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Pool and Billiard - How to Rack a Pool Table, How to Break a Rack in Pool, How to Play 9 Ball Pool, How to Perfomr Trick Shots, How to Play Pool Like a Pro, How to Clean a Felt Pool Table Top
How to Rack a Pool Table
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditSo you wanna play pool? Here's how to rack a pool table for a standard 8-Ball Game.
Steps
- Grab the triangle and set it down on the table.
- Place the balls in one by one until the triangle is filled. Make sure that the 8-Ball is in the center of the rack (the middle of the third row).
- Line the apex (the first ball) up with the middle diamond on the side of the pool table. The center of the first ball should be in the middle of the table at one quarter of the length. Some tables have this spot marked with a small dot.
- Make sure that the balls are tightly packed together and slowly lift the triangle straight up off of them.
Tips
- Many like to use the 1 ball as the first ball, but it is not required.
- Another racking set-up that people use is placing a solid in one back corner and a stripe in the other, so that the player breaking has an equal chance of sinking either one.
- If you are having trouble getting the balls to stay tightly packed, try moving the balls to the desired spot and then quickly stopping so that they stay close together. Trying to slowly move the triangle won't always give you the desired results.
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Rack a Pool Table. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Break a Rack in Pool
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditWhile breaking is a privilege, it also holds the potential for much embarrassment. To ensure that you don't get your name scratched from the blackboard in your local bar, follow these instructions for a powerful pool shot.
Steps
- Select the right rack. The type of pool rack is a very important aspect of the outcome of your break. The tighter the rack, the better the break.
- Focus on form. Put extra power into the shot by pulling back farther, not by shooting faster. You want a smooth, controlled backswing with full follow-through. A steady, square impact carries more force than a lightning-fast shank.
- Get close. Beginners often rest their stick on the back rail. On a regulation table, that puts you too far away. Learn to break from the headstring (the closest point you can be to the rack), with a closed bridge (the hand position that looks like a rotated "OK" sign).
- Aim middle low. Go for a full hit in the middle of the cue ball, just below center, so it dies after contact. You want the cue ball to come to rest in the middle of the table so you'll have lots of options for your second shot.
- Shoot down the middle. Some players aim for the second row of balls, hoping to bounce the cue ball off a rail and back into the rack for more action. Whatever. A full hit on the head ball equals a stronger, more consistent break with fewer scratches.
- Learn from your mistakes. Watch the cue ball to fine-tune your shot. If it tends to drive forward after impact, hit it lower for more backspin. If it likes to veer off toward the sides, hit it slower for greater accuracy and power.
Video
Tips
- For a spectacularly hard hit, use the Bruce Lee One-Inch-Punch stance. Your natural break is to place feet on floor, bend and hit, using only arm power. Try this for added smack. When the cue is being pushed forward for a large hit, shift your body weight behind it too. This means your body shifts from one side to the other, and the foot at the back moves forward too. Follow through with the cue ( through and up for show ). It's not the prettiest break, but you'll go far before you find one that packs more punch!
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Break a Rack in Pool. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Play 9 Ball Pool
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit9-ball is a pocket billiard game. The game is played with 9 numbered and colored balls (object balls) and the white ball (cue ball). The first player who pockets the ball numbered 9 wins.
Steps
- Set the 9 balls on the table inside a diamond shaped rack: the 1-ball should be on the foot spot and the 9-ball in the middle of the diamond
- Choose the player who will open the game by tossing dice, drawing cards, etc. The chosen player has to hit 1-ball with the cue ball. Afterwards, the player can call "push out" and to shoot only to move the cue ball to a better position.
- The game continues normally: on each shot, the cue ball has to contact the ball of the lowest number
- Each player who's made a legal shot continues playing.
- The first player who pockets the 9-ball legally wins the game.
Tips
- The "push out" is optional but can certainly be an advantage!
Warnings
- Beware of pool hustlers!
Things You'll Need
- Two players
- Pocket billiard table
- Cue stick
- Set of billiard balls
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Play 9 Ball Pool. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Perform Billiard Trick Shots
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit"The Great Escape" is a relatively easy and yet very impressive billiards trick shot played with two balls and the triangle.
Steps
- Put the cue ball about 4 inches of the bottom right corner pocket
- Put a colored ball about 8 inches away from the cue ball so it will create a straight line, parallel to the rail.
- Put the triangle (rack) over the colored ball. The ball should touch the left angle of the rack.
