straight pool practice

[14.1]

Just wondering what others prefer. When you practice playing straight pool and your trying to set your personal best high run, do you start yourself off with an honest safety type break, or do you scatter them to get things rolling?

 

[Reno]

When I practice, I usually start with an ideal break shot to get me going. I don't really count balls though. You can tell when you're playing well, and when you're not. I actually use straight pool as a practice game for 9-ball and one hole. My practice routine usually is four or five racks of straight pool, about three racks of banks, and then I play ten ball for a maybe an hour. The game seems simple, but for some reason straight pool really gets me into gear.

 

[Raistlin]

I do pretty much the same thing Reno. I find that practicing straight pool helps 9 ball tremendously - especially getting rid of clusters etc.

Much better than spreading a bunch of balls on the table and firing away.

High run of 22 so far - I only have 2 break shots that I can use reliably. More practice needed!

 

[Wally in Cincy]

If I'm counting balls I will start with an honest safety break.

But sometimes I will start off with a good set-up break shot on the side of the pack, but I don't think I would count that as a high run.

I don't know, maybe Blackjack DSAPOLIS will offer an opinion.

Wally~~never breaks his high run anyway.

 

[Salamander]

Hi,

Being an avid straight pool player I have some suggestions:

I try and make a game out of it when I am practicing (playing alone). Start out with a break shot of your choice. You will "keep score" in the following fashion: 1) each ball counts a point (I simply keep track of the racks because you will be racing to a designated amount, 2) count each miss (for shots that you are actually trying to make), 3) count each rollout or shot used to break open a cluster (this is simply a "last ditch" used when you have no shot or other options. You simply try and give yourself another opportunity to run balls.

This game is strickly offensive and does not test your safety ability, however, it does get you in the habit of running balls. Log your results on a race to 100 balls and see if you improve.

Results might be:
100 balls pocketed
15 missed shots
10 "last ditch" breakout/rollout shots

You can obviously judge your improvement using this method. I really concentrate on not having too many missed shots. I'm not too concerned about the "last ditch" shots since in a real game situation, I'm obviously not going to "blast" the balls open for my opponent, but would play safe.

Regards,


Doug

 

[Gerry]

I kinda get scientific about it when I practice 14.1. I set up a spread sheet on my computer, and chart my progress, so I REALLY know where the weaknesses are in my game, and what ends my runs. I chart break ball position, balls ran, why the run stopped, high run, and average balls per inning. I usually practice the break about 20 times , really focusing on freezing the cueball on the end rail. Then I practice break shots, keeping a mental note of the outcome of each type of break hit with different speeds. Then I throw 5 or so balls out on the table anywhere and practice end rack pattern because I feel that is the easiest place to screw up a run. Then when I'm loose, I set up a break ball and start running. When the run stops, I take the needed notes, and start again. Usually about 5 to 10 runs per session. I rarelly practice safeties, I think playing alot of 1-pocket helps that area....Hope that helps...Gerry

p.s. oddly enough, most of my runs end with bad shape on a key/break ball, not a miss?

 

[pocoloco12003]

I kinda get scientific about it when I practice 14.1. I set up a spread sheet on my computer, and chart my progress, so I REALLY know where the weaknesses are in my game, and what ends my runs. I chart break ball position, balls ran, why the run stopped, high run, and average balls per inning. I usually practice the break about 20 times , really focusing on freezing the cueball on the end rail. Then I practice break shots, keeping a mental note of the outcome of each type of break hit with different speeds. Then I throw 5 or so balls out on the table anywhere and practice end rack pattern because I feel that is the easiest place to screw up a run. Then when I'm loose, I set up a break ball and start running. When the run stops, I take the needed notes, and start again. Usually about 5 to 10 runs per session. I rarelly practice safeties, I think playing alot of 1-pocket helps that area....Hope that helps...Gerry

p.s. oddly enough, most of my runs end with bad shape on a key/break ball, not a miss?

Boy it sounds like you are really serious about this. If you are then try this one as well. The two things Mosconi said that Greenleaf early was doing better than him and until he mastered them he could not beat Ralph. Do not be afraid to run up close to your work leaving every shot 18" away, and develop a super light and fine touch with the cue. Feel is the key word. Set up a easy side pocket break shot so the cue ball can go into the center top of the stack on the break, because your drill to is break them and run them without allowing a cue ball to hit a rail. 8 or 9 is easy, but getting 14 and out is so tough. It really makes you think and plan and do weird things like make a shot and drive a ball into a ball on the rail and out into the open table. Once you actually do this, 14 and out, you got feel bubba. You got game too.

 

[Rickw]

I start off by throwing 15 balls on the table and leave them pretty much the way they were thrown out, unless some were pocketed when thrown out. I pull up the ones that were pocketed and then start shooting them. If I miss a ball, I throw them all back up and start over. Once I've run the 15, I start another game. I throw the 15 balls back up but I make sure there are no clusters and no balls are touching the rails. I run these without letting the cb touch the rail. If I miss or the cb touches a rail, I start over. After I win this game, I play 9 ball in a similar fashion. I throw the 9 balls up and take ball in hand and try to run out. Once I run a rack, I start playing the Ghost, i.e., I break the 9 ball rack and take ball in hand following the break and try to run out. Whenever I run out, that's a game for me. Whenever I miss a shot, the Ghost wins. This practice routine can last as little as an hour or as long as I want to play depending on how good or bad I'm playing.

 

[tobyjoe]

Rick - do you feel that your method helps with 14.1?

Making sure (manually) that there are no clusters seems to presume that you'll be playing someone who has never learned the importance of a safety break in 14.1, doesn't it? hehe.

pocoloco - that is an excellent idea. next time i'm playing (tomorrow, i hope), i'll be keeping my cue ball away from the rail if possible. must be really hard... i use rails for at least half my shots... i imagine not doing so would be really beneficial. thanks!