JimBo said:
One more point I'll add. The ghost is a terrible way to "learn how to play 8-ball" if you want to win at 8-ball you better learn quick that B&R is not the way to win.
Jim
Fred? Fred?
JimBo said:
Being able to run out when you have to is huge, but there can be 12 safeties played before that chance comes up. I've seen many good players lose 8-ball games trying to run out all the time. Learn to play smart and to play safe, send the ghost packing or play him 6-ball.
Jim
I've actually played 8-ball giving an interesting spot that turned out to be a really good learning experience.
I've played where during my first (and another time my second as well) inning, I was not allowed to execute more than three strokes. My third stroke, if I got there, was an automatic called safety.
So my first shot, if the table was open, was to choose the right balls. Then I could either duck or make a ball to get in a better position to duck.
To my opponent, who played at almost my speed, this looked great. He was guaranteed to shoot in every game, and he was guaranteed to shoot twice in about half the games.
What I found is it was a very useful exercise for my 8-ball game. Most of the time, I was not trying to play a lock-up safety (not that common on a bar table with lots of balls). Instead, it caused me to really think of little bunts that fixed a problem for me and caused one for him. For example I might knock one of my balls that doesn't go into the clear in such a way that it blocks one of his balls that needs to go down the rail.
Another think I did several times was this: On the opening shot on an open table where, say, stripes are bad and solids good, I essentially rolled out to a position where my opponent could pocket one or more stripes but no solids.
Other times I'd focus on getting rid of key breakout balls for my opponent or blocking pockets particularly important to him of making one of his balls that clears things up for me.
What I'm trying to say is being forced by the spot to think like this on every game was a very good exercise. And I was amazed at how little, if at all, it hurt my game.