Trouble Shot
Today I did work on Nine Ball patterns and identified a shot that kept giving me trouble. I’ve diagrammed the shot to the left. This seems like a simple shot, but for some reason I’m having trouble with it. I either miss the first shot but get good position for the second shot, or I make the first shot but don’t get proper position for the second. You know what this means…YES!…time for a deep practice session! I’ll spend at least 45 minutes working on this one shot during my Wednesday workout.
I also plan to spend at least two hours working on a variety of safe shots. I know that almost all of my opponents in the January tournament will have the ability to run out if the table is open. I’m guessing that a majority of the players will be more skilled than me, so in order for me to have any chance of winning the tournament, I will have to develop a cunning strategy. Every single time I come to the table to shoot, I plan to employ the decision making process shown in the flow diagram below.
Shot Decision Process
My strategy will be to play safe shots at all possible times, unless I’m certain I can run the rack. Most people don’t practice safe shots, so I’m counting on frustrating my opponents to the point that they start attempting risky shots. This strategy has worked for me before: just let my opponents beat themselves. Is there honor in this? Of course! The rules are the rules and the goal is to win. There’s certainly no honor, at least in my opinion, in trying to be aggressive and attempt to run difficult racks, only to miss a shot and have my opponent run the remainder of the rack for a win. Nope, I’m not signing up for that. Yes, this is the holiday season, a time for giving, but not in the pool hall…RACK’EM UP!
Angle of Reflection 