A zone-to-zone drill that will help your speed control.

Cue ball speed control is such a critical part of the game, so here’s a creative drill to help you really improve your speed control. This may seem like a safety game, but what we’re trying to do is get the balls into predetermined zones on each shot. Getting both the cue ball and object ball into a set zone and creating distance is what makes this challenging. It’s also what will help your game a ton.

You can play against an opponent, which is fun. If you’re playing alone, just play for 15 minutes a day, working to get each ball in its zone on each shot. Gives you a good feel for the table and for the cue ball and object ball and getting the speed down. You play a variety of shots, whether that’s banking the ball, playing two or three rails, playing kick shots. It’s all about creativity and feel.

When I play alone, I’m always trying to beat your personal best at successful shots. You should be trying to get into the 10-20 range.

Rules are simple. Start with the cue ball on the head spot and the 1 ball on the foot spot. After each shot, the cue ball and the object ball need to be in the zone between the end rail and second diamond on opposite ends of the table.

On the first shot (Diagram One), hit just below center on the cue ball with a tip of right English. The object on that first shot is to get the cue ball to the middle diamond on the bottom rail and the 1 ball to the middle diamond on the top rail.



From there, continue to get the balls to trade places. (Diagram Two) Some shots will require you to bank the ball back up-table and some shots will require you to kick, which is a great way to stick the cue ball in that zone and bump the 1 ball back to the other end of the table. It’s very important on these long shots that you play high on the cue ball and not low when you’re kicking because it’s harder to control the cue ball off the rail if you hit it low. And always keep your eye on the cue ball when shooting kick shots. You want solid contact so that the cue ball sticks where it is.

Shots will continually test your creativity, especially if your previous shot was executed with maximum efficiency. That’s also why playing against an opponent is fun and challenging. And remember that you don’t have to be perfect every time. It’s about speed control. In most game situations there will be other balls on the table, so many of your shots would likely be more effective than they look when there are only two balls on the table.

If one of the balls does break the line and leaves the intended zone, start the drill over from the original starting position. The same if one of the balls happens to find its way into a pocket.

You play loads of different variations of shots that will come up in rotation and one-pocket, which is where creativity comes into play. And even if you’re playing alone, try to make the next shot as difficult on yourself as possible.