One Pocket 101

Walt Frazier

Walt Frazier

Banned
These are a few pointers that I decided to share with all of you..First of all,let me start by saying that I am not a pro..Nor an expert in 1P,but I have been playing pool for 20 years and I've learned a few things over the years...

Based on my experiences,these are my do's and don'ts.

Do's--always,always,look for a wired/dead ball to your hole..And disrupt a dead one from his hole ..I learned this from Jack Cooney..Usually after the break,the balls are clustered and sometimes a few balls are wired to either your hole or his...More time than not,the guy that makes the wired ball will either run out..Or,obtain a substantial advantage in balls..

Always play the score ..you're not cliff joyner ..If you 're ahead 7 balls to 3,you need to put as many balls out of play as possible..send the balls up-table leaving the cue ball down table on the rail ..

Establish position..That is the most important thing to learn in my book ..Gather balls towards your hole at the same time leaving your opponent little offense to work with..Let the stack be your friend.

Take fouls if absouletely necessary to retain the position that you've established(watch cliff) ..What you give up in one ball is pale in comparison to the value of maintaining your edge in the lay of the balls.

Learn to use inside english..especially in tight postion play it will help you tremendously..The reason why I stress this is because most 9ballers don't make a practice to play tight position ,because the cue ball travels all over the table to get position in 9ball ..whereas in one pocket,there is a much smaller area to maneuver thru..Typically straight pool players excel in one pocket because of this fact.

Don'ts--This may sound like common pool sense but you see guys doing it all the time:Don't shoot at a flyer when the other guy's got balls all around his hole...If you do,you just better be sure that you park whitey behind or underneath his balls ..The problem even with that strategy is that it's tough to avoid a return bank ..and BAM! he's out!..all because you went for a low percentage flyer.

Don't go for a hero/circus shot to try and get out of the break,If you will lose control of whitey in the process..

Don't get into a moving battle with a mover..That's like slow death..if you have an offensive opportunity(good percentage) go for it..With the utmost confidence ..You've got to play a style best suited to YOUR strengths..not the other guy..you've got to play YOUR game ..But yet be smart and calculating and play the percentages.

Don't sell out any stiff banks..How many times have you seen a 1P match and the two guys played pretty evenly, then before you know it, a guy makes a bank and then he runs out ..I'm willing to bet anyone that that's how most runs start(on stiff banks) and then it's over..The guy runs out..Happens all the time..It's tough to guard against 2,3 or more rail banks but the 1 rail stiff bank(long or short rail) you absolutely cannot give up ..

Tips: If it looks like a double kiss,guess what..It Is!!

If the shot and the safety are equally as tough to execute ,Go for the shot..

Hope I've helped someone:)
Tony"Walt Frazier"Green
 
Walt Frazier said:
These are a few pointers that I decided to share with all of you..First of all,let me start by saying that I am not a pro..Nor an expert in 1P,but I have been playing pool for 20 years and I've learned a few things over the years...

Based on my experiences,these are my do's and don'ts.

Do's--always,always,look for a wired/dead ball to your hole..And disrupt a dead one from his hole ..I learned this from Jack Cooney..Usually after the break,the balls are clustered and sometimes a few balls are wired to either your hole or his...More time than not,the guy that makes the wired ball will either run out..Or,obtain a substantial advantage in balls..

Always play the score ..you're not cliff joyner ..If you 're ahead 7 balls to 3,you need to put as many balls out of play as possible..send the balls up-table leaving the cue ball down table on the rail ..

Establish position..That is the most important thing to learn in my book ..Gather balls towards your hole at the same time leaving your opponent little offense to work with..Let the stack be your friend.

Take fouls if absouletely necessary to retain the position that you've established(watch cliff) ..What you give up in one ball is pale in comparison to the value of maintaining your edge in the lay of the balls.

Learn to use inside english..especially in tight postion play it will help you tremendously..The reason why I stress this is because most 9ballers don't make a practice to play tight position ,because the cue ball travels all over the table to get position in 9ball ..whereas in one pocket,there is a much smaller area to maneuver thru..Typically straight pool players excel in one pocket because of this fact.

Don'ts--This may sound like common pool sense but you see guys doing it all the time:Don't shoot at a flyer when the other guy's got balls all around his hole...If you do,you just better be sure that you park whitey behind or underneath his balls ..The problem even with that strategy is that it's tough to avoid a return bank ..and BAM! he's out!..all because you went for a low percentage flyer.

Don't go for a hero/circus shot to try and get out of the break,If you will lose control of whitey in the process..

Don't get into a moving battle with a mover..That's like slow death..if you have an offensive opportunity(good percentage) go for it..With the utmost confidence ..You've got to play a style best suited to YOUR strengths..not the other guy..you've got to play YOUR game ..But yet be smart and calculating and play the percentages.

Don't sell out any stiff banks..How many times have you seen a 1P match and the two guys played pretty evenly, then before you know it, a guy makes a bank and then he runs out ..I'm willing to bet anyone that that's how most runs start(on stiff banks) and then it's over..The guy runs out..Happens all the time..It's tough to guard against 2,3 or more rail banks but the 1 rail stiff bank(long or short rail) you absolutely cannot give up ..

Tips: If it looks like a double kiss,guess what..It Is!!

