DR-0012A Scored systems and rating drills
Runout Drill System, Level 1 — "six, direct"
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Foundationfoundation (chart: lower novice)
- Needs
- full rack for the break, any six balls for the run
- Setup
- Rack any six balls; break; take ball in hand after the break; pocket all six with each shot called, each object ball pocketed directly with no cue-ball travel required.
- Scoring
- Clean run = no misses or fouls.
- Advance
- 2 of 3 racks moves up a level; 1 of 3 stays; 0 of 3 drops. Break scratches carry no penalty; break balls stay down.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0022A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 2 — six, straight, five ball-in-hands
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Foundationfoundation (chart: mid novice)
- Needs
- as DR-001. Any six balls, straight-pool-style running (no order constraint beyond staying legal); you may pick the cue ball up five extra times during the run
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Advance
- 2 of 3 up, 1 of 3 stays, 0 of 3 drops.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0032A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 3 — six, straight, three ball-in-hands
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Foundationfoundation (chart: upper novice)
- Needs
- as DR-001; three extra ball-in-hands instead of five
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0042A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 4 — six, straight, two ball-in-hands
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Foundationfoundation (chart band D–)
- Needs
- as DR-001; two extra ball-in-hands
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0052A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 5 — six, straight, one ball-in-hand
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Foundationfoundation (chart band D)
- Needs
- as DR-001; one extra ball-in-hand
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0062A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 6 — three solids, three stripes and the 8
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (chart band D+)
- Needs
- as DR-001; eight-ball rack subset
- Setup
- Run three solids, three stripes, then the 8 under 8-ball rules.
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules; a pocketed 8 is re-spotted or re-racked per the handout's local-rule note.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0072A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 7 — nine, straight
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (chart band C–)
- Needs
- as DR-001; any nine balls, straight running, no extra ball-in-hands stated
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0082A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 8 — four solids, four stripes and the 8
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (chart band C)
- Needs
- as DR-001; 8-ball subset, straight running
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0092A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 9 — all fifteen, straight, two ball-in-hands
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (chart band C+)
- Needs
- full 15-ball rack, straight-pool style, two extra ball-in-hands
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0102A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 10 — six, rotation
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (chart band B–)
- Needs
- as DR-001; any six balls in rotation (lowest ball first)
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules. Chart anchor: this level sits beside FargoRate 500–549 and BU 110–124.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0112A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 11 — all fifteen, straight
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (chart band B)
- Needs
- full rack, straight running, no extra ball-in-hands
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0122A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 12 — all fifteen, 8-ball
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (chart band B+)
- Needs
- full rack under 8-ball rules
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0132A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 13 — four, four and the 8, 8-ball then rotation
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (chart band A–)
- Needs
- as DR-001; 8-ball rules, then continue the remaining balls in rotation
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0142A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 14 — nine-ball, balls 1 through 9
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (chart band A)
- Needs
- 9-ball rack
- Setup
- Run the full rack in rotation under 9-ball rules.
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0152A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 15 — all fifteen, 8-ball then rotation
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (chart band A+/AA — semipro/pro)
- Needs
- full rack; clear under 8-ball rules, then the remainder in rotation
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0162A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS Level 16 — all fifteen, rotation
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (chart band A++/AAA — world-class pro)
- Needs
- full rack, straight rotation from the break
- Scoring
- As DR-001 house rules. Chart anchor: beside FargoRate 770 and above.
- Dose
- 3 racks per level attempt
DR-0172A Scored systems and rating drills
RDS 100 — points variant (BU Exam IV)
Runout Drill System
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (self-scaling)
- Needs
- full racks
- Setup
- The ladder's points variant: you begin with 100 points and lose points for balls left on the table when a run ends on a miss or foul; the Billiard University uses this format as its Exam IV.
- Scoring
- Score is a running point total rather than a level; degrade by balls left per failed run.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0182A Scored systems and rating drills
Playing the Ghost, 9-ball
Playing the Ghost
position/patternmental
Foundation → Advancedself-scaling (rating output: foundation→advanced)
- Needs
- full 9-ball rack
- Setup
- Play 5 or 10 racks of 9-ball against an imaginary opponent: ball in hand after the break; break from behind the head string; always hit the lowest ball first; if you scratch on the break, spot the balls made; otherwise break shots count; an early 9 does not end the rack.
- Scoring
- 1 point per ball made, +1 if the 9 was among them; five-rack totals map 0–8→1, 9–14→2, 15–19→3, 20–23→4, 24–27→5, 28–31→6, 32–35→7, 36–39→8, 40–44→9, 45–50→10; letters D (novice) 1–3, C (intermediate) 4–6, B (advanced) 7–9, A (superior) 10.
