Practice Lab
Pocketing the ball is only part of the shot
You can make every ball in practice and still leave yourself the wrong angle. The Mental Edge Practice Lab gives you a way to record that part of the game, too. There are 15 modules across three levels, with 50 drills at each level.
150
drills
15
modules
3
levels
50
drills per level
01
Foundation
Alignment, cut angles, speed and basic cue-ball position.
50 drills
02
Competitive
Pattern play, position routes, safeties and escapes.
50 drills
03
Elite / Pressure
Tighter targets, a clock where specified, and decisions that carry a scoring consequence.
50 drills
Drill 001
Center-Line Stop
On the reference 9-foot table, set the 1-ball and cue ball on a straight line to the side pocket, with their centers 20 inches apart. Mark a stop zone 4 inches in diameter, centered where the center of the cue ball will be at full contact with the 1-ball. For exact placement, use the diagram on page 16 of the book.
Shoot ten attempts.
- 2A legally pocketed 1-ball with the cue ball in the zone.
- 1A legal pocket with the cue ball outside the zone.
- 0A miss, scratch or other foul.
To pass, score at least 16 out of 20, including at least six 2-point attempts.
Record the finish before you reset the balls. If you scored 16, the next question is whether you can do it again in a separate session.
In development
What I’m working on next
Practice Lab Vol. 2 is in development. Its opening module explores prediction. Call the cue ball’s route, speed and finish before you shoot, then compare your call with what actually happened.