"Think three balls ahead" is horrible advice.

ScottK · Jun 23, 2014

I thought about posting this to the "Pool Secrets" thread; it's not really a secret. Many people are aware of it, some do it, but most really don't.

I thought about commenting in JohnnyT's thread when he said "if you're not getting out start thinking three balls ahead" or something to that effect.

"Think three balls ahead" is terrible advice, at least for anyone but the absolute novice.
For anyone possessing any degree of pool playing ability there may not be anything worse you could drive into their head.
Honestly, I don't even think I'd give this advice to an absolute novice.

So, here it is... my "pool secret." I've never heard it put quite like this, in fact I don't recall having heard it taught. I'm sure it has, but perhaps not so simply.
I don't lay claim to the concept, but maybe I can lay claim to a phrase.

If you want to be more successful at pool, do not think three balls ahead. Think eight, nine, or ten balls ahead. Think fifteen balls ahead. Play three ball patterns.

That's my phrase. "Play three ball patterns." You have to think through the whole rack or your asking for trouble. Think through the entire rack, and play three ball patterns.

fast&loose designs · Jun 23, 2014

ScottK said:
I thought about posting this to the "Pool Secrets" thread; it's not really a secret. Many people are aware of it, some do it, but most really don't.

I thought about commenting in JohnnyT's thread when he said "if you're not getting out start thinking three balls ahead" or something to that effect.

"Think three balls ahead" is terrible advice, at least for anyone but the absolute novice.
For anyone possessing any degree of pool playing ability there may not be anything worse you could drive into their head.
Honestly, I don't even think I'd give this advice to an absolute novice.

So, here it is... my "pool secret." I've never heard it put quite like this, in fact I don't recall having heard it taught. I'm sure it has, but perhaps not so simply.
I don't lay claim to the concept, but maybe I can lay claim to a phrase.

If you want to be more successful at pool, do not think three balls ahead. Think eight, nine, or ten balls ahead. Think fifteen balls ahead. Play three ball patterns.

That's my phrase. "Play three ball patterns." You have to think through the whole rack or your asking for trouble. Think through the entire rack, and play three ball patterns.

I think that is generally understood by most people. No one who is above novice level walks up to a rack of 9 ball, where the 7 and 6 are clustered, for instance, and doesn't think beyond the first 3 balls in the rack about how to develop/break up that cluster. Most amateurs THINK more than three balls ahead, but they play POSITION for 3 balls ahead; they place the cue ball at a certain angle so that they can get on the correct side of the 2 to make the 3 next. Rarely does anyone play POSITION for 4-15 balls ahead, it makes no sense.

I rack balls · Jun 23, 2014

If there are balls tied up 4 balls ahead you are in trouble. Haha. You have to take the whole rack into account. There is no other way........

macguy · Jun 23, 2014

ScottK said:
I thought about posting this to the "Pool Secrets" thread; it's not really a secret. Many people are aware of it, some do it, but most really don't.

I thought about commenting in JohnnyT's thread when he said "if you're not getting out start thinking three balls ahead" or something to that effect.

"Think three balls ahead" is terrible advice, at least for anyone but the absolute novice.
For anyone possessing any degree of pool playing ability there may not be anything worse you could drive into their head.
Honestly, I don't even think I'd give this advice to an absolute novice.

So, here it is... my "pool secret." I've never heard it put quite like this, in fact I don't recall having heard it taught. I'm sure it has, but perhaps not so simply.
I don't lay claim to the concept, but maybe I can lay claim to a phrase.

If you want to be more successful at pool, do not think three balls ahead. Think eight, nine, or ten balls ahead. Think fifteen balls ahead. Play three ball patterns.

That's my phrase. "Play three ball patterns." You have to think through the whole rack or your asking for trouble. Think through the entire rack, and play three ball patterns.

Three balls ahead refers to 9 ball. It means when you are shooting say the 1 ball you have to get on the 2 so you can get on the 3. When you are shooting the 2 ball you have to get on the 3 so you can get on the 4 and so on. And yes it is the right way to run balls in a rotation game. It is some times referred to as getting on the correct side of a ball so you can move from one ball to the next. It has been taught forever, I even heard Lassiter refer to it when asked about 9 ball.

