Playing smarter

measureman

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here is my opinion based on 50+ years of playing and observing on reaching a certain level of play. Sooner or later almost every pool player will reach a certain level and remain there. This would be the highest level of the mechanical part of the game that you have reached-pocketing balls and position play. Now the only way to get better is to play smarter. You have to now realize your limits and know when a shot or an easy safe is your best option.There are many ways to play smarter I just gave one example. A "B" player can become an "A" player simply by playing smarter.
Also playing with a Lucasi and getting free water should help a little :thumbup:
 
The last improvement to my game after staying the same for a few years was slowing my game way down. I always just about ran around the table to the next shot. After watching almost all the top pros taking their time between shots I figured there must be something to it. Only took me 50+ years to figure that out :embarrassed2:. Johnnyt
 
measureman said:
Here is my opinion based on 50+ years of playing and observing on reaching a certain level of play. Sooner or later almost every pool player will reach a certain level and remain there. This would be the highest level of the mechanical part of the game that you have reached-pocketing balls and position play. Now the only way to get better is to play smarter. You have to now realize your limits and know when a shot or an easy safe is your best option.There are many ways to play smarter I just gave one example. A "B" player can become an "A" player simply by playing smarter.
Also playing with a Lucasi and getting free water should help a little :thumbup:
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I completely agree. You can increase you're winning percentage exponentially by opting to play safe rather than taking on an exhibition shot. It's difficult to abandon a long run when there is a glimmer of hope but there are benefits to learning to do so.

Players often need to learn that pool is a contest to win games not a high run competition. A lesson which I have yet to fully come to terms with....but I'm getting there ever so slooooowly.
 
Cameron Smith said:
I completely agree. You can increase you're winning percentage exponentially by opting to play safe rather than taking on an exhibition shot. It's difficult to abandon a long run when there is a glimmer of hope but there are benefits to learning to do so.

Players often need to learn that pool is a contest to win games not a high run competition. A lesson which I have yet to fully come to terms with....but I'm getting there ever so slooooowly.
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Well said.
 
I think there is a lot of truth to your assumption/opinion. While I think you can always improve a tad bit more if you set your mind to it, there is a lot to be said by playing smarter pool.

A pool game isnt always won by the most talented shooter. It certainly helps to be a more skilled player when it comes to shooting. But that's only one aspect of winning a match. I have won a lot more games by being smarter about my play, than I have by straight up out shooting them.

I am constantly coaching the lower S/L players on my team to slow down, take your time, look the table over carefully and consider ALL your possible shots. Consider where the cue ball and the object ball is going to go if you miss the shot and what are the consequences going to be as a result. Then handle their business one ball at a time until the match is over!
 
LunaticFringeIn said:
I think there is a lot of truth to your assumption/opinion. While I think you can always improve a tad bit more if you set your mind to it, there is a lot to be said by playing smarter pool.

A pool game isnt always won by the most talented shooter. It certainly helps to be a more skilled player when it comes to shooting. But that's only one aspect of winning a match. I have won a lot more games by being smarter about my play, than I have by straight up out shooting them.

I am constantly coaching the lower S/L players on my team to slow down, take your time, look the table over carefully and consider ALL your possible shots. Consider where the cue ball and the object ball is going to go if you miss the shot and what are the consequences going to be as a result. Then handle their business one ball at a time until the match is over!
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Another well said post.
 
Another example of playing smarter is never losing control of the table.

Not sure if I can give a good example of what I mean. This mostly comes from 14.1 where someone can play a safe and actually control what your next shot will be. I've done the same thing during 8 ball matches.

He was in control of the table even tho I was shooting. A safety battle is really for control of the table.

Controlling the table also means knowing how to move balls around to put them where you want them for use later. Or to put your opponent balls in a bad place for them. This mostly applies to 8 ball.

In 8 ball, I've had people block pockets with their balls to prevent me from using that pocket for one of my balls. Of course, this is when learning how to follow a ball in with another ball comes into play, this showing them, they ain't so much in control.

8 ball can be a real mind game at times...anyway I digress.

Knowing how to win is not the same as being a great shot maker....this is a tough lesson to learn, and one I'm slowly learning.
 
Old men always tell the young to slow down.
While slowing down can work for some it will not for many.
Young people have more energy and do things faster in general, move, think, make decisions, etc.
The decision making process starts moving towards safety instead of aggression with age.
Getting away from running from shot to shot, the speed of execution of the shot itself is a great example how old and young differ.

A simple act of switching the focus from CB to OB at the other end of the table.
It takes a lot longer for the old guy to see and register this switch, things can be fuzzy and out of focus at first, eyes just aren’t the same.
Brain seems to take a little longer to reestablish the relationships between objects.
Changing the eye pattern can help the old timer.

