Hamb it up!
- Thread starter Jodacus
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Banks
Banned
What I learned about caroms I got from Mosconi's little book. Of course, there's a little more to it, but that got me started.
As for combos, the one that made a huge difference is noticing that almost everybody tends to overcut the first ball.
Ray Martin's "99 Critical Shots in Pool" did it for me.
After that, it was experimentation with spin on the cue ball to see the effects. (Especially with caroms -- there are certain shots where it's a "given" you use inside english to "help" the object ball towards the pocket, and others you'd use outside english for the same reason.)
-Sean
After that, it was experimentation with spin on the cue ball to see the effects. (Especially with caroms -- there are certain shots where it's a "given" you use inside english to "help" the object ball towards the pocket, and others you'd use outside english for the same reason.)
-Sean
Well, my current column and my next column or two in Billiards Digest are on C&C. If you can wait until 2013 they'll be on-line in the usual place. I think that you can get the million down to a few hundred thousand if you go about your practice methodically.
Here is a drill from VEPP: Break the rack open and taking ball in hand for each shot clear the table with combinations. 20 Shots to clear the table (except the last ball) is pretty good. This drill also gets patterns and control of the first ball into the picture.
There's not much out there now, but there will be in the coming months (see this thread for an idea). I'll keep you posted.
HAMB is definitely NOT the only method.
Robert
Well, here is something that might help. http://books.google.com/books?id=dK...&q=babe cranfields combination shoots&f=false
What I did to improve my banks, caroms and combos was to just roll all 15 balls on the table and looked for these types of shots only or a mix of the three.
Oh, buy the book, it's is worth it. No need to wait for anything.
What I did to improve my banks, caroms and combos was to just roll all 15 balls on the table and looked for these types of shots only or a mix of the three.
Oh, buy the book, it's is worth it. No need to wait for anything.
If the rest of the book is like his part on combination shots, I wouldn't give you 1¢ for it. I'll sum it up for those that don't care to read it- combination shots involve two balls, and are harder to make than regular shots because you have less margin for error.
Anybody that doesn't know that, has never shot pool before.
And, yes, there are aiming methods for making combos and caroms.Robert Byrne's books and Ray Martin's book both have a decent amount of material on caroms and combos.
I've recently found that if I look at the contact point on the second object ball (the one being pocketed) during combos it increases my percentage, not sure if it works for everyone......
I've recently found that if I look at the contact point on the second object ball (the one being pocketed) during combos it increases my percentage, not sure if it works for everyone......
There are combinations that require a precise stroke.
So keep setting them up and practicing.
But there are others that require almost no talent at all and many players are oblivious to the possibilities.
Keep your eye on the table for any touching balls and what possibilities they offer.
You don't have to hit them with the cue ball, just drive a ball on to the first ball.
The second touching ball need not be going to a pocket, it could be driven on to another ball, but since the combination was set, the accuracy of the contact is assured.
You can make multi-ball combinations and intimidate your opponents, even when you are out of stroke.
To put it another way, players assume combinations are difficult, so they avoid them, even when they happen to be the easiest shot available.
Here are a few shots that may give you some ideas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU63hbCnXbE&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu8-kYoutOA&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrXOMocKNjk&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP6eeXGAZhQ&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uwD2WiPj4k&feature=plcp
The game is English Billiards
So keep setting them up and practicing.
But there are others that require almost no talent at all and many players are oblivious to the possibilities.
Keep your eye on the table for any touching balls and what possibilities they offer.
You don't have to hit them with the cue ball, just drive a ball on to the first ball.
The second touching ball need not be going to a pocket, it could be driven on to another ball, but since the combination was set, the accuracy of the contact is assured.
You can make multi-ball combinations and intimidate your opponents, even when you are out of stroke.
To put it another way, players assume combinations are difficult, so they avoid them, even when they happen to be the easiest shot available.
Here are a few shots that may give you some ideas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU63hbCnXbE&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu8-kYoutOA&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrXOMocKNjk&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP6eeXGAZhQ&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uwD2WiPj4k&feature=plcp
The game is English Billiards
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If the rest of the book is like his part on combination shots, I wouldn't give you 1¢ for it. I'll sum it up for those that don't care to read it- combination shots involve two balls, and are harder to make than regular shots because you have less margin for error.
Anybody that doesn't know that, has never shot pool before.
Real positive posting there and right on topic too. The person asked for instructional material. Everyone else was telling him to wait. I provided a source for that can be used now. How do you do what this person knows about pool?
And who gives a rats ass if you think it is good or not. It is up to the person to decide this. Maybe this person might like it maybe not, but it is not your call.
Oh you didn't mentioned it shows how to use the arrow to practice combos and can be used for caroms also.
Go back under your rock. (I actually wrote for you to stick your head up your ass, but I thought that was to harsh and deleted it).
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And you believed that it was useful to edit your post to include your insults?
Neil gave an opinion, one that you don't like, and you respond with insults. Just because something is available now, doesn't mean it is the best. Ray Martins book is a much better resource on combos than what was written in Babes book.
It also has another advantage in that it teaches you how to make these shots without using an arrow, better preparing one for the "real world of pool"
Take the training wheels off Duckie, you shouldn't need any after 1800 hours of practice in one year.
