Battling the ghost - maybe a better method

P

predator

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This was suggested to me by a pro player and coach from Holland.
You'll quickly find out how good your offensive game at rotation games is, i.e. games where player is required to shoot at balls in numerical order...9ball, 10ball, etc...

You start by racking 5 balls, break them, take cueball in hand and try to run out. When you are 3 ahead, you add another ball. 3 ahead can last an hour or 10 minutes, it's unpredictable. If you are 3 racks down, you subtract a ball and start from there. Most of the time I spend with 7 balls. On better days I get to 9 (not beat it though), on a bad day I can struggle with 5.
Note: if you are a good player or feel very good you can start with more balls...9 if you must

Yesterday I had a lot of time, I played this for 4 hours. 1st hour was so bad I even had trouble to get past 5 balls, had to play 4 balls twice, lol. 2nd hour I kept alternating between 6 and 7. 3rd hour was much better alternating 7 and 8 ball ghosts. Then I took a break of 15 minutes and for the last hour or so I was alternating 8 and 9 balls. Got to 9balls twice but could not help getting beat.

What do you guys think about this method?
I wonder how pool superstars would do in this game? My guess is they would range from 9 balls on a bad day and maybe go up to 12 on a good day. Any good players willing to try?:grin:
 
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predator said:
This was suggested to me by a pro player and coach from Holland.

You start by racking 5 balls, break them, take cueball in hand and try to run out. When you are 3 ahead, you add another ball. 3 ahead can last an hour or 10 minutes, it's unpredictable. If you are 3 racks down, you subtract a ball and start from there. Most of the time I spend with 7 balls. On better days I get to 9 (not beat it though), on a bad day I can struggle with 5.
Note: if you are a good player or feel very good you can start with more balls...9 if you must

Yesterday I had a lot of time, I played this for 4 hours. 1st hour was so bad I even had trouble to get past 5 balls, had to play 4 balls twice, lol. 2nd hour I kept alternating between 6 and 7. 3rd hour was much better alternating 7 and 8 ball ghosts. Then I took a break of 15 minutes and for the last hour or so I was alternating 8 and 9 balls. Got to 9balls twice but could not help getting beat.

What do you guys think about this method?
I wonder how pool superstars would do in this game? My guess is they would range from 9 balls on a bad day and maybe go up to 12 on a good day. Any good players willing to try?:grin:
Click to expand...


I do this or something similiar when practicing.

I start with 4 balls. Break BIH and run out in order.
After 5 run outs in a row I move up a ball.

For me there is a huge difference between 8 and 9 balls. Not sure why its so much of a difference but it really is.

Not surprising is that I beat all levels way more consisitently on the bar table. and its not even close when comparing to the big table attempts.

I also like short rack 8 ball to help practice 8 ball patterns.
 
I'll give it a try when I can get back at the table. I just put a new floor down on the patio and have to paint it (2 coats) today and tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up on the game.

So you play 3 ahead until you get there or the ghost does. then you add or subtract a ball depending who got the 3 ahead, the ghost or you? Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
So you play 3 ahead until you get there or the ghost does. then you add or subtract a ball depending who got the 3 ahead, the ghost or you? Johnnyt
Click to expand...

Exactly Johhny. Just normal 3 ahead sets. Add a ball when you win, subtract a ball when you lose.
Theoretically you could be so bad that you lose 3 ahead set to a 2 ball ghost. Then you would play with just 1 ball.
I don't know what happens if one is so good that he beats a 15 ball ghost 3 ahead. He'd probably need to add a ball from another set of balls, lol.
 
Sounds like it would put some interest.... a goal(!), into the practice. I like it.
 
predator said:
Exactly Johhny. Just normal 3 ahead sets. Add a ball when you win, subtract a ball when you lose.
Theoretically you could be so bad that you lose 3 ahead set to a 2 ball ghost. Then you would play with just 1 ball.
I don't know what happens if one is so good that he beats a 15 ball ghost 3 ahead. He'd probably need to add a ball from another set of balls, lol.
Click to expand...
There are a couple of videos on you tube of someone running all 15 balls.....
I thought it was Frost, but I might be wrong about that.


