After a long time of not posting, I want to get back to regular posting again. Here’s the first of what I hope to be much more frequent posts now that life is back to normal.

I imagine most people here are great pool shooters. I’ve come up with a bunch of tips that help improve your pool game that a lot of people just do not think about. These do not teach you to play, but they can easily help you turn a couple of those missed opportunities into incredible shots.

Counting back from ten:

10. Confidence: A lot of people do not realize it, but if you approach the table and each shot with the utmost confidence, you’re sure to make a couple of those harder shots. I’ve seen a huge difference in my game, even when playing some of the best shooters I know, just from confidence. I went into a very difficult APA match on Monday a little scared and that helped cause me a loss that night. However, I was practicing Thursday, playing against somebody much better than my APA opponent, one of the best in the tavern I go to, and I ran the table within a few minutes, simply because I went in with confidence and a plan.

9. Walk through the game in your head: That’s the plan I just mentioned. When you’re faced with your first shot, think it through. Look at all available shots and figure out what pocket each shot will go in. Figure out where the cue ball should go after that shot by the way you’re shooting it and what shots that will leave you with. Do not make a shot until you’re sure you’ve accounted for every possibility. It doesn’t take long.

8. Cue ball placement: That cue ball can be your own worst enemy. I’ve been on a roll but then stopped myself by placing that cue ball in a horrible spot behind balls blocking all my shots. If I had hit it a little harder, a little softer, or at a slightly different angle, the cue ball would have placed in a much better place.

7. Don’t show off: Yes, you’re a very good player. Nobody doubts that. You like to show off, I’m sure. I do. If you show off, you can miss a shot. Don’t be afraid to make the safer cut shot instead of a nasty bank shot if possible. I am prone to a little showing off every now and then myself, so I understand the desire to fool around a little. If you’re really trying to win that game, showing off is counter productive at best.

6. Play it safe: One of my favorite things to do is play smart. Against a better player, I like to shoot safe shots. (Playing a “safe” or “safety” is when a player shoots a legal shot that is intended to place the cue ball in a position that causes an impossible chance of the opponent making a shot.) Sometimes you can give up a risky shot or one you cannot run the table with by playing a safe, which may force the opponent to mess up and leave you in a much better place, or, even sweeter, give you a ball-in-hand.

5. Follow through: If you poke at the ball like it’s a smoldering coal in a charcoal grill, you will get nowhere. Hit firm– not necessarily hard– just firm. Follow through slightly as if you are shooting through the ball, not at it. Combined with that is not hitting too hard.

4. Chalk up your stick: You can miscue if your stick is not chalked properly. Some players chalk after every shot. I do. I do it for two reasons. The first reason is that you are much less likely to miscue. The second reason is that I can take the time to look at the table and plan while I am chalking up my stick. Taking that breathing room to chalk up your stick forces you to take plenty of time that you can use to look, think, and calm your mind down.

3. Place your hand on the stick in the right place. Too many people hold their cue stick closer to the butt of the stick. Hold your stick loosely in the insides of your fingers allowing it to tip at the heavier end. Balance it so it doesn’t move unless you do, and then choke up about three or four inches so the butt end is slightly weightier if you try to balance it. That is arguably the best place to shoot from. It may seem weird at first, but it gives you much more control and reduces stick vibration in the middle of the shot.

2. Focus: The band, music player, or jukebox may be playing your favorite song. You may be in a strip club with the obvious distractions. Your buddy may have just said, “Hey! Let’s do a round!” It doesn’t matter. Until you make that shot, the only thing that matters is that shot. From the time you have eyed up a shot until the time you complete the shot and the balls stop moving, keep both eyes and your undivided attention on the table.

1. Slow down: Don’t make shot after shot real fast. Slow down, look at the table, figure out ball movement and cue ball placement. Have you ever heard a pool player say, “bang-bang-bang-bang”, referring to making shot after shot? Don’t actually try to do it that fast. take your time, measure up your shot, check out what shots you will have when that shot is done. Chalk up your stick after every shot if it helps slow you down.

Greetings, pool enthusiasts! I was practicing last night, and something came to mind. In my travels, especially when I play with people who are not in an organized league, I find that some players are not aware of some of the more obscure rules in pool. I’m not talking about the differences in leagues. I mean rules that are accepted no matter what variation of pool or billiards you are playing. I find myself kindly informing people of rules they were not aware of fairly often. It doesn’t upset me. I just find it interesting. For this reason, I decided to put together a list of the top ten rules I have found many players do not know. Here it goes, starting with the least frequent to the most frequent, counting backward.

