What is Your Game's Ideal Angle?

CJ Wiley

CJ Wiley

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There's many ways to create angles in the Game of Pocket Billiards - playing position is something that no two players will do exactly the same. It is commonly understood Pros play position to give themselves the easiest shot on their next ball - is this true?

This may be correct at times, although it does have it's disadvantages, especially if you're playing a player that makes you "come" with a great shot many times during the match. Sometimes it's better to "stay ready" for the tougher shots and to do this you may need to find a way to hit every shot at a more consistent speed by creating a consistent angle.

This "position angle" must give the player an ability to hit each shot approximately the same speed and you'll also want to hit the cue-ball in the same general location.

What is your ideal angle, should it simply be chosen out of favoritism?
 
CJ Wiley said:
There's many ways to create angles in the Game of Pocket Billiards - playing position is something that no two players will do exactly the same. It is commonly understood Pros play position to give themselves the easiest shot on their next ball - is this true?

This may be correct at times, although it does have it's disadvantages, especially if you're playing a player that makes you "come" with a great shot many times during the match. Sometimes it's better to "stay ready" for the tougher shots and to do this you may need to find a way to hit every shot at a more consistent speed by creating a consistent angle.

This "position angle" must give the player an ability to hit each shot approximately the same speed and you'll also want to hit the cue-ball in the same general location.

What is your ideal angle, should it simply be chosen out of favoritism?
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I always thought pros played position to take the most natural path possilbe, i.e. using the least amount of english.
 
TimKrazyMon said:
I always thought pros played position to take the most natural path possilbe, i.e. using the least amount of english.
Click to expand...

I would look at it like this; if you are using English all the time you are trying to create/modify the angles. If you use natural angles/natural path, then you won't need all the english.
 
CJ Wiley said:
It is commonly understood Pros play position to give themselves the easiest shot on their next ball - is this true?
Click to expand...

I don't think this is true. It may be the intentions of some, but nothing is guaranteed in this crazy game. The balls roll funny for everyone. :-)
 
If I am playing well , I am using 2 angles most of the time . A shallow one for 1 half of the table and a steeper one if I need to go from one end to the other.
I don't know exactly what they are on paper probably 45 and 90.
I don't know if it makes that much difference other than psychologically.
I watch people play pinball 9 ball all the time and just keep running out.
{Their ability usually slows down when the heat is on though.}
For me it gives me confidence to keep shooting balls at angles I have already made in the rack.
I know where to hit the ball, now I just need to worry about speed.
I know, I wish I had learned this 20 years sooner .
 
For me it depends on the game. Smaller angles in 14.1 like 5 to 15 degrees and in rotation 20 to 30.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
 
At some point during a player's development there's a progressive "spring point"

TimKrazyMon said:
I always thought pros played position to take the most natural path possilbe, i.e. using the least amount of english.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's what many people {logically} think and it's a commonly believed perception.

The issue is you are basically being "ordered/directed" by the table/ball situation what shot to shoot.....and even how to shoot it. This ends up creating a plethora of different type cue ball targets, stroking speeds, and angles during the course of a long match.

This is paradoxical, because it seems {logically} the "easy" way to play pool, however, with further investigation it's more challenging for reasons that aren't obvious.

At some point during a player's development there's a progressive "spring point" from {physiologically} "taking orders," to giving them (to the shot selection relative to the ball configuration).....when this evolution doesn't happen the player can get stuck and not be able to improve......and possibly not figure out why. 'The Game is the Teacher'
 
this is prudent, it will depend on the game

Great point!!! This is prudent, it will certainly depend on the game being played.


Tony_in_MD said:
For me it depends on the game. Smaller angles in 14.1 like 5 to 15 degrees and in rotation 20 to 30.


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Click to expand...
a-prudent-man-should-follow-machiavelli.jpg
 
TimKrazyMon said:
I always thought pros played position to take the most natural path possilbe, i.e. using the least amount of english.
Click to expand...

