Pool and Billiard Halls Phoenix AZ

Basic 8-ball strategy can be broken into eight simple rules that you must follow if you expect to be successful.

Rule 1: The first thing you need is a good, strong power break. The goals of the break are to scatter the balls, pocket one or more ball, and move the cue ball toward the center of the table. Now, winning a game doesn't rely wholly on meeting these three goals, but you will usually have an easier time running a rack if you meet one or more of them. To develop a strong power break, try different ways to position your grip and vary grip pressure. Also, make sure that when you strike the cue ball, you are hitting it as close to center as possible.

Rule 2: Choose wisely between stripes and solids. To do this, you must very carefully inspect the layout after the break and select the balls that have clear paths to the pockets. When choosing on an open table, you may have to hit a stripe to make a solid or vice versa, so it is a good idea to stay open-minded during this step.

Rule 3: In your mind. Create a strategy that maps out exactly how you want to run all of your object balls and the 8 ball. You should never even attempt to take your first shot until you have the entire rack run successfully in your mind.

Rule 4: When choosing the route in Rule 3, you need to minimize cue-ball movement as much as possible. The less you have to move the cue ball, the fewer chances there are to lose control of it. Stopping the cue ball will always allow you to know exactly where you will be next, so find patterns that allow you to stop the cue ball as much as possible.

The situation in Diagram 3 might not come up in your next match, but it's a good teaching tool to find the easiest way out. Look at how the solids are positioned. You can run all six of them and the 8 ball using only stop shots. The route: 5, 3, 2, 1, 7, 4, 8. Now do you see it?

Rule 5: Keep all of your shots as simple as possible. Be a realist; choose a route that involves high percentage shots with respect to your playing ability. It is best if you don't try to get fancy with kick shots, banks, combinations, etc., if it is at all possible to avoid such shots.

Rule 6: Never make guesses as to where the cue ball will end up after a shot. Be as precise as possible when picking a point for position for each shot. If you followed Rule 4, and chose shots which minimize cue-ball movement, it will be much easier to follow this rule.

Rule 7: Unless absolutely necessary, do not let the cue ball run into other balls. Contact with other balls can create surprise movements and situations, which in turn will cause problems for you when you try to follow the original strategy you created in Rule 3.

Rule 8: If you have to deal with breaking up a cluster, always make sure you have a good key ball for your next shot. A key ball is a way of taking out insurance on the shot where you break up a cluster; it is a ball that will allow you a next shot ...

March 2010

ONE BENEFIT from playing over a period of time is gaining a better understanding of your game. It's an important in your development as a player to try to stay objective and clearly identify where you excel and where you might need some work. When you really know your game, you can make the correct choices that will (hopefully) lead to the best results. For example, how do you decide when to play safe and when to attempt a difficult shot?

I've seen some players avoid straight-in shots to play a safety because they were overcome by the fear of missing. I've also seen plenty of players think they were invincible, so they would try to make the most difficult shot when a safety was readily available.

For situations where you're torn between offense and defense, I've developed something I call "The Honesty Rule." This concept means you have to be completely honest with yourself, because nobody has more experience with your game than you.

When you are facing a difficult decision, the first thing you want to do is ask yourself, "How many times out of 10 will I make this shot?" Then ask yourself, "How many times out of 10 will I pull off this safety?" By balancing the two numbers, you can determine the best course of action. (Just remember, to make an accurate appraisal of your capabilities, you must be realistic in your assumptions.)

Let's look at two approaches to the same situation as an example. In Diagram 1 , you are on the 6 ball in a game...