Perfect Safe

[JB Cases]

I want to announce the creation of a method for playing safe. It's called Perfect Safe and I would like to invite Gene Albrecht to be the first customer.....

Just messing with you Gene, I have watched several of your matches now and you run out really well but your safety game is HORRIBLE.

My advice is to work on those. A lot.

Good luck tomorrow.

 

[seven_7days]

apparently the best defense is a better offense.

 

[JB Cases]

apparently the best defense is a better offense.

Not if you lose matches. What good is running out when you are supposed to and losing matches because the other guy ran out when he should also but he had more chances to do that because you failed to lock him up several times?

The more I really study the pros and the amateurs, even high level amateurs, the more I see the nuances that separate them. One of those is safety play. Pros not only hide the cue ball but they also often cut off the easy path to the hit. Amateurs on the other hand often fail to hide the cue ball, leaving a clear hit, often leaving a shot, and when they do manage to hide the cue ball they often leave an easy path to the hit.

To me this makes a huge difference in who get opportunities to run out. So if a high level amateur is playing a pro in a race to ten for example the pro and the amateur might both play five safety attempts and the pro might get say five opportunities to run out off his safeties and the amateur might get two, giving up control of the game in the other three tries.. So assume that both players run out on their opportunities, the score would be 8:2 after ten safety attempts by both players.

Quite a gap I'd say.

Then after that comes decision making. Pros don't generally take flyers. Amateurs seem more prone to take flyers. This is another area where the pro ends up with more opportunities to run out. Given the choice between a flyer and a safe the pro chooses the safety 99% of the time and plays the correct safety. The amateur chooses to try the flyer much more often and often gives up the table. And IF the amateur chooses to play safe instead they often don't lay down a good enough safe.

About the only time pros take flyers is when they are playing someone who can't run out much. Then they freewheel. But my observation is mainly in matches between fairly decent amateurs and pros.

 

[HawaiianEye]

Not if you lose matches. What good is running out when you are supposed to and losing matches because the other guy ran out when he should also but he had more chances to do that because you failed to lock him up several times?

The more I really study the pros and the amateurs, even high level amateurs, the more I see the nuances that separate them. One of those is safety play. Pros not only hide the cue ball but they also often cut off the easy path to the hit. Amateurs on the other hand often fail to hide the cue ball, leaving a clear hit, often leaving a shot, and when they do manage to hide the cue ball they often leave an easy path to the hit.

To me this makes a huge difference in who get opportunities to run out. So if a high level amateur is playing a pro in a race to ten for example the pro and the amateur might both play five safety attempts and the pro might get say five opportunities to run out off his safeties and the amateur might get two, giving up control of the game in the other three tries.. So assume that both players run out on their opportunities, the score would be 8:2 after ten safety attempts by both players.

Quite a gap I'd say.

Then after that comes decision making. Pros don't generally take flyers. Amateurs seem more prone to take flyers. This is another area where the pro ends up with more opportunities to run out. Given the choice between a flyer and a safe the pro chooses the safety 99% of the time and plays the correct safety. The amateur chooses to try the flyer much more often and often gives up the table. And IF the amateur chooses to play safe instead they often don't lay down a good enough safe.

About the only time pros take flyers is when they are playing someone who can't run out much. Then they freewheel. But my observation is mainly in matches between fairly decent amateurs and pros.

I will agree with this assessment. Safeties are a MAJOR part of the game and are crucial to the outcome when two players play about the same speed as far as pocketing the balls are concerned.

Pushes also can play a major role in a set of games.

I usually play 9-ball with my buddy every Sunday at Hawaiian Brian's and, up until recently, we played there was no push after the break. In the last two weeks I have noticed that introducing the push into the game has thrown him off completely. He takes almost EVERY push I give him, no matter how difficult, because he seems to think that I could make it or get a safety out of the shot better than him. That is the WHOLE idea behind pushes and it REALLY changes the game when "two-shot roll out" is brought into the game.

I think I will introduce him to that next weekend.

I wish more pro matches played two-shot rollout...would make for a much different game.

