COVID Era 1-2-3

Good action for yourself and thanks for sharing. Drills bore me in general, and your approach is too much hassle for me.

I go to the table and toss out 3 balls. Take ball-in-hand and run out without touching a rail. Then, toss out 4 balls and repeat. Keep increasing until you're up to 15 balls. Trying to do so without touching a rail improves my position play and forces me to consider different options (banks, caroms, etc.).

If I miss a shot, I don't get mad at myself anymore. I just pocket the ball by hand and accept the position I left myself on the next ball. It's all fun for me as opposed to beating myself up mentally while I'm practicing. And, I'm forced to try a lot of shots that I wouldn't otherwise.

If you want to keep score, just count the number of times you forced yourself to go to a rail for position.

Edit: If I want to keep score and be allowed to touch rails, the thread "Using bowlliards to track progess?" is good.
 
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I like the sound of this game. I can see how it might help you to avoid dropping your guard near the end of the rack.

Take a bow for inventing a game that is both original and constructive.
 
dang, I was thinking the OP was a good shooter for a beginner; consistently running 12 balls before trouble arises and then, cook up a scheme to overcome the odds.
...always works for me when I would miss, just count it as a miss, shoot again, fewer the misses the better.

well, we still have a good title to play.
 
Z-Nole said:
Well crap, I'd like to know what game you invented.
Click to expand...

Okay. I don't know if I "invented" it. It's probably not original.

I've been trying to teach myself position play, and I have to play alone a lot. (I'm a writer and I go out to the "Pool Table Shed" to knock a few balls down as a way of getting outside, getting the dog outside, and so I don't sit at the computer too long at a stretch.)

So what I do is this: throw all 15 balls out on the table (or break, your choice). Take ball in hand. You can shoot any ball in any pocket and flukes count. If you miss or scratch, throw the balls you already pocketed back on the table and start over.

The only balls that count are the last three. Third-to-last is 1 point, second-to-last is 2 points, and the last ball is 3 points. So a perfect score is 6.

The purpose is twofold: 1.) it puts more of a premium on position play with fewer balls on the table, so it pays to plan ahead. 2.) it simulates pressure, because you need the last balls to score, and if you miss one, not only do you not get the points, you also mess up the work it took you to get to the money balls. (Which presumably you don't do every time. I do it fairly often, but not every time by a long shot.)

The reason I came up with it is because I noticed I was doing fine when the table was full of balls and I could miss position and still have a shot, but as I got down to the last ones on the table I wasn't paying enough attention to position. (I've been trying to teach myself position play.) Also, because I'm just knocking balls around, there was never any pressure. This game adds some pressure to the last five or six shots, because by ball 9 or 10 you don't want to mess up.

Kind regards,
Mike
 
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Other drills l like:

Throw one ball and the cue ball out on the table. Game is to hit two or more rails and then hit the ball. My record so far is 11 in a row. If you miss, place the cue ball back where it was and keep trying till you get it, then that's the first make of the next set. This one adds some pressure too, because every time I get above 3 in a row I don't want to miss.

Throw all 15 balls and the cueball out on the table. Shoot the numbered balls into the cue ball and carom the numbered ball into the pocket. I have never done all 15 in a row yet.

I also have plenty of drills that are no fun, like endless stop shots. If anybody knows tutorials for learning position play I would love to hear of them.

Kind regards,
Mike
 
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Guess I'm old school.
The best drill for me is practicing 14.1.
14.1 is the toughest game in pool.
The constant focus it takes to remain at the table is the toughest thing in pool.
I mean what could be so tough to run 100 balls?
I mean you can shoot any ball you want and you have 6 pockets to shoot them in.
Hahaha.
Easier said than done.

I think you get to the point in your game where shape is not a problem but the consistent pocketing of balls is the problem.
That's the difference between and "A" player and an "open" player.
The open player has that continual focus without the intrusiveness of doubt.
14.1 helps you work on your focus.
 
