Fundamental priorities of one pocket.
- Thread starter TrumanHW
- Start date
I'm skeptical; I believe your remark reverses causality -- and assumes a difficult shot was arbitrarily selected and had surprisingly bad results.
Facile people often say, "I hit it baaad" ... because their RESULTS were bad. But what was the margin of error for the shot? What were the "better" alternatives.
Sometimes (every four years in merica) you have to choose between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.
You're normally kicking because you HAVE to -- that is, someone has put you in a situation to which you're obligated to make a very accurate shot, where the consequences for missing it are predictably steep.
Do you agree or did you have something else in mind?
Thats why your the colonel and the other guy is the kicking chicken.
Dont be afraid to kick if it is the best option.
Because it may be the best option- Practice kicking. Then you can
determine "if" its the best option.
One Pocket priority
Hey Truman,
Tinman has it down about Billy's tape and advice... I also like Ronnie Allen's take on it..
"When I'm behind, I play like a lion... when I'm ahead, I play like a lamb!"... I'm not sure about the 'lamb' part, but Ronnie was always looking at offense AND defense together..
the man could turn the stack around with one shot.
Kicking? = essential... when you can kick on either side of a ball, or kick one backwards at your hole, that's One Pocket... comes up ALL the time!
I guess I'm talking about a more aggressive game vs bunting up table and standing over a shot for 10 minutes!
Check out Danny Diliberto vs Ronnie... I know you do a lot of video, so you'll appreciate it... one pocket played well.
Hey Truman,
Tinman has it down about Billy's tape and advice... I also like Ronnie Allen's take on it..
"When I'm behind, I play like a lion... when I'm ahead, I play like a lamb!"... I'm not sure about the 'lamb' part, but Ronnie was always looking at offense AND defense together..
the man could turn the stack around with one shot.
Kicking? = essential... when you can kick on either side of a ball, or kick one backwards at your hole, that's One Pocket... comes up ALL the time!
I guess I'm talking about a more aggressive game vs bunting up table and standing over a shot for 10 minutes!
Check out Danny Diliberto vs Ronnie... I know you do a lot of video, so you'll appreciate it... one pocket played well.
Some of the best moves in the game don't even involve making balls. Anytime you can get a ball in front of your pocket and lock your opponent down either to another ball or behind the stack it's a great move.
Leave your opponent on the rail at all times if you cannot lock him down. I'm not talking about close to the rail, frozen to the rail. Not being able to draw or put a lot of side spin on the cue ball greatly reduces his/her options.
If you are the one in the head lock, look at the table and decide where you would not want to be, and put your opponent there, even if it means taking a foul. Fouls are necessary sometimes. Don't be afraid to take them when warranted.
Learn to kick accurately. This comes in handy on the defensive portion of the game when you are stuck. Personally I use the diamonds on the table. For simple one and two rail kicks it is relatively easy to learn and remember. To learn the entire system is quite complicated, but for one and two rails it's easy to learn.
Always play the cue ball if you have a shot you are unsure about making. If the shot is easy, forget about this and get shape on the next ball so you can try to get out.
There are a lot of good videos for instruction on the game. It is one game you can learn a lot by watching. Of course it all comes down to execution, but table time will make your execution much more consistent.
When practicing, practice certain shots, banks, and kicking. Practice is not about just banging balls around the table, but more on working on your weaknesses.
That's my 2 cents.
Leave your opponent on the rail at all times if you cannot lock him down. I'm not talking about close to the rail, frozen to the rail. Not being able to draw or put a lot of side spin on the cue ball greatly reduces his/her options.
If you are the one in the head lock, look at the table and decide where you would not want to be, and put your opponent there, even if it means taking a foul. Fouls are necessary sometimes. Don't be afraid to take them when warranted.
Learn to kick accurately. This comes in handy on the defensive portion of the game when you are stuck. Personally I use the diamonds on the table. For simple one and two rail kicks it is relatively easy to learn and remember. To learn the entire system is quite complicated, but for one and two rails it's easy to learn.
