Pros
- Thread starter kyootie
- Start date
Pool is risk and reward when you play.
It's funny how the way you think about pool changes as your own skill/knowledge increases.
When I was starting out, I used to think a guy was only good if he could bank everything, kick 4 rails and make a ball, and shoot all those fancy shots they show on YouTube.
As you get more and more experienced you realize that those fancy shots are hard, but the hardest part of the game is consistently making balls while setting yourself up to make another, and another.
Anybody can learn a fancy shot, but not everybody can learn to make balls and get shape.
When I was starting out, I used to think a guy was only good if he could bank everything, kick 4 rails and make a ball, and shoot all those fancy shots they show on YouTube.
As you get more and more experienced you realize that those fancy shots are hard, but the hardest part of the game is consistently making balls while setting yourself up to make another, and another.
Anybody can learn a fancy shot, but not everybody can learn to make balls and get shape.
IMO the game is being played the best when it looks easy. Sure, sometimes you might need to juice the ball because you messed up a leave, or came to the table with a bad lay. But for the most part, playing the right side of the ball, and staying within a tips distance of center ball covers a lot of run outs.
Ill tell a funny story, 20-25 years ago I was playing a lot, and I was playing pretty sporty living in Detroit. But my game was based on a lot more spin than was needed. I didnt play tight position, but could juice the ball out if need be. Years later I became good friends with a guy who was a pro speed player. I asked him something like, what is the one thing you would change in my game. He said, "First off, quit spinning the ball so damned much. Side spin is like gravy on your mashed potatoes. Its nice, but its not always needed." And what he was getting at was playing the correct angles, and using the vertical axis of the cue ball to control the angles off the rails more than side spin. I had learned that lesson earlier in life when my first 'mentor' taught me about the wagon wheel, but I put it away in favor of always spinning the balls. Young and dumb kind of thing, and loading the cb up was fun and looked impressive. But once I took his advice and worked on it, my game got better than before, because I wasnt relying on shotmaking and lots of spin to fix mistakes.
Ill tell a funny story, 20-25 years ago I was playing a lot, and I was playing pretty sporty living in Detroit. But my game was based on a lot more spin than was needed. I didnt play tight position, but could juice the ball out if need be. Years later I became good friends with a guy who was a pro speed player. I asked him something like, what is the one thing you would change in my game. He said, "First off, quit spinning the ball so damned much. Side spin is like gravy on your mashed potatoes. Its nice, but its not always needed." And what he was getting at was playing the correct angles, and using the vertical axis of the cue ball to control the angles off the rails more than side spin. I had learned that lesson earlier in life when my first 'mentor' taught me about the wagon wheel, but I put it away in favor of always spinning the balls. Young and dumb kind of thing, and loading the cb up was fun and looked impressive. But once I took his advice and worked on it, my game got better than before, because I wasnt relying on shotmaking and lots of spin to fix mistakes.
It could be similar to. "Drive for show, put for dough." Or, it couldn't. Who knows.
I do know that it's near dinner time and my ass is eating a hole through my stomach. :smile:
I do know that it's near dinner time and my ass is eating a hole through my stomach. :smile:
Need a bit of more info, what fancy shots?
Is follow or draw "fancy" to you? Sidespin? Going more than one rail for position? Or are you talking about lining up 6 balls in a set pattern with 3 cuesticks on the table and making them all?
The pros and other players DO use "fancy" shots but only when needed. I saw Jayson Shaw masse around a ball he was directly behind about 2 inches away from and all the way up table 8 feet in a real match to make a good hit, that was pretty crazy and would match anything fancy you'd ever see.
Like the ones on pools "Pool's Biggest Secrets Revealed 3" this is a youtube video. I know they do use them but more often they play safeties. I have seen niels feijen play 3 amazing shots in one match.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzjousgGLjU
Look at the 23 minute mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzjousgGLjU
Look at the 23 minute mark.
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ElCorazonFrio
Banned
Contrary much?
"FANCY" shots were way more prevalent when two-foul 9-ball was played years ago. You could afford to get fancy when trying to get position because you knew if you made the shot and then screwed up your position and got behind some balls you could "push out". With today's one-foul BIH rules that shot is TOO risky today.
Aloha.
Aloha.
It's mostly personal preference. They're trying to play the shot with the best percentage chance of success for their game and style. For some it's playing safes unless they have a clear runout. Some guys may like to take more risks. Also it depends on the situation in the match.
I've seen Efren shoot a number of shots during matches similar to some of the ones in that video.
Because Earl Strickland said "Well I gotta show you a shot I really don't wanna show you".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csQeR7p3X8o&t=2m15s
They just don't wanna show you. Call them selfish.
Simple, chance to make that shot is maybe 10% if you are good, chance to play safe is close to 100%.
Very few people would pick a low % shot over an easier safe unless they were goofing around or thought the chance to win with trying for the shot was greater than if they played a safe or the shot had a built-in safe so if they missed they would still leave a tough shot or a safe.
Someone that knows how to juggle chainsaws in a show does not bring a few to toss around with him when he goes to his kids school meetings, just because someone CAN do something does not mean they SHOULD be doing it all the time.
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Yes he is .................
In the video he is playing 8 ball with no pocket for his 8 ball. He can't play safe and is most likely going to lose this game anyway. If he can get the 8 ball in he wins, but even if he just hangs it he may win, as well as block the pocket.
I shoot shots in one pocket that are very low percentage all the time but in one pocket just getting a ball close may put your opponent on defense and limit his options.
I did not even look at the game just the shot itself as an example of what a "fancy" shot was. Those shots are a last resort to have even a small chance to win which is why they pretty much never come up in a real game, especially in a pro event.
The shot you pointed out is mostly just showing off. (a bank-and-kiss shot -- kiss the 8 back into the pocket) It's very rare that it would be the best shot. In my experience, the particular shot shown is not possible on most equipment because you can't get the object ball to go back that far.
Here's a video of a similar shot that's easier to make along with some explanation of how it's done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2enopvFnTno
If you play one pocket, you might have a situation where it's the best shot. It might come up once every five or six years if you play all the time. It will take you about 15-30 minutes of practice to get a good feel for the shot if you want to make it yours.
Thats a great shot Bob, thanks for sharing. gonna have to store this in the memory "banks"
-Steve