Basic concepts

[bobt64]

I'm still pretty much a new player at 1P and was wondering what the more experianced players would suggest were say the three most basic do's and the three most basic don'ts for the game. I can already tell that this is the most complex game I am aware of, so trying to concentrate on doing as many things correctly as possible is sometimes quite difficult.

 

[GoldCrown]

Hi and welcome aboard. Tom Wirth's book will help tremendously.
One Pocket ... A game of controlled aggression

 

[Disco Dave]

I'm not what you would call the most experienced player, but here are a few tips garnered from my failures.

1. Always resist the temptation to go for your hole until you've considered all options available. Only take that shot if you can make it at least 90% of time. In a risky situation, don't take it at all. When you do take it (particularly with banks) hit it pocket speed so the ball remains at your pocket if you miss. Don't take the shot if you have no good follow up or position after that. Do a move or safe instead. Consider the consequences of missing the shot...even if its a relatively easy shot in a 9-ball game. the pressure is higher and a miss more likely.

2. Don't constantly play safe and hit "do nothing" shots". If you never shoot at your hole, your opponent will become very confident. Make him respect you. However, when no offense is available, look to move balls that are advantageous to your opponent and make the position better for yourself simultaneously. Think 2-way shots (offense/defense). Always try to put whitey in the most uncomfortable place on the table for him.

3. When playing SAFE leave the cue ball:

a. Frozen to the foot rail near his pocket,
b. Frozen to another ball,
c. Frozen to/in the stack on his side of the table.

frozen is better than close. get good at this.

d. distance is your friend. leave him uptable on the head rail if possible.

 

[lll]

i agree with goldcrown
tom wirth's book will definitely speed up your learning curve
here is a link to the home page of onepocket.org with a review by steve booth the founder of this site and info on how to buy it
http://www.onepocket.org/index.html

 

[Disco Dave]

I'm not what you would call the most experienced player, but here are a few tips garnered from my failures.

1. Always resist the temptation to go for your hole until you've considered all options available. Only take that shot if you can make it at least 90% of time. In a risky situation, don't take it at all. When you do take it (particularly with banks) hit it pocket speed so the ball remains at your pocket if you miss. Don't take the shot if you have no good follow up or position after that. Do a move or safe instead. Consider the consequences of missing the shot...even if its a relatively easy shot in a 9-ball game. the pressure is higher and a miss more likely.

2. Don't constantly play safe and hit "do nothing" shots". If you never shoot at your hole, your opponent will become very confident. Make him respect you. However, when no offense is available, look to move balls that are advantageous to your opponent and make the position better for yourself simultaneously. Think 2-way shots (offense/defense). Always try to put whitey in the most uncomfortable place on the table for him.

3. When playing SAFE leave the cue ball:

a. Frozen to the foot rail near his pocket,
b. Frozen to another ball,
c. Frozen to/in the stack on his side of the table.

frozen is better than close. get good at this.

d. distance is your friend. leave him uptable on the head rail if possible.

Oh yeh, and read my upcoming book entitled "Rockin Out in One Pocket with Dancin Dave". If nuthin else, you will learn some mean air guitar.

 

[bobt64]

Thanks, yes I have Tom's book and it's great and it sure helps. some of it is maybe a bit more advanced for me at this stage but if I keep trying I hope to get there.

 

[lll]

many on this site are way more experienced than me
so i am sure you will get some great advice

but here are 3 basic do and dont
do....1)try to prevent your opponent from making 8 balls
2)when playing safe try to FREEZE the cue ball to a rail or to a ball
3)play the score which means
when ahead move balls uptable and play less aggressive...
when behind play more aggressive
i believe ronnie allen is quoted as saying....when ahead play like a lamb ..when behind play like a lion
dont...1) shoot shots you are not a high percentage to execute
2)feel that if you have a shot to your pocket you have to shoot it
weigh the risk and reward
3)play strangers for big money while you are learning....
hope this helps
welcome aboard
dont be shy to post what you would do in the layouts posted
a great way to learn is by listening to the critiques of your shots

 

[Mike]

Four basics to learn:

When to shoot
When to play safe
When to take a scratch
When to give up a ball

 

[keoneyo]

When looking north. Look south.
When looking east. Look west.
That is to say don't just look at a shot to your hole. Look at what your opponent will be left with when you do shoot. Consider all possibilities and don't be satisfied with the obvious one.

