best game to play at home by yourself

Mikiemopa

Mikiemopa

pechauer dealer
Silver Member
I have a nice 8ft Brunswick at home, and do have lots of free at some points of the year, what would be the best game to play. I know drills is probably best but I get bored easily. I currently play a lot of 8 ball, and some 10 ball. I do practice by banks. I feel I've been stuck at the same level for years now. I'm thinking rotation, I tried one pocket, just not enough action, and just never been into straight.
 
RobMan

RobMan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Lots of great games to play. Besides the ghost in 9 or 10 ball -- look into Equal Offense, Fargo, and Bowliards. All fun AND you can track scores for improvement.
 
TX Poolnut

TX Poolnut

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a nine footer and play straight pool runs all the time. Once the hook is in, you're hooked for good. It's pretty much all I play every day.

I like bowlliards occasionally too. Fargo is fun but I prefer 14.1.
 
Bishop

Bishop

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
TX Poolnut said:
I have a nine footer and play straight pool runs all the time. Once the hook is in, you're hooked for good. It's pretty much all I play every day.

I like bowlliards occasionally too. Fargo is fun but I prefer 14.1.
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I wish there were more people who played straight pool.

One thing that greatly improved for me by playing myself in 14.1 is it made me think twice about how I play my safeties. I'd get an idea and immediately see how I would play out.
 
RobMan

RobMan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
TX Poolnut said:
I have a nine footer and play straight pool runs all the time. Once the hook is in, you're hooked for good. It's pretty much all I play every day.



I like bowlliards occasionally too. Fargo is fun but I prefer 14.1.
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I play 14.1 myself. I would rather play it than anything. Yes it is hard to find opponents .. we have a league with only 8 players.

Equal Offense is a a good game to introduce a new player to 14.1. You break an open rack, take ball in hand behind the line (I think), and then proceed to run balls. You leave the 15th ball and CB just as in straight pool and continue. Goal is 20 balls per inning for 10 innings or max of 200 points.
 
Ih82luz

Ih82luz

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I play a "Quick 8 ball". You have just the stripes or solids, and the 8 ball. It helps with patterns and it goes faster than a full rack.

Other than that, I practice 14.1 too.
 
Matt Tatum

Matt Tatum

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
there are many threads and post on this................. do a search, some have good links above!!
 
K

King T

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
8 racks of 9 Ball first!

Play the 9 Ball ghost, the 1 thru 8 ball is worth 1 point each, the 9 ball is worth 2 points
for a total of 10 points per rack.

Play 8 racks and keep score, if you can consistently 75 points you are playing good pool and your break must be pretty good too, but no matter what your score if you keep a log of your progress you have a good tool to measure your progress.

If you find that you are scoring 80 points easy, move to 10 Ball, each ball is worth 1 point.
 
M

mmwtdh

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just throw out balls, 4 - 10 of them including the cue ball and the try to run in rotation.

If I'm hooked, I try to see how many safeties I can get in a row.

Never the same look in a session....
 
pt109

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
I'm with the guys who say play straight pool.

Rack up 14 balls and start with your favorite break shot.
when you get really bored...play some more....you'll get through that.
Keep trying to beat your high run.
 
Dognit

Dognit

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Straight pool or play against yourself one pocket. Both of those games are the foundation for pretty much anything else. Both allow you to "miss" and not feel like you dogged the rack, (which is bad for the practice mindset), as you then start from there as your opponent.
 
buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This takes a while to set up but I sometimes watch pro matches and look for a break and run. Then set my table up as close to the actual break on the video. Then attemp to run out in the same pattern. I'm not very successful. But awesome practice.
 
Colonel

Colonel

Raised by Wolves in a Pool Hall
Silver Member
Throw out all 15 balls, pocket in any order without missing or WITHOUT CUE BALL TOUCHING A RAIL. When you can do this regularly your cue ball control has become second nature to you
 
buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Colonel said:
Throw out all 15 balls, pocket in any order without missing or WITHOUT CUE BALL TOUCHING A RAIL. When you can do this regularly your cue ball control has become second nature to you
Click to expand...

That's a tough one. Cue ball control is only half of it. Shot selection becomes more critical too!
 
Colonel

Colonel

Raised by Wolves in a Pool Hall
Silver Member
buckshotshoey said:
That's a tough one. Cue ball control is only half of it. Shot selection becomes more critical too!
Click to expand...

You're correct, sometimes you must take a tougher shot in order to keep the cue ball away from the rails. This forces you to be very cognizant of your shot selection & looking ahead several shots.
 
N

naji

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Mikiemopa said:
I have a nice 8ft Brunswick at home, and do have lots of free at some points of the year, what would be the best game to play. I know drills is probably best but I get bored easily. I currently play a lot of 8 ball, and some 10 ball. I do practice by banks. I feel I've been stuck at the same level for years now. I'm thinking rotation, I tried one pocket, just not enough action, and just never been into straight.
Click to expand...

I feel I've been stuck at the same level for years now

Basic pool is pocketing balls, and position play. Considering all types of angles, english, speed, and distances between OB and CB you are looking at about 4000 possibilities of shots;
Playing 8 ball, straight pool, and one pocket ruins your stroke; rotation games is best, but only when you have perfect stroke and know how to execute all 4000 shots in practice as well as matches.
IMO, a player should only practice hard shots, like thin cuts, long , on rail, jacked up stuff, high speed, draw, follow, 2 and 3 rail position, lots of english; those are the shots we miss in a match, not the one footer shots!
 
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