Learning the pattern play

justnum

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
Silver Member
I am restarting my journey for a 141 high run.

Ive been focusing on breakshots for the past few months and made some progress.
And the keyball and getting to the breakshot.

Check pool pro Michael Yednak on Facebook.

I plan to journal my discoveries.

Any tips on navigating the stack?
 
Much has been written about patterns. I'll share two things that helped me get into the upper registers:

1. Try to clear out balls from underneath rack early. I know the conventional wisdom is to clear balls off the rail first, but I find the game to be easier when your final pattern is picking off balls above the third diamond by the foot rail, even if it involves balls on the rail. Balls on the rail can be great key balls.

2. Try to look for patterns that don't involve the key ball in the side pocket. If there's a fool proof way of getting there, or if its the best option, go for it. But I've botched a few runs being dead set on that set up when in hindsight I should've picked a simpler pattern.

Take a look at Mike Sigel's consummate run here and I think you see these two points in action. While he played the side pocket key ball pattern a few racks, he played some beautiful patterns without them. Notice the rack with the side pocket break shot. Many players - myself included! - probably would've tried for a side of the rack break shot with a side pocket key ball. Mike chose the simplest route.

 
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JusticeNJ said:
Much has been written about patterns. I'll share two things that helped me get into the upper registers:

1. Try to clear out balls from underneath rack early. I know the conventional wisdom is to clear balls off the rail first, but I find the game to be easier when your final pattern is picking off balls above the third diamond by the foot rail, even if it involves balls on the rail. Balls on the rail can be great key balls.

2. Try to look for patterns that don't involve the key ball in the side pocket. If there's a fool proof way of getting there, go for it. But I've botched a few runs being dead set on that set up when in hindsight I should've picked a simpler pattern.

Take a look at Mike Sigel's consummate run here and I think you see these two points in action. While he played the side pocket key ball pattern a few racks, he played some beautiful patterns without them. Notice the rack with the side pocket break shot. Many players - myself included! - probably would've tried for a side of the rack break shot with a side pocket key ball. Mike chose the simplest route.

Click to expand...
got the computer in the pool room with me and it is helping me develop so much faster

that link I will spend some time on it thanks. Finding good sources is not easy.
 
JusticeNJ said:
Much has been written about patterns. I'll share two things that helped me get into the upper registers:

1. Try to clear out balls from underneath rack early. I know the conventional wisdom is to clear balls off the rail first, but I find the game to be easier when your final pattern is picking off balls above the third diamond by the foot rail, even if it involves balls on the rail. Balls on the rail can be great key balls.

2. Try to look for patterns that don't involve the key ball in the side pocket. If there's a fool proof way of getting there, go for it. But I've botched a few runs being dead set on that set up when in hindsight I should've picked a simpler pattern.

Take a look at Mike Sigel's consummate run here and I think you see these two points in action. While he played the side pocket key ball pattern a few racks, he played some beautiful patterns without them. Notice the rack with the side pocket break shot. Many players - myself included! - probably would've tried for a side of the rack break shot with a side pocket key ball. Mike chose the simplest route.

Click to expand...
got the computer in the pool room with me and it is helping me develop so much faster

that link I will spend some time on it thanks. Finding good sources is not easy.
 
If you don't mind reading, try "Play your best straight pool" by Phil Capelle - incredibly source of knowledge including all parts of the game (shotmaking, position / pattern play, break shots, etc)

Adding in to @JusticeNJ comment:
- Take your time planning and labelling the balls correctly (keyball, keyball to the keyball, break shot, first shot, etc.). Once you get used to the "standard routes", you will speed up planning naturally
- Look for blocking balls and remove them early on (e.g. a ball preventing others from a cluster to go into the same pocket)
- Try to limit cueball movement as much as possible and look for "connect-the-dots" stop shot layouts, as they will guarantee you position on the next ball
- Learn to shoot balls into the far corner pockets from time to time, as they can make patterns a lot easier sometimes

Good luck!
 
justnum said:
I am restarting my journey for a 141 high run.

Ive been focusing on breakshots for the past few months and made some progress.
And the keyball and getting to the breakshot.

Check pool pro Michael Yednak on Facebook.

I plan to journal my discoveries.

Any tips on navigating the stack?
Click to expand...
Practice traditional top of the rack break shots - where cue ball barely contacts top two - and then bounces one cushion - back into the stack for a second dispersal. Also practice traditional b.s. - trying to stop cue ball after dispersal, watch break shot drop - not taking eye off break shot. Stay Positive and enjoy the learning process - nothing can take the place of Persistence, I guess that goes without saying.
 
phil228 said:
(keyball, keyball to the keyball, break shot, first shot, etc.)
Click to expand...
That's the one that's been busting my balls for the passed while. I've made a habit of getting ever so slightly out of line on this ball, and subsequently ending up with keyball shot that requires real work for a friendly break shot.
 
