I've taught hundreds of students 9-ball and noticed three pitfalls that hurt nearly every beginning player:
1. Greed—There is a rush for the 9-ball but a miss often leaves the nine near a pocket, vulnerable to the other player or team. Game over!
2. Ignorance—Top 9-ball players realize they have lots of room to play lock safes if they cannot simply run to end the game. The unwary play stronger 9-ball players, even with handicaps, at their peril! Don't be ignorant, 9-ball is a much tougher game than it looks at first try! I recommend 7-ball instead to start your experience with rotation games.
3. Waste—9-ball presents many difficult shots, so many in fact, that new pool players who limit themselves to 9-ball waste time and opportunities to practice basic but important shots. Great pool is less about shooting long, hard 9-ball-type shots as it is about making simple shots and wisely positioning the cue ball for the next shot. Only a few players on Earth can make 50 difficult shots without a miss, but shooting simple shots and rolling the cue ball accurately, you can make 50 in a row!
Watch for upcoming articles on 9-ball moves and strategy. It takes much mental energy and added patience to become a 9-ball star! Having said that, 9-ball still is loads of fun for most players so enjoy and consider lessons from an instructor, too.
