I love this

[mullyman]

Guys, I joined this site over a year ago but don't post much. Some of you may remember me from the old RSB days and some of you may know me from Inside.

Anyway, I just wanted to comment that I love this 14.1 area of the board. Straight pool is my preferred game. I've been playing pool for 25 years, have numerous tournament wins under my belt, have been chosen to go to the all Japan tournament 5 times, and was ranked #1 in my state. I have a personal best 7 break run outs in 9-ball. With that said, I suck at straight pool. My highest run to date is 47. 14.1 isn't popular here in Japan so I basically started out on my own without any knowledgeable players to help me. I find the coming up with a shot after a break is my toughest point. I watch the pro matches and these guys always have something after the break, I usually have nothing or something really tough.

I'm really glad that this 14.1 area is here. I'm enjoying reading the threads and hopefully I'll up my run by a few balls. I really wish I had some good players to play with though.
MULLY

 

[Caromsoft]

I watch the pro matches and these guys always have something after the break, I usually have nothing or something really tough.
MULLY

It's funny, the same thing always happens to me!

 

[mullyman]

It's funny, the same thing always happens to me!

Yeah, it really sucks. What's worse is after the break only having one shot going way up to the other end of the table and absolutely no way to get back down table to where you need to be for another shot......that is going to require pin point position.

As frustrating as it is I can't stop myself from playing it though. I don't think you'll find anyone that loves this game as much as I do. I really wish I was better at it.
MULLY
not finding someone that "loves it as much as me" is speaking figuratively

 

[Blackjack]

Mully

This is probably the section of Azbilliards where you can learn the most about the game of pool. This forum was designed to discuss this game, its strategies, and it comes to everybody with no BS.

We have had the participation of Thorsten Hohmann, Danny Harriman, John Schmidt, Grady Mathews, Darren Appleton, and Hall Of Famer and World Champion Ray Martin. That's pretty cool, but you also must factor in the long list of champions and top pros that either post anonymously or lurk - all of that adds to the quality of knowledge that is passed along through this forum.

 

[CueAndMe]

As frustrating as it is I can't stop myself from playing it though. I don't think you'll find anyone that loves this game as much as I do.

Are you sure it's love? It may be addiction. I'm almost ready for my first of 12 steps.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... I find the coming up with a shot after a break is my toughest point. I watch the pro matches and these guys always have something after the break, I usually have nothing or something really tough. ...

Babe Cranfield already told you how to fix that, but I'll repeat what he said: Work on your weaknesses. In particular, if you have a lousy break result in practice, don't try to make the following hard shot, go back and break again. Change what you do on that particular break until it works for you. If you can't make it work, you know you have to get some other break shot. In league, I sometimes remark to myself, "He can't be keeping THAT ball as a break, can he?"

When practicing breaks you need to be precise about the ball placement. A quarter-inch difference in the break ball location can change which ball in the rack you hit first and that can make all the difference in whether you get stuck or get loose for a particular kind of hit.

 

[Dan White]

Yeah, it really sucks. What's worse is after the break only having one shot going way up to the other end of the table and absolutely no way to get back down table to where you need to be for another shot......that is going to require pin point position.

I learned something about ball and cloth condition after buying a ball cleaning machine. I found that when the table is clean and the balls are polished well, they open up like a flower with just a little effort. I don't use a wax, which makes the balls ridiculously slippery. I just use a cleaner, that when combined with the high speed ball machine, leaves them slick and clean.

It kind of feels like cheating to be playing with clean equipment, but on the occasion I go to the pool hall the balls are usually slick and the tables fast.

 

[mullyman]

Ahh yeah, dirty balls on slow dirty cloth sucks all kinds of ass. Toss some humidity into the mix and you have the makings for a really fun night. I much prefer to play on a table with clean balls and nice fast cloth. Simonis 760 has always proven to be my favorite. I know, I know, 860 is supposed to be the crown jewel but when I came to Japan all the places had 760 and well, all the years I've been here I've gone from a B class player up to SA, above A class, with all those years playing on fast tables I've grown used to it. Lately places have been switching to 860 and to me it's like playing on shag carpet. I can handle it the first few weeks while it's still new and running well but once it starts to lose it's speed I don't want to play on it.
MULLY