The_JV said:
That's the one that's been busting my balls for the passed while. I've made a habit of getting ever so slightly out of line on this ball, and subsequently ending up with keyball shot that requires real work for a friendly break shot.
Click to expand...
The problem with that approach is how to identify available keyballs and how to correct for mistakes on keyballs.

As a beginner "trying to fix" a mistake a on a keyball most likely means I lost the rack and potentially break shot.
 

At 10:04 a player demonstrates the "traditional" breakshot as mentioned in Post #6.

The position of the cue ball is more predictable with that breakshot selection.
 
14.1 always begins with plan A and ends with plan B.
If you gathered the greatest players of all time and set up 100 placement racks, I highly doubt you could find two players that would play the same rack pattern in any of them, and a guarantee plan B will also be different.
Listen to commentary on a match by two great players and you will hear different opinions on what the player at the table should do or what they would do. (Annoying)
What does that tell you? It tells me two great players think differently.

You may learn a lot from instruction but you can never learn to think like another player. You can pick up the basic ideas and theory but you can't be taught to think like Thorston or Mosconi. A 1/4''out of line can change your pattern.
Take all the little tid bits you learn and incorporate them into your brain. It's your brain , make the game your own.
Keep it simple, it's 14 balls not 1000. Clear the rails to reduce jamming and the blocked lanes for free passage, etc,etc. It's a puzzle with 14 pieces that you solve the way you want . Every ball you pocket makes it that much easier, less balls, less problems. If you stand there with a thinking cap on, you go brain dead and run 3 and stop, it becomes a dunce cap.

Time spent on the table, establishing game play and rhythms, trumps time spent reading,
although reading is a good thing.
Be content playing plan B,B,B,B,B,B,B, until the next rack and its plan B,B,B,B,B,B, all over again. Plan B never goes away, it repeats itself constantly.
Focus on short and mid stroke technique, small movements and improving concentration during long runs.
If none of that works have a few Martinis and get loaded.
It's not rocket science.
 
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justnum said:

At 10:04 a player demonstrates the "traditional" breakshot as mentioned in Post #6.

The position of the cue ball is more predictable with that breakshot selection.
Click to expand...
That isn't what Danny said but Earl with his 8 foot cue hit it better then most of us could😉
 
SmoothStroke said:
you can never learn to think like another player.
Click to expand...
This is not entirely accurate, as far as basic principles in 14.1 - a player can learn to think like another top player. A perfect example, take a gander at Mike Sigel's perfect Straight Pool instructional tape, I learned a basic principle from that video that can be applied to all break shots in 14.1. I do get what your saying about keeping it original - however as far as basic principles of the game not always so. After building a solid foundation - one can then learn to develop - own style. Plus I no learn from "another player" but a "Top Player" - Yes.
 
Willie Mosconi and Jimmy Caras watched Sigels 150 and out in person.
Caras says to Mosconi "What did think about the run?"
Mosconi says "Too many crossing patterns"
Caras says "Yeah but he did run 150"
You don't get points for how you did it.

Heard a story about 2 old time players matching up for cash 100 point game.
Guy runs a 100 and out from the break.
Someone asks the loser if hes going to play another game.
Loser says yes I didn't like how he ran them.

Both storys I got second hand so I might be off a little but you get it.
 
Dan Harriman said:
This is not entirely accurate, as far as basic principles in 14.1 - a player can learn to think like another top player. A perfect example, take a gander at Mike Sigel's perfect Straight Pool instructional tape, I learned a basic principle from that video that can be applied to all break shots in 14.1. I do get what your saying about keeping it original - however as far as basic principles of the game not always so. After building a solid foundation - one can then learn to develop - own style. Plus I no learn from "another player" but a "Top Player" - Yes.
Click to expand...
I've played straight pool for 60 years and understand the game pretty good.
What was the basic principle you learned that can be applied to all break shots?
 
measureman said:
I've played straight pool for 60 years and understand the game pretty good.
What was the basic principle you learned that can be applied to all break shots?
Click to expand...
No free lessons 4 u, yer 1 of the handful lookin fer a hand out, u probly would not comprende me anyhue. Buy the tape from Sigel and see if u can figure it out foe yo self - I'm not interested.
 
Dan Harriman said:
No free lessons 4 u, yer 1 of the handful lookin fer a hand out, u probly would not comprende me anyhue. Buy the tape from Sigel and see if u can figure it out foe yo self - I'm not interested.
Click to expand...
You know you have to be one of the nastiest people to ever post on these forums.
 
since i first posted Ive practiced exclusively underhitting. It has helped me focus on my precision during a powered up stroke.

Shifting gears between power strokes and soft strokes is where I notice Hall of fame level players miss.

In the Mike Sigel VS John Schimdt 14.1 match on accustats Mike breaks a shaft. Mike powers up his frustration, that is something I practiced not to do anymore.
 
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