If I Had To Start From The Begining again

Johnnyt

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
I started on 9' and 10' tables playing 14.1 and 15 ball rotation (pay ball, money ball, Chicago and 61 count), then 3 cushion in poolrooms and 8 ball in the bars when the bar boxes started arriving. I was about 20 years old when I switched to 9-ball on the 9' tables.

If I had to start over again I'd start by playing 14.1 to learn how to pocket balls and perfect position. At the same time I'd play snooker to tighten my stroke and pinpoint pocketing. Also get on the 3 cushion table often to learn angles, kicking, and safeties. Rotation games would only start for me after I perfected the above. One-hole? I'm still not old enough (73) to start playing that. :). Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
I started on 9' and 10' tables playing 14.1 and 15 ball rotation (pay ball, money ball, Chicago and 61 count), then 3 cushion in poolrooms and 8 ball in the bars when the bar boxes started arriving. I was about 20 years old when I switched to 9-ball on the 9' tables.

If I had to start over again I'd start by playing 14.1 to learn how to pocket balls and perfect position. At the same time I'd play snooker to tighten my stroke and pinpoint pocketing. Also get on the 3 cushion table often to learn angles, kicking, and safeties. Rotation games would only start for me after I perfected the above. One-hole? I'm still not old enough (73) to start playing that. :). Johnnyt
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I agree 100%.....however, I did start with 14.1 (I still refer to it as "straight pool") and bank and that was when I was 19 yrs old. the snooker game would have certainly improved the pocketing too. the game of bank helped a lot with the angles but 3 cushion may have been better. as far as 1 hole, I'm too old for that game because it takes so long to play the game I would either die before the game was done or would forget which pocket was mine! ;)
 
I would start with 9/10 ball. All the finesse stuff can be learned later. Building a stroke that is powerful and reliable from day one is the most important thing to learn and rotation games are the only games that routinely require a powerful and accurate stroke.

In fact, I would focus on mostly 9/10 ball ring games because I would want to learn to run out before anything else.
 
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I agree with your post, JohnnyT. When I started playing, 14.1 was the game (this was shortly after "The Hustler" movie came out).
Today, I play mostly eight ball. My preferred break is to leave a cluster of balls. That way, if you're going to run out, you'll have to do it by breaking-up the cluster: Most players loath doing that, almost as much as they hate to play safe.
Shoot safe, my friend.
John
 
My philosophy is to play everything I can.

I started on 8 footers and then full size tables in college. Found two places with snooker tables and hit those when I could. Also have a new place I just found with carom tables and just discovered how much fun 3 cushion is. I will even go to the play on the valley bar box tables at the local dive (which kind of sucks because you get some really strange 8-ball rule variations from the locals).

When I first started, I wanted nothing to do with 3c and one pocket. But now I will play just about any game. Play everything and anything! Even if it looks challenging, or the rules are stupid...
 
Masayoshi said:
I would start with 9/10 ball. All the finesse stuff can be learned later. Building a stroke that is powerful and reliable from day one is the most important thing to learn and rotation games are the only games that routinely require a powerful and accurate stroke.
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I tend to agree with this. When I was young all I did was play rotation games and when I practiced by myself I would literally beat the balls around the table, going 3 rails for shape and taking the hardest route possible most of the time.

It's easier to build a powerful stroke first then refine everything than it is to work on the refinements then power.
 
I'm all for tightening the stroke and pinpoint pocketing, but you might as well do it on a pool table, not a snooker table. Ronnie O'Sullivan's pool stroke doesn't look anywhere near as fluid as his snooker stroke.
 
His Boy Elroy said:
I'm all for tightening the stroke and pinpoint pocketing, but you might as well do it on a pool table, not a snooker table. Ronnie O'Sullivan's pool stroke doesn't look anywhere near as fluid as his snooker stroke.
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I was thinking more of having to have a straighter stroke and aim in snooker, but this is JMO. Johnnyt
 
If you can run a hundred at straight pool or snooker, and 10 at 3-cushion....
...you might be the reincarnation of Harold Worst...and there's not a billiard game you can't
learn to play well.
 
pt109 said:
If you can run a hundred at straight pool or snooker, and 10 at 3-cushion....
...you might be the reincarnation of Harold Worst...and there's not a billiard game you can't
learn to play well.
Click to expand...

10 in 3 cushion was out of my reach...6 about a dozen times and 7 once. Johnnyt
 
I hear you. I did play a ton of snooker when I was very young. The pool hall I started playing in had about 6 snooker tables. I used to crush my brothers high school buddies when i was 11 or 12. It was fun as they would get so angry...... none of them liked losing to a snot nosed kid. :)
Got married at 20 and stopped playing for 25 years, got divorced, and started back up on the 9 footers and haven't looked back. Sad thing, at least around here, there are only a few spots to play snooker and most are way across town for me. :( I play some straight pool, but damn you would think it'd be easier since you just have to make balls in any pocket :grin:
 
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