Carom Billiards and why it is worth playing

[justnum]

Playing carom billiards is a great game for practicing a controlled 3 rail stroke.

Why would that be a benefit to a pocket billiard player?

Intense cross training for sight lines and precision stroking is what carom billiards is for.

Pocketing shots leaves lots of room for cheating. Playing carom means the finesse and controlled power must be mastered.

Carom is great for players that want to re evaluate their stroke mechanics. Another advantage is it gives you experience reading the table in new ways.

Repetition training works to get up to standards. To exceed standard performance players have to isolate and upgrade specific skills at a time.

Reading carom shots is extremely analytical and there is no shooting your way to victory, every shot has to be measured and carefully executed.

Players that hangout in a carom room are very different that pocket billiard regulars, there is no stigma I know of for carom players.

 

[straightline]

Carom is integral to any shot where contact is involved. There's a ton of pool before you even get to a cushion.

 

[Biloxi Boy]

It was the rails that first brought me near a carom table. The players, their camaraderie, and the sheer joy they shared after anyone's completion of a difficult shot, kept me coming back -- at least until I graduated from college and the Student Union along with so much else faded slowly in my wake.

By the time my Vietnamese neighbors opened their places in Biloxi, pool was no longer anywhere near the top of my list. I had enough trouble finding 9 ft tables and folks who were not afraid of them. Sadly, I didn't even consider taking on carom again. Also, the language barriers I had encountered in college still presented a serious impediment.

My failure to learn to play carom remains my biggest pool regret.

 

[justnum]

The opening break shot in carom is pretty easy to learn.

However to practice carom is where my experience in mathematics helped.

In mathematics there is a concept called an isomorphism or an affine transformation,

The good part is just like in pocket billiards that main tools are draw, follow and side.

Straight rail has three rail sequences that are more popular than others. If you learn how the three rail sequence works and you can learn how to carom, then your pool game will have more awareness of your ball control.

The most popular being the opening carom break. Its a controlled stroke shot and easy to hit or old or new tables.

 

[nataddrho]

I prefer it over pool. It seems to be a more relaxing and peaceful experience.