Wow, OP creates a brand new thread with the hopes that it won't get political. Cocobolo immediately disrespects the request and takes it in a political direction. When asked again to please keep the thread non political, Cocobolo just keeps at it.

Sure, why respect the polite request of the OP when there is some political statement you can make for the millionth time. :rolleyes:
 
Mike the Beginner said:
Other drills l like:

Throw one ball and the cue ball out on the table. Game is to hit two or more rails and then hit the ball. My record so far is 11 in a row. If you miss, place the cue ball back where it was and keep trying till you get it, then that's the first make of the next set. This one adds some pressure too, because every time I get above 3 in a row I don't want to miss.

Throw all 15 balls and the cueball out on the table. Shoot the numbered balls into the cue ball and carom the numbered ball into the pocket. I have never done all 15 in a row yet.

I also have plenty of drills that are no fun, like endless stop shots. If anybody knows tutorials for learning position play I would love to hear of them.

Kind regards,
Mike
Click to expand...

 
philly said:
Guess I'm old school.
The best drill for me is practicing 14.1.
14.1 is the toughest game in pool.
The constant focus it takes to remain at the table is the toughest thing in pool.
[...]
14.1 helps you work on your focus.
Click to expand...
I'll remember this philly. Seems like good advice. I've never even tried 14.1. I agree about focus. I notice the shots I miss, and often it's because of laziness, or because the shot is easy and I don't respect it, or I'm too lazy to get the bridge out. I'm trying to learn how to give every shot the respect I naturally give to the hardest shots.

Recently I've started playing with a neighbor who is a much better pool player than I am and he's a 9-ball player. So I've just lately started to play 9-ball for the first time, which always just seemed intimidating to me. He has loads of experience and he's taught me a number of "moves" I guess you'd say.

I'm doing better than I thought I would. To the surprise of both of us I end up beating him more often than not. But that's only because he doesn't practice and I do (he only plays a couple of times a week and some weeks not at all), and I am, let's say, more tricky. He's one of those guys who either hits hard or harder. He breaks so hard it's left a bunch of marks on my table. He'll hit hard for no reason other than that he likes to, and a pocket will reject a ball that absolutely could have gone if it was hit more softly. And, he overruns position sometimes because he smacks it too hard. Plus he gets discouraged when he misses, so I can be sort of sly and win by laying safes that he just thinks are misses, and then when he misses a few he starts to lose his confidence. (I hope he doesn't read this or he'll be on to me lol.)

Seems like I can let him pocket most of the balls sometimes and even break out the clusters for me; then I slide in like a thief and win. He always complains bitterly that "I gave it to you" but hey, whoever sinks the 9-ball, right? We "don't keep track" when we play, except I do, and a few weeks ago I beat him 12-4 including 5 in a row. But he beats me too. He's a much better player than me so I'm learning a lot just by watching him. The one thing I can't get from watching pro matches on YouTube is where they hit the cue ball (except for those few matches where Earl did commentary). But with him I can ask him what kind of spin he used. He hits every ball with spin and I've actually learned to hit a few types of shot with spin, like long cuts with outside (which are actually easier with spin, surprised me). When I see him do something I don't even understand he will take the time to explain it to me after the rack, which is great. Some of the shots he plays I can't even do because I lack his cue power. Some of his shots are just absolutely friggin' magnificent. Every time we play he will hit at least a few shots that amaze me.

Anyway if I can play 9-ball, which I always imagined would be too hard for me, maybe I could learn how to play 14.1 too. I'm going to keep it in mind. I know I can pocket 14 balls in a row sometimes, but I have no confidence that I could set up to break out the second rack. But then, if I don't work on it I'll never learn.

[UPDATE 2 hrs. later: Well I tried 14.1 for an hour and so far I haven't even gotten to the 15th ball! I did however do quite a bit of swearing, if that counts. :LOL: So maybe I'm worrying about the second break for nothing. It is interesting though. I kinda like it, despite my lack of success. You have to plan.]
 
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