dwindling options under the rack

center pocket

center pocket

It's just a hobby, but a fun one.
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Well after my break shot, usually I want to shoot an easy shot to get in play with the rack. Most shots I chose are balls sitting in front of lower corners because there easy to shoot and they block the other balls. Well naturally I start running balls under the rack after the first shot. I have started to notice that after you clear whatever balls are down there. If your not careful you can get hooked or just left in a bad spot with no easy shot. Should I just clear blocker balls at the bottom of the rack and then move on leaving the rest? I wish I could just upload patterns into my brain like they uploaded kungfu in the Matrix! I am lacking so much knowledge its ridiculous. Lately I will get through a rack and a half and then something funny will happen that ends the run.
 
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Getting position on balls below the rack is one thing, but you always have to leave yourself an out. When you are shooting those balls don't just get position to pocket the ball, leave an angle on the shot so you can get out from underneath the rack to another shot or pattern.

Don't ever just shoot a shot without having a plan, that's why most shots are missed or mistakes are made. This way if you do err it will be comitted to memory and muscle memory for the next time it comes up.

Hope this helps
steve
 
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stevekur1 said:
Getting position on balls below the rack is one thing, but you always have to leave yourself an out. When you are shooting those balls don't just get position to pocket the ball, leave an angle on the shot so you can get out from underneath the rack to another shot or pattern.

Don't ever just shoot a shot without having a plan, that's why most shots are missed or mistakes are made. This way if you do err it will be comityed to memory and muscle memory for the next time it comes up.

Hope this helps
steve
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I ll now kneel down for your Steve! TÁP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP!

:happydance:

lg
Ingo
 
Already some great replies here. When you get stuck below the rack is it because you didn't have a plan or because you just didn't execute the plan?

As far as to clear or not clear the balls below the rack, Ill say the rack should tell you what to do. If there is still a cluster that you will have to go into again try to identify the secondary break ball.

If that ball is below the rack I would try to get to it before clearing all the other balls below the rack so you may have some insurance balls available.

If the secondary break ball is above the rack I would lean towards clearing the balls below the rack first. That way you have less of a chance of balls coming down and getting tied up again with the balls that were below the rack.

Hope that makes sense.

Woody
 
Very good advice... I ussualy cleanup an area that is on the opposite side of a secondary breakshots, this way I don't create more problems than I already have.

Steve

woody_968 said:
Already some great replies here. When you get stuck below the rack is it because you didn't have a plan or because you just didn't execute the plan?

As far as to clear or not clear the balls below the rack, Ill say the rack should tell you what to do. If there is still a cluster that you will have to go into again try to identify the secondary break ball.

If that ball is below the rack I would try to get to it before clearing all the other balls below the rack so you may have some insurance balls available.

If the secondary break ball is above the rack I would lean towards clearing the balls below the rack first. That way you have less of a chance of balls coming down and getting tied up again with the balls that were below the rack.

Hope that makes sense.

Woody
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I have heard/read that it's a good idea to leave yourself a ball or two near the foot rail as insurance for this sort of thing. You try to pound a ball off the short rail and it comes up short... those foot rail balls are your escape plan. They're also not bad to get shape on a standard break ball.
 
When I clear balls below the rack that are blocking other balls, I try to leave an angle on the last ball I plan on shooting so I can easily get out of there and back out to the center of the table. One thing that can easily happen is getting stuck below the rack once everything is cleared out leaving only a tough shot to a top corner pocket or safety. You need to make sure you can get to the balls you just cleared a path for. And if you're going to play a secondary break from behind the rack, be sure to have insurance.

And Steve's advice is good. Clean out the area opposite the side you plan on using for your secondary break. The less congestion, the better. That's the one good thing about breaking from behind the rack - you're going to send balls out into the open table and get a good spread. The bad thing is the cue ball may be stuck on the bottom rail without a shot.
 
