Defensive / Safety Play...

Kanedog

Kanedog

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I need HELP learning this part of the game!!!

Since joining the APA a little more than a year ago, I find that defensive shots are the biggest hole in my game. Either playing them or escaping them...I'm lost, lol.

In the leagues I've grown up playing in, defensive play was in a sense "frowned upon" so it was never a huge priority to practice this. Now...being in the APA, I see how important this part of the game is and I'm interested in increasing my knowledge.

My question is... can anyone recommend practice tips, reading material, DVD's, etc... that could help me get started in the right direction.

Thanks!!! :)
 
It's all just cue ball control and learning how to kick imo. So I would learn to control the cue ball and also look at banking / diamond systems if I were you.

Then when you get better at kicking you'll start kick safing and all that fun stuff.
 
I found that The Pro Book by Bob Henning was very useful. There is an entire section illustrating the basic safety types as well as discussions about when to play safe, etc. It was the first resource I found with really good safety information. I know he has a new Advanced version of the book, too. There might be other references out there by now, but I haven't looked lately.
 
Recently a friend showed me a drill or a game he would play. Take three balls and you or if you are playing someone place the balls anywhere on the table. The object of the game or drill was to ...HOW TO WIN FROM THIS POSITION... The first shot is normally from a safety stand point if you play safe then it would be the next persons shot they would either run out if you dont play safe or play a safe back on you. I noticed it helped me look for safetys the next time i played a tourn. I would look for ways to win not just hit balls around the table and wait for my turn to rack. LOL GOOD LUCK
 
Safety play is pretty much a test of cue ball control. It will heavily expose that weakness. You need practice specifically that. I like to play practice games where I play all CB carom shots. Don't try and make any balls just toss out half a dozen balls and play rotation where you have to carom off one numbered ball and have to hit the next numbered ball with the CB. There are tons of CB control drills tho.

Kicking/banking/jumping is you best way out of a hook. Again , simple practice there. Play some short racks of banks and set up multi (2/3/4) rail kick shots for practice. Learn one of the variations of a diamond system , there are a bunch.

Jumping is pretty easy with jump cue but you still have to practice , that's pretty obvious , set up jump shots. :) The catch tho is many leagues don't allow jump cues and you have to learn to jump with your player. Most people I see who jump with ease can't hardly at all with their playing cue as it's much harder with it. You'll have to see if it's worth the extra work or just to focus on the other options.

Good luck. :)
 
thank you!

Thanks everyone for the replies! Great info so far and it is much appreciated!!
 
Neil said:
Don't ask me about safety play. I can send the cueball 4' to get behind 5 other balls, and the object ball 5' in the other direction, and I'll be darned if 9 out of 10 times the cueball doesn't end up right in the 'tunnel' between all those balls to make the object ball! The few times I do actually get safe, my opponent pulls out the best shot of his life and makes a two or three rail kick and makes the darn thing!

I've learned that the best defense is to not let your opponent to the table.
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That is a easy fix Neil...Just start aiming for that tunnel and you will end up hooking them 9 out of 10 times...;)
 
I have an entire section devoted to safeties in my book Lessons In 9 Ball - the link is available below in my signature - and portions of it have been posted in this forum, you could probably find it if you search my screen name - but I'm not sure if the images/diagrams are still attached to those posts.
 
RRfireblade said:
My new "sledge-omatic bounce master 5000" JB can jump out of that. :D
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Sledge-O-matic bounce master 5000...??? lol

Does Chris make this cue?
 
Blackjack said:
Sledge-O-matic bounce master 5000...??? lol

Does Chris make this cue?
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Not yet , it's in proto still until I can get gov't clearance for the use of Plutonium for ferrule material.
 
LOL @ the jump masse corner carom....try and say that 3x fast :) I'm cracking up here... thanks everyone
 
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