Ever make up any practice games?

[cigardave]

Here's one I made up for practicing 9-ball with my friends... I call it "Mistakes and Breaks".

The focus/intent of the game is to emphasize the importance of making a ball on the break and to improve your decision making regarding when to play safe v. when to go for the run-out.

Rules are as follows:

1. Flip or lag for first break.

2. Scoring on break: 1 pt. for each ball made (w/o scratching, of course)

3. Scoring at end of game: 2 pts. to the winner if (and only if) he/she plays the game mistake-free.

4. Winner breaks the next game.

5. 1st player to 11 points (the limit of the string where we play) wins the game.


Mistakes include:
a. scratch
b. missed shot (in intended pocket)
c. any foul, ball-in-hand to opponent
d. on safety attempt, leaving opponent with a shot that is less difficult than a spot shot


Again, the intent/focus is to make balls on the break and to play mistake-free 9-ball... with the thinking that if you do both, you will very likely be winning your matches in the future.


Anybody else have one to share?

 

[macguy]

Here's one I made up for practicing 9-ball with my friends... I call it "Mistakes and Breaks".

The focus/intent of the game is to emphasize the importance of making a ball on the break and to improve your decision making regarding when to play safe v. when to go for the run-out.

Rules are as follows:

1. Flip or lag for first break.

2. Scoring on break: 1 pt. for each ball made (w/o scratching, of course)

3. Scoring at end of game: 2 pts. to the winner if (and only if) he/she plays the game mistake-free.

4. Winner breaks the next game.

5. 1st player to 11 points (the limit of the string where we play) wins the game.


Mistakes include:
a. scratch
b. missed shot (in intended pocket)
c. any foul, ball-in-hand to opponent
d. on safety attempt, leaving opponent with a shot that is less difficult than a spot shot


Again, the intent/focus is to make balls on the break and to play mistake-free 9-ball... with the thinking that if you do both, you will very likely be winning your matches in the future.


Anybody else have one to share?

Although not a game I like to run balls into one pocket either the corner or side pocket. Just run as many as you can, it's fun and teaches you some creative positioning as well as shot making and it breaks up some of the boredom of practice.

 

[rackmsuckr]

Here's one I made up for practicing 9-ball with my friends... I call it "Mistakes and Breaks".

The focus/intent of the game is to emphasize the importance of making a ball on the break and to improve your decision making regarding when to play safe v. when to go for the run-out.

Rules are as follows:

1. Flip or lag for first break.

2. Scoring on break: 1 pt. for each ball made (w/o scratching, of course)

3. Scoring at end of game: 2 pts. to the winner if (and only if) he/she plays the game mistake-free.

4. Winner breaks the next game.

5. 1st player to 11 points (the limit of the string where we play) wins the game.


Mistakes include:
a. scratch
b. missed shot (in intended pocket)
c. any foul, ball-in-hand to opponent
d. on safety attempt, leaving opponent with a shot that is less difficult than a spot shot


Again, the intent/focus is to make balls on the break and to play mistake-free 9-ball... with the thinking that if you do both, you will very likely be winning your matches in the future.


Anybody else have one to share?

How do you score if both of you makes mistakes during the game, start over?

The only practice one I do besides the carom, banking and combination racks (where I throw out the balls and have to carom all the racks, then I do some racks banking every ball, and some more racks taking every goofy combo I can find) are safing and kicking. I break and then play safe. If it is not safe, I try to make it or play safe again. If I do get safe, I try and kick to make or play safe, back and forth til the balls are gone.

I also do MacGuy's drill, playing one-pocket run out.

 

[cigardave]

<<How do you score if both of you makes mistakes during the game, start over?>>

Linda - No, don't start over.

You finish the game because the winner gets to break the next rack... and thus will be the one with the opportunity to earn points on the next break.

Since neither player played the game mistake-free, no points are awarded for winning that game.

Make sense?

 

[cigardave]

I've got one more. This one is called "Breaks".

The focus/intent of the game is to improve your ability to make an intended ball on your 9-Ball break and to control whitey while doing so, thereby improving your chance to run out.

Here's the rules:

1. Flip or lag for first break.

2. Agree to either opponent-rack or rack-your-own... (or a combination thereof... it really doesn't matter as long as the two of you agree.)

3. A game consists of seven (7) break shots for each player. Alternate breaks. No play after breaking. Re-rack after determining score of each break and then opponent breaks.

Scoring is as follows:
a. you earn 2 pts. for pocketing the 1-Ball in the (opposite) side pocket... and/or... pocketing the wing ball in the same corner pocket as the side of the table that you are breaking from. (If you make both, you get points for both.)
b. you earn 1 pt. for any other ball made (max. 1 pt.)
c. you earn 1 pt. for leaving whitey even with, or above the side pockets
d. subtract 5 pts. from your previous score if you scratch (or knock a ball off the table)

Winner is the player with the most accumulated points after his/her 7 breaks are complete. (Seven was chosen since it's a popular race-to in tournament play. Adjust according to your desire. It could be 3, or 5, or 9 or 11, as well.)