If this drill doesn’t frustrate you too much, it will help your game!

Want a a great drill to start the year? Look no further than this must 9-ball no-rail drill.

This drill is pretty basic but very effective. It will improve your game but will also frustrate you and make you want to pull your hair out. That, of course, all depends on your cue ball control. If it’s not good, this drill, which looks easy, will annoy you. But you won’t be able to walk away from it.

This requires all the skills you should be working on: Pattern play; cue ball control, touch, knowledge, etc.

It’s very important to have great touch but also keep the cue ball under tight control. That requires a few different strokes because you’ll need to kill the cue ball, use soft draw and soft stuns. You’ll need to feel the cue ball at contact. But make sure you don’t decelerate, which I see so often.

One way to practice this is to try to hold the cue ball using your normal stroke. Then, choke up with your back hand and try the shots that way. It will be awkward at first but when you are working in tight areas or if the cue ball is close to the object ball, this approach will make a big difference. Knowing how to hit the shots this way will also help under pressure. Alex Pagualyan, Efren Reyes and Buddy Hall were masters at these shots.

The rules are simple: Start with cue ball in hand and shoot the balls in rotation. The cue ball is not allowed to touch a rail. The cue ball can cross over to both sides of the line of balls. (For pro level, stay on one side of the table for all shots.)

You always want to keep the first shot as simple as possible (Diagram One). Resist the temptation to leave an angle to draw the ball back for the 2. You’d hate losing position on the first shot. Let the cue ball take its natural path. Hit it high with a very slight angle and run through for the 2 in the side pocket.

Bring your hand up on the cue for the next shots, using a soft punch draw. Keep everything compact.

When I was doing this drill, I landed a little straight on the 5. I could run through for the six in the top right corner, but the better shot is a soft draw for the 6 in the lower right corner. You have more options and more room for error.



Just a little punch shot here (Diagram Two) will give you more options playing for the corner than the middle pocket with the 7.

Again, a little draw with a compact stroke. Stay on the right side of the 8. A simple punch shot here will leave an easy 9 ball.

Not the most difficult drill, but it will give you huge benefits. It will improve your play in all games, but particularly games like 8-ball and straight pool, in which cue ball control in tight spaces is a must. And as you get better, try the drill keeping the cue ball on one side of the table.