Ghost explanation please...

JrockJustin

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Can someone explain exactly how to play against the ghost please? It would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance...
 
This is a short article I wrote that may gove you some ideas of how to play the ghost to practice and rate yourself:

Rating your 9-Ball Skill Level

A good way to rate your skill level at 9-Ball and to monitor your improvement is to use a method called “Playing the Ghost”.

The beginner level is 2 balls. Rack 2 balls on the foot spot and break them. After the break, take the cue ball in hand and try to run the balls remaining on the table in order, just as in a game of 9-ball. If you pot out without a miss, then you win, if you fail then the ghost wins and you start again. When you can consistently beat the ghost in more than 50% of games, then progress to 3 balls, and so on until you find your rating.

If you can win 50% against the ghost on 6 balls you are a pretty decent player. If you can play even with the ghost starting with 12 balls then you are professional level. You should play the ghost in a match best of 21 games to prove that you deserve to be ranked at that level.

If you are around 6 ball level against the ghost, you can try playing the ghost at 9 ball and seeing what percentage of games you can win. Perhaps you’ll lose 11-5 normally, but you will learn to play under the pressure of such a hard task. Occasionally you will beat the ghost to 11 games and that will be a great feeling of success. Try to see what your best ever score can be against the 9-Ball ghost in a best of 21 match. If you ever beat the ghost 11-0 then you are among champions!

This is a great way to practice as well as to measure your progress and to rate your skills against other players.

Source: http://www.top147.com/magazine/2004006/2004006070815440425.htm
 
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The other aspect of playing the ghost is to add pressure to your workout. You set a goal at the start. Lets say you have a shot that you missed on the money ball. You set that shot up and set a goal of making it 10 without missing. You do not quit until you make it 10 times in a row. To make it more interesting work on 2 shots. You now have to make both 10 times without missing. Lets say you make the first shot 10 times and now miss on the 5th shot for the second ball. You have to start over. If 10 times is too hard start with a number that will give you a challenge. Try starting with 5 times if too easy go to 6 and etc.

Bert Kinister promotes this method in his tapes.
 
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