I’ve wanted to post this for a long time and never have, but this current ‘one pocket concept’ discussion has finally gotten me to….First off I just want to say that like Grady and some others, I think that one pocket is one of the greatest, game/sports in the world and all of us pool players who learn to play it are blessed - and it’s a shame that outside of our pool subculture no one in the world even knows that there is a game called one pocket and how significant as a challenging/complex sporting endeavor it is…..Secondly let me say that I apologize if I sound ‘too strongly opinionated’ or boastful on this thread, but it ‘comes with the territory’ in order for me to get my points across and to establish credibility for my one pocket knowledge/opinions/concept.
In the past 35 years I’ve both watched and played one pocket against: Efren, Jose Parica, Grady, Jack Cooney, Cliff (many times), Johnny Ervolino, Bugs (many times), Artie, Cornbread Red, Miami, Buddy Hall, Nick Varner, Shannon D. and many more top players both past and present…..I’ve also played my buddy Freddy the Beard dozens of times and we’ve also been partners many times playing partners one pocket – let me just say that we made pretty good partners, ie. we didn’t fight too much – but when we did occasionally disagree strongly on a shot choice there could be some yelling and smug/indignant stares at each other ^_^…….Anyway, with all those years of playing experience combined with my own strategy analysis and vision of the game, I feel very strongly that I know the correct way (i.e. Concept) to play one pocket….I have, and currently do, teach/give one pocket lessons according to my personal concept of the game, including having given lessons to one of the top 12 current one pocket players…..And also for the record, my one pocket teaching and one pocket philosophy/visualizing were highly spoken of by George Fels in one of his Billiards Digest columns last year.
All of that said, I just want to share the foundation of my one pocket teaching philosophy…..
……First off I want to say that I’ve been annoyed for years by all of this debating about which is right, or better, the Chicago/Philly/Old School never shoot at your hole squeeze style of one pocket, or the so-called modern/left coast aggressive fire at your hole style of one pocket….Well, the reason it bugs me is because this ongoing debate speaks as if these are the only two philosophies to subscribe to, when in fact neither style is correct – the correct way to play one pocket is a combination of both of those styles….
…..When playing/thinking at the very highest level of one pocket, you will have a perfect melding of those two styles in your head to employ every time that you step to the table – also, to play one pocket at this level you need a very high level of creativity/imagination….Which of these styles will take precedence on any one inning of yours at the table will be constantly in flux.
Your shot choice should always be predicated on your correct analysis of several factors, the main ones being: Table layout, ball score, match score, and the one pocket style, skill level, heart, and ego size of your opponent….And of course all shot choices must factor in your own skill set/abilities.
The first thing that I tell a new one pocket student of mine is that I can sum up ‘my concept’/how I believe correct one pocket should be played in two words – Smartly Aggressive….In other words, every time that you step to the table (unless you're in a death trap) you should be ferociously looking to attack - but if you can’t find a viable offensive shot, then you don’t force the issue – that’s where the smart part comes in…..Instead, play a suffocating safety, and if that’s not possible then at least re-position the ball layout in some way that helps your cause…i.e. tie up balls on his side or open up balls or banking/shooting lanes on your side of the table…….I’m a big pro football fan, and as such I’ve always drawn a parallel in my mind between one pocket players and pro football quarterbacks – quarterbacks have to read the field like we read the table and then make a decision to act…and their ‘opponent’ is the cornerbacks and safeties, and again like we one pocket players analyze our opponent, a quarterback needs to know the tendencies of different defensive backs and defensive schemes used against him….Now a young quarterback who throws 25-30 picks in a season by ‘forcing’ passes is just like the overly aggressive one pocket player going for a too-low percentage shot and selling out…..To keep my football analogy going, if you want to play one pocket at the highest level and as it should be played, just play it the way Joe Montana played quarterback…^_^
Back to shot choices…..Your first desired shot choice is of course to pocket a ball in your pocket…whether you should choose this option in a given situation depends on two factors: ‘makeability’ percentage and the risk/reward equation…..There’s no time to go into this completely, but for an example, here is an interesting risk/reward comparison combined with the makeability factor, that uses mathematical/strategic one pocket though processing to consider the situations: In one scenario, you have a shot that you are 90% likely to make in your pocket – by making it, you can run two balls and you will leave two balls for your opponent to pocket if you miss….In the second scenario, you have a shot that you are 70% likely to make in your pocket, but you will be able to easily run five balls if you make it and leave just one ball for your opponent to pocket if you miss…In each of these two situations I would say going for the shot is a good risk/reward choice, and I think the two very different situations are fairly equal choices when compared to each other viability-wise.