Any mor on can make a cross bank.
There is always consequences when you shoot an aggressive shot. Use pocket speed. Do not leave a return shot cause any mor on can..........

Leave nothing.
Learn to leave Q ball frozen dead to the rail or to another ball.

The rail, stack, and distance are your friends.
Again leave them on the rail, behind a stack, or miles away.

 

[NH Steve]

If you have not already read it...

If you have not already read it...

There is a "One Pocket Primer" right here on OnePocket.org that covers the basics -- some of which take a lifetime to fully learn lol.

http://www.onepocket.org/getting_started.htm

 

[baby huey]

If you do nothing more than leave the cue ball in or very near your opponents pocket on every shot the worst thing you'll do is give up a bank shot. From there you'll figure things out pretty quick.

 

[1pwannabe]

Do

1. Learn to be patient (more patient than you imagine right now, much more in fact)

2. Learn cue/object ball speed...the single most important skill in 1P. When people say "pocket speed" they mean it

3. Learn to be creative and see things you never considered before. You must expand your ideas of what can be done. This is chess on a pool table after all


Don't

1. Get frustrated and quit before you've really tried, and tried HARD.

2. Gamble all your $ away so that you end up blaming 1P for ruining pool for you forever

3. Be stubborn. You start out knowing zip, open your mind and be flexible, you're learning a whole new set of skills

 

[LSJohn]

I'm still pretty much a new player at 1P and was wondering what the more experianced players would suggest were say the three most basic do's and the three most basic don'ts for the game. I can already tell that this is the most complex game I am aware of, so trying to concentrate on doing as many things correctly as possible is sometimes quite difficult.

In my opinion new players to the game can benefit most by trying to follow one simple rule: Anytime there's doubt about whether you can execute the offensive shot you're considering, play safe. You already know how to shoot. The more you play safe, the faster you'll learn how to do it well, and unless you're playing for more than recreational money, consider each game a training drill.

Oh, yeah, one more thing:Never forget that most advice you get is worth approximately what you pay for it.

(Naw, as you've probably picked up on already, there are some very smart dudes here who will try to help you for nuthin.')

Good luck, and come around more often. I guarantee that alone will improve your game.

 

[bobt64]

Good luck, and come around more often. I guarantee that alone will improve your game.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, I'll try to do that.

 

[GoldCrown]

I'm still pretty much a new player

You're not alone. The beauty is you will keep improving. There's only one way up.
Try a lesson or two with a qualified instructor. Start with Take Outs and general theory.
I'm pretty new at it. I do not gamble. It's all about enjoying the game.

 

[Miller]

I'm still pretty much a new player at 1P and was wondering what the more experianced players would suggest were say the three most basic do's and the three most basic don'ts for the game. I can already tell that this is the most complex game I am aware of, so trying to concentrate on doing as many things correctly as possible is sometimes quite difficult.

hello bob. all sound advice. lots of good onepocket on youtube and through accustats and OTR.

grow some thick skin and jump into the WWYDs (worse things can happen to a guy than being wrong on a computer screen and getting some tough constructive criticism). find a couple of sparring partners and play as much as possible. put yourself in the mix every now and then.

 

[Cowboy Dennis]

I'm still pretty much a new player at 1P and was wondering what the more experianced players would suggest were say the three most basic do's and the three most basic don'ts for the game. I can already tell that this is the most complex game I am aware of, so trying to concentrate on doing as many things correctly as possible is sometimes quite difficult.

Basic do's:

1. Shoot balls away from his pocket.

2. Shoot them so they go towards your pocket.

3. Put the cueball where he can't shoot them away from your pocket.

Basic don'ts:

1. Don't ever lose patience.

2. Don't shoot shots that can cause you to lose but can't help you win.

3. Don't ever give up in any game against anyone.



Here's a helpful tip from a current WWYD thread but is applicable to many situations. Many times when you are faced with a situation such as this (you have a 4-1 lead) you simply eliminate the balls you won't shoot and then the shot becomes more obvious.

