measuring shot difficulty

unoperro

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Feb 25, 2012
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Reading the Daulton vs Richeson post, some said one cut shot was easeir then the other.

I wonder why they felt that way?

I measure difficulty as

Distance to object ball X Distance of object ball to pocket

So cueball 9 diamonds from object ball X object 1/2 diamond from pkt

Shot is 9X1/2=4 1/2

Cueball 4 diamonds from object ball X object ball 4 diamonds from pkt

Shot is 4 X 4= 16

One shot is much harder!

Opinions?
 

lll

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vero beach fl
f i understand your system for calculating difficulty
in my diagram shot A and B the cue ball is 4 diamonds from the object ball and the object ball is 4 diamonds from the pocket
so the difficulty for both shots is 16
yet i think we agree shot B is much more difficult than shot A
shot difficulty.jpg
 

petie

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Citrus Springs, FL
Flawed system. 4 diamonds x 4 diamonds does not account for the true distance nor the thinner cut. Both of these increase the difficulty. Of course, Mitch and u12armresl show another aspect of difficulty or two--comfort and confidence.
 

lll

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Flawed system. 4 diamonds x 4 diamonds does not account for the true distance nor the thinner cut. Both of these increase the difficulty. Of course, Mitch and u12armresl show another aspect of difficulty or two--comfort and confidence.

........agree
 

unoperro

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f i understand your system for calculating difficulty
in my diagram shot A and B the cue ball is 4 diamonds from the object ball and the object ball is 4 diamonds from the pocket
so the difficulty for both shots is 16
yet i think we agree shot B is much more difficult than shot A
View attachment 11773

Your diagram is correct .

B is harder. More travel by both-objecti ball al and the Cue ball

Sometimes when I don't feel comfortable with a shot I measure it for difficulty.

If it is under a 9 and I feel it's the right shot, I won't back away from it.

More than 9 and I'm looking for an alternative.

How thin or thick the shot is does not affect the accuracy of the hit!
 

senor

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Reading the Daulton vs Richeson post, some said one cut shot was easeir then the other.

I wonder why they felt that way?

I measure difficulty as

Distance to object ball X Distance of object ball to pocket

So cueball 9 diamonds from object ball X object 1/2 diamond from pkt

Shot is 9X1/2=4 1/2

Cueball 4 diamonds from object ball X object ball 4 diamonds from pkt

Shot is 4 X 4= 16

One shot is much harder!

Opinions?

Not to go all zen on you, but when you practice enough, every shot becomes kind of the same shot, so difficulty is attributed to length and what you can do with the cue ball. I think they are equally as difficult.
 

Sure Lock

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Jul 24, 2014
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f i understand your system for calculating difficulty
in my diagram shot A and B the cue ball is 4 diamonds from the object ball and the object ball is 4 diamonds from the pocket
so the difficulty for both shots is 16
yet i think we agree shot B is much more difficult than shot A
View attachment 11773

Another factor to consider in evaluating these two shots is effective pocket size. Although shot B may be harder to aim because you are shooting away from the pocket, the pocket is "bigger" from that angle and affords a larger margin for error.
 

Sure Lock

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Another factor to consider in evaluating these two shots is effective pocket size. Although shot B may be harder to aim because you are shooting away from the pocket, the pocket is "bigger" from that angle and affords a larger margin for error.

I got it wrong in that post. I was thinking about shooting in the side pockets. Shot A has a bigger pocket at slow speeds because it can rebound off the rail.

Either way, something else to consider.
 

Island Drive

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florence, colorado
Reading the Daulton vs Richeson post, some said one cut shot was easeir then the other.

I wonder why they felt that way?

I measure difficulty as

Distance to object ball X Distance of object ball to pocket

So cueball 9 diamonds from object ball X object 1/2 diamond from pkt

Shot is 9X1/2=4 1/2

Cueball 4 diamonds from object ball X object ball 4 diamonds from pkt

Shot is 4 X 4= 16

One shot is much harder!

Opinions?

TMI :lol.....analysis paralysis :lol....there's NO computer code to come up with an answer is how I relate to a question like this. :sorry
 

TomRoden

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Island Drive is CORRECT

Island Drive is CORRECT

You fella's must have nothing better to do than come up with an equation on shot difficulty. Maybe you should bring a Texas Instrument calculator to you next money match. You're "over thinking" the game. These are both shots you've made a million times. The difficulty is all in your head, If you think it's a hard shot, it is. If you think it's easy,it is. I look at tough shots and see an opportunity, not a problem. Its an opportunity to put everything I know about the game together and rise to the occasion. No problem's ,,, just solutions.
 

unoperro

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You fella's must have nothing better to do than come up with an equation on shot difficulty. Maybe you should bring a Texas Instrument calculator to you next money match. You're "over thinking" the game. These are both shots you've made a million times. The difficulty is all in your head, If you think it's a hard shot, it is. If you think it's easy,it is. I look at tough shots and see an opportunity, not a problem. Its an opportunity to put everything I know about the game together and rise to the occasion. No problem's ,,, just solutions.

So you pick out the hardest shot and shoot it?

Or you take a easy sjot and increase the difficulty by trying to go 4-5 rails for position?

No I ddidnt think so . I asked a simple ? And gave my input.
 

LSJohn

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monett missouri
TMI :lol.....analysis paralysis :lol....there's NO computer code to come up with an answer is how I relate to a question like this. :sorry

Those of us who play mostly 1P will shoot B far more often than A (lots of auto-safes). That may lead to confidence, which leads to accuracy.
 

LSJohn

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monett missouri
So you pick out the hardest shot and shoot it?

Or you take a easy sjot and increase the difficulty by trying to go 4-5 rails for position?

No I ddidnt think so . I asked a simple ? And gave my input.

If you can find a method that helps you use better judgment in choosing your shots, there's no such thing as a dumb question in that pursuit. However, for me, if it looks easier, all other things equal, I'll choose it over the other no matter what may be technically easiest.

Comments about the important role of confidence are on point.
 

TomRoden

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I must have hit a nerve...

I must have hit a nerve...

I don't just "poke and hope", I play the shot that will give me the greatest result, maybe that's shape for the next ball, maybe its to put my opponent in a spot where he's forced to do something he doesn't want to. What I meant was this, THERE ARE NO EASY SHOTS, But unless you're a beginner, these are both shots that any one pocket player should have no problem with. Personally, I'd play "A" with pocket speed to get shape to bank "B" the long way to my pocket. If I go too far, I still have the three rail shot.
I see plenty of players overthink what they're doing to the point where their concentration is so intense that they miss the shot. I try not to think too much about the specific shot, I look at it and know where it has to go, then I shoot it without really thinking about it. Once you shoot a couple of million shots, it gets a lot easier.
 

lll

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vero beach fl
Those of us who play mostly 1P will shoot B far more often than A (lots of auto-safes). That may lead to confidence, which leads to accuracy.

point well taken
and i agree
for me a thin back cut is "tougher" (ie i miss it more ) than a straight in
thats just me
again my point was the 2 shots are different in spite of the same number
 
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