straight pool question

L

liakos

Banned
Not to sound like a jerk here, but this question is geared towards the better straight pool players!!! Those that have run 100 balls multiple times!!! Anyway, I'd like to think I'm a serious student of the game!!! I play all the games fairly equal!!! I consider myself a B+-A- player and have run multiple racks in 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, rotation!!! Even got a few one pocket 8and outs!!! Anyway, I'm trying to get better at straight pool, I enjoy the game very much!!! So here is the question!!! I have a 9-footer gc3, with shimmed pockets about 4 and 3/8!!! My goal is to run 100, I have a couple of 70's a few 50's and so, do I put the table back to original pocket size or do I wait and try to get better on this table??? Or should I just practice straight pool at the local hall and hope for the big run there?? Thanks for reading:)
 
I feel that if you got a decent stroke...the main thing to acquire is an attention span.
Most 9-ball players think like 100 yard dashers.
For long runs at straight pool, you must think like a marathon runner.

This requires much consideration.


And buy George Fels' Mastering Pool......lotta good tips about patterns
 
pt109 said:
I feel that if you got a decent stroke...the main thing to acquire is an attention span.
Most 9-ball players think like 100 yard dashers.
For long runs at straight pool, you must think like a marathon runner.

This requires much consideration.


And buy George Fels' Mastering Pool......lotta good tips about patterns
Click to expand...

Thanks, ill put that on the to-get list:) I do have "play your best straight pool" by capelle, lots of insight there too!!! Also, I enjoy watching straight pool matches from accustats!!! My favorite all time match is Irving cranes 150 and out on balsis!!! Everything about that is just awesome, thanks again!!!
 
The larger pockets might make it easier for you. Not because you'll pocket more balls but you can cheat a pocket a little more when you run out of shape, and that's vital in 14.1.

Its good you enjoy watching 14.1 matches. You can learn a lot from watching the pros go about their business. Watch John Schmidt breeze through a few racks. I learned more watching the top pros play and watching how they work through racks and certain situations than I did from any book. Not saying books aren't any good, I just learn more from visual representation.

If you're playing by yourself listen to your iPod or something. I get bored really quick, so I jam to some music whilst I'm playing. Your stroke and decision making, pattern understanding and positional play is obviously good if you can run into the 60s and 70s. Leads me to think its a concentration lapse. Easily done after being at the table for a while. When you get close to your best, and start to feel a little bit nervous take a bathroom break. Splash some cold water on your face and stretch your legs. Works for me.

The century will come, I'm sure of it. Just keep at it and try not to get pissed off if you keep hitting road blocks.
 
Jim Rempe, "how to run a 100" I had never played Straight pool at all...I watched this tape a couple times and in two weeks ran a 168. I could have never done it without the know how. John B.
 
Change the Pocket Size to 4.5"

Bring the pockets to 4.5" which is pretty acceptable and the difference will be more of those hangers will become pocketed object balls thus extending your run at times.

When you're going for consistency in your run numbers and hope of breaking 100, restore the pockets to 4 1/2". Remember....in pool, do it once and maybe it was just luck.....doesn't matter if a hard shot or a run of 106.......you could have just gotten lucky. Do it again a 2nd "consecutive " time, and well, it's better but let's face it, it could also just be a friggin' coincidence. But, do it 3 consecutive times....3 times in a row......it can be a very tough shot or a rack of balls or even running a 100 balls in straight pool....do it 3 times in a row, and then you can boast or brag you really do know that shot or "I can run 100 balls in straight pool".

But do it once, and that's it......well, you were probably lucky otherwise it would have already happened for you before now........3 TIMES IN A ROW is the height of the bar.
 
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liakos said:
Not to sound like a jerk here, but this question is geared towards the better straight pool players!!! Those that have run 100 balls multiple times!!! Anyway, I'd like to think I'm a serious student of the game!!! I play all the games fairly equal!!! I consider myself a B+-A- player and have run multiple racks in 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, rotation!!! Even got a few one pocket 8and outs!!! Anyway, I'm trying to get better at straight pool, I enjoy the game very much!!! So here is the question!!! I have a 9-footer gc3, with shimmed pockets about 4 and 3/8!!! My goal is to run 100, I have a couple of 70's a few 50's and so, do I put the table back to original pocket size or do I wait and try to get better on this table??? Or should I just practice straight pool at the local hall and hope for the big run there?? Thanks for reading:)
Click to expand...


If you just want to concentrate on 14.1, open up the pockets.

With the tighter pockets, you'll eventually get a few hundreds, but you'll always be wondering how many more (and how much higher the runs might have been) you might have gotten on reasonable equipment. I'm not sure, but didn't someone post that the NY event is on 5" pockets?

Lou Figueroa
 
Great Question ! I met Danny Harriman at Sandcastle billiards a couple weeks back @ the Accu Stats 14.1 make it happen and we had this conversation .I play on Table 2 it has 4 inch pockets ,as we started talking I told Danny how I would rather run a70 on 4inch than run a 100 on big pockets , please keep in mind this is only my opinion but I think bigger pockets make for sloppy play .There is also table 1 that has 3 & 7/8 pockets that I challenge any of the TOP players who have ran 2, 3 & 400 balls to run a100 IMHO
 
I want to thank all of you for replying! I love the game, ill never be a pro:) (when you work 7days a week 70-80 hrs, its tough to be any good especially starting 7yrs ago) but on my down time, I love playing, and I play fairly well for the amount of time I have!!! But I am going to consider putting the pockets to there original size!!! And just keep at it!!! And yes, I don't want 1 100 ball run, I want many;)!!!! But hey, its pool!!! I can only do my best !!! Again thank you all for your advice:)
 
Small target / old cloth and humidity

liakos said:
Not to sound like a jerk here, but this question is geared towards the better straight pool players!!! Those that have run 100 balls multiple times!!! Anyway, I'd like to think I'm a serious student of the game!!! I play all the games fairly equal!!! I consider myself a B+-A- player and have run multiple racks in 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, rotation!!! Even got a few one pocket 8and outs!!! Anyway, I'm trying to get better at straight pool, I enjoy the game very much!!! So here is the question!!! I have a 9-footer gc3, with shimmed pockets about 4 and 3/8!!! My goal is to run 100, I have a couple of 70's a few 50's and so, do I put the table back to original pocket size or do I wait and try to get better on this table??? Or should I just practice straight pool at the local hall and hope for the big run there?? Thanks for reading:)
Click to expand...

