In most games, the winner of the last game breaks. The loser must rack the balls for the next game. Breaking a loose rack (gaps between the balls) causes a lot of lost energy, and the balls will stay bunched up in clusters. This is not something you want to happen. It can throw off your focus and rhythm. Continue reading
An edge is something you have that gives you an advantage over the other player. It can be any kind of secret skill or special refinement you developed – just to use when your opponent least expects it.
An edge shot must be properly timed. It’s not something that you put on display at every opportunity. The table layout must look seemingly tough. The cue ball and object ball angles also have to be right.
But when those conditions exist, you can blow away your opponent’s assumptions about your skills. When you shake his evaluation of your abilities, you also introduce a certain amount of uncertainty in his thinking. THAT re-evaluation time frame can last several innings, which gives you opportunities to advance.
The obvious answer is more practice. Most players tend to avoid side pocket shots unless the object ball is directly out from the pocket. Anything with an angle makes them try a cross bank or an extreme cut to the corner. Other players will use extreme efforts (spin & speed) to avoid a cue ball position that forces an object ball shot to the side pockets. Continue reading
When another scoring system is not available (moveable beads, balls, etc.), coins are placed under a cushion at each diamond to track the score of a race to a number. Continue reading
When you want to practice 1 Pocket and there are no opponents available, you can be your own best challenger. Who else can give you the competitive level you deserve? Continue reading
If you are a casual player who goes down to the pool hall as a once a week league player, or you go to the senior center four times a week to play, or if you are an avid bar table player – nope, don’t consider owning your set of pool balls. There is no reason to waste your money, simply because you would never have any place to use them. Continue reading
There are shots when the cue ball is mid table and you must aim it towards a ball at the opposite short rail. If you are a tall person, the shot might not be difficult to stretch out and shoot. If you are a shorter individual, you can’t stretch your bridge hand out far enough to get a stable bridge for your shaft. The cue just isn’t long enough to hold the cue in a stable manner that is needed for a trustworthy stroke. Some part of your fundamentals must be abandoned, making the stroke prone to major failures. Continue reading
The very idea of actually standing on top of a pool table is a bit weird. After all, that table top is designed for balls to easily roll around, hit each other, the cushions, and sometimes fall into the holes and disappear. Continue reading
Only the very cheapest cues will have screw-on tips. If you are getting a cue for the very first time and you really don’t know what you want, these cheap cues can at least provide you with an experience on what to avoid in the future. Continue reading
The standard cue stick is 57″ to 58″. This is the common standard for sticks around the world. For 85-90% of the people this is no problem. But if you are “overly” tall, you end up holding the stick hand a lot closer to the cue butt then your shorter competitors. If you had a longer stick, the balance would feel better. And of course, when you have to stretch a bit, the longer stick allows you an even greater reach. Continue reading
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