3 Ball Perfect Position

Practice is very important. You can have all the knowledge about the game, but if you can't implement it, it does you no good. Practicing develops muscle memory which increases your consistency.

The main reason people don't practice is because it is work. Here are a couple of practice games that are fun to play - either by yourself or with a friend or two:

The idea behind this game is to perfectly run three balls in rotation. First take any three balls and throw them on the table. With cue-ball in hand line up on the lowest numbered ball to pocket it and get position on the next lowest number ball. This first shot is critical, because not only should you pocket the first ball and get position on the second ball, but the position you get on the second ball should be "perfect." In other words, the angle on the second ball should be such that on your second shot you easily make the ball and get position on the third ball. You should have no hard shots. In otherwords, you should have a gimme, an easy shot with the correct angle and finally another gimme.

If you miss any of the three balls, or don't get the perfect angle on the second ball, you have to start over. When you are able to make all three balls with a proper angle on the second ball and no difficult shots 15 out of 20 times, you are good enough to advance to four balls and continue the same.

With four balls the first shot is a gimme, the second shot you should have an easy shot with a good angle to the third ball. Now on the third ball you must again get an easy shot with a proper angle to the fourth ball. The fourth ball should be a gimme. Once you are about to make all four balls "perfectly" 15 out of 20 times consistently then you can graduate to five balls.

If you are tough on yourself holding strictly to no tough shots, and no wrong angles, you will find this practice game very challenging, but your game will reap the benefits.