 

[Miss Spico]

So...is there some instruction on the "The Perfect Safe"; how to see it, etc.?

 

[Pidge]

I think the gap between safety ability is one of, if not the biggest difference in world class-pro and pro-high level amateur. That and decision making. But then safety play isn't just about getting the CB behind a ball, decision making plays a huge part. World class players not only get the CB in an un-jumpable position mostly, but if they fail, they will always leave a tough jump or tougher kick. That's because the position of the OB is just as important to them as position of the CB. Amateurs, and I've even seem some pros not give a crap about where the OB ends up, and from experience the OB ends up near a pocket mostly. So when the CB isn't tight and a jump is left or even worse a standard shot is left its easier to pocket the OB.

That's the major difference I've noticed anyway. A tight white is always nice, but a tight white and a tight OB is even better

 

[DrGonzo]

So...is there some instruction on the "The Perfect Safe"; how to see it, etc.?

You can only see it if your dominant eye is in the correct position. If this isn't correct, the shot doesn't exist. :wink:

 

[HawaiianEye]

You can only see it if your dominant eye is in the correct position. If this isn't correct, the shot doesn't exist. :wink:

LMFAO! YES...and you have to have a cue with the PERFECT hit or you will be unable to execute the shot.

 

[backplaying]

Not if you lose matches. What good is running out when you are supposed to and losing matches because the other guy ran out when he should also but he had more chances to do that because you failed to lock him up several times?

The more I really study the pros and the amateurs, even high level amateurs, the more I see the nuances that separate them. One of those is safety play. Pros not only hide the cue ball but they also often cut off the easy path to the hit. Amateurs on the other hand often fail to hide the cue ball, leaving a clear hit, often leaving a shot, and when they do manage to hide the cue ball they often leave an easy path to the hit.

To me this makes a huge difference in who get opportunities to run out. So if a high level amateur is playing a pro in a race to ten for example the pro and the amateur might both play five safety attempts and the pro might get say five opportunities to run out off his safeties and the amateur might get two, giving up control of the game in the other three tries.. So assume that both players run out on their opportunities, the score would be 8:2 after ten safety attempts by both players.

Quite a gap I'd say.

Then after that comes decision making. Pros don't generally take flyers. Amateurs seem more prone to take flyers. This is another area where the pro ends up with more opportunities to run out. Given the choice between a flyer and a safe the pro chooses the safety 99% of the time and plays the correct safety. The amateur chooses to try the flyer much more often and often gives up the table. And IF the amateur chooses to play safe instead they often don't lay down a good enough safe.

About the only time pros take flyers is when they are playing someone who can't run out much. Then they freewheel. But my observation is mainly in matches between fairly decent amateurs and pros.

It seems funny when you call someone who gives lessons and plays pool for a living, lives on the road, a amateur pool player, and then someone who plays poker a professional pool player. If you play pool for a living, you are a professional. What would you call players like Benny Conway Jr, who do nothing but play pool for a living? Isn't that the definition of a professional?

 

[BeiberLvr]

Then after that comes decision making. Pros don't generally take flyers. Amateurs seem more prone to take flyers. This is another area where the pro ends up with more opportunities to run out. Given the choice between a flyer and a safe the pro chooses the safety 99% of the time and plays the correct safety. The amateur chooses to try the flyer much more often and often gives up the table. And IF the amateur chooses to play safe instead they often don't lay down a good enough safe.

True, but there's something you forgot to add.

The definition of a "flyer" gradually changes as you move up in ranks. Shots and positional plays that a year ago were <50% for me; are now >70%.

I've seen so many times in a match where a pro has an extremely difficult shot, and so many times I've seen them make it and get out. Why? Experience, knowledge, and confidence.

In a nutshell, the pro comes across less flyers, and more opportunities. I do agree that playing strong safeties is a critical part of the game. However, if you're always ducking and playing the percentages (partially excluding 1hole), then you'll never give yourself the chance to gain experience, knowledge, and confidence.

I'll leave you with this "flyer" :grin-square:

http://youtu.be/IocXrswOU1o?t=49s