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This is today’s bit of advice from the book Safety Toolbox.

The confusion safety type can be a lot of fun. Confusion is created by complicating the table. It forces your opponent to discard any previous plans and ideas and requires him to recalculate his entire strategy. Anything that uses up brain energy helps you.

Consider these ideas for 8 Ball.

Tickle your balls out of clusters while leaving his balls grouped.
Knock his balls away from favored positions.
Place your ball in the pathway of any down-the-rail shots.
Cover two or more pockets with blockers.
Move your opponent’s balls into dead zones (always a plus).
Where possible, attempt two actions with one shot – something to improve your table layout and damage his.

Consider these ideas for 9 Ball.

Combo or carom a higher numbered ball to be a blocker.
Kick a higher numbered ball away from an easy shot.
Push balls into positions where they interfere with each other.
Push another ball into an existing cluster.
Move one or more balls into a dead zone.

Basically, you are creating controlled havoc. When rearranging the furniture, you add new chaos into the problems he has to solve. Just moving a single ball out of a favored position can force him to rethink the layout and create a new pattern.

This can complicate his life by introducing difficulties when he was not expecting them. Most players don’t like having to reconfigure their plans during a game. Forcing this re-evaluation of patterns and expectations wears down enthusiasm.

Pay attention to how an opponent handles tough layouts. This gives you some insight into how he feels about table problems. If he agonizes over what to do with difficult situations, this is your permission to offer him more. If he seems to handle it easily, test his patience by using this safety several times during a game. Watch his face for indicators that he is irritated or frustrated. Any emotional response is an indicator.