Recent content by Straightpool_99

Typical for a worn out or defective template rack...3-4 balls will come out almost paralell and end up clustered. It really has to be either poorly designed or shot to hell before this starts happening, but I HAVE seen it happen with ancient template racks. I even had it happen to me for a...

Good luck to you. I hope I haven't been too critical and discouraged you from playing 14.1. It's a fun game. For the first years of my active time playing, I played solely for fun, not even competing, that came later for me. It's easy to get confused when there are 15 balls on the table and no...

You have learned some lessons well, and others not at all. I don't mean to be overly critical, but you have to work on your end pattern plans. 1. You cleared up most of the problem balls at the correct time, and in the beginning of the rack I can't really fault the way you went about things...

There are many tips. First, it's much easier if you have a hard tip on your playing cue. Second, you will need more distance between the cue ball and the obstacle ball, as it is much more difficult to get the ball up into the air. I've played A LOT of jumpshots with my playing cue, but I...

Nope. Touching the ball with the TIP of the cue like mr. West did (without really moving it) is a perfectly ok way to take a foul. Intentionally fouling is a big part of 14.1. It's still a foul and loss of one point, or 15+1 if you foul 3 times in a row. After 3 in a row you then also have to...

It turned out ok although the second rack wasn't the best. After the 7 (which you should have shot softly) you should have taken the 14, as it was blocking several other balls from going to the pocket. Killing the cueball on the 14 ball shot, giving you an angle on the 15, would have given you...

You've allready kind of messed up here by leaving the 3. This means it won't be a stop shot pattern probably. The 3 is a worthless ball in this scenario. I might shoot it first, if you are close to straight in in the diagonal lower pocket, with low left trying to get straight in on the 7 again...

I don't really agree with playing the game slowly for the sake of it. The most important thing is finding a nice rhytm. Making sure to leave insurance balls, using small, controlled cue ball movements and focusing on end patterns will get you way beyond where you are. I don't think brains...

I'm going to introduce you to a concept called an "insurance ball", you may allready know it, but here it goes: Whenever you break up a cluster, it's a good thing to keep a ball near a pocket, such that if you get stuck up against a ball, you could still easily pocket it. Usually then, it will...

You move the cue ball quite well and pocket balls well. It was a somewhat difficult rack to get through with no really good keyball candidates. And you got through it quite cleanly without bumping too many balls. Also, kudos for getting the problem ball early. The 3 was also a problem ball, btw...

There is a nice pattern in the second rack from this point. 12-4-14-5-3-7-2-13-11-8 That is in the minimum cueball movement school of 14.1. I'd set up the table and try this one and see if you like it. It's in the line of thinking of someone like Mike Sigel, who preferred to clean up one area...

My nations league system has some LEGENDARY assholes in it. To be fair, this will make you aware of not making any sort of mistake when it comes to rule violations. I have a feeling Koniar would fit right in. The stories I could tell of nittiness in National championships, not to mention crazy...

Some weird one pocket breaks in this one.

A shot like this may fly under the radar for a lot of people, but BELIEVE ME, the degree of difficulty of this shot and the perfection of execution is simply mind-blowing. He made a paper thin hit, the length of the table, over a ball, controlled both the cue ball and the object ball and close...

It is insanely easy to jump on a snooker table. If it wasn't illegal you'd see it all the time. IMO it should of course remain illegal, but if you actually try you'll see that it is like nothing to pot even long shots. It's the cloth and heavy slate, combined with light balls.