Get your stroke loosened up with low-difficulty pattern drills.

Basic rotation pattern drills are always great ways to get back in stroke and get a feel for the rails and the speed of a table. And they are always based on shots you will face in virtually every rack of rotation games.

A lot of these drills look easy, but they get difficult in a hurry if you land on the wrong side of the object balls. However, there are usually ways to recover and get back in line.

This is the sort of drill I would start with if I’ve been away from the table for a week or more. For those practice sessions, I like a drill that isn’t too difficult and will help build confidence. Setting up tough shots right away or before a match is great if you’re in dead punch but if you’re a little cold, keep it simple and build your game and your confidence first.

This drill will help you understand the importance of staying around the center of the table, especially shots 1-4, and how important it is to leave a nice angle to get to your next ball. Going through the 5 and 6 gets a little tricky, with plenty of options for one-rail or two-rail shape. On the 7 and 8, it’s very important to keep the cue ball above the side pocket, which will give you a number of options from the 8 ball to the 9.



Like most of my drills, this starts with cue ball in hand (Diagram One), and you are not allowed to touch another ball.

I would start with the cue ball in the center of the table and use low right English on the 1 to get the cue ball back to the center of the table (Diagram Two). Use the same shot, only using low left English on the 2. Don’t hit these too hard. And nice, easy stroke makes the pockets play bigger.

Let your stroke out a little on the 3 ball to bring the cue ball back just past the center for the 4 (Diagram Three). Let that stroke out again on the 4, using just a tip of right to come two rails. Try to keep the cue ball near the side rail for the 5.



If you’ve left the proper angle on the 5, following with just a touch of right English will bring the cue ball almost straight back down table for the 6 (Diagram Four).

If I fall on the proper angle, I prefer to go two rails off the 6 to the 7, using center ball with just a touch of left and hitting below the side pocket. One rail is fine, too, just as playing from the 5 to the 6. It all depends on your angle on the 6.

I definitely prefer two rails from the 7 to the 8 (Diagram Five), coming toward the 8. Even if you come up a little short on speed or slightly too long, you still have a one-rail shot with the 9 ball where it is. It’s a small area to land in, so use a good tip of top right.

If I have a nice angle on the 8, I prefer two rails with follow and a tip of left English for a nice easy shot on the 9.