You Know Your Limitations?

How Well Do You Know Your Limitations?

Shot probabilities are an important gauge on your shot selection and strategy. What the heck does that mean? It means that you should know your game well enough that you can put a numbered percentage on making any shot that you are faced with. For example, a table length thin cut shot is an 80% make, a cross-cut bank to the side is 90%, a table length off-angle bank is 60%, etc. This just doesn't cover the shots that entail making balls, it also covers safety play and shape-making. What it comes down to is whether you have a better chance of making that 60% bank or making a safety shot with a 90% completion factor.

This sounds all well and good but how do you figure those percentages out? It really isn't as hard as it would sound. It's similar to when you first started looking ahead and playing shape. During practice and during play just start assigning a shot percentage you think is close. Don't worry about the accuracy of the number. As the shot comes up during the game and depending upon whether the shot is completed to your satisfaction or not, move the percentage number up or down. Don't forget that when you are making a ball, the complete shot includes making shape. The percentage needs to be for the complete shot or, as I prefer, broken down into a percentage for making the ball and another percentage for making the shape. The reason for liking the two types, the "make-rate" and the "shape-rate" is that it gives more accuracy to safety play.

One factor that is never discussed during this process is shot, shape and safety recognition. Many of the same type of shots appear repeatedly during a match. Recognize them and practice them to get to at least a 95% make. By forcing yourself to figure those percentages, you are also forced to recognize shots that have a high percentage which can translate into better shape play. Consequently, your shape play will lean to the higher "make-rate" probabilities. As you can see, one feeds off the other improving overall play.

Knowing what you can't do on a pool table is just as important as what you can do. Only you know what your strengths and weaknesses are for a given day. Use that knowledge to your advantage and play within your game for that day. Remember, there are three aspects to percentages, the shot (make-rate), the shape (shape-rate) and safety completion (safe-rate). You can still win even if one of these are off. Just compensate with the other two aspects. On a rare occasion, snagging a win is possible by excelling in just one of the three. Knowing your limitations for any given day can translate into making you a winner.

By Jay Wegener