Hitting All Balls The Same Speed

[philly]

I believe this advice applies mostly to how to play position for the correct angles, not how to deal with the wide array of shots that arise during a game.

Bunting balls so softly they barely go into the pocket is risky. Balls can roll off, skid, etc.

Excessive force shrinks the pocket and can lead to a jerky delivery.

There is a nice, smooth, crips speed that lends itself well to accuracy of delivery while keeping the pockets playing comfortably large.

Clearly there are times you'll need to deviate this. But when playing position it's advisable to obtain an angle where you can use this speed of stroke. And when you are hitting your positional spots right and keep leaving yourself the appropriate angles, you may indeed be hitting most shots at the same speed. I think we'd all agree that when a pro is playing well that once they get in line they shouldn't have many shots they dribble or blast. Exceptions would be if they get out of line or in a very unusual spot.

I have to tell you that I am guilty of hitting balls very softly so they barely go in in some instances rather than having the cue ball travel 2 or 3 rails to get to the same spot. If the equipment is good there is no roll off.

By hitting the balls the same speed, he might mean all shots should be hit firmly or with intention. I have a theory that skidding is caused by slowing your stroke through the shot rather than dirty balls and such just as most miscues are caused not by lack of chalk on the tip but by coming out of the shot or getting up ever so slightly out of the shot. Just my opinion.

 

[strmanglr scott]

Sounds like excellent advice to me. Maybe cause I've told people the same.

Usually I say slow/power down some and get consistent w that. If you're always changing speed/power how can you ever be consistent w English?

 

[Patrick Johnson]

We've talked in the past about whether it's better to control draw shot distance by hitting...
- at the same speed but different tip positions
- at the same tip position but different speeds

I think we have speed comfort zones and tend to leave ourselves shots that work within them. But as I recall it was one of those rare topics where there wasn't a clear consensus.

pj
chgo

 

[jay helfert]

Buddy was an expert at getting good position with the least possible effort. One of his best lines was "Don't play position when you already have it." What he meant by this is if you can shoot a stop shot and take a long shot next, that's better than trying to go three rails to get a little closer to the object ball.

He also said "Take what the table gives you." In other words take the simplest route to get position and don't try to force a harder shot to get a little closer to the next object ball. Sometimes you must hit the ball softly and just roll it for position. This may seem like a harder shot to execute but in the long run you will be a better player if you can do it with regularity. It's usually better to settle for a longer shot than always trying to make the hero shot.

 

[jay helfert]

We've talked in the past about whether it's better to control draw shot distance by hitting...
- at the same speed but different tip positions
- at the same tip position but different speeds

I think we have speed comfort zones and tend to leave ourselves shots that work within them. But as I recall it was one of those rare topics where there wasn't a clear consensus.

pj
chgo

Patrick, you need to be adapt at both if you want to be a good player. That way you can shoot the correct shot in situations like this.

 

[HawaiianEye]

I've heard people say that pros prefer to hit stun shots rather than roll shots.

For example, if you need to roll forward a few inches, you could roll it and hit at a soft speed to travel forward 5 inches, or you could hit more firmly with just a little bit of high to let it stun forward the same amount.

This will depend upon the length of the shot and the table layout, but I prefer to stun the ball forward in many cases rather than change my stroke and "slow roll" forward.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

We've talked in the past about whether it's better to control draw shot distance by hitting...
- at the same speed but different tip positions
- at the same tip position but different speeds

I think we have speed comfort zones and tend to leave ourselves shots that work within them. But as I recall it was one of those rare topics where there wasn't a clear consensus.

pj
chgo

Patrick, you need to be adapt at both if you want to be a good player. That way you can shoot the correct shot in situations like this.

I agree wholeheartedly - both are essential to control distance and carom angles. Hitting just the right combo is one of the great joys of playing.

pj
chgo

 

[tim913]

Ignore everything a pro tells you