Shotmaker.

[Flakeandrun]

I heard this term when I first started playing.
Other players would call a guy a "Shotmaker".
My mentor was one, and I've since graduated myself from "Shotmaker U."
What would you guys say to a tournament or exhibition challenge for "Shotmakers??" A series of nothing but difficult shots??
Say 20 or so??
Each increasing in difficulty from 1 to 10 or whatever
Score by attempts vs made or number made, or however you want to keep score. Limit of 2 tries per shot. You either go big or go home.
Charge entry fees.
All these numbers are thrown out there off top of my head. Ideas??
Would something like this appeal to anyone?? Say as a fun last day filler for a tournament??
Let me hear what you think AZ!! Is this possible?? What would your format look like and is there any appeal for something like this??
I know I'd consider entering, just for bragging rights, but
I'm medicated, so...

You trying to play 'HORSE' (SKATE) ?

 

[gregcantrall]

Colin's Shot Making Drill from Dr Dave. Would make for a good challenge. I utilize it to play my left hand vs right hand. A successful shot scores and keeps the same hand shooting to the next shot. A miss returns the table to the other hand to resume with where that hand left off. Kind of fun to get a high run.

8 shots going both left and right for 16 total. The shot 1 is so difficult I moved it to last in my challenge. It makes a good grand finally shot. One hand getting stalled there can give the other a chance to catch up.

 

[Mensabum]

My job here is complete! Laters!

Typical union guy.

 

[Mensabum]

Perhaps when it it your dick on the line you'll choose differently

I love this game. Paid for my home and allowed me to put both of my daughters thru college. I chose 'Wisely'.

 

[skogstokig]

I hate to be "that guy", but unfortunately I think a shotmaking contest of standard shots would become extremely boring FAST if not immidiately. Also, specialty events like this usually lead to specialization and deviate further and further from the actual game. Before you know it people are playing with those shooting glasses and giant stiff poles instead of cues or whatever other outlandish equipment may be invented. Think Earl but more extreme.

If the shots were randomly chosen it would be slightly better, but not by much.

The modern game has deviated a bit from shotmaking due to the game maturing and equipment changes that were not all for the better. It is what it is.

I don't want the game to proceed to look like that guy on the right, anymore than it allready has.

View attachment 808200

i take it you're not a fan of placement pool

 

[Mensabum]

Colin's Shot Making Drill from Dr Dave. Would make for a good challenge. I utilize it to play my left hand vs right hand. A successful shot scores and keeps the same hand shooting to the next shot. A miss returns the table to the other hand to resume with where that hand left off. Kind of fun to get a high run.
View attachment 808245
8 shots going both left and right for 16 total. The shot 1 is so difficult I moved it to last in my challenge. It makes a good grand finally shot. One hand getting stalled there can give the other a chance to catch up.

I love ya Greg, but what I had in mind wasn't more difficult drill fodder. I was hoping for more outside the box ideas from guys.
The one of a kind shots that make the replay reel. Those that bring people to their feet bcuz they've never seen it b4 and recognize the technical mastery or simply that the player hit that shit with Voodoo!! Took all his stroke's juju to make the cb do that!!
Have a handful of half crazy players trying to replicate those in a controlled setting.
Not some long drug out tired thing. A fast paced, exciting way to see if players have the cajones to replicate some of those shots.
This wouldn't be for the upper crust tournament players. You can see them anytime online.
If done correctly and promoted properly, you'd see guys you've never seen b4 doing things you might not see again.
That was my hope when I put this out there.

 

[gregcantrall]

That was my hope when I put this out there.

Ok I see. Your explanation makes me think of the Efren Z shot.

I also think of an incredible jump shot with shape that I saw Mike Massey execute in a Tahoe tournament back in 84. That shot is diagramed in one Byrne's books.
Then there's Mike Double Kiss Doolies challenge he showed Nick Varner for $100. It was take 6 object balls and place them adjacent the side rail diamonds about an inch off the rail at the foot of the table. Take ball in hand on the first and double kiss them in. Playing shape for the next shot. Just count how many strokes it takes nursing them down the rail. Mike went first and did it in 6 strokes. Nick just handed him the money.
Ray Martin's book The 99 Critical Shots could be a source for Basic Level Challenge shots too.
Surely have to include Venom.

 

[Mensabum]

Ok I see. Your explanation makes me think of the Efren Z shot.

I also think of an incredible jump shot with shape that I saw Mike Massey execute in a Tahoe tournament back in 84. That shot is diagramed in one Byrne's books.
Then there's Mike Double Kiss Doolies challenge he showed Nick Varner for $100. It was take 6 object balls and place them adjacent the side rail diamonds about an inch off the rail at the foot of the table. Take ball in hand on the first and double kiss them in. Playing shape for the next shot. Just count how many strokes it takes nursing them down the rail. Mike went first and did it in 6 strokes. Nick just handed him the money.
Ray Martin's book The 99 Critical Shots could be a source for Basic Level Challenge shots too.
Surely have to include Venom.

Now you're on the right track!!!

 

[Mensabum]

Now you're on the right track!!!

Don't want it to turn into a trick shot exhibition tho.

 

[gregcantrall]

Just found this deck of cards when organizing my shop.

