combinations

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donut

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What percentage of the shots you attempt to make (not counting safeties) are combinations. For instance, if you are a league player, and you attempt about 100 shots in a match, how many of those are combos? More than 5? I'm trying to get an idea of how big a factor combinations are in games where you can win early, like in 9-ball. thanks.

Edit: This question refers to all combos, even ones where the second ball is jawed in the pocket and you can't miss.
 
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One of the guys I play with seems to always say, "Oh, I thought you were going to go for the combo." And my response is always something along the lines of "If there's a way to get out a rack without having to play a combo, then that's the way I try to go."

For some reason, he can't wrap his head around that; and yet still, whenever he gets ball in hand on an open table he tries to go for the game winning combo and acts mad/surprised when he misses and I run out.

The only time I take on a combo is when I think that I have to in order to get out the rack.

And I absolutely agree with Neil. "The better the player, the less they shoot combos."
 
I totally agree with both of you. It does seem that the higher caliber players avoid combos. But even for top pros, sometimes that is what the table offers if they are feeling like running out rather than trying a safe. I have been watching pool videos on youtube (Billiard Club Network's Channel), and since they don't show all the games of the match it is hard to know how many combos were attempted. It appears that even pros shoot a couple a match. Of course, they are supposed to make'em, but the don't always.;)

EDIT: I should point out that my question includes combos where an object ball is hanging and you basically have no choice but to combo it and clear the pocket. Those shots are routine enough that they may be harder to remember. Unlike most other combos, where you really stop and think "should I go for this?"
 
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In my (new/limited) experience, combos are biggest in games like 14.1 and strangely enough, one pocket. Although someone suggested 9-ball has a lot of combos, personally, I've shot more in 1p than 9-ball in the last 6 months.

As you state, if the 2nd ball is hanging, it isn't really a combo as much of just shooting the first ball towards the pocket. ;)
 
stljohnny said:
In my (new/limited) experience, combos are biggest in games like 14.1 and strangely enough, one pocket. Although someone suggested 9-ball has a lot of combos, personally, I've shot more in 1p than 9-ball in the last 6 months.

As you state, if the 2nd ball is hanging, it isn't really a combo as much of just shooting the first ball towards the pocket. ;)
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Yeah, I really should have explained that in the first post, because people aren't gonna think of those as "real combos". But for my purposes, they count. I want to figure out the relative strengths of the ball spots. As in, how much stronger of a spot is "the eight" than "the last two"? Things like that. So any time that balls are made out of order, I'm counting that as a combo.
 
donut said:
What percentage of the shots you attempt to make (not counting safeties) are combinations. For instance, if you are a league player, and you attempt about 100 shots in a match, how many of those are combos? More than 5? I'm trying to get an idea of how big a factor combinations are in games where you can win early, like in 9-ball. thanks.

Edit: This question refers to all combos, even ones where the second ball is jawed in the pocket and you can't miss.
Click to expand...

I would guess in 9 ball I shoot a combo about once in 20 games, maybe less.

I shoot more combos now than I used to. In 9 ball, combinations are often overlooked as a way of making the layout easier.

For example this layout below, many 9 ball players would draw back on the 2 to play the 3 in the same pocket, making shape on the 4 difficult. The simplier approach would be to roll forward on the two and shoot the 3 -8 combo softly.

Chris

CueTable Help

 
Thank you, Chris and Neil for those layouts. Those are some good examples of when to play for a combo, and when not to. Chris, you said that combos come up in only about 1 in 20 games for you. I also think they are fairly rare. But what I'm wondering is, what accounts for the fact that getting the eight is a better spot than getting the last two. Does it completely boil down to the break--that you have two money balls you can make on the break instead of one? When you give up the eight, you usually rack it behind the nine to make it less likely to go in on the snap.

And here's a puzzler (to me at least): which is a bigger spot, the 7 out or the last three?
 
Another aspect to consider when deciding to shoot a combination shot is the degree of control you will have on the first OB. There's always a risk that you may not have a good shot after making the combo. Exercise extreme care to make sure that you leave yourself good postion to get to the next ball.

Also. the pocket size comes into play as well. Buckets invite more combinations... tight pockets, less. I shoot very few combos on my Diamond w/pro cut pockets.
 
There only a few situations where I'll take the combo. If I get ball in hand and the 9 is hanging in the jaws, yeah, I'll take it. The only other time I take the combo is if there is no other way around it. I won't shoot a 9 that is *near* a pocket though, only if it's a hanger. Not trying to sound like I'm the greatest player on earth or anything but once you get into A class if you get ball in hand you go for the run out unless you have no other option, or unless that 9 is sitting in the jaws. If all the balls are open though a combo shouldn't even come to mind.
MULLY
 
I will shoot combos one hundred percent of the time just to increase my shooting library. I have a whole practice routine I would take to the hall with only combos.
 
Combos

That's like asking how many rolls of toilet paper you use each month? Some months you just have more sh*t to deal with than others.

But I will make an educated guess after playing 48 years, and say, 1% of the time in 9 ball, and 2% of the time in 8 ball.
 
TATE said:
I would guess in 9 ball I shoot a combo about once in 20 games, maybe less.
...this layout below, many 9 ball players would draw back on the 2 to play the 3 in the same pocket, making shape on the 4 difficult. The simplier approach would be to roll forward on the two and shoot the 3 -8 combo softly.
Click to expand...

I am prob with you on the 1/20-ish but I wouldn't play that combo- ASSuming the 4 passes under the 8- coz you gotta walk around the table!
 
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