- Advance
- none — the rating is the output. Author's caveat: scores vary session to session; run several and keep the median.
- Dose
- 5 or 10 racks per session
DR-0192A Scored systems and rating drills
Playing the Ghost, 10-ball
Playing the Ghost
position/patternmental
Foundation → Advancedself-scaling (rating output; author calls this version the most recommended)
- Needs
- full 10-ball rack
- Setup
- The 10-ball version of DR-018 with the same conventions (ball in hand after the break, lowest first).
- Scoring
- Session totals across 30 racks with the highest 10 and lowest 10 dropped; published bands run D+ at 30–35 up through Pro at 71+ on the 100-rack-normalized scale.
- Advance
- none.
- Dose
- 30 racks per full rating session
DR-0202A Scored systems and rating drills
Playing the Ghost, safety variant
Playing the Ghost
safetyposition/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (editorial)
- Needs
- full rack
- Setup
- Ghost variant that allows defensive shots; the working assumption is that the ghost cannot jump or kick.
- Scoring
- Scoring adapted to include safeties; details carried on the author's rating page rather than the drill sheet.
- Advance
- none.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0212A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam I, F1 — Cut Shot Drill
Billiard University exams
shotmaking
Foundation → Intermediatefoundation→intermediate (self-scaling)
- Needs
- self-adhesive donuts to mark positions; optional video camera or BU instructor for an official run
- Setup
- Seven CB stations along the rail line of a corner-pocket cut; start at station 4. Pocket the object ball and the cue ball advances one station on success, retreats one on miss; a success at 7 or a miss at 1 holds.
- Scoring
- Ten shots total (you may stop early with a guaranteed 10). Score = final station after the 10th shot's adjustment + one bonus point per success at 7; 10 max. Any exam drill may be shot from either side of the table.
- Advance
- none within the exam; Exam I total routes you into Exam II level (0–49 Bachelors, 50–69 Masters, 70–100 Doctorate).
- Dose
- One exam sitting; the instructions estimate 40–60 minutes per exam (project-verified src-31 context)
DR-0222A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam I, F2 — Stop Shot Drill
Billiard University exams
shotmaking
Foundation → Intermediatefoundation→intermediate (self-scaling)
- Needs
- donuts on the object ball and its ghost-ball outline
- Setup
- As DR-021's mechanic along a corner-pocket stop shot: pocket the ball and the stopped cue ball must overlap part of the ghost-ball outline; cue ball may touch a cushion; positions may move off the rail with the cue ball within one diamond; at station 1 the cue ball may sit anywhere between stations 1 and 2 to avoid a double hit.
- Scoring
- As DR-021 (final station + bonus; 10 max).
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0232A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam I, F3 — Follow Shot Drill
Billiard University exams
shotmakingposition/pattern
Foundation → Intermediatefoundation→intermediate (self-scaling)
- Needs
- paper-rectangle target cut from an 8.5×11 sheet with a 1-inch border (website template)
- Setup
- Cue ball and object ball ride one diamond apart; pocket the ball and send the cue ball into or overlapping the rectangle target; cushions allowed.
- Scoring
- As DR-021 (final station + bonus; 10 max).
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0242A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam I, F4 — Draw Shot Drill
Billiard University exams
position/patternshotmaking
Foundation → Intermediatefoundation→intermediate (self-scaling)
- Needs
- donut-marked stations
- Setup
- As DR-021's mechanic on a draw shot: pocket the object ball and draw the cue ball into a fixed 2×1-diamond rectangle beside the side pocket (target does not move with the cue ball; center of the ball must finish inside the border); side cushion contact allowed; station-1 relief as in F2.
- Scoring
- As DR-021 (final station + bonus; 10 max).
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0252A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam I, F5 — Stun Shot Drill
Billiard University exams
shotmaking
Foundation → Intermediatefoundation→intermediate (self-scaling)
- Needs
- paper-rectangle target
- Setup
- The target moves instead of the cue ball: start with the target at position 4 (its long edge against the rail cushion; other positions align with the long-rail diamonds). Positions 1–3 require the cue ball to run straight to the target with no cushion; positions 5–7 require a rebound off the end rail; position 4 permits but does not require cushion contact. Success = pocket the ball and finish in or overlapping the target.