10. If a player is shooting the 8 ball and scratches, his opponent wins by default. I played against two people who had no idea that a scratch on the 8 ball is an automatic loss. (Note: For those who don’t know, a scratch is when the cue ball is pocketed.)

9. Getting tips mid-game is actually a foul, necessitating loss of turn unless the game is played in a league that allows a time-out, or it is specified as legal ahead of time.

8. Movement of any numbered ball, even inadvertent, by any other method than contact from a legal shot necessitates a foul and loss of turn. Many people think that brushing a ball with their sleeve, their follow through, the butt of their cue stick, etc., is forgivable if the ball is moved back where it was. Frankly, most of the time I let it go unless I am in a league or tournament. However, even by accident, if a ball is moved in any way that is not the effect of a legal shot is actually a foul.

7. A lot of pool players are under the false assumption that if the cue ball is pocketed at any point during a shot and the object ball is pocketed, that the object ball must come back on the table. In almost all games, that is not true. Any pocketed ball on a legal shot is pocketed, even if the player scratches.

6. Contrary to popular belief, sitting on the table to make a difficult shot is not actually legal. In almost all situations, in almost all games, at least one foot must be flat on the floor. If you cannot keep at least one foot flat on the floor, you must get the bridge stick or pick another shot.

5. Everyone knows that hitting the cue ball off the table constitutes a scratch. Not everyone knows that hitting a numbered ball off the table not only constitutes a scratch but that the projectile ball is placed on the table at the foul mark (the spot the balls are racked on), hence the name “foul mark”.

4. If a player shoots the cue ball and strikes the opponent’s ball first (before their own), it constitutes a foul, and is actually treated like a scratch. In casual bar pool, I have seen players just play a ball where it lands, even if this foul has occurred. I suggested implementing this rule once, and the casual players looked at me like I had four green heads. This is one of many rules that are implemented in the league games I play in, but when playing casual pool, I have to make sure I know if the opponent honors this rule, or if he even knows it exists.

3. It is a fault to touch the pool table in any way, for any reason, while the opponent is shooting. This is primarily self-explanatory, but I will expound on it a bit more. Some shooters like to grab chalk from the sides of the table, or measure up their next shot. Do not even do that. If your opponent is enough of a jerk, he or she might call you on it. This is another rule that I don’t care about when I’m playing. As long as you don’t interfere with my shot or the balls on the table, touch anything you want if you are playing me. Due to the fact that cheating is possible, and cheaters in the past have sabotaged their opponents’ shots, the rule is there. To avoid having a jerk opponent call you on it, it is wise to just step away from the table and not even lay a finger on it until it is your turn.

2. If the tip of the cue stick touches the cue ball for any reason, it is considered a shot, forcing a shooter to lose their turn if the cue ball is touched in error or in habit. Many more experienced players like to move the cue ball to its intended location (for instance in the event of ball-in-hand, assuming you and your opponent are playing ball-in-hand rules, the intent to break, or any other reason for you to move the cue ball in a game) by using the tip of their cue stick. Wrong. Most players are not such jerks that they will call another player on such a silly technicality, but I have seen it called before in a league game. To ensure the situation does not present itself, either move the cue ball by hand, or use the top shaft of the stick between the joint and the tip, not allowing even the white portion under the tip to make contact with the cue ball. It may be asking for potential trouble against the wrong opponent.

1. If the 8 ball is hit in on a break, the breaker has just won the game. I would have thought that the vast majority of players, even casual bar players, would have known the quickest way to ensure a win, but I’ve found I was wrong. Three people I’ve played recently had no idea that an 8 ball break is an automatic win. I won that way against one person, who vehemently objected when I went to shake their hand with the customary “good game” comment. He refused to admit I had won until I showed it to him in my humongous rule book. I played a good friend of mine, and in conversation, I told him about this interaction, and he responded, “Well he was right. You didn’t win.” I had to show it to him in the same book. Two of my friends were playing each other last week, and again the same dilemma appeared, in which I had to yank the rule book back out.

Honorable mention：It is a much more minor rule, but many people do not realize that it is universally accepted that a break is not legal unless at least four numbered balls individually touch the rail at some point before the break is over.

It is not my intention to ever “preach” at anyone, but I was shocked to find out how many rules people were unaware of. I don’t blame the players. I blame the large variety of different rules in different leagues and situations. Nobody ever really knows what rules to play by until the situation comes up. I always just default to the “home” team or player, namely the player or team that has “possession” of the table. When push comes to shove, I figure home rules precede any assumed or understood rules. In some cases, I ask the player or team that has control of the table when the situation comes up, before acting on anything or assuming.

