Beginner - 3 Cushion
- Thread starter wpolkjr
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My suggestion is to learn some of the systems out there to help take the guess work out of some shots. Particularly the corner 5 system. Speed is a very important factor in this game. Even if you hit the right rails, it can cause you to miss from being struck too hard or too soft. Any flaw in your stroke will be magnified. It can be very frustrating. Find some time to take some lessons from a knowledgeable person. 3c will definitely show you that there is more than one way to make a point. Most of all, enjoy the game. Dont worry too much about missing, and learn from your mistakes.
If you search this Carom forum there's several such questions.
You ask the "best way"? Learn to make caroms first. It doesn't matter if its pool balls or carom balls learning how to make caroms as far as aim and technique. Of course the carom balls are heavier. If concerned about that then buy a set. Your room may sell one of their used sets cheap. Check out USBA.net and there's some instruction there and if you join there's discounts on new balls.
As mentioned above the 5 system is nice to know in that it tells you a little about the first and third rail. I think more importantly simply learn the patterns. If you search on AZ handle "billiardshot" He's posted several links to shots and systems. Just look at the patterns in the beginning and not worry about the numbering, unless you really enjoy numbers.
You ask the "best way"? Learn to make caroms first. It doesn't matter if its pool balls or carom balls learning how to make caroms as far as aim and technique. Of course the carom balls are heavier. If concerned about that then buy a set. Your room may sell one of their used sets cheap. Check out USBA.net and there's some instruction there and if you join there's discounts on new balls.
As mentioned above the 5 system is nice to know in that it tells you a little about the first and third rail. I think more importantly simply learn the patterns. If you search on AZ handle "billiardshot" He's posted several links to shots and systems. Just look at the patterns in the beginning and not worry about the numbering, unless you really enjoy numbers.
I don't know of a single three cushion player who didn't learn how to play straight rail first.
Gotta learn how to float and hold your breath before you sign up for the olympic swimming team.
Seriously though, the free games (1 cushion, bulkline, straight rail, etc) are a lot more fun than 3 cushion.
Gotta learn how to float and hold your breath before you sign up for the olympic swimming team.
Seriously though, the free games (1 cushion, bulkline, straight rail, etc) are a lot more fun than 3 cushion.
number13cfan
Banned
i8ap4t; I beg to differ, Blomdahl DID NOT learn how to play any of the "Small games" before He started, "3 Cushion."
However, He does play them NOW.
Number13cfan
i8ap4t wrote:I don't know of a single three cushion player who didn't learn how to play straight rail first.
Gotta learn how to float and hold your breath before you sign up for the olympic swimming team.
Seriously though, the free games (1 cushion, bulkline, straight rail, etc) are a lot more fun than 3 cushion.
Me: Let me introduce myself. I went from 14.1 continuous to 3 cushion.No balkline, no straight rail. However I do understand your analogy and your point is well taken.
Fun is a very subjective word. As Mr.Ceulemans said it better than I ever could..." If you are on a table with cue in hand it is fun regardless.
Gotta learn how to float and hold your breath before you sign up for the olympic swimming team.
Seriously though, the free games (1 cushion, bulkline, straight rail, etc) are a lot more fun than 3 cushion.
Me: Let me introduce myself. I went from 14.1 continuous to 3 cushion.No balkline, no straight rail. However I do understand your analogy and your point is well taken.
Fun is a very subjective word. As Mr.Ceulemans said it better than I ever could..." If you are on a table with cue in hand it is fun regardless.
Spend a lot of time watching and playing with someone who plays at a high level.
This is getting redundant...
Throughout the whole time being registered on this forum, all I read from how to introduce Three-Cushion Billiards from non-competitive players are:
a) learn the diamond system
b) I went straight from pool (really should be called "Pocket Billiards" but we're lazy enough to just call it out of a word that condones gambling) into playing Three-Cushion Billiards and did fine
c) Blomdahl did not learn "small games" but did well so just start straight forward into 3C
First off: Blomdahl did dabble in Freegame before he went on to be the beast that he is (as well as Jaspers, Ceulemans, and many others).
Diamond Systems are A CRUTCH! Learn it, understand it, and get rid of it.... plain and simple.
Pocket Billiards does not equate with Carom Billiards. Although equivalent in technique with the cueball, the concepts are very different.
