Hi. The more I am able to run racks, the more I see that my runs tend to end when I start playing the percentages instead of the certainties. What I mean by "playing the percentages" in this context is the idea that you can bust open a cluster of balls and know with pretty good confidence that you will be left with a shot. I am NOT talking about a pot luck shot... I consider the percentage play more sophisticated than that. For instance, based on a particular ball layout, you may be able to say that you will probably get another shot if you run into them. However, you are going to hit the ball hard enough that you can't rely on any real safety balls. While "probably" sounds good, I find that it ends up being my demise.
So, that means you have to rely on precision cue ball control, and good knowledge of where cluster balls are going. I've stopped using the term "breaking" a cluster. "Separating" a cluster seems to make more sense.
Here's a situation I had the other day:
http://CueTable.com/P/?@4AMpD4BCpH3...ddOl4fDvW4fJBn3gBrW3gDWW3kIWB3kCbj4kCJC4kFcB@
The balls of interest here are the 9, 8, 5 and 4. On the one hand, I could hit the 9 firm and split the 7 and 12 for a reasonably good chance at another shot. On the other, I could hit the 9 soft enough to just bump into the 8 and ASSURE myself of a shot on the 4. If I get perfectly straight on the 4 by chance (and will be shooting at the 4 from over the cluster), the 5 is an insurance ball to help me move the cue ball out from the foot of the table. The only catch is that I have to make sure I KNOW the cue ball is going to hit that 8 in the correct spot because I'm not putting much speed on it. If I'm wrong, my run is probably over.
I've diagrammed where the other balls are likely to go, which for me looks plenty good to open up new shot opportunities. From my perspective, it seems that being able to execute shots like this is a key to making really big runs. But, it would be nice to hear from those who can actually MAKE big runs instead of just talk about them like me.
thanks,
dwhite
So, that means you have to rely on precision cue ball control, and good knowledge of where cluster balls are going. I've stopped using the term "breaking" a cluster. "Separating" a cluster seems to make more sense.
Here's a situation I had the other day:
http://CueTable.com/P/?@4AMpD4BCpH3...ddOl4fDvW4fJBn3gBrW3gDWW3kIWB3kCbj4kCJC4kFcB@
The balls of interest here are the 9, 8, 5 and 4. On the one hand, I could hit the 9 firm and split the 7 and 12 for a reasonably good chance at another shot. On the other, I could hit the 9 soft enough to just bump into the 8 and ASSURE myself of a shot on the 4. If I get perfectly straight on the 4 by chance (and will be shooting at the 4 from over the cluster), the 5 is an insurance ball to help me move the cue ball out from the foot of the table. The only catch is that I have to make sure I KNOW the cue ball is going to hit that 8 in the correct spot because I'm not putting much speed on it. If I'm wrong, my run is probably over.
I've diagrammed where the other balls are likely to go, which for me looks plenty good to open up new shot opportunities. From my perspective, it seems that being able to execute shots like this is a key to making really big runs. But, it would be nice to hear from those who can actually MAKE big runs instead of just talk about them like me.
thanks,
dwhite