Do you miss on purpose?

Luxury

Luxury

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I play tap league and I am rated a 6 on a ranking system that goes up to a 7. I defenitely have my share of break and runs in 8 ball but it is probably only 5 percent of the time. I am usually only playing 4s or 5s and I'm trying to decide if I don't have a duck pond to shoot at after the break should I go ahead and make a ball to declare the better group and then miss on purpose so my weaker opponent can get some of his balls out of the way? Does anyone employ this strategy?

I'm thinking the only way I can lose to these guys is if I continually go for a break and runout only to fail with just the 8ball on the table and then watch them make a ball and play safe and torture me.

Please give me some input.
 
i shure do not miss on purpose. This is my main goal when playing is to challenge myself to pocket everything i shoot at. I see players in leagues here that give away alot of hadicapp and miss on purpose to lower their teams average, and the strategy you mentioned you don't have to miss on purpose. What i like to do is pluck off a few balls myself if the table is messy and i don't have a ball to break up things and get things rolling. What i simply like to do myself is knock balls towards the group that i can use or block pockets with my group. I see if i was tend to miss on purpose i might pick up a bad habit or something, and not be consistent. But when i do miss, especially a easy shot i like to pretend i did it on Purpose LOL. *gets embarrassed
 
Luxury said:
I play tap league and I am rated a 6 on a ranking system that goes up to a 7. I defenitely have my share of break and runs in 8 ball but it is probably only 5 percent of the time. I am usually only playing 4s or 5s and I'm trying to decide if I don't have a duck pond to shoot at after the break should I go ahead and make a ball to declare the better group and then miss on purpose so my weaker opponent can get some of his balls out of the way? Does anyone employ this strategy?

I'm thinking the only way I can lose to these guys is if I continually go for a break and runout only to fail with just the 8ball on the table and then watch them make a ball and play safe and torture me.

Please give me some input.
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yes this strategy can work for you when your not finishing. You should fine tune it though. When you decide early that a table is not runnable, go ahead and pick the better group. but don't just miss the next ball. to many bad things can happen that way. It's better to play safe off of a trouble ball. This does two things. Puts your opponent in a bad position, plus develops the table in your favour upon your return. Or look for a lock up safety 2 or 3 balls down the road. They call this "playing to a safe". Getting that ball in hand is HUGE. Good luck.

Stretch
 
I regularly play in bar tournaments and I do find it good strategy when the balls are tied up too much to pick a suit then duck. Usually, once I establish my suit, I will seek to make my opponent's balls more tied up and/or free one of my clusters.

Attempting a difficult runout, where two or more balls are tied up with no pocket, will too often result in clearning the balls for your opponent, who may well run out on you.

Sometimes, if my balls are not too tied up, on my first shot, or sometimes my second, I will attempt to break them free. If I'm successful, and the balls then lay more favorably, I'll go for the runout
 
Right on Stretch, in Military terms Preparing the Battlefield, and Safety Break. Just make shure you don't get yourself in one ball hell
 
When I'm playing somebody cheap sets ($50-$200) but I know that the person has money and will lose a lot more if they are comfortable playing me then I will dump a few sets to them.
 
corvette1340 said:
When I'm playing somebody cheap sets ($50-$200) but [...]
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How many of us here can start a sentence like this with a straight face? Come on, fess up.

I'm not one.
 
If I am playing my buddies or just trying to hang out and have fun with folks, I will dump a shot here and there just to keep it interesting for all of us.

However, if it's a serious game...I never "miss" on purpose. This is not to say I never miss. But, my "True" missed balls are few and far between. However, giving your opponent a shot at the table can play to your advantage when the table is not laid out like you want or need it.

Call it a controlled miss or more appropriately a safe shot, but not just a miss. Never dump on purpose and leave the pick of the balls to chance, because this can kill you.

Look the table over and decide which layout is "your" layout. Then, before ever thinking about pocketing a ball...decide where your trouble is at. Once you have identified your problem ball/balls (if there are any), shoot your first shot and make the ball while trying to work your way to the trouble. Always declare the balls you want first by pocketing your first shot. Focus on getting the trouble out of the way early in the game.

Typically, if I have not broken up the trouble by shot two...I am looking for the safe shot for a bail out option in the event that I don't get 'er done by shot 4. Unless I have an obvious way to get the trouble out of the way by shot 4 or 5...I will safe my opponent and try to get ball in hand or force them to make an error while they try to run out. If you can't get them tied up by hooking them. leave them in the most precarious of positions when you turn the table over and try to force an error or "miss" on their part.

Measure the risks and the percentages and make all your decisions early in the game. Sometimes, we have to go deep into the run to get the breakout and as long as we know this and are confident that we can do it, then there's nothing wrong with waiting until shot 6 or 7 to get the trouble dealt with.

However, keep in mind that there is no place worse than "ONE BALL HELL" and your oponent has the clear advantage if you leave them an open table with you only have the "8" ball or just one of your balls sitting up pretty. Even a much lesser player can beat you under these circumstances. They can literally make one and safe you. Make one and safe you until they get out.

Just remember that the game of pool requires much more of us than just making balls and running tables. If we don't play with a strategy and a goal...we never get to that next level of play. Don't be afraid to change your strategy or your goal during a game either. Sometimes, sticking to a plan can kill you if you haven't executed during your turn at the table. always be thinking and give every single shot it's due diligence and it will pay off for you in more ways you can imagine. Just the focus factor can take your game to the next level.

Good luck!
 
