What Percentage Of Shots Do You Spin?

Interesting Subject

I love this subject because I hear so many pool players say they don't use much english, but I personally have not played a single player in my life that was better than me that didn't. [By the way, not saying they don't exist] I also read that Mosconi said he hit center cue 60% of the time. Again, I find that amazing since I've never seen a pro player on TV (or the internet since billiards is not on TV much anymore) who doesn't spin the ball on nearly every shot.

I get it's easier to pocket the ball without spin, and I get that its better to make and have poor shape than miss and have great shape, but I just have never seen a player who can consistently make long runs who doesn't. And the guys who can just kick my butt are almost always high english players whom have learned to pot balls while still spinning the crap out of the cue.

So did Mosconi really only spin the ball 40% of the time? Are there any pro's today that play like that?
 
One thing I am fairly sure of is there is nobody today that played 14.1 like Mosconi.


wwjdwithca said:
I love this subject because I hear so many pool players say they don't use much english, but I personally have not played a single player in my life that was better than me that didn't. [By the way, not saying they don't exist] I also read that Mosconi said he hit center cue 60% of the time. Again, I find that amazing since I've never seen a pro player on TV (or the internet since billiards is not on TV much anymore) who doesn't spin the ball on nearly every shot.

I get it's easier to pocket the ball without spin, and I get that its better to make and have poor shape than miss and have great shape, but I just have never seen a player who can consistently make long runs who doesn't. And the guys who can just kick my butt are almost always high english players whom have learned to pot balls while still spinning the crap out of the cue.

So did Mosconi really only spin the ball 40% of the time? Are there any pro's today that play like that?
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I avoid the pure sliding (no spin) CB like the plague except on straight in or very close to straight in shots. If the throw isn't bad enough, getting a skid on on a sliding CB will lose you games.

Hence I use a bit of outside english for gearing quite often and I also play quite a few shots with a tip of inside english, when it helps with position. Other than that, draw and follow are your friends when it comes to predictability of the throw / pot line.
 
Colin Colenso said:
I avoid the pure sliding (no spin) CB like the plague except on straight in or very close to straight in shots. If the throw isn't bad enough, getting a skid on on a sliding CB will lose you games.

Hence I use a bit of outside english for gearing quite often and I also play quite a few shots with a tip of inside english, when it helps with position. Other than that, draw and follow are your friends when it comes to predictability of the throw / pot line.
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I couldnt agree more. I played at a place tonight that the tables were so dirty even the clean balls didnt help and you nearly had to use Outside to be able to make a ball.
 
Colin Colenso said:
I avoid the pure sliding (no spin) CB like the plague except on straight in or very close to straight in shots. If the throw isn't bad enough, getting a skid on on a sliding CB will lose you games.

Hence I use a bit of outside english for gearing quite often and I also play quite a few shots with a tip of inside english, when it helps with position. Other than that, draw and follow are your friends when it comes to predictability of the throw / pot line.
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Colin, when we are talking about no spin, most of us are referring to staying on the vertical axis. You seem to be talking about stunning the cb by having it sliding. We refer to spin as left or right of the vertical center line of the cb. Follow and draw from center line are not referred to as english.
 
Neil said:
Colin, when we are talking about no spin, most of us are referring to staying on the vertical axis. You seem to be talking about stunning the cb by having it sliding. We refer to spin as left or right of the vertical center line of the cb. Follow and draw from center line are not referred to as english.
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If no spin can include follow and draw, then it needed clarification, hence my being specific. I'm aware that english usually only refers to side spinning on the CB.
 
Colin Colenso said:
If no spin can include follow and draw, then it needed clarification, hence my being specific. I'm aware that english usually only refers to side spinning on the CB.
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When us yanks say "spinning the cb", 99% of the time we mean off center axis.
 
i am far from a perfect player, but i would say i put some kind of side on the cue ball give or take around 75% of the time. that is a rough estimate, but i can say for certain that i use english more so than not.
 
For me, frequency of using sidespin depends on the equipment. On a 9-foot table with fast cloth and clean balls, I'm not going to use much sidespin at all unless it is a fairly easy or two-way shot. On a slow 7-foot table, tight positioning requires sidespin to change the angle off of the rail.

The cleanliness of the balls makes a huge difference. If the balls are clean and collision induced throw is minimal, then sidespin will basically only be used for positioning. If the balls are dirty, then I will use sidespin for "gearing" English to induce a pure cut angle, as long as I could still get position.
 
Johnnyt said:
This is what an old road player (My Dad) told me 60 years ago. He to him said, "Stop putting all that $hit on the ball. You might think it looks cool, but did you know more spin you use the less money you'll have in your pocket at the end of the night? The better you can control that white SOB, the less need for sidespin. You don't need to spin if you get the position right. Get on the next shot right and all you need is maybe, a little running English.

I wish I would have listened to him more back then...but I knew everything back then. What took me years to figure out, I had been told right from my first playing days. Johnnyt
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I got the same advice very early on too. It's such a simple concept but sometimes so hard to understand. :bash:
 
I enjoy straight pool. I use english on about 90% of my shots........ Of course, only 10% is intentional. :shrug:


Seriously, for the vast majority of the time, there's no need for english unless you absolutely need it for position, and then it's usually position off a rail either opening or closing an angle. Speed and adjustments on the vertical axis only increase the odds of success.

English adds variables and variables cause complications. I like the response that said .. it looks good but what's the point. (or something to that effect)

I think english is needed more in 1pkt. (albeit much more subtle) with rotation being another game if you get out of line, which sometimes can't be avoided.

But I think to use it, just to use it, isn't a good idea. Of course I suppose, you do anything long enough and you get used to it.
 
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