Advice for new 14.1 player?

D

dbrodsky

Registered
So, I've decided I want to play straight pool!

For 25 years I've been primarily a 9-ball player. I've mixed in a little 8-ball and One pocket at times, but 9-ball is my comfort zone. I'd say I'm an A- 9-ball player. I'm a 7 in APA 8-ball leagues, and playing the ghost I can run out probably 6-7 out of 10 racks if they're well spread, and I'm comfortable pocketing just about any shot on the table.

Anyhow, that being said, I just started to commit myself to learning straight pool, and boy do I suck! It seems every decision I make is a bad one, my position play is pathetic, and my pocketing skills have flown out the window. I know this is all in my head, but I need to find the right mental game here. Practicing, I give myself ball in hand with a side pocket break shot. I'm lucky to make it through half the rack before I'm stuck, and getting a decent break shot is a miracle.

I bought a bunch of Accu-stats videos, including both of Rempe's "How to Run" videos, and some of the player commentary videos. I've read a bit about some of the fundamental ideas on patterns and key balls, etc...

I'm assuming my story is not unique, so I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for a new straight pool player trying to get into this game?

Thanks to all for any insight you might have to share!
 
dbrodsky said:
So, I've decided I want to play straight pool!

For 25 years I've been primarily a 9-ball player. I've mixed in a little 8-ball and One pocket at times, but 9-ball is my comfort zone. I'd say I'm an A- 9-ball player. I'm a 7 in APA 8-ball leagues, and playing the ghost I can run out probably 6-7 out of 10 racks if they're well spread, and I'm comfortable pocketing just about any shot on the table.

Anyhow, that being said, I just started to commit myself to learning straight pool, and boy do I suck! It seems every decision I make is a bad one, my position play is pathetic, and my pocketing skills have flown out the window. I know this is all in my head, but I need to find the right mental game here. Practicing, I give myself ball in hand with a side pocket break shot. I'm lucky to make it through half the rack before I'm stuck, and getting a decent break shot is a miracle.

I bought a bunch of Accu-stats videos, including both of Rempe's "How to Run" videos, and some of the player commentary videos. I've read a bit about some of the fundamental ideas on patterns and key balls, etc...

I'm assuming my story is not unique, so I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for a new straight pool player trying to get into this game?

Thanks to all for any insight you might have to share!
Click to expand...

Not easy giving a "how to" in 14.1 to someone that's never played it before, because this is definitely The Game for a Lifetime(TM). You continue to learn through your lifetime how to play this game.

There are some basics, though:

* Practice your break shots. A good video for this is Pat Fleming's "Creative Edge" series on YouTube, that demonstrates the various straight pool breakshot, and variations that people overlook but that still offer a good yield:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2iaEWtZOPSY

* Identify and get rid of problems early. For example, clusters, balls on a rail near a side pocket, balls blocking or partially blocking a pocket / pathway to that pocket, etc.

* Try to clear pathways to pockets by getting rid of balls "sitting" in those pockets. In other words, get rid of balls close to the pocket early, if there are other free balls on the table that have a pocket. Those "ducks" block the pocket for other balls, and this may kill you if you leave them there and find yourself wanting to shoot a ball in that pocket (which means, you now have a difficult combo).

* Try to leave yourself a stop-shot pattern on the last two balls prior to the break ball -- the "triangle" if you will.

* You don't have to blast breakshots, although in practice, you might want to get used to hitting them hard, so that you have this skill when you need it. Try (and get used to) breakshots at various speeds.

* Pick up any of Phil Capelles or George Fels' works on straight pool. For example, George's "Mastering Pool" has an entire section of the book dedicated to 14.1, and I must tell you, it is an EXCELLENT tome!

Sitting down to dinner at the moment, but those are some quick ideas off the top of my head. If I have time later, I'll log back in and share. In the meantime, you should get some great input here by others, that's for damn sure!

-Sean
 
Sean, thanks for these great pointers! I've just ordered Capelle's "Play your best straight pool" and Fels "Mastering Pool". I'll spend some time with Fleming's series. It'll be good to arm myself with some knowledge...

I appreciate your time.

-David

sfleinen said:
Not easy giving a "how to" in 14.1 to someone that's never played it before, because this is definitely The Game for a Lifetime(TM). You continue to learn through your lifetime how to play this game.

There are some basics, though:

* Practice your break shots. A good video for this is Pat Fleming's "Creative Edge" series on YouTube, that demonstrates the various straight pool breakshot, and variations that people overlook but that still offer a good yield:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2iaEWtZOPSY

* Identify and get rid of problems early. For example, clusters, balls on a rail near a side pocket, balls blocking or partially blocking a pocket / pathway to that pocket, etc.

