League Woes

98falstaff

98falstaff

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi all. The team that I'm on is in a Valley league. We have been in the Blue league for a few years and always come out first or second at the end of each season. This year we are required to move up to the Red league which has more advanced players and take things more serious. How can I coach or get through to the boys that this style is different to win? Most are good shot makers but they are all offense it seems and they don't get the true strategy of higher stakes Eight Ball. I'm afraid failed runouts and being in one ball Hell will be the norm if we don't get it together. To them, shot safeties or break safeties early in the game is a hard thing to adapt to. I'm not the captain but I do study the game more than anyone else and would like to light a fire under their asses to help them understand. Any input or advice? Thanks.
 
98falstaff said:
Hi all. The team that I'm on is in a Valley league. We have been in the Blue league for a few years and always come out first or second at the end of each season. This year we are required to move up to the Red league which has more advanced players and take things more serious. How can I coach or get through to the boys that this style is different to win? Most are good shot makers but they are all offense it seems and they don't get the true strategy of higher stakes Eight Ball. I'm afraid failed runouts and being in one ball Hell will be the norm if we don't get it together. To them, shot safeties or break safeties early in the game is a hard thing to adapt to. I'm not the captain but I do study the game more than anyone else and would like to light a fire under their asses to help them understand. Any input or advice? Thanks.
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My suggestion to you is to actually ask one of the top shooters in the Red league to come out and practice with your team one night. Have your teammates play the advanced player without anyone pointing out smart safes or when/when not to actually try to run a table out and see how many games they actually win. I am pretty sure your teammates will lose many more than they win.

After about an hour, have the advanced player explain to them about safety's and when to/not to try and run out. Then have your teammates play the advanced player again, one on one, but the entire team analyse and coach through-out the game pointing out the different options/patterns that may lead into smart safes after every shot.

It is tough to teach a person to play safe, but after the player plays safe to actually win the game then they really understand the importance of it.

One other suggestion, if you can not get an advanced player to help you out. What you could do is practice with your teammates by playing them 8 ball and spotting them four or five balls after the break. Now you get to pick the balls to be removed so you pick the balls that are in the open and then play safes on them a couple of times each game and then run out. Explain to them that this is what is going to happen most every game if you try and run out your balls and dont succeed. Your opponent is going to play smart/safe shots until he/she is 100% capable of running out.
 
May I suggest contacting an instructor such as myself, who specialize in 8-ball strategy.
I'm in Gainesville, Fl, and do team as well as individual lessons, - if you are anywhere close to me. You may visit my website at www.poolcool.zoomshare.com, where I offer a copy of my essay, "Philosophy of 8-Ball".
 
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