Please feel free to comment on this or any of my posts. I would love your comments, feedback, or questions. Feel free to create or join the conversation. This site is meant to be a community. Feel free to join the community. I have also given many subscription and networking options there on the sidebar. I have an RSS feed and e-mail subscription service. Please consider visiting my Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, or MyBlogLog so you can be my friend. You can also rate me on Technorati or StumbleUpon, and bookmark me on Delicious, whichever you prefer.

Cheers,

Shooter

I got an e-mail asking about curve shots. I use them all the time, but they are very difficult to describe. I found a few videos on them. Once I’m making my own videos, I’ll be able to tailor them much more to the question you’re asking. Also, if any visitors have made or have any better videos about a topic, I will certainly add them to my site and give you full credit, even in the form of a link.

So, let’s get started:

Credit: ExpertVillage.com and YouTube

Well, that was a great overview, but most of the time when shooters want to curve a ball, it is when they have NO shot, and want to curve around an obstructing ball to get to the shot they want. This happens a lot on the eight ball when your opponent is someone who knows how to play a good safety. (For readers who don’t know, a safety happens when a player plays a shot, not intending for a shot to necessarily go in the pocket, but more to place the cue ball in a horrible spot for the opponent’s next shot, or to put their object ball into the way of the opponent’s next shot. Most pool players say that is “playing a safety,” or more simply, “a safe.”)

Here’s an example of how to get around that:

Credit: ExpertVillage.com and YouTube

I know, I know. I use a lot of ExpertVillage.com videos. I’m hoping to soon get more of a variety of sources for videos, and in the near future begin to make my own.

In the meantime, here is a great video of the most incredible curve I think I’ve ever seen. (Remember, I play all the time, and I play with some incredible shooters in two pool leagues. None can curve like this.) I like how it curves nearly immediately, it curves directly into the eight ball, and it looks almost artistic. Especially with obstructing balls so close, that took years of practice.

Credit: YouTube

I’ve begun to get hooked on Dr. Dave Billiards. He brings it almost down to a geek science, which is great for learning. I’ll let him close out my lesson with two videos:

Large, short distance curve:

Credit: “Dr. Dave” and YouTube

I like how he addressed the potential damage driving the cue stick down at the ball can create. It’s really the truth. If you look at a bar table that hasn’t had the felt replaced in a while, it looks like garbage, for this reason. Luckily, my home tavern replaces the felt just about when it starts to look like garbage and they take care of their tables.

Practice that shot and get very good at it on garbage bar tables before you go messing with it on a good table, especially your own. I would much rather simply miss the shot or try a crazy bank shot before I go leaving lasting marks on a multi-thousand dollar investment.

Small, slightly longer curve:

Credit: “Dr. Dave” and YouTube

It was a very slight curve, and much more likely in a normal game, even a bar game, than the others I have shown you, so I had to add that in. I hope it helps. As I get better at writing on this site and can make my own videos, I will begin to explain things more thoroughly and then make my own videos to back them up.

Last but not least, I found a great place to learn the best secrets of playing 8 ball. (Click the link to go there.)

I’ll probably go out to practice again this Monday, and I’ll come back on Tuesday with some new tips and tricks I want to write about, unless you all have suggestions on something good to write about.

I went out to practice tonight, and I played nearly 30 games with several of my friends, some very good at pool, and some not so good. I decided after a couple of games that I would pay attention to the mistakes I noticed people making so I could make a mental note about them, and maybe write about them here. I figured I could not only improve my own game, but I could help to improve the way some of my readers play.

I figured out the ten biggest mistakes I’ve seen pool players make. Here they are, in the order I think they are most detrimental, starting with the least, ending with the worst:

10. Not Chalking the Stick – Never go more than two or three shots without chalking your stick. Have you ever totally “miscued,” creating a weird snap noise instead of the usual hearty “pop” sound a shot makes? Have you noticed how the ball goes all over the table and not where you expected? Chalk is free. Pick it up and rub that sucker all over the tip of your stick.

9. Breaking up clusters – The only cluster you should be in a hurry to break is the one in a triangle formation that starts the game. If you have two or three of your opponent’s balls tied up in a cluster with yours, try to prolong breaking that cluster up. Try to make your opponent break it up. There is a 95% chance that your opponent will not make anything from that shot, and it broke your balls out, very likely closer to pockets… leaving you the next shot.

