the best way to learn positioning

twiztid_cue

twiztid_cue

Tweak!
Silver Member
Last night I was playing my friend Big Lou who is the 2nd best player I know. On Sunday night we played 7 games of 8 ball and he beat me 4-3. Last night we played another 7 games and I beat him 5-2. After we were done he was telling me that all I need to work on is my positioning cause I pocket the balls really well he said. My positioning is decent but I need to learn how to use more english then I am use to.

For example: A ball down past the head string about 3 inches to the rail and about 3 inches over to the right from the spot. The cue ball is all the way down the table past the foot string by the oppisit pocket. Now I know to use some right side english to get the cue ball back down the table a little above the head string and the same side of the table where I just pocketed the ball. Sometimes I am good at that but other times I dont get enough spin to kick it off the 2 rails to get it in the general area where I am.

Is there a good way to practice positioning or just keep playing myself and try and get position?

Thanks,
Chuck
 
I teach my grandson, to rack 3balls break take cue in hand and try to run out. when he has sussfuly done t5his drill , I have him add a ball ect. try this for a while. remember t5o look ball in the hole!!!!! OLD MAN STICK p. s. my grandson is only 12yr but has won 3 14yr and under tourny!!!!!
 
hey chuck, here we go again. first of all, i know this will sound boring, but get used to shooting shots with a center ball hit. if you don't do this now, you will become addicted to the spin and will end up using it when you don't need it. it's not too late, but it takes discipline and practice. I like sticks drill using 3 balls and adding one after each successful run. let me elaborate a bit on what he suggested. take three balls and throw them out randomly on the table. take ball in hand and run them out. do this until you get out 3 times in a row, and then add a ball and repeat. if and when you can do this drill with 3,4,5,6,7,8, and nine balls on the table, start over with the 3 balls, but run them in rotation or numbered order. and don't think for one second that because you ran 3 balls three times in a row for a month that you don't have to start with three balls anymore.

something else that i recommend. rack up all 15 balls and break'em up like you were playing 8 ball. randomly pocket all balls with a center ball hit, not necessarly playing position, but as you pocket the balls be SURE to watch the cue ball and where it travels on different shots. this exercise will not only show you cue ball paterns, but also help you ball pocketing ability.

where do you live? it sounds like you could use a few lessons. check with the houseman at your local pool hall, maybe he can suggest somebody.
 
I would say about 80% of my shots are center ball hits and i just use the angles to my advantage and speed of the cue ball. i guess that really is the only way to get a hang of how the cueball moves and how to gain position.

I live in North New Jersey.
 
If you could get good position to get position which is to put the cue ball at a natural angle to shoot the shot with centerball with the cueball rolling to the next good position etc. you could use hard or soft centerball all of the time. It's when you are left a bad leave but can make the shot but not the position on the next ball using a centerball hit that you need to use left or right english. The trouble with using english is that you may encounter squirt or throw and have to learn to compensate for it and then.....
 
there are many setups you can create to help you understand your game. notice,,i said "understand your game", not "learn to play position". there is a difference. here's one setup.

go here to the WEI table http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/~wei/pool/pooltable2.html

copy/paste this from START to END
START(
%AN7O5%BL7P8%CJ5O4%DL7N1%EE3O6%FK6P1%GK6N8%HM7N8%IL7O4%JK6M5
%KJ5P7%LJ5N2%MK6Q4%NJ5R0%OJ5M0%PH4W2
)END

pocket the OB (5ball) in the corner and try to position the ball at all the diamonds on the table. disregard the rack. you will learn more about yourself. i think you will also end up using less english than you think you need, as you progress over time.
 
Fast larry,

They never told me to use more english. just try and get better position. by either looking at shot selection a little more or deal with a harder shot if i take the easier shot first. I am very comfortable with my english and after playing the last 2 days for 5 hours i can see my positioning getting a lil better. In a little while i am going to look at that article and probably print it and put it in my book of pool. Thats what i call it anyways. I have to get another 3 ring binder becasue i ran out of room.

Thanks for the help.
 
Hey Fast Larry, Will you have your video for sale at the Las Vegas show? I'm not going but a friend is and I will see if he can stop by your booth to pick one up. My friend got round trip tickets from Orlando and 3 nights at the Stratosphere for only $379. Can't convince the wife to go though. Thinks it will be too hot. Jake
 
Best way to learn positioning?

I don't know, but I've heard that the Kama Sutra offers some good insight into positioning.

Just a thought :D
 
don't know, but I've heard that the Kama Sutra offers some good insight into positioning.

Just a thought
by Jimmy M.

Now that is the best advise Ive heard yet!!!

Chuck
 
i need better position skills too. I do drills to see how the cb will react on certain type hits and ball speeds. I try to divide the table into zones and get the cb into those zones. Right now my zones are big, as I get better, they will get smaller.

My gut feeling tells me that position skills come the same way that shooting skills come: time on the table.

I have a long way to go . When I am doing drills, I practice on certian things related to ball speed, tangent lines etc.

When I am playing i do not think about what I practiced. I look at the angle line of the shot and where I want the cb to go, get down on the ball and shoot. If I miss a shot in a game, I set it up in practice, and same way with a position error, to find out how to make it next time.

I used to worry about lots of pool things. When the light came on and I started doing things this way, pool became a very relaxing and fun activity.

Laura
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top