Can one-pocket players benefit by crossing-over to 3-cushion billiards?

[dogloose]

In the past many great pocket billiard players - 14.1, one-pocket, 9-ball, etc. - also excelled at 3-cushion billiards. Is there any advantage to learning and practicing the skills in both games?

Andy Janquitto, former president of the USBA has written a great article about the history of crossing-over. (It goes back more than 100 years!)

Link: The Feel of It: Cross-Over Billiard Players Through the Years

Here's my take...

One-pocket players can benefit by learning about how the cue ball caroms off the object ball, and improve position and safety play by learning how the application of English changes as the cue ball hits multiple rails.

Billiard players can benefit by learning to aim with more precision, especially when it comes to driving the object ball to precise points on a rail to play position or avoid kisses.

Anyone play both games? Any first hand experience on whether crossing-over helps... or hurts?

 

[cincy_kid]

Hi dogloose, welcome to the forums!

I love playing 3 cushion billiards but I dont get to play it that often at all. I play one pocket maybe once per week and 3c maybe a few times per year

That being said, I for sure think there is some crossover value. I know that having some experience playing 3 cushion, it has helped as you mentioned with caroms, safety play and just knowing how the CB will react off of different balls and cushions.

I dont play enough 3c anymore to see my game get better due to playing 1p, but it makes sense in your description of the benefits.

In closing, an exercise that's kind of fun to do if you have some time to kill. It can also be a good betting game too that sort of combines 1p and 3 rail kicks. Rack the full rack of balls with the 8 ball in the middle (or whatever ball you want to use as the main object ball). Then, decide which pocket you want to shoot for.

You start by placing the CB somewhere down by the rack and every shot you do has to be at least a 3 rail kick up table then back into the stack..

After every shot, you get ball in hand again somewhere around the stack (on either side) and do the 3+ rail kick again into the stack or into clusters or into the main object ball itself.

The goal obviously is to make the 8 ball or the ball you chose in the beginning in your chosen pocket. Count the turns it takes you to do it and then your opponent goes through the exercise and tries to do it in less shots.

Its pretty darn hard and especially almost impossible if you get your object ball on the wrong side of the table. But I do think it improves your kicking game which comes up quite a bit in 1p.

 

[Mkbtank]

Can one-pocket players benefit by crossing-over to 3-cushion billiards?

I used to play only 9 ball and swore I would never play one pocket. Then somehow I switched and played 3c exclusively for about a year and a half. After that I switched to one pocket (about 7 years ago) and I am continually grateful that I learned 3c first. Between learning the diamonds, to how the Cue ball reacts, it has helped me a billion times. At least lol. Just my experience.

 

[LSJohn]

Is there any advantage to learning and practicing the skills in both games?

It certainly seems so, but I'm wondering whether what one could learn on a heated 5 X 10 with 760 Simonis and no pockets could possibly help a player's one pocket game as much as putting 3 balls on a 9' table with pockets and 860 cloth and applying the same principles.

Now there's where tight pockets would definitely work best.

 

[gulfportdoc]

In my view there's much more value in being able to transfer 3C knowledge (and to a lesser extent straight rail) to pool, than it is vice-versa. Having a good feel for the rails is a big asset in pool in general, and one-pocket in specific.

On the other hand, pool knowledge is not very useful in 3C, except of course concerning the ability to stroke the CB. I was a decent pool player when I took up 3C, and switched to it exclusively. So I could stroke the CB, but everything else was a mystery. Yet when I went back to pool, position play became vastly easier due to the knowledge I picked up about the rail patterns.

John makes a good point about the modern heated tables. I think the speed of today's billiard equipment would interfere with easy transfer to a standard pool table.

~Doc

 

[12squared]

Short answer: Efren thinks so! (So it is so).

My more winded answer: I think playing all games helps your one-pocket game since it is a game that incorporates every skill you can learn in Cue Sports (banks, 9-ball, 14.1, etc.), and of course, 3-cushion.

I play both, playing 3-cushion before taking up one-pocket. I believe it has really helped my kicking whether it's 1 rail needing to hit center ball or multiple rails. As well as other factors as well re: position play and getting out of the break, etc.

But mostly (for me anyway) one-pocket seems to be played at the same rhythm as 3-cushion: both take creativity and thought so you learn to look at all or many possibilities before shooting; the game is played in multiple innings most of the time; and you have to control both the cue ball and object balls using proper speed. And when you get old like me, you don't have to make a ball to be an effective shot. But remember, you must make a ball in pool games to keep shooting no matter how good your position is! That can only be learned on a pool table.

As others have mentioned, I too do not play 3-cushion very often anymore, but still love the game when played.

My advice is to take up 3-cushion, you'll have a blast and maybe learn something.

Dave

 

[beatle]

so many shots cross over especially ones where you hit obj ball thin and go around the table. those shots help with crossover banks which most players hit poorly and safes.

 

[FrenchAT]

In my short time of playing I have grown to understand that every game has its value to your overall game. I would imagine that 3 cushion could be quite helpful in many of the situations already stated.

There's an old wise man at my pool hall who grew up on 14.1, switched to 9 ball, played banks exclusively for 2 years, and also did the same with 3 cushion. If he tells me a shot to shoot, I shoot it.lol

 

[androd]

Playing 3Cushion definitely helped my one pocket game. I not much good at it but certainly learned some things that helped me.

 

[rich htx]

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If there's a pool hall/ individual you know of in need of or on the fence about a great heated European billiard table then don't hesitate to get in contact with me

-Richard

 

[Scrzbill]

The easiest answer would be to say of course all games will help your pool game. The difference is like learning snooker to play one pocket. The balls, table, sticks are all different just like 3 cushion. My answer is this, have you learned all of the one pocket shots you need? Can you kick a ball out of your opponents pocket into yours? Can you break consistently every break? Can you make a two ball safety?
The game I recommend to further your one pocket, besides hours of one pocket, is straight pool. And hours of practice.:frus

 

[baby huey]

There are more similarities between the two games than one would imagine. Both games require strong defense and offense (but to lessor degree) but 3C like 1P require the object ball to be driven to a specific location on the table to keep your opponent off balance. In 3c you want to keep your opponent from having a strong starting shot, keeping him on the rail, creating distance and making him shoot the shot you want him to shoot. Our former member, Mr. 3C could attest to that principle if we could get him to chime in.