8. Unnecessary Kick Shots or Bank Shots – I’m not saying kick shots or bank shots are bad. (In case someone doesn’t know, a “bank” shot is a shot where a player hits the cue ball into another ball with the intention of hitting it off the rail into a pocket on the opposite side of the table. A kick shot is where a player hits the cue ball off of the rail with the intention of the cue ball hitting their ball into a pocket on the opposite side of the table. These shots are similar, but they differ as to which ball is intentionally shot dead into the rail. See yesterday’s videos for more on these.) I love kicks and banks. I have used them to win countless games. They have also come back to hurt me against opponents who have a killer bank or kick shot. There is a rule I learned a long time ago, “If you can cut it, don’t bank it.” (In case I have a reader that doesn’t understand what a “cut shot” is, it is simply a shot that is not a perfect straight in shot. If you have to hit it at any angle, you are essentially cutting it. Most players reserve the term “cut” for a more difficult angle.) There are so many times I’ve seen a shot someone could have just as easily cut into the pocket, but they attempted to bank or kick it. If you cut it instead, you have more of a chance of making the shot or at least sitting it closer to the pocket, if not inside the corners. A bank or kick shot has less control and can veer off, be hit too hard, or be into the opposing rail, causing a more difficult shot on that ball later in the game.

7. Talking – Talking is a wonderful thing. I love talking to more experienced players, or players that have a different view on how a shot should be executed. Two problems are wrong with that: 1. If you are playing a league game, most leagues give you a penalty for talking to your teammates unless you have called a “time out.” 2. Even if it is legal to talk to your teammates or other players wherever it is you’re shooting, you run the risk of distracting yourself. The best pool players rarely take their eyes off the table. You can tell they are having a good time, but you can see the serious look on their faces. They mean business, and as much fun as they’re having, they’re here to win. There’s plenty of time to talk. Right now you have a game to win.

6. Not Looking over the Whole Table – That speaks for itself. You may be emotionally attached to a shot you just watched line up when your opponent missed. Don’t be so quick to take that shot. It might not be your best option. Look over the table. Play a little of the game out in your head. Ask yourself, “If I make this shot, where is the cue ball likely to go, and do I have a decent shot on another ball from that location?” Don’t be afraid to walk around the table for a couple of minutes while rubbing your beard. (I don’t care if you have a beard or not. Rub it.) One thing I started doing to help me slow down and look at the table is simply chalking up the tip of my stick. While I’m sitting there methodically chalking the stick, I’m a good two feet or more in distance away from the table. I’m looking. I’m thinking. I’m not checking out the beautiful blonde playing at the next table… not right now anyway. She’ll still be there when your turn is over. Right now you want to pick the best shot you have on the table. Choose wisely. Once that cue stick makes contact with the cue ball, it’s too late.

5. Food – Try not to order any food until after you’ve shot your games, unless you know that you will be a while until it’s your turn to shoot. You pay less attention to the game, miss important calls, and frankly, people are less happy to tell you if you have high balls or low balls (stripes or solids) if it’s the fifth time they have told you in this game.

4. Extremely loud music – I know, I know. You’re in a bar. You’re trying to party. I also know that music relaxes you. That’s fine. You just have to remember that you need a little remaining concentration to shoot pool. Instead of playing your favorite Slipknot song or Down With the Sickness on the jukebox, try playing some Bob Dylan, ZZ Top, or even some Country. Save the Finger Eleven, Pantera, and Marilyn Manson for after the game when you’re just having a couple of drinks afterward, playing around.

3. Alcohol Consumption – Sure, I like a drink or two when I’m playing. Who doesn’t? That’s why almost every bar has a pool table. Alcohol and pool go hand in hand. I fully support that. I shoot with a few people on APA who swear they play better drunk than sober. Good for them. Most people don’t shoot better drunk. Even those who think they do play better drunk seem to eventually get worse after they keep drinking. There’s a reason for the DUI laws in the United States. Your perspective of a straight line is considerably different under the influence. (We could have the argument of whether or not the DUI laws are exactly reasonable or not all day long. I’m not going there.) Let’s put it this way: If you are seriously concerned about the quality of your driving due to alcohol, which prompts you to sleep in your car or find a driver, you should probably be seriously concerned about the quality of your game.

