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j_zippel

j_zippel

Big Tuna
Silver Member
Anyone have any links, pictures or insight into some drills and patterns to playing 8 ball on 9 foot tables. Hoping there could be something fun out there since I literally don't practice drills because just playing rack after rack mindlessly seeems to keep me content.
 
Here's two (2) drills that will help elevate your game when you perform the drills and track your improvement.......See what your personal best is and try beating it every time you do these drills.....I have eleven (11) basic drills I've been taught to hone my skills when I'm practicing by myself.

1st Drill (Short Shape Position)

Take 9 objects balls......striped object balls play best.......proceed to the first diamond on the long rail....either side doesn't matter. Position the balls starting at the first diamond and space the balls 3/4" apart....1st object ball is frozen on the rail at the first diamond and then the 4 next object balls are spaced away from the frozen ball on the rail etc. in a straight line extending a total of 5 balls toward to center of the table.

Then at the apex ball (the 5th ball from the first diamond extending inward) you place the next four balls spaced the same distance apart but the next four balls are positioned in a straight line to the first diamond on the long rail......you form a perfect square with all the balls spaced evenly apart but the pattern extends from the first diamond on the long rail to the first diamond on the head (short) rail....... x x x x (apex ball) x x x x.....it forms a perfect square, albeit a small one, and the square has the last balls in the square formation frozen to the first diamonds on the long and short rails.

Take ball in hand and pocket all the balls in that corner pocket the balls formed a square around. You start with pocketing the first ball frozen on the the short rail, proceed to shoot the next 8 balls into the same pocket finishing with the last ball frozen at the long rail's 1st diamond. The catch is that only the object ball being shot at and the cue ball can touch.....no other object balls can ever be touched by the cue ball or the intended object ball trying to be pocketed.........shoot 9 balls in a row in sequence never touching another ball except the cue ball and intended object ball.......Sounds easy?

Well, it's much harder than it appears in the beginning and this drill teaches you 1/2 table position.......Remember all the balls have to be pocketed in the same corner pocket and no balls can ever touch except for the cue ball and intended object ball.

Then after you've mastered the drill and can get run-outs regularly and quickly....not in 10 attempts.......you can run 4 out of the first 6 attempts.......then make it it more challenging. Lay a pool stick across the middle of the table from side pocket to side pocket. Now do the drill again and the cue ball can never touch the cue stick at any time or you start the drill over. Keep track of how many attempts before you get your 1st drill run-out and see how fast you get to improve.......Sometimes you never get past the apex ball, or so it seems, because you lose shape which is "CRITICAL" if you expect to pocket 9 balls in a row to the same corner pocket and never touch another object ball........You'll learn and master cue ball speed, cut angles and different English in order to master this simple drill.

In 1964, a pool hustler of sorts, Ciscero Murphy, taught me this drill at one of our pool hall joints in Brooklyn. He had just beaten me for the umpteenth time and we became pals over the years. He took me aside and said this will help you get out on the last 4-5 balls in 9 ball......Control the Cue Ball....and this drill has served me well ever since.

I have progressed to where I now position the cue stick on the diamond in front of the side pocket and I perform the drill on essentially a smaller table.....I'm shrinking the table space and controlling the cue ball still pocketing all 9 balls in the corner pocket and never touch another ball. It sometimes takes a couple of attempts to get the drill successfully completed the first time but this drill is your report card. You absolutely know when you shooting well because the results stare you in the face........How many attempts did it take you? Did you ever get out at all? Are you improving and is the drill becoming easier.......Which object ball seems to be giving you the most trouble maintaining table position for the next shot (the apex ball?)......TRY IT.


2nd Drill (Long Cut Shots)

You start with one object ball on the head spot......and......and.......I won't go into details right now because unless you find the first drill helpful and fun, this drill would be inconsequential and so I'll post it at another time............Try the box drill.......you must keep the box small and tight so line it up from the first diamond on the long rail to the first diamond on the head rail........See How Good You Actually Are Controlling The Cue Ball.......This drill is harder than it looks and cue ball speed is essential or you'll never finish the drill, especially when you reduce the table size by laying a cue stick across the side pockets.
 
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There's a free app available called "Pool Drills" that I have on my Android. Probably available for I-phone too. Easy to refer to when at the local pool room.
 
Check out Dr Dave's site, better yet, purchase his VEPPs DVD series. Do a google search for pool grid drills, you'll find a number of good ones. I think playing Fargo is much better practice playing by yourself than 8 ball ghost. I think it is called the 6 8 drill and it is excellent. Put 8 ball on the button and 6 balls evenly spaced across the string at the other end of the table. BIH. Pocket 8, get position to pocket first ball on the right. Put 8 back on the button. Get position to pocket 8 after pocketing first ball. Repeat working the 6 balls in order from right to left always bringing out the 8 Ito the button n between each shot on one of the six balls. Kind of has some snooker aspects and helps you getting used to pocketing the money ball.
 
If you really want to see what level of cue ball control expertise you possess and test your skills, get a copy of Kim Davenport's "Target Pool" and try playing this on a 9' table........it's a nightmare when you attempt Courses 10,11 & 12.......Keep in mind that Target Pool was intended for 7' size tables and on a smaller table Kim only averaged 62 points out of a possible 150 points for Course #12.

