av84fun
06-14-2008, 06:21 PM
Most of us practice safeties too infrequently because it is sort of boring so I invented a new game in hopes of making it more fun. I've been starting all my practice sessions with it for a few weeks and find it fun and useful.
1. Break the balls as normal.
2. If you have a makeable shot on the lowest ball...one that you would normally shoot in a match, you pass on that shot and see what you have on the next lowest ball. Keep rejecting shots in rotation order until you have a ball that you can hit but have no makeable shot.
3. Play a safety on that shot...attempting to leave the cb in a position from which that ball cannot be contacted directly by the cb.
If you leave a "tough shot"...one that an opponent would not normally attempt, score 1 point. If you leave a hook that can be hit with a 1 rail kick, score 2 points. If the hook is a "lock up" or requires at least 2 rails to hit, score 3 points.
4. Once you have played the safety and scored (or not) then your next inning begins and you again see if you have a shot on the lowest # ball and either play a safety on it or reject it and look for whatever ball, in rotation sequence you can hit but don't have a makeable shot on.
5. Play continues for 10 innings.
To add interest, if you leave a safety that scores 1 or more points BUT the leave is such that the opponent could play a bank, a jump shot, a carom/billiard or a combo, then you can attempt those shots and score 3 points if successful. That injects some "safety escapes" into the game.
For clarity, I'll walk you through a few innings.
1. You break and leave a makeable shot on the 1 ball. You reject that and see that you can also make the 2 ball so you reject it too. You can see the 3 ball but don't have a realistic shot so that is your object ball and you play a safety on it and leave your "opponent" tough...i.e. he can see it but has no realistic shot. Score 1 point.
2. Now from where the CB lays, you again look at the 1 ball and find you have a makeable shot on it so it becomes the OB and you play a safety on it. You leave your opponent hooked (1 rail required to hit it) so you score 2 points.
3. Since you are hooked on the 1 ball, you look for the 2 ball but have not direct path to it...ditto with the 3 ball. You have a makeable shot on the 4 ball but not on the 5 so the 5 becomes the OB....BUT you think you can bank it...or you can billiard in another ball off of it or shoot a combo off of it and if you succeed you score 3 points.
4. From where the balls lay, you again look for the 1 ball and continue as per the above.
5. All balls made on the break and/or during any inning remain down.
Play continues for 10 innings.
The maximum possible score would be 30 points but I doubt that would ever be scored.
I have been averaging 15 points but have only played it 20 times or so.
Comments or questions would be welcome.
Regards,
Jim
1. Break the balls as normal.
2. If you have a makeable shot on the lowest ball...one that you would normally shoot in a match, you pass on that shot and see what you have on the next lowest ball. Keep rejecting shots in rotation order until you have a ball that you can hit but have no makeable shot.
3. Play a safety on that shot...attempting to leave the cb in a position from which that ball cannot be contacted directly by the cb.
If you leave a "tough shot"...one that an opponent would not normally attempt, score 1 point. If you leave a hook that can be hit with a 1 rail kick, score 2 points. If the hook is a "lock up" or requires at least 2 rails to hit, score 3 points.
4. Once you have played the safety and scored (or not) then your next inning begins and you again see if you have a shot on the lowest # ball and either play a safety on it or reject it and look for whatever ball, in rotation sequence you can hit but don't have a makeable shot on.
5. Play continues for 10 innings.
To add interest, if you leave a safety that scores 1 or more points BUT the leave is such that the opponent could play a bank, a jump shot, a carom/billiard or a combo, then you can attempt those shots and score 3 points if successful. That injects some "safety escapes" into the game.
For clarity, I'll walk you through a few innings.
1. You break and leave a makeable shot on the 1 ball. You reject that and see that you can also make the 2 ball so you reject it too. You can see the 3 ball but don't have a realistic shot so that is your object ball and you play a safety on it and leave your "opponent" tough...i.e. he can see it but has no realistic shot. Score 1 point.
2. Now from where the CB lays, you again look at the 1 ball and find you have a makeable shot on it so it becomes the OB and you play a safety on it. You leave your opponent hooked (1 rail required to hit it) so you score 2 points.
3. Since you are hooked on the 1 ball, you look for the 2 ball but have not direct path to it...ditto with the 3 ball. You have a makeable shot on the 4 ball but not on the 5 so the 5 becomes the OB....BUT you think you can bank it...or you can billiard in another ball off of it or shoot a combo off of it and if you succeed you score 3 points.
4. From where the balls lay, you again look for the 1 ball and continue as per the above.
5. All balls made on the break and/or during any inning remain down.
Play continues for 10 innings.
The maximum possible score would be 30 points but I doubt that would ever be scored.
I have been averaging 15 points but have only played it 20 times or so.
Comments or questions would be welcome.
Regards,
Jim