Add this Drill to Your Workouts

Bobkitty

Bobkitty

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Practicing stop shots at all distances is very important, so is follow. But the progress in one's game will rise with working on shots like stop + 6" stop + 12", etc. at all distances and all speeds. How about stop -6" -12" etc. at all distances and all speeds. This is the vertical (up and down the CB) drills that will really make one sharp at position play. Easy to practice when shooting straight ins but the pay off is when you've got a conducive angle shot and the tangent will run into obstruction balls. You need just a little forward of tangent to get around the table. That is where the stop +6" at the correct speed is needed. Something like this at about a 2 speed (medium):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjEGe0_rP2k
I'm just a B player but I wanted to start this thread just to get feedback who else thinks learning this skill is important. I hope the comedians and clowns will try to keep the thread constructive or refrain from posting.
 
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sixpack

sixpack

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denwhit said:
Practicing stop shots at all distances is very important, so is follow. But the progress in one's game will rise with working on shots like stop + 6" stop + 12", etc. at all distances and all speeds. How about stop -6" -12" etc. at all distances and all speeds. This is the vertical (up and down the CB) drills that will really make one sharp at position play. Easy to practice when shooting straight ins but the pay off is when you've got a conducive angle shot and the tangent will run into obstruction balls. You need just a little forward of tangent to get around the table. That is where the stop +6" at the correct speed is needed. Something like this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjEGe0_rP2k
I'm just a B player but I wanted to start this thread just to get feedback who else thinks learning this skill is important. I hope the comedians and clowns will try to keep the thread constructive or refrain from posting.
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That's a great drill. Another variation is that you shoot a straight shot into the corner pocket OB on line with side pockets. CB one diamond away. Then you shoot and try to get a little follow. Mark where you follow to with a coin (to the side). Then set up the balls again and try to get a little more follow. Move the coin. The goal is to get the CB to stop a little further than the previous shot until you follow all the way up to the end rail or pocket. You get a point for each time you do it and the game is over when you hit the end rail or fail to follow further than the previous shot. The higher score the better. Do the same thing with Draw. Then move the CB farther away from the OB and do it again.

When you master that, then continue the drill to the end rails and keep going until you can't beat the mark. You will want to put a little angle on the shot so you don't follow into the pocket. This will give you a great idea about how much maximum draw and follow you can get and how far it goes in relation to the table and the rails.
 
Bobkitty

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
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sixpack said:
That's a great drill. Another variation is that you shoot a straight shot into the corner pocket OB on line with side pockets. CB one diamond away. Then you shoot and try to get a little follow. Mark where you follow to with a coin (to the side). Then set up the balls again and try to get a little more follow. Move the coin. The goal is to get the CB to stop a little further than the previous shot until you follow all the way up to the end rail or pocket. You get a point for each time you do it and the game is over when you hit the end rail or fail to follow further than the previous shot. The higher score the better. Do the same thing with Draw. Then move the CB farther away from the OB and do it again.

When you master that, then continue the drill to the end rails and keep going until you can't beat the mark. You will want to put a little angle on the shot so you don't follow into the pocket. This will give you a great idea about how much maximum draw and follow you can get and how far it goes in relation to the table and the rails.
Click to expand...

Yes, good variation. I work on this shot starting at the 1/2 diamond apart and work up to 5 diamonds apart. Then super soft speed, medium speed and finally hard at the different distances. Then draw at the three speeds. Follow +6" and draw -6" at hard speed is a beautiful thing to master (not saying I have). The first thing someone will learn is that they will be way more accurate with the distance the CB travels with follow over draw. I'm sure the pros are very proficient at both but us mere mortals, we've got work to do. This is way a very good player tells me when he played competitively, he tried to make sure he could play the last 3 balls in 9 ball with follow. Precision draw becomes hard with nerves.
 
sixpack

sixpack

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denwhit said:
Yes, good variation. I work on this shot starting at the 1/2 diamond apart and work up to 5 diamonds apart. Then super soft speed, medium speed and finally hard at the different distances. Then draw at the three speeds. Follow +6" and draw -6" at hard speed is a beautiful thing to master (not saying I have). The first thing someone will learn is that they will be way more accurate with the distance the CB travels with follow over draw. I'm sure the pros are very proficient at both but us mere mortals, we've got work to do. This is way a very good player tells me when he played competitively, he tried to make sure he could play the last 3 balls in 9 ball with follow. Precision draw becomes hard with nerves.
Click to expand...

