In this coaching video from 4 times World 8 Ball Pool Champion, Gareth Potts, he explains how he plans the shots ahead, not for just 1 or 2 balls, but for all 8. He then gives an example to explain his thought process.
Video Transcription:
Andy: Okay, so Gareth, we've asked a number of our Facebook
followers what questions they've got for you. The first one
we've got is from Dave Wyatt and he would like to know, "How far
ahead do you think when playing a shot, two or three balls at a
time, or just the one?"
Gareth Potts: Well, I think that's a really good question. I think a
lot of amateur pool players and professional pool players sort
of speak about this quite a lot so I think this is quite a good
subject to cover. As you can see, I've set up a finish. Now,
as a professional pool player and I think even a lot of the top
amateurs would think the whole table ahead, so it's not only
one, or two, or three.
I think when you see the table as it is now, that's quite an
easy layout. You would think the whole eight shots ahead so
that's the set in essence since the seven reds and plus the
eight ball. As you can see here, we've got the red balls which
are the easiest set. Now, to start off with, I would instantly
work out before I play a shot that I'm going to pot this one,
and I've also worked out before I've played a shot that this
ball over here is my last ball because that gains the easiest
access to the eight ball into the corner. So I would plan my
roots. Sometimes the route can change depending on a bad
positional shot that you play, and you'll have to re-evaluate the
situation. But normally I would I would plan the whole table,
eight shots in advance.
Andy: So run us through this table then.
Gareth Potts: Yep.
Andy: To start it off then, tell us what your plan would be and
then we'll see whether you can do it.
Gareth Potts: Okay, well the plan here would be this one right into the
corner first, second, red into the middle, third, this red into
the middle, fourth, this red into the middle, fifth, red into
the corner, sixth, red middle. Last, like we discussed, red
into the corner, black into the corner, so hopefully something
like this.
Andy: It's a brand new cloth. Does it feel slow, or about what
you'd expect?
Gareth Potts: It feels a little bit slower, but I think that can just be
from the atmosphere or if it hasn't been played on too much
sometimes. When it gets played in, it can sort of speed up a
little bit. Especially in tournaments, where after each match
and after each session, the table gets brushed and gets ironed
after each match; which obviously keeps the table playing quick.
I think also whether you're playing in winter or summer makes a
difference because obviously if it's cold, then the table can
sort of slow down a little bit. So I've played a little bit of a
bad positional shot here.
Andy: That's why I was trying to put in the cloth comment.
Gareth Potts: Yeah.
Andy: Left it tricky now.
Gareth Potts: Yeah.
Andy: Can you see through there?
Gareth Potts: Yeah, just about. So this wasn't quite as I planned, but
this is the last ball, for the black.
Andy: Fantastic.
Gareth Potts: So that one gave me the easiest position for the black
ball, and as it's worked out I'm pretty straight on it.
Andy: Brilliant that's great.
Andy: So for more pool coaching from Gareth Potts, please visit
homeleisuredirect.com/tv.
