Whats Better 9 ball or 8 ball To Improve Your Game?
- Thread starter midwest__player
- Start date
I don't think playing only straight will improve your 9 ball game. Playing a game will not improve your skill level. You must practice areas you have problems with and then play games, straight, 9 ball, 8 ball or what ever. 9 ball is different than straight and 8 ball. I would say 8 and straight are much closer than 9 ball. 9 ball you move the CB around the table and use different patterns.
I started playing straight a few weeks ago and noticed a couple things. Zone play is out... Pick smaller areas for shape and breaks. Read what balls are going to do after contact (group of balls). Look for combo's and take balls to open lanes for other balls. Now, playing this game doesn't make you better at the skills needed above, practicing does! If I can't develop of group of balls, playing for days trying to learn is horrible. Set the balls up and practice until you can.
What ever game you choose, when you miss, stop and practice that shot 10 times min.!!! Take BIH and continue run. I call this practice and you learn doing it.
I started playing straight a few weeks ago and noticed a couple things. Zone play is out... Pick smaller areas for shape and breaks. Read what balls are going to do after contact (group of balls). Look for combo's and take balls to open lanes for other balls. Now, playing this game doesn't make you better at the skills needed above, practicing does! If I can't develop of group of balls, playing for days trying to learn is horrible. Set the balls up and practice until you can.
What ever game you choose, when you miss, stop and practice that shot 10 times min.!!! Take BIH and continue run. I call this practice and you learn doing it.
My preference is to practice with 10 balls on the table and run them out. If I miss a shot or position I start over until i've run them all in order then I throw them all back on the table and repeat this over and over until i've had enough.
Running the balls in order teaches you position play and makes you see which side of the next ball you need to be on to get to the next shot etc.
I used to practice 8 ball, but it didn't help me as much as running 10 balls in order over and over.
Work on what helps you the most based on which game you like to play. I'm a 9 ball player so the rotation 10 ball practice helps my 9 ball game a lot.
James
Running the balls in order teaches you position play and makes you see which side of the next ball you need to be on to get to the next shot etc.
I used to practice 8 ball, but it didn't help me as much as running 10 balls in order over and over.
Work on what helps you the most based on which game you like to play. I'm a 9 ball player so the rotation 10 ball practice helps my 9 ball game a lot.
James
Pretty Good idea i will try it tommorow if work allows time for poolSCCues said:
lol explain? please
Who's your Daddy?
Once upon a time, a long long time ago, born to the green felt was a little game. During his toddler years, he was known as little line up?, and in his adolescent years, people came to know him as 14.1 continues?. When he matured to an adult, he became known as Mr. Straight Pool. As he grew up, having prospered from his fans admiration, he found himself living on the better side of the tracks, opposite from his cousin, old Mr. One Hole.
Mr. Straight Pools reputation grew in stature, as he became the game of choice for all the big tournaments around the country. He developed all the pride and prestige of nobility. Thus, he acquired a reputation everyone wanted to be associated with. His rules of play had all based covered, and defined all the situations that could arise. He had all the rules that were needed for a match to continue without creating arguments. Penalties were assessed to the naughty for not following his rules.
He was a game born to show off all the polish a master cueist had to offer, along with their tuxedos and all that stuff. The legends of that time got so familiar with Mr. Straight Pool and were so good at pocketing balls in succession, that it looked like they were just out for a Sunday stroll. They would be at the table pocketing balls until they got tired of walking around the table, ended their run by choice, or when all the spectators, their opponent, and referee fell asleep. Sometimes they themselves looked like they were asleep.
The abilities of the Mosconies, the Mizeraks, and the Seagals made this game look like childs play. After all the balls were opened up to a certain degree, everything was basically just mop up till they got to the last three or four balls, than they would pause to select a key ball or break ball or something like that. Who knows what, but I'm sure they did.
It would be a rare occasion that we would see maybe a bank shot, a deep cut shot, or anything that might resemble some excitement. When they got tired, they just went and sat down while inviting their opponents up to the table to see how many balls they could run before they also tired themselves out. And so it went for many years until one day a new kid came to town.
This gutsy new comer came to town like a cowboy busting down that swinging door at the saloon and just using nine balls. Imagine that! This upstart hit the country like a house on fire. This guy was just as exciting to watch, as it was to play. Move over Mr. Mosconi and make room for Mr. Strickland.
