Throughout this chapter we’ve mentioned thinking at least three balls ahead during your pattern and position play. The reason this works is quite simple. If you are, for instance, looking at the 1-ball and trying to get to the 2-ball, it will help knowing which side of the 2-ball you want to be on to then get to the 3-ball. Once you’re on the 2-ball, you’ll be looking ahead to the 4-ball, and so on. Because angles come into the game of pool so often, thinking a minimum of three balls ahead keeps you safe from many poor pattern decisions.
The most common three-ball patterns come in one of three variations: working the three balls close together (usually at one end of the table or the other), working the balls from one end of the table to the other end, and working back and forth between the ends of the table. Each of these situations has been illustrated to show you how they’re likely to appear, and how to tackle them when they do.
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Figure 7.14 Using the critical kick shot in a game of One Pocket.
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Figure 7.16 Working a three-ball pattern from one end of the table to the other.
In figure 7.15, all three remain-ing balls in a rack of Nine Ball are at one end of the table.
Typically, a three-ball pattern such as this allows the luxury of not having to move the cue ball very far. At the same time, the pressure is on you to stay on the right side of each ball, or else you’ll have to send the cue ball all the way around the table to get back to your group of balls. If you shoot the 7-ball with straight follow, you can bring the cue ball off the short rail and back down toward the center of the table, as shown in shot A. If you’re going away from the line of attack to make the 8-ball in the corner, you’ll need to get the cue ball past the third diamond, as shown in shot B. Then a straight drag shot or center-ball hit will allow you to play the 9-ball in the left corner. If you come up short on shot A, you’ll need to come back across the table to play the 9-ball in the right corner, as shown in shot C.
In our next situation, shown in figure 7.16, you’ll be working the balls from one end of the table to the other. The 7-ball stands at one end of the table, the 8-ball is in the center, and the 9-ball lies at the other end of the table. From where the cue ball is, your best angle into the 8-ball will result from using a touch of low-left english on the cue ball as you pocket the
7-ball, as shown in shot A. This allows you to use the short rail and the long rail to get an angle on the 8-ball. So long as you use the second rail, you’ll get a great angle coming up the table.
Let’s say you barely hit the second rail and come up a little short on the 8-ball. In this case, you can use straight draw to bring the cue ball to the right side and shoot the 9-ball in the left corner pocket, as shown in figure 7.16, shot B. If you come up a little farther, you’ll have the natural angle to follow the cue ball up into the rail near the second diamond, and then off the rail again to shoot the 9-ball in the right
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Figure 7.15 A three-ball pattern with all three balls at one end of the table.
This brings us to moving back and forth down the table. In figure 7.17, the 7 and 9 balls are at one end of the table, and the 8-ball is at other end. This type of pattern forces you to move the cue ball a greater distance. Your speed control will have to be a little better, but planning a correct pattern play in advance should eliminate any problems. Hit center ball on the cue ball when you pocket the 7-ball to come down table, passing the angle of attack on the 8-ball in the corner. If you come down table short on the resulting position for the 8-ball, you could have a long straight-in shot, in which case you’d have to put more force into the cue ball and draw it the length of the table to get back to the 9-ball. As long as you come down table past the side pocket, you’ll have an easy shot on the 8-ball, which will result in easy position play for the 9-ball. Play the 8-ball using low-left english, using the long rail on the right side, crossing over the table, then into the long rail on the left side, and out again toward the 9-ball. Now you can shoot the 9-ball in the upper-right corner pocket. The key shot in this pattern is on the 7-ball; use your speed control on the 7-ball for a good angle on the 8-ball.
The next series of three diagrams shows just how much thinking three balls ahead can affect your pattern-play decisions. In figure 7.18, you have a relatively easy shot on the 5-ball in the side pocket. Stopping the cue ball or rolling up would give you a fine shot on the 6-ball. However, looking ahead, you’ll see that you want a bit of angle on your third ball in the pattern, your 7-ball. So instead, create an angle, using low ball, to pocket the 5-ball.
In figure 7.19, now that the 5-ball is gone, your three-ball pattern includes the 6, 7, and 8 balls. Note that the angle you gave yourself on the 6-ball gives you an easy way to get an angle on the 7-ball, so that you can draw back off the left long rail for a shot on the 8-ball.
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Shot A
Shot B
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Figure 7.17 Working a three-ball pattern back and forth on the length of the table.
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Figure 7.18 Thinking ahead keeps you ahead of the game in this three-ball pattern.
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Figure 7.19 Getting an angle on the 7-ball allows an easier trip back to the 8-ball.
Once you pocket the 6-ball, your three-ball pattern includes the 7, 8, and 9 balls.
Draw off the 7-ball (as shown in figure 7.20) for a simple shot on the 8-ball that leaves you in a perfect spot for the 9-ball.
But don’t stop there. Despite the fact that your 9-ball is the last ball on the table, let’s pretend you’ve pocketed the 7-ball. Play a three-ball pattern for the 8-, 9-, and
an imaginary 10-ball. You don’t need to imagine anything crazy; just pretend the 10-ball is somewhere near the 9-ball. You’ll either stop the cue ball on contact with the 9-ball, or roll up just a bit. Why add the imaginary ball? The reason so many players miss game-winning balls, especially in the games of Eight Ball and Nine Ball, is that they get down to the last ball and don’t have a destination for the cue ball.
This often causes too much focus on pocketing the object ball. The result—not stroking, or maybe overstroking, the shot—will give your opponent the game. This is a silent rule of thumb among most professionals: Always have a destination in mind for the cue ball. Learn from them!
Figure 7.20 Once you’ve pocketed the 6-ball, the 7, 8, and 9 balls become your final three-ball pattern.
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