Pieces Of Eight - Tip Of The Week

Number: 76 Jim Tellier March 2013

TOPIC: Last Ball Standing

CATEGORY: All Skill Levels

INTRODUCTION:

Have you ever made a nice run of balls, only to get down to the 8-ball (or 9-ball), shoot it pocket it too --- and scratch? Yup, weve all done it. Why?

TECHNIQUE:

When you are shooting all the stripes (or solids) or running thru the 1.2.3,4,5 etc., one of the things that you do is to plan where you are going to leave the cueball for the next shot. But what happens when youre down to that last ball? Theres no more work to do after that, right? So, just shoot it? Well, the risk is simple: if you dont know where that cue ball is going, youre leaving it up to chance, arent you? The other problem with just shooting it is that youre making this shot seem different to your brain. Youre saying, dont think about getting any position on a next ball. But your subconscious is trying to process your routine as it normally would be doing, and meanwhile youre already taking the shot! Youre not letting the brain complete its tasks.

Solution: always shoot the last ball standing with the idea of getting position on an imaginary next ball. It sounds simple, but it will help with two aspects of the final shot:

1)    it will let your brain process your shotmaking routine the same way every time you address the cue ball

2)    it will help you avoid that random, wild cue ball scratch

Shoot well, and keep your opponent in his chair!

Capn Carom

ARRRR!!!! J