Shane's mystery game???

[jrctherake]

You know what they say about common sense these days...

Common sense is like a good stroke.

People can develop and have one to use at will but, more often than not, leave it stashed away with the rest of their mechanics that happen to be beneficial.

Regardless, just like common sense we sometimes have to be reminded that we are not using (taking advantage) our best stroke, the one that was seen the other day while we were running racks....

Just because we have it does not mean we always use it.

 

[jrctherake]

I like the rule because it minimizes the artsy fartsy break stuff. In 10 ball I don't like it as much because you can slam the rack and not get 3 balls above the headstring.

9 ball needs the following:

Break in smaller box
Templates only
9 on spot
3 balls made or cross middle of table
No 9 on break

10 ball:

Break within 1 diamond of long rail and within 2 diamonds of short rail
Templates only
No 10 on break
Call shot, call safe with option to pass or push if opponent misses a called shot
Move the rack down 1 inch to ensure the balls don't go in side pocket
3 balls made or cross center table

Sometimes getting 3 balls to come all the way back to string is tough. Getting balls to move on the break should not be a challenge. Making balls on break with shape should be a challenge.

It's like politics, pool has got to the point where it is "to correct"...... in a sense.

We need to see more safety battles. That imo, is the bread and butter of great pool and where the TRULY GREAT players will rise and be noticed even more than they already do.

 

[Poolplaya9]

I understand the intent. I’ve seen the videos of Corey soft breaking. From what I saw, a 2-point system or a 3-point (counting cueball) seems enough to undermine what he was doing.

Keep in mind that you can't just go by whether a 2 point system (or 3 with cue ball) would have worked the way Shane or others were breaking in this tournament, or the way Corey has soft broken in the past, because they were adapting their breaks to the rules of those particular events and would have just broken some other way if different rules were in place. You have to make sure the rule would work if Corey or anyone else did their best to find a new way to soft break that would be able to meet the 2 point (or 3 point including the cue ball) rule.

I think a 2 point rule has been tried in the past (but can't recall specifics), but even if it hasn't I think it is pretty clear that a 2 point or a 2+cue ball could be defeated by a soft break technique by someone who was determined and it doesn't appear like it would be all that tough if you think about it. So far the three object balls past the head string hasn't been defeated with a soft break though, and the prospects for it being defeated by one aren't looking likely.