Precision Position Practice

Precision Position Practice Exercise

Rules:

The balls numbered 1 - 9

are lined up on the foot string, 

from the center of the foot cushion

to the foot spot (on a 9' table). 

Run all 9 balls, in sequence,

into the corner pocket directly (no banks).

The cue ball must hit

the bottom cushion on every shot, 

and can not hit any other cushion or any other ball 

than the lowest numbered ball. 

Play the video to see how it's done.

Early in 2004,

my first year of lessons with my instructor,

he showed me this seemingly simple exercise,

and challenged me to do it.

He said he has shown this to many players,

but none of them had ever done it.

Actually, some had claimed to have done it,

but when it came to performing it

in front of him,

they just could never do it.

Naturally, being up for a good challenge,

I tried it, and tried it, and tried it...

It got so frustrating that I finally

put it aside for a while,

deciding I would come back to it later.

I tried it many times after that,

and it just seemed to be too much for me,

but I just couldn't figure out why.

Finally, on September 22, 2005,

more than a year after being shown this drill,

I did it!!

Luckily, I had the video recorder running.

I immediately called my instructor

to give him the news,

but he was unimpressed,

and told me he would believe it only when

he saw it with his own eyes.

He figured that a video could be faked.

That following Saturday,

on our regularly scheduled lesson,

I did it again, in person.

I've done it a few other times since,

but I don't practice it as much as I should.

It is an excellent drill,

and teaches speed control,

the nuances of subtle english,

and cue ball action off the cushion.

Let me know when you finally achieve it!

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