Old Nine Baller · Jun 23, 2014

macguy said:
Three balls ahead refers to 9 ball. It means when you are shooting say the 1 ball you have to get on the 2 so you can get on the 3. When you are shooting the 2 ball you have to get on the 3 so you can get on the 4 and so on. And yes it is the right way to run balls in a rotation game. It is some times referred to as getting on the correct side of a ball so you can move from one ball to the next. It has been taught forever, I even heard Lassiter refer to it when asked about 9 ball.

Finally, a voice of reason & intelligence in the wilderness. Good job.

ONB

ScottK · Jun 23, 2014

SkyscraperChris said:
I think that is generally understood by most people. No one who is above novice level walks up to a rack of 9 ball, where the 7 and 6 are clustered, for instance, and doesn't think beyond the first 3 balls in the rack about how to develop/break up that cluster. Most amateurs THINK more than three balls ahead, but they play POSITION for 3 balls ahead; they place the cue ball at a certain angle so that they can get on the correct side of the 2 to make the 3 next. Rarely does anyone play POSITION for 4-15 balls ahead, it makes no sense.

I see it more often than you'd think. Obviously, not be very good players, but players who are better than "novice." You can often see them get to the point where the "third ball" is now the trouble ball and wonder what the hell they're going to do now.

I didn't say play position 4-15 balls ahead. I said play three ball patterns, precisely what you're saying. However, to state the advice as thinking three balls ahead, to someone who needs said advice, is not as helpful as telling them to play three ball patterns and think through the entire rack. Literally thinking three balls ahead will get you into trouble.

ScottK · Jun 23, 2014

macguy said:
Three balls ahead refers to 9 ball. It means when you are shooting say the 1 ball you have to get on the 2 so you can get on the 3. When you are shooting the 2 ball you have to get on the 3 so you can get on the 4 and so on. And yes it is the right way to run balls in a rotation game. It is some times referred to as getting on the correct side of a ball so you can move from one ball to the next. It has been taught forever, I even heard Lassiter refer to it when asked about 9 ball.

Correct, but it's almost exclusively referred to as thinking three balls ahead. It would be more correctly stated as playing three ball patterns.

BRussell · Jun 23, 2014

Not terrible advice at all. It just means to get the right angle on the next ball. It's obviously not exclusive of other strategies.

naji · Jun 23, 2014

ScottK said:
I thought about posting this to the "Pool Secrets" thread; it's not really a secret. Many people are aware of it, some do it, but most really don't.

I thought about commenting in JohnnyT's thread when he said "if you're not getting out start thinking three balls ahead" or something to that effect.

"Think three balls ahead" is terrible advice, at least for anyone but the absolute novice.
For anyone possessing any degree of pool playing ability there may not be anything worse you could drive into their head.
Honestly, I don't even think I'd give this advice to an absolute novice.

So, here it is... my "pool secret." I've never heard it put quite like this, in fact I don't recall having heard it taught. I'm sure it has, but perhaps not so simply.
I don't lay claim to the concept, but maybe I can lay claim to a phrase.

If you want to be more successful at pool, do not think three balls ahead. Think eight, nine, or ten balls ahead. Think fifteen balls ahead. Play three ball patterns.

That's my phrase. "Play three ball patterns." You have to think through the whole rack or your asking for trouble. Think through the entire rack, and play three ball patterns.

Thanks Scott, i heard Buddy Hall teaches that principle in his DVD, he describes two or three racks patterns and outs, and what to do if your position gone bad.

Bavafongoul · Jun 23, 2014

When Mosconi ran 526, I wonder how many shots ahead he was thinking?
Whatever it was, then that's the number I want to preach and embrace.

Hmn.....526....he had to be thinking 2-3 racks ahead......oh yeah, only 15 balls.
Anyway, whatever Willie used is the only thing I'd like to know.......wouldn't it be
a kick in the pants to find out he focused only 5-6 shots ahead mostly and maybe
even 2-3 shots if there was a cluster he had to control after being loosened up.

All in all, just play the window for position/shape and think as far as ahead as your
skill and confidence allows you to plan. In straight pool, it depends on how the table
lays and 9 ball, 3 shots ahead is more than adequate since it's always at least 1/3
of the table and that percentage becomes really huge as balls get pocketed.

