It took me a long time to realize why I, and several of the players I know couldn't put together the long runs in this game, when I was still a beginner. There are tons of really technical info on this game, patterns and breakshots and all that, but if your high run is in the 30's or even 20's, then you should disregard most of that for now.
Whenever you come to the table, look the table over carefully. Do you have a shot? Is it realistically makeable? Remember, only you can make that determination. It is very important that you keep your cueball clear of the object balls. Whenever I watch beginners, I'd say that maybe 80% of their errors are made on the first shot after their opponent missed/safed. I'm not talking about just missing either, but usually they either get stuck or end up on the wrong side of the balls. If you have a tough shot that has to be shot, and is then missed, I wouldn't count that as an error, for a beginner.
Try to move the cueball as little as possible, especially if you have many balls on the table, and they are cluttered up. If you have a secondary break ball that is hard to get to, try to look for a failsafe way to get on it even if it takes pocketing more than one ball first to achieve it. All too often people try to achieve miracles with just one shot, instead of playing two easy shots. If you play easy shots, you may amaze yourself by pocketing lots of balls with hardly any effort at all.
Also, you may find that you have a "window" of position for a secondary breakball in the shape of a wedge. The wedge gets bigger the further away from the ball you are. Do not try to get too close in these circumstances. Often it is incredibly difficult to get good on that ball up close, but childs play just a little bit further away. Maybe there is a stop shot pattern to get on it, if you look carefully. It's easy to become blind to these opportunities, which is why it is important to stand back and look the table over when you are in doubt what to do.
Quite frequently you'll end up either on the wrong side of the secondary breakball, too flat, or with too much of an angle. DONT BE STUBBORN! Look the pack over. Maybe you have a dead one? Can you pocket something else and get back on your ball, perhaps? When you pound balls or try to fan in 90 degree cuts, usually the run is over. Also, if you are flat (too little angle) and you have to shoot, do not pound the ball as hard as you can. Hit it with the amount of speed you can control and make sure that you pocket the ball. Even just barely touching the rack can pull a ball out and you can continue from there. Much better than missing the ball. Even if you can't pocket it, you may get a good safety opportunity. Maybe a ball will end up "dead", if you are lucky.
If you have a small cluster of 3-4 balls, usually you can go into them quite softly with either draw or follow, to ensure you don't get stuck. Sometimes you can stun the cueball as well. It's pointless and potentially hazardous to smash such clusters all over the table. Just gently push them apart.
In short I'd say the following principles should be applied:
Look for the easy way to accomplish your goals.
Be realistic about your abilities
When you go for something difficult, do it in the highest percentage way.
When there are lots of balls on the table, be careful not to get trapped with the cueball. Clean up a bit instead of instantly trying to do lots of fancy things. Limit cueball movement to ensure that you stay clear.
Whenever you come to the table, look the table over carefully. Do you have a shot? Is it realistically makeable? Remember, only you can make that determination. It is very important that you keep your cueball clear of the object balls. Whenever I watch beginners, I'd say that maybe 80% of their errors are made on the first shot after their opponent missed/safed. I'm not talking about just missing either, but usually they either get stuck or end up on the wrong side of the balls. If you have a tough shot that has to be shot, and is then missed, I wouldn't count that as an error, for a beginner.
Try to move the cueball as little as possible, especially if you have many balls on the table, and they are cluttered up. If you have a secondary break ball that is hard to get to, try to look for a failsafe way to get on it even if it takes pocketing more than one ball first to achieve it. All too often people try to achieve miracles with just one shot, instead of playing two easy shots. If you play easy shots, you may amaze yourself by pocketing lots of balls with hardly any effort at all.
Also, you may find that you have a "window" of position for a secondary breakball in the shape of a wedge. The wedge gets bigger the further away from the ball you are. Do not try to get too close in these circumstances. Often it is incredibly difficult to get good on that ball up close, but childs play just a little bit further away. Maybe there is a stop shot pattern to get on it, if you look carefully. It's easy to become blind to these opportunities, which is why it is important to stand back and look the table over when you are in doubt what to do.
Quite frequently you'll end up either on the wrong side of the secondary breakball, too flat, or with too much of an angle. DONT BE STUBBORN! Look the pack over. Maybe you have a dead one? Can you pocket something else and get back on your ball, perhaps? When you pound balls or try to fan in 90 degree cuts, usually the run is over. Also, if you are flat (too little angle) and you have to shoot, do not pound the ball as hard as you can. Hit it with the amount of speed you can control and make sure that you pocket the ball. Even just barely touching the rack can pull a ball out and you can continue from there. Much better than missing the ball. Even if you can't pocket it, you may get a good safety opportunity. Maybe a ball will end up "dead", if you are lucky.
If you have a small cluster of 3-4 balls, usually you can go into them quite softly with either draw or follow, to ensure you don't get stuck. Sometimes you can stun the cueball as well. It's pointless and potentially hazardous to smash such clusters all over the table. Just gently push them apart.
In short I'd say the following principles should be applied:
Look for the easy way to accomplish your goals.
Be realistic about your abilities
When you go for something difficult, do it in the highest percentage way.
When there are lots of balls on the table, be careful not to get trapped with the cueball. Clean up a bit instead of instantly trying to do lots of fancy things. Limit cueball movement to ensure that you stay clear.