In the game of eight ball you will be exposed to many pitfalls. This is not an easy game. It is tough. You are required to make decisions while in the heat of battle.
Unlike nine ball, where you go from one ball to the next, in the game of eight ball you have choices. To be successful, you must develop the ability to make your choice, and feel one hundred per cent certain. Here is the problem for most league players. They decide to play the twelve ball, and think about the fifteen ball. They make their decision, but still have reservations. This is not the way to stroke a shot. Remember, The stroke, minus the interference, equals the shot. Be sure you are fully committed to what you intend to do.
You'll face uncertainty
You will be faced with shots where you are not sure what is going to happen to the cue ball. The cue ball is going for a ride and you cannot control it. In this situation, you are “playing for a roll”. Make that commitment. I will pocket this ball. “I am playing for a roll”. I like to say, "It's time to play for a sweet roll".
I have another saying about this type of shot. I am going to pocket this ball and “take my medicine”. How many times have you missed a shot because you were attempting difficult position on the next shot? Sometimes you need to put the ball in the pocket, and take the tough shot in front of you. This is “taking your medicine”.
I have won many game by “taking my medicine”. I’m straight in. I can’t get down table. I can only stop the cue ball and take a chance on the bank shot. This is all I have. To pretend otherwise, is to fool myself. So I “Take my medicine” and go for the bank. With "Dr. Cue’s" banking system
I am very good at banking balls. As a result of the “taking my medicine” mode, I win more games. Give yourself a chance for a win. Don’t take yourself out of the match by missing the shot in front of you.
After every game of eight ball, ask yourself if; “I came to win” or “I play for a roll” and “I take my medicine.”
No avoiding the long shot
You should be very willing to shoot the long shot down into the far corner pocket. This will help you run more racks. This shot fits our personal concept. You look at the long tough shot and tell yourself, you are shooting this shot because “You came to win”.
As long as you remain true to who you are, you will gain. When you reinforce a skill, you improve it. Any time you focus on a skill, you strengthen it. When you avoid this skill, you weaken it. “I came to win” is a skill, that should be your focus
The biggest obstacle in eight ball is a cluster. You begin your run, knowing full well, you cannot run out. Or at the very least you are going to try a tough break shot on a cluster. If you notice a clump of balls, and you miss your shot before you get to this clump, make a special note of it. “I did not take my medicine” “I did not play to win” “I did not play for a roll.”
It is amazing how one obstacle can destroy the very essence of who we are. A cluster is a red flag for me. I cannot even get to the cluster, let alone break it up. They scare me. The cluster represents the idea that I cannot run this table. Now my run out is left to chance. I don’t like that.
The first thing I did is delete the “Take my medicine” and put on pause the, “I came to win” mode. And this always results in a failed run out. Things are different now. With my “I Came To Win” attitude I hope for a difficult cluster. This will make the victory sweet. If I pull off a dramatic break shot, my opponent will fall into “hopeless” stage.
I love to put my opponent in the “hopeless” stage. He sees me with a tough shot. He has hope. When I make it, he has less hope. “He is hopeless”. I’ve reversed banked many an eight ball to give my opponent a “hopeless” feeling.
Your match is a test. It is only a test. Can you perform with the “I came to win” attitude. Can you perform with the “Playing for a roll” attitude and can you “take your medicine”. In each effort are you strengthening these qualities. If you shy away from them, you are weakening these qualities.
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Getting a GripTournament PreparationYour game strategy in eight ball should be dictated by the ability of your opponent. In an alternate break match my opponent broke and ran a tough rack. It was my turn to break so I broke from the head spot. This break really spatters the rack, but does not make a ball often. My strategy was to challenge my opponent to see if he could run back to back racks. He failed after making four shots and I ran out.
Unlike nine ball, where you go from one ball to the next, in the game of eight ball you have choices. To be successful, you must develop the ability to make your choice, and feel one hundred per cent certain. Here is the problem for most league players. They decide to play the twelve ball, and think about the fifteen ball. They make their decision, but still have reservations. This is not the way to stroke a shot. Remember, The stroke, minus the interference, equals the shot. Be sure you are fully committed to what you intend to do.
I have another saying about this type of shot. I am going to pocket this ball and “take my medicine”. How many times have you missed a shot because you were attempting difficult position on the next shot? Sometimes you need to put the ball in the pocket, and take the tough shot in front of you. This is “taking your medicine”.
The biggest obstacle in eight ball is a cluster. You begin your run, knowing full well, you cannot run out. Or at the very least you are going to try a tough break shot on a cluster. If you notice a clump of balls, and you miss your shot before you get to this clump, make a special note of it. “I did not take my medicine” “I did not play to win” “I did not play for a roll.”