Though I see your point somewhat, I still disagree because we all know 9-ball can, and unfortunately be, anybody's game. Slop, luck, etc. Sure, the higher skill should be the winner the majority of the time. But... (and there's always a but), there have been occasions when I used your strategy and my Fargo 450 opponent banged, got lucky in some unexplainable way, and I LOST. While racking for the next game, tail between my legs, the little voice in my head said, "why didn't you play that first shot like you would have played it with Gorst?" So, it was back to my original game plan. Play the table. Play to win. Again, unless it's with your kids, a 2nd date, your grandfather in a wheelchair, yada yada.
Luck over time is skill.
Honestly I know it's tough to think about for someone who is used to call shot games, but there are a myriad of ways to bump up the
percentage on luck. And guess what... it makes the game of 9B more strategic, creative, and fun.
My favorite is the "ride and hide." Just as it sounds, ride the 9 like a mofo but in reality it's a free shot. Do you know why? Because I'm putting the CB in jail. I'm playing a safe but I'm also letting the 9 have a chance. You can often send the 9 on a 2 or 3 rail journey to the edge of another ball. When doing this against my buddies I'll say "Oh, the old ride and hide." Of course I've heard it a few times from them.
There are a lot of subtle things people don't see. Study some trick shots and other disciplines. They might be low percentage but as long as you keep the CB safe they are free rolls. Sometimes you may be in a desperate enough situation to even get a hit on the ball that you give it extra speed to carrom into another ball. And/or enough speed/spin to put the ball and CB frozen to opposite rails. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
It's not just "slop" though, you have to have the speed correct, the spin correct, recognize tangent lines and natural carom angles. Related, if I'm kicking or having to attempt some stupid tough safety escape, I NEVER just "go for a hit." A legal hit usually sells the game to your opponent. Try to make something happen, even if it is risky it's about percentages. Get separation or leave them an off angle shot if you can.
Half ball hits produce some really consistent CB angles. I might use a half ball hit to cross bank a ball. All's fair, but remember to protect whitey. If I know the CB will be safe, I'll use caroms/billiards to do cross banks, 2 rail shots, 3 rail shots, rail first shots on another ball etc. It's all situational and it's about percentages.
Say the balls are horribly clustered. Say there's no real shot. If I can hide the CB/play safe, I'll blast them (not necessarily a hard blast, but rearranging the furniture in 1P parlance). But guess what? Whitey is safe. If I slopped something and left myself a tough shot, so what, I turned an unwinnable mess into something where I have a chance. And if you can read racks and clusters with all the stuff in mind, you might be sending 3 balls at pockets... low percentage sure, but it has a 3X chance.
Knowing and practicing tangent lines, caroms, cross banks, z shots, billiard shots, half ball hits, ball seperation (and gathering as in straight rail billiards) all will help your "luck" be higher percentage.
But if I'm playing anyone serious and they think it's luck, I won't correct them. They may be starting to think they are getting unlucky when I "accidentally" safety them. I mean, a 2 rail and "accidentally" caroming off another ball to hide behind blockers?! Look at this lucky dog! All I'm getting is bad rolls. And the mental game has started with no sharking/input from me. Can they let it go or will their own thoughts destroy them? It's not for me to say but some don't do so well after a few "bad rolls." Being on tilt is a choice you have to get over.
Sorry for the book but I really like this aspect of 9B. I also like call shot games but it's fun to play around too.