When playing 8 ball in a competitive arena, after sinking a ball to establish the better suit, I do not sink balls until a run out is available. Otherwise I simply open the table for a weaker opponent (which makes it much easier to shoot), and leave his balls out as easy blockers to my balls. I either break up trouble balls, or miss balls that are in a tougher position and try to leave them near a pocket. Of course, if a think a cluster or difficult set of balls canbe broken up easily after another shot, I may attemp this fairly early, especially if they have some of their balls locked up also. If I think the opponent has no real chance of running the rest of the table out on me (because of the setup or their skill level), I will happily "accidently" make one of their balls. If you are a good player and can generally run an open table, you are considered to be in a better position with more open balls out on the table. Of course, you really do not want your opponent to catch on to the fact that you are employing this strategy, or they will play safe more instead of trying to pocket balls (which will get them out of your way). If your opponent is very capable of making a run on you. You have to be more careful with this. It is kind of like the guy who wants to bet you money in 8 ball and is willing to give you 3 balls after the break. He is playing you, because all he is doing is clearing your balls out of the way so he can run the table. Of course all of this only works if you can failry consistently funish an open table. Good luck!
 
How many of us here can start a sentence like this with a straight face?
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LMAO! Too funny Mike!!!

I am sure corevette was definitely smiling.

Smiling over the remark and how it was going to affect folks reading it, or smiling because $50.00 to $200.00 is cheap for him indicating he either doesn't lose or he is loaded...both of which are excellent reasons to be smiling.

I know I would be!!!
 
Generally when I'm playing I look the table over, identify my problem ball/s and then try to pocket balls in such a way as to get the CB to break open my problem ball/s. If I can't figure out how to get them out or I miss a couple attempts then I'll hit into the problem ball trying to move it in front of a pocket, and leave the CB safe. I don't think I ever intentionally miss a makeable shot.

McCue Banger McCue
 
If I can't runout, with each visit to the table, I work toward being able to runout, while at the same time keeping control of the table.

If the table is open, I first look for a runout. If no runout with either set of balls likely, I look for the group of balls which is blocking the other set somewhere or is blocking the 8. This is the group I want. The group that is blocking the other set of balls.

Then I shoot in one of those balls or if I don't have a shot on one of those balls, play safe (leave my opponent with no shot) or try to leave my opponent with a shot on the other set of balls.

Now I have my set of balls. I now work toward being able to runout. At the same time, I also work toward blocking more of my opponent's balls. I look at my trouble balls. These are balls which are blocked, clustered, or can't be made into a pocket.

I then think about where I can move one of those balls. Can I move one of those trouble balls in front of a pocket to block my opponent's balls or the 8? Can I shoot one of those balls into another trouble ball so they are both broken out? Can I shoot one of those balls into my opponent's balls creating problem balls for him? Can I fix a trouble ball and at the same time move that ball closer to a pocket and maybe even block that pocket?

The very best shot is (early on - most balls on table) to fix one or more trouble balls AND move a ball closer to a pocket AND block my opponent's shot(s) or 8 into that pocket AND leave the cue ball in a nasty place so my opponent has a difficult shot (or has an easy shot at one of his balls which is blocking my ball(s)).

Basically I am trying to gain advantage here. Re-arrange things so I have an easy runout or my opponent has an impossible runout. I do this right away. My thinking is that the more balls I leave on the table, the harder it will be for my opponent to runout.

So I want to leave most of my balls on the table until I can runout. I want my balls to be near pockets - preferably blocking my opponent's balls. I want to move trouble balls closer to corner pockets or in front of the side pockets.

So I start out by selecting the group of balls which is already blocking my opponent's balls or the 8. Then from the get go, I re-arrange things so my balls are closer to the pockets and blocking more of my opponent's balls.

Then my opponent shoots and pockets most of his balls (getting them out of my way - Thank you!). Then he gets down to his 1st blocked ball and has a bank shot. If he makes it, he then has a bank on the second blocked ball. If he makes it, good for him! Good shooting!

Many times they don't make the banks though. Then I have an easy runout or a BIG advantage. Balls all over the place, almost impossible for my opponent to leave me without a shot. But easy for me to leave him without a shot as he is down to one ball.

Sometimes (when having fun) I get to where I have 4 or 5 pockets blocked with my balls. My opponent looks this way - no shot! He looks that way - no shot! Looks another way - no shot! Then he looks at me and says some things which I will not repeat on this "family forum".

Anyway the bottom line is that your balls are soldiers which can be used to block your opponent's shots or block the 8 into a pocket. If you don't have a shot or can't runout, might as well fix a trouble ball and at the same time try to move it so it is blocking a pocket.
 
ugotda8 said:
LMAO! Too funny Mike!!!

I am sure corevette was definitely smiling.

Smiling over the remark and how it was going to affect folks reading it, or smiling because $50.00 to $200.00 is cheap for him indicating he either doesn't lose or he is loaded...both of which are excellent reasons to be smiling.

I know I would be!!!
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I'm not necessarily loaded, but what is a few hundred when the guy has a history of going off for a few thousand? Just makes sense to lay down a little until the bet gets right. By the way, I hardly ever play pool but I like to gamble and unless I'm just goofing around waiting on a card game to start or something I'm not going to put a stick together for under $200 a set anymore. :)
 
Yes I miss on purpose if it is strategic. The league I play in is a straight up league (no Handicapp). So you have to be careful with every shot even misses. (Only one called Safety). Now if I am playing with friends I will at times try a hard shot that I may have a one in ten chance in making.
 
Thanks for all the input. Defenitely some good ideas and perspectives. In "play your best 8 ball" Phil Capelle does talk about missing on purpose and putting on an act that you are mad that you missed so that your opponent doesn't employ the same strategy.

This is when the table is tied up and you really want him to go for a failed runout.

Genious in my opinion.
 
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