Playing & teaching a beginner

[woody_968]

Play nine ball and let him shoot out of rotation, or any ball he wants, as long as its not the nine ball (unless its the only thing left). If he starts playing smart you may not like this game

I also like giving him ball in hand every time he comes to the table as a next step.

 

[Roy Steffensen]

You told me you were B player!! I knew you were trying to hustle me!!!

Compared to you I'm a C- player...


Thanks for all the replies folks, keep em coming

We played for 4 hours today. Started out with 6-pocket league. I shot 10 times, he 20.

I don't know how to calculate score or hcp, but I ran 15,15,8,8,15,1,13,1,12,4 and had 1 penalty.

My brother had 7 penalties and a total of 55 balls on 20 innings, with 6 as his highest run and quite a few 4s.

We then played 8-ball with me banking a ball and the 8 in last pocket, he played normal rules. I won 5-1 and next time we will add ball in hand every time he comes to the table.

It was fun, thanks for the help!!

 

[Island Drive]

I taught my two daughters how to play at a very young age. I first taught them how to hold the cue and make bridges and I let them play for a couple months to engrain those good habits into their game. After that I would teach them only one thing and again let them play and touch base with them every other month over the years. (I did have a GC at home during those years). They have now finished college and do play pool once in awhile with friends, there basics are so rock solid that they beat almost all the boys and friends their age and at times are called "hustlers", but we all know that story. My oldest daugter met her fiancee playing pool with friends in college, and one of my best female friends did the same, they both blame me. Personally I blame the game, it's too good.

 

[ShootingArts]

eight ball banks and legal combinations

There was a time when my standard spot to friends and family was to play eight ball and while they played normally every ball I pocketed had to be a bank or legal combination. With a raw beginner they may need a little more spot than that as banks and combinations aren't as hard as they sound when you start playing shape for them instead of only playing them when all else fails.

Hu

 

[justadub]

I played a really cool variation of 8-ball tonight that I thought was quite fun, and could certainly be applied to this thread. The better player (or both payers, just for fun) has to call his current shot and pocket, and his next shot and pocket after he sinks the current ball, before he shoots the current ball. In other words, your next two shots and their pockets, before the current ball is ever struck. If your leave isn't good enough, you will be sunk. You also have to put the 8-ball in the pocket that your last regular ball went in.

We played that way tonight, two players MUCH higher in skill than I, and myself. Winner stays in. They said I didn't have to play by those rules that they were using, but after watching them play that way, I thought to myself "what a wonderful learning experience" and went for it. I didn't win, but I was "in there" in every game. Shot on the 8-ball a couple of times, so I made to the end-game. For players even more of a beginner than me, have them play straight, and the better player play by these rules. Both players will benefit.

I expect that the three of us will play more games like this in the future. It was a lot of fun, and made us all think a lot. A cool variation on regular 8-ball.