Matt B.

prewarhero · Jun 23, 2014

14.1 and 8 ball are different than 9 or 10 ball. Yet all require an examination of the entire layout. In 14.1 you choose your break ball and key ball right away. Identity any clusters or problem balls. That being said any time I shoot in 14.1 I call the next 3 balls. They may change after each shot but I always call the pattern for the next 3.

In 8 ball, I identify the entire run before I shoot. If it can't be ran I decode where and how I am
Playing safe.

9 ball unless there is some major trouble with the 7-9, you can play 3 balls a head after looking at the table. Rarely is the 7-9 the key shot In the rack. After 1-3, 2-4, 3-5, it is just making sure you have enough angle.

logical · Jun 23, 2014

3, 9, 12, 45 balls... whatever. The point is have a plan. I'm pretty sure this is not a new concept.

The reason the 3 ball thing is not "horrible" is because it means after every shot you are resetting and adjusting to the next 3. Explain what magic lurks within this "groups of 3" plan.

victorl · Jun 23, 2014

Nothing wrong with three balls ahead. Once you've looked at a rack and feel that it can be run, taking it three balls at a time makes things simple and manageable. Don't get what all the fuss is about.

trob · Jun 23, 2014

Thanks captain obvious. Are you now going to tell us you don't need a hotel room until you need one. Lol

CJ Wiley · Jun 23, 2014

I can beat anyone in the world if they have to call "3 shots ahead"

What's funny is I can beat anyone in the world if they have to call "3 shots ahead".....even the best players can't do this effectively.

shinobi · Jun 23, 2014

Time for Bert Kinister to release DVD #257, titled "Super Obvious Pool Secrets". It will be 45 minutes of him rehashing this concept (while trying to demonstrate it and missing many shots).

Johnnyt · Jun 23, 2014

macguy said:
Three balls ahead refers to 9 ball. It means when you are shooting say the 1 ball you have to get on the 2 so you can get on the 3. When you are shooting the 2 ball you have to get on the 3 so you can get on the 4 and so on. And yes it is the right way to run balls in a rotation game. It is some times referred to as getting on the correct side of a ball so you can move from one ball to the next. It has been taught forever, I even heard Lassiter refer to it when asked about 9 ball.

Thank you for this. Johnnyt

BeiberLvr · Jun 23, 2014

One thing that just started happening with my rotation game is I'm starting to see angles of the CB through the entire rack.

So if I'm shooting the 1 ball, I can visualize the path of the CB after making the 2 to get on the 3, and so on.

Now obviously, those angles more often than not will change throughout the rack, because I don't always get perfect on every ball.

Lesh · Jun 23, 2014

ScottK said:
That's my phrase. "Play three ball patterns." You have to think through the whole rack or your asking for trouble. Think through the entire rack, and play three ball patterns.

Yeah.... ssssssooo, yer sayin' Think Three Balls Ahead then.... kay. See I was confused, but you set me straight there. I always think three balls ahead with a plan A, plan B, and sometimes a plan C depending how incredibly poor I can possibly hit the ball and still make it.

Play a zone first.... just decide on a zone where you have them most viable shots or best conditions to run out in a tasty pattern and go for that. If..... Then.... Else.... repeat until you have crushed your enemies, seen them driven before you, and heard the lamentations of their women. THIS..... is what is BEST in LIFE Conan.

But all the while, thinking three shots ahead. Anyone not thinking three shots ahead is akin to someone not worrying about position play. Just seems foolish to me.

Lesh

JuicyGirl · Jun 23, 2014

During a match I asked our highest skilled player in the team what he thought of immediately after breaking the rack. As we watched the match he said... "You wouldn't understand it, it's too advanced for you." so a few innings and we are still watching and he asks me what I would do now and I said.. "mmm Not telling you, you wouldn't understand

" a few more innings roll by and he says "it's like this..."
Remember when you were a kid and you did the maze puzzles, you know the ones where you have to figure out how to get from the start line to the finish line? But on the really big ones you always cheated and ended up meeting the lines in the middle. So in 9 ball I would start with the 1, then 9 then 2 then 8 then 3 and 7, 4 and 6 and finally 5.

Well it seems to make sense, at any rate like he said it's too advanced for me but it did get me thinking. And I still use the 3 ball system

.

Stay Juicy

"Think three balls ahead" is horrible advice.

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