To those naysayers that despise knowing the small games before going into three-cushion, what I got to say to you all is: Just enjoy this game (not a sport) because that is how you all will treat this as until kingdom come. And while you all do so, the seriously devoted carom players will steamroll those naysayers with ease. Ever wondered why the USA is never at the top 10 of the international carom billiard rankings?!
Think about it....
Go ahead and condemn my way of thinking, people. Let the sparks fly!!!
Throughout the whole time being registered on this forum, all I read from how to introduce Three-Cushion Billiards from non-competitive players are:
a) learn the diamond system
b) I went straight from pool (really should be called "Pocket Billiards" but we're lazy enough to just call it out of a word that condones gambling) into playing Three-Cushion Billiards and did fine
c) Blomdahl did not learn "small games" but did well so just start straight forward into 3C
First off: Blomdahl did dabble in Freegame before he went on to be the beast that he is (as well as Jaspers, Ceulemans, and many others).
Diamond Systems are A CRUTCH! Learn it, understand it, and get rid of it.... plain and simple.
Pocket Billiards does not equate with Carom Billiards. Although equivalent in technique with the cueball, the concepts are very different.
To those naysayers that despise knowing the small games before going into three-cushion, what I got to say to you all is: Just enjoy this game (not a sport) because that is how you all will treat this as until kingdom come. And while you all do so, the seriously devoted carom players will steamroll those naysayers with ease. Ever wondered why the USA is never at the top 10 of the international carom billiard rankings?!
Think about it....
Go ahead and condemn my way of thinking, people. Let the sparks fly!!!
I'm another one that didn't learn the game from the small games first. Looking back it was probably not the way to go but so be it. Too old to start over, although I dabble with it a little. Very hard games
The issue with me is there wasn't anybody that played or taught these games.
Regarding why the US doesn't compete well against the rest of the world is for several reasons. Two big ones is availability of tables and players/competition and lack of professional instruction. In Japan the champions are required to teach as a condition of their membership. Not sure about Europe. Proper instruction from an early stage is key. Here we don't have a clue on shot selection for instance till years have been wasted banging balls around the table. We have to figure it out on our own and this takes some pretty hard book learning as well as play/practice.
The most noticeable thing I see between a DYI player and a professional is the softness a pro hits the CB. For me just looking at speed tells me a lot about what the player knows. The DYI players hit the ball hard enough for the CB to travel 10-25' further than necessary on most shots. Hit it hard and hope.
To your point, there's several clubs (or at least used to be) that won't even allow a newbie to play on the 3C tables till they reached a certain skill level in the small games.
All in all I think its possible to get to a high level without playing caroms but its probably the least effective way. But how many years should a person play (by themselves) caroms before they advance to 3-cushion?
i am not a billiard player as there are no tables near me
but i am trying to learn about the game
could some one explain to me why they think the "small "games
should come first and not learn all of them together??
to make an analogy
should you not learn how to bank until you can run 100 balls in straight pool?
most experience pol players i beleive would say that a developing player should play one pocket/ straight pool /and a rotation game
since the skills learned in one game witll help the others
but i am trying to learn about the game
could some one explain to me why they think the "small "games
should come first and not learn all of them together??
to make an analogy
should you not learn how to bank until you can run 100 balls in straight pool?
most experience pol players i beleive would say that a developing player should play one pocket/ straight pool /and a rotation game
since the skills learned in one game witll help the others
If you're going to learn the game, then just start off playing Three-Cushion right off the bat and however you want. If you complain about this just being a game not becoming popular, then do it with your own discretion and leave it as such. Like Chess, you will not see this being like American Football, Basketball, or Baseball (or any category being a sport).
If you are going to take this billiard discipline as a sport, then the reason for the "small games" being very important is because of a few things:
- a) confidence of making caroms frequently - Playing Freegame requires just to hit caroms with all three balls in a close proximity with control and not obliging with the corner limit (if you are going to convert this into Pocket Billiards, its like playing 14.1 continuous just to make shots all while having control of the cueball and position play)
- b) because of that hunger of wanting to make more shots - when you make many caroms as well as making it look so easy in Freegame and want to take it to the next level, they make limits = Balkline. Start with 47cm away from the cushion with a 2 shot limit. Once that is easy, then take it for 1 shot limit. Once the latter is easy, then start getting into 71cm/2 shot limit balkline. If there is no such tables or the owner does not want you to draw lines in their table, then Cushion Caroms (or "one-cushion billiards") does the trick. If Balkline or cushion caroms is easier, then the upgrade to Three-Cushion Billiards comes into play. Just like cushion caroms, only with the obligation of hitting two more cushions aside from just only one.
