clock systems?

PhilosopherKing

PhilosopherKing

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
These days, I spend most of my pool time on my own trying to get within a foot or less of the next ball. It got me wondering about clock systems.

Does anyone here use them? Does anyone swear by them? Do they hold up with equipment changes? Was Buddy Hall really using them? Who, besides Buddy, offers good information on them... Little Joe? Kinister?

Thanks
 
Hey there, I use it. I saw it in a danny basavich video, it's useful.:smile:
 
On a side note, is there a player alive you'd take to beat the 9-ball ghost 10-ahead having to get within a foot of the next ball? 18 inches?
 
PhilosopherKing said:
On a side note, is there a player alive you'd take to beat the 9-ball ghost 10-ahead having to get within a foot of the next ball? 18 inches?
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Not at all. Beating the ghost and playing position isnt about getting within a foot or 18" to the ball. Its about getting the correct angle while still maintaing your line. It's often a give and take based on the ease of entry to your next shots and risk level involved in getting on the ball. It would screw up your game to focus on distance for shape rather than angle for shape. When a player transitions from thinking one ball ahead to think 2, 3, and 4 balls ahead, it can be so easy to get out of line, that low risk and easy entry points become more of a focus. This can lead to more difficult cuts but with practice those become more routine and everyday while makong your position play seem much more natural.
 
PocketPooler said:
Not at all. Beating the ghost and playing position isnt about getting within a foot or 18" to the ball. Its about getting the correct angle while still maintaing your line. It's often a give and take based on the ease of entry to your next shots and risk level involved in getting on the ball. It would screw up your game to focus on distance for shape rather than angle for shape. When a player transitions from thinking one ball ahead to think 2, 3, and 4 balls ahead, it can be so easy to get out of line, that low risk and easy entry points become more of a focus. This can lead to more difficult cuts but with practice those become more routine and everyday while makong your position play seem much more natural.
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Thanks. I get all that... How about this: 4-ball ghost, 10-ahead, ball in hand after the break, get within a foot of the next ball?

Do you take anyone alive?
 
PhilosopherKing said:
Thanks. I get all that... How about this: 4-ball ghost, 10-ahead, ball in hand after the break, get within a foot of the next ball?

Do you take anyone alive?
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Nobody. But a guy could soft break 4 balls leaving them all at the foot of the table. Much easier then. So maybe.
 
Clocking is an excellent way for CB control and Little Joe's clock is very good for a lot of reasons. One of the biggest is he forces you to look at smaller areas by breaking the ball down into 3 zones/circles.

The problem I see with showing how to clock a ball and get good results is I can't tell you exactly where to contact the ball. Players that try it usually give it up in short order. Like everything else, you have to work it hard. Once you give it the time it deserves it will amaze you how well it works.

Your first task is to figure out exactly how much spin you're applying. What does this or that tip placement do to the ball. Or how do I kick a ball 1 rail and end up in the pocket only using spin, from 1,2,3 diamonds away and applied across the equator. What changes when moving off the equator. What changes taking a tangent line above or below the OB? What are the adjustments. What are the limits. Take notes and you can apply simple numbers assuming you can count to 6.

Like all shots, the stroke needs to be well done and consistent with your practice.
 
That's all well and good, but what if you're from another time zone? Say I'm from Missouri and I'm playing in a tournament in California.
Sacramento, to be exact, and me and Mr. Henderson are on the hill. I go for the game winning bank and miss it by two feet. Is it because of the difference in time? :)
 
PocketPooler said:
Nobody. But a guy could soft break 4 balls leaving them all at the foot of the table. Much easier then. So maybe.
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Given enough time to figure out how to break them Corey Deuel would probably take a run at something like that.
 
The clock system works well for both 3-cushion and pool. Worth a small investment to see if it works for you.

When I learned it in the early 70's for 3-cushion, it was simple (but used the term tips of english instead of the clock #s), but you would do this by moving around the cueball like a clock (1, 2; 3 & 4 o'clock and the reverse for the left side of the cueball): We would get on billiard table and shoot until we would get the desired results of 1 tip; 2 tips; etc. Each "tip" equaled 1 diamond shooting the long way until you reach the max of 4 tips (4 o'clock) that would be about 3 1/2 diamonds. The short way was half as much.

On a typical pool table I find that the spread per tip is close to double that of a billiard table. But the idea is the same, and it is very valuable when having to kick at a ball or doubling a rail. Buddy and Kid D do an excellent job of describing the difference once you make a ball to get position, but that is not how I initially learned it.

I think one of the best things about this system is that you have to stroke the ball w/a level cue and deliver the same stroke each time so you develop very good fundamentals.

Good luck!

Dave
 
It works very well.. Ive taught it to a few people. To me though no system is perfect . There's always variations to how a table plays but it's definitely a great starting point if your not sure
 
Tramp Steamer said:
That's all well and good, but what if you're from another time zone? Say I'm from Missouri and I'm playing in a tournament in California.
Sacramento, to be exact, and me and Mr. Henderson are on the hill. I go for the game winning bank and miss it by two feet. Is it because of the difference in time? :)
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What if you are on a military base? How would you aim at 2200 hours?
 
I learned using the clock system as a guide.i don't ever think about it anymore when I shoot,I just know where to hit to get where I want. It is a great approach towards learning as it gives a clear and easily understood visual, even for beginner. It is not all encompassing as you have to figure out how close to center along the line to hit.i used to imagine a line like the hand of a clock and then practice the same shot, hitting closer and further from center and at varying speeds. Hit, observe and adjust from there, eventually feel takes over and you'll know what time it is without even looking at the clock.

How close you hit to center will give you different ratios of speed to spin. This is the reason why the clock system isn't perfect. Hitting at a specific"time"on the cue ball but at varying speeds and tip positions in relation to center can give very different results.
 
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Well if you're from Missouri and playing in California you probably overslept and missed the tournament anyway!
 
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