* Try to clear pathways to pockets by getting rid of balls "sitting" in those pockets. In other words, get rid of balls close to the pocket early, if there are other free balls on the table that have a pocket. Those "ducks" block the pocket for other balls, and this may kill you if you leave them there and find yourself wanting to shoot a ball in that pocket (which means, you now have a difficult combo).

* Try to leave yourself a stop-shot pattern on the last two balls prior to the break ball -- the "triangle" if you will.

* You don't have to blast breakshots, although in practice, you might want to get used to hitting them hard, so that you have this skill when you need it. Try (and get used to) breakshots at various speeds.

* Pick up any of Phil Capelles or George Fels' works on straight pool. For example, George's "Mastering Pool" has an entire section of the book dedicated to 14.1, and I must tell you, it is an EXCELLENT tome!

Sitting down to dinner at the moment, but those are some quick ideas off the top of my head. If I have time later, I'll log back in and share. In the meantime, you should get some great input here by others, that's for damn sure!

-Sean
Click to expand...
 
Clear your rails early as these balls often make end patterns more difficult.

Clear balls that are blocking pockets, whether or not those balls are over a pocket. They become problems far too often if you ignore them.

On average, you should solve your problems as early as possible, as the number of solutions willtend to diminish as the rack proceeds.

Most of all, though, develop your instincts in breaking out clusters. The textbooks may tell you how to hit the break shot that begins each rack, but once the rack is started the variety of shots you will face in which you must break out a cluster is almost infinite. Learn to be choosy about your attack angles. Most inexperienced, and more than a few experienced, straight poolers, think that how well you spread the balls is chiefly about cue ball speed. Learn to identify the sweet spots in the clusters, the places where your prospects for a good spread are best.
 
In my opinion the books and videos begin to make sense after you have gained a certain level of experience and proficiency.

My advice would simply be to play a lot of 14.1 for now, books and videos later.
 
dbrodsky said:
So, I've decided I want to play straight pool!

For 25 years I've been primarily a 9-ball player. I've mixed in a little 8-ball and One pocket at times, but 9-ball is my comfort zone. I'd say I'm an A- 9-ball player. I'm a 7 in APA 8-ball leagues, and playing the ghost I can run out probably 6-7 out of 10 racks if they're well spread, and I'm comfortable pocketing just about any shot on the table.

Anyhow, that being said, I just started to commit myself to learning straight pool, and boy do I suck! It seems every decision I make is a bad one, my position play is pathetic, and my pocketing skills have flown out the window. I know this is all in my head, but I need to find the right mental game here. Practicing, I give myself ball in hand with a side pocket break shot. I'm lucky to make it through half the rack before I'm stuck, and getting a decent break shot is a miracle.

I bought a bunch of Accu-stats videos, including both of Rempe's "How to Run" videos, and some of the player commentary videos. I've read a bit about some of the fundamental ideas on patterns and key balls, etc...

I'm assuming my story is not unique, so I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for a new straight pool player trying to get into this game?

Thanks to all for any insight you might have to share!
Click to expand...

I'm sure you will get a lot of great tips from all these awesome 14.1ers here. One of the things that has helped my game is working on my ending patterns. I don't seem to have trouble getting through the rack but when it comes down to the last 5 balls or so, I had to work on a definitive pattern which has helped me. Getting on that break ball consistently can be a bear if you don't use a great pattern to get on the key ball. This game takes tremendous patience because the balls don't tell you how to play like in 9 ball. I like the simple instructions in a book I have which is minimal cueball movement, clear balls off the rails early, clear lanes to open up pockets, break out trouble spots, and make a plan on your ending pattern to have a stop shot whenever possible on your key ball.. One last thing I forgot. You don't always have to blast the rack open on secondary break shots. More often than not a medium speed gets the job done, especially if you have an insurance ball. I used to make that mistake a lot and ended up in trouble. This game looks beautiful when you learn to control the cueball. When you are playing position, it's a good idea to have multiple choices incase you get out of line. I'm just starting to run 50's so I am by no means a great player, but when I started I was just like you, confused and had a hard time getting through a rack:-). This is a great forum to learn from, there are everything from 30 - 200 plus ball runners that are happy to answer questions and they will even critique your videos, which is awesome!!!

Good Luck!!!
 
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Welcome to the World of 14.1. You will get hooked like no other game. There are a bunch of good comments above. I specially agree with Sfleinen. The main thing with any thing that you are learning, you have to want to improve deep down and listen to players that have the knowledge. You do not have to take every word they say but take from each important facts and turn them into a whole player that you want to become.
 
Try and find an opponent that has some straight pool knowledge. I subbed in a house league and got hooked on the game.

Andy
 
14-1StraightMan said:
Welcome to the World of 14.1. You will get hooked like no other game. There are a bunch of good comments above. I specially agree with Sfleinen. The main thing with any thing that you are learning, you have to want to improve deep down and listen to players that have the knowledge. You do not have to take every word they say but take from each important facts and turn them into a whole player that you want to become.
Click to expand...

