Table
of Contents for
Play
Your Best Eight Ball
| Part III | Strategy and Defense | |
| Chapter 11 | Choosing a Group | 251 |
| Chapter 12 | Defensive Play | 267 |
| Chapter 13 | Strategy |
319 |
| Chapter 14 | Ball-In-Hand | 359 |
| Chapter 15 | Kick Shots | 371 |
| Chapter 16 | Competition | 387 |
| Part IV | Improving Your Game | |
| Chapter 17 | Practicing Eight Ball | 415 |
| Chapter 18 | Drills for Eight Ball | 423 |
| Appendix | 441 |
Table of Contents
Part III – Strategy & Defense
11 – Choosing a Group
The Table Gives Complete Information
Why Choosing the Right Group is Important
Types of Table Layouts
Open Table – The Rules
Choosing the Better Group
The Selection Process
The Main Theme - Offense or Defense
Checklist for Evaluating the Position of the Balls
Labeling & Evaluating the Balls
Labeling & Evaluating the Balls (I)
Labeling & Evaluating the Balls (II)
Labeling & Evaluating the Balls (III)
Shared & Separate
Shared & Separate (I)
Shared & Separate (II)
Shared & Separate (III)
Shared & Separate (IV)
Evaluating Typical Layouts (see Sample Pages)
The Classic Duck Pond (see Sample Pages)
The Decider (see Sample Pages)
Problem Ball = Failed Runout (see Sample Pages
One Group is Easy – The Other is Hard (see Sample Pages)
Both Groups Have Problems
Devils in Disguise
When to Take the Hard Shot
Nowheresville
Follow the Masses
Look for Concentrations of Balls
The 8-Ball is in a Precarious Position
Layouts from Hell
ABC’s Of Choosing a Group
Subtle Advantages
Shoot the Harder Shot First
Offense or Defense
Rating Layouts
When to Delay the Decision
When to Let Your Opponent Decide
12 - Defensive Play
What to Leave Your Opponent
A- The Best Hooks
Blocking Natural Kick Routes
Force Them to Play Short Kicks
Big Balls Near the Rail
Sharp vs. Wide Angles
The Freeze Up Safety
B – Tough Leaves
Friendly Enemies
Leave ‘Long Shots’
Leave a Clear Shot at Nothing
Leave Off-Angle Banks
C – Pass on a Shot
Jack’em Up
Leave a Tough Cut/Bank
Their Response & Your Next Shot
Pool as Chess
A Three Shot Knockout
Another Three Shot Knockout
The Five Shot Knockout
What If…?
Don’t Overestimate Your Opponent’s Chances ( )
Don’t Overestimate Your Opponent’s Chances (II)
Adjust Your Safeties to Your Opponent
If I Do This…Then
Let Them Help You
Your Next Shot (see Sample Pages)
Seeing the Future (see Sample Pages)
Crystal Ball Gazing (see Sample Pages)
Safety Skills
The Basic Hits
Tangent Line for Safeties
Angle of Departure
And Controlling the Balls
Cue Ball Position Routes on Safeties
Controlling Both Balls
Controlling the Object Ball
Controlling Both the Cue Ball & Object Ball
Thin with Speed
Strategic Banking
Precision One Railers
Two Three Railers
Long Rail Blocker Bank
Two Rail Bank
Long Rail Crossover Bank
Hooking Your Opponent
Hook Zone – Your Safety Objective
Edge to Edge – Determining the Zone
Multi-Ball Hook Zones
Widely Spaced Multi-Ball Hook Zones
Getting to the Hook Zone
Approaching a Hook Zone
Use Common Position Routes to Play Safe
Long Distance Hooks
Call Safe and Hook
Miscellaneous Hooks
Create a Blocker
End Game Defense
Multiple Speeds and Objectives
Block Those Kicks
Finesse Safety Play
Soft Follow Shots
Taps and Nudges
Remove a Blocker and Hook
Behind the 8-Ball (see Sample Pages)
Divide and Conquer (see Sample Pages)
An Impressive Soft Touch (see Sample Pages)
Super Soft Touch Safety (see Sample Pages)
Problem Balls
Pocket Blockers
Unblock a Pocket and Play Safe
Blocking a Pocket
Keeping a Blocker in Place or Not
Cluster and Problems
Break and Hook (I)
Break and Hook (II)
1-2-3 and Stop
Bank to Break