- Apply a jump shot onto the cue ball so it will hop over the bottom of the triangle, hit the ball and send it to the top right corner pocket of the table.
Tips
- To apply a jump shot, hit the cue ball down its center
Warnings
- Don't hit the cue ball too low or too aggressively
Things You'll Need
- Billiards table
- cue stick
- two billiard balls - white ball and colored ball
- triangle (rack)
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Perform Billiard Trick Shots. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Play Pool Like a Pro
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditThe games of Pool and Billiards can be frustrating for the beginner. Here are some tips to help the balls go down more often.
Steps
- Find a cue that has a comfortable weight. Too heavy and your arm will tire and less accurately wield the cue over time. Too light and you will not have the momentum of the cue helping to strike the Cue ball firmly. Many house cues are damaged or warped due to cheap materials and inconsiderate people using them. Examine the tip. Find one that is slightly domed in shape, not too worn down and is firmly attached to the ferrule (the white piece under the tip). Also ensure that the ferrule is not loose. If any of these pieces are loose or improperly glued it will serve to absorb some of the energy that you want to transfer to the cue ball and you will not get a nice solid hit when striking the ball.
- Chalk the cue tip before every shot. The Blue cube shaped chalk usually sitting around the edge of the table. Don't twist it onto the top of the cue, use more of a painting type motion. Remember, chalk the cue, don't cue the chalk!
- Keep proper form. If you're right-handed, hold the thick end of the cue in your right hand. Find the spot where when holding the cue with your right hand palm up, the cue is evenly balanced. Then hold it about an inch behind that spot. There are many ways that people hold the front end of the cue for support. Yes there is a correct way, but in the beginning try to do what is comfortable for you. You will learn why there is a correct way over time. Hint: accuracy. The proper way is to make a circle with your left thumb and index finger. Put the cue through the circle and rest it on the top of your middle finger, behind the knuckle. Spread out your pinky, ring and middle finger tips to create a tripod like support. The ridge of your hand should be on the table and the thumb side of your hand should be lifted a bit higher. Now you have a stable support and the cue cannot go flying up left or right when you stroke the cue.
- Get in the proper stance. Your left foot should be forward and your right foot back about 2 feet with your body slightly twisted to the left so it does not interfere with the cue stroke. Don't stand too close to the table, depending on the shot you're taking, lean into it a bit.
- Practice your stroke and form without hitting any balls at first. Your stroke should be approximately 4 to 6 inches. Make sure that your right arm is swinging from the elbow down only with the part of your arm from your shoulder to your elbow parallel to the floor. Watch the cue as you stroke and avoid the See Saw effect. This happens when you drop your elbow during the stroke and will cause you to lose accuracy and hit the Cue ball in the wrong spot.
- Focus on the proper hit. As a beginner, don't waste time trying to make the ball "follow" or "draw" after hitting the cue ball. Every little extra thing you try to do will adversely effect your accuracy. Just hit the cue in the middle. Before every single shot you should take 2 or 3 practice strokes and then follow through. If you want to get fancy, you can hit the cue slightly above center to make the cue ball follow the ball you just hit or slightly lower than center to make the cue ball stop or actually spin back toward you after hitting the ball. Hitting the cue to the left or right of center is called " English " and will cause the object balls trajectory to be augmented in one direction or another. Not for beginners, stick to the center of the Cue Ball.
- Imagine a ring around the center height of the balls. When you think of the point at which the cue ball and the object ball makes contact in a 2 dimensional way it will be easier for you to figure out the correct angles when trying to sink the ball. Also remember your cue ball will deflect off of the ball you just hit at approximately 90 degrees. Careful not to sink it as well. You want the white ball to stay up.
Video
Tips
- Don't defeat yourself. This game is 11% skill and 89% mental. It happens all the time, someone makes a string of great shots and then messes up on the last one and loses. Imagine each shot as being equally as important.
- Don't bet with strangers, no matter how badly they appear to play pool. These strangers may wait for you to bet it all and then pull out their skills. It is a common betting trick called hustling.
- When making those side pocket bank shots.. Imagine another table exactly one table distance next to yours. Aim for the spot where its side pocket would be and it very often turn out to be the correct angle to bank your shot.
- Be a considerate player. Don't harass or distract your opponent. Respect the game.
