I think a better way to work on eight ball patterns is to play the eight ball ghost. There are multiple levels of difficulty. Examples:
Break, choose your group, remove all but three of that group -- choose carefully -- and the eight ball and run off that group and the eight. (Once you can usually do three, go on to four, ....)
Also leave an equal number of your "opponent's" balls on the table. Again, work up from a small number to a large number.
This is like Ralph Eckert's drill in that you have to visualize the patterns as you choose which balls to remove.
I think this kind of exercise is much better than repetitive patterns from a book. Every position is new, just like in real games.
Break, choose your group, remove all but three of that group -- choose carefully -- and the eight ball and run off that group and the eight. (Once you can usually do three, go on to four, ....)
Also leave an equal number of your "opponent's" balls on the table. Again, work up from a small number to a large number.
This is like Ralph Eckert's drill in that you have to visualize the patterns as you choose which balls to remove.
I think this kind of exercise is much better than repetitive patterns from a book. Every position is new, just like in real games.
