Consider this section of Practice with Purpose transitional in nature.
Before we go back through part 1 in reverse order with lots of shots and examples, we need to examine some of the unconventional practice scenarios that really don’t fit into Part 1.
Two of these situations involve only shots. The Spot shot and the Cinch shot. Both are vitally important and widely misunderstood.
Take the spot shot in one pocket. It is one of the most important shots in the game but now day’s players seldom practice it. Why? Because it has been removed from 9 ball. The spot shot is a one pocket game winner. It is absolutely necessary that you practice it every chance you get.
As with any of these practice exercises I suggest that you set yourself a realistic goal to start. Ten in a row is a good place to start. One hundred is a good place to end. This is a shot that you can NEVER miss. Repetition trains your subconscious that you can and will make this shot under extreme pressure every time.
The other aspect of this shot is when to shoot it. This shot often comes up when your opponent has balls hanging in or near his hole. You have ball in hand and must decide to shoot it or not. The one rule I follow is this.
If you have properly trained your subconscious and have complete confidence and IF IT IS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN THE GAME-YOU ALWAYS SHOOT IT. To not do so is a weak and losing proposition.
If it is not a game winner you must examine the situation and can make other choices. Can you gain more leverage by moving more balls toward your pocket? Can you put your opponent in an untenable position?
Over the years I have spotted lots of pretty good players 8 to 4 and the break. Guess which ones were the hardest to beat? The ones that shot at their pocket when they had a chance to win. Don’t believe me? Just ask Billy Incardona. I know he has been in the same situation many times.
You don’t need to be a great player to benefit from this advice. I have watched Dippy play on the internet several times and I can guarantee you one thing. He shoots at his hole every time if he has a chance to win the game.
So just remember that just like every other time you have a good chance to win the game with one shot, you shoot at your hole with the utmost confidence. To not do so is just an excuse to lose.
Now let’s take a look at what is most likely the most important shot in a game of one pocket if not pool in general. The Cinch shot. The one shot you MUST make for all the marbles. The shot that separates the winners from the losers. It doesn’t matter if it a long straight in or a tough cut. It is the ALWAYS most difficult shot in pool because of the pressure.
If you were to ask players of my generation who they thought was the best Cinch or Clutch shot shooter of all time? The one player you would want to shoot the shot for your life? You would always get the same answer. Luther Lassiter. Time after time I have seen him in Johnson City, LA, DC and many other places shoot the toughest shots you could imagine under tremendous pressure and NEVER miss ONE shot.
I was in Norfolk one day playing 2 dollar practice 9 ball with Luther (I always called him Luther out of respect) when I asked how he did it. He smiled and raked the balls in with his cue (He was going to get out anyway). He took one ball and the cue ball and set up a long straight in. Wham. Then he set up an almost impossible cut shot and made that too. He turned to me and said “Did you see?” I said “no.” He set up another long straight in and said “Watch carefully”. This time I noticed something different in his stroke. I mentioned that to him and he said I was right.
He went on to explain to me that he had developed a special way of handling what he called “the tough ones”. He said he moved his right hand about ½ inch forward and shortened his bridge about 1 inch. He claimed it reduced his chance of hitting the cue ball slightly off center. I tried it and it seemed to work.
Now I have a better idea of what he was actually doing. He was using a mental trick to fool his subconscious mind. By making these subtle adjustments to his stroke and repeating them often enough he had convinced his subconscious that when he took these steps he could not under any circumstances miss the ball he was shooting at. Try it. It works. You establish a key that triggers your subconscious to get the required result. It doesn’t have to be what Luther did. I could be anything that works for you.
Now we are going to take a look at what I call obscure one pocket shots. Shots that you would only shoot in dire circumstances. As I said in Part 1 some billiards and caroms fall into this category. We will examine them in detail as we go back through Part 1 in reverse order.
One of the most commonly used obscure shots in one pocket is the masse. It is not a comfortable shot for most players but look at what Effren does with it. He was not born knowing how to use it. He learned by productive practice. He played Billiards. Not just 3 cushion but straight rail as well. No game teaches you caroms and the masse better. I suggest that you take 3 pool balls and find a Billiard table to practice on. What you learn there will help your one pocket tremendously.
Lastly under the obscure category is the Jump shot. “The Jump shot” you say. “In one pocket?” Heresy!
Not quite. Remember the jump shot comes in many flavors and what you can do with a jump cue and the “soft jump” will really open your eyes. Those shots where you cannot possibly get the cue ball on your opponent’s ball that is near his pocket suddenly become accessible. Again all I can do is point out what to practice and how to set goals while you practice.
I cannot make you do it. You must do it for yourself.
In Part 2 we will take a closer look at everything discussed in Part 1 in reverse.