Anyway, I’ve gone on too long already, but this is an overview of my ‘concept’ of correct one pocket play. To go any further, we would have to be on a table and analyze specific game situations. Anyone who would like to pm me about any of this, feel free to.
Good luck with your one pocket game……………….Ghost
In the past 35 years I’ve both watched and played one pocket against: Efren, Jose Parica, Grady, Jack Cooney, Cliff (many times), Johnny Ervolino, Bugs (many times), Artie, Cornbread Red, Miami, Buddy Hall, Nick Varner, Shannon D. and many more top players both past and present…..I’ve also played my buddy Freddy the Beard dozens of times and we’ve also been partners many times playing partners one pocket – let me just say that we made pretty good partners, ie. we didn’t fight too much – but when we did occasionally disagree strongly on a shot choice there could be some yelling and smug/indignant stares at each other ^_^…….Anyway, with all those years of playing experience combined with my own strategy analysis and vision of the game, I feel very strongly that I know the correct way (i.e. Concept) to play one pocket….I have, and currently do, teach/give one pocket lessons according to my personal concept of the game, including having given lessons to one of the top 12 current one pocket players…..And also for the record, my one pocket teaching and one pocket philosophy/visualizing were highly spoken of by George Fels in one of his Billiards Digest columns last year.
All of that said, I just want to share the foundation of my one pocket teaching philosophy…..
……First off I want to say that I’ve been annoyed for years by all of this debating about which is right, or better, the Chicago/Philly/Old School never shoot at your hole squeeze style of one pocket, or the so-called modern/left coast aggressive fire at your hole style of one pocket….Well, the reason it bugs me is because this ongoing debate speaks as if these are the only two philosophies to subscribe to, when in fact neither style is correct – the correct way to play one pocket is a combination of both of those styles….
…..When playing/thinking at the very highest level of one pocket, you will have a perfect melding of those two styles in your head to employ every time that you step to the table – also, to play one pocket at this level you need a very high level of creativity/imagination….Which of these styles will take precedence on any one inning of yours at the table will be constantly in flux.
Your shot choice should always be predicated on your correct analysis of several factors, the main ones being: Table layout, ball score, match score, and the one pocket style, skill level, heart, and ego size of your opponent….And of course all shot choices must factor in your own skill set/abilities.
The first thing that I tell a new one pocket student of mine is that I can sum up ‘my concept’/how I believe correct one pocket should be played in two words – Smartly Aggressive….In other words, every time that you step to the table (unless you're in a death trap) you should be ferociously looking to attack - but if you can’t find a viable offensive shot, then you don’t force the issue – that’s where the smart part comes in…..Instead, play a suffocating safety, and if that’s not possible then at least re-position the ball layout in some way that helps your cause…i.e. tie up balls on his side or open up balls or banking/shooting lanes on your side of the table…….I’m a big pro football fan, and as such I’ve always drawn a parallel in my mind between one pocket players and pro football quarterbacks – quarterbacks have to read the field like we read the table and then make a decision to act…and their ‘opponent’ is the cornerbacks and safeties, and again like we one pocket players analyze our opponent, a quarterback needs to know the tendencies of different defensive backs and defensive schemes used against him….Now a young quarterback who throws 25-30 picks in a season by ‘forcing’ passes is just like the overly aggressive one pocket player going for a too-low percentage shot and selling out…..To keep my football analogy going, if you want to play one pocket at the highest level and as it should be played, just play it the way Joe Montana played quarterback…^_^
Back to shot choices…..Your first desired shot choice is of course to pocket a ball in your pocket…whether you should choose this option in a given situation depends on two factors: ‘makeability’ percentage and the risk/reward equation…..There’s no time to go into this completely, but for an example, here is an interesting risk/reward comparison combined with the makeability factor, that uses mathematical/strategic one pocket though processing to consider the situations: In one scenario, you have a shot that you are 90% likely to make in your pocket – by making it, you can run two balls and you will leave two balls for your opponent to pocket if you miss….In the second scenario, you have a shot that you are 70% likely to make in your pocket, but you will be able to easily run five balls if you make it and leave just one ball for your opponent to pocket if you miss…In each of these two situations I would say going for the shot is a good risk/reward choice, and I think the two very different situations are fairly equal choices when compared to each other viability-wise.
Anyway, I’ve gone on too long already, but this is an overview of my ‘concept’ of correct one pocket play. To go any further, we would have to be on a table and analyze specific game situations. Anyone who would like to pm me about any of this, feel free to.
Good luck with your one pocket game……………….Ghost
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