Full rack of 9-balls ?

RED LITE

RED LITE

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
About five years ago I saw an instuctor's table that had a full rack of 9 balls (all 15 balls were the 9).

His theory was that folks dog the 9-ball for mental reasons; that one needs to practice making 9 balls to dispell the fear of shooting the 9.

Anyone agree/disagree with this theory/method ?
Anybody familiar with this approach ?
Was he brilliant, or nuts ?
Any comments ?

RL
 
I saw a guy bring 15 8-balls into the pool hall for the same reason. I laughed. He still dogs the 8. I laugh more now.

People dog money balls because of the pressure, I don't think it has anything to do with the actual ball itself. Is it the indian or the arrow? You need to learn how to manage pressure, not make a striped ball.
 
I definitely dog 8-ball shots more often than 9-ball shots. Not sayin it's the ball, just sayin
 
I've heard that since the 8-ball is black it's more difficult to see the edge in poor lighting (resulting in more misses). Also heard something similar with the 6-ball on a green surfaced table.
 
Magyar19 said:
I definitely dog 8-ball shots more often than 9-ball shots. Not sayin it's the ball, just sayin
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It's not an uncommon problem. Some people can't see the angles as well on darker balls, like the 8/6, and sometimes even the 4/7 in some sets. In my opinion, if that is the case, it's just plain missing not really "dogging" it. I don't think that is what the OP is talking about though, and not the reason the guy in my post had 15 8-balls.
 
slouch said:
I've heard that since the 8-ball is black it's more difficult to see the edge in poor lighting (resulting in more misses). Also heard something similar with the 6-ball on a green surfaced table.
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Correct, beat me to it by a couple minutes.
 
If I may add something here...

My cure for missing the money ball is to play shape for an imaginary "next ball."

You go through the whole rack with the same routine, making the ball while playing shape for the next ball.

Too often, people just try to make the last ball without playing "shape."

Pretend there is another ball that you need to make! Play shape for it. This will not only keep you in your routine, it will also take some pressure off of making that last ball (since you "need" one more).

-Blake
 
SloMoHolic said:
If I may add something here...

My cure for missing the money ball is to play shape for an imaginary "next ball."

You go through the whole rack with the same routine, making the ball while playing shape for the next ball.

Too often, people just try to make the last ball without playing "shape."

Pretend there is another ball that you need to make! Play shape for it. This will not only keep you in your routine, it will also take some pressure off of making that last ball (since you "need" one more).

-Blake
Click to expand...

I am also a subscriber to this. Though I don't do it anymore, this did help me learn to make the cheese back when it was an issue.
 
One way to do it..,

I always try yo play for a shot I really like, by that i mean if I cant get great position, I try to get a shot that I feel that I have seen a lot off.

I look for the same shot that I have seen in One Pocket, if its to the corner or a bank that I have made a lot with ease. Sometimes you can get the cue ball were you want it, pick the shot that is the most comfortable out of the bad choose you were left with.
 
full rack of 9 balls

I liked your idea King T ....thats a wise choice....put the ball some whers where you are familiar with the shot....i have heard some of the others before...but not that one....i guess i have played it like that before especially in 8 ball where good position is tough....if the 8 ends up by the side pocket....i leave myself a back cut bank cross side....i am comfortable with that shot .....good advice
 
Imo it is not the number 9 that cause them to dog it. It is the last ball on the table. You need 15 last balls lol. The fact that you are not playing position for the next ball plays imo the biggest roll in dogging the nine. Dogging the 8 for me is caused by anticipation of winning or getting to the nine. Count ur money when the dealing done.
 
If its mental, its the last ball or the one before last that would give you trouble....so I agree with dime.

Only way I could understand someone practicing all black would be if they had a vision problem.
 
Baxter said it right. Has nothing to do with the actual ball, its the pressure.

Take that money spent buying 15 balls and play someone nineball, for $1 a ball. Even this very low bet will make all balls important and teach the player it has nothing to do with the yellow stripe.
 
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agree

JesseBfan said:
I am also a subscriber to this. Though I don't do it anymore, this did help me learn to make the cheese back when it was an issue.
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I tend to agree. Of course, if you don't believe it will help, it probably won't. It certainly can't hurt, can it?
 
The rack of 9 balls won't help if the pressure's on.
That case 9 ball won't look like "oh, here's the yellow stripey one,
I shot 15 of these guys earlier today no problem."

It will look like "ah shit I gotta make this ball, this is for the money,
I'm gonna choke in front of all these people if I don't just drill this in".

There is no way to simulate actual pressure in practice, but one way to deal with it is
to sharpen up your fundamentals until they're as close to perfect as possible.
When you stroke incredibly straight, it's harder to dog any given shot.

My other mental trick is to remove some of the pressure by playing the cue ball to get safe if I miss.
In 8 ball that often means trickling it in at the slowest speed possible so that my 8 ball hangs in the hole
and blocks their balls, and adds pressure to their own runout (if they miss I win for sure).
In 9b/10b it often means playing shape to park the CB on the head rail, or get 7+ feet of separation
between the cue ball and the game ball if I over/undercut it.

Knowing I may not be punished for missing helps me with those balls.
 
SloMoHolic said:
If I may add something here...

My cure for missing the money ball is to play shape for an imaginary "next ball."

You go through the whole rack with the same routine, making the ball while playing shape for the next ball.

Too often, people just try to make the last ball without playing "shape."

Pretend there is another ball that you need to make! Play shape for it. This will not only keep you in your routine, it will also take some pressure off of making that last ball (since you "need" one more).

-Blake
Click to expand...

That is exactly what I teach. I ask people "what is the difference between the last ball and every other ball you shoot?" I make them think for a bit then tell them just what you said.

I don't remember where I first heard it... Kinister?
 
Because it is blue, the two ball is the hardest ball to focus your eyes on. This is a true fact. It is important for you to remember this and especially to focus on the problem when you are shooting the two and most especially when you are playing me. Do your best not to dog the two! Good luck.
 
Bob Jewett said:
Because it is blue, the two ball is the hardest ball to focus your eyes on. This is a true fact. It is important for you to remember this and especially to focus on the problem when you are shooting the two and most especially when you are playing me. Do your best not to dog the two! Good luck.
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No problem ... I always make sure the two goes in on the break! :grin:
 
On the 9 I think people miss cause its the money ball. On the 8 in 8 ball I think its just as likely a color and a not so defined edge thing sometimes. About 2 weeks ago I started practicing spot shots on my 9' table with new dark green cloth, I grabbed a random ball, it was the 6, and I kept missing, like 6-8 times in a row! Im thinking WTF, I cant make a spot shot anymore? I am no shortstop or even close but I know I can make this shot, at least after a couple tries anyway. For the heck of it I grabbed a few more balls, all happened to be light colored or striped and dropped one after the other, probably 10 in a row. I definately think light, ball color, and cloth color can affect your shot.


p.s. avatar pic makes my cloth look blue, I am not color blind, it really is dark green
 
I'll talk with one of the local pool halls and see if they can assemble a 9 ball rack of 9-balls. I'll give it a shot and see what happens.
 
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