A buddy of mine told me about something similar.
If you want to continue to get the break practice, do you break the 9 balls and remove the higher balls than the one you are currently playing?
what's your 9 ball B@R % on your practice table?
- Thread starter CanadianGuy
- Start date
If you want to continue to get the break practice, do you break the 9 balls and remove the higher balls than the one you are currently playing?
23DenaliBDE
Well-known member
I like this idea alot
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
I like to practice vs a 'tough opener' ghost. I still take BiH but I give myself a tough shot. Usually that means wrong-siding myself on the lowest ball and either running the CB around the table or pulling off a stroke shot (most common). When those 2 aren't options, I start with a bank or press the CB against the rail and really take away positional options for the next ball so I have to hit 2 toughish shots.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
No way!
Most ppl I'd believe this, but you? .... I think you forgot the digit in front of the zero.
stewie
Active member
I am pretty sure, he wrote about racking with less balls, that's what I always did. He made a point about using the last 5 (or 6 or 7 or ...) balls, so you always think running the last balls to win the rack. You get confidence to run the last 4,5 or 6 balls more than 50%, once you get to the table.
For the break: Less balls mean less mass, so the balls fly around faster. But if you break less balls and still use a template, the first ball still tracks to the side with a cut break. I focused on the first ball and cue ball more. Breaking is difficult to be consistent and predict. Different tables of the same make break different in the same room on the same day. The table under the ac is more bouncy and whatnot. I think it's more important to know what would change, if you break different. Like more power, less power, more draw, ... You see some pro's not adapting well to conditions, but others do at the same event. Even they struggle big, at times. I saw Yapp - Zielinski athe US Open and I don't think Yapp had a single wet break, but still got away with it. Just before he lost in the semis, where he didn't even break at all
Having said that, I see the point of breaking with all balls and then taking some away. But which ones? The lowest? The most inconvenient? This drill can drive you crazy if you had bad luck a few times in a row with layouts. But in real matches you don't always have a roll either. All these repetitive drills are also about staying/getting sharp mentally!
I beat the sheet out of the ghost!
I’m not good enough to be competitive without bih, but I’ve been doing a similar concept where I either play it as it lays after the break or I play safe and get bih only if i get the snooker. If I don’t get the snooker, it’s game over. It’s a nice simple way to incorporate safety play without making the ghost easier.
10% break and run without BIH is near pro speed, imo. Obviously not Shane level, but lower pro speed. Are you sure you are really at 10%? What is your actual data?
If we are talking about a home table with templates and no break restrictions, I don’t think 10% is too shocking if they are above 600. Though it’s easy sometimes to ignore all of the bad days when you don’t get any BnRs which would bring down your actual average.
It would be a different story in league/competition on unfamiliar tables.
Yes, agree.
I think though if even a 700 kept stats for a month, with no bad days ignoring, they would be around 10-15%.
That would make you a high level pro.
Weak break? Better hit the gym !
Also pro level.
I think I'd bet the over on that line. When I was playing the pro ghost at home every day, I'd bet I averaged 3 games per race to 10 (probably higher). I'd beat the ghost more often than I got shut out, but there were more sets where I got to 5,6, or 7 than sets where I ended up with 1,2, or 3 wins. When you practice with a template and work on your break to the point where you play position on the one ball, it's not that difficult to get out.
It would have to be with break restrictions. If they are using a template, one on the spot and a side rail break they should be able to get position on the one on a home table often enough to get out at least 1 in 10 on a bad day.
And then also the fact that you don’t even have to be cheating to discount bad days. Personally, I’m less likely to start up a set against the ghost in any format if I notice something is seriously off. I think that’s where you can see elevated stats because some players may just practice instead of starting a set they think they will lose. Meanwhile, if I show up to a tournament I can’t just tell them to wait until I’m ready or defer the match to tomorrow.
To get a true sense of your stats in practice I think you need to commit to 20 breaks maybe twice a week on specific days and within a set warm up window, maybe 15 minutes.
Flakeandrun
Well-known member
Playing 9ball, MR break format, I ran out 2 racks of the 22 racks I was able to squeeze in last night (Diamond 9ft table with 4.25" corners). Came close on another couple of occasions. Will start keeping track more regularly. Never thought of keeping track till this thread. I am still placing the balls 1/9/2 when racking (not sure if this is a necessity in MR format? or whether it hinders the likelihood even further of running out? Yesterday I found I am sinking the one in the middle, but also the 2 is often made in a bottom corner after cannoning of some other balls)
I don't play the ghost... I play full rack against myself, and practice safety game. Should probably play the ghost to get more racks in, and simulate more pressure.
Same day playing 8-ball, set to 7 with the stores boss after practice, I had 3 BnR in the race, won it 7-5. The extended 9ball warm up put me in good stead I feel. Usually he wins more often than me.
I don't play the ghost... I play full rack against myself, and practice safety game. Should probably play the ghost to get more racks in, and simulate more pressure.
Same day playing 8-ball, set to 7 with the stores boss after practice, I had 3 BnR in the race, won it 7-5. The extended 9ball warm up put me in good stead I feel. Usually he wins more often than me.
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I tried this last night. Played 10 racks and got a 9 on the break once, and a combo to the 9 on another. Wasn't sure that would count as 20%, so I played another 10 racks. Had one runout and one combo to the 9 again. That's taking BIH after the break. So for 20 racks, BIH after break, I had one runout and three combos to win the rack. So my BnR is 5%, and my win is 20%. My home table is a Great American 7 foot bar table with 4.75" corners.
Coos Cues
Coos Cues
I don't know about practice table but here is real world competition and my fargo is 599.
We just completed our 9 ball BCA session. We use a format where there are 5 players on each team and you play two games against each opponent. Break for the first game rotates but the loser of the first game always breaks the second game. As a result even though I played 84 games I only broke 32 times. And had 3 break and runs. Just shy of 10%
Had I started with ball in hand after breaking in those 32 games it's reasonable to think I may have had a few more. I probably only had a decent starter shot after breaking half the time or less.
We just completed our 9 ball BCA session. We use a format where there are 5 players on each team and you play two games against each opponent. Break for the first game rotates but the loser of the first game always breaks the second game. As a result even though I played 84 games I only broke 32 times. And had 3 break and runs. Just shy of 10%
Had I started with ball in hand after breaking in those 32 games it's reasonable to think I may have had a few more. I probably only had a decent starter shot after breaking half the time or less.
It’s far more revealing what your B&R % is for $ sessions and/or tournaments (over numerous sessions / matches / tournaments) than it is for solo practice sessions.