Wonderful, wonderful cue shot by Semih Sayginer. You need the knowledge. You need the skill to hit the cue exactly where you want. You need the concentration. He had it all.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Jeff De Lunas and Great 9-Ball Break Shot
This is a great example of the traditional hard break in 9 ball. Jeff De Lunas pockets five balls on the break, but he still ends up with a crappy shot. Although he breaks perfectly, Mr. De Lunas would have been better off by pocketing only one wing ball and having a shot on the 1 ball.
It's nice if you pocket multiple balls on the break. It is imperative that you have a shot after the break.
It's nice if you pocket multiple balls on the break. It is imperative that you have a shot after the break.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
9 Ball Break Shots
The 9 ball break shot has changed over the years. For a long time, it was pure power. Many old pros positioned the cue ball on the spot and took a hard straight shot.
As time went by, the pros learned that a little angle was a good thing. That is why they would bridge up from the rail. This type of shot made it possible to sink the 1 ball in the opposite side pocket from the break position.
They got pretty good at this. Even amateurs learned to pocket the 1 ball on the break.
The trouble is that if you pocket the 1 ball on the break, you have to shoot at the 2 ball. That can be tough because you have to depend on luck leaving you a shot on the 2.
Nowadays, the pros are learning that they can pocket a ball and get position on the next ball if they learn to pocket a ball other than the 1 ball.
They do this with a medium break, and they bridge on the cloth, not on the rail. They drive the cue into the 1 ball. They want the cue ball to draw back to the middle of the table, and they want the 1 ball to go near the side pocket, miss the pocket, and continue to the other end of the table. Hopefully, they end up with a clear shot on the 1.
So what ball do they try to pocket? They look to the wing balls. The wing balls are the balls on either side of the 9 in the rack. If the pro breaks from the left, he wants th wing ball on the right side to go in the right corner pocket. If he breaks from the right, he want the wing ball on the left to go in the left corner pocket.
One nice thing about this break is that both wing balls come close to their respective pockets no matter how you hit the cue. Plus, if they miss their pocket, they often bank into the opposite corner.
You want to hit a good strong stroke, but not a really hard one. It will take a little experimenting. The strength of the stroke will change the way the balls react.
You want to hit a solid shot full in the face of the 1 ball. You want a little bit of draw. If your cue ball travels more than 2 feet after the break, you did something wrong.
The 1 ball should move further up the table than the cue ball. Hopefully, it will not reach the short rail on the break end of the table.
Besides sinking one of the wing balls, all you are trying to do is separate the cue ball and the 1 ball from the pack. You want them to be all alone on the other end of the table so that you can get a clear shot.
Some pros and some announcers are still against this kind of a break. They feel that this break does not open up the rack enough. They have a point, but I don't want to open up the rack if I am not going to pocket a ball.
As time went by, the pros learned that a little angle was a good thing. That is why they would bridge up from the rail. This type of shot made it possible to sink the 1 ball in the opposite side pocket from the break position.
They got pretty good at this. Even amateurs learned to pocket the 1 ball on the break.
The trouble is that if you pocket the 1 ball on the break, you have to shoot at the 2 ball. That can be tough because you have to depend on luck leaving you a shot on the 2.
Nowadays, the pros are learning that they can pocket a ball and get position on the next ball if they learn to pocket a ball other than the 1 ball.
They do this with a medium break, and they bridge on the cloth, not on the rail. They drive the cue into the 1 ball. They want the cue ball to draw back to the middle of the table, and they want the 1 ball to go near the side pocket, miss the pocket, and continue to the other end of the table. Hopefully, they end up with a clear shot on the 1.
So what ball do they try to pocket? They look to the wing balls. The wing balls are the balls on either side of the 9 in the rack. If the pro breaks from the left, he wants th wing ball on the right side to go in the right corner pocket. If he breaks from the right, he want the wing ball on the left to go in the left corner pocket.
One nice thing about this break is that both wing balls come close to their respective pockets no matter how you hit the cue. Plus, if they miss their pocket, they often bank into the opposite corner.
You want to hit a good strong stroke, but not a really hard one. It will take a little experimenting. The strength of the stroke will change the way the balls react.
You want to hit a solid shot full in the face of the 1 ball. You want a little bit of draw. If your cue ball travels more than 2 feet after the break, you did something wrong.
The 1 ball should move further up the table than the cue ball. Hopefully, it will not reach the short rail on the break end of the table.
Besides sinking one of the wing balls, all you are trying to do is separate the cue ball and the 1 ball from the pack. You want them to be all alone on the other end of the table so that you can get a clear shot.
Some pros and some announcers are still against this kind of a break. They feel that this break does not open up the rack enough. They have a point, but I don't want to open up the rack if I am not going to pocket a ball.
Friday, September 26, 2008
The Stop Shot in Pool and Billiards
In a previous post, Warmup Drill #1 was given to you. That drill requires you to run a series of straight shots. It teaches you to stroke your cue stick accurately and straight.