- Scoring
- Ten shots; score = final target position + bonus per success at 7; 10 max.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0262A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam I, F6 — Ball Pocketing Drill
Billiard University exams
shotmaking
Foundationfoundation (fixed setup)
- Needs
- none beyond balls
- Setup
- Ten fixed shots (five object balls off each cue-ball position per the exam diagram), shot in order regardless of outcome, one attempt each, no progressive movement.
- Scoring
- Score = balls pocketed without a scratch; 10 max.
- Advance
- none.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0272A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam I, F7 — Wagon Wheel Drill
Billiard University exams
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (exam-calibrated)
- Needs
- donut-marked rail target balls per the exam diagram
- Setup
- Pocket the object ball and drive the cue ball to hit each rail target ball in turn; rail-first contact adjacent to the target is allowed but no other cushion may be touched en route; two attempts per target; completed target balls come off and disturbed ones are replaced.
- Scoring
- Score = successful attempts; 20 max.
- Advance
- none.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0282A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam I, F8 — Grid Target Drill
Billiard University exams
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (exam-calibrated)
- Needs
- donut-marked target grid per the exam diagram
- Setup
- Pocket the 1-ball and finish the cue ball in or overlapping each grid target in turn; any route, any number of rails; four attempts per target.
- Scoring
- Score = successful attempts; 20 max.
- Advance
- none.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0292A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam II, S1 — Line of Balls Drill
Billiard University exams
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (Doctorate station)
- Needs
- Doctorate-level skills exam context (both exams on a 9-foot or larger table for a Doctorate)
- Setup
- A line of balls pocketed in rotation in any pockets without scratching and without contacting any remaining ball; disturbing a ball ends the run (the pocketed ball still counts).
- Scoring
- Score = balls pocketed legally before a miss or contact; 10 max; shoot twice, keep the higher.
- Advance
- none within the exam.
- Dose
- One exam sitting (40–60 min per exam)
DR-0302A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam II, S2 — Rail Cut Shot Drill
Billiard University exams
shotmaking
Advancedadvanced (Doctorate station)
- Needs
- as DR-029. Rail-hugging cut shots pocketed in any order, two attempts, higher score kept; no scratch, no combinations, no disturbing remaining balls
- Scoring
- Score = balls pocketed legally before a miss or contact; 15 max.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0312A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam II, S3 — Rotation layouts
Billiard University exams
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (Doctorate station)
- Needs
- as DR-029. Three fixed 9-ball-rotation layouts; pocket legally under rotation rules, always striking the lowest ball first; an early 9 must be followed by the remaining balls in rotation
- Setup
- (Station heading lost in text extraction; block position between S2 and S5 — synthesis.)
- Scoring
- Score = sum of the two lowest of the three layout scores; 14 max.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0322A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam II, S4 — Rotation layouts, multi-rail requirement
Billiard University exams
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (Doctorate station)
- Needs
- as DR-029. Three layouts as DR-031, with an added requirement: shape on the 7 and 9 must come off three or four rails from the 6 and 8; taking fewer rails stops the run but the pocketed ball still counts
- Scoring
- Score = sum of the two lowest layout scores; 14 max.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0332A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam II, S5 — Hide-Behind-Target Safety Drill
Billiard University exams
safety
Advancedadvanced (Doctorate station)
- Needs
- paper-rectangle target (8.5×11, 1-inch border, printable template) plus obstacle cluster
- Setup
- Two attempts from each cue-ball position; each attempt must snooker — hide the object ball behind the obstacle cluster with no direct contact path; the 1-ball may not be pocketed; obstacle balls may be contacted but must stay within or overlapping the target.
- Scoring
- Score = successful snookers; 14 max.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0342A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam II, S6 — Kick Shot Drill
Billiard University exams
kicking
Advancedadvanced (Doctorate station)
- Needs
- diagrammed object-ball positions
- Setup
- Shots 1–4: kick at each object ball off the same long rail from a fixed cue-ball position. Shots 5–6: ball in hand, kick off any two rails at the 1 and 3. Shot 7: ball in hand, kick off any three rails at the 2.
- Scoring
- Score = successful legal kicks (no scratch, ball to rail); 7 max.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0352A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam II, S7 — Bank Shot Drill
Billiard University exams
kicking
Advancedadvanced (Doctorate station)
- Needs
- diagrammed positions
- Setup
- Bank the object ball cross-corner from each of seven cue-ball positions.
- Scoring
- Score = legal banks without a scratch; 7 max.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0362A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam II, S8 — Elevated Cue Drill
Billiard University exams
jump
Advancedadvanced (Doctorate station)
- Needs
- diagrammed positions
- Setup
- Pocket each object ball from the indicated cue-ball position using an elevated cue, without scratching.