But what about rules for this new little guy? Could they use the same ones as straight pool? Heck no! Something else was needed. How about maybe a heavy-duty penalty after a foul that would give the incoming player the ability to put the cueball anywhere on the table? Yea! Thats it. That ought to perk things up a bit. We'll call it ball in hand?. Coincidentally, this rule change just happened to agree with television. How about that? Now we have this new game called nine ball? that would keep everyone wide eyed with its bank shots, jump shots, kick shots, combos, masses, and some giant opening game break shots too. In this game you get to see all of what pool has to offer, including luck shots.
It wasn't too long before he became the game for most tournaments. Along with the approval of all the spectators, estimated time of matches could now be predicted, thus giving more flexibility in scheduling tournaments. Albeit nine ball surely is an exiting game to play, as well as it is to be a spectator of, and to play it well it requires a good deal of skill.
Sure sounds like goodbye to Mr. Straight Pool, doesn't it? Well lets see. Now the Barber speaks?
Contrary to what you just read, Mr. Straight Pool is not dead. He is alive and as healthy as he ever was. He has only been moved to the back seat because nine-ball can be fitted into tournament formats much easier. Our up and coming players of the future, having been saturated primary with nine-ball, need to expose themselves to some of the finer aspects of pool, if they have aspirations of becoming top notch.
Seems like a formal introduction to Mr. Straight Pool is in order. Lets see what the daddy has to offer.
Straight pool only looks easy, because a skilled player has developed the ability to make it look that way. Take it from me, if you want to elevate your nine ball game, then what you need is a regular dose of straight pool to help you gain the discipline, knowledge, and concentration that is needed for all other games and not just nine ball. Your game will benefit in position play because it will insist that you place the cueball to a more precise location as oppose to most shots that you would accept in nine ball. Correct angles on position play are what will enable you to stretch out higher runs.
Breaking up clusters and getting a feel for where the cueball will come to rest at, is a huge benefit you can get from straight pool. This may enable you to secure position on a stationary ball that could be used as an escape valve if needed. If these stationary balls don't get moved, they could turn into lifesavers and help you stay up at the table longer. This is very important unless you know for certain where the clustered balls will come to rest at after the break up.
Other important benefits we can derive from this game, because of its nature, would be to identify kiss shots, combinations and how much a ball will throw one way or another. Having the knowledge to see a cluster of balls and to pretty much know the flight of each ball during a break up is quite an advantage.
Playing safe in straight pool with and open table could be quite a challenge and may require quite a bit of ingenuity, but these are the things that make us stronger. There are so many things to be learned from this game, These are just a few, but you will have to get into it and see for yourself.
Translating the knowledge that you gain from straight pool into your game of nine ball will make you a much more effective player. There are some things that you can't hide from your opponents and thats knowledge and cueball control. Elements that are passed down from the big guy Mr. Straight Pool?.
In my opinion, this is the best game to play if you want to possess all the skills and knowledge needed for all other games. It also is a good way to gage your progress. As your skills develop, your runs get higher. In order to reach higher levels of play, what is needed is a well-rounded game.
Now go ahead and ask little nine-ball? who's your daddy? He'll tell you who the daddy is.
Once upon a time, a long long time ago, born to the green felt was a little game. During his toddler years, he was known as little line up?, and in his adolescent years, people came to know him as 14.1 continues?. When he matured to an adult, he became known as Mr. Straight Pool. As he grew up, having prospered from his fans admiration, he found himself living on the better side of the tracks, opposite from his cousin, old Mr. One Hole.
Mr. Straight Pools reputation grew in stature, as he became the game of choice for all the big tournaments around the country. He developed all the pride and prestige of nobility. Thus, he acquired a reputation everyone wanted to be associated with. His rules of play had all based covered, and defined all the situations that could arise. He had all the rules that were needed for a match to continue without creating arguments. Penalties were assessed to the naughty for not following his rules.
He was a game born to show off all the polish a master cueist had to offer, along with their tuxedos and all that stuff. The legends of that time got so familiar with Mr. Straight Pool and were so good at pocketing balls in succession, that it looked like they were just out for a Sunday stroll. They would be at the table pocketing balls until they got tired of walking around the table, ended their run by choice, or when all the spectators, their opponent, and referee fell asleep. Sometimes they themselves looked like they were asleep.
The abilities of the Mosconies, the Mizeraks, and the Seagals made this game look like childs play. After all the balls were opened up to a certain degree, everything was basically just mop up till they got to the last three or four balls, than they would pause to select a key ball or break ball or something like that. Who knows what, but I'm sure they did.
It would be a rare occasion that we would see maybe a bank shot, a deep cut shot, or anything that might resemble some excitement. When they got tired, they just went and sat down while inviting their opponents up to the table to see how many balls they could run before they also tired themselves out. And so it went for many years until one day a new kid came to town.
