practicing

straightback

Verified Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
Messages
1,851
From
owensboro, ky
Practice running out after drinking 7-8 shots of bourbon. It roughly approximates your offensive abilities when you've been bunting for 2 hours and finally get that shot.
 

bstroud

Verified Member
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
1,426
Position play is the most important thing in one pocket as it is in all pool games.

Take two balls and place them anywhere on the table.

Shoot one in your pocket and try to hit the other ball with the cue ball.

Start with an easy layout and move to harder positions.

Bill S.
 

keoneyo

Verified Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
Messages
2,883
Position play is the most important thing in one pocket as it is in all pool games.

Take two balls and place them anywhere on the table.

Shoot one in your pocket and try to hit the other ball with the cue ball.

Start with an easy layout and move to harder positions.

Bill S.

Sounds similar like carom billiards. Would you suggest taking up the billiards game like my good friend Bill Smith has suggested.
 

mr3cushion

Verified Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
7,617
From
Cocoa Beach, FL
Sounds similar like carom billiards. Would you suggest taking up the billiards game like my good friend Bill Smith has suggested.

Keone; For running balls, the "L" drill encompasses many aspects of "Carom" billiards, this will help tremendously in learning to run the balls that are positioned inside the side pockets. In practicing the drill, the player will attempt, ball to ball draws, one cushion and two cushion position. It also gives the players a feel for just moving the CB around inside half the table, where most games turn around from missing easy position to get out. JMO!
 

Island Drive

Verified Member
Joined
May 1, 2011
Messages
5,192
From
florence, colorado
Anyone have tips or drills for practicing one pocket alone? Thanks.

I would highly recommend to incorporate 14.1 into your routine. I'm not the best an one pocket (Haddad offered me 9-7), but taking a rack apart once I have a shot I'm very comfortable with. Also, allot of the Denver players are somewhat flush with money right now, as they have been so broke, that many have gone back to work, and allot of em were flashing $1,000's last week @ Felts.
 

Sure Lock

Active Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
26
The break, response, and response to the response. Then I'll re-rack and repeat.

My one pocket mentor first showed me three shots. Skimming off a ball and freezing on the back of the stack. Banking a ball to your side and freezing on the back of the stack. Kicking rail first at a ball near your opponents pocket and banking it to your side.

I like to rack the balls with the 8 in the middle, place the cue ball in the bottom corner (anywhere within a diamond) and see how many shots it takes to kick three rails to make the 8 in the opposite corner. The 8 will be in a different location each time, so you will have to adjust your aiming point accordingly. I've got it done in as few as 3 tries.

That being said it all depends on what you have identified as your weakness. Do you shoot straight? Practice moving. Do you move well, but have trouble pocketing balls? Play the one pocket ghost.
 

TomRoden

Verified Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
180
Here's a good practice.

Here's a good practice.

Rack all fifteen balls with the front ball just out of either bottom corner pocket. Square it up so the back balls are perpendicular to the side pocket across table. You have ball in hand for the break.
Break the balls and make the head ball, now try to run out. If you miss you just spot a ball. If you scratch you spot a ball and shoot from the kitchen.There is no "win" or "lose". You're learning to run balls in one pocket. Keep doing this practice and you'll get the drift.
Good luck.
 

bstroud

Verified Member
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
1,426
Sounds similar like carom billiards. Would you suggest taking up the billiards game like my good friend Bill Smith has suggested.

Do not practice Billiards to play pool unless you can make the transition from one to the other.

In Billiards you look at the cue ball last. In pool you look at the object ball last.

Bill S.
 

mr3cushion

Verified Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
7,617
From
Cocoa Beach, FL
Do not practice Billiards to play pool unless you can make the transition from one to the other.

In Billiards you look at the cue ball last. In pool you look at the object ball last.

Bill S.

