I just got some speed control drills in a recent lesson. I'm looking to do about 3,000 balls worth but
even just a few rows will be helpful. The setup is easy.
line up all 15 balls in a row between the side pockets, across the center of the table.
You can pick up the cue ball and put it anywhere behind the line, on each shot. Shoot into either corner.
Shoot the following:
1. Shoot a row of 15 and try to get perfect stop shots. No forward spin, backspin, no side-to-side rotation.
Don't settle for 'close enough'. Just do one row before advancing, or you can even just do it until you nail 1 perfect stop.
2. Simple follow drill. Exact same setup, but instead of stopping, roll forward past the side pocket.
You have 'goalposts' you must fall between. The first goalpost is between the side pocket, and the diamond after.
Right on the line is ok. Once you hit that distance, The next goalpost is between 1 and 2 diamonds after.
If you hit it, move on to land between 2 and 3. Then between 3 and the end rail (but don't touch the end rail).
After this it gets a little more challenging. After the 4 shots described above, you now set up with a hair of angle,
and hit with top and get the cue ball to hit the end rail, then bounce up a little...
first get it to land between the rail, and 1 diamond from the corner. Then between 1 and 2 diamonds from the corner.
Finally get it to bounce between 2 and 3 diamonds away.
So you have 7 targets to hit total, and 15 balls to do it. Should be no problem right?
If you're hitting 'em excellent maybe you can hit all 7 positions twice.
3. Draw drill. Exact same setup. Same idea... draw between side pocket and 1 diamond back,
then between 1st and 2nd diamond, 2nd and 3rd, and so on. Then draw to bounce off the end rail and rebound..
exactly like the follow drill.
4. Stun follow - this is tough. Do a row of 15 balls with stun follow, replacing the object ball with the cue ball.
Not much room for error, the CB must land somewhere in the 'ring' where the object ball used to sit.
You can move on if you hit 3 perfectly.
5. Extra stun follow - this time the goal is not to roll forward just one ball width, but 2 ball widths.
So the cue ball stops right 'behind' where the object ball used to be. Don't settle, it can't stop
more than a ball width's distance from where the object ball used to be. Move on if you hit 3 perfectly.
6. Stun draw - just like stun follow but go backwards 1 ball width.
7. Extra stun draw - go backwards 2 ball widths.
One thing the instructor stressed is, you must find a method for speed control that gives you the most reliable,
controlled results. For example on the last drill listed, I was trying to do it with very low, soft draw.
That's ok if that's what works best for you. But I found true stun draw (like a half tip below center, struck like
a firm stop shot) got me the most reliable results.
