determine your skill level drill.

I miss alot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is a nine ball drill that can give you feedback on your skill level based off your runout potential. I was told about this drill by a strong player named mr. Stevens out of va. The results are estimates I determined based off some different players skill levels participating in this drill.

Instructions.

Your going to do 10 racks of nine ball. Every ball you pocket is worth 1 point, including balls pocketed on the break.

After you break. Start with ball in hand. Run the balls out until you miss. Once you miss, the rack is over. If you pocket a ball and scratch then that ball does not count. Determine how many balls you pocketed and note that amount for that rack.

Continue that format for all 10 racks and add up your points for each rack to get your total combined score after all 10 racks.

Results. Are as follows and only give a general estimate on your skill level based off your runout power.

Out of a possible 90 points possible.

If you pocket 90 to 80 your a pro. 80 to 70 your a double a player. 70 to 55 your a single a player. 55 to 40 B Player. 40 to 30 C Player. 30 to 15 D player. 15 to 0 your easy money.

This is simply a fun drill to do and results are just estimates. Kinda like the ghost but with a twist.
 
I've used a variation of this drill for years. It's allot of fun and helps
you focus.
 
This is Joe Tucker's version.

Rack up some 10 ball. Break from anywhere. After the break, take ball in hand and run out, in rotation (1, 2, 3, etc...) All balls made on the break count. Any balls made on a scratch are spotted. Once you miss, the rack is over. You should shoot 10 racks and count the total balls made for each rack. After 10 racks, take your total and compare it to this chart:

30-35 D+
36-40 C
41-45 C+
46-50 B
51-55 B+
56-60 A
61-65 A+
66-70 A++
71-up Pro
 
So if you scratch that's not a miss an you take BIH an continue shooting? Or do you re-rack next game?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. **roo$t@r**
 
So if you scratch that's not a miss an you take BIH an continue shooting? Or do you re-rack next game?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. **roo$t@r**

I've always counted fouls as a loss of a point. Some people do it
different.
 
scratch is a miss. rack is over. rerack next one.

If you scratch its a miss. That is end of the rack.
 
The 9 ball skill test is on Dr. Dave's website along with Joe Tucker's 10-ball test which I think is a better test. Johnnyt
 
Are there any skill level estimators when you're trying to make the last three, or four, or 5 balls in 9 ball as opposed to starting at the one and not necessarily making the money ball?
 
How bout the table?

How would the conditions of the table affect your skill level for this drill? I can run out on 8 footers with buckets much more easily than say a 9 foot with tight pockets. With me, I think it would probably be about a 30 point difference in run totals. Are there any other views on this?
 
this was originally called 99. You could get a max of 11 points for each rack. You get a bonus point for making a ball on the break. It didn't matter if you made one or more balls on the break. You get only one bonus point for making a ball on the break. And the nine ball was worth 2 points.
 
How would the conditions of the table affect your skill level for this drill? I can run out on 8 footers with buckets much more easily than say a 9 foot with tight pockets. With me, I think it would probably be about a 30 point difference in run totals. Are there any other views on this?

My guess would be a 9ft with standard pockets for the 10 ball..If u can compete with the 10 ball ghost on a semi-tight 9ft table, u would be considered a rather good player by my standards..Ha ha not that my standards mean much..Just my opinion..
 
This is Joe Tucker's version.

Rack up some 10 ball. Break from anywhere. After the break, take ball in hand and run out, in rotation (1, 2, 3, etc...) All balls made on the break count. Any balls made on a scratch are spotted. Once you miss, the rack is over. You should shoot 10 racks and count the total balls made for each rack. After 10 racks, take your total and compare it to this chart:

30-35 D+
36-40 C
41-45 C+
46-50 B
51-55 B+
56-60 A
61-65 A+
66-70 A++
71-up Pro


When you do this drill, can you make combinations? What if you make a combo on the 10 ball? Does it stay down and you just continue shooting the rest of the balls in rotation or do you spot it up?
 
This is a nine ball drill that can give you feedback on your skill level based off your runout potential. I was told about this drill by a strong player named mr. Stevens out of va. ...

That would be Bill Stephen, no?

He's a pool celebrity, IMO:thumbup:
 
I assume the answer lies on Dr Dave's web site, but I'm at work and lady... In the ten ball version, it's call pocket, no slop, right?
 
Dr. Dave's ratings are a lot more stringent than the OP's or Joe Tucker's. Dr. Dave uses 9 ball and counts the 9 as two points, but otherwise is basically the same as the OP's description. I was taught the Dr. Dave version of the drill, but these were the ratings breakout that were used--

__0-25=D__(avg. less than 3 ball run)
_26-45=C__(avg. 3 or 4 ball run)
_46-65=B__(avg. 5 or 6 ball run)
_66-80=A__(avg. 7+ ball run)
80-100=Pro_(break and runs most of the time)

Here's Dr. Dave's ratings breakout--
_0-16=D-____39-46=C-____63-70=B-_____79-88=A-
17-28=D_____47-54=C____71-78=B+_____89-100=A+
29-38=D+____55-62=C+
 
How would the conditions of the table affect your skill level for this drill? I can run out on 8 footers with buckets much more easily than say a 9 foot with tight pockets. With me, I think it would probably be about a 30 point difference in run totals. Are there any other views on this?

I do better with a 9' with buckets than my 8' Kim Steel with tight pockets.
 
These rating tests frustrate the hell out of me. But then, I must be the unluckiest poolplayer in the world (one of the many reasons I won't gamble). I can't tell you how many times I've broke the balls and the lowest numbered ball on the table is tied-up with another ball (or two) and has no pocket in which to shoot at. Happens wa-a-a-ay to often for me to get an accurate rating. Screw it, I'll just call myself a D player and leave it at that.

Maniac (knows full well the damage a zero or a one score from a rack can do to ones rating)
 
These rating tests frustrate the hell out of me. But then, I must be the unluckiest poolplayer in the world (one of the many reasons I won't gamble). I can't tell you how many times I've broke the balls and the lowest numbered ball on the table is tied-up with another ball (or two) and has no pocket in which to shoot at. Happens wa-a-a-ay to often for me to get an accurate rating. Screw it, I'll just call myself a D player and leave it at that.

Maniac (knows full well the damage a zero or a one score from a rack can do to ones rating)


Do a hundred racks and then divide by 10. Luck is a statistical aberration.
 
I like the system EXCEPT... In 10 games of 9 ball i will run into 1 game that needs to be won via a saftey. When your doing this drill and you run into a saftey game that you would win with a good saftey... what do you do? Do you get a point for a well played saftey...maybe a foresure ball in hand? thats a big part of the game... so tell me your thoughts???
 
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