IN THE SAME HOLE.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU9c6akNtdI
 
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CharlesUFarley said:
There are a couple of videos on you tube of someone running all 15 balls.....
I thought it was Frost, but I might be wrong about that.


IN THE SAME HOLE.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU9c6akNtdI
Click to expand...

Maybe I wasn't 100% clear so I edited the original post. The method I presented here requires the player to shoot balls in numerical order, i.e. rotation.

1 pocket effort is admirable, but a different animal altogether.
 
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yup, this is very close to how I learned to play 9ball, but I used to just stop at 9.

on a similar note....I was at a tourney in Philly watching Efren and his crew practice.....Efren threw 15 balls out and ran them off....no surprise. THEN, I think Busty made a comment :) so Efren throws the balls out again and runs them off LEFTY!.......too good!

G.
 
The way I understood it was that if you can see the 1 ball (or whatever ball you are on) you don't get BIH. The way I always played it was that you don't get BIH no matter what.

In other words is you dry break you are done. I've never been one to make things easier.
 
predator said:
This was suggested to me by a pro player and coach from Holland.
You'll quickly find out how good your offensive game at rotation games is, i.e. games where player is required to shoot at balls in numerical order...9ball, 10ball, etc...

You start by racking 5 balls, break them, take cueball in hand and try to run out. When you are 3 ahead, you add another ball. 3 ahead can last an hour or 10 minutes, it's unpredictable. If you are 3 racks down, you subtract a ball and start from there. Most of the time I spend with 7 balls. On better days I get to 9 (not beat it though), on a bad day I can struggle with 5.
Note: if you are a good player or feel very good you can start with more balls...9 if you must

Yesterday I had a lot of time, I played this for 4 hours. 1st hour was so bad I even had trouble to get past 5 balls, had to play 4 balls twice, lol. 2nd hour I kept alternating between 6 and 7. 3rd hour was much better alternating 7 and 8 ball ghosts. Then I took a break of 15 minutes and for the last hour or so I was alternating 8 and 9 balls. Got to 9balls twice but could not help getting beat.

What do you guys think about this method?
I wonder how pool superstars would do in this game? My guess is they would range from 9 balls on a bad day and maybe go up to 12 on a good day. Any good players willing to try?:grin:
Click to expand...

Very nice format, thank you for sharing.

My question is how do you rack each interval? How do you rack 5 balls? etc...etc...
 
selftaut said:
Very nice format, thank you for sharing.

My question is how do you rack each interval? How do you rack 5 balls? etc...etc...
Click to expand...

I would put 2 in front and 3 in back for 5-ball. 4-ball I would put 2 in front and 2 in back. 8-ball 1 ball for head ball followed by rows of 2, 3, 2.

But the easiest way is to rack all 9 balls and whatever balls your not using take off after the break. like take 9,8,7,6 off for 5-ball. Johnnyt
 
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Johnnyt said:
I would put 2 in front and 3 in back for 5-ball. 4-ball I would put 2 in front and 2 in back. 8-ball 1 ball for head ball followed by rows of 2, 3, 2.

But the easiest way is to rack all 9 balls and whatever balls your not using take of after the break. like take 9,8,7,6 off for 5-ball. Johnnyt
Click to expand...

I like the rack all 9 idea, that gives practice on the break as well.

thanks JohnnyT
 
I hope you are not comparing the rest of us to Efren!;)
Gerry said:
yup, this is very close to how I learned to play 9ball, but I used to just stop at 9.

on a similar note....I was at a tourney in Philly watching Efren and his crew practice.....Efren threw 15 balls out and ran them off....no surprise. THEN, I think Busty made a comment :) so Efren throws the balls out again and runs them off LEFTY!.......too good!

G.
Click to expand...
 
this sounds like a good drill. i play the 9ball ghost on occasion and i often get unfocused due to getting my ass kicked. i think i will try it out tonight!
 
Yeah, this is great, but I would not know what to do after whooping the fifteen ball ghost. Switch to a 5 x 10 table? OK, just kidding,

This is a fantastic idea, that ensures that you'll be practicing against a ghost that plays about your speed. Thanks for sharing.
 
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