Playing safe - how important?

[YOLO]

All of the recent league talk has got me wanting to get involved with one. As I understand it, safeties are an important part of the game.

I don't think I have never played a safety in my life, for several reasons.

1) I look at difficult shots as a challenge.
2) I look at difficult shots as a learning experience.
3) Most of the people I have played over the years have been at my level or below (most below) and I always felt it unfair to play safe with some one with less skills than my self.
4) Most of my time on a table the last couple of years has been with my wife (save the jokes for another thread :grin: ). She has improved greatly since she started playing a few years ago but playing safe with her is not an option, trust me on that one.

I have never played in a league. I did enter a few of small local 8 ball tournaments when I was up in MD where players would play safe but I never did. My worst was 3rd, best was 2nd (this is out of 10-15 local players). Other than that I have never played for anything over the price of a beer :grin:

I play to win. I get high off of beating my opponent, especially when they are above my skill level or get challenge by a stranger. Maybe I should gamble LOL

So I ask this question: How important is learning, and playing safe? Is it an essential part of the game that is often required to win?

 

[Diamond69]

Yes, you will find it critical as you go up in competition. If all you want to do is win, it will help in that aspect.

I grew up playing a lot of all offense ring games, which is great for working on those challenging shots, kicking game, etc.

Look at it this way. A safety also takes skill. It's just not an offensive shot.

 

[yankee817299]

Yolo,

I am much like you in the fact that safety play has not been a part of my game, ever. I am in my first league and I have found out just how important and effective the safety shot is. Keeping your opponent off of the table is a good way to win games. Safe play does this, and if the safety is really good, you could get "ball in hand", which is another big advantage. Safe play is a good shot to take when the occasion permits. It kinda of evens the table between average players and above average players.

 

[Masayoshi]

Safeties will win you games where there is no realistic out. At the very top this is probably only once every few games on average, but that one win you stole by playing a good safe could count for a chance at 3 or 4 games if you string a few racks together after winning the safety battle.

 

[cmsmith9]

Safeties are where games are won. They don't just hide your opponent from seeing the object ball etc, but you can use them to break apart clusters of balls, make a future run out easier by positioning object balls in a certain pattern and if you're playing 9 ball, you can play a safe to push the object ball closer to the 9 ball for that 9 ball combo. Also, table safeties are key as well. That's where you'll lets say leave the cue ball and object ball visible to each other, but you leave your opponent a tough shot, like an off angle bank, or placing an object ball near a side pocket etc. Phil Capelle books will show you a bunch of key safeties that could take a short time to learn and will ensure games/tournaments won.

Christian

 

[YOLO]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

 

[cardiac kid]

Look at it this way. A safety also takes skill. It's just not an offensive shot.

Disagree with you on that. A well played safety is THE most offensive shot you can play. In most cases the difference between winning and losing. Any player unwilling to learn to play effective safeties is doomed to mediocrity. Sure looks great to make a spectacular shot from time to time. Probably feels good as well. I'd rather win consistently!

Lyn

 

[hang-the-9]

There was something that Buddy Hall said during a match with a Chinese player. His co-commentator said "you don't see these Chinese players play safe", and Buddy said "Do they play for money in their country" "I don't think so". Buddy said "Well, when they start playing for something, they will start to play safeties".

So yes, they are important, I'd say 1/3 of your skill should be knowing when to play a safe and how. 1/3 position, 1/3 shotmaking, 1/3 safety.

The key to high level pool is keeping control of the table. If you blast at a shot you have little chance of making or with no path to the next ball, you are giving up control, if you put the cueball where you want, you are still more or less in control of the shot even if the other guy is at the table.

 

[Diamond69]

Disagree with you on that. A well played safety is THE most offensive shot you can play. In most cases the difference between winning and losing. Any player unwilling to learn to play effective safeties is doomed to mediocrity. Sure looks great to make a spectacular shot from time to time. Probably feels good as well. I'd rather win consistently!

Lyn

Lyn, just to clarify, by offensive I meant putting a ball into a pocket.

 

[Hud]

The thing with billiards is you never stop learning. Ever shot you take while focused teaches you a little something whether you are aware of it or not. Playing safe is a very good way to learn precision that you don't always get when pocketing balls. So not only are you controlling the table and possibly playing havoc on your opponents mental game, you are increasing your ability to make the balls do what you want when you want.

 

[Poolshootindon]

Very Important

All of the recent league talk has got me wanting to get involved with one. As I understand it, safeties are an important part of the game.

I don't think I have never played a safety in my life, for several reasons.

1) I look at difficult shots as a challenge.
2) I look at difficult shots as a learning experience.
3) Most of the people I have played over the years have been at my level or below (most below) and I always felt it unfair to play safe with some one with less skills than my self.
4) Most of my time on a table the last couple of years has been with my wife (save the jokes for another thread :grin: ). She has improved greatly since she started playing a few years ago but playing safe with her is not an option, trust me on that one.

I have never played in a league. I did enter a few of small local 8 ball tournaments when I was up in MD where players would play safe but I never did. My worst was 3rd, best was 2nd (this is out of 10-15 local players). Other than that I have never played for anything over the price of a beer :grin:

I play to win. I get high off of beating my opponent, especially when they are above my skill level or get challenge by a stranger. Maybe I should gamble LOL

So I ask this question: How important is learning, and playing safe? Is it an essential part of the game that is often required to win?

