Joe Rogan explaining 9 ball
 

To Bryan Callan. Love some of the comments below this video. Rogan shooting on a tight gold crown 2 table. Like I said in another thread, Rogan a pretty good amateur, but not "shortstop speed". A "shortstop" is a local player who gets the phone call if a road player comes into a hall looking for a money game if the road player beats the better players already in the hall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J73SPMrQBos

Enjoyed that. Thanks.

Why don't they make all tables "tight". He mentions four inches vs four and a half inches for the pocket openings.

4 1/2" is the usual gap between the pocket jaws on a tournament table. This because pool balls are 2 1/4" diameter. But other factors enter in to table difficulty. The angle after the jaw points, the depth of the shelf, etc. It is possible to make a table so tight that it's impossible to make a shot down the rail...what's the fun in that?

If I had room for a table, I'd get a Diamond professional 9' in the standard 4 1/2" corner pockets size. Casual players tend to quit early if a table is too difficult...and I disagree with those who think that practicing on tighter pockets make your aim better. What makes your aim better is a good stroke, good eyesight, and concentration. I lack in all 3...:(

This dawned on me when I was watching pros warm up on a tournament table. At first I thought they were missing shots. Nope, they were testing to see how much they could "cheat the pocket" by having a ball go in while not being perfectly between the jaws so they can then have the white ball hit the rail in a more favorable spot giving them easier position on what's next. Yes, the pros are that good. On a table they've never played on before, they can quickly tell if it plays long or short, how fast or slow the cloth is, how it banks...they adapt amazingly quickly to different tables.

Pool is a game of many layers....top players reach a top level the same way a top musician makes Carnegie Hall. Practice, practice, practice.

Rogan is accepted enough in the pool world, I wish he would do a podcast with a top player...just shooting pool and BSing. It could be fascinating.

Okay, you saw Joe Eogan hit 'em..
 

Here's highlights from a World Pool Masters tourney. A winner breaks tourney. only 4 minutes. Shane Van Boening of South Dakota vs. a top Chinese player, who never left his chair. In a race to 8 games won, Shane broke and ran 8 in a row. Match over. This a good illustration of the difference between a good amateur (Rogan) and a top pro...I believe Shane is now ranked 3 or 4th in the world. Perfect breaks, perfect stroke, perfect concentration, perfect cue ball control...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb7X0CnFsJo

3:14 in.

I can't do that.

A few things made that a great shot..."close to his work" with the object ball close to the cue ball and at a pretty thin angle. Then along the side rail past the side pocket without touching the rail. Then giving it the juice (left draw with force) needed to get the cue ball to a good position for the next shot. Shane's speed control is better than most, second to none.

OKay - if he is explaining "9 ball" - then why in the world is the 10 ball on the table?

9 ball-10 ball both (basicly..minor rules variations) the same rotation game...just one ball added in 10 ball.