Consider the following.

You're the captain or coach of an 8-ball league. Your low-level player is shooting solids.

Now, I'm convinced that 99% of the beginning players out there (I'm thinking APA two's and three's) are going to shoot the five ball now, because it's an easier shot.

But that's why they're called beginners. The thing to me that's sad is that at least 80% of their coaches will let them shoot the five.

Don't let them do it! If you have any timeouts left, take one now.

Have them shoot the two first. It's a tougher shot, but if they make it the game is essentially over. The odds against getting snookered from the five are pretty slim.

So they pocket the two, then either slow-roll the five or shoot a stop-shot at it, then they put the eight in the other corner.

This is almost never what happens though.

What happens is this:

1. Player makes the five in the corner.

2. Player makes the two in the side.

3. Player is completely fucked on the eight and uses their timeout to get help with a shot that they'll never make in a million years.

4. Player loses the game.

Too many times, coaches are coaching the wrong thing. Beginning players can't be told how to make a shot in the middle of a game. Shotmaking is something they have to work on when they're practicing. Beginning players can, however, be shown a little bit of common sense and strategy.

It's up to their coaches to show them, but too often I've seen coaches sitting on their asses during situations like this.