Thanks Guys for all of the advice. I dont know why but my straight pool game is sucking hardcore right now. I am mostly a nine or ten ball player. Yet every once in awhile I would practice straight pool and almost everytime I did practice I would run at least on high 20 or maybe a low 30 and several 15-25 ball runs. Lately I am having trouble just clearing one rack, and when i do i will make the breakball and miss 2 -3 shots into the next rack. I think I am trying so hard to focus on patterns that I am over thinking and not executing well. I need someone to practice with that can help point out things I am doing wrong as soon as I do them.
 
You can also try shooting in front of the camera and try to review it yourself, or post it up and we will help you out here.

That what we all do !
Steve
 
I have done it a few times already. I posted a video of a very fast 28 I ran then I posted another 17 I ran real slow. Only straight man looked at and replied to my second video.

THe thread was called "Progress???"

I am currently watching your 35 ball run.
 
Okay I will check it out later from home, if I can find it and let you know what I think.

Alot of times that happens when you try to hard to put together good numbers. But if you practice the game enough it will become more natural and the patterns will start to play out better.

Like I said, don't shoot anything without a plan.

Good luck
steve
 
center pocket said:
Well after my break shot, usually I want to shoot an easy shot to get in play with the rack. Most shots I chose are balls sitting in front of lower corners because there easy to shoot and they block the other balls. Well naturally I start running balls under the rack after the first shot. I have started to notice that after you clear whatever balls are down there. If your not careful you can get hooked or just left in a bad spot with no easy shot. Should I just clear blocker balls at the bottom of the rack and then move on leaving the rest? I wish I could just upload patterns into my brain like they uploaded kungfu in the Matrix! I am lacking so much knowledge its ridiculous. Lately I will get through a rack and a half and then something funny will happen that ends the run.
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Get an accustats 14.1 dvd. There are several good ones. Cohen vs Immonen world championship is great with DiLiberto commenting. John Schmidt 169 ball run and Oliver Ortmann 150 ball run with self commentary are also good.
 
How are you doing?

center pocket said:
Well after my break shot, usually I want to shoot an easy shot to get in play with the rack. Most shots I chose are balls sitting in front of lower corners because there easy to shoot and they block the other balls. Well naturally I start running balls under the rack after the first shot. I have started to notice that after you clear whatever balls are down there. If your not careful you can get hooked or just left in a bad spot with no easy shot. Should I just clear blocker balls at the bottom of the rack and then move on leaving the rest? I wish I could just upload patterns into my brain like they uploaded kungfu in the Matrix! I am lacking so much knowledge its ridiculous. Lately I will get through a rack and a half and then something funny will happen that ends the run.
Click to expand...


How are your practice's coming along? Are you trying to shoot like you did when you ran the 17 ? I hope so. You are on the right track playing like that. Once you build up your confidence and are able to recognize patterns, then you can pick up your pace slightly, if you feel it is necessary to do so.
Shots below the rack. Clear out the balls that are blocking one pocket or the other & get back up to the center of the table to work on the rack from above. If you have balls blocking the two lower corner pockets. Clear one side out first and leave the other corner ball that will be the best way to get back up table to give you the best position to work on opening the rack up so it can be ran properly.
Also, if there are no balls blocking pockets and you find yourself behind the rack after a break shot. If there are two balls low in the center of the table. Do not worry about making both of those two balls and trying to get back up to the center of the table for a good shot that will break up the rack. Take the one ball that will give you that best shot up table. You can get that other ball later during the rack. If you can get good position by pocketing both those balls then take them but it is not necessary to clear everything low before you go up to work on something else.
I hope this all helps.
 
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it does help. I am starting to figure things out a little bit better. I feel I am playing the patterns better but I am still not putting up any good numbers. I also realized I have been rushing my stroke a bit. I have a natural tendancy to be fast, and thats fine. I have just been slowing my final stroke down a hair and it is really helping with speed control.

I will make another video at lunch and post it up.
 
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