In this example you would not shoot the 5, 10,11,4,1,14,15,13, or 6. That leaves the 12.

Many times this "elimination" method will help you see the "right" shot.

 

[Jeff sparks]

Basic do's:

1. Shoot balls away from his pocket.

2. Shoot them so they go towards your pocket.

3. Put the cueball where he can't shoot them away from your pocket.

Basic don'ts:

1. Don't ever lose patience.

2. Don't shoot shots that can cause you to lose but can't help you win.

3. Don't ever give up in any game against anyone.



Here's a helpful tip from a current WWYD thread but is applicable to many situations. Many times when you are faced with a situation such as this (you have a 4-1 lead) you simply eliminate the balls you won't shoot and then the shot becomes more obvious.

In this example you would not shoot the 5, 10,11,4,1,14,15,13, or 6. That leaves the 12.

Many times this "elimination" method will help you see the "right" shot.


View attachment 14747

The elimination method is a great tip Dennis, the building of a solid thinking process is a huge part of the game of one pocket, the game might be played on a 4 1/2 x 9 foot table, but it's won more times than not in that 6" space between one's ears.

As to the mechanical end of the game, always stay down on the shot and watch the CB hit the OB... without moving... Remain in the finished position until the balls force you to move... Popping up, flinching, jerking, or jumping will cause many unforced errors and many lost games. I'm an authority on jumping!!!

You will learn the necessary skills and form good muscle memory from practicing drills you can obtain from video or a good teaching professional. Learning the game and developing the skills to play it at a higher level is the fun part.
Have fun....

 

[wgcp]

speed

speed

Jeff sparks has a real pearl of wisdom...stay down till the shot is completed...if you want to learn the speed of the table, stay down till the shot is completely finished... it is the only way to learn the complete shot...safety or making balls.

That will teach you pocket speed, and that you must complete the entire shot...don't just get the cue close to a ball on a safety or close to a rail, stick the cue ball to a ball, the stack, the rail...you can't beat me if you never get to shoot at your hole...difficult as it may sound.

Learn now that a safety shot is just as important as making a ball...you would be surprised at how many games are won when your opponent gets frustrated being stuck to a ball, stack, or rail and makes a mistake that gives you the opportunity to win...

Learn how to concentrate on each and every shot...no matter how simple you may think it is...a loss of concentration and the miss of the shot will lose you more than it will win...

Learn the stop shot from anywhere, it amazes me how many players can't stop the rock on a dime...the cue rolls an extra 1/4 ball and leaves the opponent a shot, and what was a simple shot just lost you the game.

Its not an easy game and the variations are endless...good luck in your search for knowledge...

B

 

[NH Steve]

Jeff sparks has a real pearl of wisdom...stay down till the shot is completed...if you want to learn the speed of the table, stay down till the shot is completely finished... it is the only way to learn the complete shot...safety or making balls.

That will teach you pocket speed, and that you must complete the entire shot...don't just get the cue close to a ball on a safety or close to a rail, stick the cue ball to a ball, the stack, the rail...you can't beat me if you never get to shoot at your hole...difficult as it may sound.

Learn now that a safety shot is just as important as making a ball...you would be surprised at how many games are won when your opponent gets frustrated being stuck to a ball, stack, or rail and makes a mistake that gives you the opportunity to win...

Learn how to concentrate on each and every shot...no matter how simple you may think it is...a loss of concentration and the miss of the shot will lose you more than it will win...

Learn the stop shot from anywhere, it amazes me how many players can't stop the rock on a dime...the cue rolls an extra 1/4 ball and leaves the opponent a shot, and what was a simple shot just lost you the game.

Its not an easy game and the variations are endless...good luck in your search for knowledge...

B

Speaking of staying down, I don't know if I have mentioned this before but it is something I have noticed from photographing so many pool players. Because the typical "down on your shot" photo can quickly get redundant, I am always trying to keep my eyes open for something different. One of the moments that I like to capture is the second right after the player pulls the trigger and the are picking up. The only problem with that is that the well-disciplined players (like Shane and many of the top Euro players) don't do a damn thing after the shot, so there is nothing different to capture, lol!!!