This gutsy new comer came to town like a cowboy busting down that swinging door at the saloon and just using nine balls. Imagine that! This upstart hit the country like a house on fire. This guy was just as exciting to watch, as it was to play. Move over Mr. Mosconi and make room for Mr. Strickland.
But what about rules for this new little guy? Could they use the same ones as straight pool? Heck no! Something else was needed. How about maybe a heavy-duty penalty after a foul that would give the incoming player the ability to put the cueball anywhere on the table? Yea! Thats it. That ought to perk things up a bit. We'll call it ball in hand?. Coincidentally, this rule change just happened to agree with television. How about that? Now we have this new game called nine ball? that would keep everyone wide eyed with its bank shots, jump shots, kick shots, combos, masses, and some giant opening game break shots too. In this game you get to see all of what pool has to offer, including luck shots.
It wasn't too long before he became the game for most tournaments. Along with the approval of all the spectators, estimated time of matches could now be predicted, thus giving more flexibility in scheduling tournaments. Albeit nine ball surely is an exiting game to play, as well as it is to be a spectator of, and to play it well it requires a good deal of skill.
Sure sounds like goodbye to Mr. Straight Pool, doesn't it? Well lets see. Now the Barber speaks?
Contrary to what you just read, Mr. Straight Pool is not dead. He is alive and as healthy as he ever was. He has only been moved to the back seat because nine-ball can be fitted into tournament formats much easier. Our up and coming players of the future, having been saturated primary with nine-ball, need to expose themselves to some of the finer aspects of pool, if they have aspirations of becoming top notch.
Seems like a formal introduction to Mr. Straight Pool is in order. Lets see what the daddy has to offer.
Straight pool only looks easy, because a skilled player has developed the ability to make it look that way. Take it from me, if you want to elevate your nine ball game, then what you need is a regular dose of straight pool to help you gain the discipline, knowledge, and concentration that is needed for all other games and not just nine ball. Your game will benefit in position play because it will insist that you place the cueball to a more precise location as oppose to most shots that you would accept in nine ball. Correct angles on position play are what will enable you to stretch out higher runs.
Breaking up clusters and getting a feel for where the cueball will come to rest at, is a huge benefit you can get from straight pool. This may enable you to secure position on a stationary ball that could be used as an escape valve if needed. If these stationary balls don't get moved, they could turn into lifesavers and help you stay up at the table longer. This is very important unless you know for certain where the clustered balls will come to rest at after the break up.
Other important benefits we can derive from this game, because of its nature, would be to identify kiss shots, combinations and how much a ball will throw one way or another. Having the knowledge to see a cluster of balls and to pretty much know the flight of each ball during a break up is quite an advantage.
Playing safe in straight pool with and open table could be quite a challenge and may require quite a bit of ingenuity, but these are the things that make us stronger. There are so many things to be learned from this game, These are just a few, but you will have to get into it and see for yourself.
Translating the knowledge that you gain from straight pool into your game of nine ball will make you a much more effective player. There are some things that you can't hide from your opponents and thats knowledge and cueball control. Elements that are passed down from the big guy Mr. Straight Pool?.
In my opinion, this is the best game to play if you want to possess all the skills and knowledge needed for all other games. It also is a good way to gage your progress. As your skills develop, your runs get higher. In order to reach higher levels of play, what is needed is a well-rounded game.
Now go ahead and ask little nine-ball? who's your daddy? He'll tell you who the daddy is.
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midwest__player said:
Today most players only play 8 Ball or 9 ball, however to learn these games by only playing these games will be a very long road. The top games of the past IE, Straight Pool, Three Cushion Billiards, and 1 Pocket, must also be considered for the following reason.
Straight Pool teaches the use of Patterns during play, it also teaches the use of Caroms and most importantly how to read and make balls out of Clusters or the rack. It also is the best game to practice and strengthen sight alignment and which ever aiming technique you use during play because of the number of balls you can run.
Three Cushion Billiards teaches players how English effects ball movement before and after contact with another ball. It also gives a player the understanding of using the rails to play shape, in place of shooting shots soft. In 3-Cushion, you learn 2 Rail, 3 Rail, 4 Rail, 5 Rail and even 6 Rail shots, an once you understand the patterns of these shots, using them while playing shape on a pool table becomes second nature.
1 Pocket teaches you to evaluate the table before every shot, and through this evaluation it teaches you to pick the shots where you can run out or if you miss and leave your opponent in a position he doesn't want to be in. 1Pocket will open your eyes to a whole array of shoots that will become natural that you never thought of playing on a pool table before playing this game. These shots will consist of extreme cuts, and a Multitude of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 rail bank shots. It will also teach you the strategy of moving balls to precipitate a run out, while leaving your opponent safe.
