Game Strategy | Billiard Coach - Mike Fieldhammer

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Billiards: Adjusting to a bar box from a big table

Posted on 19. Nov, 2009 by Fieldhammer.

Much as golfers must adapt to weather conditions and different courses, pool players must make a sometimes difficult transition themselves: switching between 9-foot and 7-foot tables. Many capable big table 9-Ball players have trouble downsizing to a bar box to play 8-Ball. Keeping key concepts in mind will make the change less challenging and make a player more comfortable on different sized tables.

Keep the cue ball movement to a minimum. Less cue ball movement is advantageous on a bar box. The 7-foot table has tight quarters. Some players exhibit better control of the cue ball using a slightly more compact stroke. Shorten or reign in your stroke since most shots can be made without a big stroke. Punch balls in by focusing on a deliberate stroke.

If you are struggling with speed control on the bar box, consider rolling balls in. Follow and natural position leave less to chance if you have confidence in the table at a slower speed. Simple, natural position at controlled speeds also gives you a better chance to get the correct speed for position. Rails on bar tables are easier to predict at a low speed than high speed. Just beware of skid and learn to recognize which angles and pace the balls tend to stick.

Select patterns appropriate to the table size. Shot selections should favor stop and stun shots over shots with close distance. Close distance refers to positional shots with little distance between the cue ball and object ball. For example, it is better to take a long stop shot over a close range cut where the cue ball will travel two rails back to the center of the table flirting with traffic. A slight miss hit will still pocket the ball in a stun/stop shot and hold cue ball position. Conversely, the cut may still pocket the ball, but the speed and direction of the cue ball will be altered. This could lead to the possibility of bumping into balls or missing position from too much or little cue ball pace. The saying goes, “Get in line and stay in line.” If your position becomes a little less than ideal, chances are that the amount of inaccuracy will escalate on the next shot. This may accumulate over several shots until you are in a self imposed trap and are forced into a low percentage or desperation shot. It’s one of those runs that you wish you could rewind and select another opening shot or play a preemptive safety.

Beware of equipment differences. In bar box pool, you have a much greater chance of finding a subpar (or less than ideal) cue ball, mismatched object balls, a cheap triangle, inferior cloth, and mismatched cushions. All of these factors hurt the highly skilled player because they introduce unexpected variables into the game. Under ideal conditions, the more advanced player can exhibit a mind blowing demonstration of control. Such a player can move the cue ball ten feet or more to a target the size of a quarter. If the cue ball arrives via three cushions, one of which is from a different table, then the player may have to settle for a dinner plate for position.

Pay special attention to the cue ball model and condition. Heavy or large cue balls drive through the object ball and alter the tangent line. It just doesn’t follow the physics of ball behavior. It is yet another variable that befuddles experts, but doesn’t harm the lower skilled players who may not realize the difference. It’s an equalizer. Ralf Souquet will not even hit a ball on a seven foot table. He considers it mini-golf compared to a professional PGA approved course.

Souquet, the money leader on tour in 2008, once commented on the bed of a nine foot table where the bed had new cloth, but the rail cloth was unchanged. He is so sensitive to table conditions that his position play was a tad shaky because draw and follow took differently than the side spin did off the rails. He doesn’t require new, slick cloth to play well, just the same cloth for the bed and the rails.

A light cue ball is a problem as well. All pool balls wear down with use. After all, they are hit with micro sandpaper in the form of chalk impregnated tips (only the cue ball, of course). That is why players hitting object balls with their cue tip is highly discouraged at finer billiard establishments. Object balls accumulate chalk from both the bed cloth and the cue ball, which can wear them down too. Cue balls have them all beat. I’ve seen and played with sets of balls where the cue ball was a full eighth of an inch undersized. This smaller lighter cue ball draws easily and follows reluctantly. Understandably, it doesn’t break out clusters as effectively as a heavier, regular sized ball does.

The size of cue balls also affects cut shots. Smaller cue balls tend to overcut shots because the diameter is smaller, as the line at impact is slightly off. Likewise, oversized cue balls hit everything too thick. This, combined with the heaviness/lightness of the ball, makes predicting the tangent line (the final path of the cue ball after impact) almost like a guessing game.