Create Problems for Your Opponent
Isolate Your Opponent’s Problem Balls
Be a Trouble Maker
Use an Intentional Foul
A Lesson in Tying Up Balls
Part Shot / Part Safety
3/4 Shot / 1/4 Safety
1/2 Shot / 1/2 Safety
1/4 Shot / 3/4 Safety
Part Shot / Part Safety – Thin Cut
Part Shot / Part Safety – Early Risk Taking
Part Shot / Part Safety – Bank and Hook
Part Shot / Part Safety – Defensive Position
Missing on Purpose
Missing Early in the Game
Miss the 8-Ball Cut Shot
Miss the 8-Ball on Purpose
End Game Safety Play
Don’t Miss an End Game Safety
Put Your Ego On Hold
End Game Super Safeties
Combo Opponent’s Ball
Call Safe and Make a Ball
Your Choice
Banking Away a Trouble Ball
The Solitary 8-Ball (see Sample Pages)
Freeze’em to the Rail (see Sample Pages)
Bank to the Far End Rail (see Sample Pages)
Pass on a Bank (see Sample Pages)
Pass on a Long Shot (see Sample Pages)
Intentional Kick Safety
Double Bank
13 – Strategy
Strategic Eight Ball
The Layout and Your Chances of Winning
The Shifting Sands
ABC’s of Decision Making
ABC’s of Shot Selection (I)
ABC’s of Shot Selection (II)
Adjust Your Game to the Competition
When You Are the Far Superior Player
A Tale of Three Players
Be an Oddsmaker
The Layout and Your Chances of Winning
Stacking the Odds
Your and Your Opponent’s Percentages
Rooting for Your Opponent
Rooting for Your Opponents
Chasing that Confounded Last Ball
Before…And After
The Ball Counter’s Lament
A Typical Game of Eight Ball
5 Kinds of Layouts
The Length of a Typical Game
Short Games ( - turns)
Medium Length Games ( - turns)
Lengthy Battles ( + turns)
Stages of a Game
Know the Stages
Changing Back
Changes in the Lifecycle of a Game
A - The Beginning
B – The Middle Game
C - The End Game
The Three Stages Illustrated
Beginning
Middle
End
Ball Count & Strategy
Laws of the Ball Count
Typical Ball Counts
Winning Strategic Maneuvers (see Sample Pages)
Winning “Your” Games (see Sample Pages)
Winning “Lost” Games (see Sample Pages)
When to Go Down Shootin’ (see Sample Pages)
Don’t Delay the Inevitable
Play The Extra Safety
When You Know You’re In Trouble
When You Turn Over the Table
When to Pocket Balls
Run to a Hook
The Primary Factor
Secondary Factors
Solving One Problem at a Time
Unequal Problems (I)
Unequal Problems (II)
Pass Up an Open Shot
Bank It Out of Trouble
Get Rid of Big Trouble
Dare to Look Like a Fool
Play Possum
Creating Problems for Your Opponent
Don’t Exercise Your Right to Choose
Scramble the Eggs
Use Baseball Tactics (see Sample Pages)
Your Guardian Angels (see Sample Pages)
Gaining a Tempo (see Sample Pages)
Multiple Strategic Objectives
Roger’s M.O. Special
Multiple Objectives (I)
Multiple Objectives (II)
The 8-Ball
A Neutral 8-Ball
You Have the 8-Ball Surrounded
Your Opponent Guards the 8-Ball
Bomb Squad
You Both Guard the 8-Ball
14 - Ball-In-Hand
Ball in Hand After the Break
Behind the Line & Anywhere
How You Get BIH
Setting the BIH Trap
Run and Stop to Create a Cluster Break
Multiple Objectives
Make Ball and Call Safe
What to Do with BIH
Create a Cluster Buster
Break and Hook
Creative Cue Ball Placement
Pinpoint Shape (see Sample Pages)
Win a “Won Game” (see Sample Pages)
More than One Objective (see Sample Pages)
Manufacture a Key Ball (see Sample Pages)
Giving Up BIH
When to Intentionally Give Up
Relocate a Cluster Buster
Purposefully Avoid Your Group
Shoot Their Ball In
Handing Over the Cue Ball
15 – Kick Shots
Planning Kick Shots
A Solid Game Plan*
From Best to Worst
The Quick Turnaround
Typical Early Game
End Game Torture
Which Ball to Kick At
What is Your Choice?
