"Call Ahead" Pool

Patrick Johnson

Patrick Johnson

Fargo 1000 on VP4
Silver Member
Do you ever play "call ahead" pool? You know, where you call the shot you're on plus the next one. You can add the challenge to any game - I've played call ahead 8-9-10 ball, 14.1, banks (not 1 pocket yet). It's a fun rule for everybody (who plays fairly well) or a good handicap for mismatched players - I play with one friend who makes me call two balls ahead.

But the best thing about it is that it forces you to get serious about pattern planning and precision position play. I like it mostly in friendly games but also sometimes while practicing alone.

If you haven't tried it, give it a shot - if you like it you'll have some fun and some improvement.

pj
chgo
 
Years and years ago. Haven't played it since. I think it's actually harder than it sounds.
 
Pushout said:
I think it's actually harder than it sounds.
Click to expand...
It's no picnic. As a handicap I'd say it's equivalent to at least a couple of balls in rotation games.

But it's fun and instructive if you like it enough to stick with it a little.

pj
chgo
 
Patterns

My sons and I will play call the turn sometimes. State the pattern you will shoot in advance. It helps to make you see the table as a whole game instead of just "shots" It also helps to teasch you to refine your leaves. By calling the game in advance it helps you to recognize how important your exact placement is. When we first started to work on leaves(as opposed to just shooting) we would aim for an area on the table. Not an exact spot, but the section of the table which would allow us to reach the next shot. Now, when calling more than one ball one begins to see where a few inches off on this leave adds to a few more inches off on the second leave etc and by the third or forth ball you now have an unmakable shot(for us). Looking further ahead in the game helps us to learn the correct angles or more perfect pattern that will hold for a longer series of shots. I wrote this poorly but I hope you see what I mean. On a side note, our level of play is also condiserably behind where most on here seem to be, so our little game won't be helpful for most.
 
We used to play it a little here, a couple of years ago. As you said, we used it as a means of handicapping the better players when they were playing me, as I was still pretty new. Of course, after a few games, I wanted to play that way, too. :p

We haven't played that it in a while, maybe I'll suggest it tonight.
 
we do this sometimes in our pool club, mostly so that the newcomers "see" patterns of positionplay. i try to do this in my head as part of my preshotroutine.... just doesnt work out everytime :grin:
 
nice; have never tried it but will tonight ! I play a lot of 8 ball so this has to be good practice.
 
Patrick Johnson said:
Do you ever play "call ahead" pool? You know, where you call the shot you're on plus the next one. You can add the challenge to any game - I've played call ahead 8-9-10 ball, 14.1, banks (not 1 pocket yet). It's a fun rule for everybody (who plays fairly well) or a good handicap for mismatched players - I play with one friend who makes me call two balls ahead.

But the best thing about it is that it forces you to get serious about pattern planning and precision position play. I like it mostly in friendly games but also sometimes while practicing alone.

If you haven't tried it, give it a shot - if you like it you'll have some fun and some improvement.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

Richie Ambrose matched up and beat Danny Medina this way. Richie had no where near the pocketing ability of Danny, but he managed his pattern play waaay better and it paid off.
 
Island Drive said:
Richie Ambrose matched up and beat Danny Medina this way. Richie had no where near the pocketing ability of Danny, but he managed his pattern play waaay better and it paid off.
Click to expand...

I saw a match like this at snooker...the better player lost.
He called me the next day...all shook up.
I told him that the winner was a good player, bit a 'plodder'...no surprises
in his game. I recommended that he not play the game again...he was a
superior player, but he played a lot of 'percentage' position where he might
have position on three different balls...playing 'call position' would make him
a worse player.

This is why I dislike 'call shot 10-ball'...especially with the 'option'.
It takes some skill OUT of the game, rather than adding to it.
 
This is one of the best ways to practice pinpoint position and thinking balls ahead. Even when i'm practicing a shot I miss to much or a a drill (do drill rarely anymore) I pick a spot on the table I want the CB to land at and keep changing it. IMO if players would practice position as much as they do shot making they would all become better players and have higher runs. Johnnyt
 
This sounds like a great game and I'm definitely going to play this one. Good idea.
 
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