Soft hit drill

RichLec

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Are there any drills for working on hitting a softer shot? I tend to put too much or too little on a shot. Especially when trying to do a safety shot. So My teammates and I are trying to come up with a drill to help me work on these types of shots.

Thanks in advance!
Rich
 
Line up several balls on the head string. Shoot the first ball as softly as possible. Shoot the second one and try to just pass the first one. Shoot the third to just pass the second. See how many you can hit before one of the balls hits the foot rail. If any ball fails to pass the previous ball, or hits the foot rail, start over.

Steve
 
Are there any drills for working on hitting a softer shot? I tend to put too much or too little on a shot. Especially when trying to do a safety shot. So My teammates and I are trying to come up with a drill to help me work on these types of shots.

Thanks in advance!
Rich
There are several drills to help:

Try to run the balls with each ball just barely getting over the edge of the pocket. This is a favorite of George Fels. You need to learn this speed for all the shots.

Put the cue ball in the jaws of the side pocket. Put an object ball 6 inches away towards the other side. See how many very soft shots you can use to make the ball in the other side. That is, just barely tap the object ball on each shot barely moving it.

See also the column "Slow and Slower" in the article archive: http://www.onthebreaknews.com/Jewett4.htm
 
RichLec...Here's a great finesse drill that Jerry Briesath showed us many years ago...still relevant today. Take the CB and OB and start at one end of the table. Put the two balls fairly close together (6-10" apart). See how many times you can hit the CB into the OB without the OB getting to the far rail. The key is to do this with a very short bridge, and gripping the cue way ahead of perpendicular. Stroke it, don't poke it! Hope this helps. :grin:

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
Soft Hits

Similiar to the previously mentioned drill, I like to take all the balls and throw them out on the table. Start with ball in hand on every shot, the goal is to pocket an OB without it touching the sides or back of the pocket. If it doesn't fall pocket speed or if it hits the back/side of the pocket then you throw that ball out on the table.

Once you clear a rack with ball in hand each shot then try to do a rack without ball in hand (same rules). This is tougher than you think.

another good one is practicing Bunt Shots. Put a ball hanging in a pocket, then the cue ball frozen to a rail opposite object ball (either 1/2 table or full table). Your goal is to pocket the ball without scratching or letting the cueball hit the sides of the pocket.
 
I am loving all these drills. Havent gotten to the table to try any out yet. I am looking forward to trying these out tho guys! Thanks! and keep em coming!
 
As far as pocketing the balls with soft hit (draw, stun, follow, etc), I like to put 5 to 10 balls on the table and start running them without the CB touching any rail. It has helped me quite a bit in developing softer touch on the stroke and demands perfect positionay play shot after shot.
 
No Rail Drill

As far as pocketing the balls with soft hit (draw, stun, follow, etc), I like to put 5 to 10 balls on the table and start running them without the CB touching any rail. It has helped me quite a bit in developing softer touch on the stroke and demands perfect positionay play shot after shot.

A really good drill I do all the time is placing all 15 balls near the middle of the table but spread out (nothing within a diamond of the long rails, or within 2 diamonds of the short rails). You get ball in hand the first shot. Cue ball cannot touch a rail.

This is a great drill for small area position and planning patterns.
 
I've never really gotten the benefit of this drill. Sure, it will force you to think about position play, but there is no game I am aware of where the cue ball is not allowed to touch the rail. So it seems like you are parcticing something that really doesn't come into play in a game. Wouldn't it be just as effective to learn how to use the rails for position?

I see it as a test, but not so much as a practical drill.

JMHO

Steve
 
I believe it works on the thinking and planning part of the game. The drill forces a player to think and plan out the pattern, rather than just lean down and shoot. IMO.
 
I kinda get that. I just like thinking and planning using all of my options.

Like I said, that's just me. If it works for someone else, great!

Steve
 
Put the cue ball in the center of the table on the center spot. Put an object ball 1/2 way between the centerspot (where the cue ball is) and a side pocket.

The object is to shot the cue ball into the object ball as many times as possible until it finally drops in the side pocket or hits the long rail. Nothing has to hit a rail on each shot. Just slow roll the cue into the OB as many times as possible. The only thing you must do on every shot is make contact with the OB.

My record is 21.

Everyone that tries puts up a dollar or 50 cents or whatever. After an hour, the highest record gets the cash.
 
Soft Hit Drills

I've never really gotten the benefit of this drill. Sure, it will force you to think about position play, but there is no game I am aware of where the cue ball is not allowed to touch the rail. So it seems like you are parcticing something that really doesn't come into play in a game. Wouldn't it be just as effective to learn how to use the rails for position?

I see it as a test, but not so much as a practical drill.

JMHO

Steve

I know the drill is unrealistic as a real game situation. But it forces you to really plan the rack out. It forces your position play to be to very small area's. It forces you to control the cue ball with minimal movement. It is not as easy as it looks. I don't recommend this for beginners, but rather for intermediate to advanced players. Plus the whole "miss a shot you start over" forces you to bear down on your fundamentals and routine for every shot. IMO it is a great drill and anyone can get a lot out of it.
 
No rails

I kinda get that. I just like thinking and planning using all of my options.

Like I said, that's just me. If it works for someone else, great!

Steve

I love this drill also. Not going to a rail just makes it harder and requires throwing balls. I agree with your thinking though and will start using rails as another way to do the drill. My fav stroke drill is shooting straight ins. First with stop, then draw and then follow the OB right into the pocket. I always begin practice with this stroke drill.
 
Hi all,

i definitley like to recommend this drill- but this is just a drill to *train your brain* if it s about pattern/end-pattern game. Very useful for straight-pool and eight-ball patterns.

At least i m here with Steve: this is no drill to train on technical stroke abilities.


lg from overseas,

Ingo
 
Line up several balls on the head string. Shoot the first ball as softly as possible. Shoot the second one and try to just pass the first one. Shoot the third to just pass the second. See how many you can hit before one of the balls hits the foot rail. If any ball fails to pass the previous ball, or hits the foot rail, start over.

Steve
I like that, Steve. Thanks.
 
I love this drill also. Not going to a rail just makes it harder and requires throwing balls. I agree with your thinking though and will start using rails as another way to do the drill. My fav stroke drill is shooting straight ins. First with stop, then draw and then follow the OB right into the pocket. I always begin practice with this stroke drill.

You can make the drills a bit tougher, and a bit more helpful IMO, by consistently using the same speed for five different strokes: follow, stun follow, stop, draw a bit, and draw. It requires you to precisely hit a certain part on the CB to generate the action you're ask to do. I do these 5 shots about 50 times total every single day, then proceed to making straight shots with CB near the rail, which requires me to jack up the cue. I also occasionally do this on a 12x6 snooker table. It normally takes me about 20 minutes before I get onto other drills.
 
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