New Practice Game 7-UP - Thoughts?

pooligan

pooligan

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In trying to get back in stroke after starting up in league after a hiatus, I developed a new practice game that I'd like to get opinions on.

Since I just don't have the patience for drills, when practicing, I still prefer some structure to my routine so I'm not just "banging balls around" and reinforcing bad habits. I had been using the Hopkins Q-Skill Challenge, but I found the fact that one miss and you are done frustrating when trying to get back into my stroke. During normal practice, I started to develop another scored game that reinforces shotmaking, position play, and strategic planning in what I believe a fun and interesting format.

I call the game 7-UP since the highest score you can achieve is 7. Here are the basic rules. I'll list some possible modifications below.

Object :
Complete 3 ball sequences to score points.

Rack/Break :
Rack all 15 balls in standard 8-Ball fashion (triangle with apex ball on footspot). 8-Ball should be in the center, all other balls may be placed at random. Cue ball behind the headstring, open break (i.e. 4 balls should hit a cushion, etc).

Cue ball scratch on the break is minus 1 point. This is the only time points are deducted from the game and is meant to reinforce the importance of protecting the cue ball on the break

(The table reset after the break involves the most complicated part of the rules so bear with me. It gets much easier after this).

Table reset after the break :
Any balls made on the break are spotted (no points are scored on the break). Player has the option to spot the ball(s) on the footspot or the headspot, whichever they think will be more advantageous (this will become more clear later on). Multiple balls can be spotted on either the footspot or headspot, but should be done with a ball width between them (no balls frozen).

The 8-ball is moved, regardless of location, to the center spot.

The player gets cue ball in hand to attempt his first sequence.

Play :
Starting with cue ball in hand, the player will attempt a sequence. A sequence is defined as shooting a stripe then solid, or solid then stripe, and then the 8-ball. The solid/stripe balls in a sequence must be of the same color.

Example 1 :
Player shoots the 1-Ball. They must then shoot the 9-Ball (both yellow), then attempt to make the 8-Ball.

Example 2 :
Player shoots the 10-Ball. They must then shoot the 2-Ball (both blue), then attempt to make the 8-Ball.

Scoring :
A completed sequence is counted as 1 point. A perfect game is 7 points, as there are a total of 7 possible sequences.

Table reset after a sequence :
Once a sequence has been completed, the 8-Ball spots up again on the center spot and the player takes cue ball in hand to attempt the next sequence.

Incomplete sequence:
If, during an attempt at a sequence, the player misses any shot, or fouls, the sequence ends. The solid/stripe balls that belonged to that sequence are removed from the table and are no longer available to be used in scoring. The 8-Ball is placed back on the center spot.

Example 1 :
Player makes the 3-Ball, but then misses the 11-Ball. The 3-Ball stays down, the 11-Ball is taken off of the table, and if the 8-Ball was moved from the center spot, it is re-spotted. Player takes ball in hand to attempt another sequence. No points are scored.

Example 2 :
Player calls the 12-Ball at the start of a sequence and misses. The 12-Ball and the 4-Ball (the other ball in the sequence - both purple) are removed from play and the 8-Ball is re-spotted if it was moved. Player takes ball in hand to attempt another sequence. No points are scored.

Example 3 :
Player makes the 13-Ball and the 5-Ball, but misses the 8-Ball. The 8-Ball is re-spotted and the 5-Ball and 13-Ball stay down. Player takes ball in hand to attempt another sequence. No points are scored.

End of Game :
Game is over when all sequences have been attempted.

So that's the game in a nutshell. Of course, since I developed it for practice, you could tweak any of the rules to your liking. Some obvious modifications to make it more challenging would be to eliminate the cue ball in hand before each sequence (very hard) or to require sequences be shot in order (i.e. 1-9, 2-10, 3-11, etc).

Blatant apologies to Bonus Ball for borrowing the 8-Ball on the centerspot concept, as well as the 3 ball sequence.

Please share your thoughts and opinions on this practice method. I'd especially like to know what some of the instructors on here think.