- For an accurate shot, imagine the ball you want to sink into the pocket (8 ball for example) and draw a mental image of the exact line from the pocket to the point on the ball at which it would require to be hit in order to go in that pocket. Remember that point. Now imagine the cue ball right next to the object ball, touching at that point. HERE IS THE REAL TRICK: Draw a mental line from the real cue ball to the center of the imagined cue ball. That is the exact line you have to hit the ball at in order for it to go in. Focus aiming the end of your pool stick in a straight line towards that imaginary cue ball. Go play.
- Find an pro instructor and work out your basics. Learning to play pool is fun, especially when you have a good friend watching your back. A sound advice at early stage can help you avoid the frustration and enjoy the game more. In addition, it can possibly save you a lot of unnecessary troubles to correct bad habits developed over your pool career.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions. You can improve your game effectively by consulting with certified pool instructors on billiard education sites such as CueTable. Their passion is to help you improve, gain confidence and be a better player.
Warnings
- Be careful wielding your Cue stick. You can poke someones eyes out.
- Be cautious, walking by or studying someone else's shots could be distracting.
- Be courteous and always keep a straight face, you wouldn't like it if someones laughing or booing during your shots.
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Play Pool Like a Pro. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Clean a Felt Pool Table Top
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditSomeone will always end up spilling something on the pool table at some stage during its lifetime! Pool table tops get dirty - drink spills, chalk marks and powder, dirt build-u, accidents with food, just to name a few possibilities. Regularly cleaning the felt top is important to help keep it looking great and to prolong its life.
Steps
- Remove all balls from the pockets. Take this opportunity to give them a clean too by wiping them with warm water and a soft cloth.
- Purchase a pool table brush. This brush is suitable for using on felt table tops - it consists of bristles in two lengths, longer at the edges and shorter in the middle. They're inexpensive; look for them online under "pool [or billiard] table brush" Use it after every playing session to remove dirt, dust, chalk dust, and any other foreign contaminants that have appeared during the games. Wipe or brush down the bumper railings first, then brush the felt top; this allows the dirt on the railings to fall on the felt top before you have gone to the effort of brushing it. Sweep all of the dirt from the center of the table into the nearest pockets using straigh brush strokes. Do not use circular motions as this will go against the weave of the felt, causing it to rub up.
- Vacuum the pockets using a thin, long nozzle connection on the cleaner. Repeat this process for each hole.[1]
- Polish the wooden areas around the top, sides, and legs. Although this doesn't impact the felt itself, it does help to remove possible contaminants located on the wood that can migrate to the table top. Use your usual wood polish or oil; citrus based wood polishing oil is suitable.
- Try a proprietary product. If preferred, there are pool table cleaning products on the market. These cleaners claim to penetrate the felt pile without dampening it and the manufacturers of such products claim that sweeping just moves the chalk around rather than removing it. Do your own research of such products and ask at a specialist sports store.
- Clean spills immediately. Only use warm water and an absorbent cloth. Soap will leave an unsightly scum stain.
- Place the absorbent cloth over the spill. Don't press, just let the cloth do the work.
- Blot the area with a dry and clean uncolored cotton cloth. This will soak up any remaining liquid.
- Add warm water to the spill area and blot up again without rubbing. Felt responds poorly to rubbing; it shifts its shape, fluffs up, and it never looks the same again - don't do it! Continue until the spill is cleaned.
Tips
- Encourage people to eat and drink away from the pool table by providing high bar tables away from the able, with stools.
- Encourage players to chalk their cue stick away from the table to minimize the amount of chalk dust falling on the felt.
- Purchase a pool table cover. This should be in place when the table is not in use; it is the best defense against dirt and other contaminants affecting the table top when unused.
- Immediacy of cleaning is the key to an effective clean of pool table tops - fix spills as soon as they happen and clean the table top every time the session of games is finished.
Warnings
- Avoid using soapy products lest they leave a residue on the felt. Always prefer a clean, damp cloth over any cleaning product when it comes to cleaning felt.
- Never let kids play on an uncovered pool table and never let pets sit or walk on it. If you let this happen, the table will get marked and damaged. Keep the cover on.
Things You'll Need
- Pool table brush
- Vacuum cleaner with thin nozzle attachment
- Pool table cleaning solution (optional)
- Wood polish and polishing cloth (or wood oil)
Sources and Citations
- Spill fix method based on Pool Table Cleaning In 7 Steps For Good Play and Long Life
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Clean a Felt Pool Table Top. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
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