14.1 high runs... be honest

cueman

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
52 is the best I have done on a nine foot. I was on 39 one time and had just broke the balls wide open and the guy I was playing raked the balls and forfeited. I was in stroke that day and am pretty sure I would have set my record. I was very aggravated at him.
 

eastcoast_chris

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
70. Stuck to the pack on the break shot... Had absolutely no shot.

Haven't really play it much at all and I honestly don't have a clue how to properly/safely break that balls. I'm guessing for the most part. A little instruction on that part would he me tremendously.
 

stevekur1

The "COMMISH"
Silver Member
136 is my personal best, though it was not in a game.

I do have a 127 that had started in a game and went onto continue after.
 

DecentShot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
SBC’s numbers are good. But they don’t make him a pro, as he himself has stated. We used to have these “high run/rack” threads every few years on here. A member would say they ran 200 or 7 racks, and other members would call them liars.

One guy local to me his numbers were something like 8 racks of 9 ball on a GC, and 160 something straight pool on a GC. Yet, another local, that is very well known on a national level named Eddie Abraham, would have been a HUGE betting favorite if they were to match up. Eddie was the top guy in Philly for about 20 years. His Fargo is only about 720 today (I think it would have been about 730 15 years ago...).

Now, to take it a step further, Eddie would play all the out of towners who travelled to Philly every year for the expo. I saw tony Roberto beat him for about 5k playing an 8 ahead 9 ball set. Then another player beat him in bank pool for 3k. Then the Dominican players beat him in last pocket 8 ball for 2 or 3k.

Eddie was our “hero” in Philly. And crews from other states beat the shit out of him. And THEY weren’t even pros!

I’ll give you another example. Eddie and josh brothers would dominate every regional stop in the late 90’s early 2000s when it was called the Tim Scruggs tour. (And later renaned). But during that same period, we would have a Joss stop twice per year. This brought many players from a broader area than the Scruggs stop. Most notably Mike Davis. Mike would crush those stops. Eddie and Josh I don’t believe ever won one of those joss events.

And mike is probably considered a lower level “pro”.

So SBC is absolutely correct. There are several tiers of strong local an regional level players who have all run an 8 or 9 pack or 150+ that would need a lot of weight from even a low level pro.

IMO:)

Yeah Eddie can really play. One of the things that I always thought about watching him, if he took his time just a little more he could clean up his mistakes. Eddie losing to other guy's games is not remarkable. An ahead set? Kinda specialist. Last pocket 8 ball? Kinda specialist. When people travel from a third world Country to the United States to put some balls in holes, you might expect their action to be tough.
"And they weren't even pros" Ok...I mean, how sure can you be? Mike Davis is great, I just can't watch his stroke. :grin:
 

SBC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yeah Eddie can really play. One of the things that I always thought about watching him, if he took his time just a little more he could clean up his mistakes. Eddie losing to other guy's games is not remarkable. An ahead set? Kinda specialist. Last pocket 8 ball? Kinda specialist. When people travel from a third world Country to the United States to put some balls in holes, you might expect their action to be tough.
"And they weren't even pros" Ok...I mean, how sure can you be? Mike Davis is great, I just can't watch his stroke. :grin:

One thing you learn eventually is you don't play Spanish people in Spanish games! Last pocket 8 and 1 pocket 1 hope are crazy games.
 

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wow that's a big number I'm impressed, still like to know your name to see if I know you or someone I know knows you , like Tommy Kay you can pm me if you don't want to say here

1

My name is Jeff Crouch.

My high run was a looonnngggg time ago and on much easier and more traditional equipment from back then.

Today, I'm lucky if I break 50 on a good day. The 9' pro-am doesn't make it any easier but, I doubt I could do much better on easier equipment.

Jeff
 

ShortBusRuss

Short Bus Russ - C Player
Silver Member
I haven't played much 14.1 outside of my league matches here in Germany. Last season I had a 31 in competition, a few more in the high 20's, and at my German club, I got a 51 or so once, practicing by myself with a ball-in-hand start... Ran something like 60 fooling around on a Diamond barbox once.

Given how little effort I put into the game, and how little I am practicing, 31 ain't bad. Good enough to beat pretty much every Landesliga player, and most Verbandsliga players.

Once I lose more weight, I really want to put more effort into tightening up my stroke, and practicing thinner cutshots and powering through the rack on the break. My patterns are pretty good in 14.1, and I get on break balls good, but I think I generally hit the break at the wrong speed. I think a little bit of effort, and I will be one of the top 3-4 players at my local club here in Germany.

To get any better than that, I'd probably need to go find some really good players to practice with a few times a month.
 

Matt_24

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The only ones I'm going to count and share for the purpose of this thread were accomplished in the "heat" of battle. "Gym" runs, are nice...and I've gotten MUCH higher on my own, starting with ball in hand. But these took place against incredible players, with a lot of people watching, more nerve wracking circumstances.

Diamond Billiards in Midlothian VA were kind enough to sponsor me into the American Straight Pool Championships when it was held at their room. The tournament needed one more player, so Thomas (the owner) asked, "Matty, do you want to play?" Uhhh…..yeah!!!

I didn't play much straight pool, but loved the game and knew the rules. I didn't win a match (LOL)...but, I didn't embarrass myself either.

I played Mike Davis one match (with a lot of people watching, including some good friends) - I broke, we safety battled, I got to the first shot and hit him with a 26. After that I never had another makeable shot. But, for a working stiff - I was proud of that. (My friends were laughing, because I was strutting around, and winking at them during this run, like I was going to run 100. I really thought I might I was hitting them good). Mike told me after that I had a great stroke -- and also the story of how he developed his unique stroke. I'm not sharing it, but, it's amazing.

