9 Ball & Luck/Rolls

[DrCue'sProtege]

do you guys ever run across these types of situations?

last thursday night i was racking and breaking, making balls with regularity, having chances to run out, got out several times, had a handful of screwups, but for the most part the game was sort of "clicking" so to speak.

then last friday night and through the holiday weekend it was just the opposite. had a hard time making a ball on the break. and when i did seems like i had alot of difficult shots to start with. and, for the most part had those funky spreads where you just almost had to be picture perfect with the cue ball to get out.

i dunno, just seems 9 ball is a game of luck and decent rolls i guess. must be why safety play is so important, as well as the pushout.

DCP

 

[poolplayer1988]

Exactimundo!

do you guys ever run across these types of situations?

last thursday night i was racking and breaking, making balls with regularity, having chances to run out, got out several times, had a handful of screwups, but for the most part the game was sort of "clicking" so to speak.

then last friday night and through the holiday weekend it was just the opposite. had a hard time making a ball on the break. and when i did seems like i had alot of difficult shots to start with. and, for the most part had those funky spreads where you just almost had to be picture perfect with the cue ball to get out.

i dunno, just seems 9 ball is a game of luck and decent rolls i guess. must be why safety play is so important, as well as the pushout.

DCP

DCP:

How did you know me that well? LOL. That is me too. Some days I can do no wrong, and some days I can do no right. Even though I've been playing since I was in my early teens, it took quite a while to understand that when the offense isn't clicking, the defense HAS TO, just so you will have a chance.

Which brings me to a question of my own. Over the years I have seemed to develop a bad habit. Well, I consider it bad. It is: I only seem to play just hard enough to beat the person I'm playing at that time. You know, if I can beat that person with offense only because I'm a better shotmaker, then that's what I do. If I need a little defense for another player, then I add that. If it's a really tough opponent I play all out, defense and offense. I just wish I could play all out all the time, but I have some sort of mental block or something that says, "Only play as hard as you need to". Frustrating sometimes because every now and then my opponent will get lucky and win because I didn't use enough defense, etc. Any opinions?

 

[mjantti]

DCP:

How did you know me that well? LOL. That is me too. Some days I can do no wrong, and some days I can do no right. Even though I've been playing since I was in my early teens, it took quite a while to understand that when the offense isn't clicking, the defense HAS TO, just so you will have a chance.

Which brings me to a question of my own. Over the years I have seemed to develop a bad habit. Well, I consider it bad. It is: I only seem to play just hard enough to beat the person I'm playing at that time. You know, if I can beat that person with offense only because I'm a better shotmaker, then that's what I do. If I need a little defense for another player, then I add that. If it's a really tough opponent I play all out, defense and offense. I just wish I could play all out all the time, but I have some sort of mental block or something that says, "Only play as hard as you need to". Frustrating sometimes because every now and then my opponent will get lucky and win because I didn't use enough defense, etc. Any opinions?

Don't concentrate what kind of shots your opponent can make. Instead, when you're at the table, find the shot which gives you the best success rate. Why to go for a shot with 4-out-of-10 success rate if you can leave your opponent with a 1-out-of-10 shot ? I always try to analyze the success rate of each shot, and your opponent's skill level is very rarely involved. Your choice makes the difference ! Example shot in 9-ball: (Wei table)

START(
%HP2D5%Iq0N4%PP4T8
)END

How many people would try to bank the 8 ? At least I wouldn't... I would play a safety because leaving your opponent like this would give a better success rate than trying to make the bank and risking it leaving to your opponent.

START(
%HP2D5%Iq0N4%PP4T8%Ur5P8%Vh9[3%WQ1E2%XP4S8%YD6L1%ZN3C3%[h3Z6
%\Q3C4%]O1D0%^O3D2%eC2a3
)END

End of lesson

 

[Jimmy M.]

do you guys ever run across these types of situations?

last thursday night i was racking and breaking, making balls with regularity, having chances to run out, got out several times, had a handful of screwups, but for the most part the game was sort of "clicking" so to speak.

then last friday night and through the holiday weekend it was just the opposite. had a hard time making a ball on the break. and when i did seems like i had alot of difficult shots to start with. and, for the most part had those funky spreads where you just almost had to be picture perfect with the cue ball to get out.

Welcome to pool, baby! This is how it is for just about everyone. If you can understand and accept that, you'll be better off for it. It isn't a big deal if you have a bad day and the balls just aren't cooperating with you. There will be plenty more of those days. There will also be those days where you can do no wrong. If you add them all up and average them out, in the end, you'll find that most days are somewhere in between. Don't get me wrong, nobody likes those bad days, but they're going to happen (and more than once, I promise), so don't beat yourself up when they do.

 

[piglit]

START(
%HP2D5%Iq0N4%PP4T8
)END

How many people would try to bank the 8 ? At least I wouldn't... I would play a safety because leaving your opponent like this would give a better success rate than trying to make the bank and risking it leaving to your opponent.

End of lesson

IMO...I think your shot choice is kind of weak. You should try to make the bank (1-rail) and leave the CB on the top rail, being sure that the 8 does not have enough speed to sit in front of the other (2-rail) pocket.

The best defense is good offense...

-pige