Old Nine Baller
Banned
I most often, but not always, write exactly what I "mean" and try to be precise with my words and explanations. I made no error in this case. I wrote exactly what I intended and meant every word of it.
ONB
How to Play This Pattern?
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I most often, but not always, write exactly what I "mean" and try to be precise with my words and explanations. I made no error in this case. I wrote exactly what I intended and meant every word of it.
ONB
Okay, I didn't look closely enough. I thought the 1 was the 9.
Put the cue ball between the 2 and 8. Pocket 1 in the corner, draw back off the rail for the 2 in the same corner. You can also pocket the 1 in the corner beneath the 8 and go forward for the 2 in the opposite corner.
Then buy a copy of Ray Martin's 99 critical shots and master shot #22. Learning what English to use for 1 rail position will vastly improve your game if you don't know it already.
I have a question. What is the link to that pool table? I stopped using the other one because it contained a virus.
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Draw is not the correct way off of the first ball. The least amount of rails that the cue ball touches the better off you are. The draw shot requires two rails and the follow shot requires zero to one. The shorter distance the cue ball has to travel to get on the next ball is the BEST way to shape.
If you can't play the one ball in the upper left corner with BIH and plain follow and get good position on the two ball nearly every time, then you need to find some help. Whether that help is from an instructor or a book or a friend or the guy who runs the pool hall is not important, but you need to know simple follow shots. You have to know them. You have to know the angles and the speeds.
You are not ready for this drill. You need to back up and work on simpler single-shot drills like the wagonwheel.
Me too. From there it's easy peasy
Oh my apologies. I meant to address my post to someone else. :smile:
Bob - was it you that I remember writing somewhere that one should avoid draw shots with ball in hand?
In general that's true. In the particular shot here with BIH you can set the cue ball up for the correct follow angle to go to the top rail and bounce for the 2. But without BIH -- suppose you had to play position on the 1 from some other ball -- the simple follow shot is the wrong one to try for nearly always because you need to get a very exact angle on the 1 ball (especially on tight tables). If you're playing position on the 1 ball, you need to play for the top left pocket taking the cue ball off the cushion with right follow or the bottom left pocket with right draw as described above.
When players have ball-in-hand many make the mistake of taking the position they would have played for rather than a better position that would have been very hard to play for.
Well, it was Fred Agnir who first stressed it but I agree with him for most BIH situations. There are exceptions, such as a shot with draw that will take you exactly along the line of position while the available follow shot will take you across the line of position. If I'm on new cloth on an unfamiliar table with that choice, I'll probably play the draw shot.
As far as draw or follow being more accurate/predictable, here is a test you can try.
Put a ball on the center spot which is right between the two side pockets. (It is rarely marked, but it does exist.) With ball in hand try to leave the cue ball frozen to the side cushion or as close as possible. Try it 10 times with draw and 10 times with follow. Add up the gaps for each kind of shot or just report how many times you left the cue ball within one ball diameter of the cushion. Report your results. If you're too good to the side rails so you always get within a ball either way, do the same to the end rails.
Put a ball on the center spot which is right between the two side pockets. (It is rarely marked, but it does exist.) With ball in hand try to leave the cue ball frozen to the side cushion or as close as possible. Try it 10 times with draw and 10 times with follow. Add up the gaps for each kind of shot or just report how many times you left the cue ball within one ball diameter of the cushion. Report your results. If you're too good to the side rails so you always get within a ball either way, do the same to the end rails.
Then something is wrong with your mechanics if your unable to shoot the one in the corner and follow the cue ball to the side rail (not bottom rail first) and rebound off for your two ball shape. In this shot on the one ball, the cue ball is placed slightly below the one ball so your cutting it too the left, into the corner with high center follow, and the cue ball naturally rolls to the right, towards the long rail. What would be revealing about your mechanics, is too see you shoot this shot this way and NOT be able to roll forward.
Thanks Bob. I'm sure you are right. I feel like I'm ready for the challenge though, seeing patterns on the table has elevated my game greatly. Now being able to execute the patterns is another story.
I agree with Bob... if you're struggling to get shape from the 1 to the 2, you should be working on things like this first:
http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/30_and_90_degree_rule.html#30-degree_rule
http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/30_and_90_degree_rule.html#30-degree_rule
I missed that one. Do you have a link to the thread with the layout generator?
