my table is "Rattle and Hang.")

So then I get too much angle on the 9, it plays all the way down for a straight shot on the 2, and then the 4 is a hard shot from the rail.

 

[justadub]

I see your pattern there but I can't quite play it. I guess I was overoptimistic when I claimed I can draw the ball...sometimes I can draw the ball, and when the CB is that close to the rail, apparently I can't. And the concept of "draw the ball TO..." is one that is beyond my skills. What happens is that most tries, I draw the ball 2-3 inches back, and then once every 20 tries, it draws back three feet.

It doesn't help that if I hit the 5 with more than moderate speed on my table, it rattles and hangs in the corner pocket. (My nickname for my table is "Rattle and Hang.")

So then I get too much angle on the 9, it plays all the way down for a straight shot on the 2, and then the 4 is a hard shot from the rail.

Even if you can't draw the ball, if you can stop it, this is a makeable pattern.

If you stop it, the 9 is still a decent shot, and the leave will put you back on the 4, leaving the 2.

 

[Allen Brown]

Do you have enough light to see the table?

 

[Neil]

I see your pattern there but I can't quite play it. I guess I was overoptimistic when I claimed I can draw the ball...sometimes I can draw the ball, and when the CB is that close to the rail, apparently I can't. And the concept of "draw the ball TO..." is one that is beyond my skills. What happens is that most tries, I draw the ball 2-3 inches back, and then once every 20 tries, it draws back three feet.

It doesn't help that if I hit the 5 with more than moderate speed on my table, it rattles and hangs in the corner pocket. (My nickname for my table is "Rattle and Hang.")

So then I get too much angle on the 9, it plays all the way down for a straight shot on the 2, and then the 4 is a hard shot from the rail.

OK. Then, as others said, just stop on the 5. Now, look closely at the 9. Look at the angle you have on it. You can do one of two things here. You can use just a hair of follow and go down the same rail the 9 is at and shoot the 2 into the upper corner in the picture, or, you will be able to shoot the 9 with more follow and firmer and come off the rail and back across the table for the 2 in the bottom corner. Then, just shoot the 4 in the side.

Now, another possibility after the 9, depending on just where you end up, is to stick with the original pattern and shoot the 5,9,4 in the side with a softer stop shot, and then the 2 in the bottom corner.

 

[hang-the-9]

I see your pattern there but I can't quite play it. I guess I was overoptimistic when I claimed I can draw the ball...sometimes I can draw the ball, and when the CB is that close to the rail, apparently I can't. And the concept of "draw the ball TO..." is one that is beyond my skills. What happens is that most tries, I draw the ball 2-3 inches back, and then once every 20 tries, it draws back three feet.

It doesn't help that if I hit the 5 with more than moderate speed on my table, it rattles and hangs in the corner pocket. (My nickname for my table is "Rattle and Hang.")

So then I get too much angle on the 9, it plays all the way down for a straight shot on the 2, and then the 4 is a hard shot from the rail.

You need to hit the 5 soft, no need to hit it hard to draw back a few inches. All you need is a small angle on the 9 to be bellow it.

You need to explain things a bit. You can't say things like "how do I get from my house to the store" then when people say you get in the car and drive only then mention that you have no feet and are blind.

 

[Mike the Beginner]

5 stop,

9 side, drift down for the 2,

Easy off the rail for position on the 4 in the side.

It's all stop or natural follow.

This I can do.

But it's touchy. First of all I don't know why I can't draw back from the 5, but I can't. I've tried 200 times and left a plume of chalk in front of the CB position. Still can't manage. Don't know what the hell is up with that.

But if I stop the ball at the 5 I can hit the 9 really softly and end up below the 2 and put it in the top left corner (in the picture). What's key is speed on the 9, because if there's too much angle on the 2 then I can't get the two to the corner without coming way back out to the wrong side of the 4.

Now can I do this ten times in a row? That's my practice standard...this one might have to go on till tomorrow. <g>

Thanks! --To everyone who answered.

--Mike

 

[Mike the Beginner]

You need to explain things a bit. You can't say things like "how do I get from my house to the store" then when people say you get in the car and drive only then mention that you have no feet and are blind.

I hear ya. Sometimes I have no trouble drawing the ball. Other times I have lots of trouble. I'm very inconsistent yet.

The two things I find most frustrating about learning pool are a) the corner pockets on my Olhausen, and b) trying to learn how to draw.

Mike

 

[mikefingers]

you need to play a stop shot on the 4 first. then you can play a stop shot on the 5. that will leave you a shot on the 9 in the side which you hit with just a rolling ball and the cue will drift down toward the 2!! that will be the simplest out possible with the least amount of cue ball travel!! You don't have to draw anything, you don't need to cut anything it is the most natural path for the cue ball!! Try to keep the cueball movement to a minimum!! That will give you less of a chance of making a mistake and getting out of position!!!

This is the correct pattern, and if you want a second opinion you can always ask me again!!!! LOL

 

[prewarhero]

first, I would recommend some lessons or some videos on how to draw and practice simple draw shots the right way over and over again.

but from the pattern above, draw is not required. shot the five as a stop shot. You will have an angle that by shooting the 9 you can easily get shape on the 4 or the 2, and you regardless of which one you chose it is pretty natural to get on the other.

 

[Mike the Beginner]

or, you will be able to shoot the 9 with more follow and firmer and come off the rail and back across the table for the 2 in the bottom corner. Then, just shoot the 4 in the side.

That's an interesting idea. I'm going to go try that.

Mike

 

[prewarhero]

you need to play a stop shot on the 4 first. then you can play a stop shot on the 5. that will leave you a shot on the 9 in the side which you hit with just a rolling ball and the cue will drift down toward the 2!! that will be the simplest out possible with the least amount of cue ball travel!! You don't have to draw anything, you don't need to cut anything it is the most natural path for the cue ball!! Try to keep the cueball movement to a minimum!! That will give you less of a chance of making a mistake and getting out of position!!!

This is the correct pattern, and if you want a second opinion you can always ask me again!!!! LOL

I dont think the 4 is straight in, fact I think that will send the CB for a ride.

 

[Neil]

you need to play a stop shot on the 4 first. then you can play a stop shot on the 5. that will leave you a shot on the 9 in the side which you hit with just a rolling ball and the cue will drift down toward the 2!! that will be the simplest out possible with the least amount of cue ball travel!! You don't have to draw anything, you don't need to cut anything it is the most natural path for the cue ball!! Try to keep the cueball movement to a minimum!! That will give you less of a chance of making a mistake and getting out of position!!!

This is the correct pattern, and if you want a second opinion you can always ask me again!!!! LOL

That's the first thing I looked at. The four is not straight to the pocket. A stop shot on it with even a soft hit will bring the cb at least out to middle table.

 

[Mike the Beginner]

Originally Posted by Neil
or, you will be able to shoot the 9 with more follow and firmer and come off the rail and back across the table for the 2 in the bottom corner. Then, just shoot the 4 in the side.

That's an interesting idea. I'm going to go try that.

Mike

That didn't work...for me. Because I can't get back from the 5, the angle on the 9 is too steep, and even strong follow hits the end rail below the 2. ("Below" relative to the picture). Then it comes out too far and I have no shot.

I'm sure it would work for you, because you could draw back from the 5 and get a better angle on the 9.

Mike

 

[mantis99]

Shoot the 5 in the corner. Draw back to about even with the left cube of chalk on the rail there. Then shoot the 9 in the side, coming down table to a little past the 4. Shoot the 4 in the side with a little draw and then the 2 in the corner.

This is what I would do.