Not all is lost as experience is a great equalizer and old guys do play smarter.

When comes to play, slowing down as we get older is a form of self-preservation.
For many young people slowing down is frustrating, boring and goes against their nature and it kills the fun.

Anyway, one day the young will slow down and become smarter. :)
 
probably two to three years

measureman said:
Here is my opinion based on 50+ years of playing and observing on reaching a certain level of play. Sooner or later almost every pool player will reach a certain level and remain there. This would be the highest level of the mechanical part of the game that you have reached-pocketing balls and position play. Now the only way to get better is to play smarter. You have to now realize your limits and know when a shot or an easy safe is your best option.There are many ways to play smarter I just gave one example. A "B" player can become an "A" player simply by playing smarter.
Also playing with a Lucasi and getting free water should help a little :thumbup:
Click to expand...


I think a player probably hits very near his peak as a mechanical shot maker within two to three years of taking the game up seriously. After that you may learn a shot or two but you aren't likely to get better at aiming and the mechanics. What you do is get much better at understanding the nuances of the game and strategy. Like chess, when you are playing several moves ahead of the other player or thinking several levels deeper you have a huge edge. Very frustrating to the other player when they are sure they are the better player but you are getting all the rolls. Takes awhile longer to realize that luck is a skill.

Hu
 
measureman said:
Here is my opinion based on 50+ years of playing and observing on reaching a certain level of play. Sooner or later almost every pool player will reach a certain level and remain there. This would be the highest level of the mechanical part of the game that you have reached-pocketing balls and position play. Now the only way to get better is to play smarter. You have to now realize your limits and know when a shot or an easy safe is your best option.There are many ways to play smarter I just gave one example. A "B" player can become an "A" player simply by playing smarter.
Click to expand...

Gotta play the devil's advocate here! ;) When it comes to playing safeties, I'm not convinced that playing safe is necessarily the "smarter play."

How many times have we had victory snatched from the jaws of defeat by playing a "smart" safety? How many times have we all second-guessed ourselves that instead of playing the smart safety, we should have gone for it and played the more aggressive shot?

That "smart safety" that we thought would give us an easy win simply allows your opponent to have one more chance at the table...upon which they can play a jump shot, or a bank or kick shot, or perhaps tie up the balls unexpectedly.

The more skilled your opponent is, the more likely they will come up with a unexpected shot. That's the fun part of the game; you never know what heroic shot your opponent will come up with to turn the tables and win the game. :smile:

Sometimes the smarter play may be to go for it and not let your opponent back at the table.
 
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thought quite a few would disagree

Neil said:
Sorry Hu, but I have to disagree with your statement above. I WILL agree that they may hit A peak. But not THEIR peak. Your statement makes it sound like they can't get any better at ball making or mechanics. Unless they are near perfect then, they can get better. They just have to be taught HOW to break through their peaks.
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Neil,

I figured that would be out of step with what many think. Some might have a major flaw holding them back but several years into serious play most have learned how to accommodate to their flaws and are pocketing balls well. Bodies are young and eyes are keen. They may gain slightly in the raw skills after that which is why I said "near" but in my opinion they aren't going to improve raw skills significantly. You learn better ways to apply those skills but I don't see the skills themselves improving significantly.

I'm sure there are exceptions but think how many times someone comes on here and says their game has taken a jump due to one thing or another yet when you play them again after several of these big jumps you find that they are still playing at the same level they have for many years. Most of the moves people make with a new way of doing things are lateral, they find or are taught a new way of doing things and it seems to them that they are shooting much better or it is much easier to pocket balls but if they have a real baseline to judge by it would usually be revealed that after a brief surge the newness wears off and the player is at the same level they have been.

If you really focus intently on a certain skill for weeks, fine cut shots for example, you will improve basic skills in that area for the moment. When you stop focusing intently on that particular skill you will drop back down to your typical level of competence in a short time.

Just my observations and opinion of course. Definitely room for you and others to hold different views too.

Hu
 
Neil said:
Sorry Hu, but I have to disagree with your statement above. I WILL agree that they may hit A peak. But not THEIR peak. Your statement makes it sound like they can't get any better at ball making or mechanics. Unless they are near perfect then, they can get better. They just have to be taught HOW to break through their peaks.
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Neil if someone ever figures a way to continually get people breaking thru their current ceilings they will have the pool world beat a path to their door.

Not to take anything away from any of the instructors here but if I could I would love for Eckert to take me on as a project. He is in such demand that he gets to decide who to take these days.... Maybe I need to hunt down his disciples and make em gamble with me for their spot.... Bad thing is if Ralf's been working with them my best shot will be to call heads....
 
PoolSharkAllen said:
Gotta play the devil's advocate here! ;) When it comes to playing safeties, I'm not convinced that playing safe is necessarily the "smarter play."