If the shot and the safety are equally as tough to execute ,Go for the shot..

Hope I've helped someone:)
Tony"Walt Frazier"Green
Click to expand...

This post makes sense and is well written. I was almost ready to put you on my ignore list after some of the previous posts. Good points for one pocket players at any level. John Henderson
 
Walt Frazier said:
Don'ts--This may sound like common pool sense but you see guys doing it all the time:Don't shoot at a flyer when the other guy's got balls all around his hole...If you do,you just better be sure that you park whitey behind or underneath his balls ..The problem even with that strategy is that it's tough to avoid a return bank ..and BAM! he's out!..all because you went for a low percentage flyer.

Don't go for a hero/circus shot to try and get out of the break,If you will lose control of whitey in the process..

Tony"Walt Frazier"Green
Click to expand...


Good call, I've seen this a thousand times ( a number of them were me :o )
people start to act like they're Scott Frost and they try to bust in a table length 90 degree cut, the only part they don't copy is where Scott parks the cueball
 
jrhendy said:
This post makes sense and is well written. I was almost ready to put you on my ignore list after some of the previous posts. Good points for one pocket players at any level. John Henderson
Click to expand...

I'm with you on this one John. I had almost quit reading this guy's posts. I guess the One Pocket title got me. Everything he said here made sense.
 
jrhendy said:
This post makes sense and is well written. I was almost ready to put you on my ignore list after some of the previous posts. Good points for one pocket players at any level. John Henderson
Click to expand...

Thanx,I appreciate that John.
 
bigskyjake said:
Good call, I've seen this a thousand times ( a number of them were me :o )
people start to act like they're Scott Frost and they try to bust in a table length 90 degree cut, the only part they don't copy is where Scott parks the cueball
Click to expand...
Scott just won the All-Around here in Phoenix last weekend. Mitch Ellerman took second.

In relation to the thread - I need to practice my one pocket :D

BVal

edited for spelling error
 
Last edited:
bigskyjake said:
Good call, I've seen this a thousand times ( a number of them were me :o )
people start to act like they're Scott Frost and they try to bust in a table length 90 degree cut, the only part they don't copy is where Scott parks the cueball
Click to expand...

Well said.
 
what???????

lets be for real! i bust the stack every time i play one hole and shoot flyers when im jacked up on the rail.are you saying i shouldnt do this? ive yet to be beat playing this game why should i change how i play?
 
I shoot at flyers all the time! Maybe that's why I'm such an amateur at one pocket! Good post though!

I've played many players and one guy had this bit of advice once...

Never shoot a shot that could lose you the game!

My personal philosophy is a bit different though...

Shoot the shot if it could win you the game!

Of course, it's all about managing risk...
 
Crap

dimes33 said:
lets be for real! i bust the stack every time i play one hole and shoot flyers when im jacked up on the rail.are you saying i shouldnt do this? ive yet to be beat playing this game why should i change how i play?
Click to expand...
CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP
 
I loved this. In the past I have gotten into so much trouble not trusting my basic common sense. And now I relish seeing others fall into the same trap!

Walt Frazier said:
Tips: If it looks like a double kiss,guess what..It Is!!


Tony"Walt Frazier"Green
Click to expand...
 
Nice post, Walt. A principle I'll add is a piece of advice John Ervolino gave me on those very rare occasions we played one pocket (for fun, not for money).

When there was just a ball or two remaining on the table, and many of the shots were safeties, if I left him anything, even a two or three railer, he would always say "don't leave me next to nothing, leave me nothing." It took a while for it to sink in, but I came to understand that top one pocket players can make something out of nothing far more than I had realized.

So, remember, in the end game against a tough opponent, leave them nothing, not next to nothing. There's a subtle but important difference, and if you ignore it, you may have to learn the hard way, just like I did!
 
sjm said:
Nice post, Walt. A principle I'll add is a piece of advice John Ervolino gave me on those very rare occasions we played one pocket (for fun, not for money).

When there was just a ball or two remaining on the table, and many of the shots were safeties, if I left him anything, even a two or three railer, he would always say "don't leave me next to nothing, leave me nothing." It took a while for it to sink in, but I came to understand that top one pocket players can make something out of nothing far more than I had realized.

So, remember, in the end game against a tough opponent, leave them nothing, not next to nothing. There's a subtle but important difference, and if you ignore it, you may have to learn the hard way, just like I did!
Click to expand...

You are absolutely right ..You cannot leave a guy any "air"
 
Walt Frazier said:
You are absolutely right ..You cannot leave a guy any "air"
Click to expand...

Tony Green huh. See you on my next trip to The Big Easy. We play even sir.
 
If it looks like a double kiss it is
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This is a very safe rule of thumb to play by but there are things that can be done very much of the time to avoid a double kiss also and I think it is a good thing to experiment with during practice. Inside english will get you out of kisses many times, as will outside draw.

Here is a good rule of thumb also, try it and see how it works for you. If you are crossing a ball to your pocket, and ...... if you can shoot your cue ball directly into your opponents pocket with no obstructions, then the ball you are crossing will not double kiss. On the other hand, if the ball you are banking is obstructing your shooting the cue directly into your opponents pocket, then it most likely is a double kiss and will require some evasive english.
 
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