Pool is 100% offense, defense is setting up for a loss

[pete lafond]

In reading some of the posts, more importantly the most recent one on eight ball strategy, I realized that the thought of playing safe for safety sake is clearly setting yourself up for a loss.

I think what was not stressed is that when playing a safe, you are really establishing an offensive strategy. If playing safe for safeties sake, I would guess that you are being victimized.

Whenever I play safe, there is always an offensive purpose in mind and with this I believe that I have an edge.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Get_A_Grip]

Weak versus Stong Player

I agree with you. Except I think that you should qualfy this statement by saying, "When playing against a strong player."

I think that some strategies that would work very well against the average or weaker player, would not work well, if at all, against a stronger player.

You may see many safeties being played during a game, because the particular players may not be capable or feel comfortable taking and making a shot that a stronger player would be able to make with great consistency.

The ultimately goal should always be to have a chance at an offensive shot that you can make with some level of consistency and then to be able to run out. But the weaker player, knowing that even if they make the tough shot would not likely be able to run out from there...may choose to take a slower, defensive type of strategy (especially if they know that their opponent will not be able to capitalize on this). Not my type of game...but I can see how these types of strategies can arise...

 

[sjm]

In reading some of the posts, more importantly the most recent one on eight ball strategy, I realized that the thought of playing safe for safety sake is clearly setting yourself up for a loss.

I think what was not stressed is that when playing a safe, you are really establishing an offensive strategy. If playing safe for safeties sake, I would guess that you are being victimized.

Whenever I play safe, there is always an offensive purpose in mind and with this I believe that I have an edge.

Just some thoughts.

I agree wholeheartedly with the spirit of this post, but I think it may be a bit short-sighted. I would agree that, where possible, defense should be played with an offensive orientation to build a win. I further agree that once the win had been built, except in those very rare situations where playing safe almost gaurantees you'll trade up considerably, defense is pointless.

Still, where I disagree is when you play defense from a difficult position. There are times when you can do no better than engage an opponent in a defesnive sequence, hoping to create a chance to use a subsequent defensive shot to build your win. Ducking and kick-safes sometimes fall into the category of defensive shots intended to engage opponent in a safety battle in which don't yet have a way of creating offense.

 

[chefjeff]

In reading some of the posts, more importantly the most recent one on eight ball strategy, I realized that the thought of playing safe for safety sake is clearly setting yourself up for a loss.

I think what was not stressed is that when playing a safe, you are really establishing an offensive strategy. If playing safe for safeties sake, I would guess that you are being victimized.

Whenever I play safe, there is always an offensive purpose in mind and with this I believe that I have an edge.

Just some thoughts.

Good thoughts.

Thinking three+ shots ahead could mean that those shots are not all yours. First shot is potting a setup ball, second is playing safe, third is your opponent's miss, fourth is ball-in-hand leading to a runout (or another safe, leading to the win).

Sometimes if things go haywire though, you'd better play safe and, dare I say, hope to get the benefit of it. This never happens to me of course.

Jeff Livingston

 

[Williebetmore]

Whenever I play safe, there is always an offensive purpose in mind and with this I believe that I have an edge.

Just some thoughts.

Pete, I certainly agree with this thought; and with SJM as well. I would also extend your theory to straight pool. In conversation with Danny DiLiberto, I picked up the notion that safeties in straight pool should always be played with a sequence in mind that will leave your opponent with no options (an "offensive strategy") - and that this kind of safety play is one major factor that separates the good from the great. If you have no shot that will accomplish this, then your intentional fouls can be made with the same thought of working towards a shot that will let you escape the situation.

 

[pete lafond]

Pete, I certainly agree with this thought; and with SJM as well. I would also extend your theory to straight pool. In conversation with Danny DiLiberto, I picked up the notion that safeties in straight pool should always be played with a sequence in mind that will leave your opponent with no options (an "offensive strategy") - and that this kind of safety play is one major factor that separates the good from the great. If you have no shot that will accomplish this, then your intentional fouls can be made with the same thought of working towards a shot that will let you escape the situation.

Very well stated. Understanding that if playing a weaker player we sometimes get lazy and simply play safe for safes sake as stated by Get-A-Grip. But this is because we backed off our pool game.

Next, when we find ourselves in a hole we can not get out of and as SJM stated "There are times when you can do no better than engage an opponent in a defensive sequence", we are now the victim. We are putting ourselves in a victim position which is my point.

My point also states that safes are not played for the sake of safe, rather to strategize an offensive posture. If we do not employ this we are then placing ourselves for an out-of-control game situation. I do not mean that it does not happen, I just mean we lost control of the game. That is all and yes luck does play a factor here but thinking offensively when playing defensively is the ultimate.

 

[pete lafond]

edited - duplicate entry

 

[Colin Colenso]

Good points by all. However I have a different way of analysing this:

Firstly: How do we define a safety? Is it just a shot where a pot isn't intended?

Secondly, I would say that when we get to a table, we may be say 60% chance of winning the frame. My job in shot selection is to increase this by as much as possible in that one shot. Sometimes to do this a pot, looking to finish is in order, at other times a saftey that kicks one of my balls open and hooks my opponent is the best percentage strategy shot.

In this sense, all shots are offensive, in that they are chosen to try to increase our frame win percentage probability by as much as possible. In some situations, safeties provide the best return, then is the time to play a safety. It is the most offensive shot available.