Idea for learning straight pool -- "spread pool"

S

Still_Learning

Shortstop in Training
Silver Member
Someone on AZB mentioned a way for beginners to learn straight pool. I don't remember who it was, but I call their idea "spread pool." (Someone correct me, please, if this idea has been around forever, and I'm only now just hearing about it.)

Spread out all 15 balls and take BIH. Start running balls. When you get to the last ball, call a pocket for it, but before shooting, spread out the other 14 balls again. With your next shot, you must sink what used to be the last ball in the pocket you called, even if there's a much better shot on the table now that the other 14 are out.

When I first heard about this game, I thought any idiot could run 100 balls if there were no clusters to manage. Hah! But, I've been working on this game fairly seriously, and yesterday I ran 66 balls...my new high run.

Seems to me the next step in learning straight pool could be to play the 19th century way. Rack all 15 balls and break hard. Start sinking balls. When you are down to the last ball, sink it. Then re-rack all 15 balls and break again. It doesn't matter if you fail to make a ball on that break; you get to keep shooting anyway--the only time you can continue a run without sinking a ball. I don't have a good name for this version but I think its original name was "Continuous Pool," which is why its modern variant is called "14.1 Continuous."

Anyway, it seems like a good way to learn straight pool is, first, reach some satisfying high run in "spread pool" by learning patterns, then reach that same run in "continuous pool" by learning cluster-busting, then reach that same run in modern straight pool.

Opinions?
 
Yeah, I actually kind of like that for a practice session. Like you said, you don't get to work with any clusters so you won't be getting any of that practice but still, doesn't sound like a bad idea for just running balls.
MULLY
 
Yeah. Couldn't hurt with learning to notice which balls connect to which, and which balls you need to leave so that you don't end up with a lonely straggler. I find straight pool similar to the peg game below. Both are puzzles with the goal of not leaving out of reach stragglers. The pegs and the balls have to connect. Eery is the shape of the peg game and the number of tees with one tee missing at the top. Did the inventor have 14.1 on his mind?

peggame.jpg
 
Still_Learning said:
Spread out all 15 balls and take BIH. Start running balls. When you get to the last ball, call a pocket for it, but before shooting, spread out the other 14 balls again.

When I first heard about this game, I thought any idiot could run 100 balls if there were no clusters to manage. Hah!

Seems to me the next step in learning straight pool could be to play the 19th century way. Rack all 15 balls and break hard. Start sinking balls. When you are down to the last ball, sink it. Then re-rack all 15 balls and break again.?
Click to expand...


SL,
You are definitely on the right track. Your "19th century" version was part of a practice regimen given to me by leading instructor Mark Wilson (of course the regimens change over time as skill level changes). Keeping your stroke perfect, and keeping your focus over a long period of time are essential in 14.1. There is no way you can run a hundred in 14.1 until you are able to run a hundred with your "19th century" version. Great practice tool.....good luck.
 
Williebetmore said:
SL,
You are definitely on the right track. Your "19th century" version was part of a practice regimen given to me by leading instructor Mark Wilson (of course the regimens change over time as skill level changes). Keeping your stroke perfect, and keeping your focus over a long period of time are essential in 14.1. There is no way you can run a hundred in 14.1 until you are able to run a hundred with your "19th century" version. Great practice tool.....good luck.
Click to expand...

Hello my friend,

First, another thanks for the great time in May. I'm still getting mileage from the photos and swag.:cool:

It seems to me, a newbie for sure, that 14.1 calls for full focus on getting to the break ball and that takes the normal potting routines and tosses those out the window. Everything revloves around that it seems.

But I can see how this continuous version would help in aquiring lolng-inning confidence.

Thanks for the tip. Oh goody...another practice routine that will frustrate the hell out of me!:p

Jeff Livingston
 
These seem like decent ideas.

I took a lesson from a BCA Master instructor a couple years ago, and he gave me probably the most frustrating drill I've ever been shown:

CueTable Help



This first part isn't too bad....

Take ball in hand along the first diamond from the end rail (right side in the diagram), on those three balls. Your objective is to shoot a stop shot on each ball into the lower left corner. Make all three, and set 'em up again. Keep shooting until you miss, and keep count. If your cue ball moves more than a chalk's width after contact, start your count over.

You should be able to make that shot all day long....right? Try it. It takes a ton of discipline and concentration to make those simple shots over and over again without losing the cue ball. Set it up right every time, or your cue ball will move.

