Solitary practice game for safeties?

H

HomerJay20

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I really need to learn safeties. After my opponent beat me he re-laid the balls on the table and suggested that I should have played a safety instead of taking a really tough offensive shot. It was 8 ball and I had 6 balls on the table versus his 3. Obviously I had a bunch of blocker balls, but a good safety just wasn't coming to my head.

That said, I really need to work on seeing and executing safeties. Is there a good solo game I could play to learn? I'm thinking about playing 8 ball against the ghost with the ability to get ball in hand if I execute a good safety.
 
I like to play 9 ball, and consistently playing safe on the 1 and then trying to kick out of it. After a while, i'll just pocket the 1, then continue playing safe on the 2 and kicking out of it. I do this until the rack is finished.

Not 8 ball, but it should help.
 
HomerJay20 said:
I really need to learn safeties. After my opponent beat me he re-laid the balls on the table and suggested that I should have played a safety instead of taking a really tough offensive shot. It was 8 ball and I had 6 balls on the table versus his 3. Obviously I had a bunch of blocker balls, but a good safety just wasn't coming to my head.

That said, I really need to work on seeing and executing safeties. Is there a good solo game I could play to learn? I'm thinking about playing 8 ball against the ghost with the ability to get ball in hand if I execute a good safety.
Click to expand...
Here is one safety game called "Nafe" (for nine ball safeties). See page 15 of http://issuu.com/thebreak/docs/ebreak8-08
 
ChicagoJoe said:
I like to play 9 ball, and consistently playing safe on the 1 and then trying to kick out of it. After a while, i'll just pocket the 1, then continue playing safe on the 2 and kicking out of it. I do this until the rack is finished.

Not 8 ball, but it should help.
Click to expand...

I do the same. Not only will your safety game improve, but kicking abilities as well.
 
When I'm playing alone I don't play "against the ghost" because I don't get any safety practice in that. I play both sides -- shooter A and shooter B.

That way I have to make a choice about trying for a 30% probability shot or playing safe, or recognizing good two-way shots and I get to practice my kicking.

I'm often competitive against - and sometimes beat - better players because I play a better safety game. They'll pocket a ball even when they have no chance of getting shape on the next ball, and pass up the opportunity to reposition the OB where there's a good route to the next ball while locking up the CB. You can't ask for more than BIH with a now-easy route from OBx to OBy.
 
safety play

HomerJay20 said:
I really need to learn safeties. After my opponent beat me he re-laid the balls on the table and suggested that I should have played a safety instead of taking a really tough offensive shot. It was 8 ball and I had 6 balls on the table versus his 3. Obviously I had a bunch of blocker balls, but a good safety just wasn't coming to my head.

That said, I really need to work on seeing and executing safeties. Is there a good solo game I could play to learn? I'm thinking about playing 8 ball against the ghost with the ability to get ball in hand if I execute a good safety.
Click to expand...

I currently have a series going in Pool & Billiard magazine, "Game-Winning 8-ball Safety Shots". Fifty shots, two in each issue.

I also teach these shots as a course for students. Much of the course has to do with reading tables and cultivating imagination.
 
I know you asked for "Solo game" but this game has really brought up my safety play.
If you can't find someone to play with you, play it against yourself.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=3556483&postcount=1

Instead of keeping score the usual way, instead keep track of how often you successfully
hide the cue ball from the object ball. You might be surprised.

I figured "eh I probably successfully hide the ball at least 80% of the time when I safe".
Bzzzzzt. Nope. More like half that. My safeties sucked.
But after playing this game a ton I am getting close to that figure.
 
I play by myself mostly (I said by myself...not with myself) and I play the 10 ball ghost on a BB this way when I want to brush up my safety game.

Break, then BIH to try to run out. If I hide myself I play safe. If I can't hit it myself I get BIH to try and finish the runout. If the ghost hits it (me) I get the shot where the CB stops and continue again from there. If I have no shot I play safe again. I'm pretty hard to hide as I've played a lot of 3 cushion billiards over the years. Of course you have to be honest with yourself and give it your best try at hitting it even though no ones looking. Johnnyt
 
Pro Skills Drill volume 5 will help your safety game. I really like the entire pro skills drills series but volume 5 is what your wanting here. I like the books as opposed to the DVDs because you can take the book, flip it open and lay it out flat on the table as you set up shots. When I'm doing a specific drill over and over I use those small circle page protectors to easily set the specific drills up over and over.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
A lot of safety play is based on experience and imagination. Like one pocket shots, I think it's hard to learn just playing on your own because there are so many different options and I see a lot of players who shoot ineffective safeties that are either very low percentage, easy to escape from, or do nothing to improve their chances of running out.

Learning from watching videos or better yet, find a good player who will give you advice, and your safety game will immediately improve.

Also, in eight ball, I think the key to good safety play is more than just preventing your opponent from having a shot. If you can be creative and play safe WHILE freeing up your balls and/or tying up your opponent's balls, you will be very tough to beat.
 
Not 8 ball related but when i practice it's always straight pool.i enjoy the game.
when i have no shot I play safes against myself. I try to out smart myself and I usually do because I'm not too smart.:withstupid:
But seriously it will help you see safeties in a different light.
 
to practice safety play I play myself as 2 players.....player 1 plays very tight and no low % shots, with player 2 being the opposite.

when a safety situation comes up, I make myself play it 3 ways....1 aggressive, 2 conservative, 3 something I might never try....

also, don't forget when an obvious safety eludes you.....balls that are tied up can be as difficult to deal with as a lockup safety.

G.
 
HomerJay20 said:
I really need to learn safeties. After my opponent beat me he re-laid the balls on the table and suggested that I should have played a safety instead of taking a really tough offensive shot. It was 8 ball and I had 6 balls on the table versus his 3. Obviously I had a bunch of blocker balls, but a good safety just wasn't coming to my head.

That said, I really need to work on seeing and executing safeties. Is there a good solo game I could play to learn? I'm thinking about playing 8 ball against the ghost with the ability to get ball in hand if I execute a good safety.
Click to expand...
FYI, several safety drills and safety games are demonstrated (with supporting instructional articles) on the safety drill resource page. They are very useful for developing and testing safety skills.

Enjoy,
Dave
 
Dr Dave

Just wanted to say thanks to Dave (dr_dave) for all the free information he shares with us on AZ Billiards. The links he provides when we have questions about certain pool subjects is always spot on! I am sure other members also appreciate your sharing!

So:dance: Thanks
Frank
 
Wedge said:
Just wanted to say thanks to Dave (dr_dave) for all the free information he shares with us on AZ Billiards. The links he provides when we have questions about certain pool subjects is always spot on! I am sure other members also appreciate your sharing!

So:dance: Thanks
Frank
Click to expand...
Thanks for the thanks. I appreciate it.

Catch you later,
Dave
 
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