I finally got my 7-0 today. Link below at 5x chipmunk speed. I wore a belt this time
https://youtu.be/jxQbncbv0g8
It took me 19 sets. Playing the 7 ball from the CB down table was definitely a better success ratio. You can see below the first 7 sets I played the 7 ball the first way, and set 8 through 19 the second way.
As far as the practice method:
IMO, shooting the shots from the "exact" same OB location was a tremendous teacher. I figured out so many subtitles of very slight angle variations, very slight spin effects, etc. I think without having the exact same OB locations, I might have not figured these out. I have been practicing for the past 25 years using random layouts, and feel I learned a lot in the past 18 days of shooting this over and over "exactly".
Besides just shooting complete sets, I found many problem areas "for me" while the sets were happening. What I did many times, is shoot only one shot between sets, because I knew the range of CB locations the CB would end up in from the prior sets. So I shot the shot individually, with a whole rack, from each possible CB location, and getting position on the next shot. This helped me quite a bit when I tried the whole set again.
Pattern: I feel confident the way I played the pattern in this video linked in this post, is the best possible way to play the whole runout. I have 19 sets of shooting the shots all different ways. This way was by far the highest percentage. I really don't think a pro could pick a better pattern. This is not to sound cocky, but just to say that I experimented with a bunch of different routes and pockets for the balls, and the way I shot them in this set, afforded the greatest margins of error. I found great value in figuring this out for myself. Rather than ask what is the best way to shoot this layout, I tried myself all the possibilities, and answered the question for my self. As a learning tool (in any field, imo), this is probably the best way to learn: Answer the question for yourself.
Memory: I have been playing only this pattern since 4/5. I have not shot any other shots since then. Except today, before attempting this 7-0 run, I just threw balls on the table and attempted to run them out like I normally practice. I found that the shots from the set pattern came up several times during just throwing the balls on the table. Maybe not the exact shot, but close enough, where I had an "ah-ha" moment, recalled all the nuances of the shot at hand from the practice drill, and then executed the shot successfully in a different layout. Besides the execution of the shot, also the pattern of the runout came into play. I learned from the repeated pattern, that the 8 in the side is a very poor shot to lead to good position to the 9. I had a similar layout between 2 balls when I threw them on the table, and immediately recognized this potential problem, and played the first ball in the corner instead of the side.
Range of shots: I feel even with the same 9 OB portions, you need to have a very well rounded game to get all the way out. So many different strokes, and position routes came up. I know this last video looks easy and all the same shots, but all the other attempts I took, and individual trials of individual balls, really tested a ton of strokes. Because the CB won't land in the same spot every time, you need to know how to play the shot from all different CB positions and still get on the next ball. I guess my point of this paragraph, is that even with the exact same 9 ball layout, that alone might be enough to really learn many, many, many other layouts.
Conclusion:
I'm very pleased with the results of this focused practice. I feel if I try it again with more layouts, and keep doing them until I go mad or get a perfect score, I can't help but become a better player.
Thanks all who participated in this thread. I will do another one in the future.
IMO, and YMMV
![CropperCapture[127].png](/data/attachments/360/360177-a8d59d693b930c41d2fb702e94553f08.jpg?hash=qNWdaTuTDE)