I'll try to post an instructional video at some point in the future, just to help get some of my concepts for this game across that might not translate that well in words. :)

-Pooligan
 
Honestly... this is brilliant. I also think you should take out the option of using a jump cue, or making it a requirement if you hook yourself. That way you are forced to always jump or always kick. I am definitely going to try this drill/practice game. I have the same issue in that I get impatient and easily bored when I run normal, non-objective based drills. One Idea that I think would make it a lot more difficult is selecting a type of english. Say you play to 15 points using only center ball, top, bottom and/or variations with left and right hand english but you have to stick to it.
 
Interesting. You described it well, I would have no problem stepping up to a table and doing this right now after reading your description. I'll have to give it a try next time I go practice, sounds like it could be interesting.

It's interesting in that one is likely to start with the sequence that is most easily positioned at the begining, but that is also the time where the most balls are on the table. As you progress into the more difficult sequences you have a progressively more open table as well.

I'm curious, when you play this do you tend to treat each sequence separately without thought to the next one, or are there times when you might nudge an OB somewhere else so you'll have an easier time for your next sequence?
 
slide13 said:
I'm curious, when you play this do you tend to treat each sequence separately without thought to the next one, or are there times when you might nudge an OB somewhere else so you'll have an easier time for your next sequence?
Click to expand...

Breaking balls out when playing a sequence can be done, but is sometimes difficult. I find that, unless the next ball would be considered insurance on a normal breakout, it's best to leave other balls alone. If I do have to break out balls, I typically do it on the 8, running into a cluster after pocketing the 8 ball. The nice thing about doing it this way, is you don't have to worry about where the cue ball lands since the next shot will be ball in hand anyway.
 
I'm glad to see some interest in this new practice format. Below are a few more points I'd like to make after playing 7-UP for a while.

1. I find it a good strategy to get object balls that are blocking the 8-Ball's path to the pocket out of the way first. In particular, ones that are blocking the side pockets.

2. If there are clusters to be broken up, I try to get shape on the 8-Ball to go in to those clusters on the final shot. You have made your sequence and if the cue ball gets buried in the process, you are getting ball in hand on the next shot anyway.

There have been some interesting suggestions on making the game more challenging. Here are a couple more.

1. Specify the 8-Ball can only be made in the corner pockets. Since the 8-Ball gets spotted in the center of the table, this helps you work on your longer shots and takes away the closer side pockets.

2. You can implement several Bonus Ball elements to the game, such as restricting which pockets can be used for a given sequence. Although in practice, I believe this adds an unnecessary level of difficulty.

Keep the ideas coming. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

-Pooligan
 
I like this. I'll admit, when I opened this thread I was expecting to see an uninteresting variant on an already established practice game, but that is not the case. Instead, the practice "game" you are proposing is in fact pretty interesting and may actually provide some good practice to those of us who get bored into a dull coma by the typical drills.

Thank you for sharing this. I will be giving this a try next time I'm on the table all alone.
 
Baxter said:
I like this. I'll admit, when I opened this thread I was expecting to see an uninteresting variant on an already established practice game, but that is not the case. Instead, the practice "game" you are proposing is in fact pretty interesting and may actually provide some good practice to those of us who get bored into a dull coma by the typical drills.

Thank you for sharing this. I will be giving this a try next time I'm on the table all alone.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Well explained and with relatively easy scoring. I may try it out tonight.
 
Video Uploaded

I decided to take a shot at videotaping an example of 7-UP.

The video can be found at the link below :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahMX85EytCA

Sorry about the poor quality, I had the camera on the lowest setting to conserve space and to get a quicker upload time. I live out in the sticks and our internet is over the air. It would take me all day to upload a high def video.

I score a 6 out of 7 in this example. I don't think it was too bad since I came in cold and just taped my first attempt.

Maybe next time I'll bite the bullet and record in high def. If I get a chance, I'll try to put up a video outlining all the rules with some specific examples.

I hope you have fun trying out this new game. I'd like to hear some thoughts on it after people have actually tried playing it.