Bill Stroud
Before we go back through part 1 in reverse order with lots of shots and examples, we need to examine some of the unconventional practice scenarios that really don’t fit into Part 1.
Two of these situations involve only shots. The Spot shot and the Cinch shot. Both are vitally important and widely misunderstood.
Take the spot shot in one pocket. It is one of the most important shots in the game but now day’s players seldom practice it. Why? Because it has been removed from 9 ball. The spot shot is a one pocket game winner. It is absolutely necessary that you practice it every chance you get.
As with any of these practice exercises I suggest that you set yourself a realistic goal to start. Ten in a row is a good place to start. One hundred is a good place to end. This is a shot that you can NEVER miss. Repetition trains your subconscious that you can and will make this shot under extreme pressure every time.
The other aspect of this shot is when to shoot it. This shot often comes up when your opponent has balls hanging in or near his hole. You have ball in hand and must decide to shoot it or not. The one rule I follow is this.
If you have properly trained your subconscious and have complete confidence and IF IT IS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN THE GAME-YOU ALWAYS SHOOT IT. To not do so is a weak and losing proposition.
If it is not a game winner you must examine the situation and can make other choices. Can you gain more leverage by moving more balls toward your pocket? Can you put your opponent in an untenable position?
Over the years I have spotted lots of pretty good players 8 to 4 and the break. Guess which ones were the hardest to beat? The ones that shot at their pocket when they had a chance to win. Don’t believe me? Just ask Billy Incardona. I know he has been in the same situation many times.
You don’t need to be a great player to benefit from this advice. I have watched Dippy play on the internet several times and I can guarantee you one thing. He shoots at his hole every time if he has a chance to win the game.
So just remember that just like every other time you have a good chance to win the game with one shot, you shoot at your hole with the utmost confidence. To not do so is just an excuse to lose.
Now let’s take a look at what is most likely the most important shot in a game of one pocket if not pool in general. The Cinch shot. The one shot you MUST make for all the marbles. The shot that separates the winners from the losers. It doesn’t matter if it a long straight in or a tough cut. It is the ALWAYS most difficult shot in pool because of the pressure.
If you were to ask players of my generation who they thought was the best Cinch or Clutch shot shooter of all time? The one player you would want to shoot the shot for your life? You would always get the same answer. Luther Lassiter. Time after time I have seen him in Johnson City, LA, DC and many other places shoot the toughest shots you could imagine under tremendous pressure and NEVER miss ONE shot.
I was in Norfolk one day playing 2 dollar practice 9 ball with Luther (I always called him Luther out of respect) when I asked how he did it. He smiled and raked the balls in with his cue (He was going to get out anyway). He took one ball and the cue ball and set up a long straight in. Wham. Then he set up an almost impossible cut shot and made that too. He turned to me and said “Did you see?” I said “no.” He set up another long straight in and said “Watch carefully”. This time I noticed something different in his stroke. I mentioned that to him and he said I was right.
He went on to explain to me that he had developed a special way of handling what he called “the tough ones”. He said he moved his right hand about ½ inch forward and shortened his bridge about 1 inch. He claimed it reduced his chance of hitting the cue ball slightly off center. I tried it and it seemed to work.
Now I have a better idea of what he was actually doing. He was using a mental trick to fool his subconscious mind. By making these subtle adjustments to his stroke and repeating them often enough he had convinced his subconscious that when he took these steps he could not under any circumstances miss the ball he was shooting at. Try it. It works. You establish a key that triggers your subconscious to get the required result. It doesn’t have to be what Luther did. I could be anything that works for you.
Now we are going to take a look at what I call obscure one pocket shots. Shots that you would only shoot in dire circumstances. As I said in Part 1 some billiards and caroms fall into this category. We will examine them in detail as we go back through Part 1 in reverse order.
One of the most commonly used obscure shots in one pocket is the masse. It is not a comfortable shot for most players but look at what Effren does with it. He was not born knowing how to use it. He learned by productive practice. He played Billiards. Not just 3 cushion but straight rail as well. No game teaches you caroms and the masse better. I suggest that you take 3 pool balls and find a Billiard table to practice on. What you learn there will help your one pocket tremendously.
Lastly under the obscure category is the Jump shot. “The Jump shot” you say. “In one pocket?” Heresy!
Not quite. Remember the jump shot comes in many flavors and what you can do with a jump cue and the “soft jump” will really open your eyes. Those shots where you cannot possibly get the cue ball on your opponent’s ball that is near his pocket suddenly become accessible. Again all I can do is point out what to practice and how to set goals while you practice.
I cannot make you do it. You must do it for yourself.
In Part 2 we will take a closer look at everything discussed in Part 1 in reverse.
Bill Stroud