- Scoring
- Score = successful shots; 7 max.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0372A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam II, S9 — Jump or Massé Drill
Billiard University exams
jump
Advancedadvanced (Doctorate station)
- Needs
- diagrammed obstacle
- Setup
- Seven attempts; each success is a legal jump or massé that pockets the cue ball's target (cue ball pocketed per the exam's scoring wording: "CB pocketed, no obstacle-ball contact"); practice both skills, use your more reliable one in the exam.
- Scoring
- Score = successful attempts; 7 max.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0382A Scored systems and rating drills
BU Exam II, S10 — Break Drill
Billiard University exams
break
Advancedadvanced (Doctorate station)
- Needs
- full rack
- Setup
- Break three times, scoring each break on five criteria, one point each: no scratch; no scratch and the cue ball not driven to a cushion; no scratch with the cue ball's center inside the center four-diamond zone throughout; no scratch with at least one ball pocketed; no scratch with three or more object balls pocketed and/or driven past the head string.
- Scoring
- Score = median of the three break scores (best and worst discarded); 5 max.
- Dose
- One exam sitting
DR-0392A Scored systems and rating drills
Bowlliards
Bowlliards
shotmakingposition/patternmental
Foundationfoundation (source: "particularly suited for beginners, juniors and league players")
- Needs
- full rack; call-shot discipline
- Setup
- Ten frames of ten balls; two innings per frame; each legally pocketed ball scores 1 regardless of number, in any order; a ten-ball first inning scores as a strike, the remainder as a spare; tenth-frame strike earns two extra innings, spare one; balls made or jumped on the break are spotted and play continues with cue ball in hand; the site itself warns that pocketing on the break can cause congestion at the foot spot.
- Scoring
- Bowling-style cumulative score toward a perfect 300.
- Advance
- none. Known source conflict, carried from the corpus: the FAQ's "Max Possible starts at 150" wording contradicted the rules' 300 and has since vanished from the live FAQ; print 300 (src-17, src-18).
- Dose
- 10 frames per game
DR-0402A Scored systems and rating drills
The Tucker Test
The Tucker Test
position/patternshotmaking
Intermediate → Advancedintermediate→advanced (editorial)
- Needs
- two 8.5×11 paper sheets as moveable targets
- Setup
- Shots 1–16 all fire from the same cue-ball and object-ball positions; only the paper targets move; five attempts per target.
- Scoring
- 2 points for pocketing and landing on the paper, 1 for pocketing and hitting it, 0 for a miss; up to 10 points per shot across 100 shots. Design principle stated by the author: fixed ball positions keep table time on shooting, not resetting.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- Section 1 of the test: at least 80 shots from one position
DR-0412A Scored systems and rating drills
PAT — Playing Ability Test (Levels 1–3, PAT Start as preliminary stage)
PAT — Playing Ability Test
shotmakingposition/patternkickingbreak
Foundation → Advancedsource-anchored: PAT 1 beginner-to-slightly-advanced; PAT 2 advanced-to-experienced; PAT 3 top/world-elite
- Needs
- examiner-run session; two players to a table, or 2–3 hours solo
- Setup
- Ten sectors per level (stroke speed, stroke straightness, follow efficiency, draw efficiency, position play small and large areas, ball frozen to rail, continuous exercises, standard position shots, 9-ball table clearing; Level 3 adds long/angle shots and banking), ten mini-tests each.
- Scoring
- Achieved average × factor = points per category against a target value; result is a level and emblem ("similar to the belt system in martial sports"), eight grades in three levels.
- Advance
- retake PAT 1 after 3 months, PAT 2–3 after 6. The packet's WPA-approval sentence is publisher copy, consistent across 2005–2007 listings, not a WPA-primary record (src-44).
- Dose
- Session of approx. 3–4 hours (two players)
DR-0422A Scored systems and rating drills
Equal Offense
Equal Offense
shotmakingposition/pattern
Intermediate → Advancedintermediate→advanced (editorial)
- Needs
- full 15-ball rack
- Setup
- Straight-pool-derived solo game: ten innings; each inning opens with a break shot whose pocketed balls spot; then ball in hand in the kitchen; run as far as possible, re-racking after the 14th ball (break the 14 and pocket the 15th).
- Scoring
- Max 20 points per inning, 200 per game; straight-pool break-ball planning applies.
- Advance
- none — the total is the rating.
