playing 10 ball and can run 5 to 6 balls most of time. How to increase it?

pinoyincalgary · Jul 24, 2015

Hi. I tried playing the 10 ball ghost race to 10 for 3 sets and I noticed that majority of the time I can run 5 to 7 balls on an open table but misses on the remaining balls. How can I get rid of this mental blockage? Thanks. Forgot to mention that I always take ball in hand after the break.

Solartje · Jul 24, 2015

write down every time it's end of frame to see what your weakest part is.
My guess, as i'm in the same box, running out of position. with every ball you run out of position a little more. first 1inch, then 2 inch, etc.. by the 5-7th ball you are playing a shot that is a lot harder then if you would have ball in hand.

my tip: do exercises and increase your positional accuracy.

jojopiff · Jul 24, 2015

Couple things...
Be honest with yourself. Are you missing shots or are you getting (further and further) out of line and after 5-6 balls now you have a super tough shot. No disrespect intended, but lying to yourself will not do you any good.

Now, if that's not the case...
I, personally, try to make sure my PSR is rock solid. When this happens to me, it's usually because I'm nervous/unsure of shot/over-confident. Making sure I'm in good balance, aligned properly, staying down, and really focusing on the shot.

It's funny, cause you'll see lot of opinions and if you look at many of the questions asked, it's often the same problem... not focusing. Please don't ask how to focus more or better. I've got nothin there

skip100 · Jul 24, 2015

Solartje said:
My guess, as i'm in the same box, running out of position. with every ball you run out of position a little more. first 1inch, then 2 inch, etc.. by the 5-7th ball you are playing a shot that is a lot harder then if you would have ball in hand.

I'll see myself out :angry:

ktrepal85 · Jul 24, 2015

I'd suggest reducing the amount of balls. If you can only run 5-6 balls then play the 5 or 6 ball ghost.

Try this little game out: Throw 5 balls on the table and make sure there are no clusters and everything goes in a pocket. Take ball in hand and try to run out. If you get out you win. If you don't get out you lose. Play this way for a race to 5. If you win then play the same game with 6 balls. If you lose then play the same game with 4 balls. You can also break the balls if you want but it can lead to clusters which don't consistently measure your run out abilities.

Another thing to think when playing the 10 ball ghost is that the first 5 balls are the hardest to run out b/c the table is so full. So you're actually getting through the hardest part of the rack. You just have to stay in line and stay focused.

Good luck!

Proofsc · Jul 24, 2015

Is it you just missing the ball or are you leaving yourself a hard shot? if so you need to work on your position play. I don't know how often you use center ball but that helps a lot. also develop a pre shot routine and stick to it, This will help dramatically.

DJ14.1 · Jul 24, 2015

pinoyincalgary said:
Hi. I tried playing the 10 ball ghost race to 10 for 3 sets and I noticed that majority of the time I can run 5 to 7 balls on an open table but misses on the remaining balls. How can I get rid of this mental blockage? Thanks. Forgot to mention that I always take ball in hand after the break.

Just guessing, but I doubt that it's mental blockage, it's probably just your current skill level. You might take some time and post some video of your game up here. You'll get much better feedback from us since we can see you playing. It's helped others to improve their games. IMO, it's tough to say what will help you the most without being able to watch you play, see what you can do well, cannot do well, etc.

macguy · Jul 24, 2015

pinoyincalgary said:
Hi. I tried playing the 10 ball ghost race to 10 for 3 sets and I noticed that majority of the time I can run 5 to 7 balls on an open table but misses on the remaining balls. How can I get rid of this mental blockage? Thanks. Forgot to mention that I always take ball in hand after the break.

You may need to take a break and reanalyze the remaining rack. I say this because if you are running 5 or 6 balls with the congestion of a 10 ball rack you are getting nervous as you anticipate running the whole rack.

So you want to break the rack into more then one chore. Run a few balls and walk around chalk up sip you drink what ever. You have to build the run out, and don't see it as one event.

I am saying this because I used to play a lot of straight pool. The same thing happens as you begin to realize how many balls you have run you get distracted by the run. You want to just stay with your attention to the rack you are playing.

You are failing to get out with what should be the easiest part of the rack. It can't be what you are doing wrong but what you are thinking about. Just take a break, relax and finish the rack.

Watch some of the youtube matches, you will see top players doing the same thing. If they don't feel 100% they step away for a few seconds.

The main thing is, as you begin to get all the way out, success breeds success. You will just get better at it over time.

azbluemach1 · Jul 24, 2015

If your not into drills, then make the following part of your practice routine:

Do the normal 10 ball drill with ball in hand to start. When you miss a shot, or blow position badly, then shoot that shot until you have made it 15 times (or however many) in a row without missing.

This should help keep you focused, and will drive practice on shots you really do need to work on.

ktrepal85 · Jul 24, 2015

azbluemach1 said:
If your not into drills, then make the following part of your practice routine:

Do the normal 10 ball drill with ball in hand to start. When you miss a shot, or blow position badly, then shoot that shot until you have made it 15 times (or however many) in a row without missing.

This should help keep you focused, and will drive practice on shots you really do need to work on.

I like this idea!

pt109 · Jul 24, 2015

Context.............

Before you shoot the first ball, see how you are going to get to the ten.
Every shot should be in that context.
It's how you run centuries at snooker and straight pool also.

If you keep trying to run out by thinking one ball at a time....
....the runs you get will be like getting lucky at dice.

Ron Swanson · Jul 24, 2015

pt109 said:
Context.............

Before you shoot the first ball, see how you are going to get to the ten.
Every shot should be in that context.
It's how you run centuries at snooker and straight pool also.

If you keep trying to run out by thinking one ball at a time....
....the runs you get will be like getting lucky at dice.