Humidity, rails, and how deep the pocket shelf is are more important than actual measurement of pocket size. A table that has double shimmed pockets in dry conditions and just re-covered will play too loose if you hit a ball easy. A brunswick with a shallow shelf will reject balls hit fairly well down the rail on old cloth and fast rails with high humidity. It's because the ball actually stays on the rail longer - due to the humidity - which gives it more potential energy. I guess if a player wants to shrink the size of the pocket then that will indeed make for a smaller target to shoot at. Personally I prefer tighter pockets and Artemis cushions for One Pocket (Diamond) I tend to lean towards normal sized pockets and not the modern super - speed cushions they use today (Brunswick k-65) for my favorite practice game ( Straight Pool).
 
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Hey liakos!!!

Swing by the 14.1 forum here on AZ. Lots of enthusiasts over there that don't always check the main forum. Quite a few video links in the first post.

Andy
 
Definitely open up the pockets for starters. Almost none of the high runs you'll watch on video are on tight pockets. Now for straight pool, two rules will result in higher runs. One, drive secondary break shots toward the middle of the table rather than the bottom rail. And two, clear the bottom pockets with blocking balls early to be able to work easier after the secondary break shots.
 
Pidge said:
The larger pockets might make it easier for you. Not because you'll pocket more balls but you can cheat a pocket a little more when you run out of shape, and that's vital in 14.1. ...
Click to expand...

The idea of relatively larger pockets for straight pool is not so you can cheat them when you get out of shape. They are required to play the game properly. For playing shape, not for getting bailed out when you don't get shape.

Having pockets large enough to play to different portions is much more important to straight pool expertly played than it is to 9 or 10 ball, or even a pattern game like 8 Ball.

The ability to play to portions of a pocket is part of the art of straight pool. Tight pockets take that art away.
 
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liakos said:
Not to sound like a jerk here, but this question is geared towards the better straight pool players!!! Those that have run 100 balls multiple times!!! Anyway, I'd like to think I'm a serious student of the game!!! I play all the games fairly equal!!! I consider myself a B+-A- player and have run multiple racks in 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, rotation!!! Even got a few one pocket 8and outs!!! Anyway, I'm trying to get better at straight pool, I enjoy the game very much!!! So here is the question!!! I have a 9-footer gc3, with shimmed pockets about 4 and 3/8!!! My goal is to run 100, I have a couple of 70's a few 50's and so, do I put the table back to original pocket size or do I wait and try to get better on this table??? Or should I just practice straight pool at the local hall and hope for the big run there?? Thanks for reading:)
Click to expand...

Ask Stan Shuffett about how much the rails and pockets if they're not right...can effect your high runs, even if playing on a Diamond, like he owns;) Rails and pockets need to play right, and work together with you, and not against your game.;)
 
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WPA Table and Equipment Specs call for the corner pocket mouth to be between 4.5" and 4.625", even for 14.1 [not that that necessarily means anything for your home table].

Note that the degree of difficulty of a pocket is also affected by a number of other factors.
 
I'd vote open up your pockets. I've heard some players say that they consider the ability to cheat the hole
something that is essential to good straight pool. It makes it easier to play perfect shape
in tight areas when you can just overcut the ball a little here, or undercut a little there.

I dunno, maybe that's just a matter of preference. But I think most of the famous straight pool legends
played the game (and set their records) on normal pockets, not tight pockets.
And I bet their style of play was influenced by those big cheatable openings.
 
CreeDo said:
I'd vote open up your pockets. I've heard some players say that they consider the ability to cheat the hole
something that is essential to good straight pool. It makes it easier to play perfect shape
in tight areas when you can just overcut the ball a little here, or undercut a little there. ..
Click to expand...

That's sort of it right there. But it's not so much to make it easier as it is to allow the game to be played the way it was meant to be. The reason it is necessary to have the ability to play to portions of the pocket is that unlike 9 Ball where you are most of the time using spin off the rails to get position, in 14.1 you very often play position without going to a cushion. So manipulating the cut angle to change the tangent line and/or speed of the CB is frequently the only tool you have to play position. So if the pockets are too tight you're left with no tools to play position.

Consider also that in straight pool often times position must be very precise. Sometimes it doesn't matter how big the pocket is, as long as it's big enough to allow the good player the ability to use his skill to play position. If a shot calls for a very precise position play, then the good player is shooting to a very specific part of the pocket to get the CB to a very precise spot. It doesn't matter if the pocket is 4.75" or 6.75". If he misses that precise part of the pocket he will fail to get position.

Now obviously at some point the pocket becomes to big. Potting becomes too easy and even sloppy CB control will be good enough. It is a balance thing. But the point is that the pockets for straight pool generally speaking need to be bigger than for 9 Ball or 10 Ball where spin off the rails is the dominant way of playing shape.
 
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