Ive shot a few years now and seem to play pretty decent I guess (8 in 9ball 7 in 8ball in the APA) this is on bar tables. Lately ive been going about 45 mins away to play due to stronger players and 8foot tables. Before a couple months ago I'd never really shot on a bigger table before, and I play horrible on them compared to my bar table game. Cant run a rack consistently or probablly not even 7 balls together for anything, and generally end up bobbling a ball for the end of my shot. Is this due to poor mechanics from playing on a bar table? Ive checked my stroke thru a bottle and so on and it is straight. Someone once said to me I wasnt stroking thru the ball enough. But im not sure. Could someone give me some advice or drills that will help me improve my game? thanks in advance.
Help improving my game
- Thread starter Jross
- Start date
Most bar tables have bigger pockets and will accept any shot that is hit in the general direction of the pocket. If you've only played on bar tables for the last few years, its only common sense that you would play bad on bigger tables. Instead of 8 footers, try regulation 9 footers, just practice on them for a few weeks and see if you start to improve. I know people that can run racks on a bar table but can't make a ball on the big tables.
Sometimes you think your stroke is straight when its not. The bottle doesnt tell you if its straight, it just makes you go straight. Better way to test if your stroke is straight is to get a striped ball and place it so the stripe is verticle. Hit the dead center of the stripe and the stripe should remain verticle as the ball is rolling. If you see it "wobbling" than you hit off center.
cuetechasaurus said:
Not around here they don't. Valley tables have much tighter pockets than do the 9-footers. Especially the SIDE pockets---they as much as ONE inch tighter on the barboxes!!! The 9-footers corners have deeper shelves, but aren't any smaller unless shimmed, of course.
Maybe the problem is with your attitude and your expectations when playing on a 9-footer. It seems that the long shots are really long, but are they that much different? Practice on a 9-footer, hitting corner to corner, straight-in shots until you are comfortable with them. Then when you go to a barbox, it'll look and feel like it's sooo easy. By switching back and forth for a while, you'll adapt just fine to the 9 or 8-footers, imho. Give it some time and practice.
Jeff Livingston
bar table pockets that i have played on are huge, my transition was from a 8 foot table to a 9 with much tighter pockets years ago, u just have to practice and work your way thru
Jross said:
If you want to develop a good stroke, minimize the amount of time on bar tables. Go for 9'.
