I have a question about straight pool?

playablue

playablue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have started playing staright pool for about a month now and have grwon to love it... personally I have been playing 9-ball or 8-ball strictly up and until then, I feel straight has improved every aspect of me playing 9 or 8-ball. The pool Hall I work at is pretty much catered to a younger crowd that comes in 'round 25 and younger. most of the bussiness comes from High school and College kids. They mostly play 8 ball which is cool with me.. but when they see me I usual play 9 ball and sens I make it look relatively "Simple" They think it is easier.... but then they come to find out it practically takes them twice the amount of time to finish a 9ball game then an 8-ball game. They are just ignorant to the use of english and/or being able to make the shot in the 1st place. I say make as many balls as you can with out missing" When I try to teach them the concept of straight pool they think it is so simple they chose not to play it all together and some of these players can not make a staright shot!!... My question is... how could I get them to change their minds?

I my self am 23
 
playablue said:
how could I get them to change their minds?

I my self am 23
Click to expand...

Depends on how philosophical you want to get. Banging balls around at an early age is doing nothing but wasting time. Try to instill that "Your time" is better spent learning, no matter what it is. If it's pool, so be it. Just spend your time wisely.
 
Ronoh said:
Depends on how philosophical you want to get. Banging balls around at an early age is doing nothing but wasting time. Try to instill that "Your time" is better spent learning, no matter what it is. If it's pool, so be it. Just spend your time wisely.
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Really could not have been said better!
 
Put a challenge on them!..........competition/recognition.......have them play a game or two, then whoever has the high run, put there name up on a scoreboard or something. They will be killing themselves to come and practice to get THIER name up on top to show the girlfriend.

Then when they are bragging about the 14 ball run they just made, fill them in on the World record run by Mosconi at 526!.............:).......G
 
Gerry said:
Put a challenge on them!..........competition/recognition.......have them play a game or two, then whoever has the high run, put there name up on a scoreboard or something. They will be killing themselves to come and practice to get THIER name up on top to show the girlfriend.

Then when they are bragging about the 14 ball run they just made, fill them in on the World record run by Mosconi at 526!.............:).......G
Click to expand...


That sounds like a great idea! I will definitely try that. the competition will get them something to go for... and since they are always tring to beat me it it more incentive...lol
 
playablue said:
My question is... how could I get them to change their minds?
Click to expand...

Playa,
I have found that beginning players significantly prefer 14.1 once they are exposed to it. It is the easiest game to handicap - using what I refer to as "The Frank Glenn Method". Play games to 50 or 100. Pick an appropriate spot for your opponent. If he wins then subtract 5 points from his handicap the next game. If he loses then add 5 points to his handicap the next time. Play for small stakes or bragging rights. This system virtually assures that the beginning player will win a fair number of games, no matter the skill level of their opponent. It also forces the better player to focus on the game from the very start. Most of your games will be "barn burners." I have a hard time getting the teenagers in the basement to play anything else.
 
playablue said:
...When I try to teach them the concept of straight pool they think it is so simple they chose not to play it all together and some of these players can not make a staright shot!!... My question is... how could I get them to change their minds?...
Click to expand...

If you have a tv somewhere in the room, I would play some of the great matches on it. One that comes to mind is the 1966 US Open between Joe Balsis and Irving Crane, the so-called "Clash of the Titans" video. While there may have been more technically perfect runnouts accomplished, this one is at the top of my list for atmosphere, along with the non-analytical but enthusiastic commentary by Joe Wilson. I don't know, but there might be royalty issues with playing them in a commercial environment?

Jim
 
Jal said:
If you have a tv somewhere in the room, I would play some of the great matches on it. One that comes to mind is the 1966 US Open between Joe Balsis and Irving Crane, the so-called "Clash of the Titans" video. While there may have been more technically perfect runnouts accomplished, this one is at the top of my list for atmosphere, along with the non-analytical but enthusiastic commentary by Joe Wilson. I don't know, but there might be royalty issues with playing them in a commercial environment?

Jim
Click to expand...

The pool Hall I work at is rather small it has 15 tables..whihc makes it easy for me by myself to manage... its really a nice friendly enviornment with TV's and music juke box that plays music all around... I do not see how playing a video would be a problem seeing as I play whatever I want cause while you work there you run the joint...well for the time I work there.

Williebetmore said:
Playa,
I have found that beginning players significantly prefer 14.1 once they are exposed to it. It is the easiest game to handicap - using what I refer to as "The Frank Glenn Method". Play games to 50 or 100. Pick an appropriate spot for your opponent. If he wins then subtract 5 points from his handicap the next game. If he loses then add 5 points to his handicap the next time. Play for small stakes or bragging rights. This system virtually assures that the beginning player will win a fair number of games, no matter the skill level of their opponent. It also forces the better player to focus on the game from the very start. Most of your games will be "barn burners." I have a hard time getting the teenagers in the basement to play anything else.
Click to expand...

