Game That Teaches The Most Skills?

alphadog · Jun 4, 2019

I love 1 pocket and believe it is the greatest cue game. 8 ball is my 2nd favorite game.

I do believe run out 9 ball incorporates more skills then the others.
Ball pocketing.
Position play for pocketing balls - breaking out clusters - caroms - billiards
Safety play both locking them down and
kicking and that frkn jumping.

A good ring game of 5&9 moneyball can wisen anyone up!

In reality unless you watch the other games and practice what you see, many shots will be unknown.
And you can't know what you don't know.

Swighey · Jun 4, 2019

How many non-Chinese players who have reached the deep end in Chinese 8 Ball tournaments play, or practice, straight pool or one pocket?

Dan_B · Jun 4, 2019

Seems what ever you decide on would need to be fun first.

For me, 4 ball, cooked up for just this purpose, cushion speeds with cue ball motions,
follow and draws for shape positions to stay alive. Just making the ball isn't enough to
shoot again, must keep the cue ball in play also, 2fur play is a necessary to score well.

For the big top, big show?
A couple, few lines of 4ball doubles, a traditional 2 player skirmish, will solve what ever
blues one may have for this game. It's challenging with a different look with every rack,
forces you to be creative with your shots, yet learn your limits.

Swighey · Jun 4, 2019

JohnnyOzone said:
If playing a lot of straight pool isn't helping your 8 ball game, then you aren't playing straight pool the right way or aren't learning what you should be. Straight pool is absolutely the best game to use to get better at 8 ball. In fact, you are the first person I've ever heard that said that. You should be learning better patterns, and how to break up clusters, if nothing else.
One pocket helps your defensive game no matter what you want to apply it to (not to mention getting out of safeties as well)

Playing pretty much any game will help any other game. That’s maybe one of the reasons why, for example, any world class rugby team incorporates basketball into its training schedule.

The best game to play to get better at 8 ball is 8 ball. If you are going to practice only one game to get better at 8 ball then it should be 8 ball. I agree 100% (or more if I could) that playing straight pool will teach you skills (including, first and foremost, “focus”) that are useful for 8 ball. If drills are too boring then straight pool is a fine substitute.

One pocket clearly helps a player’s 8,9 and 10 ball game but the time invested in playing it doesn’t, in my opinion, merit wasting too much time playing it just to improve your overall game.

SlickRick_PCS · Jun 4, 2019

The two real games that teaches the most skills??

14.1 Continuous and Filipino Rotation.... period!

Here's the thing:
It must be done on a 5'x10' pocket billiard table with 5 inch pockets.
Why, you say?
Because if that's what it took for Ralph Greenleaf and Willie Mosconi to become great players on 14.1 Continuous,
and,
for Efren Reyes to become the "pool-god mode" he was back in 1973-1976 with Filipino Rotation,
THEN,
those are the games that makes the best of both worlds. |

THERE, I spilled the beans...

Texas Carom Club · Jun 4, 2019

english billiards is a great game id love to play,but i dont think itll help with much else
same for golf, i like and play golf any chance i can get someone to play along

Don Owen · Jun 4, 2019

Patrick Johnson said:
If you could only practice one pool game (rotation, 8-ball, straight, 1pocket, etc.) but you want to play all of them, which one would you choose to practice?

Which game demands/teaches the most important commonly needed skills?

Which commonly needed skill(s) does it lack?

Which game demands the most unique skills?

pj
chgo

Joe Tucker”s American Rotation is good for this.

deanoc · Jun 4, 2019

I know one thing
every straight pool player I ever ran into was terrific at other games too

Ray Martin is the prime example,he still plays all games well

Lonestar_jim · Jun 4, 2019

Not sure about which game teaches you the most disciplines of pocket billiards, but I can guarantee that the Ram Shot will help you with all types of shots.

DJ62 · Jun 4, 2019

I'd say Bonus Ball. Just figuring out the rules is a major accomplishment.

Tin Man · Jun 4, 2019

snooker

Snooker? .......

pt109 · Jun 4, 2019

Tin Man said:
Snooker? .......

If I could only choose a pool table, I’d choose straight pool......
...just the attention span alone is invaluable.

But like others say, one game isn’t enough to make you excel at all games.
.....I’d say if you could play well at 3-cushion, snooker, and 14.1......
...there ain’t a billiard game that you could not excel at.

ThinSlice · Jun 4, 2019

There is only one game that teaches you ALL disciplines. That’s one pocket.

Reason being is that you have to puck around trying to maneuver your balls to a position that puts you at an advantage. This requires a touch, great banking skills at all speeds and incredible defense. Then after playing a rack of ALL that, you have to let a stroke out. I don’t know of a single game that requires all those skill sets.

Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums

evergruven · Jun 4, 2019

I like em all, but 1-pocket and straights..

jrctherake · Jun 5, 2019

Equal offense allows you to practice all the following:

Your break.....8 ball style....or.....10 ball style.....or 9 ball style....

Carom shots

Kiss shots

Combos

Hard, medium, soft and even touch shots speeds

Forces you to use a rotation, bank, stun etc..etc stroke...

Pattern play for full table right after break

Pattern play for half table when down to last few balls

Dealing with clusters, when to shoot into them vs picking them off outside-in.

There's not anything that equal offense doesn't have.

Another is Allen Hopkins version:

Break full rack and shoot any ball any hole but, shoot last 5 in rotation.

Icon of Sin · Jun 5, 2019

9ball. Advanced Position, Shot making, Safeties, 2way shots, accurate/specific breaking, banking and rack reading.

rikdee · Jun 5, 2019

jrctherake said:
Equal offense allows you to practice all the following:

Another is Allen Hopkins version:

Break full rack and shoot any ball any hole but, shoot last 5 in rotation.

Yes, Hopkin's Q skill game is great practise when played just as you describe without all the special rules that apply if playing as a competitive game. Very challenging as it demands lots of thinking, planning, and execution.

JazzyJeff87 · Jun 5, 2019

rikdee said:
Yes, Hopkin's Q skill game is great practise when played just as you describe without all the special rules that apply if playing as a competitive game. Very challenging as it demands lots of thinking, planning, and execution.

Yes..this has a nice ring to it. As a warm up I’ve been just smashing the balls open or throwing them out and running without order but leaving one of the normal money balls for last, depending what I’m about to play, but I like the idea of the last 5 in rotacion

lfigueroa · Jun 5, 2019

Patrick Johnson said:
If you could only practice one pool game (rotation, 8-ball, straight, 1pocket, etc.) but you want to play all of them, which one would you choose to practice?

Which game demands/teaches the most important commonly needed skills?

Which commonly needed skill(s) does it lack?

Which game demands the most unique skills?

pj
chgo

Only one game: 14.1.

Most commonly needed skills: 8ball.

Lacking: more esoteric shots (caroms, odd banks)

Most unique skills: 1pocket.

Lou Figueroa

sjm · Jun 5, 2019

Close between straight pool and one pocket, but I’m going with one pocket. The pattern building is harder, the defense is harder, there’s more billiard knowledge in play, and an end game that may test even the most imaginative of players to the limit.

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