Potting
Long Potting Drill: Pots from the D
Long potting wins frames: it gets you in when the balls are safe and punishes loose safety. This drill gives you ten long pots from the D, each at a slightly different angle, so you learn how the angle changes the pot rather than grooving one shot.
Setup
- Place ten reds in a line across the table through the pink spot, five on each side of it, leaving the pink spot itself empty (see the diagram).
- Take the cue ball in hand in the D for every shot.
Rules
- Pot each red into the nearest top corner pocket. Reds on the left side of the table go into the top-left pocket, reds on the right into the top-right.
- Place the cue ball anywhere in the D before each shot.
- Every red is one attempt. Missed reds are not replayed.
- Your score is the number of reds potted out of 10.
Targets by level
- Beginner
- 3–4 out of 10
- Club player
- 6–7 out of 10
- Advanced
- 9–10 out of 10
Tips
- Use the D to give yourself the straightest line you can for each red.
- Commit to a smooth, complete cue action. Most missed long pots are steered or snatched, not mis-aimed.
- Play at a pace that would leave the red near the pocket if you miss, not one that rattles it.
Common mistakes
- Lifting your head before the cue ball reaches the red.
- Hitting long pots too hard, which magnifies any error in the cue action.
- Always placing the cue ball in the same spot in the D, even when another spot gives a straighter pot.