Practicing 9 ball

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Your mentor gave you sound advice. I always practice with a purpose as well. And I always practice alone. People ask me all the time "You never play anyone... why?" I say, first, why would I want to pay time to watch someone else shoot, even if it's only 30% ( let alone 50% or better, depending on how they play ) of the time or so... also, when I miss, playing alone, I can simply set it up again. And, also, when I set it up again and make it, I will sometimes set it up yet again for consistency or to vary slightly where whitey is going... I take practice very seriously. Always have.
I take practice very seriously as well, particularly 14.1. However, for myself, anytime I have an opportunity to play a 14.1 match against another player of at least close to the same level as myself or preferably better, I feel that is always way more valuable an experience than solo practice. You just can't simulate that same scenario of a competitive match situation when practicing alone.
 

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
I take practice very seriously as well, particularly 14.1. However, for myself, anytime I have an opportunity to play a 14.1 match against another player of at least close to the same level as myself or preferably better, I feel that is always way more valuable an experience than solo practice. You just can't simulate that same scenario of a competitive match situation when practicing alone.

Different strokes ( pun intended ) for different folks. :wink:
 

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I do not see the big deal with taking BIH when playing the ghost.

I understand about not taking BIH for practice for matches .....common sense, yes...as we do not get BIH in matches against anyone.

But, almost every time I've seen a really strong player (pro's and the like) gamble with someone with the ghost, they almost always take BIH after the break no matter if the magic rack, wooden rack, 9 ball, 10 ball....etc...etc..

People seem to forget just how important the break shot is. I for one, will never pass on a chance to practice my break, no matter the game.

Having said all that, I do understand just how much shorter my practice session is while using the break shot. It really takes it out of me to rack/break, rack/break...etc.etc..etc.

It's a back breaker (pun intended..lol) for us injured folk, no matter the age.

Rake
 

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
I do not see the big deal with taking BIH when playing the ghost.

I understand about not taking BIH for practice for matches .....common sense, yes...as we do not get BIH in matches against anyone.

But, almost every time I've seen a really strong player (pro's and the like) gamble with someone with the ghost, they almost always take BIH after the break no matter if the magic rack, wooden rack, 9 ball, 10 ball....etc...etc..

People seem to forget just how important the break shot is. I for one, will never pass on a chance to practice my break, no matter the game.

Having said all that, I do understand just how much shorter my practice session is while using the break shot. It really takes it out of me to rack/break, rack/break...etc.etc..etc.

It's a back breaker (pun intended..lol) for us injured folk, no matter the age.

Rake

Yeah... and I just can't fade the energy drain, Rake. It takes a lot at this point just to play for an hour a day. It's gotten to where I take bih multiple times per rack, just to not have to walk around the table. :thud:
 
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pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
Okay, I’ll confess...I don’t practise 9-ball or any rotation game.
Long straight stop shots, at different speeds, tested how I was hitting whitey.

..then it was either straight pool or the one pocket prop.
..these games, by keeping score, lets you know exactly how you’re doing.
 

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
Okay, I’ll confess...I don’t practise 9-ball or any rotation game.
Long straight stop shots, at different speeds, tested how I was hitting whitey.

..then it was either straight pool or the one pocket prop.
..these games, by keeping score, lets you know exactly how you’re doing.

No 9 ball??? Well... confession is good for the soul. Bless you.

Now get out of my thread. :bash: :dance: :D
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
No 9 ball??? Well... confession is good for the soul. Bless you.

Now get out of my thread. :bash: :dance: :D

giphy.gif
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Seems intuitively right that more distance = less accurate. Why do you think it isn't?

pj
chgo

I thought of you today...

Editin- gawdammit. I had a good picture, too. I can't upload a pic, i cry fowwwwwlll!!!!!
 

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easy-e

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
It might be “cheating”, but when I’m practicing 9-ball, I always rack the 2 ball on the wing. That way I’m already on the 3 ball (further into the rack) when I start shooting. Helps against the ghost!
 

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
It might be “cheating”, but when I’m practicing 9-ball, I always rack the 2 ball on the wing. That way I’m already on the 3 ball (further into the rack) when I start shooting. Helps against the ghost!

