Practice on an 8´table limits????

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Espartaco_7

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I started playing pool about 1 1/2 years ago. From January I decided I want to become the best player I can be. I made some investment, good cues, good tips, DVD´s, etc.

This may, for reason of money & space I only was able to get an 8 footer (Normal 8 footer, not pro). In two weeks practicing, my game have become a lot better. I can easily run out 3 or 4 games (nine ball) in a row, I have a kind of good break (Cue ball on the center of the table about 60-75% of the time).

But when I come to the pool hall, the local "poolsharks" still whip me easily. I don´t feel the same confidence on the 9 footer, even when I practice with pocket reducers on my table all the time.

Is the 8 footer limiting my development?
Is bad to practice on smaller tables?

Another thing, how does "luck" affect your game? I´ve never believed in "luck" but it´s becoming a PITA. Ex. Monday, was in the pool hall (playing the 2 top players in the hall), 1st. Match (9ball) race to 5, didn´t won a single game. /2nd. Match I was wining 4-0 misscued throwing the 9 and lost the match. 5-4 /3rd. Match Wining 3-0, scratched, and the things became 4-4, lost again after that I quited.

Yesterday was playing 8 ball (last pocket version), won the the first 2 matches (race to 3) and after that Always ahead, and kept loosing 7 matches (5 killing myself pocketing the 8 ball in the middle of the game, and 2 missing it.) Bad Luck? Bad playing? Have ever happened to you?

I´d probably go to the church today to stay in peace with God....LOL.
 
Espartaco_7 said:
I started playing pool about 1 1/2 years ago. From January I decided I want to become the best player I can be. I made some investment, good cues, good tips, DVD´s, etc.

This may, for reason of money & space I only was able to get an 8 footer (Normal 8 footer, not pro). In two weeks practicing, my game have become a lot better. I can easily run out 3 or 4 games (nine ball) in a row, I have a kind of good break (Cue ball on the center of the table about 60-75% of the time).

But when I come to the pool hall, the local "poolsharks" still whip me easily. I don´t feel the same confidence on the 9 footer, even when I practice with pocket reducers on my table all the time.

Is the 8 footer limiting my development?
Is bad to practice on smaller tables?

Another thing, how does "luck" affect your game? I´ve never believed in "luck" but it´s becoming a PITA. Ex. Monday, was in the pool hall (playing the 2 top players in the hall), 1st. Match (9ball) race to 5, didn´t won a single game. /2nd. Match I was wining 4-0 misscued throwing the 9 and lost the match. 5-4 /3rd. Match Wining 3-0, scratched, and the things became 4-4, lost again after that I quited.

Yesterday was playing 8 ball (last pocket version), won the the first 2 matches (race to 3) and after that Always ahead, and kept loosing 7 matches (5 killing myself pocketing the 8 ball in the middle of the game, and 2 missing it.) Bad Luck? Bad playing? Have ever happened to you?

I´d probably go to the church today to stay in peace with God....LOL.
Click to expand...

The 8 ft table is not limiting your game nearly as much as experience. Playing against other people is more of and issue than table size for you at this point. As you get more time in against other players you will notice a difference. Good luck.
 
Cdryden said:
The 8 ft table is not limiting your game nearly as much as experience. Playing against other people is more of and issue than table size for you at this point. As you get more time in against other players you will notice a difference. Good luck.
Click to expand...

I think that´s the point..... Inexperience.
 
I think an 8 footer is fine I practice on the same size table and my transition to play on a 6 or 9 footer is very smooth.

I think when your getting whipped on is not the table I feel it's mental and I'm not sure how long you have been playing but maybe the guys your playing are stronger that you are ?

If that's the case play the better players you just have to put in your blood sweat and tears and u just might not have that competive edge yet
 
Espartaco_7 said:
I think that´s the point..... Inexperience.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't focus too much on table size or luck. What really matters is that you are practicing good fundamentals and strategy. The rest will take care of itself.