I played the guy who took third in the tournament. He was from NY. He wore an apron and a cap. He could REALLY play straights. Don't remember his name, but he could play. He broke. Safety battle. I amazingly got to the ball first and hit him with a high 20s run...and that was that, LOL.

I played another player who I don't remember -- but he squeaked a victory.

Anyhow, still proud of my performance and memorable experience against some amazing players. I lost my matches, but didn't dog it.
 

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mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Recently retired here to FL. No longer a home table. Playing 14.1 mostly on a 9 foot Olhausen down here with 4 3/4 pockets, short slate shelf, new, fast cloth. Ran 38 yesterday. Playing about only 6 hours a week now. running 30+ to 40+ fairly consistently at least once each session now. Want to start playing more on the diamonds with 4 1/2 pockets- not much lifetime experience with them- I have to travel one hour to find those tables- none here in Naples FL. My present retirement goal is to consistently run 30s to 40s on the Diamonds at least once a session- I think I can get there over the next 12 months- feel great at age 66.
Historically always had a home table- 9 foot Olhausen and then GC4 - with those 4 3/4 pockets. High run in my lifetime is low hundred+ - done a few times - talking 120 range. But doubt I could ever do that again on a Diamond 4 1/2- maybe someday again on the 4 3/4 Olhausen. I would like to enter one of these major 14.1 tournaments over the next few years, just to have the experience. I have taken lessons from Mike Zuglan, Gene Nagy ( great 14.1 player from NY) John Tona ( great 14.1 player who had a room in Huntsville Al., and a friend of Willie Mosconi, and also Ray Martin in Largo FL.) all of my 14.1 lessons occurred more than 25 years ago. I worked for over 35 years as a VP of a major US Bank and traveled extensively- so I could never devote real serious time to the game, raising a family as well. Glad that that I did what I did- but thankfully exposed my two sons to the game at a very early age and in their 30s they continue to love to play. Recent photo this past Christmas at Eastside Billiards in NYC, when I visited- we play together every chance we get!
 

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johnnysd

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My high run was 69 and out in a match. My opponent was really annoyed I did not continue. I did around 90 or so practicing one time but it doesnt really count because I started by just throwing 15 balls on the table and giving myself ball in hand

Still think it is the best of all pool games
 

racetoday

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I stink.....35 on a 9 ft table. Something always seems to go wrong playing straight pool with me. I need to practice this game more often.

I know I get too rushed playing this game.... I need to slow down. I'm often not really playing the cue ball position specifically because I adopt the mindset, I'll have a shot, there's still a dozen balls up.... and then I don't.
 

dmgwalsh

Straight Pool Fanatic
Silver Member
52 is the best I have done on a nine foot. I was on 39 one time and had just broke the balls wide open and the guy I was playing raked the balls and forfeited. I was in stroke that day and am pretty sure I would have set my record. I was very aggravated at him.

George Fels once raked the balls on me when I was on a 42 and had just won our match. I would have liked to have continued, but 42 was no big deal for George.
 

hotelyorba

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
29 in competition, 60-or-so in training. The reason I can't exactly tell you the number of balls is I started that run with 'some' balls on the table (6? 7? 8? I don't know how many) that I left from a previous run, and some time later I missed a breakshot and thought "well that was 4 racks plus what I started with!" So It could have been 56 plus maybe 6 balls is a run of 62. Or 63, 64, 65...

Anyway, that's an extreme outlier for me, I never came close to that number before that and eversince. I have run 30+ multiple times, I find that I just seem to be unable to get through to the third rack. Either my leave on the breakshot is bad, or it is okay but I miss that breakshot, or I make the breakshot and hit the stack only to see no next ball... or I miss the next ball because of excitement that I got through to the third rack!

And in competition I just seem to be unable to see the patterns, so I haven't been able to get through a full rack lately. So at the moment, these high runs are not saying much.
 

Ace Slade

New member
33

33 on Diamond blue label ...... have exceed 28 only 3 or 4 times ..... the pro players amaze me with their set ups for break shots time after time
 

southernfried

Registered
OK, you're going way back in the memory banks here. Best run ever was somewhere in the 45-50 ball range. That would have been in 1961 or 1962 when I was playing Straight Pool (14.1 to you youngsters) often. I know I finished out a couple of balls in one rack, ran the next three, made the opening break on the fourth and made some balls after that before turning the table over to my opponent. By far my best run. Usually anything more than one rack was a great run for me. Love the game, just not that good at it. No real opportunity to play it these days since most folks don't even know what you're talking about if it isn't 8-Ball, 9-Ball or One Pocket. Cheers, y'all.
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Learning to run rack upon rack in 14.1 is a lot like hunting deer as a novice. When learning to hunt, you get your first rifle, practice shooting until you think you can't miss- then one day in the woods you finally see that big buck you always dreamed of- but then something comes over you, almost unexplainable- called buck fever- your mouth gets dry and raising that rifle and pulling that trigger with an actual buck in sights for the first time requires you to " get over" a very strange feeling rather quickly- or the opportunity is lost!
In 14.1 the same thing happens each time you get to a new rack that you never achieved before- you realize as you approach the next break shot that you are in uncharted territory as a14.1 player, and you have suck it up inside you, stay calm, and pull the trigger on that break shot! I think this happens to every 14.1 player until the skill and achievement levels make peace with your inner self. For some, in a lifetime it ends at the second rack, for others, for most, every time you face a new high run rack breakshot- you are facing that buck all over again- and you have to overcome some inner deamon- at least for a brief moment! I love those moments, and making that next breakshot is just pure joy!
 
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