To guage the quality of a player, what shots to you watch for?

hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Let's say some guy gets a table next to you and seems to know what he's doing. Nice cue, nice stance, he can draw the ball. But maybe he now a player as we know them.

If you had a shot that you'd see and think "this guy knows the game" what would it be?

I don't mean a pure stoke shot where he draws the ball 2 table lengths, I mean maybe those shots that look simple but are not and if you are in the "know" you "know" them.

I have two for me. Object ball near the rail, with maybe a bit of a cut on it but near the pocket also, need to get shape on other side of the table. A non-player will try to hit harder with follow, of-course causing the cueball to follow up to the rail again leaving the guy 7 feet off on position.

The other is a hanging ball and hit to get shape on the next one. How full you hit is VERY important there, if you hit a draw shot, you can end up going in a totally different direction if you hit on the wrong side of the ball, on a rail first shot, if you hit too thin you end up with too much cueball speed, too full and too little speed to get to next ball.

If I see those shots played properly, I view that player as a "player".
 
Long and straight in either needing to squat the cueball or draw back.
If someone can execute a long straight in and draw it back that tells me they are at least pretty good.
 
I've always thought that if someone is good at bank shots that's a good sign. Because the speed and english affects the shot so much more than a regular shot, and because you can't directly visualize the shot on the table, I think you must have a good intuitive sense of shotmaking to be a good bank shooter.
 
I look for how well they play shape. I quit watching their mannerisms. I know some shooters that look like they couldn't make a ball until you watch them go about running the table.
 
I look for the players shot making ability, shape and composure under pressure, like a tournament, league or cash game. Beyond that I look at what point do they feel uncomfortable maybe they stroke everything in if it's a 5 dollar game but rattle all balls if its a 20 dollar game.

We all can be pool gods in practice so I think it is best to judge someone under pressure and determine their ability from there.
 
I have a few specific shots that will cause me to say that I have to leave right now, to finish bogg's laundry, but without a wei, I am not gonna bother with those.

Generally, I would say I look at the angles the guy plays, especially when he gets bih with 3-5 balls on the table. Unfortunately, that happens a lot to my opponents!
 
poolwizard said:
I look for the players shot making ability, shape and composure under pressure, like a tournament, league or cash game. Beyond that I look at what point do they feel uncomfortable maybe they stroke everything in if it's a 5 dollar game but rattle all balls if its a 20 dollar game.

We all can be pool gods in practice so I think it is best to judge someone under pressure and determine their ability from there.
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Good point about the pressure, but here you are just kinda looking out of the corner of your eye to see how this new guy is playing.
 
BRussell said:
I've always thought that if someone is good at bank shots that's a good sign. Because the speed and english affects the shot so much more than a regular shot, and because you can't directly visualize the shot on the table, I think you must have a good intuitive sense of shotmaking to be a good bank shooter.
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I've seen too many amateurs sink banks without any thought on position play. That is what I would add to your statement, position of cue ball afterwards. If I see a guy just hard shooting banks, it doesn't tell me he's a player. Beginers treat banks like backspin, once they learn how, it's all they try to do lol
 
The stun follow
The stun with outside, to-and-through the center of the table
Inside, double the corner
Outside, double the corner

Draw back at the wrong angle with outside, natural off the cushion (need a WEI diagram on this one, and I don't know what others call it)

I suppose any of the standard pattern (star patterns? ) in 9-ball.

Freddie <~~~ misses all of them
 
UpMySleeves said:
I've seen too many amateurs sink banks without any thought on position play. That is what I would add to your statement, position of cue ball afterwards. If I see a guy just hard shooting banks, it doesn't tell me he's a player. Beginers treat banks like backspin, once they learn how, it's all they try to do lol
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So true! And it's tough to get position after a bank shot, because you have to adjust the shot so much according to speed and english.
 
I like this topic =)

I'm still improving my game a lot and still learning the little nuances of the game - but! I've played players who are top notch and a few shots always stand out for me.

1) How they break up problem balls (if there are any) - amateur players and non-players usually will not break up problem balls and will often save them for last without a shot while "players" will look to break them up ASAP.

2) Cross pocket hangers - CB in low left pocket, OB in high right pocket. A lot of players will hit with right or left English, and a few even more amateur players with draw - they all end up not getting position on the next ball.

3) Safety Play - Even when I see 9s/As play against 5s/Cs, the 9 (A) player will play a great safety shot when he doesn't see a way to run out and will wait for the 5 (c) player to make a mistake then run out. Amateur players love to hit the ball and are all about offense while the best players properly weigh the percentages of safety and offensive shots.

-Richard
 
I would look at the way he spins the cue ball, and how he gets shape on next ball, creating angles and get on the right side of the object ball is most telling.

I think he can intentionally miss so he can hustle, but putting english and getting to the right side of object ball should become his instinct if he is a good player, and he would find it hard to fake that.
 
Watch how they move whitey ahead a foot on a straight in shot. If they use the same stroke as they shoot the stop shot that's a sign of a player. If they baby the stroke and roll the balls, that's the otherwise.

JC
 
I watch players mechanics, then patterns, and the way he holds himself got to read players just like cards. .. assume that everyone is a hustler till proven otherwise..
 
Well Im not a short stop or anything but consifer myself a decent player. Easiest way for me to gauge someone is to look at their patters. Run the table in your mind or whatever shot they're doing and compare it to how you would run the pattern. If it matches up with yours I would consider that person to be at least competent. Other way I gauge to is to look at their grip and bridges. That would pretty much tell you where they are fundamentally.
 
BRussell said:
So true! And it's tough to get position after a bank shot, because you have to adjust the shot so much according to speed and english.
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I don't have a lot of shots I can shoot better than most, but banking with shape I am pretty good at. One of my favorite shots is cross side bank with draw + side spin to bring cueball 3 or 4 rails around for shape for a ball on the bottom rail.

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