Two table time questions

[bluewolf]

1) A month ago I thought this was luck.Except for banks,right angles cuts etc,I have gotten a lot better at shooting, even long ones at a pretty good percent.I guess it was learning to relax, do my preshot, hit balls, then they started dropping more.

There is one I can do with inside english and a soft hit which slow rolls the ob into the corner pocket.This is a long one with ob on the rail no more than a diamond from the pocket.

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%KB2\2%LB5C1%M[1\6%NC8V5%OC1C0%Pg6Q0%]D3U5%^g0Q1
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WW says I need to learn to get it in with a hard hit too. Is this something that comes with practice? If that is the case, then I just need to practice it a lot more. I just wanted to know if being able to get in a shot like this with different speeds is something that comes with table time.

2) About shape. I am pretty good at hitting the ball at various speeds. Although I prefer centerball, I have learned how to use english and am learning to predict which is best for getting position. But sometimes I juice the ball too much or too soft, which does not leave me good shape on the next hit. It is not that I cannot hit the ball the speed I want, it is predicting what is the right speed. I also have trouble telling how to go several rails to get good shape.

With all other aspects of my game improving so much, unless it is an easy run with the balls nicely spread, my shape is not good. So my question again, is this something that comes with table time? Like will it come in time or are there certain things I need to be practicing to make myself better at this?

Laura

[SpiderMan]

Regarding winding up with poor position on the next shot, I think the most common problem is playing what I call "vague shape". In other words, if you shoot a shot and your plans are no more detailed than sending the cue ball "over there", then you will wind up with a bad angle, too close, too far, etc, much more often.

Before shooting, look at where the cue ball will naturally try to go, then look at where you would like for it to go, then evaluate what you can do to influence the natural path (speed, english, etc) if necessary. But don't shoot until you have a precise target (plan) for the cue ball. By precise plan, I mean walk over to where you are planning for the cue ball to stop, and look at your next shot from there to be sure that's what you want. And, if getting there involves hitting rails, work backwards until you have a precise spot that you want the cue to hit the first rail. All this will get you much closer much more often than by just sending the cue ball in the right general direction.

Even if you can't execute it well at first, at least you'll be building a memory base of how far and which way you were off each time.

But, to put it in terms of "table time", making a precise plan and a mental note of your results will show improvement much faster than just waiting for your "feel" to improve.

SpiderMan

[DoomCue]

1. That's a specialty shot which actually shows up quite a bit. You should definitely practice that shot from different angles and distances, and with different speeds.

2. I've written an article on position play. It's posted at EasyPoolTutor.com. It's called Spin and the Tangent Line (http://easypooltutor.com/article62.html) . It's about basic position play - understanding the tangent line and manipulating the tangent line to achieve position. First and foremost, position play requires an understanding of where the CB will travel WITHOUT spin. Then that CB destination can be changed (if necessary) by using various spins on the CB. Learn center ball, draw, and follow (I call those VAC - Vertical Axis Contact) before learning english (left or right sidespin), as english complicates matters by introducing throw, deflection or squirt, as well as changing aiming and contact points.

-djb

[bluewolf]

Great article, and marty, I like your idea of planning also.Makes perfect sense

As far as the tangent line, well I can tell when that will make me scratch and have an idea of the speed to hit the ball to not let that happen with top or bottom, but not experienced enough to know when the cb will deviate,leave the tangent line, just generally, not exactly where it will deviate. The problem I sometimes have there is in cases where a soft hit will not pot the ball or the distance from the cb to the pocket does not seem enough for it to leave the tangent line. But tangent line is what I try to use to see where the cb wants to go. /ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif

For ex- I had a right angle cut on the 8ball which was on the tangent to scratch. Our top player wanted me to play safe and not take a chance.There was not a very good safe. Myself and the other coach wanted to go for it with a soft speed and top.It was ify if the 8 would make it to the pocket with that soft speed but there did seem to be enough distance from the cb to the pocket for it to leave the tangent line.

I just wanted to go for it .

I see lots of folks even good players scratch due to tangent line, and get all mad and do not know why they scratched. I do scratch sometimes but usually it is a different reason.if I do scratch from tangent, I know why, so it is not so frustrating as it is for my buds.

I do agree that center is easier to predict. I seem to have the biggest problem with either predicting the cb speed I need or if going more than one rail, cannot do that with english at all, because of not knowing when the direction of the spin will change.Just have not learned that yet. Can only predict english on one rail so far.I have heard that when using rails and english that 3 is easier than 2 but dont know if that is true and figured I need to experiment on that one.

Laura