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Posts Tagged ‘tips’

Whatever kind of game you are playing in pool, the break shot is considered one of the most important shots to learn. Just like in 9-ball, the more racks you can perform after a successful break shot can lead to more chance of you winning as well.

Remember that to be able to make the successful break shot, you must be aware of your goals of why you are doing it. It is for you to at least pocket one to two balls, spread the rest of the balls around the table and have the cue ball situated near the center.

Most pool players commit the mistake of having the perception that in doing the break shot, it is an out of control break, but rather a controlled break. Just take it easy on the hit and never aim at hitting it too hard. Always bear in mind this note: it is more essential to achieve a full hit than just simply hit the ball tough.

Photo via deviantart.com

By raising the butt of the cue, the shooter, especially a beginner or intermediate player, invites serious problems. It will be very difficult for a student to learn how to aim if the ball does not follow a straight line. Advanced players use curve and massé shots to their advantage, but they know how, and it is not an accident. Beginners should never curve the cueball, and raising the butt of the stick invites just such a mistake.
Don’t start off with bad habits. Keep the butt of the cue stick as level as possible for all shots. When you become advanced, you will learn when and how much to raise the butt for specialty shots, such as curves, massés and jump shots. One side benefit of keeping the stick level: you are less likely to be charged with the cost of replacing the cloth. Driving the stick downward can force the tip into the cloth. The cloth, on most tables, is not glued to the top, but stretched across it. It can easily be torn.

A good way to approach the table for your shot is to first look at possible safeties. This assures that you will not get so involved in thinking offense that good defense is never considered. Once you see a good safety, only then analyze the balls for an offensive attack. If you train yourself to look for good safeties, it will become automatic.
With the 8-ball in the open a failed attempt to pocket your ball will cost you the game. Go to the short rail using a very soft center-ball hit. If the object ball is frozen, the cue ball must drift to the rail after contact (or you must drive the object ball to another rail (which would be dumb.) If the object ball is not frozen, either the object or cue ball must go to the rail after contact. The key to this shot is speed. It requires a hit slightly harder than it takes to get to the object ball. If you pull it off (and you can do it easily with practice) you will hook your opponent tightly behind your ball and get ball in hand when he misses the 8-ball, or at the least a good second chance to sink your ball from a better position should he manage to hit it. Variations of this shot come up frequently. Try moving the cue straight back (toward the detail insert) to create more challenging angles off the short rail.

To stop the hop, level your cue out where the shaft is now parallel to the bed cloth.Set up a simple shot in the corner, almost straight in, very slight cut. Put the OB one foot out from the pocket and the CB one foot from the OB. Now place a dime between the CB & OB, half way. Place a 2nd dime beyond the OB, half way to the pocket. Aim one tip up, one tip right on the cue ball to hit a force follow shot. Now shoot jacked up as usual and watch the OB go in and neither dime moves.

Why, you did a double jump that happens so fast the eye can’t see it but the dimes prove it. You jumped the cue ball over the dime to land on the OB, which jumps it over the dime to go in the pocket in the air never touching the cloth. This also explain why now and then you fire a ball into the center of the pocket and it comes right back out. You jumped the OB in high and it rebounded back off the hard top of the pocket.

Pool is not about only one shot. If you missed one, so be it. Get your head on the next one. Here are a few tips on how to achieve it.
1. First things first. Make up your mind. A player would say that they are hitting high with medium speed. But when they get down right before they make the shot, they start thinking of hitting it softer. If you deal with it this way, you’re sabotaging your shot. You must learn to trust your own decisions and abilities. You will need to learn to accept that you might actually miss that shot. But deciding on that after missing the shot rather that before making the shot would be easier to adjust.
2. Take your time. Don’t be in a hurry, it doesn’t mean that if you’re making balls consecutively, you will already switch to quick mode. Remember that there is a chance that you might miss that side-to-side. The thing is, if you don’t line up with a shot, your body has a tendency to overcompensate, especially if you’re stroking the ball with power.
3. Find a rhythm. After a single shot, pick up the chalk for a few seconds. It would be a great way to slow down. It will help you focus on the shot at hand rather than what happened the previous shot. At the same time, it will avoid unnecessary miscues.