Your percent for this drill?

Ghosst

Broom Handle Mafia
Silver Member
Just curious - another poster mentioned moving the line of OBs and also moving the starting position of the CB. With BIH as the OP has suggested, what would be the most difficult configuration for this drill?

The variant I've seen, which I think was performed by Hohman, is to have the OBs on the headstring and the cue ball in hand is frozen to the cushion. It's a much harder drill. I think it was part of the iPAT series, but I'll have to look through them at lunch to be sure.

In order to help the OP, we could always video ourselves performing this drill for him. Maybe he'll see something helpful and it will keep us off the keyboards for a couple of minutes.
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
Don't know about percentage. I usually make them all, but maybe miss 1 or 2 out of 15 every once in a while. I consider myself intermediate on a good day, Dean on the other days.

Just curious - another poster mentioned moving the line of OBs and also moving the starting position of the CB. With BIH as the OP has suggested, what would be the most difficult configuration for this drill?

This arrangement would get progressively more difficult as you move across from the end balls toward the center balls, because the distance between the cb and ob increases with each ball. And the V pattern for ob placement makes each ball the same distance from the pocket, so the margin of error is somewhat consistent, though closer to the rail on a tighter table does tighten up the margin of error quite a bit.

Crude drawing, best I could do though.....

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BRussell

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Taking ball in hand on each shot doesn’t seem like an interesting or useful drill. I’ve usually seen this drill where you only take ball in hand on the first shot, with variations where you try not to touch a rail.
 

Pete

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
How about staggering the balls? First at the first diamond then half a diamond up until you're at the middle of the table. Cue Ball In Hand on one of the diamond lines for all the shots. This way you are doing each shot (same "straight line") at different distances between the Cue Ball and Object Ball.
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
Taking ball in hand on each shot doesn’t seem like an interesting or useful drill. I’ve usually seen this drill where you only take ball in hand on the first shot, with variations where you try not to touch a rail.

It depends on what you're working on. The straight in drill can highlight stroke flaws. If a player can't shoot 15 straight in shots, granted with varying degrees of difficulty, then something is either wonky with their stroke, their alignment, or their level of focus. And it's a good drill for working on that stuff. But if the player is practicing for cb control, then taking ball in hand only on the first shot is the way to go.
 

pab

Center ball can do it all
Silver Member
It depends on what you're working on. The straight in drill can highlight stroke flaws.

I have to agree with you there. I had a vision center issue and this drill helped me work it out.
 

misterpoole

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
With bih i would only do the ball closest to the rail. Both sides. Having those balls close to the rail ( 1/2 -ball) and set the cue ball same distance off the rail. You could increase the distance between the cue ball and object to make it harder. Do it until you dont miss 10 in a row on both sides.

Edit. Best done on 9ft table
 
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Ghosst

Broom Handle Mafia
Silver Member
Found it: iPat 3: Pro Drills

(If it looks easy with BiH, please post a video)
 

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couldnthinkof01

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Found it: iPat 3: Pro Drills

(If it looks easy with BiH, please post a video)

If ball in hand means I can put it anywhere above
the object ball 90-100% is reasonable.

If it means anywhere frozen to the rail, its
more like 40-60%

I have done that drill enough times with the
frozen cueball. Its's very tough.
 

DecentShot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is really table dependent. New cloth or soft pockets and you might never miss. Shimmed up pockets and worn cloth no one has to make all 15.

This! Perfectly stated TM. What would a Ghost equivalent be? 5 ball ghost race to 3?
 

pab

Center ball can do it all
Silver Member
This is really table dependent. New cloth or soft pockets and you might never miss. Shimmed up pockets and worn cloth no one has to make all 15.

First - let me apologize to the OP - I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but you've got me thinking and that is dangerous.

Tin Man - I understand why shimmed pockets would make the drill more difficult, but why would worn cloth when the shots are essentially straight-in? Not being a jerk, I genuinely do not know.
 

Tin Man

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
worn cloth

First - let me apologize to the OP - I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but you've got me thinking and that is dangerous.

Tin Man - I understand why shimmed pockets would make the drill more difficult, but why would worn cloth when the shots are essentially straight-in? Not being a jerk, I genuinely do not know.

If the ball is hit in the center of the pocket the cloth and ball conditions won't matter. The difference is visible when the ball is hit such that it brushes the side rail or hits the outer tip of the pocket on the end rail side.

With polished balls and new cloth the pocket will allow more shots to work their way into the jaws and into the pocket. With worn cloth and dirtier balls the object balls will jar up. When they scrape the side rail they pick up reverse english which grabs much more upon hitting the other side of the pocket facing, making the ball seem to fight going into the pocket, then the ball just seems to lose steam and hang. With new cloth they worm their way in. This is most evident on shots down the rail, but even on center table shots the pockets will be much more accepting.

