Just as a side note. Straight Pool is probably the best game you can use for practice by yourself. If you can learn to run a few racks (40-50 balls) you will be a good player, and capable of playing any other pool game. This from a guy who NEVER ran 100 balls in my life (high run 72).
TAP TAP TAP
GREAT POST!!!!!!
Jay, I couldn't agree more!!!!!!
When I was at my peak, 14.1 was my strongest game and my high run was 156. I don't EVER remember practicing for a "high run"..... not once.
My 156 was actually a 150 and out (only 150 and out I ever had) but ended up being 156 due to the rack-man forgetting to move 6 beads that was brought to my attention shortly after.
My high run didn't end on a miss, like most mediocre 14.1 players, I stopped when I had enough points since my average run was probably 10 to 15 in game setting.
BTW, I've had people to ask how many I could have run if I had tried. Lol.... compared to the greats, my run would have been a very, very big joke. I feel I would have been between 200 and 225 ballpark if I would've quit my job, got divorced, and lived in the pool room on the table with the biggest pockets and almost no shelf.
Although, I probably would have starved to death long before I reached that goal since I was a terrible gambler and ran business off due to not knowing how to or wanting to lay down (play only just good enough....that's for real players) regardless of how small the bet was.
Sometimes, these 14.1 threads/post bring back a lot of memories and makes me realize that being taught to play 14.1 by a couple old timers (75ish back in 1980) that shared a room with some of the greats you had the honor of knowing was a blessing and I had NO IDEA at the time..... i was a very stupid, stupid, stupid young man at the time.
Anyways, I here people, IMO, downgrading 14.1 by saying it's not this or that, when in fact, it is one of... if not the best game ever invented for pocket billiards.
On a side note, I have tried for a high run since returning to pool. 57 on my 9' pro-am. Like you and many others on here, I'm a ways from where I once was, eventhough, lol... it was a short trip.