A lot of people like to say this, but watching any amount of professional rotation games and it becomes very clear that this is nearly opposite of reality. Professionals are professionals because they have a very solid handle on english. They (the professionals) will consistently use more english than any recreational player ever will. The big difference is that they can make balls and position.

Name the top professionals of all time in our sport (we are talking about rotation games): Buddy, Efren, Earl, Shane, ... all use piles of english.

Pros look like the play position patterns that maximize their percentage of getting out. Whether they use a little or a lot of english is nothing but a thing.
 
The "rolling cue ball" is much more vulnerable to many {imperfect} factors

I strongly disagree with this approach. The "rolling cue ball" is much more vulnerable to many {imperfect} factors like debris on the table, humidity/table conditions, and will also "get you out of stroke" and effect your ability to accelerate effectively (this is a very vital component to playing a high level of performance).

Especially when playing top notch opponents you'll rarely get this type of first shot. They will make you earn every ball, and usually the first one will be either long, or very difficult in some way, shape or form.





mark187187 said:
I tend to play rolling cue ball whenever possible. Take my angle from there. I use english to chase the CB of a few cushions, as a preference to playing with more power, or if I leave my position straighter than intended. Everyone's different, but hope that helps.

Mark

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I agree no top player regularly uses "center ball," however.........

So does using spin increase or decrease the margin of error on any given shot?

Are there exceptions or what is the "rule of thumb" for when to use spin - and when not to?

I agree no top player regularly uses "center ball," however, I also know they don't use severe english unless necessary. There's a big gap between "center ball," and severe english.


Straightpool_99 said:
THIS!

Some myths simply won't die! One of these myths are the one about the pros using little or no english. I can't believe how many people who should know better claim this to be a fact. Are they not watching the pros play? Watch any top quality player and you will see english being used whenever any benefit can be had from it, WHICH IS OFTEN! I've yet to see any top quality rotation player use only center ball. It is impossible, because it would require superhuman speed control or unreal shotmaking capability. Watch Efren play or Earl, you will see that ball spinning. Even super pattern players like Sigel in his heyday would use sidespin. What about Buddy Halls clock system? Is that all nonsense? It would be a real short tape if all you needed was 6 o'clock, 12 o'clock and center ball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypc_peV3EWE
Click to expand...
 
I think an approach angle of about 30 degrees offers the best percentage of making the ball and consistent speed on the cue ball.

Pair that with straight in with small angles and you have what you need.

Simple is the way to go.

Bill S.
 
Some people confuse using extreme english on some shots for position, with twirling the cueball all over the table every other shot.
Sure the pros can do it when needed , but they don't get that bad on balls most of the time like us weekend players
Mainly because their speed is right.
When you play infrequently , the first thing to go seems to be your cueball speed.
 
Watching the pros play can be very misleading when they use English. They get reactions from the rails that amateur players simply can't get using the same amount of English. It comes down to a couple of things. The tables they play on for TV are generally brand new so the rails are extremely responsive. They have the timing down in their strokes, not to mention an almost flawless stroke. When you get the timing of your stroke down you can spin the CB and it seems effortless. Another thing is the measles CB. It can be misleading when you see it spinning and it can seem to be spinning faster than it is. For your average league player they see a pro using less than a tip of English and altering the angle out from the rail by some distance, when they try it they can't, so the only way to do it is max out the English they apply and then they think well this is what the pros do. Its more obvious at slower speeds. Pros rarely have to hit a shot as hard as a league player because of the fast cloths and responsive rails, but they still get through the CB cleanly and without decelerating. Most league players can't hit shots this slow and accelerate through consistently so what ever side spin they apply, some is lost due to this so they have to use more to get the same reaction the top players do.
 
CJ, are you playing for a thicker hit when you don't have to move the cueball far on your next shot? Is this how you keep the same speed for almost every shot?
 
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