ABall said:
Is this really Ron Cook????
Yep that's me!
With spots you can play anyone, you can learn from the best and if you get the right spot you may even win some money. Not everyone of us has the master's touch of Efren, Earl, Dennis, or Archer but we can certainly play them if the spot is right. Competition is a lot of fun and a good even game balances out the weaker player's game from those who do not need a spot.
I once played Jose Parica and he spotted me 10 to 5 in one pocket and in 3 games I only got 1 ball and he shot in that ball for it was hanging. We were playing for $50 a game. Even though I had a big spot I was loosing for I had not been playing for over 5 years.
Since I didn't pocket get any balls I said to him look, I will play you for a couple hundred a game if you give me 11 to 4 but he wanted to play for only $100 a game. With that spot I was not about to loose and I then beat him 4 games in a row and he and his backers said that's enough.
Spots balance the game and sometimes if you can get the right spot the odds are in your favor and all of a sudden your stoke kicks in as well and you have an advantage and win.
My moto, play with the best and someday you may become the best!
BuckTooth actually got the 6 ball one time from Dan Louie playing 9 ball and after the session had started The Tooth saw that he could WIN and he then kicked into a higher gear with his stroke and Danny told me that The Tooth started playing almost as good as he was playing and he didn't really need the spot.
I think spots actually take some of the pressure off of your game and your confidence goes up and then you can get sometimes into dead stroke and you may be shooting as well as your opponet who may very well be the stronger player.