Is this a useless way to practice???
- Thread starter BigLip
- Start date
Blackjack said:
I just spent some time on your site and enjoyed it. Thanks for putting in the effort for others.
jordan
BigLip said:
You wouldn`t be the first. Can you guess how I know?
BigLip said:thanks for the explanation of that! will try those as well too...i guess i'll be tired at work again tomorrow b/c im sure i'll play until closing time again
pool will surely make me a single man...ah well...
Can't say how many times I've practiced about the way you have, been the last one out and cheated on sleep, too! And had that sinking thought ...
If only I'd spent 15 mins a night on safety play! Trying to rectify that now.
Anyway, what I like to do that might be a twist on what you do is that I'll take the last 6 or 7 balls, toss them out, move a ball or two to make sure the runout is reasonable, then separate the 7, 8 and 9 at opposite ends, leaving the last in a fairly challenging place, say center of the foot rail. Then I'll start off with some shot I feel needs extra work. Next couple of shots may be fairly routine, but the last three will at least take some traveling. After an hour or so, I tend to get out the majority of the time ... if only I could always count on that!
hey Vonn?
your a Punch Smoker?
me and my buddy here in the office are also!
DCP
your a Punch Smoker?
me and my buddy here in the office are also!
DCP
i felt like a monster w/ 3 balls on the table! it wasn't as bad looking as i thought it would be racking 3 balls b/c i didn't even need to use the rack haha...
i decided to do it with a little variation...may help me and may slow progress...i stayed w/ 3 balls last night...and i will do 4 tonight...even though i was getting in some good streaks w/ the 3 balls i stayed w/ it...tonight i will go to 4 and do 4 for however long it takes me to get very comfortable w/ it...then i'll move to 5
i said i was going to practice just for an hour but ended up there from 9-12:30...so now my girl is mad at me and im dead tired at work...oh well!
i see some really good drills to throw in there too...now i see why some people play so well! that site that someone left was a lot of help too...thanks a lot guys!
i decided to do it with a little variation...may help me and may slow progress...i stayed w/ 3 balls last night...and i will do 4 tonight...even though i was getting in some good streaks w/ the 3 balls i stayed w/ it...tonight i will go to 4 and do 4 for however long it takes me to get very comfortable w/ it...then i'll move to 5
i said i was going to practice just for an hour but ended up there from 9-12:30...so now my girl is mad at me and im dead tired at work...oh well!
i see some really good drills to throw in there too...now i see why some people play so well! that site that someone left was a lot of help too...thanks a lot guys!
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6 balls is only two of the easy drills. Come on now. SPOT 'EM!!!BigLip said:i didn't make many on the breaks...i was breaking al la corey deuell style on a triple shimmed table.
when i get to 5 and 6 balls they gonna stay in them pockets off the break though!
whitewolf said:So that is what Pattern Play is? Is this your definition or have a bunch of pros agreed upon what it is?
I have Target Pool and Martins 99 Critical Shots. IMHO, these give you practice and reasons why you shoot a certain shot.
To me a pattern seems to be a SEQUENCE that needs to be followed to obtain the best desired result. For example, let's say that you are playing 8 ball, your opponent has just broke and run 6 balls. Now you are faced with a decision. Some say to pocket all the balls at one end of the table and then move to the other end. To me, this is an oversimplified/wrong pattern if you will. I would rather pick out the tough shots and figure out a way to get to them as soon as possible before you run out of options. Another example, from watching Rempe's How to Run a 100 Balls in straight pool, is to get the balls off the rails first along with problem balls, then get the other balls next.
I guess I am assuming that I know what a pattern is, so someone please correct me or add something here. Ceebee, you could be correct, I just don't know.
WW
I think what was meant was "positional" play rather than pattern play. Often times, the two are interchanged and you've quickly shown the very reason why they shouldn't be. You're right. Pattern Play refers to a player's ability to obtain a given sequence that would yield a run-out. Since there are no choices in rotational games regarding which ball you may shoot (or at least, rarely are there choices), such a defintion could not be used for nine-ball.
However, there are patterns that are typical for rotational games (which was how the term was being used). These patterns, although structured, can oftentimes be viewed as some of the routine situations a rotational player would encounter. The drill mentioned simply illustrates an "up and down" pattern which is a frequent run-stopper in nine-ball.
whitewolf said:
My definition of "Pattern Play" is NOT what you described. Getting all the balls at one end, & then going to the other end to complete the run, would be a method of operating (i.e... modus-operandus) in my mind.
My idea of Pattern Play is described to like this;
#1 SHOT - Cue Ball location is "Ball In Hand, behind the Headstring". I shoot an object ball off the SPOT & come back 2 rails (end rail & side rail) for position on the next object ball to be made in the side pocket.
or
#2 - Cue Ball location is in the center of the table. I Shoot an object ball (app'x 2 inches off side rail, 15 inches from the corner pocket) into a corner pocket & cause the cue ball to go back & forth across the table twice for position on the next object ball.
or
#3 - Cue Ball location is about 8 inches straight out of a corner pocket on the foot rail. The object ball is on the foot rail rail, close to the middle diamond. I shoot the object with just a touch of inside-follow & a little crisp to play position for the next object ball on the opposite end rail, close to the middle.
These kind of shots, to me, are PATTERN PLAY. They have a definite pattern to follow, for success (unless of course other object balls are blocking the path of the cue ball or object ball).
These kind of shots can be practiced daily for success in competition. Accuracy of hit on the object, with the Cue Ball, & Speed of shot are the critical components of these shots.
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Rickw said:
I do this also.
Try it playing one rail shape on every shot too.
You must go one rail and only one rail.
Good for speed control.
When doing "The Finisher" as you get to the 4, 5, and 6 ball racks, say this to yourself: "How do I make the 1 ball, so I can get to the 2 ball, in order to pocket the 3 ball." After the 1 ball is pocketed, pick up the 4 ball in your "three ball rotation". If you can keep 4 balls going in your mind that's fine to. It would be like this" "How do I pocket the 1, to get to the 2, so I can make the 3, and get position on the 4. Always have 3 or 4 balls going in your head. When you get out of line, you may have to change it a little. (or a lot)