If you can run out, do it. The game at its highest level is very aggressive. Top players will try to run out even if they have two or three problem areas to deal with. Many times they’ll put on the brakes if their first crack at a breakout doesn’t work, but sometimes they’ll keep firing away. Why the testosterone overload? Players know that a safety is only so good on a bar box. Balls are so easy to kick, jump, or bank in on 7-footers that the shooter would rather go down firing than lay down a paper thin safety. Making a good hit on a ball isn’t that tough on a bar box and the chance of getting lucky looms large. The table can be in worse shape than pre-safety. After a kick or jump, foul or no foul, balls may be rearranged and un-runnable. The worst case scenario is the player making a lucky hit and magically getting safe. Many players have scratched their heads and thought to themselves that perhaps the safety wasn’t so wise and a run out would have been more likely to win the game.

All of these adjustments can seem daunting to the small table game. Keep your head up. Many advantages make the game seductive. Larger pockets and less distance on the bar table make every shot makeable. Aggressive and creative play are rewarding and satisfying. Faced with a tough situation, you might dig up some low percentage kiss or carom and open up the rack perfectly. Bank shots are ill advised on tough 9-footers, but may be the correct shot on a bar box. Make some slight changes to your thinking and start running racks on the bar box.

Mike Fieldhammer
Professional Billiard Instructor

Pool lessons make a great holiday gift. Gift certificates are available.

Mike is a full time tournament player and professional billiard instructor. He is available for private instruction or group clinics and events.

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Play the table not the player?

Posted on 15. Nov, 2009 by Fieldhammer.

Strategy: Should your opponent dictate your strategy?

Mike Fieldhammer – November 2009

This article is the first of a series of posts written in coordination with other pool bloggers. This first month’s theme is STRATEGY. To see others, go to: http://www.poolstudent.com/2009/11/15/poolsynergy-volume-001/

Most pool players have heard the phrase “Play the table not the player.” I believe this phrase originated to encourage players to stay calm if they are playing a champion and to never to let up if they’re playing a beginner. The cliché seems to have morphed into an idea that a player should forget about his opponent and execute the one truly correct shot at the table. This is generally good advice and helps many players focus on the task at hand—play the best shot available for the given table layout. There are exceptions to this rule when you may want to adapt your strategy depending on your opponent. Knowledge of your opponent’s abilities, style, or strategy could alter your shot selection.

Playing vs. a professional

The game of one-pocket is the most obvious scenario in which to prove that you must consider your opponent. Familiarity with your foe’s skill set greatly aids shot selection. Is your one-pocket opponent a ball runner, one who can’t run more than three or four balls, a banking expert, a wonderful mover weak on long straight shots, prone to take crazy low percentage shots, or one who never takes a gamble on a shot? The answers to these questions should factor into your choice of shots. And sometimes faced with a do or die shot vs. a safety situation, you may need to ask yourself, “Will I get a better opportunity in the game against this opponent?”

This type of shot analysis could also apply to the more popular game of 8-Ball. Some of these strategies are outlined based on your ability and skills compared to your opponents. Familiarize yourself with your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses by watching matches of upcoming opponents. Take mental or written notes on their styles, weapons, and weaknesses. Do they own a jump cue and use it extremely well? How accurately do they kick? Do they play aggressively with no safes or are they patient and cautious? This scouting information can be useful in deciding whether to attempt a run out or play some sort of safety. In fact, it can narrow down the type of safety that will give you the best chance to win.

While playing better players, remember that their breaks are a big advantage for them. They will break and run more often and control the table better. You must take advantage of every single chance that you get at the table. Run out if you are able and play a lock-up safety (jail) versus the toughest opponents. They will make you pay for a missed shot and they will kick/jump out of so-so safeties.

Weaker opponents may not open up the rack as well on the break and you might have to be more patient for a chance to run out. The penalty for a missed shot might not lead to a loss of game; you could get another chance. It could be that a mediocre safe is good enough versus a poor to average player. Count on more ball-in-hands after safeties.

Opponent is struggling?

When playing weaker opponents, you may want to count on getting another chance at the table or leave trouble areas untouched. You may find that they can’t pick through congested racks but run through wide open racks at will. Consider a second-ball break or a more difficult layout rather than blasting them wide open. A tougher opponent will open up the clusters correctly while you may be doing a lesser opponent a favor if you break open the cluster and allow them back to the table. Lay down a safety and then break up the trouble with ball in hand. Table safes (distance with no good shot) are more effective versus beginner players. Advanced or expert players will fire back if they can see it with a better safe or might bank it in. If your opponent is vastly superior at safety play, go for the tough game breaker shot if you can win versus engaging in a tactical safety battle. You might get out-moved otherwise.