My diamond table has worn cloth but when I vaccuum it and polish the balls it plays fairly soft. When I don't it becomes pretty unforgiving.
 

TEAM SLO

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Jin has done this drill on and off... he averages about 1 miss per set. Some days he gets all, but others he can have a brain fart and miss once or twice per setup.

It sounds and looks easy on paper but isn't.... plus with 4" pockets, some of the shots have a very small margin or error.
 

pab

Center ball can do it all
Silver Member
If the ball is hit in the center of the pocket the cloth and ball conditions won't matter. The difference is visible when the ball is hit such that it brushes the side rail or hits the outer tip of the pocket on the end rail side.

With polished balls and new cloth the pocket will allow more shots to work their way into the jaws and into the pocket. With worn cloth and dirtier balls the object balls will jar up. When they scrape the side rail they pick up reverse english which grabs much more upon hitting the other side of the pocket facing, making the ball seem to fight going into the pocket, then the ball just seems to lose steam and hang. With new cloth they worm their way in. This is most evident on shots down the rail, but even on center table shots the pockets will be much more accepting.

My diamond table has worn cloth but when I vaccuum it and polish the balls it plays fairly soft. When I don't it becomes pretty unforgiving.

That is really interesting. Thank you for your detailed response. Much appreciated.
 

Ghosst

Broom Handle Mafia
Silver Member
If the ball is hit in the center of the pocket the cloth and ball conditions won't matter. The difference is visible when the ball is hit such that it brushes the side rail or hits the outer tip of the pocket on the end rail side...

Thanks for posting that. I was going to make a new thread about the same question.
 

Tin Man

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
ghost equivalent

This! Perfectly stated TM. What would a Ghost equivalent be? 5 ball ghost race to 3?

Thank you. I'm not sure what you mean though. What would be the ghost equivalent of making all 15 shots?

I think I'm 90-95% on the 6 ball ghost. If you're measuring how often I make all 15 of those shots on a comparable table I'd imagine I'd be 50-75%. So I'd rather play the 6 ball ghost a race to 3 than race to 3 against the drill requiring me to make all 15.

But then again, my cue ball and patterns are tight and the shots I'd have would be easier in general than even these in the drill. I rarely fumble routine run outs. Having to pocket 6 balls is simply easier than trying to pocket 15 balls, any of which could be missed due to carelessness or a slip of execution.

But if my daughter (who has a good stroke and shoots very straight but doesn't play multi-rail position or use sidespin well just yet) took this on she'd probably be 50/50 to complete this drill and she might lose to the 3 ball ghost.

So, as I think of your question, the ghost equivalent would probably say more about your ability to run balls in rotation than it says about the difficulty of the straight in shots.
 

DecentShot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
First - let me apologize to the OP - I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but you've got me thinking and that is dangerous.

Tin Man - I understand why shimmed pockets would make the drill more difficult, but why would worn cloth when the shots are essentially straight-in? Not being a jerk, I genuinely do not know.

New cloth is extremely slippery, old cloth VERY grabby. (860 HR after a few years of play).
 

DecentShot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thank you. I'm not sure what you mean though. What would be the ghost equivalent of making all 15 shots?

I think I'm 90-95% on the 6 ball ghost. If you're measuring how often I make all 15 of those shots on a comparable table I'd imagine I'd be 50-75%. So I'd rather play the 6 ball ghost a race to 3 than race to 3 against the drill requiring me to make all 15.

But then again, my cue ball and patterns are tight and the shots I'd have would be easier in general than even these in the drill. I rarely fumble routine run outs. Having to pocket 6 balls is simply easier than trying to pocket 15 balls, any of which could be missed due to carelessness or a slip of execution.

But if my daughter (who has a good stroke and shoots very straight but doesn't play multi-rail position or use sidespin well just yet) took this on she'd probably be 50/50 to complete this drill and she might lose to the 3 ball ghost.

So, as I think of your question, the ghost equivalent would probably say more about your ability to run balls in rotation than it says about the difficulty of the straight in shots.

Thanks for your response TM. Interesting.
 

one stroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Taking ball in hand on each shot doesn’t seem like an interesting or useful drill. I’ve usually seen this drill where you only take ball in hand on the first shot, with variations where you try not to touch a rail.

That's what I do , I try to sink half in one side the remainder in the other , or I alternate one side to the other hitting the rail , I hardly ever sink them all but it's a better drill than just ball in hand



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