Looking for Advice - Beginner in One Pocket

Pushout said:
Why??? Learning some Straight Pool would be much better than 9 ball.
Click to expand...

Straight pool have more shots options to consider, so one may choose to go with easier shot or shots he is comfortable of execution. Where as 9 ball you do not have many options, so your skill have to raise up and must know how to shoot and pocket balls and get position in any kind of english, speed or distance, of which will come in handy during a one pocket match. Bank pool would be also good game to play.
 
naji:
...you must master 9 ball first, then move to one pocket.
Click to expand...
PGHteacher:
Very bad advice IMHO
Click to expand...
I think it's just incomplete advice. I'd say instead that you should be more advanced than a beginner at all kinds of pool to play one pocket. If you're struggling with basic pool skills while you're also trying to learn all the unique shots and game strategies of one pocket you'll be overwhelmed.

pj
chgo
 
naji said:
One pocket is a game where you really need to play it to learn, next best way is to watch as much good players videos /youtube as possible

But you must master 9 ball first, then move to one pocket.
Click to expand...

That would be ideal, maybe someday for me..
 
I don't think you can really master 9 ball until you learn many one pocket shots. They translate very well into other games and give you a more complete game. The various disciplines in pool tend to lend favorably to each other...

Have you ever met that guy who was a decent one pocket player and a horrible 9 ball player, or vice versa? I think to be a complete player, you need to be skilled at all games. They really do help each other.....
 
Wybrook said:
I don't think you can really master 9 ball until you learn many one pocket shots. They translate very well into other games and give you a more complete game. The various disciplines in pool tend to lend favorably to each other...

Have you ever met that guy who was a decent one pocket player and a horrible 9 ball player, or vice versa? I think to be a complete player, you need to be skilled at all games. They really do help each other.....
Click to expand...


I respectably disagree. 9 or 10 ball is the only game that has all kind of shots, no other game has it. For sure other games strategy might help. If you are good in one pocket and not 9 ball, that means most of the one pocket games he is playing are up table game, slow, and requires lots of patience, not like say Scott Frost power one pocket.
 
Mr. Wiggles said:
Play with accomplished players. Take your lumps and learn. Try leaving opp close or frozen to rail. It's easier than it sounds. Practice slow rolling your ball and leaving it deep in the hole. Just like golf it's better to leave one hanging than to make it. They can't get it out cause it's hanging so deep. If they are smart they will make your ball but you should also make your opp ball if they leave one hanging. This will keep them from getting shape on a second ball. Books and tapes are fine, but you also need to put in time at the table. It's a journey!
Click to expand...

Hey you old stump grinder. Sounds like you're ready to give me 10 to 6. I can be a Chesters or AAA this weekend. Let me know.

To OP: I agree, play against good one pocket players they can teach you a lot.

Steven
 
Winning One Pocket and Shots, Moves, and Strategies are very hard to come unless you are willing to pay hundreds of dollars for each book. However, they are the 2 best books ever written on One Pocket. Good luck in your journey!
 
naji said:
I respectably disagree. 9 or 10 ball is the only game that has all kind of shots, no other game has it. For sure other games strategy might help. If you are good in one pocket and not 9 ball, that means most of the one pocket games he is playing are up table game, slow, and requires lots of patience, not like say Scott Frost power one pocket.
Click to expand...

No, Straight Pool is the game that has all kinds of shots. It also requires pin-point position where the rotation games can be played with zone position. I've known good One Pocket players who were lousy rotation game players but were good Straight Pool players.
 
naji said:
I respectably disagree. 9 or 10 ball is the only game that has all kind of shots, no other game has it. For sure other games strategy might help. If you are good in one pocket and not 9 ball, that means most of the one pocket games he is playing are up table game, slow, and requires lots of patience, not like say Scott Frost power one pocket.
Click to expand...

I think your analysis is incorrect...

9/10 ball - long distance position, stroke shots, easy safes, mild pattern recognition, medium kicking
8 ball - advanced pattern recognition, easy shots, marginal safes
Straight pool - short position play, easy safes, concentration, advanced pattern recognition
one pocket - short and long position, advanced kicking, concentration, advanced safety play, advanced strategy, medium pattern recognition w/ more difficult executions

There is so much more to one pocket then seeing a couple old guys bunt balls around uptable. The game has so many facets its hard to go into all of them without being a one pocket player yourself.

I know a ton of guys who play 9 ball real well who can't execute the simplest of one pocket shots. Knowing these one pocket shots will also make your 9 ball game better in many ways...
 
That someone would say that mastering 9 ball is necessary to become proficient at other disciplines is sad but not totally unexpected. It shows where the game has taken pool over the years. 9 ball has been the game of choice for so many for so long that many actually believe it. I've seen very good one pocket and straight pool players who seldom, if ever, play rotation games. I think that it's good to have knowledge and proficiency in all games to be a well rounded player but I don't think mastering 9 ball is necessary to become good at one pocket. Being able to make long shots and move the cue ball long a long distance is helpful in any game but Straight Pool, learned and played properly, gives most things needed to play better in any other game. Carom shots and combinations come to mind immediately, that seldom come up in rotation games. Mastering any game pretty much means playing it to the exclusion of most other games.
 
Last edited:
Wybrook said:
I think your analysis is incorrect...

9/10 ball - long distance position, stroke shots, easy safes, mild pattern recognition, medium kicking
8 ball - advanced pattern recognition, easy shots, marginal safes
Straight pool - short position play, easy safes, concentration, advanced pattern recognition
one pocket - short and long position, advanced kicking, concentration, advanced safety play, advanced strategy, medium pattern recognition w/ more difficult executions

There is so much more to one pocket then seeing a couple old guys bunt balls around uptable. The game has so many facets its hard to go into all of them without being a one pocket player yourself.

I know a ton of guys who play 9 ball real well who can't execute the simplest of one pocket shots. Knowing these one pocket shots will also make your 9 ball game better in many ways...
Click to expand...

One example is SVB, he won last few big one pocket tourneys against one pocket pros, since when he started one pocket? not long ago, but his ability to pocket balls, and CB position makes one pocket for him just another game; that only product of many many hours of 9 and 10 ball play
 
naji said:
One example is SVB, he won last few big one pocket tourneys against one pocket pros, since when he started one pocket? not long ago, but his ability to pocket balls, and CB position makes one pocket for him just another game; that only product of many many hours of 9 and 10 ball play
Click to expand...
I agree with others that games like straight pool and 8 ball, with their focus on precision cue ball control and decision making, are better training for one pocket.

pj
chgo
 
Dvd's, One pocket, 54 practice session drills by Nick Varner, comes with a book also. Power one pocket, Scott Frost, One pocket my way, Gabe Owens. Get some accu stats tapes of Efren, Cliff, Shannon and many other top 1 hole players. One pocket is one game you can really learn alot by watching, unlike 9 or 10 ball where the break, saftey and pattern play is all you could learn. Check out onepocket.org. Practice breaking the balls and take ball in hand and see how many you can run in 1 hole. Practice bank shots that come up all the time in one pocket. Practice straight pool and this will really teach you how to runs balls in traffic and breakouts. I also just started to try and learn this game. I use to refuse to even watch a 1 hole game. Good luck.
 
No one else has mentioned it, but Willie Jopling's 2 dvd set on One Pocket contains a LOT of great 1-P information. They are "out of print" but I have a few sets. PM me if interested.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top