Yolo.
When I was learning to play golf I once heard something that has stayed with me for over 40 years. "A 300 yard drive is no more important than a 12" putt". Still counts as 1 stroke.

Same in pool. No sense in running to the 9 ball and shooting some off the wall shot when you may be able to play a better defensive shot.

Every shot is important in the course of the game.

Don

 

[decent dennis]

You don't play safe ,you don't like winning.

 

[dwalding]

My take on Hang-the-9's comment is ...

Shot Making = 30%
Position = 30%
Safety = 30%
Counter-Defense = 10%

Watch Efren and Shane, they get out of other players safeties better than the rest. So, practice not only playing Safe, but also practice getting out of them. Once you master kicking the ball and hitting a rail, you can then begin to work on hitting a portion of the object ball and thereby re-position the cueball to a safe place that allows you to win when your opponent plays safe.

 

[cyork2]

If you aren't playing probabilities then you are giving away games. Many times a table layout lends itself to a safety and you have to see that at the beginning of the rack - not after you have shot yourself into a corner. It can be a difficult balance at times where you become too conservative and don't go for outs so again I go back to the probabilities of your shots / your outs / the safeties available and what your opponent can do. On a bar box an aggressive player will smash into balls and get out of all kinds of crazy stuff so you have to adjust to the conditions and the opponent.

When you see a spot with 2 or more balls close together you should be considering whether their positions would make for a good safety and if so where on the table would you need to be in order to hit that safe.

Also beware of safeties where your object ball is going close to the pocket (e.g. you want to miss just to the left or right) - it is very easy for your brain to short-circuit and make the ball instead of hitting the safe you intended. You have to find a very narrow focus point for your aim to avoid this.


Craig

 

[CreeDo]

Not playing safeties is simply a case of "having fun is more important to me than winning".
That's fine, but you just gotta be honest with yourself, don't convince yourself that shooting at every ball
is a "strategy" or a "style". Playing bad is a not a style

If you really get high off winning then you need to learn to play safeties, because you'll absolutely win more games.
You may have convinced yourself you don't need it because you're playing opponents who cannot run a rack and
therefore can't really threaten you if you miss.

The nice thing about safeties is they work best for regular players, meaning non-professionals who are human
and can miss. Against a lower level player, hooking them will result in ball in hand over half the time.
Nothing helps a run like ball in hand to start.

At the higher levels, players can get a good hit more consistently and that weakens the effectiveness
of the safety. But pros still play safe often (especially in 9b and 10b) and they can make almost any shot they see.
So that should tell you that safeties are always gonna be useful even if you're a fantastic shotmaker.

 

[Poke_N_Hope]

One of the old guys that taught me a lot about the game had 2 things he loved to say to me....first and foremost was that runouts wins games, safeties wins tournaments. He usually said that when I played a low percentage shot instead of taking the safety. He also would look at me every time I missed and say, "guess you didn't want to win!"

To this day I hate those sayings...but I can't argue one bit.

 

[pogmothoin]

I too have just begun to play in a league. I played 8 matches in my first session and won 7 of them. The guy who beat me played more safeties then I had ever seen and it forced me to play low percentage shots when I didn't have a viable safe to play. I think my shot making ability was at least equal to his but his safety play was better than mine.

I have a player on my team who is a safe player. His shot making is above average but his safety play is very good so he wins consistently.

I am generally a very aggressive individual and I play to win. I have always thought that meant sinking my balls by making the tough shots. But I have had a change of heart and have been practicing to improve my safety play. I want to win, not just make shots.

 

[KoolKat9Lives]

Ya gotta get over the guilt you've absorbed from others if you want to win more.

My softie-ass was there once, I got over it after getting spanked by awesome safety play for some $$$. I practiced safes a LOT after that.

 

[cardiac kid]

Safeties can be a beautiful part of the game. Anybody who doesn't appreciate a good safety isn't much of a pool player.

One of the most fun things I ever saw was a young lady playing my buddy. He missed shape on the eight on a b&r, she steps up to the table and sighs and says something about the game being over when she misses. My buddy told her to relax and play it smart.

She ended up playing four great safeties (making a few balls in between). It was the first time she beat my friend in a tourney. By the end of the game every person in the tourney was watching. When she won everybody, including my friend went crazy.

Personally, I think it is a testament to my abilities that I get out of most safeties with a legal hit and no jumping.

dld

Guess your story is the reason I play so hard whether against a two or a seven. Joked with my former doubles partner about her leaving me in places on the table I'd never been before. In APA, once you are down to the eight ball without a shot, my feeling is a seven has a lower percentage chance of winning the game. Between the time outs and sideline coaching between turns at the table, even a two has a chance to win the game from that point.

Lyn

 

[Pidge]

It depends on the game you are playing and the skill level of the opponent. At the highest level its critical. Playing 9 or 10 ball against a weak player it isn't as important as playing say, 8 ball against an accomplished player.

Depending on the league you want to join there will be varying levels of saftey play. I've come accross more in 8 ball leagues than 9 ball leagues personally.

My favourite way to practice is to set up any game type, play againts your self. Its going to be Mr Safe vs Mr Goforeverything. Break, then Mr Safe shoots first. All he can do is play safe where as all Mr Goforeverything has to try pot a ball every shot. Limit Mr Goforeverything to a certain number of shots, say 18 in 9 ball and once those 18 shots are up and if he hasn't cleared the table, Mr Safe wins.