Bob Jewett T E C H T A L K Get to the Point Practice tips for attaining the most precise position possible. T h e r e a r e two contrasting styles of is initially placed close by as shown. The Try to drive it as straight as possible position play — long and short. In the goal on each shot is to pocket the first toward the pocket labeled A. long style, the main goal is to have s o m e object ball and touch the second object Shot B in D i a g r a m 1 is similar, but the shot, even if you leave the cue ball quite a ball. T h e precision part is to leave the cue object ball starts m o r e toward you so that w a y s from the next object ball. You can ball within one ball's d i a m e t e r of the sec- you will need to draw the cue ball to m a k e see a lot of 9-ball players using this strat- o n d ball; you should j u s t barely touch it. contact. T h e goal is to get at least five (or egy. T h e y d o n ' t care how long the shot is Leave that second object ball where you 10) soft contacts before the shot b e c o m e s as long as they aren't hooked. I've seen b u m p e d it. Gradually it will cross the line too difficult. Earl Strickland adopt this strategy. and then it is time to start over. Try to get A warning on this d r a w shot: If you The other style seeks to m i n i m i z e the at least five g o o d shots in before the line. d o n ' t get e n o u g h draw on y o u r first few d i s t a n c e b e t w e e n shots, y o u m a y hit the c u e ball and the ball on the far object ball, d o w n side, w h i c h will tend to s o m e t h i n g under to drive the ball 18 inches. T h e goal straight toward you, is to keep all the m a k i n g the s h o t shots short so that i n c r e a s i n g l y diffi- not o n l y is e a c h cult. A g o o d goal is shot e a s i e r to to drive the ball m a k e , but it's easi- toward pocket B. If er to play position. the ball goes along T h e best e x a m p l e that line, the of this t y p e of r e q u i r e d d r a w will player I've run into r e m a i n r e a s o n a b l e . at 9-ball is Paul In practice. 1 found Silva. a p l a y e r this second form of from the Palace in the shot easier than San Francisco 4 0 - the first. odd years ago. N o t In D i a g r a m 2 is an only did he m a k e e x e r c i s e u s i n g the every shot l o o k cu s h io n s. The set-up easy, but it seemed is fairly critical: T h e that position on his object ball is o n e next ball w a s d i a m o n d from the a l w a y s a u t o m a t i c long rail and the cue — he m a d e 9-ball stick passes over the look like straight m i d d l e of the rail pool. section at the d i a - You will p r o b a - m o n d as shown. bly p l a y b e t w e e n T h e distance from these e x t r e m e s , no the cue ball to the m a t t e r w h a t y o u r object ball is up to g a m e is. T h e plan you. If it is closer, this m o n t h is to the shot is easier, so work on the close- begin there. As you p o s i t i o n part of d e v e l o p m o r e c o n - your g a m e . trol, try m o v i n g the In D i a g r a m 1 are cue ball back toward two similar drills the c u s h i o n , but to w o r k on control of both speed and If that's too easy, try for 10. R e m e m b e r always with the cue stick passing over the direction. In Shot A, the cue ball and the not to c o u n t any shot that either d o e s n ' t s e c o n d d i a m o n d . object ball always return to the spots touch the s e c o n d ball, or leaves it m o r e T h e goal here is to send the cue ball in marked — you m a y as well mark them on than a ball's d i a m e t e r from the cue ball. turn to locations A through J. Shot A is a the cloth w i t h p a p e r r e i n f o r c e m e n t It is useful to have a specific goal for the plain draw shot, and this shot is very " d o n u t s " or chalk. T h e second object ball direction you are driving the second ball. tough if the cloth is sticky or the cue ball 3 0 BD • JANUARY 2007 is heavier than the object ball. It will also angle of cut and with the way the other the end rail and one d i a m o n d from the b e c o m e harder the farther back the cue balls in the g a m e are sitting, you have to side rail. Put the cue ball w h e r e you are ball starts. leave the cue ball on your side of the sec- sure you can m a k e the shot and m a r k its With practice you should be able to leave ond cue stick. You need to decide between location with a coin. Try the shot, d o i n g the cue ball within a ball of the target at stopping the cue ball before it crosses that your best to keep the sideways motion to least o n e in three, a m i n i m u m . U s e but at first just try to your best soft draw hit the target. Shots with no sidespin to A and B are direct, achieve a stun shot but C and D need to (stop shot with an be played with one angle). As you get cushion. For the the h a n g of the shots up the second shot, m o v e the cue side rail, there are ball and the coin to two ways to get to the left until you them Ð go one rail c a n ©t kill the cue and then two rails. ball in time. For extra credit, try Does soft follow to get the cue ball work from the same out to the side pock- position? et on your side of the You should be able table. Is it possible? to shoot the follow Next, see h o w the shot so softly that shots c h a n g e if the the object ball just cue ball is m o v e d gets to the pocket. up and d o w n the table slightly. W h i c h line and going to the cushion and b o u n c - Does that cut down further on sideways shots b e c o m e easier and which harder? ing out. With this m u c h angle, going one motion? H o w about sidespin? Finally, try Finally. D i a g r a m 3 shows an exercise cushion is usually not a problem unless moving the cue ball back two more dia- for "killing" the cue ball in the middle of balls are in the way, but let©s work on the monds to see how tough the shots become, the table. This is a fairly c o m m o n situa- softer, m o r e precise shot. and to get a little motivation for keeping the tion w h e r e you have a 20- to 30-degree T h e object ball is three d i a m o n d s from cue ball close to the object ball.