Take my 9-Ball hints and miss the three traps almost every 9-Ball player drowns in.
I've taught hundreds of students 9-Ball and have noticed three pitfalls that hurt nearly every beginning (and intermediate) player:
1. Greed--There is a rush for the 9-ball early yet 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.
So 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. 7-Ball is also a superb method to practice 9-Ball runouts with less balls on the table to interfere with one another. Try this fun and fast game.
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.
Readers may dislike my comments but I want to keep my teaching honest. 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 upcoming shots.
Only a few players on Earth can run 10 difficult shots without a miss, but shooting simple shots and rolling the cue ball accurately, you can make 50 balls in a row...
Watch for upcoming articles on 9-Ball hints, moves and strategy including the links below. It takes much mental energy and added patience to become a 9-Ball star. Yet 9-Ball still is loads of fun for most players so enjoy and also please consider pool lessons from myself or another top instructor, too.
