Can't agree more...
Fixing the game of 9 ball.
- Thread starter realkingcobra
- Start date
Call me, 702-927-5689
If pool is ever expected to be main stream viewing, then it has to fit into the viewers time slot. That means matches must start on time, and end on time, so they have to be played in a acceptable time frame, thats number 1. Playing 9 ball can't simply be a breakers game at the top professional level, it has to be dominated by the best player, not the best break and run specialist. If 9 ball was so perfect today, we wouldn't have so many different variations of it going on like rack the 9 on the spot, no, rack the 1 on the spot, no that's to easy, rack the 9 on the spot using magic rack, no thats to perfect, use a wooden rack. Break box, no break box, break from the head spot only, no, that don't work either, the players already figured the break out to their advantage.
Like I said, how many of you have tried my idea for a modified rack for 9 ball???
How to "fix" 9-ball ? The solution is 10-ball. That's how 10-ball was invented. Grady Matthews used to whine about accidental safes after the other player missed. His proposal was to make the missing player shoot again as an option.
A wild joker ball was already discussed after Ronnie Alcano won the world-9 with his birdie break .
You make the rack perfect with a template, the pros find ways how to control that rack after breaking .
They made the 2 and 3 ball spots after that ( making sure they are on the opposite sides ) in the Charlie Williams tournament here at the Bike back in 2003. OF course, they made the 3-point rule too . This was of course the rule to counter the Cory Deuel break . Cory goosegged MIka in the US Open final with his birdie break and the rest is history .
Having a 10-ball rack in a game of 9-ball would look odd .
ESPN did not even think express 9-ball was fast enough . They invented the 7-ball . A joke of a game.
A wild joker ball was already discussed after Ronnie Alcano won the world-9 with his birdie break .
You make the rack perfect with a template, the pros find ways how to control that rack after breaking .
They made the 2 and 3 ball spots after that ( making sure they are on the opposite sides ) in the Charlie Williams tournament here at the Bike back in 2003. OF course, they made the 3-point rule too . This was of course the rule to counter the Cory Deuel break . Cory goosegged MIka in the US Open final with his birdie break and the rest is history .
Having a 10-ball rack in a game of 9-ball would look odd .
ESPN did not even think express 9-ball was fast enough . They invented the 7-ball . A joke of a game.
I thought I made it clear enough when the off topic posts were deleted and those posters messaged, but apparently not. DO NOT HIJACK THREADS. If you have an issue with another user, going from thread to thread and attacking them because of your issue will get you banned, for life, with no reprieve.
If you walked around your favorite pool room, following another player, and jumping into every conversation they had with someone complaining about something off topic, you would probably get smacked in the jaw.
CUT IT OUT HERE!!
Jesus, it is like dealing with children around here sometimes.
If you walked around your favorite pool room, following another player, and jumping into every conversation they had with someone complaining about something off topic, you would probably get smacked in the jaw.
CUT IT OUT HERE!!
Jesus, it is like dealing with children around here sometimes.
8intheside
Well-known member
How about designating a diamond for each ball pocketed? Freeze The object ball to the rail.
i'm curious when i read people suggesting getting rid of 9 on the spot, and going back to ref triangle racking with no kitchen rule. have you slept for the last 20 years?
now more then ever there are videos out there to refresh your memory, i suggest you start with the alcano world championship final (or any of his matches in that tournament).
now more then ever there are videos out there to refresh your memory, i suggest you start with the alcano world championship final (or any of his matches in that tournament).
I did this afternoon... Hit somewhere between 3-4 dozen. Reminded me that my 10b sucks...lol.
That's really all it is. A 10 ball break with a note of which side the 1 ball is racked on. With a moderate/hard break the typical 10ball break (from just off center) balls go where they normally do, and the 1 ball comes off the back rail toward the side pocket of the side it's racked on. When you're trying to pot the corner balls off 4 rails the ghost ball ends up on the top rail, and really does nothing other than absorb the impact of the break shot. (I realize that it gets removed after the break).
Found I had better control of the 1 when I broke flat and didn't attempt to pop the CB into the air.
Again, my 10 ball break isn't the best, and my table is extremely slow. All in all, I'd say the pros would make short work of dialing this variation in.
My vote is still 9 on spot, 3 point rule, and from the kitchen. Strong players can still make the 1 but the CB becomes a flier...
I think this part of your post frames the challenge of these time exceptionally well. Keeping the game moving is, indeed, the most important challenge that must be met.
Where I suspect we disagree is on the extent to which the game has progressed in recent years: For example:
1) The shot clock is now standard for any prestigious match
2) In big events, neutral rackers are now the norm, so the racking disputes of yesteryear are no longer a problem
3) The breaks between matches have become much shorter, giving previously unseen continuity to streamed pool
However one feels about the nine ball break, streamed nine ball has taken significant steps forward in recent years. The one exception was the last WPA World 9-ball (2019), in which the shot clock was not used, but now that Matchroom has taken over the event, that problem will be eliminated in short order.
There are many rules in place that are to the detriment of all billiard games. Look at the structures of other sports and adjustments implemented to make their sports grow and be successful. There is no feature that is more prominent in any sport than the human dynamic. It is that component that makes a sport captivating and interesting. How does a rule affect that dynamic? I THINK that should be the first consideration to further our sport.
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The most important is the time limit. Matches have to begin and end on time.
Shot clock to prevent from taking chances away from the other player by dragging things out.
As long as the players are playing by the same set of rules the above two things take care of the rest.
If that break is as tough (as I think it will be) combined with the layout of the rack after the break that may be
all that is needed to prevent consecutive run outs if the consecutive run outs are the problem. If that break
becomes gamed I'd be surprised if it led to the amount of run outs we see today.
If its 50/50 on a good layout of the break rather than 75/25 a player always has a shot on the one. That would
change a lot right there but the break would still be a big factor. A weak breaker would need a safety game to
even things up. So do we penalize players who play great, kick great and run out just as much as others because
they aren't rack doctors?
When I get to thinking about it, has the audience become spoiled? Can they not be happy unless they see run
out after run out and will they go away if that is taken out or will they be more excited when one guy runs out and the
next guy comes with a lock up safe gets ball in hand then he runs out?
Perhaps the lady doth protest too much and will be fine either way.
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One change I would like to see is alternating breaks, unless a person runs all nine balls their first turn at the table. Either nine balls on the break or nine balls after the opponent breaks dry. While a magic break would put a W in the win column, a player would still have to run all balls to keep the run alive.
Might need some tweaking, just trying to give people an equal chance of winning while keeping the excitement of running packs alive.
Hu
Might need some tweaking, just trying to give people an equal chance of winning while keeping the excitement of running packs alive.
Hu
If it isn't already obvious to you, having clever ideas is the easy part. Selling the world on it is the challenge. Good luck with that. I am not good enough such that 9 ball as it exists today is a problem so I can't get too excited about it.
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Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
JC
Coos Cues
China has more pool players than America has population.
Allowing a tennis player to continue to serve as long as he wins the game is folly. It is to the detriment of the sport.