Eight Ball I need help

Pete

Pete

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Eight ball, I find my end game is my weakest part.
To better explain, last night when I was playing, I would run the balls to the end and get out of shape on the pre key ball, try to recover, and be bad on the key ball. I would either miss the key ball, or make it and miss shape on the eight.

Does any one have any drills to work on this part of the game.
 
Pete said:
Eight ball, I find my end game is my weakest part.
To better explain, last night when I was playing, I would run the balls to the end and get out of shape on the pre key ball, try to recover, and be bad on the key ball. I would either miss the key ball, or make it and miss shape on the eight.

Does any one have any drills to work on this part of the game.
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I beat a lot of guys who can run balls. You need to have
a strategy to get out. SEE the table. Picture your run.
The old timers used to keep as many balls tied up as
possible until everything was open & then they would run
the table.When I was young I used to think I was better
than those old farts and now I am one.
 
When planning your pattern to get out start with the 8 ball and think backwards to where the cue ball is. People often approach the problem by thinking forward from the cue ball position only. Planning your pattern by working backward usually gives a superior pattern to the key ball and may result in actually selecting a better key ball.
 
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breakup said:
Planning your pattern by working backward usually gives a superior pattern to the key ball and may better result in actually selecting a better key ball.
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I agree with breakup. If you are having trouble on the pre-key ball, look at the pre-pre key ball (4th last ball on the table). If you can find the pattern that easily puts you on this ball with position to get to the pre key ball (the one you're struggling with) then you'll probably have more success.

I can relate to your problem a bit. After I've made 3 or 4 balls I sometimes get a little out of line and have to either choose a different ball to shoot next or try to get my intended position on a different (usually tougher) shot angle. When your opponent has all their balls on the table still this becomes quite difficult.

Maybe we should work on our cue ball control as well as our pattern choices! Ha.

Hope it helps.
 
towards the end, if you find your out of shape, try to stretch your mind, use your imagination, maybe a genius saftey comes to mind?, how about a bank, for position? even think of timing shots! but the key, is to stretch the mind, that's why mike sigel, efren reyes, sang lee, and dare i say it? myself excite and excell, use your mind, there is always some type of shot, FIND IT!!
 
I also will try to select a pattern so the most difficult shots to execute come early in the run whenever possible (either difficult to pocket the ball or difficult to get position). That way if I miss my opponent has more traffic to work around. If I get out of line I have more cover to dive for when playing a safety.

Whenever possible don’t run 7 if you can’t run 8
 
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My 'end game' used to be about the same as yours. I'd get nice table runs and then myself out of position for the 8...very frustrating.

In 8 ball, the more of your opponent's balls that are pocketed, the better. Leaves you room to work...providing he/she doesn't runout on you.

3 key points to a successful outcome in 8 ball, IMO, is: cue ball control (this includes speed, not just placement), pattern play (and being able to 'adjust' your pattern for changing table lie), and shot-safety, shot-safety, shot-safety.

Shot-safety is not the same as playing a safety. I will often take a more difficult shot just because of where the cue ball will come to rest, as well as your object ball, should you not pocket it. It takes alot of forethought at first, but will quickly become 2nd nature, as will pattern-play. The trick here is to minimize available balls for your opponent to shoot at at any turn at the table.

I now use the pattern-play concept to 'read' my opponent's table lie, so that I can keep him tied up and out of areas of the table that will allow him/her to get out.

I am not very good @ explaining this; I do it much better. ;) I can not recommend enough a book called 'The Eight Ball Bible' by R Givens. It will teach you all about pattern-play and shot-safety. The diagrams are designed around a 7ft barbox. I diregarded the diagrams, and just concentrated on the theory. My game exploded! Worth every penny!!

Lisa
 
A lot of good replies. I would highly recommend Mike Sigel's tape on 8 ball. He gives some great advice on everything from how to pick stripes or solids to how to break. Some advice I will pass along from his tape is to shoot your balls in groups. Don't move all over the table, but instead move from one area to another clearing the balls in each group. That way you don't have to travel up and down the table at the end of a game. This strategy should help you keep from getting too out of line on your last few shots if your last few balls are all close together in a group rather than spread out. That way, you will minimize how much you need to move the CB late in the game. Hope this helps.
 
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