If you can do tha drill, then it is time to move up. The Stop Shot is next on the list. You need the Stop Shot. It shows up several times in each pool game that you play, and it is relatively easy to do. Finally, the mechanics of the Stop Shot are used in many other shots. Those shots are angled, but from your end of the cue, you do the same thing on those shots as on the Stop Shot.
So it is time to learn the Stop Shot.
Set up the balls for the first shot as if you were doing Warmup Drill #1. But this time, when you stroke the shot, you want the cue ball to stop as soon as it hits the object ball.
To do that, you merely have to hit the cue ball a tiny bit below center. How far below is up to you. It depends on how hard you stroke, what kind of tip you have, whether your stick is level, etc.
Following the drill from Warmup Drill #1, your second shot is a little longer. You have to hit a little further below center. The third shot is even longer. You have to hit even further below center.
You may continue with the rest of Warmup Drill #1 if you have had good results so far, but a lot of people should just repeat Balls 1, 2 and 3. If you do it right, you should be able to get the cue ball to stop completely.
Balls 4 and 5 are long shots. Even pros have difficulty stopping their cue ball on long shots. Don't kick yourself too hard if you experience problems also.
If you can do tha drill, then it is time to move up. The Stop Shot is next on the list. You need the Stop Shot. It shows up several times in each pool game that you play, and it is relatively easy to do. Finally, the mechanics of the Stop Shot are used in many other shots. Those shots are angled, but from your end of the cue, you do the same thing on those shots as on the Stop Shot.
So it is time to learn the Stop Shot.
Set up the balls for the first shot as if you were doing Warmup Drill #1. But this time, when you stroke the shot, you want the cue ball to stop as soon as it hits the object ball.
To do that, you merely have to hit the cue ball a tiny bit below center. How far below is up to you. It depends on how hard you stroke, what kind of tip you have, whether your stick is level, etc.
Following the drill from Warmup Drill #1, your second shot is a little longer. You have to hit a little further below center. The third shot is even longer. You have to hit even further below center.
You may continue with the rest of Warmup Drill #1 if you have had good results so far, but a lot of people should just repeat Balls 1, 2 and 3. If you do it right, you should be able to get the cue ball to stop completely.
Balls 4 and 5 are long shots. Even pros have difficulty stopping their cue ball on long shots. Don't kick yourself too hard if you experience problems also.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Cue Sticks and Chalk
Chalk up that stick!!
Your cue stick needs chalk after every shot. Even if you hit mostly straight shots, you should chalk up at every opportunity.
Most of the experts will give you a big long explanation about how to chalk up. They will tell you that the pros do it their way.
Well, I am sure that some pros do it their way, but I have seen an awful lot of pros who grind that chalk onto the cue like crazy.
I don't believe that the actual method of applying the chalk makes a big difference. I believe that the only thing that matters is the results. If your cue has an light coating of chalk spread on the tip, then you have done your job.
Your cue stick needs chalk after every shot. Even if you hit mostly straight shots, you should chalk up at every opportunity.
Most of the experts will give you a big long explanation about how to chalk up. They will tell you that the pros do it their way.
Well, I am sure that some pros do it their way, but I have seen an awful lot of pros who grind that chalk onto the cue like crazy.
I don't believe that the actual method of applying the chalk makes a big difference. I believe that the only thing that matters is the results. If your cue has an light coating of chalk spread on the tip, then you have done your job.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Visualize the Pool Shot Before You Put Your Stick on the Table
I just finished watching Efran Reyes play a game. During that game, he had a tough shot.
In this situation, rank amateurs walk up to the table, look at it for a minute, then bend over and cue up. At this point, an awful lot of them are still unsure what shot they will take. While they are over the ball, they are thinking about what to do.
What do you think Efran did? Well, I'll tell ya.
Efran walked up to the pool table, looked at it for a minute, walked around the table, looked at it from several angles, called for an extension, walked around the table, looked at it from more angles, walked around again.
Eventually, he picked his shot. Then he bent over, aimed, and fired. It did not take long once he knew what shot he wanted to take. He was over the ball for no more than five seconds.
The key is to know what type of shot you want to take. After you have that, all you have to do is perform.
In this situation, rank amateurs walk up to the table, look at it for a minute, then bend over and cue up. At this point, an awful lot of them are still unsure what shot they will take. While they are over the ball, they are thinking about what to do.
What do you think Efran did? Well, I'll tell ya.
Efran walked up to the pool table, looked at it for a minute, walked around the table, looked at it from several angles, called for an extension, walked around the table, looked at it from more angles, walked around again.
Eventually, he picked his shot. Then he bent over, aimed, and fired. It did not take long once he knew what shot he wanted to take. He was over the ball for no more than five seconds.
The key is to know what type of shot you want to take. After you have that, all you have to do is perform.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Efran Reyes Winning against Earl Strickland
In this billiards video, Efran Reyes shows his magic on the pool table. Watch how he hooks Earl with a great safety - only to be hooked himself when he accidentally pockets a ball. Then watch as he gets out of the hook and wins the game. Efran is the Wizard!
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