Kicking Past Obstructers
Skills
Kicking to Hit
Kicking Through Traffic
Adjusting for Speed and the Table
Kick Shot Strategies
Long Distance Lag to the Gap
Soft Kick Safety
Kicking with Precise Speed and Direction
Kicking to a Group (see Sample Pages)
Kicking to Free Up a Ball (see Sample Pages)
Kicking to Break a Big Cluster (see Sample Pages)
Kick or Take a Foul? (see Sample Pages)
Half-Masse Kick Shots
Two Ways to Escape
A Specific Goal + Superb Execution = A Winner
Kick, Stick and Hook
Kicking to Pocket a Ball
Adjust-off-the-Triangle Method
Kick Shot Expectations
End Rail Kick Ins
When to Kick the Long Way
Kick Speciality Shots
16 – Competition
How Well Do You Play?
League Play
Your Team
Team Goals
League Night
The National Tournaments
Tournament Eight Ball
Tournaments
The Field for Restricted Events
Manage Your Expectations
How to Win a Tournament
The Double Elimination Format
Preparing for a Big Tournament
Money
Handicapping Eight Ball
The Rules
Time
Hustles and Shark Moves
The Score
The Score and its Impact
Rounding Out Your Game
Three Main Types of Players
The Score in Progress
How You React to the Score
Scores in Team Play
Preparing for Competition
The Opponent Factor
Intimidation
The Intimidators
Motivating Yourself for Peak Performance
Individual Motivation - The Power of Multiple Motivators
Team Motivation
Scouting Your Opponent
Intelligence Reports
The Mini-Max Strategy
Winning and Losing at Eight Ball
Length and Layout
Winning More Than Your Share
You Are a Champion in the Making
Analyze Wins and Loses
Just the Facts
Learning from Losing
Learning from Winning
How Your Analysis Helps Your Game
ABCs of Eight Ball
Adjusting Your Game to Your Opponent
C vs. C – Win in the End Game (see Sample Pages)
C vs. B – Be a Troublemaker (see Sample Pages)
C vs. A – Relax and Have Fun (see Sample Pages)
B vs. B – Beware of the Defensive Genius (see Sample Pages)
B vs. C – Keep the Pressure On
B vs. A – You Can Score an Upset
A vs. A – Seek the Winning Edge
A vs. B – Treat Them With Respect
A vs. C – Setup the Table for a Sure Win
Part IV – Improving Your Game
17 – Practicing Eight Ball
Rating Your Game in the Key Competencies
Practice Environment
Solitary Practice
How to Structure Each Session
Practice Tips for Solitary Sessions
Your Practice Partner
Play Bar Pool with Novices
League Team Practice
18 – Drills for Eight Ball (see Sample Pages)
Fundamentals (see Sample Pages)
5 Donuts in a Row (see Sample Pages)
Cue Over the Diamond Drill
Slow Roll Stroke Drill
Position Play
9 X 2 Drill
Vertical Axis Only
Progressive Position Drill
2-Rail Precision
Target Ball
Draw in the Center
Pattern Play
Balls in the Middle
No-Rail Perfect Shape Drill
Remove Some Balls Drill
How to Learn Pool
The Self Corrective Process
The Changeover Point
Clusters
Off the Rail Cluster Breaks
No-Rail Cluster Busting
Shotmaking
Tips on Shotmaking Practice
Zen Master Distraction Drill
Test Your Blade
Two Tough Shots to Master
Safeties & Strategy
Chess Pieces Drill (I)
Chess Pieces Drill (II)
Skimming Drill
Appendix
Glossary
Player Bios and Index
Blank Table
League Associations
Accu-Stats Invitational Tapes
Capelle’s Other Books
