Do you take the shot or...duck?

8

8onthebreak

THE WORLD IS YOURS
Silver Member
I tend to be very analytical in my approach to pool. I'm always weighing odds in favor of making a shot vs. safety...
My question is: at what point do you duck?
For me...if I have less than a 80% sure shot! I'm looking for an 80% or better safety.
If I can't find a 80+ safe! I'm weighing my shot % minus the odds of my opponent running out if I miss...
And then I'm running odds on the safety% minus the odds of the opponent running out if I don't get safe.

I'm curious...are you mechanical in your approach...calculating odds and numbers...or do you just hit what FEELS GOOD?

Also, it would be interesting to post what your approximate skill level is. Mine is A.
 
Depends entirely on the situation.

I play at an A level too, and I think I tend to rely on instincts and how I'm feeling at the time to decide whether or not to shoot. Rather than thinking about percentages, I consider my opponent's level, the score, and how I'm playing at the time because percentages can change at any given time.

Like you, I tend to play on the safe side as well, and I think taking the sure shot is not a bad strategy, but against strong players where chances are few and far between, you've got to pick your spots and take on shots outside your comfort zone to have a chance to win.

If my opponent not so strong at kicking, I might look for safeties a lot more than if I were to play a great kicker/jumper. But against a player with a strong all-around game, unless I'm sure I can get a lockdown safe, I would rather go for a shot and maybe try to two-way it. I'd prefer to have a chance to win the game rather than leave an easy kick or jump, or get into a safety battle with a better player.
 
8onthebreak said:
I tend to be very analytical in my approach to pool. I'm always weighing odds in favor of making a shot vs. safety...
My question is: at what point do you duck?
For me...if I have less than a 80% sure shot! I'm looking for an 80% or better safety.
If I can't find a 80+ safe! I'm weighing my shot % minus the odds of my opponent running out if I miss...
And then I'm running odds on the safety% minus the odds of the opponent running out if I don't get safe.

I'm curious...are you mechanical in your approach...calculating odds and numbers...or do you just hit what FEELS GOOD?

Also, it would be interesting to post what your approximate skill level is. Mine is A.
Click to expand...
There were quite a LOT of variables that came into play when I gambled all the time. If I DIDN'T know you and we were playing "by the game", I would be WAY MORE apt to shoot at balls until I figured out your speed (or what you would show). If I got away with that for a few racks and was winning, I continued to play that way until I lost a couple in a row. Then I would go into "methodical" pool, where I tried to figure the odds of this or that. I've always had the instinct to go for stuff that MOST people wouldn't consider. The ONLY reason I did that was because I had spent thousands of hours practicing in the pool hall where I worked and knew my batting average was higher than 90% of the people I ever played or witnessed playing at the time.

Back then, the most common race for any amount of money over $100 was usually a race to 11 or 21 if more money was involved. Most of the matches in my life has been "until somebody quits or somebody runs out of money". It never was a LOT of money, but it was all the money I could come up with at the time. I was overseas most of the time when I played my best, but I took on anybody who was willing to play me with what I had and I am SURE I had an OVER 95% winning rate. They may not have been all Willie Mosconis and neither was I, but I never turned anybody down.

I never tried to put anybody into a trap or a hustle...I always shot the best I could, even in practice when I was playing by myself. I used to just always say, "you can come over and play on my table at any time you want". Some did and most didn't, unless we were just banging around for a beer. However, there were lots of people playing pool at that time, so you didn't have to wait to awful long before a couple people would get froggy and jump up to play. Those are the people who paid my rent and groceries for a long time while I banked my real paycheck.
 
A - level here.

I never saw a shot I didn't like. Although I play safety only if it's there to hook the guy. If there's a chance I may mess up, I will try and make the shot.

I'm not very calculated in that regards.
 
If I see a lock up safety I will very likely play it. If I don't see a fairly easy run out then I will play to put myself in position to play a lock up safety. There have been many times where I have played a safety when I had very easy shots on the table.
 
Shannon.spronk said:
If I see a lock up safety I will very likely play it. If I don't see a fairly easy run out then I will play to put myself in position to play a lock up safety. There have been many times where I have played a safety when I had very easy shots on the table.
Click to expand...

That is the very key to BIH games. If you can make balls but can't get out, play to the point where you have the BEST chance for a LOCK safety. Never make balls if it isn't to your advantage.
 
Shannon.spronk said:
If I see a lock up safety I will very likely play it. If I don't see a fairly easy run out then I will play to put myself in position to play a lock up safety. There have been many times where I have played a safety when I had very easy shots on the table.
Click to expand...
Agree 100 %
:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Gesendet von meinem GT-I9100 mit Tapatalk 2
 
8onthebreak said:
I tend to be very analytical in my approach to pool. I'm always weighing odds in favor of making a shot vs. safety...
My question is: at what point do you duck?
For me...if I have less than a 80% sure shot! I'm looking for an 80% or better safety.
If I can't find a 80+ safe! I'm weighing my shot % minus the odds of my opponent running out if I miss...
And then I'm running odds on the safety% minus the odds of the opponent running out if I don't get safe.

I'm curious...are you mechanical in your approach...calculating odds and numbers...or do you just hit what FEELS GOOD?

Also, it would be interesting to post what your approximate skill level is. Mine is A.
Click to expand...

I usually calculate my odds, but I do it more instinctively.
 
50/50 Make the shot, make the safety I'm taking the shot.

But I'm old ;) That's why it's called shooting pool and not let's play a game of duck.

:)
 
to me it's a confidence at the moment thing, but, to me, even if it don't work out, the safety is always a good shot, be patient.
 
8onthebreak said:
I tend to be very analytical in my approach to pool. I'm always weighing odds in favor of making a shot vs. safety...
My question is: at what point do you duck?
For me...if I have less than a 80% sure shot! I'm looking for an 80% or better safety.
If I can't find a 80+ safe! I'm weighing my shot % minus the odds of my opponent running out if I miss...
And then I'm running odds on the safety% minus the odds of the opponent running out if I don't get safe.

I'm curious...are you mechanical in your approach...calculating odds and numbers...or do you just hit what FEELS GOOD?

Also, it would be interesting to post what your approximate skill level is. Mine is A.
Click to expand...

When it feels right...... I just shoot the damn ball in the rail :eek:
 
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