9-Ball
Topic: Straight Pool

Since moving to the states 2 years ago,I`ve been playing a lot of straight pool,I`ve also been talking to quite a few very good players and they all say the same master straight pool and the other games will improve 10 fold,and yes I must agree,my 9ball game as improved so much in the last 12 months,I lost in a final 8/9 to a player called Mike Keith,he`s won the CT open and played all the best players,and I can put my better play down to straight pool,does anyone recommend any good drills etc

Here's a practice drill for you, try setting a target high run, each week, that is within reason, of how you're playing, and concentrate on trying to beat that high run, then whatever the new high run is, concentrate on beating that, over, the next week, and keep going untill you beat it, if you continue to do this, over the space of 6-8 weeks, you'll easily find that you're ability, to build on bigger high runs,. can soon start getting too 100+, but this is depending on how oftern you play, and for how many hours you spend at the table , but when going for the high runs, DO NOT, in any way, start with using you favourite break shot, start of, by using a standard compatition break shot, as this will help you to build a better abilty to play a good safety break, and also be able to build bigger runs, with much fewer shots to aim at on the table , but once you miss, rerack the balls, the same as you did when you started, and try again

It is a difficult routine, but it is definitely well worth putting the table time in, because it will improve your game by about 40% - 50%, both in conctration/focus, and also your all around ability

I hope that this is of some help, and if I ever get the chance to come over to the US, to CT, with the Ms, I'll be only too happy to give you a hollar and shoot some straight pool with you

Willie

Good advice,I know that a few old school straight pool shooters in NY use that same drill.Some good pool halls in CT,I`m hoping to visit some quality pool halls in NY,lots of world class players just walk threw the door,nice clean brunswick gold crown 5 tabes,theres a real special feeling when you walk into one of these placers,think the pool hall is were Darren went,from what I`ve herd is money match was one of the best people have seen there,even though he lost,he opened a lot of peoples eyes to want quality can come out of the UK.

Hey SC , how's it goin buddy?

In NYC, there are ALOT of good rooms, a few that spring to mind are, Amsterdam Billiards on 82nd? st, (I forget exactly which street it's on, but it's not too far from Times Sq) Corner Pocket Billards, which a little further uptown, and if you're going further upstate towards rochester, there's a few good rooms in around there and Syracuse, where BCA HoF member Arthur "Babe" Cranfield is from

darn right, I think that there's quite a list of guys, who have already shown that the UK, has certainly good some guys that know how to shoot some stick, but I think that if the overall American Pool scene was alot better organized and set up, then there would be a much greater number of top class players, but it's still early days yet, compared tpo the amount of years, that the American and Phillippino players have been playing

I was wondering what your current high run is?

Willie

When I practise straight pool I decide that today I am gonna run a 150. If I miss I just keep shooting till I reach 150, and then I count how many innings I used. Less frustrating than re-rack the balls every time + you don't get out of your plan.

My high-run is 49, will soon pass 50, then 75, then 100 and then I am so old that I will die


-----------------
The bangers consider me a pro - The pros consider me a banger

roydfish.blogspot.com

I realise that reracking can be a bit time consuming, if you're having to do it regularly, but it is a case of being more disciplined at the table, if you can teach yourself to be more disciplined, then you'll find that you can teach yourself to avoid repeating any bad habits that you have and to strengthen any weakness' in your game.

Mine high run is still 104 unfinished, as I was playing to 125 for £30 (£20 for the win and £10 for the highest run) against a friend of mine at the time, when I made it

I'm going to be making another cue change, and once that's sorted, then I'll be playing alot of straight pool, not only to get used to the new stick, but also to get back to playing full time again

Willie

Hi The Wizard,

This is a great thread for advice and was wondering if you could share with me how a standard competition break would be performed as I have never played straight pool in a match.
(Is this some kind of a safety break by making the minimum amount of balls to rails etc ?)

Thanks in advance for your help as I play for fun at the moment on the 9 Ball scene but I am thinking of trying to put some time into my game.

Cheers
Simmo

Thats a good question Simmo, when i have played straight pool i have been playing it completely wrong by smashing the break and getting a point for every ball made, whoops!

I have a DVD of Steve Davis vs Efren Reyes playing straight pool i bought off ebay for £3, going to watch it tonight to watch and learn!

My personal favourite practice drill - and I do this at the start of every practice session - is to throw all the balls on the table, making sure you've got no clusters and that no balls are closer than 4-6" from a rail. Now, with cueball in hand, run the table out BUT the cueball is not allowed to touch a cushion AT ALL! Not on the first shot, not on the last and nowhere in the middle!

This drill comes from Jim Rempe's "How To Run A Rack In Straight Pool" in which he says that if you do it exclusively for 2 hours every day for 2-3 weeks, your overall game will improve dramatically. May I also recommend the other DVD in the set, also available from Accu-Stats called "How To Run 100 Balls In Straight Pool".

Just thought I'd pass it on to you. Good luck with it!

Best wishes

thecardman

The SAPPA website
SAPPA on MySpace
The Cardman's Blog
And I'm on MySpace, too!

Hey Simmo, how's it going buddy?

No worries, it is worth playing straight pool in matches, even if it's just a challenge match against a practice partner/friend, etc

The ruling for the opening break in straight pool is that 2 balls from the rack, PLUS the cueball, must hit a rail, and so essentially, you would break off in the same manner as you would in snooker, but in a little more accuracy is required.

In straight pool, what you want to do is, place the cueball about 1 diamond out, from either side rail, to where you normally break in 9ball, etc, with the cuebal close to the headstring, and ideally, the object of the break, is to clip the corner ball, on the side that you break from, and have only the 2 corner balls, come out of the rack, bounce off their respective rails (Bottom and side rail), to then roll back into the rack again, whilst the cueball goes round 2 rail and going up table, towards the opposite side rail, from where you broke

I hope that this is of some help at least and if I can be of any more help, feel free to send me a PM

Willie

Fancy a straight pool practice session sometime simmo?

Hey Cardman, how's it going buddy?

I know you learned that drill from the VHS tapes, but I learned it from Jim himself about 8 years ago, as when I first started keeping in touch with him, he had told me about that drill, and I gave it a try for the 2 weeks as he suggested and it really did help quite alot

There are many good practice drills, it's just a matter of having the time and patience to practice them

Willie

P.S. any of you guys on here looking for good pool DVDs of matches, trickshots, etc, Cardman has got a HUGE selection, covering 9ball, 10ball, bank pool, one pocket, straight pool and some others as well , so if you would like some DVDs, give thecardman a shout

Im cool thanks Willie, and thank you very much for the advice as I would not have known where to start I guess it can take a few shots to get the game going then ?

Hi Jamie,

Would love a game mate but not sure when, I will send you a PM and we can line something up.

Cheers guys
Simmo

No worries Simmo, you're very welcome

It basically depends on how the break shot winds up, not just a the beginning of the game, but on each rereack, as it takes alot of practice to perfect the opening safety break, and if you hit the corner ball too thick, or if you hit the corner ball to soft or hard, you're at a huge risk of leaving your opponent an reasoble shot to start running balls, and that is the last thing you want, especially if your opponent is capable of running 100+

Either way, I'm glad that I can be of help and as I said before, you're welcome to send a PM if you would like any further advice

Willie