How many times have we had victory snatched from the jaws of defeat by playing a "smart" safety? How many times have we all second-guessed ourselves that instead of playing the smart safety, we should have gone for it and played the more aggressive shot?

That "smart safety" that we thought would give us an easy win simply allows your opponent to have one more chance at the table...upon which they can play a jump shot, or a bank or kick shot, or perhaps tie up the balls unexpectedly.

The more skilled your opponent is, the more likely they will come up with a unexpected shot. That's the fun part of the game; you never know what heroic shot your opponent will come up with to turn the tables and win the game. :smile:

Sometimes the smarter play may be to go for it and not let your opponent back at the table.
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Well, then it wasn't a smart safe then and you just lost control of the table. A smart safety uses the fact that you are letting your opponent back to the table and as such your safety had better control what shot you will be giving your opponent. Every shot you do on the table matter and is not to be taken lightly. They can jump, you better put that CB somewhere they can not jump from. This is playing smart and controlling the table.

The smart time to go for it is knowing that you can. In practice, it is easy to go far it not get penalized for it. In a game, you got for it, it maybe a loss.

So knowing when is critical.
 
measureman said:
Here is my opinion based on 50+ years of playing and observing on reaching a certain level of play. Sooner or later almost every pool player will reach a certain level and remain there. This would be the highest level of the mechanical part of the game that you have reached-pocketing balls and position play. Now the only way to get better is to play smarter. You have to now realize your limits and know when a shot or an easy safe is your best option.There are many ways to play smarter I just gave one example. A "B" player can become an "A" player simply by playing smarter.
Also playing with a Lucasi and getting free water should help a little :thumbup:
Click to expand...



I totally agree, playing smarter is something learned over time, but some people never understand it, so they just keep buying $1 bottles of water without regard for their down fall!!!!:smile:
 
I like the way you think measureman. I've been preaching something similar, telling my friends to stop worrying about improving their skills at making tough shots or banks... and start looking at safer cue ball routes, natural follow or stop shot safety opportunities, intelligent use of ball in hand, and so on. In league, I've occasionally seen a smart apa 3 beat a 5 with simple safeties, and for once they won't be labelled a sandbagger because there were no long runs or WTF cut shots.

Hu, I'm not sure I subscribe to the idea your mechanics reach peak after X years. I'd say the majority of us learn pool with bad habits, and then need several years to become aware of these and correct them. When I was making every ball with low-outside, long straight-ins or very thin cuts were pretty much unworkable for me. Now that's all routine, but it took almost ten years to fix my stroke. I didn't add a pause until maybe 6-7 years, and it took a few more for my brain to catch up with what a cut is supposed to look like without soft low outside to spin the ball in; in other words, to this day almost everything without outside looks like an overcut and I'm scared to death of it.

Maybe my path was an unusual one with less forward momentum than most people's, but it seems like everyone I know is in love with unnecessary low outside so my old habits can't be THAT weird.

With all that being said, I dunno why I'm stuck firmly at B (some would say C) level. I always think I'm making the smartest play but obviously I'm wrong at some point. I'd love to know what shots of mine would make johnny archer or ralf souquet say "omg wtf is he doing, why didn't he just shoot X instead?"
 
duckie said:
Another example of playing smarter is never losing control of the table.

Not sure if I can give a good example of what I mean. This mostly comes from 14.1 where someone can play a safe and actually control what your next shot will be. I've done the same thing during 8 ball matches.

He was in control of the table even tho I was shooting. A safety battle is really for control of the table.

Controlling the table also means knowing how to move balls around to put them where you want them for use later. Or to put your opponent balls in a bad place for them. This mostly applies to 8 ball.

In 8 ball, I've had people block pockets with their balls to prevent me from using that pocket for one of my balls. Of course, this is when learning how to follow a ball in with another ball comes into play, this showing them, they ain't so much in control.

8 ball can be a real mind game at times...anyway I digress.

Knowing how to win is not the same as being a great shot maker....this is a tough lesson to learn, and one I'm slowly learning.
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Very good point well made and yet just one more aspect of playing smarter instead of having to play harder. When you are not in "control" of the table your at a very serious disadvantage in a game.

Someone made the chest game reference previously. I have been using that comparison a lot the last year or so. Pool isnt any different. Instead of a playing board with playing pieces, your working on a table with balls and pockets. The concepts are very much the same.
 
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ShootingArts said:
I think a player probably hits very near his peak as a mechanical shot maker within two to three years of taking the game up seriously.
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If this is true, I'm doomed. To be stuck at this level of play for the rest of my life.... sigh. That's too depressing to think about.

I'm just gonna have to disagree with you Hu. in hopes that you're wrong. Because if you ain't, I'm in trouble. :p
 
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