Personally I like bigger tables but I find that if I am playing 8ball league on bar boxes I am better off practicing on a bar box. Especially if I will be playing someone that likes to play allot of defense. The short, tight position play is more critical on a bar box than a 9 footer.

But what works for me may not be right for you.
 
JoseV said:
I think an 8 footer is fine I practice on the same size table and my transition to play on a 6 or 9 footer is very smooth.

I think when your getting whipped on is not the table I feel it's mental and I'm not sure how long you have been playing but maybe the guys your playing are stronger that you are ?

If that's the case play the better players you just have to put in your blood sweat and tears and u just might not have that competive edge yet
Click to expand...

I´ve been playing for 1 1/2 years. I don´t feel bad, cuz I´m playing the guys who used to give me the 6, 7, 8 and 9. Now they don´t give me the 8. But, like you say I heve to work on my mental issues. I think you´re right.
 
Do all you can to improve. Pool is hard as hell.
The 8 foot table will work, but a nine foot is better.
My ideas.
​
1 nine foot table ( a little tight )
2 run racks
3 drills
4 cue ball control drills
5 play the best players around
6 gamble some
7 tournaments
8 league play
9 talk to good players
10 video yourself
11 dvd,s and books
12 low deflection shaft
There are a hundred more I am sure. Always try to be getting better. Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.​
 
Like others mentioned, I think it's the inexperience. But by inexperience I don't mean time at the table, I mean time sweating a match. Playing under pressure where you have to bare down is much different than running out 4 racks by yourself.

Just the other day I was practicing with a friend of mine who is on par with how I shoot. I was in dead stroke; couldn't miss a ball, making 3 balls on the break, not letting him shoot unless he was kicking. Suffice to say I was shooting 1000 or pretty close to it. He didn't win a game. He suggested we play a set, and even though we didn't take a break and I didn't feel different, I started missing. Just once or twice a rack, but it was on shots that I shouldn't miss. I ended up losing hill-hill because I couldn't quite get it together. I couldn't get my dead stroke back. Even though we were playing for pretty much nothing, pride made me care about the outcome, so I tightened up a bit.

I would suggest finding those situations that make you tighten up and playing in those until you no longer do. Whether that's tournaments, cash games, or just a pride match with a friend.
 
The 8 footer has nearly nothing to do with it. Making the most of your practice time has nearly everything to do with it. I had an 8 footer for ten years and it did wonders for my game on the 7 and 9 footers. Do the mighty X drill on an 8 with consistancy and long shots on the 9s won't intimidate you too much. I played thousands of hours on that little table but less than 5% of that time was actually playing games of pool. Put the same amount of time on your 8 footer doing drills as the pool hall guys do playing on the 9s and you will pass them up eventually on any table.
It worked for me so it will for you if you put in the hours.
Keep at it and happy hunting!
 
I also have an 8' table that I practice on at home with relatively big pockets. Would like a 9' at home, but it's a bit tight for space, plus, whenever any family or friends who don't play so much would come to play, they would never make a ball on the 9' table. :smile:

At any rate, when I go to the pool hall and play on the 9' tables, some of them with pretty tight pockets, it feels like a BIG change. I know my 8' helps me a lot, but I have learned that for me there is a big difference between an 8' with big pockets, and a 9' with tight pockets.

I would rather practice at home on a 9 footer ... but I just make an adjustment mentally when I go to the tournaments, and realize that some of my less than perfect shots that might otherwise go in, may not.

As far as luck, imho 9-ball is a game with a lot of luck. The better players seem to have a better handle on that than I do ( I think they must shoot better :smile: or something.)
 
I have an oversize 8 footer and have played on it in my home for 15 years. I had trouble in the beginning switching to a 9 footer even though the dimensional change wasn't that great. Downsizing to a barbox wasn't difficult. The thing that helped me the most was to forget about the size of the table and to just play pool. Free your mind and your ass will follow. I play better now on a 9 footer than I do on a barbox. It, to me, is more of a mental block than actual physical inability.
 
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