Like I said, the first stage isn't too bad. It takes focus, but it's doable. One glorious day, I made 150 in a row. I was pretty happy with myself, and I told the instructor about it when I saw him next. He said "that's great. now see how many in a row you can make without touching a rail on the way in."

THAT'S when my head exploded. :banghead:
 
I like the idea for practice. I'd probably try to put most of the balls on the foot side of the table since that's generally where you're working in 14.1.
 
Still_Learning said:
Someone on AZB mentioned a way for beginners to learn straight pool. I don't remember who it was, but I call their idea "spread pool." (Someone correct me, please, if this idea has been around forever, and I'm only now just hearing about it.)

Spread out all 15 balls and take BIH. Start running balls. When you get to the last ball, call a pocket for it, but before shooting, spread out the other 14 balls again. With your next shot, you must sink what used to be the last ball in the pocket you called, even if there's a much better shot on the table now that the other 14 are out.

When I first heard about this game, I thought any idiot could run 100 balls if there were no clusters to manage. Hah! But, I've been working on this game fairly seriously, and yesterday I ran 66 balls...my new high run.

Seems to me the next step in learning straight pool could be to play the 19th century way. Rack all 15 balls and break hard. Start sinking balls. When you are down to the last ball, sink it. Then re-rack all 15 balls and break again. It doesn't matter if you fail to make a ball on that break; you get to keep shooting anyway--the only time you can continue a run without sinking a ball. I don't have a good name for this version but I think its original name was "Continuous Pool," which is why its modern variant is called "14.1 Continuous."

Anyway, it seems like a good way to learn straight pool is, first, reach some satisfying high run in "spread pool" by learning patterns, then reach that same run in "continuous pool" by learning cluster-busting, then reach that same run in modern straight pool.

Opinions?
Click to expand...


good idea. im gonna put it in my practice routine.
 
Still_Learning said:
Someone on AZB mentioned a way for beginners to learn straight pool. I don't remember who it was, but I call their idea "spread pool." (Someone correct me, please, if this idea has been around forever, and I'm only now just hearing about it.)

Spread out all 15 balls and take BIH. Start running balls. When you get to the last ball, call a pocket for it, but before shooting, spread out the other 14 balls again. With your next shot, you must sink what used to be the last ball in the pocket you called, even if there's a much better shot on the table now that the other 14 are out.

When I first heard about this game, I thought any idiot could run 100 balls if there were no clusters to manage. Hah! But, I've been working on this game fairly seriously, and yesterday I ran 66 balls...my new high run.

Seems to me the next step in learning straight pool could be to play the 19th century way. Rack all 15 balls and break hard. Start sinking balls. When you are down to the last ball, sink it. Then re-rack all 15 balls and break again. It doesn't matter if you fail to make a ball on that break; you get to keep shooting anyway--the only time you can continue a run without sinking a ball. I don't have a good name for this version but I think its original name was "Continuous Pool," which is why its modern variant is called "14.1 Continuous."

Anyway, it seems like a good way to learn straight pool is, first, reach some satisfying high run in "spread pool" by learning patterns, then reach that same run in "continuous pool" by learning cluster-busting, then reach that same run in modern straight pool.

Opinions?
Click to expand...
I've done this a few times. My high run is an unprecedented (for me;-) 70+ balls. I've probably never run more than half that at any other time.

I add a little bit though. I speak out loud the next three balls I plan to shoot. This helps keep me from getting lazy. I know you're supposed to plan, but if I don't say it out loud I won't do it. When I get to the last five balls I have to make a plan for all of them.
 
Still_Learning said:
.. Someone correct me, please, if this idea has been around forever, and I'm only now just hearing about it. ...
Click to expand...
It's not exactly the same thing, but up until about 1970 the Boys' Clubs in the US had a pool competition that was similar. Instead of a random spread, the 15 object balls went on the 15 diamond intersections on the lower part of the table, and the cue ball started behind the line. When a table was cleared, the 15 balls came back up. I'm not sure whether the cue ball returned to behind the line or not. In the 1960's, one of the Boy's Club champions played where I played. He had a high run of something like 176 at the BC game. In straight pool, I don't think I ever saw him run more than 28, but he may have given up pool for school.

While I think "spread pool" is good for learning to run loose balls, I think it's important to work on other things as well. A modification of your drill is to spread 5 or 6 balls on the table and work on the "last five" pattern to get on a break shot.
 
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