I've never played, always thought it looked easily because i've played snooker for years, potting is easy but it's all about position and the white reacts so different off the cushions, I am starting to get used to the weight of the balls now, but I can't get out of snookers very well, in snooker I knew my angles really well!!

Anyone play or know of any good videos to watch?

there is like a million on u tube of top players playing the game. ones with efren reyes for kicking shots and earl strickland for playing. it takes a very good player to run out in 9 ball even with a wide open table as each time you get a little out of position it magnifies itself in the next shot.

Thanks i will take a look, yeah it's surprising sometimes how it easy it looks and you take it for granted and like you say you lose position just that little bit it makes that next shot more difficult

A few YouTube channels worth checking out;
Insidepoolmag
Povpool

I'll post more later

learning the diamond system for billiards is important for pool as well. as is just learning to get to the different corners from anywhere on the table. this way you can use parallel lines to get a good idea where to hit

thanks i will take a look

What I have stopped trying to do is to get perfect position or to close, sometimes there is no need, the pockets are bigger and easier to pot, I've stopped scratching as much in the middle pocket now

the one thing i am really struggling with is to put the opposite side on longer shots, example if i am potting into a right pocket i put left hand side on it, but trying to put right hand side(check side) on it is so difficult, the closer shots not so much but the longer shots or shots screwing back off the cushion, is this normally difficult for everyone or something i need to practice?

I would consider myself to be a very good potter

My biggest problem is missing easy balls when i think it's to easy, most be from over confidence or lack of concentration

Also when I play better players I take my time a little bit more and I don't seem to get into a good rhythm, when I am free flowing i can look good, I suppose this is something that will come with time and practice and when i start to feel more comfortable playing against these better players, maybe its just a little bit of nerves

The most important thing about position is getting on the correct side of your next shot(left or right). Also, when planning for shape you should take the route that sends the cue ball more on the line of your next shot rather than a route that sends the cue ball across the line of your next shot if possible. That way you can come up short or long and still be in line. I see a lot of players coming across the line of their next shot when it would've been very easy to go 2 rails and be right on line.

Hope that makes sense.

Def. lack of concentration. Shoot every shot as if it you need to be absolutely perfect. Everytime you are off by a little it exagerates on the next shot and also gives a bigger chance that you'll miss the shot.

suit really knows his stuff here. he told you two of the most important things about pool and position that few players that arent top speed do enough of.

most shots you arent playing position for a specific point on the table but for the largest area that lets you make the next shot and get position for the one next after that.

as far as your english(side) as you call it. outside english helps cut those shots as it throws the ball in the direction you want it to go. and it eliminates cling on the balls from being dirty which throws the ball away from your cut shot.

i also suspect you are using too much english. and might want to use say draw with less englsih and that will open up the angle and make it more controllable.

Using inside english is a harder shot. It really just takes a lot of practice and remember that you have to cut it even more than you would think when using inside. Nothing but practice will make you better at that shot. I used to set up the same shot and cut it with inside over and over for an hour at a time.

probably my down fall is that word Practice,I have been playing for about a month now for nearly every day just for 2 hours a day(except the last 2 days, taking a mini-break), half the time on my own, and only once have I spent some time practicing some shots, and that was practicing long shots with the white on the cushion, and a few long shots up the rail.

I suppose if I want to get better I need to start practicing certain shots, but for now I am just trying to get the arm going and do the simple things good first.

I watched a video about the Diamond system coming off the cushions, it was very interesting, where he gives the diamonds numbers, coming off two cushions if the object ball was at 80 he would need to add the 2 numbers off both cushions to get there.

It wasn't explained very well, I will search for some more videos when I get some time, but I sort of understand what he was on about, I will try it tomorrow and see if I can make it work, because that is one thing i've noticed is how difficult it is to judge coming off the rail, in snooker i can get out of most snookers, 9 ball i am surprised how many easy ones i miss because i've totally misjudged them!!

After only a months play I am starting to beat some of the best players at the club, not consistently but I am winning a race to 7 or 9( I lose more than I win), where as a few weeks ago I was losing 7-1/2

Back to practicing tomorrow

thanks for the info everyone

I've never even considered this. My guess is that I do this anyway most of the time, but I'll certainly have this in mind from now on.

Thanks, great advice!

good article

in additional to all of the helpful tips above, only playing in money games or real tournaments (not ... $20 added tourney in your local pool hall but it stills help a little bit too) would improve your games, same as poker - no one wants to play playing chips ...

yes playing under some kind of pressure sure helps you improve, as long as you are trying to improve and not just play as most are doing.

Look at least three balls ahead on all position play. It will help enormously.

This is my biggest weakness, I am to lazy to look at even the next ball, I think that's easy and then end up straight on it.

After practicing for about 4 months and getting to an ok standard i just got bored of it, went away for 6 weeks and when i came back i had a few weeks practicing but now the summer is here I just can't be bothered, I play for 30mins and i'm bored, I don't know how people keep practicing so much, hopefully in the winter when i have nothing else to do I will get back into it

the next step is to go to a pool room and gamble for some amount with the regulars. this way you will play under pressure and get to see how others play their shots. also this will help keep interest in the game.

It's a really small club, and no one works there, we all have our own key, difficult to get a game sometimes, I used to play 2 guys for money when i first started but I became to good for them, there is 1 guy who is a similar standard to me, he knows the table much better but his action is bad but somehow gets the job done, I would love to play him for money but he is such a bad loser when there is nothing on it.

Then there are 3 guys who are to good for me, i've beat the one a few times, never played one and the other is the best by far, never beaten him but had some chances.

I would be a fool to play these 3 for money

Next year I will be eligible to play in the Norwegian opens so i'll have something to practice for and becoming up against players much better than me, so this will make me practice and try and harder and hopefully improve.

Even now some players say why didn't you do this or that, I just dont see the shots, I'm so used to snooker and 8 ball from 20 years ago

when you gamble you make a game. so you may spot or get spotted something.
it shouldnt matter who is best when gambling.

World champ today only 30000 for winner?! Reyes he best to watch, one secret to pool it rote just shot any problem over and over systems no good this how willie mosconi stroke 500 plus in a row and only quit tired not ever near missing? Zee can gamble me las vegas 9 foot table.

Zee, would you mind explaining the diamond system? Also, what do you think about using the fraction method for aiming? It's feels less intuitive to me.

-Pancho