Bill; I hate disagree with your statement in (RED), but, occasionally when playing the "Carom" games, free game, 1 cushion and Balkline, the player may look at the CB last when the balls are close to each other. :sorry

In 3C, when a player likes up their shot thru the CB to the OB, they never take their eyes off the OB the last couple of strokes. TOP players know their strokes a re straight and true, NO need to look back at the CB last, ONLY the precise hit on the OB is of utmost importance before contacting the CB!
 

straightback

Verified Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
Messages
1,851
From
owensboro, ky
Wouldn't make sense to spend a whole lot of time with your eyes on the CB. 3 cushion shots are typically hit with a slow eenough speed that you're not having to deal with a lot of squirt.
 

mr3cushion

Verified Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
7,617
From
Cocoa Beach, FL
Wouldn't make sense to spend a whole lot of time with your eyes on the CB. 3 cushion shots are typically hit with a slow eenough speed that you're not having to deal with a lot of squirt.

NOT all together TRUE also, :sorry Most 3 cushion shots are played at make speed for position or safety play. There are many instances where the player must give much speed to the CB for effect, excessive spin, difficult across table shots, twice around the table, (end cushion first), drawing the CB back around the table 4 or 5 cushions, and several more!

The faster tables just allows the player to be more accurate, by NOT having to employ the same force we did 50 years ago! The game is ALL about, precision now days! :cool:

About squirt, 3C players play mostly with "Conical" shafts which helps reduce, vibration and much of the squirt from using more English on a regular basis than in the pocket game! There is now technology in 3C shafts that is reducing squirt to a bare minimum, much of it is based on the shape and construction of the ENTIRE cue, NOT just the shaft!
 

NH Steve

Administrator
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
12,283
From
New Hampshire
The opening poster asked a good question, so lets stay on topic :D

You can practice your break also by racking just three balls in a triangle on the spot, and breaking in conventional manner -- very light clip of the head ball and then into the second ball, which if hit perfect should send the third ball close to your pocket. If you are getting good results with just the three balls, then rack them all and repeat...

Practice your banks too. work on your speed and accuracy, and of course, avoiding kisses.

Bill Stroud's practice of pocketing a ball and trying to run the cue ball into a second ball could work with banks too. In other words, doing that practice you could put the second object ball somewhere where it could either represent a ball or cluster that you wanted to bump the cue ball into, or a position ball that you wanted to fall behind to continue your run, or maybe you wanted to get tight behind for a safety.
 

bstroud

Verified Member
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
1,426
I have found that when I am banking a ball, a shorter, crisper stroke works best for me.

Taylor taught me to stay in the vertical center of the cue ball as much as possible using speed to vary the angle of the object ball when necessary.

I practice banks, straight pool and 9/10 ball for one pocket, not moves. Running balls is what wins games. If you can run balls well, you can win a game in minutes that would take much longer with moves.

Bill S.
 

straightback

Verified Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
Messages
1,851
From
owensboro, ky
Bill I agree with both points. When I bank, I switch over to a center ball punch stroke, with my arm slightly more out from the body (Think Brian Gregg or John Brumbeck). This helps me deliver the very precise hits that are needed in bank pool and it helps me stay exactly at center ball.

Second, to practice one pocket, I run out 10-ball racks. The best mover in the world is helpless unless he can run out once he gets the bugle call. I think this observation has really come to the fore in recent times. Heck, two years ago at Derby the finals were SVB vs. Earl, two guys that are not premium movers.

One thing I do practice is 2 or 3 ball endgame situations. Just throw them out and practice not giving up a shot, shooting for both men. This will get you dialed in to the touchy kicks and speed control needed to grind a tough game out.
 
Last edited:

tradr48

New Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
14
solitary one pocket

solitary one pocket

Many thanks to all who responded to my solo one pocket practice question. Gives me lots to work on!
 

John Brumback

Verified Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Messages
1,747
I don't have anything to add right now,just wanted to say that there is lots of good info in this. John B.
 

bstroud

Verified Member
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
1,426
I forgot to say one thing.

The best way to practice one pocket is to play one pocket.

That is how you learn to WIN.

Bill S.
 
Top