Different way to start your run?

[easy-e]

I laughed at my buddy when he told me how he practices, but maybe he isn't the only one who does this.

Instead of setting up your favorite break shot, taking BIH, and going for it, he says he sets up a stop shot key ball or two that lead him to his break ball. Now when he shoots his favorite break shot he is already on a 2 ball run.

To me, this sounds like a pretty lame attempt to pad your run. I told him that maybe someday his runs will be high enough that he doesn't need the extra two ball head start. Have you seen anyone start their run this way?

 

[poolguy4u]

Sounds a lot better then setting up your own break shot then breaking.

Heck...setting up your own break shot...you might as well just throw balls up and start your run without a break shot.

 

[Vahmurka]

I like the approach Blackjack takes. First rack does not count, he counts only the break ball he makes after running the first rack on which he sets up with ball in hand. Unfortunately I can not afford such luxury as not to count first 14 balls yet :grin:

 

[easy-e]

Sounds a lot better then setting up your own break shot then breaking.

Heck...setting up your own break shot...you might as well just throw balls up and start your run without a break shot.

I wish my initial break shot was as good as yours. How do you start your runs?

 

[driven]

a 2 ball head start!

It might be better than a 98-miss break shot scenario.

steven

 

[krupa]

If he's doing it just to get two extra balls, yeah, that's kind of silly. However, I do it like that because I like it... I'll never get a BIH break shot when I play someone so might as well get used to not having perfect position.

-matthew

 

[easy-e]

If he's doing it just to get two extra balls, yeah, that's kind of silly. However, I do it like that because I like it... I'll never get a BIH break shot when I play someone so might as well get used to not having perfect position.

-matthew

I can understand that, he clearly said it was two give himself a "head start".

 

[sfleinen]

Sounds a lot better then setting up your own break shot then breaking.

Heck...setting up your own break shot...you might as well just throw balls up and start your run without a break shot.

Respectfully, I disagree with this. Lots of folks need practice with "certain" break shots, and starting a run with these helps. For example, I like to practice headspotted-ball break shots (where the last ball ended up in the rack area by an accidental bump or whatever, and so that object ball goes on the headspot). So I'll try to practice these headspotted ball breakshots as my opening break, where the cue ball goes two rails into the pack, and see what I can do from there.

Or, let's say we have a side pocket break shot -- but not the "John Schmidt" one where we place the break ball near the side pocket and the cue ball just off angle to carom into the top of the stack. Rather, I'm talking about the break ball near the top two balls, and the cue ball located parallel to it on the long rail, where you're cutting that break ball a good distance into the side pocket and immediately going into the side of the pack with the cue ball. (Those that know what I'm talking about, know this is not a "gimme" breakshot at all.)

Setting these types of non-standard break shots up helps you to work on them -- and start a run at the same time, if you want to continue.

-Sean

 

[easy-e]

Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but when I set up my own break shot I still have plenty of clusters. No matter where I place it, I hit it with a medium speed to get 6-7 balls out and take it from there.

I use to smash them, but I never do that in a real game so I quit practicing it.

 

[sjm]

copied from a post of mine in another thread .....

I remember watching Earl Strickland warming up during the National Straight Pool Championships (an event won by the late George "Ginky" San Souci) in 1999 in NYC, and Earl not only started his practice from a full rack and played the opening safety shot but he reracked the balls and did the same after every miss.

Many prefer to set up a break shot to get started .... whatever you prefer.

 

[gerard soriano]

The funny thing to me is when you see all these top players go into a (high run) competition they start with a side pocket break shot but the rest of there run they hardly ever play for one . I practice break shots from everywhere because unless you play like JS DH OO or some other top players you will be trying to hit the rack from all over IMHO

 

[Bob Jewett]

The funny thing to me is when you see all these top players go into a (high run) competition they start with a side pocket break shot but the rest of there run they hardly ever play for one . ...

At one point Corey Deuel was playing for a side pocket break similar to the center spot break. I don't know if he still does that. Greenleaf was said to favor side pocket breaks, but I have no idea what kind/position.

 

[dmgwalsh]

At one point Corey Deuel was playing for a side pocket break similar to the center spot break. I don't know if he still does that. Greenleaf was said to favor side pocket breaks, but I have no idea what kind/position.

Bob: He did that in one of his matches out at the world's one year. He was bumping balls up towards the side to make side pocket break shots and ignoring traditional break balls.

During one of his sessions at Marop's house, he was experimenting with below the rack break shots, doing the same sort of things, ignoring traditional, trying to make below the rack break shots.

I think he was just experimenting at the time and I think the last games he played, he broke from all over the place.

 

[LuckyStroke]

I've been trying to learn this game and been really enjoying it. But, I've never known how to start while playing alone. I'll probably put in a few hours tonight so any suggestions are appreciated

 

[Bob Jewett]

I've been trying to learn this game and been really enjoying it. But, I've never known how to start while playing alone. I'll probably put in a few hours tonight so any suggestions are appreciated

The standard way to start in the high run competitions is to place one loose object ball to be your break ball and the cue ball where you want. Sometimes there is the restriction, which I feel is important, that neither of the those two balls be within a ball of any other ball. One time at the SBE (I think) someone was placing the "break" ball frozen to the corner of the rack for a dead ball into the corner pocket.

Another way to play is the way Equal Offense starts which is to smash the 15 balls open and then take ball in hand behind the line. In Equal Offense you are supposed to stop your turn at 20, but for your practice that's not necessary.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

I think runs should start with a break shot and BIH at a minimum. Leaving extra balls that are stop-stop-stop shouldn't count. If anything, the BJ method of the first rack doesn't count is the ultimate extreme.

BIH - one ball -- 14 racked. Anything else is practice and shouldn't count. I agree w/ Easy... it's padding.

 

[JC]

In Equal Offense you are supposed to stop your turn at 20, but for your practice that's not necessary.

That's never been much of an issue around here:frown:

 

[alstl]

I don't see a major problem with it. Once you break the rack open it is 14.1. Crane's 150 and out vs Balsis didn't come off the break but it still counts as 150 balls run.

Mosconi's 526 reportedly came off his opponent's miss. I don't know anybody who doesn't count it as a legitimate run.

 

[alstl]

The standard way to start in the high run competitions is to place one loose object ball to be your break ball and the cue ball where you want. Sometimes there is the restriction, which I feel is important, that neither of the those two balls be within a ball of any other ball. One time at the SBE (I think) someone was placing the "break" ball frozen to the corner of the rack for a dead ball into the corner pocket.

Another way to play is the way Equal Offense starts which is to smash the 15 balls open and then take ball in hand behind the line. In Equal Offense you are supposed to stop your turn at 20, but for your practice that's not necessary.

I play equal offense almost exclusively because you get to use the whole table in the first rack and encounter different situations. Frequently getting to the second rack is more difficult than 14.1 because there are fewer break balls available. Excellent practice game.

 

[ShootingRazbone]

I think runs should start with a break shot and BIH at a minimum. Leaving extra balls that are stop-stop-stop shouldn't count. If anything, the BJ method of the first rack doesn't count is the ultimate extreme.

BIH - one ball -- 14 racked. Anything else is practice and shouldn't count. I agree w/ Easy... it's padding.

Agreed...its padding