Roger Long has been a BCA Instructor since 1993. He is the former owner of CuePort Billiards in Lakeland Florida and a regular contributer to Table Talk Newspaper here in Phoenix. His column appears here courtesy of Billiards Table Talk. Previous months columns are available here.
	Calculate Percentages, Then PLAY THE RIGHT SHOT By Roger Long, BCA Certified Instructor If you've been around pool very long you've probably heard someone offer the advice to "Always play the right shot." That sounds like simple logic, but what if you don't know the right shot to take? Besides, in games like 9-ball where you're required to shoot at the lowest numbered ball on the table, playing the right shot is usually as simple as knowing the correct stroke required to pocket the object ball and get position on the next ball in order to continue your run. But determining the right shot isn't always that easy. Let's take a closer look. The right shot is not always an offensive shot. Sometimes it is much better to play a safety. You knew that? Of course you did, but what do you do when you have several options to choose from? I'll tell you what a lot of players do; they try to remember what their favorite pro did the last time they saw him or her confronted with a similar situation. This is a good idea if you shoot exactly like your favorite pro. The problem is, no two players shoot exactly alike. Using shots you've learned from other players, especially pros, is a good start in determining the right shot, but just because one particular shot worked for another player doesn't mean it is the best choice for you. This puts us right back where we started; what to do when we have several options to choose from? To answer this we have to think like the top players are thinking when they decide which shot to take. And what the top players are thinking about are PERCENTAGES. When pool players play the percentages, they are determining which shot has the BEST chance of being successfully executed, and then they play THAT shot. They do not actually assign percentage figures to shots, they simply rely on experience to give them an instinctive feel for the chances each shot may have. Players refer to shots as being "high" or "low" percentage. What may be a high percentage shot to one player may be a low percentage shot to another player due to each player's strengths and weaknesses. Pros have few weaknesses, so their shot selection may sometimes be influenced by who their opponent is, i.e. they might play a kick safety if they know their opponent is a weak kicker. So why not start shooting like a pro? Calculate the percentages, then take the right shot.   All copyrights are owned by Roger Long. No duplication is allowed without his permission.