When to decide on break/key balls

N

nrhoades

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
14.1 is great because it forces me to think of problem solutions constantly, which is a distraction when shooting, and it causes misses. I'm not good at it yet, but so far I've been able to improve the "management" of all of these voices, and I think that is a big step in the right direction. From watching accustats it appears that the best players are immune to the distractions of the risk, and thats what i'd like to master.

When is the best time to choose a break/key ball? I think that sometimes I choose ones that make the rack harder because they are in the way.
 
The key & break ball

There is no set time. Then there are times when it is right there after the break up of the rack and everything works perfect when running out the rack. It all depends on the break up of the rack or clusters that are still left on the table.. Sometimes, there might be the perfect key ball & break ball but b/c of poor position or balls might get bumped while pocketing a ball etc. which will bump break & key balls out of the way. Or a player might be forced to shoot their break shot or key ball due to poor position when coming to a table after a miss by their opponent. This is where experience comes into play. To know how to choose different key balls from any where on the table & break balls. Also, you have heard of creating a break ball by bumping a ball into place. The same goes for key balls. A experience player will bump a ball into place creating a key ball during the coarse of clearing the table. A good experience player will think in their mind of more then one key ball. A key ball to a key ball in the begining of the rack. I hope this helps.
 
The way I do it, having listened to advice from people like Ray Martin, is to first concentrate on opening up all the clusters and taking care of problems. Once those problems are taken care of you plan for a key ball and break ball.
 
After the work is done

Straight pool is something akin to taking a statistics class. It would take watching....or better playing through millions of racks to be able to answer this question. I was fortunate enough to have watched some of the greats play. What I garnered in doing so was this: Get the work done first. Clear the lanes, break the clusters. when that is done, you can begin your decisions about key ball and break ball. As you are clearing balls, you can look through the trees (balls) and visualize your path to KB an BB. Having said that, I will admit that I am as guilty as anyone of trying to manufacture a break ball early on. It is about personal preference, really.
 
As a general rule, once every ball has a clear path to a pocket, you can start to select a key ball. Steve Mizerak used to advocate this principle, and Lou Figueroa has shared that, in a lesson he received from Ray Martin, Ray also was quick to use up balls that might make break shots or key balls if the balls were still sitting a little funny.

I'm also keen on the philosophy advocated by our own Steve Lipsky, who advocates saving balls that are, by their positional nature, useful in any end pattern, and getting rid of those that do not meet those criteria.

Get the balls in the clear, like Mizerak and Martin advocate, and, as Lipsky advocates, save the balls that will be valuable in your end pattern and you are on your way to success.
 
sjm said:
As a general rule, once every ball has a clear path to a pocket, you can start to select a key ball. Steve Mizerak used to advocate this principle, and Lou Figueroa has shared that, in a lesson he received from Ray Martin, Ray also was quick to use up balls that might make break shots or key balls if the balls were still sitting a little funny.

I'm also keen on the philosophy advocated by our own Steve Lipsky, who advocates saving balls that are, by their positional nature, useful in any end pattern, and getting rid of those that do not meet those criteria.

Get the balls in the clear, like Mizerak and Martin advocate, and, as Lipsky advocates, save the balls that will be valuable in your end pattern and you are on your way to success.
Click to expand...

I Love the way you think Stu !!!

-Steve
 
sjm said:
Get the balls in the clear, like Mizerak and Martin advocate, and, as Lipsky advocates, save the balls that will be valuable in your end pattern and you are on your way to success.
Click to expand...

Do you suppose there are there any exceptions to this general rule? Or, let's say are there some refinements you can make, if not exceptions? For instance, assume you have a perfect break ball and key ball, but you have a two or three ball cluster that can be opened up by shooting that perfect break ball. If you can identify another route to open that cluster, but that route might take 5 shots to get there, do you save that break ball and take the more circuitous path, or take the sure thing by using the break ball right now?
 
George Fels suggests identifying A) open balls, B) balls blocked by open balls, C) completely-locked balls, and D) balls used to break out C balls. At some point you need an A and D-into-the-next-rack left on the table. And the low risk way to accomplish this is to sink A balls while keeping another A open as a safety valve.

This is a lot to think about while shooting. With all of this going on in your head it may be best to always take the low risk shot. I usually can not run 14 balls if I am thinking about the key and break balls from the beginning.
 
