What is "the patch"?

D

DickP

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Hi all -

Towards the bottom of this interview about Bugs (http://www.onepocket.org/BugsInterviewPart2.htm), Glen Rogers describes a training exercise Bugs showed him called "the patch."

It sounds like the cueball goes inside a circle of balls, and you try to bank the balls without the cueball drifting outside of the circle of balls - is this correct?

Anyone here "on the patch"?

(Couldn't find any references with the search function)

Thanks!
 
androd

androd

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DickP said:
Hi all -

Towards the bottom of this interview about Bugs (http://www.onepocket.org/BugsInterviewPart2.htm), Glen Rogers describes a training exercise Bugs showed him called "the patch."

It sounds like the cueball goes inside a circle of balls, and you try to bank the balls without the cueball drifting outside of the circle of balls - is this correct?

Anyone here "on the patch"?

(Couldn't find any references with the search function)

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Interesting interview, I'd never read it.
I know nothing of the patch, I've seen Taylor bank a lot of balls with his head turned. :)
Rod.
 
D

DickP

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When he says that modern players don't know the patch, "they bank and swing", I assume he means by "swing" that instead of applying English to minimize and control cueball movement, modern players tend to hit centerball and let the cueball "swing" and move when banking more than we should?
 
John Brumback

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All it means is to play shape on a bunch of easy banks,nothing more,nothing less.( the patch) the garden spot) same thing. "In the patch" is in the middle of a bunch of easy banks. Just an old sayin really:lol John B.
 
NH Steve

NH Steve

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John Brumback said:
All it means is to play shape on a bunch of easy banks,nothing more,nothing less.( the patch) the garden spot) same thing. "In the patch" is in the middle of a bunch of easy banks. Just an old sayin really:lol John B.
Click to expand...

Yes -- that is the way I understood it too. Basically when a player feels confident enough in their first bank, then instead of "bank and swing" -- which really means to "bank and duck" -- instead, get the cue ball right into the middle of an aggressive position area (the "patch") to take advantage of the opportunity to run a handful of balls.

Great bankers can string together some strong momentum in this way. Of course a miss turns that opportunity over to the opponent.
 
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straightback

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When you pocket a ball and land on a string of other easy and makeable balls, you are said to have landed in the "pea patch." Others say, " You're in high cotton now!"
 
NH Steve

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Another nuance of learning to "play the patch" as I understand it, is how they maneuver once they are in it. That is, once you are in "the patch", the position you are seeking is ideally suited to move from one ball to another, obviously -- as everyone has said. Kind of like straight pool, but for expert bankers, they may each have their own preferred sweet stroke that gives them extra consistency and accuracy for certain banks, so if they can get a first position that naturally leads to a second or third, or fourth bank -- all while being able to hold the position still using their sweet stroke, then they are really taking advantage of "the patch". In other words, if they can match up their position patterns to their preferred stroke and tempo, then they can really take advantage!!
 
gulfportdoc

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"The Patch" makes sense to me. Yet I'm reminded of a statement that John Brumback made a couple of years ago. It was something to the effect that he paid much more attention to making the bank at hand rather than shooting the bank in such a way as to play position. He may have even indicated that he rarely PLAYS position. I remember that it surprised me at the time, since he's arguably the best banker of today. Maybe he'll chime in here.

~Doc
 
John Brumback

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gulfportdoc said:
"The Patch" makes sense to me. Yet I'm reminded of a statement that John Brumback made a couple of years ago. It was something to the effect that he paid much more attention to making the bank at hand rather than shooting the bank in such a way as to play position. He may have even indicated that he rarely PLAYS position. I remember that it surprised me at the time, since he's arguably the best banker of today. Maybe he'll chime in here.

~Doc
Click to expand...

Yes Doc,I did say that. I only play shape if it's a very easy bank to begin with and I don't have to do much with the cue ball. What is shape... playing banks anyway?:confused:
.Making the bank is hard enough.I'm not going to take a chance at missing an easy bank trying to get good or perfect shape.That's why you don't see me put up huge runs in banks very often....I don't try to. Diamond tables are to tough to to take many chances. Back in the ol days the tables were much softer and you could get away with " playing shape" or " playing for the patch" I'll stick to "playing the cinch" then go from there:lol John B.
 
mr3cushion

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John Brumback said:
Yes Doc,I did say that. I only play shape if it's a very easy bank to begin with and I don't have to do much with the cue ball. What is shape... playing banks anyway?:confused:
.Making the bank is hard enough.I'm not going to take a chance at missing an easy bank trying to get good or perfect shape.That's why you don't see me put up huge runs in banks very often....I don't try to. Diamond tables are to tough to to take many chances. Back in the ol days the tables were much softer and you could get away with " playing shape" or " playing for the patch" I'll stick to "playing the cinch" then go from there:lol John B.
Click to expand...

Sounds like, "defensive" bank pool! ;)

Freddy used to call it, being in the "Honey patch!" :cool:
 
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vapros

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Banks are like eating lettuce. It takes a little nerve. People like me find it difficult to approach a bank with so much confidence that we don't worry about where the cueball will go. Only very short cross banks qualify there, and even then, mostly at pocket speed. I can shorten a bank, or open it up a bit, but not with great confidence that I will make it.

As long as I am confessing - for some reason, I can see a bank off the head rail, even if it's off-angle, better than I can see a lengthy cross bank. I think it is helpful to have the long rail there in your picture.

I like straight-ins of a foot or less. :heh
 
NH Steve

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Yeah, but even if you are playing for a defensive position as you shoot a bank, that's still adding a level of "position distraction" from your bank, right? I mean, not a 100% cinch stroke. John, are you saying you like to use a 100% cinch stroke most of the time, without adding position either defensively or offensively? I have noticed you use a similar speed most of the time, and I imagine that is part of your stellar consistency and accuracy. Whereas of course, most of the time when we are playing any kind of position, varying our speed is part of it.
 
NH Steve

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I was just looking on youtube and not too many videos of Bank Pool popped up.

I did find this one that goes back to two deceased players, Gary Spaeth vs. Bugs Rucker. It's not great quality but looks like there are ten parts, and of course, you cannot go out and watch either of these players anymore...

[ame="http://youtu.be/UARNoccs5-0"]http://youtu.be/UARNoccs5-0[/ame]
 
John Brumback

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NH Steve said:
Yeah, but even if you are playing for a defensive position as you shoot a bank, that's still adding a level of "position distraction" from your bank, right? I mean, not a 100% cinch stroke. John, are you saying you like to use a 100% cinch stroke most of the time, without adding position either defensively or offensively? I have noticed you use a similar speed most of the time, and I imagine that is part of your stellar consistency and accuracy. Whereas of course, most of the time when we are playing any kind of position, varying our speed is part of it.
Click to expand...

Yes Steve....on most of my bank shots,I go all out to make the bank. When I commit to the bank.....I'm not the least bit worried what the outcome will be.That lets me give 100% to making the shot. John B.
 
gulfportdoc

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NH Steve said:
I was just looking on youtube and not too many videos of Bank Pool popped up.

I did find this one that goes back to two deceased players, Gary Spaeth vs. Bugs Rucker. It's not great quality but looks like there are ten parts, and of course, you cannot go out and watch either of these players anymore..
Click to expand...
Good find, Steve. I could watch those two for hours! BTW, G. Spaeth died fairly young. Was it cancer?

~Doc
 
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