- Dose
- 10 innings per game
Weak source: single-sourceDR-0432A Scored systems and rating drills
The Fargo rating drill
Fargo rating drill
position/patternbreak
Intermediate → Advancedintermediate→advanced (editorial)
- Needs
- full racks
- Setup
- A practice-and-rating drill developed by Mike Page; the VEPP article that catalogs rating drills notes these drills "begin with a break" (src-55). Full session rules live on the linked description and score sheet, which were not re-retrieved this pass.
- Scoring
- Produces a drill score intended as a rating input; rules summary and score sheet exist at the source's links.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- not stated by source
Weak source: single-sourceDR-0442A Scored systems and rating drills
Hopkins Q Skills Challenge
Hopkins Q Skills Challenge
position/patternbreak
Intermediate → Advancedintermediate→advanced (editorial)
- Needs
- full racks
- Setup
- Named on Dr. Dave's player-rating drill list alongside RDS and BU; the VEPP catalog likewise groups it with Fargo as a rating drill that begins with a break. Session rules not retrieved this pass.
- Scoring
- Rating-drill output per its own materials (not read).
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0452A Scored systems and rating drills
VEPP 9-ball pattern drill exam
VEPP pattern exam
position/patternshotmaking
Foundation → Advancedthree source levels: L1 foundation, L2 intermediate, L3 advanced
- Needs
- full 9-ball racks; printed layout diagrams (Section 4 of the VEPP 9-ball clinic handout)
- Setup
- Twelve fixed 9-ball patterns, four per level across three levels of difficulty; each layout is five shots run in rotation from ball in hand.
- Scoring
- 1 point per shot; five attempts per layout; a full pass at all twelve layouts is a 100-point exam.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- 5 attempts × 12 layouts
DR-0462A Scored systems and rating drills
VEPP pattern 101A (Level 1, Layout 1)
VEPP pattern exam
position/pattern
Foundationfoundation
- Needs
- printed layout
- Setup
- Five-ball rotation runout from ball in hand with a near stop-shot roadmap throughout; the entry-level layout of the exam above.
- Scoring
- Scores within DR-045's exam frame.
- Dose
- As DR-045
DR-0472A Scored systems and rating drills
VEPP pattern 103A (Level 3, Layout 1)
VEPP pattern exam
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced
- Needs
- printed layout
- Setup
- Level-3 layout with an added requirement: the cue ball may not touch a cushion — the runout must be done on stun and draw alone.
- Scoring
- As DR-045.
- Dose
- As DR-045
DR-0482A Scored systems and rating drills
VEPP pattern 103D (Level 3, Layout 4)
VEPP pattern exam
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced
- Needs
- printed layout
- Setup
- Level-3 layout with a three-cushion requirement: position on the 7 and 9 must come off three cushions (the exam's Doctorate-level analog is DR-032).
- Scoring
- As DR-045.
- Dose
- As DR-045
DR-0492A Scored systems and rating drills
Colin Colenso's potting drill
Colenso potting drill
shotmaking
Foundation → Advancedsource-anchored bands: 20–29 beginner/casual, 30–44 C, 45–59 B, 60–69 A, 70–79 "pro level potter"
- Needs
- printable drill diagram and scoring sheets (auto-scoring spreadsheet exists, community-made, forum-hosted)
- Setup
- Sixteen potting challenges, eight from each side of the table, spanning cut angles, distances and directions; six cue-ball positions and eight object balls into the corner; perform each pot five times; scratching is allowed, "slop" is not. Short form: two of each pot, total ×2.5.
- Scoring
- Score out of 80; Colenso's own rating bands as listed. A May 2020 write-up adds that the video description's rating table relates scores to ABCD level, expected BU scores, expected league handicaps and a predicted FargoRating.
- Advance
- none — the total is the rating.
- Dose
- 80 shots, ~30–50 minutes
DR-0502B Stroke and fundamentals
MoFUDAT — "Most Famous and Useful Drill of All Time"
MoFUDAT
shotmaking
Foundationfoundation
- Needs
- striped ball (stripe aligned to the shot line), optional "sentinel" balls flanking a rail gap as a visible target, optional golf tee as a far-rail aim point
- Setup
- Shoot a medium-speed, above-center hit straight up-table off the far cushion and back; watch the stripe for wobble (an off-center-hit indicator) and stay down until the ball returns close to the cue tip.
- Scoring
- Count good hits per ten attempts (little or no wobble, ball back near the tip). Repeat the ten-shot cycle with center-ball and below-center placements and compare.
- Advance
- not stated by source; difficulty self-scales by narrowing the sentinel gap, adding backspin (the drag effect punishes unintentional sidespin), or increasing speed.
