Practicing?

Gdub1717

Gdub1717

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some days I’m sure I won’t be able to practice on the 9 foot tables at my local hall. They only have 2 but also have 10 8 foot tables. Every table is Brunswick with fresh simonis felt. On days where only the 8 foot tables are available is it wise to practice on them and will my improvements carry over to the 9 foot tables where I’m pretty sure most. 9 ball tournaments are played? Thanks
 
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Gdub1717 said:
some days I’m sure I won’t be able to practice on the 9 foot tables at my local hall. They only have 2 but also have 10 8 foot tables. Every table is Brunswick with fresh simonis felt. On days where only the 8 foot tables are available is it wise to practice on them and will my improvements carry over to the 9 foot tables where I’m pretty sure most. 9 ball tournaments are played? Thanks
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Not much difference in 8ft and 9ft. Work on mechanics. Really just need to play and not worry so much about details. Easy to overthink this game. Just play.
 
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Gdub1717 said:
Thanks. I was hoping there not much difference and my improvements made on the 8 foot table will transition to the 9 foot. It is easy to overthink though
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I would take a week off from asking anything here. Seriously. Use you eyes, touch,feel etc. Just go play. Warm up and then play some races against the ghost. Go find the best player in the room and play some cheap sets. Just play.
 
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Shoot practice drills on the 8’ box and set them up like it’s on a 9’ box. So your working on the same thing (if you want to work on the same thing) that can be good sometimes. Not every time.

As the other responses stated. Just go play. Play play play

Work on fundamentals. Preshot routine-table size is irrelevant. Lining up over the ball correctly, hitting the spot on the CB you intend to hit. None of these have anything to do with table size. You can learn to be a world champion in a 8 or 9 foot box. If you pay your dues and have talent you can be a world beater learning and playing on a 8’ box. If you just pay your dues you can still be a hell of a player only playing on a 8’ box.

9’ tables don’t make you play better-you make you play better.

The box size NEVER made the player. Never has never will.

Good luck
Fatboy😀
 
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Fatboy said:
Shoot practice drills on the 8’ box and set them up like it’s on a 9’ box. So your working on the same thing (if you want to work on the same thing) that can be good sometimes. Not every time.

As the other responses stated. Just go play. Play play play

Work on fundamentals. Preshot routine-table size is irrelevant. Lining up over the ball correctly, hitting the spot on the CB you intend to hit. None of these have anything to do with table size. You can learn to be a world champion in a 8 or 9 foot box. If you pay your dues and have talent you can be a world beater learning and playing on a 8’ box. If you just pay your dues you can still be a hell of a player only playing on a 8’ box.

9’ tables don’t make you play better-you make you play better.

The box size NEVER made the player. Never has never will.

Good luck
Fatboy😀
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Yep. The difference in long shots on a 9ft and a bar-rag isn't very much. Its there for sure but its not huge.
 
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garczar said:
Yep. The difference in long shots on a 9ft and a bar-rag isn't very much. Its there for sure but its not huge.
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I get lazy on the 7’ box and miss anyways.

Traffic is the only issue and for a beginner that’s a bit much this early on.

If I’d had the info & lessons available now on a 7’ box the first 5 years I played, I’d probably play 2-3 balls better than my best ever.

Lining up, hitting the CB, aiming, all that with proper instruction on a 7’ box is 100X better than self taught on a 9’ box. And that’s just the short list.

Equipment isn’t that important, a good cue, 7’ box and instruction is all anyone needs. To get a great start

Best
Fatboy
 
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It's how and what you practice. Generally, an object ball will keep going for almost a light year unless it hits something. The thing about pool marksmanship is not so much the size of the table - or pocket for that matter, but what takes place in the 2 or three foot circle concentric to the collision. If that's all set in your head, distance won't be an issue. Learning the different sizes is another matter. Most of that is discovering what you can get away with.
 
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I have an 8 foot at home in a room that is too small for it. Have to use a short cue here and then.

It's phenomenal for practice, experimenting, and just staying in strokes between trips to the poolhall. If you can't immediately get a 9, then get on the 8 until the 9 is available.
 
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I have GC4 and Valley 88 in the basement. Now most games and practice is on the GC. I bought the Valley at the start of the pandemic for two reasons. Something for my mostly non playing friends to play on. And for me to work with the magnetic cue ball on a short table. I often play at a bar with 3 Valley/Dynamo 8 foot tables. Mixing the two has helped my bar game.

Other than the possibility of having to use a magnetic ball there is really not much difference. Most friends have 8' home tables. I find the cluster problem on the 8' a bigger deal than a slightly longer shot on a nine.
 
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A long time ago in a pool galaxy far far away, as a young player with nothing but credit card debt to my name, I went into a room to take advantage of an all day discount deal. I got a table in the back and immediately began thumpings balls into the pockets of the Gandy table. I was killing it and really enjoying the sound of those pockets. It was the best I had played. Of course I hadn't been playing long, but I was having dreams of going after all the local shortstops. As I was wrapping up, with a big grin on my face, I headed back to the counter to turn in the balls. Counter man says to me, "I see you like the 8 footers."

I kind of lost my breath for a second, "Ah, um, yeah, I guess I do."

I played on a stupid 8 footer all day and didn’t even realize it. All my big plans right down the drain. Oh to be young and stupid again.

They are different but you can certainly get good practice in on one. It probably does help to know your actually playing on one though.
 
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It's my experience that 8 foot table players (like myself) were less likely to bite off too much on a 9 footer. I did see a couple of big table players get out of line on bar tables. They paid!
The fear of the long shot was the main down for a bar table player. The slight change in the location of the side pocket re the 2 and 3 rail paths was often the downfall of the big table players on a bar table. Not that the numbers change just the visual they are accustomed to is deceptive.
 
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Depends on what level you’re at. If your fundamentals are solid I would start working on the vertical axis of the CB. Set up a simple straight in shot and learn to follow, stop, and draw. No need to move onto shot making or position drills if you don't know this.

If your fundamentals suck I would find someone who knows what they are doing, instructor maybe, to show you the proper stance, PSR and SPF.
I would then put the CB on the spot and shoot it into the corner pocket maybe 5000 times practicing what you've learned and making sure to focus on the proper finish and that your tip is moving straight through the spot and down towards the cloth approx 4 to 6 inches. Close your eyes and feel the proper stroke and burn it into muscle memory.

Of course this is no fun but will reap huge benefits down the road and get you where you want to be quicker. Tip: use center ball when doing stroke drills that way you won't need all that chalk because there WILL BE lots of chalk around the spot if you don't!
 
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garczar said:
I would take a week off from asking anything here. Seriously. Use you eyes, touch,feel etc. Just go play. Warm up and then play some races against the ghost. Go find the best player in the room and play some cheap sets. Just play.
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This exactly! It isn't like video games where people want to read every Wiki and watch every min/max guide on youtube. Pool is a lifelong pursuit/passion. Take your time and enjoy the pleasure and beauty of the game. :) Once the pool bug bites you, if you are the type to delve deep into the minutia of things, feel free. When you're starting out, just enjoy playing (remember play from when you were a kid?) and leave the minutia for later.

Just focus on fundamentals, staying down on the shot until the balls all stop, and while down think about why they did what they did. Analyzing everything and just taking it in is great when you are starting and even better during practice sessions once you are more skilled at the game.

I second the suggestion to find an instructor if you can. They should focus only on fundamentals if you're just starting out. Burn them into every ounce of your being and you will improve at the game 10X faster than if you don't.
 
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