Always play the cue ball if you have a shot you are unsure about making. If the shot is easy, forget about this and get shape on the next ball so you can try to get out.
There are a lot of good videos for instruction on the game. It is one game you can learn a lot by watching. Of course it all comes down to execution, but table time will make your execution much more consistent.
When practicing, practice certain shots, banks, and kicking. Practice is not about just banging balls around the table, but more on working on your weaknesses.
That's my 2 cents.
Some of the best moves in the game don't even involve making balls. Anytime you can get a ball in front of your pocket and lock your opponent down either to another ball or behind the stack it's a great move.
Leave your opponent on the rail at all times if you cannot lock him down. I'm not talking about close to the rail, frozen to the rail. Not being able to draw or put a lot of side spin on the cue ball greatly reduces his/her options.
If you are the one in the head lock, look at the table and decide where you would not want to be, and put your opponent there, even if it means taking a foul. Fouls are necessary sometimes. Don't be afraid to take them when warranted.
Learn to kick accurately. This comes in handy on the defensive portion of the game when you are stuck. Personally I use the diamonds on the table. For simple one and two rail kicks it is relatively easy to learn and remember. To learn the entire system is quite complicated, but for one and two rails it's easy to learn.
Always play the cue ball if you have a shot you are unsure about making. If the shot is easy, forget about this and get shape on the next ball so you can try to get out.
There are a lot of good videos for instruction on the game. It is one game you can learn a lot by watching. Of course it all comes down to execution, but table time will make your execution much more consistent.
When practicing, practice certain shots, banks, and kicking. Practice is not about just banging balls around the table, but more on working on your weaknesses.
That's my 2 cents.
All well said. No wonder they call you onepocketron
After playing pool for more than 4 1/2 decades I am just getting into one pocket. Just joined an in house league. My last match went hill/hill. My opponent put me in a trap frozen on a ball that was frozen to another ball all about 1.5 balls from the foot rail with 2 balls by his pocket. I tried a safe that I hit a bit too hard & left him a shot. He made 5 & then sewed me up again. I lost. After a short reflection, I realized that I should have taken an intentional foul. That is not normally in many a pool players nature. We want to shoot...even if it is a difficult safety. I'm learning that in one pocket that is not always the best of attitudes.
Take the medicine & the intentional foul whenever you are not sure you will not give up an easy shot IF you miss the safety.
Take the medicine & the intentional foul whenever you are not sure you will not give up an easy shot IF you miss the safety.
unless you have efren's skill set that may not be the question to ask yourself....
..:grin:jmho
a better question to ask yourself might be
what can i execute and not sell out??
icbw
Billy Incardona has a one pocket instructional video worth about $1,256.12 to any one pocket player...fortunately it is very affordable on accu-stats!
He lists the decision tree, then provides examples of the shots, and how and when to use them.
On your inning:
1. Pocket balls in your hole
2. Put your opponent in a trap
3. Build your position.
4. Destroy your opponent's position.
5. Play safe.
6. Get out of a trap.
If you're in a trap, you have options:
1. Take a foul
2. Kick
3. Shoot a low percentage shot
4. Leave a challenge shot
5. Do something simple
6. Scramble the balls
Some of these overlap a bit.
Billy goes through his thought process in a number of situations, then demonstrates the ways to execute these, and the value that is often overlooked in some of the simple plays. Far and away the best ever.
Billy, if you read this, know that you've changed my pool life for the better, from all the hours I've heard you commentate, to this video, and so much more. I bought this video and practiced this thought tree for many hours, lo and behold I get there a lot these days
What a great post. Thank you -- I'm going to buy that.
Dan louie strokes the balls that many times or more. Very time consuming person to play. Have to be mentally in the right mindset. It can wear on you.
KD
I'm not even close to a strong one-pocket player, but I thought your cueball leave position kinda trumps all of that list. Then, trying to accomplish as much as you can with each shot, similar to picking up a tempo in chess.