Favorite way to practice position play.
- Thread starter marikian
- Start date
Lots of 14.1 - the last 4 balls in 9 ball are simple if you learn to consistently get the proper position on the last 4 balls of each 14.1 rack.
Good position play requires good angle management and good speed control. Over the years, I've seen no end of players that played the ghost without improving because they weren't doing any speed control oriented drills. It was over 20 years ago during a chat we had over breakfast that Jose Parica observed that "American players don't practice their speed nearly enough." Lots of good drills out there but make sure some of the ones you do are speed control oriented.
One drill that I always liked was taught to me by BCA and Mosconi Champion Tony Robles about 25 years ago. Take a chalk and lightly draw a small circle in the middle of the table perhaps four or five inches in radius. Play a wide variety of relatively easy cut shots and after pocketing each one, try to leave the cue ball inside the circle. The better you play, the smaller the drawn circle should be. You'll definitely refine your speed control if you practice this drill, and as you improve, you can make the circle smaller.
Fay
Member
MY FAVORITE WAY
TO PRACTICE POSITIONING
IT IS SOMETHING MY FATHER
STARTED ME ON WHEN I WAS YOUNG
TAKE ANY TWO OBECT BALLS
A N D
RANDOMLY ROLL THEM ONTO THE TABLE ANYWHERE
T H E N
WITH CUEBALL IN HAND
SHOOT + MAKE ONE OF THE OBJECT BALLS
A N D
TRY TO GET THE CUEBALL TO END UP
F R O Z E N
ONTO THE SECOND OBECT BALL
THIS VASTLY IMPROVED MY UNDERSTANDING
OF ANGLES + ENGLISH + SPEED CONTROL
♡
TO PRACTICE POSITIONING
IT IS SOMETHING MY FATHER
STARTED ME ON WHEN I WAS YOUNG
TAKE ANY TWO OBECT BALLS
A N D
RANDOMLY ROLL THEM ONTO THE TABLE ANYWHERE
T H E N
WITH CUEBALL IN HAND
SHOOT + MAKE ONE OF THE OBJECT BALLS
A N D
TRY TO GET THE CUEBALL TO END UP
F R O Z E N
ONTO THE SECOND OBECT BALL
THIS VASTLY IMPROVED MY UNDERSTANDING
OF ANGLES + ENGLISH + SPEED CONTROL
♡
Here is one of my favorite practice drills. It is a version of Bert Kinister’s “middle game” drill. Take ball in hand and shoot the balls in rotation 1-8. Try not to use end rail - you should be able to control the cueball to ideal angles toward the center of the table. Speed and angles are important -
with the correct angle, most shots are one rail position. But when you get too steep, then two rail position is necessary.
I splash a full rack and play 15 ball rotation with BIH on the first ball. If I miss a shot, I take it off the table and continue from where the CB lays.
I never do drills. I see value in them for players that are developing technique. However once you reach a certain level you need the randomness of game play to unlock your creativity with the lack of match pressure to experiment with options.
I have been told on this forum that my method is a waste of time, so YMMV. That progressive success in drills is the only way to determine if the shooter is improving. Guess it really depends on what your focus is on.
I never do drills. I see value in them for players that are developing technique. However once you reach a certain level you need the randomness of game play to unlock your creativity with the lack of match pressure to experiment with options.
I have been told on this forum that my method is a waste of time, so YMMV. That progressive success in drills is the only way to determine if the shooter is improving. Guess it really depends on what your focus is on.
middleofnowhere
Registered
I like to practice running balls into one pocket.I just scatter out about 8 or 10 balls and see how many I can run into the one pocket takes a lot of maneuvering and thinking to do it. It's actually kind of fun too it breaks up the monotony of practice. I also do it for a while with the side pocket.
8intheside
Active member
I think drills are very important, but at the same time you have to practice the game you are going to be playing the most.
SJM,
Excellent point. My first instructor was Tom Rossman and one of the first things he told me was Speed Control is all important. And, for the most part, on just about every shot you practice Speed Control can come into play.
He talked about 1-rail speed control, 2-rail speed control, and 3-rail speed control shots. And as one of the greatest players of all time told me, you need to pocket a ball to work on Speed Control. Which is contrary to many instructors who feel like rolling balls down the table is the best way to practice Speed Control.
r/DCP
Last edited:
I agree with your first sentence, but not your second in general. Here is a pertinent quote from my speed control drill resource page:
Many people suggest hitting the CB up and down the table different distances to practice speed control (e.g., see the speed control drill), but this is really good only for judging speed with hitting the CB up and down the table (e.g., with a lag shot or long kick shots). To master the speed control required in most game situations, it helps to specifically practice speed control pocketing balls with different types of shots and over a range of cut angles.
Target practice drills are very helpful for developing CB speed and position control. Drills F2-F5 and F8 in Exam I, and S5 in Exam II of the Billiard University (BU) Playing-Ability Exams are also very useful for practicing speed control with a wide variety of shot types, as demonstrated in the following video:
The late Helena Thornfeldt showed me the wagon wheel drills in about 1996, and I became an immediate advocate of them. Nice links and advice here, Dave.
Excellent comments from SJM as usual, thanks for your input. Henning (The Pro Book) also uses a 5" circular target for shape. IIRC he starts with a 10" target, making the exercises a bit less frustrating at the start. (I have used paper cutouts as per Henning, easily made, moved, and replaced)
Henning is also a big proponent of learning how to get the cueball back to the centre of the table, which aligns with the drill fiftyardline mentions. For me learning paths back to the centre of the table was a big boost to my game. It is quite amazing how often that ends up being great shape.
Dave
Henning is also a big proponent of learning how to get the cueball back to the centre of the table, which aligns with the drill fiftyardline mentions. For me learning paths back to the centre of the table was a big boost to my game. It is quite amazing how often that ends up being great shape.
Dave
I play 9B but I take BIH on the one and have to make it and then HIT the next highest ball (2) with the CB. Then take BIH and shoot the 2 and try to hit the 3, etc.