Straight-pool is so much more fun to practice than 9-ball.

JoeyInCali

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Just took up straight-pool.
I feel dumb now b/c I just discovered how much more fun and intense it is to play ( when alone ) than playing ghost 9-ball.
 
JoeyInCali said:
Just took up straight-pool.
I feel dumb now b/c I just discovered how much more fun and intense it is to play ( when alone ) than playing ghost 9-ball.
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Welcome to the club. I suck at it, but agree that it is much more fun.
 
JoeyInCali said:
Just took up straight-pool.
I feel dumb now b/c I just discovered how much more fun and intense it is to play ( when alone ) than playing ghost 9-ball.
Click to expand...

Joe

Is this a trick question ??? Hey, just make sure that the wife bring you your coffee while practicing in the morning and keep the cat away from humping your leg. Two of my goals each morning as I continue to try to break 31 each morning....on a bar table.....looking for my place "in the field"......

tim
 
Straight pool rules.

People ask me all the time what drills I used to get better and what do I do when I practice now. Same answer. Never really practiced anything but straight pool. I played it endlessly either alone or with someone and I just seemed to learn things about pattern and position play naturally. I guess I would just say that it taught me things through the trial and error method. I really don't play much of it anymore, but when I do, it brings a good feeling over me. Like an old friend I haven't seen in a while.:)
 
Never played it. I got to see a snooker table for the first time this weekend. THAT was FUN. I'm about to go try out 14.1. I assume you just rack all fifteen balls then take the head ball off and make it your break ball?
 
my tip

I'm fairly new to the game as well, but if I can offer a tip it would be that if your just practicing, and miss your break ball, re-rack and try it again. I tend to lose concentration if I miss the break ball and then it's not as enjoyable to play. It has really helped my game with combinations and caroms, as well as just about every kind of shot there is!!!
 
I used to play alot more straight pool when just practicing on my own. Thinking I should get back into it. Felt lately like I have hit a plateau.

The only time I "practice" 9ball by myself is before a tournament or league night. Just try to run racks. If I miss or get too far out of line, I just give myself ball in hand. Normally after about 20 mins of this, Im not taking ball in hand too much. Its not really about practice, as it is about building up confidence and a good feeling of being able to run racks right before I have to play.

Why is it everytime I think the word 'practice', I think of Allen Iverson? :)
 
JoeyInCali said:
Just took up straight-pool.
I feel dumb now b/c I just discovered how much more fun and intense it is to play ( when alone ) than playing ghost 9-ball.
Click to expand...

Amen...............
 
I love 14.1, but it's hard to find people who want to play it. It's great as an 8 ball exercise, breakouts, pattern challenges, small and precise cue ball movements, gentle touch shots, etc....

I don't find that it does much for my 9 ball game though. If I'm shooting 14.1 well, I usually don't have to shot nearly as many long shots, thin cuts, or position shots that require 2 or more rails for my next position and if I'm shooting 14.1 poorly, I probably wouldn't do all that well on those kinds of shots anyway. :D
 
i might be the worst straight pool player ever i might be able to run 5 balls. I love everything about the game, except playing it. I just cant play it, i freeze up mentaly and physicaly and miss balls 6" from the hole. So i'lll just be a rail bird.
 
Fatboy said:
i might be the worst straight pool player ever i might be able to run 5 balls. I love everything about the game, except playing it. I just cant play it, i freeze up mentaly and physicaly and miss balls 6" from the hole. So i'lll just be a rail bird.
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Pfft, trapping sukkers who'd believe that. :P :-0
 
JoeyInCali said:
Just took up straight-pool.
I feel dumb now b/c I just discovered how much more fun and intense it is to play ( when alone ) than playing ghost 9-ball.
Click to expand...
It's a great practice game. I usually start my practice session with some 14.1 (to 75 or 100 points) and then move over to the 10-ball ghost. It's definitely a great tool for getting in stroke.

-Andy
 
I don't know ... it's tough to wrack your brains over a game you almost never compete in, it seems to me. Have been practicing it some lately, as sort of a castor oil thing, maybe for a half hour or so once or twice a week before I fall back into 9 ball. Maybe some of you can do it on cruise control! But for me, every rack's a grind if I'm concentrating, and well, ugh, you can guess, if I'm getting lazy or fried.

Probably play in a tourney or a cheap set of 14.1 about once a year, so I find it hard to keep up the focus, unfortunately. I know it's good for what ails me, but I gotta admit I'd rather send the ball all over the table and let my crooked stroke out most of the time.
 
Playing 14.1 alone

OK, So how do you practice? Do you start with the standard 14.1 break or do you start with a "break" ball in a certain spot and shoot from there? Also, if you miss, do you start over or what? Thanks.
 
I was a hard core 9ball junky back in the day til my mentor MADE me learn 14.1. At the time I was like a little kid after you take their toy away.....:D after a few weeks it started to grow on me.

Up here in the northeast when you ask how good a player is and they say....he's a 50 ball runner, or a 100 ball runner you can tell how strong a player they are right away. I never really became a great 14.1 player, but after a few days practice I'll run 40's to 60's in practice.

After digesting every bit of teaching on the subject I found a set of rules I follow while playing. If you search my back posts to #2000 I list what I think about while playing 14.1......maybe it will help you out?

have fun
 
I tend to do a lot of solo practice and at least 75% of my time is spent shooting 14.1. It seems to keep my concentration level up. I've been doing this for about 3 years.

So, is my overall game any better because of this? I don't really know, but I do enjoy practicing more than I use to.
 
Vinnie said:
OK, So how do you practice? Do you start with the standard 14.1 break or do you start with a "break" ball in a certain spot and shoot from there? Also, if you miss, do you start over or what? Thanks.
Click to expand...

When I first get to the table to practice, I do an 8ball style break and take ball in hand behind the line. I then try to run the rack and leave a good break shot and continue until I miss. I find that this lets me get in stroke and warm up. After the first miss, I start with the normal 14.1 break and just keep playing safe until I let something slip and leave a break shot. If I miss a shot so badly that it clearly would have given my opponent a chance to run a lot of balls, I call it a loss and rerack. If I miss and don't leave a shot or a very tough shot, I'll go back to the safes. If I manage a run of 20 to 30 balls, I call that a win and start over.

My current high run is 39 from a standard 14.1 break and 42 from the 8ball break, so I'm no world beater, but I love the challenge of trying to pull off high runs.
 
I played in a straight league for 6 mos. and couldn't bring myself to practice it, it was like forcing yourself to study 3 weeks before an exam. As soon as I missed a ball, I'd lose all interest.

I guess the key is viewing it more like a practice drill than playing against yourself.
 
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