I like that type of game where it evens up the playing field, "The frank Glenn Method"

Sorry to ask this question but, Who is Frank Glenn?

-Brandon
 
playablue said:
I have started playing staright pool for about a month now and have grwon to love it... When I try to teach them the concept of straight pool they think it is so simple they chose not to play it all together and some of these players can not make a staright shot!!... My question is... how could I get them to change their minds?

I my self am 23
Click to expand...
I can tell you what worked for me - a more serious player who loved straight pool and played 8-ball with me regularly at lunch, told me it would be a good "warm-up" game prior to 8-ball. We started playing to 25, then 50...I was hooked.
 
Jal said:
If you have a tv somewhere in the room, I would play some of the great matches on it. One that comes to mind is the 1966 US Open between Joe Balsis and Irving Crane, the so-called "Clash of the Titans" video.
Jim
Click to expand...

Don't forget Mike Sigel's 150 and out from 1992 (IIRC)

Jal said:
. I don't know, but there might be royalty issues with playing them in a commercial environment?

Jim
Click to expand...

Not as long as you don't charge admission.
 
Gerry said:
Put a challenge on them!..........competition/recognition.......have them play a game or two, then whoever has the high run, put there name up on a scoreboard or something. They will be killing themselves to come and practice to get THIER name up on top to show the girlfriend.

Then when they are bragging about the 14 ball run they just made, fill them in on the World record run by Mosconi at 526!.............:).......G
Click to expand...


That is the perfect way to teach kids anything...Trick them into learning...If you try and "teach" them, they will shut you out quickly.

Pay close attention to see which kids respond. Not always will it be the kid that is the best....Sometimes the kid that struggles at first will end up being your best prospect in the long run...
 
playablue said:
I have started playing staright pool for about a month now and have grwon to love it... personally I have been playing 9-ball or 8-ball strictly up and until then, I feel straight has improved every aspect of me playing 9 or 8-ball. The pool Hall I work at is pretty much catered to a younger crowd that comes in 'round 25 and younger. most of the bussiness comes from High school and College kids. They mostly play 8 ball which is cool with me.. but when they see me I usual play 9 ball and sens I make it look relatively "Simple" They think it is easier.... but then they come to find out it practically takes them twice the amount of time to finish a 9ball game then an 8-ball game. They are just ignorant to the use of english and/or being able to make the shot in the 1st place. I say make as many balls as you can with out missing" When I try to teach them the concept of straight pool they think it is so simple they chose not to play it all together and some of these players can not make a staright shot!!... My question is... how could I get them to change their minds?

I my self am 23
Click to expand...

Playa,
Here's my idea: Set up the same 'mid-game break shot' - with 14 in the rack and the 15th ball at 1.5 diamonds both rails, and the cue ball in hand. From here, you play by regular straight pool rules until you miss - meaning you don't get to start afresh w/ a new rack, you have to earn it. Track the number of balls made by each player, high score wins. This gets by the beginning of the game 2-balls-to-the-rail break followed by safety play (save it for later), but reinforces the transitioning racks concept for when they start running the whole rack consistently - which won't take that long (if they can shoot, I mean). It'll also teach (by doing) the idea that smashing the rack apart and all over the table might not be as good as separating the balls out but keeping them all down at the 'business end' ... and the idea that they're going to need a break ball to get past 15 balls, and maybe they'll need a key ball to get to the right shape on the break ball, etc. But, you're leaving the thrill of transitioning racks in the game right from the beginning...
Post best scores on a chalkboard, like the video games do.
The Mike Sigel video of 150 & out is pretty good incentive material, too.
Cardinal2B
 
playablue said:
[...] My question is... how could I get them [youngins who take several innings to finish a 9-ball game]to change their minds?

I my self am 23
Click to expand...

Think about that normal side-of-the-pack straight pool break shot. Your cueball is a diamond or two from the object ball. You've got the perfect angle to send the cueball square into the pack, and you're thinking about that right amount of draw to keep the cueball out of trouble. Now imagine that same shot but with the cueball behind the headstring. It's a little scary, right? Now imagine the cueball so close to the head rail that you have to jack up to get under it. Terrifying, right? At least until you sensibly choose to duck...

That fear, though, is key to making straight pool a rich game. Yet the only time those neophytes are going to experience that fear is when their opponent has 145 in a race to 150, i.e., three hours and a hundred innings into the game.

Like a lot of games the splendor is only realized when your successes are rewarded *and* your mistakes are punished.

For this reason, new players should play straight pool to 15. Yes, to 15. Games will go a handful of innings, someone most certainly have to negotiate opening up a rack, and mistakes will be punished. Even in games amongst weak players, the players will learn the value of playing safe and will learn how to play safe.

Finally a game of straight pool to 15 requires only the attention span of a ..., well, a, ... a 9-ball player.


mike page
fargo
 
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