Neil gave an opinion, one that you don't like, and you respond with insults. Just because something is available now, doesn't mean it is the best. Ray Martins book is a much better resource on combos than what was written in Babes book.
It also has another advantage in that it teaches you how to make these shots without using an arrow, better preparing one for the "real world of pool"
Take the training wheels off Duckie, you shouldn't need any after 1800 hours of practice in one year.
Ahhh, Neil, you got 'im! That's his sensitive spot -- anything related to Babe Cranfield.
"Babe Cranfield is an ass." "Babe Cranfield is an old washed-up has-been." "Babe's material -- *especially* the arrow -- is a useless tool with no application to modern pool applications."
-Sean <-- pouring nitroglycerin down into a dark hole "to see what happens when the liquid hits the bottom of the hole"...
There are combinations that require a precise stroke.
So keep setting them up and practicing.
But there are others that require almost no talent at all and many players are oblivious to the possibilities.
Keep your eye on the table for any touching balls and what possibilities they offer.
You don't have to hit them with the cue ball, just drive a ball on to the first ball.
The second touching ball need not be going to a pocket, it could be driven on to another ball, but since the combination was set, the accuracy of the contact is assured.
You can make multi-ball combinations and intimidate your opponents, even when you are out of stroke.
To put it another way, players assume combinations are difficult, so they avoid them, even when they happen to be the easiest shot available.
Here are a few shots that may give you some ideas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU63hbCnXbE&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu8-kYoutOA&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrXOMocKNjk&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP6eeXGAZhQ&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uwD2WiPj4k&feature=plcp
The game is English Billiards
Combo's are one of the toughest shots in pool. Its why your good player and even top pro's will avoid them if at all possible!
Not all combinations are tough.
The point is: Some shots are set.
Even if you don't want to play them you need to be aware of them so you don't inadvertently execute them with a stray ball.
As S'mouche pointed out, there are lots of combinations that are not only easy but absolutely the best way to get through the rack. In watching videos of top players playing 9 ball, I've noticed that they take more combinations than I would, but they make them more often than I do.
As with all other situations at pool, you have to weigh the pros and cons of each way through the rack. At eight ball, straight pool and one pocket, learning how to play combinations well is essential.
The other reason to be aware of combinations which might be "on" but you aren't sure is that you should not leave them for your opponent.... Even if you don't want to play them you need to be aware of them so you don't inadvertently execute them with a stray ball.
Thinking like this will get you into trouble, yes combo's can get real tough real fast with angle & separation of the 2 OB's yes we get that. To those that say "there can be easy combo's", yea I think most of us get that to. I still have problems with combo's and don't think that is ever going to go away. I look at them as an opportunity not a drudgery.
I would rather have a combo (most of the time) than most 3rail or more kicks, wouldn't you? Combo's take more time to "see" than a single ball shot because there are 2 balls that you are coming into (most of the time, I am not talking about the frozen balls that you see instantly; I am assuming here there is an angle and there is some separation between the 2 OB's)
For me looking at the intended OB and then working backwards to the combo ball does not work, I also have not seen someone who is good at combo's use that method even though that is in all the books and is in a great many training videos. I (as of a couple of years ago) look at the 2 balls lined up in a straight line and then adjust from there, I still suck at combo's but that has certainly helped to get some semblance of accuracy.
As for caroms I use the stun shot about 80% of the time (maybe more), for short caroms I can now see "the line" pretty accurately. A little thing J.R. Calvert taught me many years ago was to drop your stick so that it is on the tangent line as close as you can to the carom ball you will see a reflection inside the ball that is a bow, this is a lot like when you drop your tip at the bottom of an OB and you see the reflection of the stick inside the ball to get the contact point. The carom ball will be "smiling"; shoot the CB to punch that smile right in the bottom lip. For long carom shots I still use this method today; it may not be conventional or scientific but it sure works for me.
As for how to practice and drill for these shots there isn't a lot of high grade, time tested drills and routines out there for this kind of stuff so you will pretty much have to invent your own. Cowboy is a great game and will teach you carom lines better than any other game IMHO. So many pool players don't see the "through" the 1st OB ever, they only see the "off the OB" possibility, so even though I use stun 80% of the time and "through" the 1st OB even less I still know it's there, and something to get you in touch with that kind of thing is always helpful in lots of different positional situations not just carom shots per say.
3 cushion billiards is only moderately helpful, but if you play it with pool balls it is more helpful. The drawback with using pool balls is that although you are more familiar with the size and weight and what you can do with them is that they make the game harder because they are smaller; so those "near misses" that you get with them is more and you will realize that if you had been using billiard balls that you would have made the hit quite often.
Another helpful game I like to play is what I call "kisses, caroms, combo's, banks & kicks", when you are playing a significantly inferior opponent you just don't shoot anything straight in, you will lose a lot in the beginning but it will really help you "special shot" play, I can play this because I no longer have any ego to bruise because after this long and not being a great player by now has made my ego just one big bruise; good luck.
Well, Duckie, I guess I owe you an apology! So... I apologize for previously stating that you NEVER reply, and don't bother reading others posts. Apparently you do. You just don't seem to learn anything from them. By the way, I still say Babe's info in that article was about as useful as teats on a boar hog. :thumbup:
By the way, I have previously taught several on here how to make combos and caroms a fairly high percentage of the time. If they care to post how to do it, I have no problem with that. But, I'm not going to.
