2008 May | Billiard Coach - Mike Fieldhammer

Updates from the U.S. Open

Posted on 02. May, 2008 by Fieldhammer.

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I’m currently at the 2007 US Open 9 Ball Championships in Chesapeake, Virginia where the room is chilly but the pool is HOT!

Even though the tournament room is kept so cold you can almost see your breath, the weather outside has been in the gorgeous high 70s and the pool is smokin’!

It’s Day 5 at the event and the long hours have kept me from posting sooner.

I’ve been busy taking tons of photos for Inside Pool and helping out on the set of the Inside Pool Xtreme Press Box where they’re reporting live twice a day.

Here are some highlighted photos I’ve taken so far. The rest of my work can be found at the Inside Pool Magazine Photo Gallery.

My own results were not as thrilling as I’d hoped. I lost hill-hill to a very solid Canadian player, Tyler Edey (who still happens to be on the winner’s side). I played steady and neither one of us made very many mistakes. When it was 9-9 we each missed the 9-ball. He gave me a shot after the break on the 1 ball and I ran the rack. In the last game of the match, I failed to make a ball on the break and Tyler maneuvered through nicely for the win.

My second match was against Charlie Williams on the TV Table. I’ve never experienced that kind of heat or pressure before. Due to the actual heat from all the lights, the table played extremely tough. The pressure of being on center court made the pockets play even tighter.

Even though the match was earlier in the day and the stands were fairly empty, it was still just as pressure packed.

The most memorable out of that match came when Charlie played a safety on the 8 ball while down 9-8. I shot a jump bank with my full cue leaving me a tough back cut on the 9 ball in side, which I made to tie it up 9-9.

I felt I could’ve won that match had it not been my first time playing on the TV Table. A couple mental errors and a few tight strokes due to the pressure were all that stood between me and winning that match.

Not that I’m done with the competing part of the tournament my main focus has been on taking tons of photographs as well as filming some instructional segments with Samm. These finished products will include a series of several two to three minute instructional snippets called Xtreme Instruction and can be found on InsidePoolMag.com.

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I liked your article about 8-Ball run outs. How about an example?

Posted on 02. May, 2008 by Fieldhammer.

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Billiard Coach Answer:
Try to come up with your own ideas on the rack below and turn the page for further analysis.

Exercise your brain and put some of the principles from January’s column into practice. That column emphasized having a plan before taking your first shot. Take a good look at the table below. Your opponent has failed to make a ball on the break and spread them out nicely for you. One important fact that you need to know is the 3-ball does not pass the 13-ball, but the 13 can be made cleanly if proper position can be achieved.

The table seems to present very few difficulties. Only the 3-ball doesn’t pass cleanly into a pocket. It is the only significant cluster on the table. In your analysis of the table, you may believe that either stripes or solids could be run. True. Stripes may be the better choice due to Key 8-Ball Concept #2: Do not bump into balls unless you have to. Selecting solids will require you to nudge open the 3-ball which leads to some uncertainty and loss of control. The opening shot would have to be the 4-ball in the side drawing back to clear the difficult 2-ball off the head rail. This plan is a good start, but it turns the 3-ball problem into a ticking time bomb. Key 8-Ball Concept #3: Get to your trouble balls ASAP!

Shooting the 10-ball first is an aggressive shot to begin a run out of the stripes. Playing the cue ball to the middle of the table with a firm stun stroke positions the cue ball with a shot on the tricky 13-ball. Slow rolling the 13-ball takes care of the first bit of trouble and obtains an angle on the 9-ball. It seems like most of the work this rack is done, but beware—trouble still lurks with every shot.

The 11-ball is the trickiest ball on the table now, so try to follow one cushion to position ‘B’. This shot is extremely speed sensitive, but you’ll have options if your touch is off. Landing short of ‘B’ will yield a shot on one of the other three stripes. The 14-ball would be a wise shot playing the cue ball two rails to shoot the 11-ball in the same pocket. The 14 would also be the bail out shot if the cue ball went too far past ‘B’. If the cue ball hit the mark precisely, one might think “Game Over.” That is dangerous thinking. Playing the 11-ball as shown is deceptively touchy. Short controlled draw requires a well controlled stroke. Too much and you’ll be hooked by the 4-ball. Too little and you’ll have to deal with little to no angle on the 14-ball.

With the cue ball at ‘C’, one rail position to ‘D’ is natural as with the remaining two shots. Just make the ball and let the cue ball roll naturally to the next shot.

This successful run out appears simple, but it is not easy. It is successful because it adheres to three maxims:
1. Have a plan before you shoot, but keep options open and re-evaluate the plan regularly.
2. Don’t bump into balls unless you have to.
3. Get to your trouble ball(s) ASAP.