More about cue ball control is what I notice in the challenges. Still not pure shot making but the cards do provide interesting challenges with 3, 6 or 9 points indicates the difficulty.

 

[Mensabum]

Just found this deck of cards when organizing my shop.
View attachment 808680
View attachment 808681

More about cue ball control is what I notice in the challenges. Still not pure shot making but the cards do provide interesting challenges with 3, 6 or 9 points indicates the difficulty.

Being a 14:1 player, I'm always looking for those wired combos, caroms, 2nd ball shots that players unfamiliar to this game don't often notice or look for.
I've made some shots that I had to stop playing afterwards to allow the adrenaline to subside. We all know those.
In my case, I just know when I see it if it'll go or not. Case in point, recently a jump shot into a combo carom that drilled center hole. B4 I hit it I knew it was gonna go. It stopped play on nearby tables. I live for those. When I think of all the hours I put in to be able to see that shot, let alone make it, keeps me coming back for more.

 

[gregcantrall]

a jump shot into a combo carom

Oh what fun. That brings to mind my favorite match winning shot playing Don Wirtiman. After the break, I rolled out to a kick bank to a wired combo on the 9 ball. I showed my disappointment because the Kick was a natural and surely he would take the shot. He miss judged my ability and thought I was disappointed as the 1 ball was hooked. He said, "shoot again ", without leaving his seat.
It was an early round in the second chance side, so Don spent the rest of the evening whining about how he got beat by a no shooting lucky son of a......

 

[The_JV]

In my humble opinion. Being a "shot maker" has nothing to do with positional play. Merely the ability to sight and execute pots that the majority would shy away from. Once you combine CB control beyond what's required to make the pot. You jump the gap from being merely a shotmaker to a strong player.

Of course opinions will vary. I'm not going to argue my take. I just know several extremely strong shotmakers that play brutal shape. These players on the right day will torture everyone. However eventually the law of averages catches up and they'll falter.

 

[ChrisinNC]

A shot maker is a shooter who both makes the shot and gets position on the next shot
OR
creates a lockup safety more than 50% of his safety attempts.

I think of a shotmaker more as a player who seems to successfully execute more difficult shots, but whose positioning is not as good as their ball pocketing skills, which leads to them having to face more difficult shots than if they were a better position player.

Similarly, a shotmaker to me is a player whose ball pocketing skills exceed the skill level of the other critical parts of their game - positioning, safety/defensive play, breaking, etc.

As a result, shotmakers play more aggressively and go for more harder shots than most us would choose to, because they think they can make them, even if they can’t get position on the next ball.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

None of this gay artistic crap.

None of this macho bigotry crap.

pj <- please
chgo

 

[Mensabum]

Oh what fun. That brings to mind my favorite match winning shot playing Don Wirtiman. After the break, I rolled out to a kick bank to a wired combo on the 9 ball. I showed my disappointment because the Kick was a natural and surely he would take the shot. He miss judged my ability and thought I was disappointed as the 1 ball was hooked. He said, "shoot again ", without leaving his seat.
It was an early round in the second chance side, so Don spent the rest of the evening whining about how he got beat by a no shooting lucky son of a......

Oh to be a fly on that wall!!!

 

[Mensabum]

In my humble opinion. Being a "shot maker" has nothing to do with positional play. Merely the ability to sight and execute pots that the majority would shy away from. Once you combine CB control beyond what's required to make the pot. You jump the gap from being merely a shotmaker to a strong player.

Of course opinions will vary. I'm not going to argue my take. I just know several extremely strong shotmakers that play brutal shape. These players on the right day will torture everyone. However eventually the law of averages catches up and they'll falter.

I wouldn't call myself a master shotmaker, but I have my days.
I've always had a problem looking for those type shots when there's easier shots available. Just can't help myself. The % of those shots I make is midrange, but understanding everything that occurs in order for one to go or not go, keeps it fresh for me. Rote pocketing and shape, while the epitomy for most, can get stale for me. Parking my ass mid table, keep everything short, work the angle w mostly center and low, limit spin, rinse and repeat.
Reading the rack in Straight Pool provides me with the complexity necessary to keep my mind focused and interested in the game. Spherical collision and rotation. What drew me to this game long ago. Plus when I take a flyer, miss and bust the rack wide open for the next player, the guys on nearby tables get a good laugh out of it. Ugly miss. Now it looks like an 8 ball rack!!
Just can't get enough.

 

[Mensabum]

None of this macho bigotry crap.

pj <- please
chgo

My apologies. Seems I always touch a nerve w you.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

My apologies. Seems I always touch a nerve w you.

Thanks. I might be a little overprotective of our minority brethren/sistren…

pj
chgo

 

[Mensabum]

Thanks. I might be a little overprotective of our minority brethren/sistren…

pj
chgo

All good. Be as overprotective as you want. Need all the help they can get.
It wasn't meant in a derogatory vein towards any gender affiliation. Gay has many meanings. Among them frivolous, colorful, happy, festive, flamboyant, stylish, etc... I was leaning more towards that direction. Who would want to play in a 3 piece?? Even tho it was sop back in the day. Gotta be restrictive. Too much for this kid.