2. Shooting Hard – Don’t get me wrong. There is a time for shooting hard. Unfortunately, 90% of the shots I see people shoot are entirely too hard. Hard shots are harder to control and are more likely to veer off of the trajectory that would place it in the pocket. I’ve seen a lot of straight in shots hit the corners of the pocket and bounce right out. I’ve seen people hit the ball so hard it hits the back of the pocket where the brace is, and come flying back into the table. The worst I’ve seen is when people hit a shot so hard that a ball, especially the cue ball, goes flying off the table out of control. (At this point, I jokingly hold my arms up like goal posts, and yell, “It’s good!”) My point here is that a harder shot has less control and you will likely hit a ball off the table or veer off course. If you do make the shot, it’s likely you’ve messed up placement for your next one, because only the God you worship will know where that cue ball is headed and if you will have a decent second shot.

1. Using Damaged Sticks – I cannot tell you how many people I played just grabbed a house stick out of the rack to use in a game without checking the integrity of the tip or the structure of the stick itself. I saw damaged tips, tips that wouldn’t hold chalk, and very warped sticks. If you want the perfect control over the cue ball, and ultimately your shot, the stick you use must be in good repair. The more immaculate the stick, the more you eliminate stupid mistakes.

If you have any mistakes to list, please feel free to drop me a comment. I’ll probably address it in a later post, plus I’d love to see a conversation start here about it.

Also, everybody check out my Cool Sites list. If you want to be on my cool sites list, just let me know and I’ll take a look at your site. Take care everybody, and happy shooting!

Shooter

Although many players just refer to rail based shots as “bank shots”, there is a big difference between kick shots and bank shots to the serious player. A bank shot involves hitting the cue ball into the object ball in a way that the object ball hits a rail with a trajectory that aims for a pocket on the opposite rail. Here’s a great instructional video:

Credit: ExpertVillage.com and YouTube

I just wish he had made that reverse bank. It would have looked really cool.

A kick shot is when the cue ball is hit into the rail with the intention of hitting the shooter’s own ball into a pocket on the opposite rail. Here’s a great instructional video:

Credit: ExpertVillage.com and YouTube

I just wish he would have made either shot. It would have been better for visuals. You get the idea though. Now get out there and try it.

Check out this site I found with the best eight ball secrets.

Cheers and happy shooting!

Shooter

Here is a great video I found addressing basic shooting:

By the way, check out this Guide to Buying Pool Tables that I found.

I hope some of this helps some people out there. Happy shooting!

Shooter

Well, I play eight ball APA pool on Monday nights. It is a travel league. We play different teams at all sorts of different bars and taverns in the area, including our home tavern. (I am about to join a related nine ball team on Wednesday nights now that my Wednesday night in-house league is over.)

As promised, I’m posting about that, including anything really interesting or neat that happened that readers might be interested in. Unfortunately, not a lot happened that was really interesting, and there were no tips I could really bring anyone from that. The only thing I noticed is that many people are simply shooting too hard. I guess APA rules support people shooting too hard because the APA rules state that as long as you hit your ball first, if any of your balls go into a pocket, whether it was a planned shot or not, it’s still your turn. APA players call it “APA luck” or “APA love.”

I’ve also noticed one thing that bothers me a little. My team refuses to play “the numbers game.” Here’s what I mean: Eight ball APA players are rated from 2-7 based on skill. (Nine ball APA players can go down to a skill level of 1 if they are just that bad.) If a lower rated player plays a higher rated player, they have less wins required to win the match, based on said ratings. For instance, if a player rated 3 plays a player rated 7, the 7 has to win five games to take the match, while the 3 only has to win two games.

This is especially handy when you really want a win, and you have a very good 3 rated player. That 3, if on his game, can easily squeeze two matches from the 7, and you recorded a win. That’s called playing the numbers game. You match your players up, sometimes very unevenly, against players that are better than them (or worse than them), hoping that the numbers and some luck will see you through to a very victorious evening.

For some reason, the captain of my team refuses to play the numbers game. I’m only the co-captain, so I don’t have as much authority, otherwise we’d be taking more advantage of that, instead of playing everybody against their skill level, and praying we don’t have an unsuspected sandbagger against us. (Sandbag – To downplay or misrepresent one’s ability in a game or activity in order to deceive. A sandbagger is someone who intentionally loses matches early in a session to keep their rating low, giving an edge in the numbers game, later in the year.)

My APA team lost last night, the last night of the session, and did not make playoffs. I don’t have any active pool leagues until May, so I will be practicing and doing some research on more expert pool techniques so I can get back in fresh. I’ll keep posting here, hopefully everyday, about all of that and some other things. I want to get a forum going and get a real pool players’ community going here. Feel free to comment and feel free to contact me at: shooter(at)ishootpool(dot)com. (That was written the way it was to elude spam.)

Shooter