2012 AZ Billiards Straight Pool Challenge!

[acousticsguru]

You can put me down for a 12 to start the year.

Last night I had runs of 10, 11, and 12. Not great in comparison to most folks here, but pretty good for me.

May I ask how you start your runs off? From an open table, or putting up a break shot and rack of fourteen balls? The reason I ask is this: although the spread on gets starting from a Straight pool break shot is worse than an open break with ball in hand, it does put the player in the right frame of mind immediately. Better yet, start with ball in hand and an end pattern of e.g. 5 to 9 balls (e.g. a grid where the object ball at the centre is on the foot spot, and the surrounding balls one diamond's width away), again, seems to put a player in the right frame of mind. Starting with an open table seems more frustrating (watching my students, I can tell they feel like they should be able to run at least 14+ from there all the time, unnecessarily putting additional pressure on themselves, especially with someone looking on…).

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

 

[krupa]

May I ask how you start your runs off? From an open table, or putting up a break shot and rack of fourteen balls? The reason I ask is this: although the spread on gets starting from a Straight pool break shot is worse than an open break with ball in hand, it does put the player in the right frame of mind immediately. Better yet, start with ball in hand and an end pattern of e.g. 5 to 9 balls (e.g. a grid where the object ball at the centre is on the foot spot, and the surrounding balls one diamond's width away), again, seems to put a player in the right frame of mind. Starting with an open table seems more frustrating (watching my students, I can tell they feel like they should be able to run at least 14+ from there all the time, unnecessarily putting additional pressure on themselves, especially with someone looking on…).

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

I start with a break shot and rack of 14 balls. I don't mind the spread from a standard 14.1 break shot. I play a lot of 8-ball on barboxes so the cluster-breaking practice is good for me. I play 10 innings, recording each run. My average balls per inning is only about 3.6 right now, though the general trend shows a slow rise.

This is only part of my regular practice. I love 14.1 but no one* plays it around here so I use this as a way to practice cue ball control and ball pocketing (two things I need a lot of practice in).

-matthew

*One or two guys I know will play it sometimes but it takes some convincing.

 

[Scott Brazier]

This 2012

Last year I quit the straight pool competition because a few folks brought to my attention that I was playing on a 7' Valley. This year I will continue the competition posting a video with every break through.

I hope to purchase a brand new 9' table this year. In your opinion, what is the highest quality brand table on the market? If I am going to invest in a new table I want to make sure I have the best.

Thanks
Scott

 

[acousticsguru]

[…] I love 14.1 but no one* plays it around here so I use this as a way to practice cue ball control and ball pocketing (two things I need a lot of practice in).

-matthew

*One or two guys I know will play it sometimes but it takes some convincing.

Oh well, feeling for you – I know exactly what you mean… :frown:

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

 

[acousticsguru]

Last year I quit the straight pool competition because a few folks brought to my attention that I was playing on a 7' Valley. This year I will continue the competition posting a video with every break through.

I hope to purchase a brand new 9' table this year. In your opinion, what is the highest quality brand table on the market? If I am going to invest in a new table I want to make sure I have the best.

Thanks
Scott

Brunswick and Diamond are probably consensus favourites. But if you're looking for a home model, there may be others - does AMF Playmaster Renaissance still make tables, for example? Never seen one in Europe, but remember being impressed with them in the States.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

 

[Scott Brazier]

Brunswick and Diamond are probably consensus favourites. But if you're looking for a home model, there may be others - does AMF Playmaster Renaissance still make tables, for example? Never seen one in Europe, but remember being impressed with them in the States.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

Thank you David.

 

[BayGene]

2012 AZ Billiards Straight Pool Challenge

18 January 4

 

[alinco]

18 January 4

Sure...jump on the list in front of me!

Andy -> Remembers you from 14.1 Hall of Fame dinner table!

 

[David_Smith]

You can put me down for a 37 on 4" pockets, Andy. Hope to improve on that soon.

 

[wigglybridge]

29 tonight (Jan 4).

 

[DASHZNT]

Played 3 games to 100 tonight.. I put together 3-10Ball Runs and 2-11 Ball Runs... The best game I had was a win and I scored 100/54... I'm starting to get a little enter at this game, I just need to learn how to keep that focus I ha when I was hot throughout the entire set... If anyone has some reading material or a video that can assist with that, that would be great... In te meantime, I'm gonna keep hitting em!!! :wink:

 

[Ratta]

Ingo,

Unrelated question, but one to which I suspect you might know the answer: in Equal Offense, does one have to detract a point for the foul if one scratches, or do all balls pocketed without fouling beforehand count towards each inning?

Congrats on the run, by the way! Scratching on the break is so lame… Scratched once last night (the three-digit run wasn't on my first attempt, although that's often when I do best) on a break where I knew I might in advance, tried to beat the scratch, and still… The worst I remember was in one National Team semi final a few years back, when we were either defending or trying to recoup the title (the usual, it seems), another possible scratch I foresaw and tried to beat and didn't (= unforgettable – feels so much worse to blunder playing on a team…).

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

Well DAvid- without being 100% sure- i always detract a point if i made a foul. Sorry that i m not able to give a definite answer here.

On a breakball it helps definitley (in my opinion) to take a short *mental break* to kill every single negative thing. Just imaging exactly what the cueball will do helps a lot. But i m sure you usualy do, too .

lg
Ingo

 

[metallicane]

15 last night.Finally got through a rack and made the break shot, but was left with nothing. Bummer. I thought I had something going too.

 

[acousticsguru]

On a breakball it helps definitley (in my opinion) to take a short *mental break* to kill every single negative thing. Just imaging exactly what the cueball will do helps a lot. But i m sure you usualy do, too .

lg
Ingo

Actually, what I do is make sure where exactly the cue ball is going to hit the rack (which ball, which portion of it, i.e. high or low, or more rarely flush/full), then decide what I need to apply (draw, follow, stun, side spin, or none of it) and what speed I need to hit the shot with. When I know all that (= decision's made), I mentally put it aside and shoot the break ball in. In other words, I do not allow myself to think in terms of negativity or positivity, merely in terms of what I'm going to do. There is nothing more positive than "to be in the now" - at least to me, there's nothing "extra" one could possibly do. Of course, my students, when I preach the aforementioned to them, rarely forget to point out that this is all well if one knows the shot. That's true. But I usually reply that if one didn't, it would be best to behave as if one did…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

 

[BayGene]

2012 AZ Billiards Straight Pool Challenge! Reply to Thread

21 January 6

At this rate of progression I beat Mosconi and Euphemia by year's end!

 

[stevekur1]

21 January 6

At this rate of progression I beat Mosconi and Euphemia by year's end!

You're also accomplishing to break the Space/Time Continuom....since its actually the 5th today !!!

Nice Shootin Gene....keep playin like this and i'll have to bump you to the pro side for the 14.1 Challenge !!!


-Steve

 

[Vahmurka]

had to start the year with something. Well, let's try to overcome today's 13 :sorry: Where is that end rack pattern play and cb control in general when I play 14.1 Makes me wonder if I can run over 30 in 2012...

Ratta, here is some word juggling teaser for ya:
a poor shot made with an accident stroke is just great! :grin-square:

 

[Ratta]

LOL Vahmurka

 

[David_Smith]

15 last night.Finally got through a rack and made the break shot, but was left with nothing. Bummer. I thought I had something going too.

Keep at it. You did the hard part. Break shots are hard to control, even if you get good ones to shoot at, and especially under less than ideal table conditions (new cloth and clean/polished balls). That's what makes the game so addictive and challenging.

 

[BayGene]

Danny Harriman better look out; I'm inching up!