Dan White said:
Do you suppose there are there any exceptions to this general rule? Or, let's say are there some refinements you can make, if not exceptions? For instance, assume you have a perfect break ball and key ball, but you have a two or three ball cluster that can be opened up by shooting that perfect break ball. If you can identify another route to open that cluster, but that route might take 5 shots to get there, do you save that break ball and take the more circuitous path, or take the sure thing by using the break ball right now?
Click to expand...

Yes, Dan, there are numerous situations in which a small cluster can be broken out with a highly predictable result and your experience will allow you to identify other exceptions to the general guidelines I have offered. There are, similarly, times when you must use up balls that you know would be valuable in the end pattern, and again, your experience will have to guide you.
 
nrhoades said:
14.1 is great because it forces me to think of problem solutions constantly, which is a distraction when shooting, and it causes misses. I'm not good at it yet, but so far I've been able to improve the "management" of all of these voices, and I think that is a big step in the right direction. From watching accustats it appears that the best players are immune to the distractions of the risk, and thats what i'd like to master.

When is the best time to choose a break/key ball? I think that sometimes I choose ones that make the rack harder because they are in the way.
Click to expand...

It should feel the opposite, that is, not like "risk", but being perfectly at ease with what one is doing. I often tell my students not to "die with the perfect [insert: "break ball", "key ball", "end pattern"]", by which I mean, one shouldn't ever feel "forced" to shoot a ball one doesn't feel comfortable with. The point is to solve problems with insurance balls so there's something to shoot next regardless of what happens, as well as opt for whatever gives the most options, so there is no fear of the outcome. It's easy really: as long as one feels there is only one correct thing to do, and that it's do or die (= worst of all: "if I make this, I can only hope I get another shot, and if I don't make it, I'll probably lose), it can't be the right shot. It should feel like one's got a whole lot of choice, and that the perfect pattern incidentally starts/continues with the simplest shot currently on the table, It's not about becoming immune to risk or fear. Great shooting is about seeing solutions, not problems!

The others have already pointed out when to choose one's key and break balls: as early as possible, which is different in each rack. As well as, perhaps, as late as possible: Steve Mizerak used to point out that he won't think about an end pattern until there are only 5-6 balls left on the table, by which he didn't mean to say that a great player like him wouldn't think about which 5-6 balls to leave, but that until there, one should proceed with a certain flexibility of mind. Although ideally, the K2 and the key ball should form a stop-shot triangle with the break ball, one doesn't even see those all that often watching e.g. the Accustats videos of pros playing Straight Pool - even if a stop shot pattern would be the ultimate in repeatability.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
 
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nrhoades said:
14.1 is great because it forces me to think of problem solutions constantly, which is a distraction when shooting, and it causes misses. I'm not good at it yet, but so far I've been able to improve the "management" of all of these voices, and I think that is a big step in the right direction. From watching accustats it appears that the best players are immune to the distractions of the risk, and thats what i'd like to master.
Click to expand...

Thinking & shooting are 2 separate entities & any crossover between the 2 will cause problems. Once you're down on a shot if you're still thinking or unsure about anything then stand up & start over. It helps to have something to use as a transition between thinking & shooting. I use the chalk. Between shots, when thinking/evaluating, etc. the chalk is always in my hand. Once I've decided what I'm going to do I chalk my tip & place it on the rail. When the chalk is gone so are my thoughts. All focus is on the shot.
It's not that good players are immune to risk but that they think of it differently than you. They look at them more as opportunities. Very seldom do they take reckless risks (unless occasionally they're forced to) but they're constantly taking calculated risks because they know it's necessary in continuing to run balls.

"This is a lot to think about while shooting. With all of this going on in your head it may be best to always take the low risk shot. I usually can not run 14 balls if I am thinking about the key and break balls from the beginning."

Always taking the low risk shot may lead to a lot of 14 ball runs but it's unlikely to lead to many 50+ & will keep you stuck at the same level for long periods of time. It thwarts creativity & expansion of your knowledge & skills.
 
nrhoades said:
14.1 is great because it forces me to think of problem solutions constantly, which is a distraction when shooting, and it causes misses.
Click to expand...

I found this interesting because when I'm playing well, the problem solutions are exactly what help me get through a rack without missing. For me it is the opposite of a distraction, but rather smaller sets of mini goals to accomplish throughout the rack that bring me to the end of the rack.
 
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