The "L" drill

CreeDo said:
So as I progress, I need less and less side and more and more draw to ensure it isn't rolling forward much when it arrives. Is this natural? And do people try to play it this way? Does anyone try to do this with little or no side?
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Creed-man,
It can definitely be done without side English. I have done it many times without side, using only the vertical axis of the cue ball. For me, I only find myself needing any side English when I'm getting out of position and need to make a radical recovery shot.

See the "Deska Drills" as a way to play position without side English. I do think most will agree that if a shot can be made easily without side; it is probably a lower risk than using the side unnecessarily (your pocketing percentage is bound to go up at least a bit).
 
Creedo: I'm trying to do the first seven balls one rail only. Down and back, unless I get straight in, then try to draw my way out of it.

Williebetmore: I'm replaying all the different shots in my mind. No spin would be great, but that means you need to control where and with what angle and speed the cueball hits the bottom rail. Well, you have to do that with every shot, so I'm confused again. Too many choices. Back to the table next week.
 
I'm looking forward to trying it with just vertical axis because it's stressful to judge how thick to hit it and now much it'll curve and throw etc. It'll be pretty delicate though to judge the amount of draw I'd think, and I dunno if I can make these funny cuts without outside (having had the awful habit of throwing them in for years).

I guess this is also a good time to learn to get rid of that completely.

Anyway I have new respect for anyone who can do the drill, I'd tried it last like 7 years ago without expecting to complete it. When I took it up again I expected to finish it in a few tries and was rudely surprised =)
 
:rolleyes:
CreeDo said:
When I took it up again I expected to finish it in a few tries and was rudely surprised =)
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You and me both... Maybee I never tried this with all 15 balls. Gives me something to do this year I guess.
 
CreeDo said:
This drill has been kicking my ass lately. It seems like the first 3 balls are automatic, then suddenly I have to start thinking. I can't reach a point where ball 4 is automatic too. I run 7-8 very often and almost never get enough angle on the 9th. If I do it's far away or on the rail or both.

Do you try to go 1 rail and over every single shot ideally? Also, I feel like there's a pattern when I shoot that goes... 1st ball - just side, 2nd ball, just side with a tiny hair below center, 3rd ball a touch less side and a little more below center, 4th ball even less side and maybe more below center... etc etc...

So as I progress, I need less and less side and more and more draw to ensure it isn't rolling forward much when it arrives. Is this natural? And do people try to play it this way? Does anyone try to do this with little or no side?
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Creedo,
I have noticed this "first 3 balls are automatic" phenomenon myself. For me, that can make me kind of fall asleep because those are so easy. To overcome this I try to play super tight position for those 3 balls. I try to pick the exact spot I want, instead of taking whatever position I get, since you can't go wrong. If I mess that up I'm likely to start over, even if I don't miss a ball. If I don't do this, I am liable to be out of position by the fourth ball.
 
In another thread, I proposed the "C" drill with balls surrounding the cue ball so you would have to shoot them to the corners and the sides. I tried this but couldn't find any practical arrangement of the balls in any shape resembling a "C".
 
I do this L drill with all 15 balls. Unfortunately, I can only finish it once in about 30 tries. Wish I could do better, but I don't position the cueball very good.
 
This drill is still kicking my ass, and I'm supposed to be instructing people lol... doing it without sidespin is *tough*. A slight difference in how high or low you hit and the speed matters a lot.

Today I watched a guy do a neat practice drill. He lined the balls up for what I thought was the wagon wheel. But he didn't shoot them. Instead he lined up a basic 35ish degree cut on the short rail and used varying spins to try to collide with the ball nearest the rail (which he removed if he hit it), then the next ball in line, then the next, etc... until all the balls were removed. Why is it people like that won't play with me?! We get good players so rarely and they all flee if you offer a game. Must be my approach. Anyway I learned a new drill.

I've seen an O-drill but you can't use all the balls, I guess it's just called the circle drill and it's a pretty small circle. I'd be impressed with anyone making more than 6 balls out of it without leaving the circle.
 
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