- Dose
- 10 attempts × 3 tip placements per cycle
DR-0512B Stroke and fundamentals
Stroke over the cushion line
Standalone drills
shotmaking
Foundationfoundation
- Needs
- none
- Setup
- Stroke directly over a rail cushion line and confirm the cue stays over the line through the entire stroke.
- Scoring
- Pass/fail by observation; no number.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0522B Stroke and fundamentals
Golf-tee stroke gate
Standalone drills
shotmaking
Foundationfoundation
- Needs
- two vertical golf tees
- Setup
- Stroke between two upright tees; a follow-through that is not straight moves them.
- Scoring
- Pass/fail by observation.
- Advance
- narrow the tee gap as you improve.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0532B Stroke and fundamentals
Mirror check (aim, alignment, vision center)
Standalone drills
shotmaking
Foundationfoundation
- Needs
- a mirror
- Setup
- Check vision-center alignment and stroke straightness in the mirror; adjust stance and head orientation toward a squarer face and level eyes.
- Scoring
- Pass/fail by observation; no number.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0542B Stroke and fundamentals
Row-of-balls into a corner, bridge on the far rail
Standalone drills
shotmaking
Foundationfoundation
- Needs
- a row of balls
- Setup
- Shoot each ball of the row into a corner pocket while bridging on the far short rail; keep head and body still through every stroke.
- Scoring
- Standard per the article: if you cannot make 10 in a row, get instruction.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0552B Stroke and fundamentals
Line of straight stop shots
Standalone drills
shotmaking
Foundation → Intermediatefoundation→intermediate (editorial)
- Needs
- a line of balls across the table; donuts helpful
- Setup
- Place the cue ball for a long, straight stop shot on each ball in turn; the stop shot exposes aim and sidespin errors that a rolling shot would hide.
- Scoring
- Standard per the article: 10 in a row from long distance; any miss and the sequence restarts.
- Advance
- add balls and increase distance.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0562B Stroke and fundamentals
Short stop / follow / draw into the side
Standalone drills
shotmakingposition/pattern
Foundation → Intermediatefoundation→intermediate (editorial)
- Needs
- none beyond balls
- Setup
- Cue ball at table center, object ball halfway to a side pocket: five stop shots in a row, then five follow shots pocketing the ball and scratching the same pocket, then five draw shots scratching the opposite side. The article notes most players find the draw leg hardest.
- Scoring
- Pass standard: 5 in a row per leg.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- 15 shots per full cycle
DR-0572B Stroke and fundamentals
Long diagonal stop / follow / draw
Standalone drills
shotmakingposition/pattern
Intermediate → Advancedintermediate→advanced (editorial)
- Needs
- donuts to mark the cue ball and object ball, plus a follow-through position mark
- Setup
- A table-diagonal shot with the object ball halfway between cue ball and pocket (the longest straight shot available); pocket 10 stop shots in a row; then 5 follow shots that pocket the ball and scratch; then draw shots pocketing the ball and scratching — "if you can get 1 or more out of 5, you are doing well."
- Scoring
- Streak standards per leg as listed.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- ~20+ shots per cycle
DR-0582B Stroke and fundamentals
Progressive stop-shot ladder (NV J.35 version)
Progressive practice (Jewett)
shotmakingposition/pattern
Foundation → Advancedself-scaling
- Needs
- donuts for the stop-shot target near the pocket
- Setup
- Cue ball starts four diamonds from the corner pocket; a successful stop (cue ball finishes within a ball of the target) moves the cue ball back a diamond, a miss moves it forward; seven diamonds is the longest position.
- Scoring
- Score = final cue-ball position after 10 shots + one bonus point per make from the 7-diamond position; 14 max. Keep a log of scores.
- Advance
- not stated by source — the ladder self-scales. Scored twin of BU Exam I F2 (DR-022).
- Dose
- 10 shots per run
DR-0592B Stroke and fundamentals
Progressive cut shots
Progressive practice (Jewett)
shotmaking
Intermediateintermediate (editorial)
- Needs
- recommended setup shown in the source video; donuts
- Setup
- The progressive mechanic applied to cut shots: success moves the cue ball to a harder position, miss to an easier one; other cue-ball/object-ball layouts work but the video's setup is the one recommended.
- Scoring
- Score = final position after the run, as with the other progressive drills; exact maximum not stated by source.