Sometimes your strategy may evolve within the flow of the match. If your opponent has been sitting and is cold, you may want to choose a safety rather than trying a tough shot. Make them earn the game and prevent them from getting warmed up with a wide open shot to get them started. Knowing your opponent can also shape your mental strategy. Always try to amass a lead in a match and know that players of all abilities might fall apart or may claw back. Prepare, nay, assume that’s the case so you’re game isn’t thrown off if you begin to see your player have a meltdown or stage a monumental comeback. Regardless, try to put the player away as soon as possible. Also, be prepared for your opponent’s pace of play so that you aren’t thrown off your rhythm. Hopefully, you’ve developed your own tempo or pace and you shouldn’t feel pressured or deviate from your optimum speed of play.

“Play the table, not your opponent?” Sure, the table and your skills will dictate your course of action most of the time, but a slight change in decision-making based on who your opponent is might give you a slight edge.

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Help us get the word out!

Posted on 05. Nov, 2008 by Fieldhammer.

Welcome to BilliardCoach.com. Looking for the new Forums? Here is the link http://billiardcoach.com/forums.

I don’t want/need the new forum to be the biggest or best on the web. I would like to unify the pool players of Minnesota and the surrounding area and build a reliable resource. Could the new forum have a complete listing of local and regional upcoming tournaments? Timely results of them? Interesting news of the goings on in the pool rooms of Minnesota? I certainly think so, with your help. Help us build the community and breath much needed life into the Minnesota pool scene. I challenge you to turn our forum into something more than this forum. They’ve got 720 registered users, 1500+ posts, and an astounding 49 members visiting on one December day of last year. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?

Here is the link to the new forum.

Thank you,

Mike

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Effective 8-Ball Break Shots, Part II

Posted on 10. Aug, 2008 by Fieldhammer.

Part II

Part I of the break shot details the most common approach to breaking by hitting the ball at the apex of the stack. This article will detail a highly effective alternative—the second ball break.

As summarized in part I, a successful break shot can be defined as follows:
• One or more balls have been pocketed
• The cue ball is in a position that offers an opening shot
• Object balls have scattered sufficiently and few clusters exist

The second ball break still benefits from a tight rack, but is more forgiving. One of the two balls directly behind the apex ball is struck and the action of the rack can be thought of as an explosion from the center of the rack. Energy from the cue ball is directed at the core of the rack with the object balls scattering from the inside out.

This concentrated strike is more of a sniper shot than an all out blast. Accuracy supercedes power in the second ball break. English and spin are employed to make aiming at the small target even more difficult. The power of the stroke must be held in check so as not to sacrifice a deadly accurate hit.

The cue ball must originate from near one of the side rails. This offers the shortest path and most advantageous angle to hit the second ball as full as possible. The cue ball should miss the apex ball and impact the second ball back. Clipping the head ball may cause a scratch in pocket ‘1’ or even jump the cue ball off the table. Steering too far clear of the head ball can be costly as well. Hitting too thin (low) on the second ball can send the cue ball straight into the corner or into the long rail and across to scratch in corner pocket ‘2’. Even if the scratches are avoided, you may be stuck beneath the stack or on the foot rail with no shot at all.

Outside English and draw (Low left in the diagram breaking from the left side rail) should be used in moderation to contact the side rail and direct the cue ball to the shaded oval position zone. As in the head ball break, the center of the table will offer the most options for an opening shot. Don’t overdo the low, outside spin because a scratch in pocket ‘3’ is possible. Cue ball kisses are highly likely, but if the cue ball is sent along the path illustrated the kiss may not hurt you. Keeping the cue ball away from the pockets greatly reduces the chance of getting kissed into a scratch.

Players new to the second ball break should begin without employing any left or right spin. Play the shot with draw only and focus on an accurate hit on the second ball. Some players have great success without adding the sidespin and hitting the break with high speed. Equipment and playing conditions may influence how you choose to shoot the second ball break shot.

This alternate break shot works well, especially when the head ball smash break is not satisfying the first two goals of breaking. You’ll often make a ball but may face a more difficult run out due to a less effective spread of the rack. This can be a smart move if you’d like to avoid leaving the rack wide open for your opponent to run out after a dry head ball break. Your opponent may have more work to run out a second ball break if you fail to make a ball.

Spend time working on powerful but controlled head ball breaks as well as the precision second ball break. Having two effective break shots in your arsenal will make you a more deadly run out weapon. Choose your break shot based on results of warm up games, table conditions, and what you observe from other skilled players. Getting an opening shot is the first step to running racks. Break well!