Many people think 8-Ball is an easier game than 9-Ball because when you get into trouble, you always have options of other balls you can shoot. However, on a high level of play, 8-Ball is a much more complex and strategic game than 9-Ball. In a 9-Ball game, the layout, to some degree, dictates your shots. Sure you have options on how to get to the next shot or whether to play defense or not but for the most part, you know which ball you’re shooting at next. In 8-Ball though, the fact that you do have so many options is what makes it such an interesting and challenging game. One wrong move or one failed shot and your game could be over. In this article I’ll outline some simple guidelines that’ll help you get through 8-Ball racks more successfully. Of course there will always be exceptions to the rule and some layouts may require you to stray from the rules slightly, but in general, these are handy to keep in mind when determining your shot patterns.1) Choose WiselyAt the beginning of a game, you usually only have a few open shots to consider. Many players simply decide which one is the easiest, or which one will give them a good leave for their next shot and begin shooting. However, instead of choosing stripes or solids based on the available shots you have on the opening shot, you should base the decision on how ALL of the balls are laid out. You want to avoid balls that are frozen to each other, balls that are blocked by other balls or balls that can only go in one pocket that are difficult to play shape to. Many times you’ll have to choose the lesser of the two evils and neither set of balls will be completely open. But minimizing your number of conflicts will increase your likelihood of a successful run-out.2) Examine the Entire Rack Before Shooting
This goes hand-in-hand with the first tip. Once you’ve decided which balls have a better layout (or once you know which balls are yours if your opponent shot first) you should then take your time examining the entire rack to form your game plan. The two biggest things to consider when deciding on your pattern are identifying problem balls and picking your key ball. The key ball is the ball that you’ll shoot right before the 8-ball and this is perhaps the most important shot in any game. This ball should be the ball that is located in a spot that is easiest to play shape to the 8-ball. Many times this ball can be positioned in a way that is easy to shoot in earlier in the rack, which is why it’s best to identify the ball before you start your run-out. Problem balls can be a bit trickier to identify. Sometimes these are balls that are tied up with other balls, sometimes they’re balls where the closest pocket is blocked by either your own ball or one of your opponent's balls, and sometimes they just have a tight space to play shape to so it's difficult to get to a spot to even be able to shoot at them. Whatever the problem is, it's important to know what they are before you start shooting. For most top pros, the first shot of the game is the one that they take the longest amount of time on because they want to know the entire plan before beginning.3) Work Backward
After you identify your key ball, you should work backwards from the 8-ball to decide how you’ll get to the key ball, and the ball before that, and so on. Think of it like a maze—sometimes it’s easier to get through the maze by starting at the end and finding your way to the beginning. The worst thing you can do is run balls without knowing how you’ll make it to the end of the rack. If you run five or six balls but don't complete the run-out you’ve just made the puzzle 100 times easier for your opponent. All you did was clear balls out of the way for them and eliminate more obstacles. 4) Address Problems Early
Many players like to shoot all their open balls first and deal with the problems later. This can be disastrous for the same reason I just mentioned. Clearing balls out of the way for your opponent does nothing for you unless you can finish your run-out. It's important to have a clear, concise idea of how you’ll take care of your problem balls and address them early in the rack. Attempting to take care of the problem balls early makes it easier for you to adjust in case you fail in the first attempt. Sometimes you have to break a ball out but will miss the break out, or sometimes you have a ball that only fits in one pocket and shape to that ball is difficult so you don't get there on the first attempt. Addressing them early gives you the opportunity to try it again if things don't go according to plan. And if they do work out the first time, it's smooth sailing for the rest of the rack.5) One Area at a Time
This is, of course, not a steadfast rule but more of a general rule to follow. There may be times where the natural path of the cue ball will be easier to move from one area to another but, in general, you want to avoid having to move up and down table if at all possible. Remember that every time you move a ball unnecessarily you change the layout of the table and risk having to change your plan, so it’s best to move the cue ball as little as possible. The further the cue ball travels, the higher chance it has of running into things. Whenever possible shoot in all the balls in one area at a time before moving to a different area of the table. If you want to get better at this tactic, playing straight pool while you practice will help you develop those skills. Straight pool requires you to examine clusters and learn how they work and helps you learn to just “scoot” the cue ball around to very small areas. Another good drill is to throw out five or six balls on just one half of the table. Take ball-in-hand and practice running out these balls. Start over every time you miss. You’ll find that many times it's easiest to take care of the balls closer to the middle of the table first, then move down to the balls closer to the bottom rail. It’s usually more difficult to start from the bottom rail and work your way to the middle of the table. 6) Be Ready for Plan B
The last thing to remember is that we’re not perfect so more often than not your run-out won't go as planned. So be ready to devise a new plan at any point in the rack but in doing so, be sure you keep the same principles in mind. Even if you only have three or four balls left, still figure out which will be your key ball and work your way backwards to determine how you’ll make it out of the rack.
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Cristina De La Garza Cristina De La Garza is a WPBA Touring Professional from Austin, Texas. Cristina joined the APA in 2004 and competed in several top regional and national APA tournaments. She made her WPBA debut in 2008 and through her finishes in the 2009 season, earned her Tour card for 2010. She will share how her experiences in the APA shaped her development and taught her important concepts that she still applies to her game today. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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