- c) because you know exactly where those object balls are going to prevent you from getting that kiss - not saying that it is a guarantee that it will happen ALL the time, but it will occur to you a whole lot less of having a kiss from the object ball because of the concept of learning from those small game disciplines
I am spent... I need to recharge my batteries...
14+ years of loving billiards just seems to wear me down sometimes...
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Slick spent some time on this and I really can't disagree with him.
The simple answer is all these games require a player to make a carom. Either to another ball or to a cushion. Either way balkline straight rail or 3 Cushion you have to make the carom. Learn to make caroms. Period. The drawback converting to 3C is speed. Or in other words the CB needs to travel much greater distances.
Another advantage for learning caroms is simply learning to "feel" the ball.
BE THE BALL
Hello
This is a very interesting matter. Since my 14 years i've always played straight pool until someone introduced me to 3 cushions, until today. We here sometimes say that to learn 3 cushions the most dificult are the first 15 years, we say it just for fun, but as we all know billiards is a very dificult sport, and takes a lot of effort to learn how to play with a decent level.
Small games Vs 3 cushion, it's good to know diferent strokes, and how to take the second ball, it´s usufull in my opinion, learn is always good.
The best way to learn ? diferent people have diferent opinions, and by what i have seen here that's a fact.
Someone mentioned Blondahl, let me remind you that his father was a top player (number 3 in the world at some point), and he teached his son. Playing and learning with someone that has the right experience to teach us, it´s not a bad solution. Other example? Who teached Pedro Piedrabuena? I believe it was Sang Lee. For me this is the best way, but i also know that it's not avaiable for everyone.
I love to discuss billiards, and this is a good question no doubt about it.
Best regards
Francisco
This is a very interesting matter. Since my 14 years i've always played straight pool until someone introduced me to 3 cushions, until today. We here sometimes say that to learn 3 cushions the most dificult are the first 15 years, we say it just for fun, but as we all know billiards is a very dificult sport, and takes a lot of effort to learn how to play with a decent level.
Small games Vs 3 cushion, it's good to know diferent strokes, and how to take the second ball, it´s usufull in my opinion, learn is always good.
The best way to learn ? diferent people have diferent opinions, and by what i have seen here that's a fact.
Someone mentioned Blondahl, let me remind you that his father was a top player (number 3 in the world at some point), and he teached his son. Playing and learning with someone that has the right experience to teach us, it´s not a bad solution. Other example? Who teached Pedro Piedrabuena? I believe it was Sang Lee. For me this is the best way, but i also know that it's not avaiable for everyone.
I love to discuss billiards, and this is a good question no doubt about it.
Best regards
Francisco
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Pick up Robert Byrne's Standard Book of Pool and Billiards. The first half of the book is filled with classic pool instruction, one of my main sources of learning back in the day. The second half is devoted to 3 cushion, also where I learned quite a bit about the game. You can go diagram to diagram and various categories and learn the shots and more importantly the principles behind the shots. Also a great chapter on the Corner 5 diamond system with decent explanations and adjustments etc.
If you pay attention to the text and practice the shots and concepts you will learn a lot. Learning just a dozen or so of the common shots and patterns and basic do's and don'ts will enable you to enjoy the game immensely more then just trying to figure it out on your own. To go beyond that you can get his other books as well, or other books on systems and position play, or better yet try to play with better players and/or watch pros play in the many matches now available on Youtube, some with decent commentary as well which also helps with the learning.
Good luck, you will enjoy it! And it will help with your pool game as well - understanding the effects of and blending angles/spin/speed, playing safe, kicking, etc.
Scott
If you pay attention to the text and practice the shots and concepts you will learn a lot. Learning just a dozen or so of the common shots and patterns and basic do's and don'ts will enable you to enjoy the game immensely more then just trying to figure it out on your own. To go beyond that you can get his other books as well, or other books on systems and position play, or better yet try to play with better players and/or watch pros play in the many matches now available on Youtube, some with decent commentary as well which also helps with the learning.
Good luck, you will enjoy it! And it will help with your pool game as well - understanding the effects of and blending angles/spin/speed, playing safe, kicking, etc.
Scott