- Advance
- self-scaling; the article adds "set target-score goals" to add competitive pressure.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0602B Stroke and fundamentals
Mighty X
Mighty X
shotmakingposition/pattern
Intermediate → Advancedintermediate→advanced (editorial; pro-authored)
- Needs
- four balls per the layout diagram (a long-diagonal arrangement on the table's diagonals)
- Setup
- A classic stroke drill for long, straight stop, follow, and draw shots along the table's long diagonals: the 1 is used as the cue ball to pocket the 3, the 2 as the cue ball to pocket the 4, and likewise 3 onto 1 and 4 onto 2, re-spotting the balls continually.
- Scoring
- Score: not stated by source (the source page demonstrates rather than scores it).
- Advance
- not stated by source. Described by Darren Appleton in his November 2018 Billiards Digest article; demonstrated on video by Niels Feijen.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0612B Stroke and fundamentals
Progressive draw, Level 1 — draw past the first diamond
Progressive practice (Jewett)
position/patternshotmaking
Foundationfoundation
- Needs
- corner-pocket object ball, donuts or chalk for positions
- Setup
- Object ball near a corner pocket, cue ball one diamond up-table; pocket the ball and draw the cue ball back past the first diamond up-table.
- Scoring
- Success moves the cue ball up-table one more diamond; a miss moves it back half a diamond. Score = final cue-ball position after 10–15 shots.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- 10–15 shots per session at the level
DR-0622B Stroke and fundamentals
Progressive draw, Level 2 — back to start
Progressive practice (Jewett)
position/pattern
Foundation → Intermediatefoundation→intermediate (editorial)
- Needs
- as DR-061. The standard tightens: draw the cue ball back at least to its starting position
- Scoring
- As DR-061 (final position is the score).
- Dose
- 10–15 shots
DR-0632B Stroke and fundamentals
Progressive draw, Level 3 — the two-diamond window
Progressive practice (Jewett)
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate
- Needs
- as DR-061. Draw past the starting position but no more than two diamonds beyond — a speed window, not just a distance
- Scoring
- As DR-061.
- Dose
- 10–15 shots
DR-0642B Stroke and fundamentals
Progressive draw, Level 4 — fixed cue ball, advancing object ball
Progressive practice (Jewett)
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate
- Needs
- side-pocket mark, foot-rail reference
- Setup
- Cue ball fixed two diamonds above a side pocket; each success advances the object ball one diamond; draw the cue ball back to within one diamond of the foot rail.
- Scoring
- A miss moves the object ball back half a diamond. Score = final object-ball position.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- 10–15 shots
DR-0652B Stroke and fundamentals
Progressive draw, Level 5 — the one-diamond box
Progressive practice (Jewett)
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced
- Needs
- as DR-064. Same setup; the cue ball must finish inside a one-diamond box between the first and second diamonds on the head rail
- Scoring
- As DR-064 (final object-ball position is the score).
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- 10–15 shots
DR-0662B Stroke and fundamentals
Draw challenges — draw to the cushion; race to the cushion
Progressive practice (Jewett)
position/pattern
Intermediate → Advancedintermediate→advanced (editorial)
- Needs
- none beyond balls
- Setup
- Two challenges from the same article. (a) Draw to the cushion: object ball starts one diamond above the rail; after contact the object ball rebounds off the foot cushion while the cue ball draws straight back to the head cushion without the object ball reaching it; success advances the object ball one ball width, failure backs it half. (b) Race to the cushion: object ball on the head line; the cue ball must reach the head cushion before the object ball does; success advances the object ball one diamond, failure backs it half.
- Scoring
- Score = final object-ball position after 10–15 attempts per challenge.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- 10–15 attempts per challenge
DR-0672C Pocketing and shotmaking — the table classics
Line of balls (VEPP)
The Line Drill
position/pattern
Foundation → Intermediatefoundation→intermediate (editorial)
- Needs
- nine balls
- Setup
- Nine balls on the table's center line, about a ball's width apart, starting a ball off the end cushion; pocket as many as possible in numerical order into any pocket without disturbing any remaining ball.
- Scoring
- Count = balls pocketed before the first miss or disturbance.
- Advance
- not stated by source. Scored exam variant: BU Exam II S1 (DR-029).
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0682C Pocketing and shotmaking — the table classics
Line Drill, Level 1 — beginner
The Line Drill
position/pattern
Foundationfoundation (source label: "For Beginners")
- Needs
- 15 balls, or 7 for the reduced start
- Setup
- Balls racked in a straight line along the long-rail center per the site's diagram; ball in hand; pot in any order, any pocket; contacting any other ball resets the run. Beginners may start with 7 balls.
- Scoring
- Streak standard: run the setup 3 times in a row to advance.