As a contrast, for Course #1 in Target Pool, Kim averaged 138 out of 150 points. As you can see, the higher number courses are much more difficult as evidenced by Kim Davenport who is a world champion pool professional.......Kim' s average for Course 1 was 138 out of 150 versus Course 12 where he only averaged 62 out of 150 points. And Kim's scores were achieved playing on a 7' table.

Rest assured, if it was played on a 9' table, Kim's average score for Course #12 would most likely be only in the range of 30 points out of 150 points.....the Target Pool game obviously is more challenging with its higher number courses (Total of 12 courses) and the 9' table challenges your skills to the most extreme limits imaginable.
 
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Bavafongoul said:
If you really want to see what level of cue ball control expertise you possess and test your skills, get a copy of Kim Davenport's "Target Pool" and try playing this on a 9' table........it's a nightmare when you attempt Courses 10,11 & 12.......Keep in mind that Target Pool was intended for 7' size tables and on a smaller table Kim only averaged 62 points out of a possible 150 points for Course #12.

As a contrast, for Course #1 in Target Pool, Kim averaged 138 out of 150 points. As you can see, the higher number courses are much more difficult as evidenced by Kim Davenport who is a world champion pool professional.......Kim' s average for Course 1 was 138 out of 150 versus Course 12 where he only averaged 62 out of 150 points. And Kim's scores were achieved playing on a 7' table.

Rest assured, if it was played on a 9' table, Kim's average score for Course #12 would most likely be only in the range of 30 points out of 150 points.....the Target Pool game obviously is more challenging with its higher number courses (Total of 12 courses) and the 9' table challenges your skills to the most extreme limits imaginable.
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guess i should clean my balls and freshen up my tip.. lol
 
Bavafongoul said:
If you really want to see what level of cue ball control expertise you possess and test your skills, get a copy of Kim Davenport's "Target Pool" and try playing this on a 9' table........it's a nightmare when you attempt Courses 10,11 & 12.......Keep in mind that Target Pool was intended for 7' size tables and on a smaller table Kim only averaged 62 points out of a possible 150 points for Course #12.

As a contrast, for Course #1 in Target Pool, Kim averaged 138 out of 150 points. As you can see, the higher number courses are much more difficult as evidenced by Kim Davenport who is a world champion pool professional.......Kim' s average for Course 1 was 138 out of 150 versus Course 12 where he only averaged 62 out of 150 points. And Kim's scores were achieved playing on a 7' table.

Rest assured, if it was played on a 9' table, Kim's average score for Course #12 would most likely be only in the range of 30 points out of 150 points.....the Target Pool game obviously is more challenging with its higher number courses (Total of 12 courses) and the 9' table challenges your skills to the most extreme limits imaginable.
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Target pool came with a cardboard ruler and it was marked for measuring all 7, 8 and 9 footers.

It had a VHS tape with pros Buddy Hall, CJ Wiley and Kim playing Target Pool on a 9 foot table.

There was one other pro.. But I can't remember who. Maybe CJ could chime in and let us know.
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I guess I should have been rooting for a "Target Pool Tour"

Ralph Kramden said:
Target pool came with a cardboard ruler and it was marked for measuring all 7, 8 and 9 footers.

It had a VHS tape with pros Buddy Hall, CJ Wiley and Kim playing Target Pool on a 9 foot table.

There was one other pro.. But I can't remember who. Maybe CJ could chime in and let us know.
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Target Pool was a great game, we helped Kim promote it in Vegas, and a few tournaments we had on the east coast....it's been too long for me to remember details.

I did play in two of the professional 'Target Pool' tournaments and won them both (over $5000. total prize money) against most of the top pros of the 90's. - I guess I should have been rooting for a "Target Pool Tour" :groucho:
 
CJ Wiley said:
Target Pool was a great game, we helped Kim promote it in Vegas, and a few tournaments we had on the east coast....it's been too long for me to remember details.

I did play in two of the professional 'Target Pool' tournaments and won them both (over $5000. total prize money) against most of the top pros of the 90's. - I guess I should have been rooting for a "Target Pool Tour" :groucho:
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I think the VHS tape was called, Target Pool "Challenges the Champions".
It was a match between pros CJ Wiley, Buddy Hall, Leonardo Andam, Kim
Davenport and it was played on a 9 foot table. I think CJ came out on top.

The VHS video came out about '95. It probably would be hard to find now.
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I purchased my copy of Target Pool for $125 on AZ two years ago. The comment about 7" tables was based upon a comment Kim made to my pal who bumped into him. My buddy also bought a copy of Target Pool and told Kim he was struggling on the upper level courses and when he mentioned Course #11 on a 9' table, Kim laughed.

He said it wasn't intended to be played on a 9' table because it's too hard to move the cue ball 15-18 feet and still make good scores because the game just becomes too discouraging for the person playing the game. And the ruler is for measuring cue ball and object ball positions because of how the balls get spotted for each shot attempt, ex. 1.5. 2.7, 8.25 etc.
 
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