50% happy, 50% embarrassed.

cleary

cleary

Honestly, I'm a liar.
Silver Member
I should start by saying I dont play very much 14.1 (mostly 9 ball), and lately, havnt played pool much since my daughter has been born. But I made it out last night for a hour and I like to practice with 14.1. My high run is 27 and a handful of 14s before that. Am a C player... Always struggled putting racks together due to poor planning and worse execution. So last night, I was pocketing balls with ease, playing fairly good position but still poor planning. So I was at 24 when I stuck myself with this:

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LOVELY!

So the plan was to pocket the 6 and get on the 13 with an angle to bump the 5 to the other side of the rack for a possible break ball. I actually had two great break balls before this and found myself stuck and was forced to play them. So I made the 6 but overran the 13... a lot.

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So now I dont know what to do. Im going to have to make a great shot on the 3 and draw back to the 13 again. I figure my odds are very low of pocketing the ball, but I was feeling good and just practicing. Somehow I made the 3 and overran my ball AGAIN!!!!

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NOW WHAT!?!?! Well, gotta try the combo and hope I pocket the ball and have a ball I can swing at for the break. Again, the odds were 10000000:1 that I would pocket this ball. Somehow, it went in.

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the placement was very similar to this after the shot, but the 13 was frozen to the rail.

So at this point Ive made several great shots with horrible position, but still on a run. I know I can kick the ball and with inside english, It might go in and hit the pack. And somehow, it worked.

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So pocketing that ball tied my high run and I was able to break open the pack enough to pocket 10 more balls ending at 37. So like the title of this thread, I was half embarrassed for the poor planning and poor position play, but half happy because the balls kept falling and a new high run. There was a large crowed at the table beside me for a team 9 ball league match and one of the guys near my table kept asking me, "did you mean to do that?" Well, kinda!

I must be 51% happy about it, because Im posting about it and its pretty embarrassing.
 
Wow... that is one UGLYYYYY end pattern LOL!

That is what happens when you get your cue ball stuck on that bottom rail. I was taught a long time ago that the only time the cue ball should be on that bottom rail is after YOU played a safety on your opponent.

In that situation, I would ave opted to find a way to use the 3 as my break ball. Getting there is the puzzle, but you got the ball to drop for you the way you shot them off.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that the 5 and the 13 are set up for a dead kiss for the 13 in the opposite corner -

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That's just something that caught my eye - something for you to play with - think of it as a gem that you can use in the future.

Good luck, and keep playing!
 
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Yes, it was UGGGLY! And thanks for the shot advice. In hindsight, your shot does look like the easier out.
 
Congratulations on your new high run. :thumbup:

I have to say though, that your post illustrates the difference between a high run in practice and one in competition. ;)
 
Whenever I think my patterns are terrible and I'm not playing well I will come back and look at this. Thanks! :smile:
 
No problem Chris! Couldn't have done it without all of those lessons you gave me! :)

That is, the pocketing balls part, I should have paid attention when you were talking about that position stuff!
 
dag dude, we gotta get you on some speed drills or something. Still, if you run 37 hitting 'em this bad, you must be capable of 100 hitting 'em nicely.
 
Haha! I don't think I'll see 100 for years and years! I was lucky to run over 15 here and luckier to get out of the 20s. I was just seeing the balls well that day. I don't know when I'll get that far again, but won't be too soon. Since getting my own table, my ball pocketing in general has went up and game as a whole as well. The whole 37 run was wasn't that bad, this was just a pinch I got in and somehow got out. But I've really started enjoying straight pool a lot more, so hopeful I'll get better.
 
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