Excellent thread
I've only been playing about 3 yrs, but I play a lot of 8 ball. Planning a pattern for the whole rack is challenging because invariably a ball gets bumped or I get bad shape. Always have a plan B.
Figure out which pockets the 8 goes into, then work to get position to put it there. That might mean saving a duck for last and using the easy shot to get where you need to go.
If you can't get out lay up early. There is nothing worse than having one left and no shot on the 8, you just given your opponent a clear run.
Don't wait until the last minute to try and break a problem ball. Sometimes, depending on your opponents skill level and the lay of the table it is better to force your opponent to deal with the cluster and break your ball free.
Don't take the shot to nowhere, even if it's the only pocketable ball. If it doesn't serve a purpose, leave it on the table. It's one more thing your opponent must deal with.
I can't say I am good enough to plan and execute a run according to that plan. It's not the same as 9 ball where pool by number dictates the route to victory. 8 ball is about options and obsticals. I take in the whole table and select what I feel is the best ball to shoot. I have an idea where I want to go and what I want to do next and depending on the table I will look 3 or more balls ahead, but I do it after every shot. Invariable the plan I start with isn't the one I finish with, but because I shoot with options in mind I can more readily adapt when things go wrong.
I've only been playing about 3 yrs, but I play a lot of 8 ball. Planning a pattern for the whole rack is challenging because invariably a ball gets bumped or I get bad shape. Always have a plan B.
Figure out which pockets the 8 goes into, then work to get position to put it there. That might mean saving a duck for last and using the easy shot to get where you need to go.
If you can't get out lay up early. There is nothing worse than having one left and no shot on the 8, you just given your opponent a clear run.
Don't wait until the last minute to try and break a problem ball. Sometimes, depending on your opponents skill level and the lay of the table it is better to force your opponent to deal with the cluster and break your ball free.
Don't take the shot to nowhere, even if it's the only pocketable ball. If it doesn't serve a purpose, leave it on the table. It's one more thing your opponent must deal with.
I can't say I am good enough to plan and execute a run according to that plan. It's not the same as 9 ball where pool by number dictates the route to victory. 8 ball is about options and obsticals. I take in the whole table and select what I feel is the best ball to shoot. I have an idea where I want to go and what I want to do next and depending on the table I will look 3 or more balls ahead, but I do it after every shot. Invariable the plan I start with isn't the one I finish with, but because I shoot with options in mind I can more readily adapt when things go wrong.