Disagree with that in terms of snooker.

pinoyincalgary · Jul 24, 2015

Solartje said:
write down every time it's end of frame to see what your weakest part is.
My guess, as i'm in the same box, running out of position. with every ball you run out of position a little more. first 1inch, then 2 inch, etc.. by the 5-7th ball you are playing a shot that is a lot harder then if you would have ball in hand.

my tip: do exercises and increase your positional accuracy.

Hi. Great point and I think you are right. The closer I seem to get to the next ball, the more I struggle. I will try your suggestion. Thanks again

pinoyincalgary · Jul 24, 2015

Thanks everyone for the help. I'm definitely a beginner and trying to get better with the game. I appreciate all the tips and info, and will be taking everything into consideration. As someone pointed out, I seem to get MORE out of line as I progress to the next shot. I guess I need more cue ball knowledge and control.

Keith Jawahir · Jul 24, 2015

ktrepal85 said:
I'd suggest reducing the amount of balls. If you can only run 5-6 balls then play the 5 or 6 ball ghost.

Try this little game out: Throw 5 balls on the table and make sure there are no clusters and everything goes in a pocket. Take ball in hand and try to run out. If you get out you win. If you don't get out you lose. Play this way for a race to 5. If you win then play the same game with 6 balls. If you lose then play the same game with 4 balls. You can also break the balls if you want but it can lead to clusters which don't consistently measure your run out abilities.

Another thing to think when playing the 10 ball ghost is that the first 5 balls are the hardest to run out b/c the table is so full. So you're actually getting through the hardest part of the rack. You just have to stay in line and stay focused.

Good luck!

This is what I do, and it's helped loads with my consistency. The only addition I would make, is to actually rack the balls and break, so you're working on your breaking skills while you're at it. After the break, remove enough balls so you have 5 remaining (6-10, 5-9, etc.) and take ball in hand. As you beat the ghost or lose to the ghost in races, add or remove balls. This also helps with your endgame and SHOULD help nerves shaping and making the out ball.

DJ14.1 · Jul 24, 2015

You definitely want to envision the whole rack through. But if you can stay 2 balls ahead at all times in terms of keeping the proper angles for position, that's a good benchmark. While staying 2 balls ahead, be mindful of balls that only see one pocket, or balls that may need nudged along the way, because you might only get one good opportunity to do that, and it's important to spot that opportunity as soon as possible or it will kill some runs.

Gunn_Slinger · Jul 24, 2015

If you cant beat the NINE ball ghost, you should not be playing 10 ball. The game is for high end players. The game , for most pool room players , becomes a game of many safeties.Very boring. I;ve watched many good players play 10 ball on the ActionPoolTour and they play many many safeties....boring.
Stick to 9 ball until you bring the Ghost to its knees...lol.
Just MHO.
Pushout forever!

TATE · Jul 24, 2015

Being a beginner, you can't expect to run more than a few balls at a time in 9 or 10 ball. Pocketing, position and pattern skills develop with practice and experience. Patience is a virtue!

Once you can fairly reliably pocket balls and control the cue ball, rotation games become a puzzle. The better you get, the easier it is to see the shots and potential patterns. It takes a while to develop this sense.

Patrick Johnson · Jul 24, 2015

ktrepal85 said:
ktrepal85 said:

I'd suggest reducing the amount of balls. If you can only run 5-6 balls then play the 5 or 6 ball ghost.

Try this little game out: Throw 5 balls on the table and make sure there are no clusters and everything goes in a pocket. Take ball in hand and try to run out. If you get out you win. If you don't get out you lose. Play this way for a race to 5. If you win then play the same game with 6 balls. If you lose then play the same game with 4 balls. You can also break the balls if you want but it can lead to clusters which don't consistently measure your run out abilities.

Another thing to think when playing the 10 ball ghost is that the first 5 balls are the hardest to run out b/c the table is so full. So you're actually getting through the hardest part of the rack. You just have to stay in line and stay focused.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Keith Jawahir:
This is what I do, and it's helped loads with my consistency. The only addition I would make, is to actually rack the balls and break, so you're working on your breaking skills while you're at it. After the break, remove enough balls so you have 5 remaining (6-10, 5-9, etc.) and take ball in hand. As you beat the ghost or lose to the ghost in races, add or remove balls. This also helps with your endgame and SHOULD help nerves shaping and making the out ball.

These "progressive" drills are the most effective kind, I think, because keeping an objective running score of your progress magnifies the focus and effectiveness of your practice. You can use the concept with any game, and you can adjust the number of balls up or down after a race or even after each game.

Your running score (# of balls) over time will approximate your average run length. Raising your average run length by a ball is a very specific, immediate and achievable improvement that can inspire determination and focus.

pj
chgo

jburkm002 · Jul 24, 2015

pinoyincalgary said:
Thanks everyone for the help. I'm definitely a beginner and trying to get better with the game. I appreciate all the tips and info, and will be taking everything into consideration. As someone pointed out, I seem to get MORE out of line as I progress to the next shot. I guess I need more cue ball knowledge and control.

Position is key. It's great to recover from bad position. It's what many of us do. Try playing differently for a while. Instead of trying to play through bad position. Stop and keep setting up the same shot until you continuously get the desired position. The goal shouldn't be to run 10 balls but to run 10 balls properly. So instead of stopping when you miss. Stop when you really screw up position even if you could make the ball. In my opinion. There are two things to making a ball. Making the ball and position. Once you establish confidence in your position play you can become a better shot maker. I would say most of my misses come from trying to play position. Sorry for rambling.

pinoyincalgary said:
Hi. Great point and I think you are right. The closer I seem to get to the next ball, the more I struggle. I will try your suggestion. Thanks again

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playing 10 ball and can run 5 to 6 balls most of time. How to increase it?

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