Shot selection…
Well, I've done some work, cause from what I've read, you're more a beginner than an advanced learner (hope I didn't misunderstood that)!
There are many shots, where players use their personal preference (stop, follow, draw)…
…that's when both or all options will lead to the same result.
And there are many shots, where you have to overcome your personal preference and make the RIGHT shot SELECTION…
…which will have the most successful outcome (in percentages).
And I wanted to illustrate, why (IMHO) „Old Nine Baller“ uses the RIGHT shot SELECTION – even MUST be!
For me, there's NO DOUBT about his way of playing the shot in this case (and I'm sure MOST of the Pros would use this way)!
I call it the „approach path or entry lane“:
I have drawn a line from the point where the cueball contacts the 1 to the desired position (direct shots)
or from where the cueball contacts the cushion to the desired position (shots using the short rail).
I used the line from the center of the cueball to show which approach path „whitey“ will be able to go just barely passing the 8 or the 2. You can see the wide or little scope between these two balls for the path of the cueball…
Just from having a short look at it, there are minimum 5 ways to play position:
1: When I want the BEST RESULTS coming up MOST often:
I would play the same shot like „Old Nine Baller“ (2nd rail not necessarily required)!!!
2: When everything has gone astray before and I'm feeling anxious:
I would do the follow through (make sure potting the 1 – and hoping the 2 will be just OKAY)!
3: Some Pros like this shot – and if I wanna try something out I'll maybe do so:
Play a draw shot from the 1 between the 8 and 2. Requires VERY good speed and direction control.
4: When I'm in the zone and just wanna make a nice shot:
Playing the 1 with nice right english, cueball to the short cushion and between 8 and 2. Shouldn't be the first choice!
5: When I'm in the zone and WANT to make a tough 2 (just for fun):
Make a stop shot from above the 1 and play the 2 in the corner (passing the 4 just barely)! NOT very USEFUL!
I hope this was helpful and the loss of translation or of using terms in english isn't too bad…
Well, I've done some work, cause from what I've read, you're more a beginner than an advanced learner (hope I didn't misunderstood that)!
There are many shots, where players use their personal preference (stop, follow, draw)…
…that's when both or all options will lead to the same result.
And there are many shots, where you have to overcome your personal preference and make the RIGHT shot SELECTION…
…which will have the most successful outcome (in percentages).
And I wanted to illustrate, why (IMHO) „Old Nine Baller“ uses the RIGHT shot SELECTION – even MUST be!
For me, there's NO DOUBT about his way of playing the shot in this case (and I'm sure MOST of the Pros would use this way)!
I call it the „approach path or entry lane“:
I have drawn a line from the point where the cueball contacts the 1 to the desired position (direct shots)
or from where the cueball contacts the cushion to the desired position (shots using the short rail).
I used the line from the center of the cueball to show which approach path „whitey“ will be able to go just barely passing the 8 or the 2. You can see the wide or little scope between these two balls for the path of the cueball…
Just from having a short look at it, there are minimum 5 ways to play position:
1: When I want the BEST RESULTS coming up MOST often:
I would play the same shot like „Old Nine Baller“ (2nd rail not necessarily required)!!!
2: When everything has gone astray before and I'm feeling anxious:
I would do the follow through (make sure potting the 1 – and hoping the 2 will be just OKAY)!
3: Some Pros like this shot – and if I wanna try something out I'll maybe do so:
Play a draw shot from the 1 between the 8 and 2. Requires VERY good speed and direction control.
4: When I'm in the zone and just wanna make a nice shot:
Playing the 1 with nice right english, cueball to the short cushion and between 8 and 2. Shouldn't be the first choice!
5: When I'm in the zone and WANT to make a tough 2 (just for fun):
Make a stop shot from above the 1 and play the 2 in the corner (passing the 4 just barely)! NOT very USEFUL!
I hope this was helpful and the loss of translation or of using terms in english isn't too bad…
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You know, I think this is a pretty smart observation. I'm pretty confident either way, but the draw approach just feels more natural. I suspect that's for the exact reason you identified: it's the pattern I would play for if I was running out from an earlier ball instead of having BIH.
I'll have to make sure not to be lazy and do this.
Cory
I agree with this play. Should be easy this way.
Link Please!!