Center table position help

8

8balllark

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Greetings gentlemen, I was hoping to get some advice on achieving position on balls in the center of the table.

Im not that great of a player however my pattern recognition has drastically improved over the last year. But for balls in the center of the table, especially if there in a group I just can't see the pattern on how to get to them or in what order.

I've heard that balls in the center are sometimes the most difficult to get shape on?, im just looking for a different approach and outlook on how to attack these shots and my apologies if this is a newb question.

The other thing I wanted to ask, and this is directly out of left field but I remember reading on a blog some where a long time ago about the "Triangle system". From my limited understanding this is where any 3 balls on the table (of the group you are shooting) can be connected into a triangle and by doing this the shape to run them out becomes easier?

Has anyone heard of this? Im not promoting it, im not saying it works lol, im just curious what these people might have been talking about.

Thanks for any help.
 
The good thing about center table shot is that they go in more than 1 pocket as long as you dont get to close to the ball,sometimes patterns change an u have to go with a shot u didnt plan to go with,my advice is learn to work 2 rail position position for the center table balls and practice the 50 yard line shots that can go in the side or the corner.
Good Luck Peteypooldude
 
8balllark said:
I've heard that balls in the center are sometimes the most difficult to get shape on?, im just looking for a different approach and outlook on how to attack these shots and my apologies if this is a newb question.
Click to expand...

I think I know what you are asking.....

I have found several cluster problems associated with clusters near the center of the table. The problem begins when you fail to get position on the first ball of the cluster, and then gets magnified as each successive stroke leaves you on the same (wrong and/or unshootable) side of the cluster.

I don't have a solution, other than recognizing these kinds of clusters; and then either:
A) take them out if/when you get position to do so--even if this is the harder shot
B) avoid them until you have an easy position play from a current shot option

Often these clusters appear to have shots to the side or one corner, only to be confounded with the fact that these shots are very delicate and might graze another ball on the roll towards the pocket. In these cases, be sure to look over the graze angles and clearances before playing to a position that could leave you "behind the 8-ball" so to speak. This take time and concentration even when you are not shooting those shots right now.
 
You want to use multiple rails to get position on these balls. Ideally you want the cueballs path off the final rail to following along the line of your next shot. Hopefully that makes sense.

1 rail positional shots tend to leave you a smaller margin for error. Coming into the line rather than across it can give 4 feet or more to play for.

You can also try to play position of the side pockets more as there is a larger margin for error when it comes to achieving an easy shot (depending of course where the object ball is)
 
Pretty interesting question for a first post.

I think one trick to dealing with balls near the middle of the table is to not think of them as side pocket shots. Side pockets are big, and these balls are closest to them, but that doesn't automatically mean they should be played in the side. Getting the CB in a position to play the side pocket shot might be tricky, or playing shape from it might require travelling up and down the table.

In the diagram, the average guy sees the 1 and 6 as side pocket shots, and they shoot that rail shot (the 5) and try to draw with speed and some spin, thinking they'll fall just right on the 1.

In reality they often get less straight on the 1 than desired, ending up sharpish on one side or the other. Then the CB has to travel all the way to the head rail or foot rail and then back again... like 6+ feet of travel. Then they get the wrong angle on the 1. Now imagine these 3 shots are just part of an 8b or 9b game and there are other balls on the table that must be dodged while you move whitey up and down the table.

The smart play would be to just make the rail cut with little cue ball movement, because you see ahead of time that just getting the CB about 10 inches off the rail will leave an almost straight in corner pocket shot on the 6. And you basically just need a stop shot for the 6 to the 1. Much less cue ball travel and much more predictable outcome.

CueTable Help

 
Try practicing 14.1 to help you with short position play. Alot of times rolling the ball 1 ball space forward, stunning to the side or drawing back comfortably a ball space in distance is what separates those who can run alot of balls that are in the middle of the table and those who cannot.

Here is another interesting method to practice short position play and patterns. Philipine Superman Gomez demonstrated this practice routine at one of the Seminole events and said alot of the pinoys play this as well. Toss out a bunch of balls (Gomez did it with 15) and place them all in the center of the table spread out so that all the balls fit into the dimensions of 1 diamond past the sides on either side (roughly a box shape space). Spread them out so that none are clustered and then take ball in hand and try to run all of them out without running into another ball with the cueball, or hitting a rail with the cueball. Everytime you do it the pattern is different, just toss the balls out and spread them around until they are all spaced apart. Try it with less balls and work your way up until your having difficulties consistently running out.
 
I feel scrubby for replying again in the thread so soon but by coincidence I started watching the new Schmidt video on straight pool, and he kept mentioning The Triangle. I assume you're asking about 8ball, and his system is for straight pool (a totally different game) but the idea behind it might be similar and might be useful to you.

In straight pool, you often want a certain kind of cut shot into the corner as your last shot. To get position on this cut shot, in a perfect world you'd just want to play a simple stop shot in the side. And to do that, you'd want another shot which lets you easily leave the cue ball straight in on the side shot.

---

One common pattern that comes up over and over again... in all the popular games: Shoot a rail cut into the corner, and just move the cue ball a little off the rail to get straight on a shot in the side.

In my first diagram the balls didn't lie perfectly for that. But in the diagram below they do. Your triangle goes something like this:
1. Rail cut [there are other shots to accomplish this, but a rail cut is nice for it]
2. Cue ball stops at A for the straight in shot on the side.
3. Shoot and stop at B for the final shot on the 3 ball.

There are other ways to get this pattern but the key is to recognize situations like this, where shooting a ball near the rail will allow you to just park the cue ball and leave yourself easy on a side pocket shot.

You can also see another triangle, sort of... imagine you started by shooting the 2 ball in the OTHER side pocket. You could roll forward for your rail cut on the 1, and then it's basically just a stop shot to the 3 in the corner.

In general, in pool you think 3 balls ahead. You maybe already know that, I can't tell where you're at skillwise, but it could be the whole 3-balls-ahead idea is what the blogger was talking about.

CueTable Help

 
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