Ummmm... that's... cheating. And I think we all know where that leads: Serious drug and/or drinking problems. And, fat bank accounts. But morally, the third should be ignored...
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It might be “cheating”, but when I’m practicing 9-ball, I always rack the 2 ball on the wing. That way I’m already on the 3 ball (further into the rack) when I start shooting. Helps against the ghost!

No, You fooll! The two goes on the back... Where it is most likely to get loose. That allows you a greater likelihood of having a shot on it after the one.
I can't believe you get that for free.
Or did you pay for it, long ago?
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Efren practice.................

Saw him do this one year at DCC: he'd freeze pairs together and take BIH on the 1ball. So the 2-3, 4-5,6-7,8-9 etc would be frozen and he'd pocket a ball and break open a pair. Watched him run 7-8 racks doing this. Made it look easy but i'm tellin ya its not. Good drill.
 

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
Saw him do this one year at DCC: he'd freeze pairs together and take BIH on the 1ball. So the 2-3, 4-5,6-7,8-9 etc would be frozen and he'd pocket a ball and break open a pair. Watched him run 7-8 racks doing this. Made it look easy but i'm tellin ya its not. Good drill.


Gaahhhhhhhhhhhhh... I hate Efren. And, as artist, I hate DaVinci and Van Gogh and Bouguereau. It's not fair! IT"S NOT FAIR!!! :angry:
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Gaahhhhhhhhhhhhh... I hate Efren. And, as artist, I hate DaVinci and Van Gogh and Bouguereau. It's not fair! IT"S NOT FAIR!!! :angry:
First time i saw StevieRay live was when he opened for the Police in Norman,Ok. Had seats about two rows back. Talk about not fair. JFC that cat could play. Efren with a Stratocaster i guess.
 

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
First time i saw StevieRay live was when he opened for the Police in Norman,Ok. Had seats about two rows back. Talk about not fair. JFC that cat could play. Efren with a Stratocaster i guess.

He was born 3 weeks after me, 5 weeks after Efren. I never saw him play, which I'll regret the rest of my life. There's an SRV tribute on YT, @ 90 mins, with his brother, BB King, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Clapton. etc... in between songs, they have short interviews with all of them @ Stevie. In one with Clapton, he said when he played with SRV, he had to shut him out, visually and audio-wise. He said, if he didn't, he would say to himself, "What's the point?" and just walk off stage... pretty strong medicine, coming from Clapton.

I saw Hendrix three times. And I saw every other super-star swingin' d**k lead guitarist from the 60s - 70s, at least once. None could hold a candle to Hendrix, IMHO. Not one of them. They were all great. But he was in a class by himself. And then, @ 10 years ago, I saw Stevie on YT. My jaw hit the floor. I'd heard him before, sure. But I was never a huge blues fan so I didn't pay much attention. I'm an idiot. I saw him play and it was like I couldn't breathe right. He's the only guitarist I ever saw who could play with Hendrix. If you watch him closely, it's like the guitar is part of his body. And every part of his body is music. His shoulders, his head, his arms... just astounding. Just simply... astounding.
 
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garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
He was born 3 weeks after me, 5 weeks after Efren. I never saw him play, which I'll regret the rest of my life. There's an SRV tribute on YT, @ 90 mins, with his brother, BB King, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raite, Clapton. etc... in between songs, they have short interviews with all of them @ Stevie. In one with Clapton, he said when he played with SRV, he had to shut him out, visually and audio-wise. He said, if he didn't, he would say to himself, "What's the point?" and just walk off stage... pretty strong medicine, coming from Clapton.

I saw Hendrix three times. And I saw every other super-star swingin' d**k lead guitarist from the 60s - 70s, at least once. None could hold a candle to Hendrix, IMHO. Not one of them. They were all great. But he was in a class by himself. And then, @ 10 years ago, I saw Stevie on YT. My jaw hit the floor. I'd heard him before, sure. But I was never a huge blues fan so I didn't pay much attention. I'm an idiot. I saw him play and it was like I couldn't breathe right. He's the only guitarist I ever saw who could play with Hendrix. If you watch him closely, it's like the guitar is part of his body. And every part of his body is music. His shoulders, his head, his arms... just astounding. Just simply... astounding.
No doubt brother. Saw SRV three times, the last just months before the chopper crash. Something to see for sure. Seein JH is pretty damn awesome. Not many can say that.
 
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