Last night I went to a place that I don't frequent more than once or twice a month, because it's kind of far, and I was playing the owner of the place. He's a few years younger than me. I'm guessing he's about 35 or so. Anyway, he and I are both in the SA class so we always have a good time trying to beat each other. In all fairness though I'd say we're 50/50 over the long haul.
Anyway, last night we were playing straight pool and I was getting irritated watching him play. He really doesn't have any concepts of the game like using insurance balls, key balls, etc... He just runs balls. I don't think I've ever seen him run more than a rack or so. The reason he doesn't run more is because he consistently removes the break balls, key balls or any other open ball and leaves a cluster towards the end and has to try to manufacture a break ball. I don't usually say anything to him about it because it just makes it that much easier for me to win. But last night watching him shoot the key ball and then the potential break ball was really driving me up a tree. On one of the racks after he manufactured his break ball and ended up having the CB way up table I was walking by him to rack and I said "You wouldn't have this problem if you'd stop shooting the break ball off the table."
With that I began to give him a little MULLY 101 on straight pool. Pointed out the diamond pattern, showed him how that even if balls are clustered together that "this ball goes over here so there's no reason to run into this" type stuff. So the journey began, I was talking to him ala John Schmidt running his 165 on that DVD, telling him what I was thinking and what I was going to do etc... Turns out I ran 70 balls in 6 innings with the highest run being 31 and there were 2 innings of playing safe.
I think talking about what I was going to do helped me make more balls and look at the patterns differently. I'm going to try to incorporate that into my game for a little while and see what happens.
MULLY
Anyway, last night we were playing straight pool and I was getting irritated watching him play. He really doesn't have any concepts of the game like using insurance balls, key balls, etc... He just runs balls. I don't think I've ever seen him run more than a rack or so. The reason he doesn't run more is because he consistently removes the break balls, key balls or any other open ball and leaves a cluster towards the end and has to try to manufacture a break ball. I don't usually say anything to him about it because it just makes it that much easier for me to win. But last night watching him shoot the key ball and then the potential break ball was really driving me up a tree. On one of the racks after he manufactured his break ball and ended up having the CB way up table I was walking by him to rack and I said "You wouldn't have this problem if you'd stop shooting the break ball off the table."
With that I began to give him a little MULLY 101 on straight pool. Pointed out the diamond pattern, showed him how that even if balls are clustered together that "this ball goes over here so there's no reason to run into this" type stuff. So the journey began, I was talking to him ala John Schmidt running his 165 on that DVD, telling him what I was thinking and what I was going to do etc... Turns out I ran 70 balls in 6 innings with the highest run being 31 and there were 2 innings of playing safe.
I think talking about what I was going to do helped me make more balls and look at the patterns differently. I'm going to try to incorporate that into my game for a little while and see what happens.
MULLY
Received no advice on reading end patterns just the fact I was clueless and should go play 8 ball or learn how read the table if I ever plan on getting into the next rack. Then I came here. 4 months later it's still a struggle but at least I have a clue. High run still only 25? In my case after not playing for many years I couldn't play shapes close enough to see a break ball until down to the last 4 or 5 balls and it was still hit or miss getting on it. Patterns were not taught or shared back when. Even now I only get where I want to be perhaps 1 in 5 going for the break shot. Better then the 1 in 10 when I re- entered the pool hall 11 months ago. I think in the end your friend will thank you.