You should try to get 20 shots before you hit the rail or don't go past the last one. Just soft, medium and hard is not enough :)
 
Bobkitty

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
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sixpack said:
You should try to get 20 shots before you hit the rail or don't go past the last one. Just soft, medium and hard is not enough :)
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. I was just saying that you can play your variation drill all at soft CB speeds, just hard enough to move the CB to the next distance, but I'm saying play your variation again all at medium speed, then again all shots at hard speed. I'm not the best writer, but what I mean is after one can do your drill at soft speed CB, which would be the easiest, then start over hitting the CB at medium speed for the whole drill. CB + 1", CB +2", etc. etc. Then all over again hitting the CB at hard speed. What we're doing is learning these shots to follow to shape in some instances but also, to vary off of tangent line for harder struck shots to move the CB around the table. We're probably saying the same things.
 
sixpack

sixpack

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denwhit said:
I know what you mean. I was just saying that you can play your variation drill all at soft CB speeds, just hard enough to move the CB to the next distance, but I'm saying play your variation again all at medium speed, then again all shots at hard speed. I'm not the best writer, but what I mean is after one can do your drill at soft speed CB, which would be the easiest, then start over hitting the CB at medium speed for the whole drill. CB + 1", CB +2", etc. etc. Then all over again hitting the CB at hard speed. What we're doing is learning these shots to follow to shape in some instances but also, to vary off of tangent line for harder struck shots to move the CB around the table. We're probably saying the same things.
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Ah. I gotcha now! sorry. I was popping in between work and read too quickly. That's a really good idea that I hadn't thought of before...really good.
 
gogg

gogg

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Snooker calls those "stun run-through"
A sweet and useful technique for sure!
Nice drill
 
Bobkitty

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
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sixpack said:
Ah. I gotcha now! sorry. I was popping in between work and read too quickly. That's a really good idea that I hadn't thought of before...really good.
Click to expand...

Yes, doing your version all at medium speed means we're moving down from the very top of the CB and hitting it more in the center vertically. At medium and hard speed, a tip change of 1/64 can be the difference moving the CB inches after contact. Fun to work on and a very worthwhile skill.
 
Bobkitty

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
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gogg said:
Snooker calls those "stun run-through"
A sweet and useful technique for sure!
Nice drill
Click to expand...

I think it's called that also in pool. Easy to see what's going on when hitting a straight in shot so that the CB rolls forward, but where acquiring this skill really shines is when we need to come off the tangent line of an angled shot just a little bit for shape. I'm sure most on here know all about it and the instructors teach it.
 
B

bbb

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powerfull demonstration of a pure stroke
anyone wo want to atain a high level of performance must be able to that
very impressive dennis...:smile:
 
B

bbb

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can you do the bert kinister replace the ball on command??

bert kinister advocated practicimg a "stop" shot to replace the ball you shot at
ie stop +1 1/4
 
Bobkitty

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
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bbb said:
bert kinister advocated practicimg a "stop" shot to replace the ball you shot at
ie stop +1 1/4
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words. Ah, the ol' "replacement ball". Yes, I can do that about 1/2 the time. Might take a warm up at each distance. Someone we know was the only one able to do that in his PAT3 test. I'm hoping (and wondering) if other instructors teach this as a primary for position play. I'm sure they do and hope to hear (read) their additions.
 
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HomeBrewer

HomeBrewer

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gogg said:
Snooker calls those "stun run-through"
A sweet and useful technique for sure!
Nice drill
Click to expand...

As soon as I watched the YouTube video I immediately thought of how well many snooker players hit these.

For the life of me I couldn't remember what they're called (if I ever really even knew...)

Thanks!
 
Bobkitty

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
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strmanglr scott said:
Been a core drill for years for me.
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You are probably really good at it. It's a fascinating drill in that any change in distance between the balls and the firmness of the stroke calls for very precise tip changes on the CB. In the first stage, using a rolling CB, to move the CB 6", 12', 18", etc and a stroke just hard enough is the easiest. Then when we move to a moderate firm stroke for all the distances, the tip must come off the top of the CB and the action is almost all in the middle (as you know).
Have you found your skill in this invaluable in your position play?
 
J

JerseyBill

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center ball

looking for a good drill for hitting center ball and stroke straightening./////? sort of similar in my mind to stop shots.
 
Bobkitty

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
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JerseyBill said:
looking for a good drill for hitting center ball and stroke straightening./////? sort of similar in my mind to stop shots.
Click to expand...

Stop shots are very easy compared to what I'm doing in the video. Try it and see. Medium or hard speed stop shot plus 6"-12" at different distances between the balls.
 
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Bobkitty

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
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JerseyBill said:
looking for a good drill for hitting center ball and stroke straightening./////? sort of similar in my mind to stop shots.
Click to expand...

I don't know of a better drill for stroke stoke straightening and CCB than setting up the OB on the diagonal at head string to the corner pocket and the OB on same at foot string. Try to follow the OB into the hole. Use the measel ball and look for spin. Do this about 50 times each practice session.
 
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