Anyone who understands the different concepts and the shots of these games, will be Dangerous playing 8 Ball and 9 Ball. When I learned how to play pool, I was very lucky to have access to some world class players that instructed me on the finer points of the above games.
Take Care and I hope this helps
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Helps a lot thanks manwon always usefull post thanks muchmanwon said:
It actually depends on WHAT part of your game you wish to improve. 8-ball has a tendancy to develop shot selection and decision making, where 9-ball, when played improperly, teaches you nothing.
If you are seldom running out, you are most likely making the mistake of playing too much cueball, or not enough. Or simply, making a bad decision before geting to ar on the key ball.
Either which way, it seems like in your case, plotting 8-ball runouts, mapping in REVERSE should help. What pocket(s)
do the 8 go into? what is an easy shoot and stop shot that puts you on it. what bal can you shoot and stop on to get THERE...what ball has the widest GOOD angle on it to use as a fallback plan B ball....
These things will leak into your 9ball game at warp speed once you get a handle on them. And they will make your straight pool game a lot better too. I STRESS the IMPORTANCE of playing straight pool, Before I quit pool in 2003 I couldnt run 10 balls, my average run is WAY higher than my old hi-run...And m High run is way higher as well.
As far as decision making, i think Last pocket 8-Ball is a great game, and so is Rotation 8-ball(Shoot solids/stripes in numeric order.) You will either make super tough runouts here, or learn the importance of developing your safety game.
If you are seldom running out, you are most likely making the mistake of playing too much cueball, or not enough. Or simply, making a bad decision before geting to ar on the key ball.
Either which way, it seems like in your case, plotting 8-ball runouts, mapping in REVERSE should help. What pocket(s)
do the 8 go into? what is an easy shoot and stop shot that puts you on it. what bal can you shoot and stop on to get THERE...what ball has the widest GOOD angle on it to use as a fallback plan B ball....
These things will leak into your 9ball game at warp speed once you get a handle on them. And they will make your straight pool game a lot better too. I STRESS the IMPORTANCE of playing straight pool, Before I quit pool in 2003 I couldnt run 10 balls, my average run is WAY higher than my old hi-run...And m High run is way higher as well.
As far as decision making, i think Last pocket 8-Ball is a great game, and so is Rotation 8-ball(Shoot solids/stripes in numeric order.) You will either make super tough runouts here, or learn the importance of developing your safety game.
midwest__player said:
I thought I would throw in my two cents worth. As with any sport or game, practice, practice, and more practice. I think that no single "game" will allow you to markedly improve. You must practice all aspects of the game, banking, cutting balls, safety play, carom shots, using English, etc. For instance, I will practice 9-ball banks for hours at a time to simply improve my banking game and it has made a HUGE difference in my confidence and my ability to see different angles on the table. I will also simply use 9-balls on the table and only take carom or combination shots to pocket balls. Again, HUGE difference in my confidence and ability to make these shots in a game situation. I think you can get the picture from here. I also will throw all the balls out and practice playing safe and then practice making a good hit following the safety play. Doing this for hours at a time will make a difference in your play. Simply playing ghost all the time at 8-ball or 9-ball is not enough. Sure you will see some improvement in the consistency of your game but you will never become a great defensive or runout player only playing against the ghost. There is a saying that I have seen that is very much spot on...an amateur practices a shot until he makes the shot, a pro practices the shot over and over until he never misses. Always pay attention to the shots you have missed in competition and practice those over and over and over. If you practice like this, you will see that you improve in leaps not just gradually. Trust me, I have seen my game improve immensely in just the past two years due to a change in my practice and overall game strategy.
All games help most all other games, 14.1 helps your 8 ball game immensly and 6 ball helps your 9 ball game, and playing on different size tables is also very important.midwest__player said:
If you have access to a snooker table, those are great too. Smaller and rounded pockets punish you for trying to do luck shots and cheat bucket pockets, leading to an overall improvement in aim. If you play against yourself seriously or get a buddy, snooker can seriously improve your safety and position play as well. I believe 3 cushion to be the best for improving carom play and banking/kicking.
Yea have access to one but never played on one b4jcommie said:
midwest__player said:
I seriously recommend taking up the game if for no other reason than to use it as a practice tool.
It will be rough going at first but it's definitely worth it. Snooker definitely complements 14.1 as the break building involved is similar in some ways to straight pool.
You will also find after consistent practice is, those long shots don't feel so long any more. From my own experience, as long as I can put my hand on the table I'm comfortable knocking it in.