How Long?

G

GStrong

Registered
HI there,

Just wondering how long it took you to start running racks of 9 ball, 8ball? When you first started, did you practice long hours, or did it come natural to you? How long before you were able to gamble with shortstops, etc? Just curious. I have been playing a little over a year (APA 6, 8ball) and kind of stuck in a plateau.

Thanks,
Gary
 
GStrong said:
HI there,

Just wondering how long it took you to start running racks of 9 ball, 8ball? When you first started, did you practice long hours, or did it come natural to you? How long before you were able to gamble with shortstops, etc? Just curious. I have been playing a little over a year (APA 6, 8ball) and kind of stuck in a plateau.

Thanks,
Gary
Click to expand...

took me almost and entire year of playing everyday for HOURS on end, before i could break and run moderate spreads of 9 ball consistently. I was going back and forth between and APA 7 and 8 in 9 ball, and i was an APA 7 in 8 ball when i still played league, and that was after about 10 months of playing everyday.

gambling is a different beast, i haven't been playing very long at all now, and i'm just starting to feel more comfortable gambling with the better local players/shortstops.

i still really haven't plateaued for the most part, but take into consideration that when i first started i sought instruction from some of the best players i could find, and i still take lessons from anyone and everyone i can find that seems like they can help my game.

it takes hours and hours on end, especially the first couple years to really get good quick at this game. ask any top level/pro player, they will tell you the first 5 or so years they played they lived in the pool room. after that it was more seasoning and competition they needed.

hope this helps

VAP
 
Gstrong

Well alot of it depends on the person, i started to play seriously in April 2004 and ran my first full rack, probably 4 or 5 months later, ( 7foot table ). I mean i did play pool off and on my whole life, but just banged balls around and shot as hard as possible. Untill i started to practice and figure out that hitting balls soft, worked alot better.

Also, i did practice alot, so i actually became alot better than some guys who have been playing for many yrs. Plus i also see cuts and some shots, that i know i can make, where other people play safe or dont make those shots.

My high run of racks is 2 which i have done a couple times. just cant seem to get the 3rd one.

And i am a APA 5, but after tonight probably a 6. And my main problem is my matches normally run close to 20 innings. either it be a saftey battle or just going blaaaaaaaa, in one game.

Now if your a APA 6 in 8ball and you have been playing for just over a yr, that pretty good. I know some people who are almost a lifetime APA5 in 8ball.

But it also depends on how strong of a league your area has. I hear stories all the time about Other leagues who have APA 3's and 4's who play like 6's and 7's because the leagues are filled with such good players that, its tough to move up.

Obviously if you think your stuck in a rutt and cant seem to get to a APA 7, i would find a good intructor and have him evaluate your game, and show you some things you could improve on.


dave
 
You should define what it means to be able to run out regularly.

A good target is to look at a league season or a tournament of 20-30 games (8-ball)and see if you can run out first shot to the table 1 in 5 games. That is a sign of a pretty good player.

When you are getting near 1 in 2, that is, half the time when you come to the table you run the rack you're ready for the pros.

I played for about 14 years before I got serious and practiced regularly and entered a lot of competitions. To get to 1 in 5 should be achievable for someone with good basics if they put in a good year of hard practice and regular competition IMHO. It will depend on how bright they are in terms of pool IQ to some degree.
 
GStrong said:
HI there,

Just wondering how long it took you to start running racks of 9 ball, 8ball? When you first started, did you practice long hours, or did it come natural to you? How long before you were able to gamble with shortstops, etc? Just curious. I have been playing a little over a year (APA 6, 8ball) and kind of stuck in a plateau.

Thanks,
Gary
Click to expand...
Sounds like you're not doing too badly. Most good players played constantly the first couple of years. I ran racks consistently within 2 years, but I played every day. Eight ball is a strategy game, much easier to runout when most of the opposing balls are gone. Practice doing that and getting to that point in the game (usually by missing) to make your runouts easier if you want to get up to a 7.

For 9-ball, play the ghost (break, take ball in hand, runout=win,) at 9-ball, or if that's too hard play 6-ball - not all that easy, and add balls if you need to. Starting with ball in hand gives you a chance to stay in line from the beginning and practice good patterns.

Many drills are good, but there's only one simple one I bother practicing, PM me if you want to know what it is. I could also tell you my secret aiming system of always looking at the spot where your stick is pointing, but that might start an argument. Oops.

unknownpro
 
Colin,

I have heard many of times, that if giving the chance, a good APA 6/7 should be able to run out about 20-30% of the time, if given a decent shot at the table. A APA 8/9 is probably more like 40-50% or more that they will run a rack.

Now obviously everyone's opinion on running out regularly, will vary, but i myself believe that with a decent spread on the break, anyone APA 6 or above should be able to run out no problem.

But you also sometimes have to consider the league and how tough the players are, too, cuz then you might get the 3's 4's and 5's who play like world beaters cuz the league is filled with topnotch players.

dave
 
It must be different in other areas, because I am ranked a six. I play against 6's & the one 7 in My area usually. In my area if one of us misses the other runs out, there is not too much "D" with the better players, because they are mostly runout games.Lately With me, I see the patterns & pretty much run every game, but that pesky 8 has been giving me a hard time about 40% of the runs in last couple weeks. My mental block is not missing the 8 as would be the norm, but rather I get perfect shape on all seven and hook Myself on the 8 when I get to it. My break is not as good as I would like right now either, so working on that, because nothing on the break is the same as a missed shot. My runs are done in the open table, oponets balls off the table, or on. Most of my oponets play just as tough, so your talking 1 missed shot, and game over. My last 2 matches went hill/hill even though I ran a few racks right out the gate, and ran just about all the games I lost, just to get caught By the 8 ball position, and get run on. I figured out tonight I made 5 mistakes, all of which cost me the games I lost, and let My oponet stay in it, otherwise would have been a blowout. These guys here are strong mental oponets now days, the best competition I have had in a while for league. They are excellent comeback players, and you cannot lay up on them at all.

At the same time we also have players way under ranked 2's and 3's that should be 5's. A decent runnout player could scratch the 8 twice and It's over to begin with, If you get one that can shoot, then you really have your work cuttout for you. I'll take the top players all day long, I have better odds that way :D
 
Within 6 months I was running a rack every 12-15 racks.Now 4 years laters its more like every 5
 
GStrong said:
HI there,

Just wondering how long it took you to start running racks of 9 ball, 8ball? When you first started, did you practice long hours, or did it come natural to you? How long before you were able to gamble with shortstops, etc? Just curious. I have been playing a little over a year (APA 6, 8ball) and kind of stuck in a plateau.

Thanks,
Gary
Click to expand...

Took me too damn long to run out at first, mainly because of a mental block I think. Now it's usually once a set as an APA 6.
Still can't compete with the shortstops but that has more to do with my lack of practice time. Someones gotta watch the kiddies :-)

Koop
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top