Problems with 9 ball.

[Stretch]

Hi all! Maybe someone can help me out here. I consider myself more of an 8 ball player then a 9 ball player. I want to get better at 9 ball but i just can't get a handle on it sometimes. The same guys who i can take at 8 ball, can thump me at 9 ball. What is it about 9 ball anyway. It's not like it's hard to figure out or anything. Pretty basic stuff, and i "can" run out at any given time. But it's damn hard to play it consistantly. Some matches i'm smokin hot, other matches i'm just KILLED. It drives me nuts. It's almost like it's not fair lol.

What makes a good 9 ball player anyway. I'd sure like to know. St

 

[Rickw]

I play both and prefer 9b. I play on an 8b league and just don't really like the game. I'm doing okay on the league, played about 5 weeks now and have won many more than I've lost so far. I just don't like 8b because it seems to favor the weaker player more. In 9b, you have to get good shape on a particular ball as opposed to 8b where you usually have several option shots.

The best advice I can give you to sharpen your 9b game is to work on 3 ball patterns. Throw 3 balls up and work on shooting them in numerical order. Once you have that down pretty good, practice 15 ball rotation and then 9 ball will seem easier.

Dead Aim is right about using the 2 and three rail patterns to get shape. Practice shooting a shot into the side pocket and going three rails for the next ob on the bottom or top rail. Also, shoot a ball in one of the corner pockets and go two rails to the next ball positioned at the other end of the table on the rail. These are typical 9b shots that come up regularly.

 

[Stretch]

Thanks for the info....what a huge advantage to be able to lern from "King James"....I got to see him once in Phx.. (he did an exhibition)....I heard he used to live/frequent Phx...years ago...That was before my time....

I am still not completly sure what you mean by second cushion....I understand that you want to come "into" your angle on your next ob...NOT "across" ....(as much as possible anyway).......but it does not seem like you always need two rails to do that....could you elaborate...FYI...I am like a sponge when it comes to this kind of stuff...I soak it up...My mindset is such that I like to know WHY stuff works...

Hi RC

Like you, i am intrigued by the second rail comment. I would think haveing a second rail target would make comeing off the first rail better. You know, if your thinking just to the angle off the first rail, you might not get the wieght just right. If your thinking about the second rail however, chances are you'll get it there and beyond if needed, with more control. The only other time i've come across this second rail concept is when i was reading up on 3 rail kicks i believe. It realy helps to visualize the second rail target to get your 3 railers down. St~~lots of good stuff in this thread!~~ Thanks.

 

[TATE]

What makes a good 9 ball player anyway. I'd sure like to know. St

Nine ball is a lot easier after you run about 10,000 racks of it. I wish I were kidding. A lot of the shots and pattern play are developed habits. You learn as much by what fails as by what works. The better you get, the more obvious the run out pattern becomes and the less mental fatigue you have trying to figure it out. You just know what works for you.

My suggestion is to open your mind, use all the pockets and shoot at both ends of the table. Forget trying to make difficult shape to make the shot shorter or easier, but instead go for natural angles and the least cue ball movement necessary to get your angle to the next shot - even if that means shooting downtable or long. The main thing is to be on the angle to get to your next shot and the next. I see pros running table after table with a number of medium difficulty shots. They don't expect to have nine easy shots. There is too much cue ball movement necessary to do that, inviting positional errors.

Chris

 

[crawdaddio]

Hi Richard,

I guess that statement can be applied to ALL billiard games, there are just certain things you learn from 30 – 40 years of shooting pool that you just do not tell; then there are things you can NEVER learn no matter how long you play UNLESS you take lessons from a PRO who is WILLING to show you a few secrets.


Players need to have the three D’s as Jimmy calls them:

Drive
Dedication
Determination

And:

FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS.

There’s a lot to be said for that little piece mentioned in one of the posts: DON’T MISS. At least don’t miss the shots you are not supposed to miss.

I can say one thing Richard, don’t just play for position on the table by saying “I want to get somewhere around here or close to there”; BE SPECIFIC, pick a spot on the table and try to put the cue ball on that spot when trying for position. If you didn’t get there, find out WHY.

Did I hit the correct side of the pocket I intended?
Did I use too much english?
Did I hit the ball to hard/soft?

Find out WHY you missed position and remember it for the next time you come up with that shot. The reason local players NEVER get any better is because they NEVER learn from their mistakes. Think about it, how many players do you know that have been playing for 10, 20, 30 years and are no better than they were at 5 years into the game.



The biggest tip I can give is:

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES.

PS

I see Johnny has his own section to this site, it would be interesting to ask him what importance he places on the second cushion.

Joe

This is a great post. Well said.

~DC

 

[Billy_Bob]

Something which may make 9-ball more interesting to you, is that you can shoot in the 9 early for a win. This can be done with combo shots, carom shots, or a position shot after pocketing a ball.

I find carom shots very challenging. You can just barely glance off the object ball so the cue ball is then directed to the 9 ball.

Of course if you are playing in a league where you get points for every ball pocketed, then you would not want to knock in the 9 early.

I regularly practice combo and carom shots and other players in my area do not. So this gives me an advantage with these types of shots.

Another strategy, if your opponent is not too good, is to miss intentionally on your first shot, let your opponent run in most of the balls (do all the work), then you run in the last few balls. But if playing league where each ball is a point, it is better to sink as many balls as possible and keep your opponent from being able to sink any balls and sinking the 9 is not so important (you can win by pocketing the majority of balls without pocketing the 9). And of course if you are playing a top player, you would not want to miss intentionally (unless it was a safety) as they will run the table on you.

 

[JustPlay]

CONCENTRATION and CONFIDENCE is the biggest keys to playing good to great pool period! As long as you know how to pocket balls and play position.

 

[Perk]

Another strategy, if your opponent is not too good, is to miss intentionally on your first shot, let your opponent run in most of the balls (do all the work), then you run in the last few balls.

Kinda an amazing idea here that alot of players wont notice. They lose but just dont understand it. They remember their misses and think its all luck for you. Still, using this strategy, there is a time that you will need to run a few balls yourself, and you have to be able to turn it on...

 

[piglit]

I have problems with that 9 too!! It thinks it is so special, with with its' fancy stripe and all that...

-pige

 

[Stretch]

I have problems with that 9 too!! It thinks it is so special, with with its' fancy stripe and all that...

-pige

I remember a poster once who asked for advice on how to handle the 9 ball shots since he had a problem with tensing up, after all, that's the game ball! Your comment about the 9 ball thinking it's so special just reminded me about the answer. That is.....grab a whole bunch of nine balls from the other ball trays and rack nothing but 9 balls! After hours of practicing running 9 balls from everywhere you loss all respect for them. lol Also it was suggested that one needs to play perfect shape off the 9 ball even though it's the last ball anyway. Reason being, it keeps your method and flow going. Just as you played shape for every other ball in the run, you don't want to change a thing in how you attack the 9 ball.....play it with perfect shape! St

 

[Phylbert57]

When I was learning the game many moons ago, I was told to always think ahead. Nobody mentioned that here. In 8 ball, alot of (especially league) players don't think ahead because there is a choice of balls to shoot. Indeed that has played into my own strategy; if I get out of line, I have a backup plan. In 9 ball, think ahead several shots. It has always worked for me and many others that I know.

Oh, sorry. Was that one of the "secrets"?

Phyl