A simple game requires minimal movement and cue ball control.

Wouldn’t we all like to have the cue ball control that Buddy Hall displayed for so many years? During my peak, fans and players told me that mine was at that level. I’ve always prided myself on good cue ball control. I don’t like using rails unless I need to. It makes the game much easier and less stressful.

Of course, every player has his own style and preference. Players like Earl Strickland always preferred to let their stroke out and use rails. Players like Ralf Souquet like tight control and a simple game. Both work for me, but it’s always about playing to your strengths. And I’ve always studied and worked hardest on great cue ball control.

Here is a great cue ball control drill for beginners (but useful for all levels) to get the feel of shots and get your touch dialed in. This will force you to keep close control of the cue ball. The difficulty of this drill can also be increased as you begin to consistently conquer the version here. You can tweak it by shooting the 1-4 in the corners and 5-6 in the side pockets. That would require even more touch and feel. And while the original drill may look easy, the key shots (the 7 and 8) can be tricky. That’s where you’re most likely to stumble. If you do, don’t worry. Just set them back up and try to understand where you went wrong.

The rules are simple: Make the balls in rotation; no rails allowed; no bumping balls.

You start with ball in hand. The diagrams show the original layout and here’s how I would go about this drill.



Use just a touch of draw off the 1 ball to set up a fairly straight shot on the 2. Full contact and a nice half-tip of draw off the 2 will set you up for the 3.

You don’t want to get too close to the 3 ball, just a nice natural angle so you can just roll the 3 in using a high ball. This is all about speed control.

Again, if you get nice and straight on the 4 ball, just use a tip of draw. Make sure you’re not too thin on the 5 ball. And you don’t need to get too close to the 6. Just use another easy draw shot.

The 6 is a key shot. We want to make sure we get good position on the 7. Percentages will tell you to play for the 7 straight or nearly straight to the corner. That will make it easy to get shape for the 8. Good position on the 7 is critical, so just roll the 6 in with maybe a touch of left English.

Use a nice little draw shot to bring the cue ball back a foot or two for a slight angle on the 8 ball. It’s better to play for the 8 in the corner than in the side pocket because unless you land perfect on the 8 for the side, it’s going to be difficult to play for the 9 without touching a rail. The percentages here tell you to play for the 8 in the corner. It allows more room to play with and the shot is only slightly tougher.

With just a little angle on the 8, I use a punch shot. Cue just about center on the cue ball and don’t hit it too hard. This shot takes a little practice. If you’re in good stroke, these shots are easy. It will give you a lot of feedback about your stroke.

Even on the 9 ball you want to be close to straight in because you must still avoid a cushion after the shot. No cheating here at the end!