-Pooligan
 
I dig this one. very ingenious. I will try this one as soon as my back feels better. I may see myself doing this with 2 sets of balls for a 4 ball sequence.
 
I like this, it would be a good way to practice and to mix things up from the same ol' drill and just pocketing balls like you mentioned on the onset....... def gonna make a copy for the pool room
 
I think we all have experienced the comatose feeling of drill practice or even rotation practice. Several years ago I also came up with a couple of games, one of which is very similar to this one! I called it, "Dosie-doe." The scoring is much more complicated than 7-up and awarded more points for banking. 2 players can play Dosie-Doe in the same rack or 1 player can use it as a practice game.
I like your 7-up game. Keeping up with your score is easy enough to do in your head without using pen and paper. The ball in hand at the beginning of each sequence keeps execution within the realms of reality for those of us who may not run 15 balls so easily. Nice job!
 
I tried the practice drill and liked it. On the first break an ob was on the center spot, I moved it as if it had been pocketed. I did get a 7, on a subsequent try got a 5 do to 2 rattled balls.

A suggestion to add a bit of hardness would be to allow you to leave cb in place after a completed sequence and try for a second which would be worth 2 with each sequence worth 2 giving a possible score of 13. It would always be your choice to go for a second or take bih and go for a one.

Craig
 
Sounds like a good practice game. I prefer equal offense which also allows you to keep score.
 
crww said:
I tried the practice drill and liked it. On the first break an ob was on the center spot, I moved it as if it had been pocketed. I did get a 7, on a subsequent try got a 5 do to 2 rattled balls.

A suggestion to add a bit of hardness would be to allow you to leave cb in place after a completed sequence and try for a second which would be worth 2 with each sequence worth 2 giving a possible score of 13. It would always be your choice to go for a second or take bih and go for a one.

Craig
Click to expand...

That's one of the best tweaks to the game I have heard so far. I hadn't considered varying the scoring to allow for an improved score if you don't take ball in hand.

You also pointed out one of the additional rules I realized when showing my team the game last night. If there is a ball obstructing clean placement of the 8 ball on the center spot, I decided the same thing you did. Treat it as a ball down, and your option to spot at the head or foot (but don't freeze it to another ball). I guess this would also be the case if a ball landed at the center spot during the game as well.

Congrats on the 7 score. I've done a few 6's now, still going after the elusive (for me) perfect game. :)

Pooligan
 
I've played this for a couple of hours and really enjoy it. For a player my speed, playing games like 15 ball vs ghost are very difficult which can become too frustrating & counter productive. This game, with its 3 ball patterns in traffic is exactly what I need to work on pattern play and CB control without being monotonous or frustrating. Thank you for posting this!
 
Okay .. this intrigued me a bit, as I practice at the pool hall solo sometimes.

Must say, it is fun. Lots of thinking. The break plays a huge part - if the balls spread well, then lots of options. With the 8 on the center spot, many times all the pocket lanes are blocked, so proper sequencing is huge.

In summary - I like it! A fun way to practice. Good job sir!

So my scores -- well first out of the gate was a 3. Not happy. Then a 5, and a couple of 6's. Should have been a 7 but missed an easy 8. Grrr!

BTW -- I don't think it was covered, but do you play all balls are legal for combos or caroms? Say I have a 10-1 combo. Can I shoot it, then shoot the 9 for the 1-9 sequence?
 
I have been contemplating on how combos should be handled. Without trying it in real practice, my instinct tells me that, if allowed, your description is how it should be played. That is, any ball may be struck first ( I would still exclude the 8 from this), but the ball that is dropped belongs to the sequence.



Example 1:

You play the 10-1 combo, your next shot needs to be on the 9.



Example 2:

You shoot the 9 ball. Your next shot is allowed to be a combo, but the ball called and dropped must be the 1 ball.



Example 3:

You shoot a combo dropping the 1 ball. The next shot can be another combo, but the 9 ball needs to be called and made.



Again, I would stipulate all combos need to be called and the 8 cannot be used in a combination.



I'm thrilled people are enjoying this game! Keep the questions and comments coming!



Pooligan
 
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