My favorite drill

[longhair]

I use this drill to warm up. It helps me find my stroke and get a sense of the speed of the table. I made it up, though I'm sure I'm not the first.

Place an object ball on the footspot. With ball in hand, shoot that ball in and shape up for another ball on the footspot. Leaving the cueball where it is, place another ball on the footspot and shoot that one in, getting shape for a ball on the footspot. Repeat as long as possible.

CueTable Help

Obviously the first few are straight draw shots. It's surprising how quickly that falls apart, though, particularly on a tight table where you can't cheat the pocket much.

I typically run one or two racks of balls before I miss, though I have many runs over fifty, and once I got to 150 and quit in boredom. I'm sure that the strong players here will be able to run hundreds and hundreds and will find this drill trivial.

To make it more challenging, you can only use one pocket, or, to make it really challenging, you could use only the side pockets.

If anyone finds this drill interesting I'd love to hear if it helped you, or if you made a huge run with it.

 

[BRKNRUN]

See how many you can run (starting with a straight in shot) drawing the CB back to the same spot and shooting the next spotted ball into the same hole

Do that as many times as you can without having to use a rail..

I would be impressed if you did more than 15


You have a good drill though to get used to the rails...

I don't even pocket balls to warm up...the only thing I do is put the ball on the spot and shoot it into the opposite short rail about the first diamond and go two rails back to the opposite end rail...trying to end up frozen to the center diamond...

Once I have that speed down I will hit one or two three railers out of the corner pocket into the opposit corner pocket on the same end of the table...(I bascially am finding that particular tables "track line" for a three rail shot..and it tells me if a table plays a little long ...or a little short...

 

[sjm]

Nice drill. Thanks for sharing.

 

[okinawa77]

Cowboy

This drill reminds of a game called Cowboy because I would try to keep the cue ball in line for the 1, 3, and 5...since they get spotted back up after pocketing them.

 

[longhair]

See how many you can run (starting with a straight in shot) drawing the CB back to the same spot and shooting the next spotted ball into the same hole

Do that as many times as you can without having to use a rail..

I would be impressed if you did more than 15


You have a good drill though to get used to the rails...

I don't even pocket balls to warm up...the only thing I do is put the ball on the spot and shoot it into the opposite short rail about the first diamond and go two rails back to the opposite end rail...trying to end up frozen to the center diamond...

Once I have that speed down I will hit one or two three railers out of the corner pocket into the opposit corner pocket on the same end of the table...(I bascially am finding that particular tables "track line" for a three rail shot..and it tells me if a table plays a little long ...or a little short...

I don't usually get more than three or four without either switching pockets or using a rail, but I don't try too hard to stay exactly straight in because the little angles are part of the reason I do this drill.

I forgot to mention that as a drill to work on nineball type position I sometimes alternate between the footspot and the headspot. I find this strangely much more challenging.

 

[longhair]

This drill reminds of a game called Cowboy because I would try to keep the cue ball in line for the 1, 3, and 5...since they get spotted back up after pocketing them.

I remember playing Cowboy, but I don't remember the rules, really. I think it's something like English billiards on a pool table?

 

[CueAndMe]

I like the drill. I don't have a warm-up routine and this one looks good. I'll give it a try next time I play.
Thanks,
Jeff

 

[PetToilet]

cowboy is an awesome game.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

To make it more challenging, you can only use one pocket

I've used that as a one-pocket drill.

...to make it really challenging, you could use only the side pockets.

I've seen that as a proposition - bet somebody they can't make 10 (or 15 if they play pretty well) in the same side pocket. Almost nobody thinks it's that hard - until they try it.

pj
chgo

 

[Bob Jewett]

I remember playing Cowboy, but I don't remember the rules, really. I think it's something like English billiards on a pool table?

Here's an article about it. The rules are (or have been) in the BCA rule book.

http://www.onthebreaknews.com/Jewett4.htm#July06

 

[Fast Lenny]

Cool drill.

 

[Joe T]

Another way to play cowboy is to simply make it 1 point for every time you pocket a ball and carom your cue ball into another ball. You can play a race and ring games are great cuz they move along quickly. I would pay to see some top players in this format. Lots of tough shots and pinpoint cue ball control. This version was taught to me by Dennis Hatchs father and I believe Dennis has a high run in the 30's!

 

[Paul Juarez]

Nice drill

 

[Highlanduh]

I like that drill.
I think I'll give it a try next time I shoot.

I've been playing Cowboy for years.
It's a good game to play when there's too many guys playing on 1 table, or when what you're drinking is more important than what you're playing.

 

[Prince]

good drill

 

[bumpypickle]

The Sizzler drill.

I drive to the local Sizzler and get the steak and all you can eat shrimp with an added salad bar. Steak is medium with rice. I start with the shrimp first because the steak juice makes the shrimp soggy if you don't eat it fast enough. Then I eat the rice with a few chicken wing chasers. Then comes the meatballs and shrimp mixed with a few pieces of fruit to be healthy. Then I flag down the waitress because once she delivers the food she never talks to me again. I ask for more shrimp and she says "uno" and I say yes one. After eating my second helping of shrimp I head to the pool hall to sit on the rail and post stuff on AZ. If I have enough energy I hit a few balls late at night so nobody will hear me pass wind. bumpypickle

 

[tonmo]

That is a good drill. Emphasizes for me how much practice I really need!

In the Kid Delicious book "Running the Table", something similar was mentioned there. There was a tournament (can't remember the name) that would break ties via a "shoot-out", where the object ball is placed on the foot spot, and the cue ball is placed on the head spot. Each person is given 5 tries and the best result wins. Like hockey. Kid D apparently had done this all the time as his own drill so he liked the rule.

BTW, I recommend the audiobook version of Running the Table -- really well done!

 

[Hidy Ho]

I drive to the local Sizzler and get the steak and all you can eat shrimp with an added salad bar. Steak is medium with rice. I start with the shrimp first because the steak juice makes the shrimp soggy if you don't eat it fast enough. Then I eat the rice with a few chicken wing chasers. Then comes the meatballs and shrimp mixed with a few pieces of fruit to be healthy. Then I flag down the waitress because once she delivers the food she never talks to me again. I ask for more shrimp and she says "uno" and I say yes one. After eating my second helping of shrimp I head to the pool hall to sit on the rail and post stuff on AZ. If I have enough energy I hit a few balls late at night so nobody will hear me pass wind. bumpypickle

I don't understand your comment about shrimp. Let me start out with an admission that I'm no Sizzler expert. In fact, I thought they went bankrupt and closed down.

Now back to shrimp .. the ones I'm familiar with comes peeled or "shelled" with yummy cocktail sauce. So I don't get it how it will get soggy if you don't eat it fast enough. I'd think starting on shrimp, to get the stomach juice flowing, would be more "proper" way before starting on the red meat

Regardless, I'm thankful that California outlawed indoor smoking as it can be hazardous to light a match near you. Please remind me to sit far away from you, on those rare occasion when I visit Shoreline Billiards.

There is a chance I might stop by tomorrow night to pick up my shaft from Richard so PLEASE plan your diet accordingly.

 

[JoeyInCali]

My favorite drills are made by Irwin.

 

[Highlanduh]

My favorite drills are made by Irwin.

Drills or drill bits?

Sure, Irwin makes fine bits, but I've never seen an Irwin drill.