Had I read Sfleinen's comments I wouldn't have had to say anything. I pretty much said most of what he did, but he said it better:-). These are the two guys you want to listen too!!
 
I would also highly recommend Jim Rempe's videos from Accu-Stats, How to run a rack and how to run 100 balls. Both are great and contain a world of information in an hour's worth of tape. Glad to hear someone else is taking up the true artists game. I hope you paint some nice pictures!
 
couple additional points

Balls blocking pockets can sometimes be different than balls near pockets that aren't blockers. For instance, it is often useful to leave a ball that ends up near an upper pocket as it can often be a bailout ball if you play into trouble at the foot end. Experienced players seldom rush to pocket such balls.
A good habit to acquire is to always check the stack for dead balls before proceeding with your inning. Dead balls are often useful for breaking clusters or as a bailout shot if you end up table. And, when playing safe around the stack, check for dead ones you wouldn't want to leave for your opponent. But, like all cluster breaking, always consider speed and where the cue ball (and other balls) might head when playing a dead one. IWO, never smash a dead one without any thought of CB position.
 
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Insurance balls! I'm no 14.1 master, but one thing I picked up from Rempe's videos is to always try to avoid secondary break shots or cluster break ups without insurance balls.

Also, avoid moving balls unless absolutely necessary.

You will have fun. A puzzle in every rack!
 
sfleinen said:
... For example, George's "Mastering Pool" has an entire section of the book dedicated to 14.1, and I must tell you, it is an EXCELLENT tome! ...
Click to expand...
I will second this but with a small change. George Fels' "Advanced Pool" is the same text for 14.1 but has much improved diagrams. It has the disadvantage vs. "Mastering Pool" that the one pocket section was dropped.

Other books that I didn't notice above include Robert Byrne's books, Babe Cranfield's "The Straight Pool Bible," and both of Mosconi's instructional books.

Join a league.
 
Thanks all for sharing your knowledge. I think some patience and time at the table is what's needed most. You've given me some fundamental ideas to keep in mind while I'm learning the patterns of the game.
 
14-1StraightMan said:
Welcome to the World of 14.1. You will get hooked like no other game. There are a bunch of good comments above. I specially agree with Sfleinen. The main thing with any thing that you are learning, you have to want to improve deep down and listen to players that have the knowledge. You do not have to take every word they say but take from each important facts and turn them into a whole player that you want to become.
Click to expand...


We'll said, 14.1 is a game that you'll like the rest of your life. Always something to learn, always able to gauge progress.

It requires analytical skills, cognitive thinking, a level head and physical/mental endurance.

9 ball is for easily amused crackheads with ADHD.
8 ball is for drunk bar room mamalukes who have no clue.
1 pocket is where old people who can't shoot go to rot and die.

Welcome to the beautiful world of 14.1.
 
markgw said:
I don't seem to have trouble getting through the rack but when it comes down to the last 5 balls or so, I had to work on a definitive pattern which has helped me. Getting on that break ball consistently can be a bear if you don't use a great pattern to get on the key ball. This game takes tremendous patience because the balls don't tell you how to play like in 9 ball.
Click to expand...


@markgw those are two very good points. 14.1 gives you absolute freedom of choice. This is good if you think through and manage things, or bad if your judgement/attention lapses.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 
Bob Jewett said:
Join a league.
Click to expand...


Tap, tap...good way to find regular shooting buddies. Handicapping is a mixed bag for me. Playing someone 100-50 gives me a chance to free stroke, but can be frustrating to the other shooter. Vice versa if you end up the weaker shooter.

In a perfect world we would have open leagues with no handicap, and a fairly large group of good players. Until that miracle happens, strike while the iron is hot and get into any handicapped league you find, even if only to keep active in 14.1.

Bob, I don't go to California much anymore (new job), shout if you come to the NY/NJ/PA area so we can have a rematch. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 
In 14.1 pool game, fouls are penalized by subtracting points from the offending player’s score. Scores may be negative due to penalties from fouls.
 
I think if there's one thing that's overlooked by many new-comers, it's keeping it simple. A lot have already talked about the stop shot pattern but to add to that, a lot of 14.1 innings end prematurely due to lack of foresight. There are going to be plenty of times you have a wide-open table. Although this may look like a feast, you need to remember that you can still mess things up. Keep it simple.

Like any other game, each shot has a two part objective: make the ball, position for another. When things are wide-open, it's important to maintain a degree of honesty with yourself. If the chances of obtaining position are high, you can play shape on a single ball. If the chances are low, look for areas where options are available.

As well, be mindful of angles. Balls along the rail are important to address early but make sure you have an exit-plan. Falling flat on the end-rail is a mistake commonly made by many. Unlike 8-ball or 9-ball, 14.1 runs don't "end". Sometimes, it's better to leave yourself a tougher shot that has a good angle than an easy shot with no angle.
 
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