- Advance
- to L2 after 3 consecutive clean runs; harder pocket-restriction variants (only pockets B–E, then only C and D) sit between the levels.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0692C Pocketing and shotmaking — the table classics
Line Drill, Level 2 — intermediate
The Line Drill
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (source label: "For Intermediate Players")
- Needs
- all 15 balls in the line
- Setup
- Same line, now in numerical order 1 through 15; a variant runs it under 8-ball rules (solids, stripes, then the 8).
- Scoring
- Streak standard: 3 clean runs in a row to advance.
- Advance
- to L3 after 3 consecutive clean runs.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0702C Pocketing and shotmaking — the table classics
Line Drill, Level 3 — advanced
The Line Drill
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (source label: "For Advanced Players")
- Needs
- as DR-069 with the harder ball positions per the site's diagram
- Setup
- Same numerical order with the line moved to harder positions; cushion-restriction variants per the site.
- Scoring
- Streak standard: 3 clean runs in a row.
- Advance
- not stated by source (top level).
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0712C Pocketing and shotmaking — the table classics
The Spot Shot Challenge
The Spot Shot Challenge
shotmakingposition/pattern
Foundation → Intermediatefoundation→intermediate (editorial)
- Needs
- one object ball
- Setup
- Object ball on the foot spot; ball in hand in the kitchen to start; pocket the ball and bring the cue ball back into the kitchen; re-spot the object ball each time and shoot from where the cue ball sits.
- Scoring
- Streak count: the run ends on a miss or when the cue ball fails to return to the kitchen.
- Advance
- none — the streak is the score; top scores and videos are tracked in the source page's linked video description.
- Dose
- not stated by source
Weak source: single-sourceDR-0722C Pocketing and shotmaking — the table classics
Around the Clock (English positions)
Around the Clock
position/pattern
Foundationfoundation
- Needs
- one straight-in shot setup, e.g. cue ball on the head-string line to a corner pocket
- Setup
- Shoot the same straight-in shot once with each tip position around the clock face — center, high, high-right, right, low-right, low, low-left, left, high-left — and observe what each does to the cue ball. The source is explicit that the concern is the cue ball's behavior, not making the ball.
- Scoring
- No score; observational.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- One cycle = 9 shots
DR-0732D Position and pattern
The Revised Wagon Wheel
The Wagon Wheel
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (source: "a difficult drill … will take much practice")
- Needs
- 15 balls, chalk marker, donuts
- Setup
- Fifteen balls fanned from a point one ball width out from the center of the foot rail per the diagram; a chalk marker sits at the head-rail midpoint ball. Choose a sequence: pocket the corner-area ball, then with the next stroke drive the cue ball to hit the chalk-marked ball first, then each target ball in order. Touching the target ball with the object ball or any other ball costs the credit; rail-first contact adjacent to the target is standard Wagon Wheel practice (as codified in DR-027).
- Scoring
- A target is completed by two consecutive successful hits; complete all fifteen in order, then reverse direction; the article also prescribes shooting it both left-to-right and right-to-left.
- Advance
- not stated by source. Lineage per the article: Ted Brown's book (c. 1980) and Joe Villalpando's 2008 variation precede this revision.
- Dose
- not stated by source
Weak source: forum-only sourceDR-0742D Position and pattern
The Ladder Drill — full version
The Ladder
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (source: "can only be run consistently by a pro or close to pro level player")
- Needs
- 15 balls; tape measure
- Setup
- All fifteen balls in a straight line down the long-rail center with precise measurements: ball 1 at 1¾ inches from ball edge to rail nose, ball 2 at 1½ inches, ball 3 at 2½ inches; cue ball 15½ inches from ball base to the short rail edge and 20 inches to the long rail edge. Run all fifteen in order; you may not touch another ball, bank, or kick at a ball; balls 1–3, 4–6, 7–9, 10–12 (and the remainder) go to their closest corner pocket.
- Scoring
- Break any rule and the drill restarts from the beginning.
- Advance
- not stated by source.
- Dose
- not stated by source
Weak source: forum-only sourceDR-0752D Position and pattern
The Ladder — "Climbing the Ladder" (8 balls)
The Ladder
position/pattern
Intermediate → Advancedintermediate→advanced (editorial)
- Needs
- 8 balls, one inch off the rail per the poster
- Setup
- Run all eight in order from ball in hand.
- Scoring
- Standard: run all 8 balls five times in a row before the next level.
- Advance
- after 5 consecutive clean runs.
- Dose
- 5 runs per level
Weak source: forum-only sourceDR-0762D Position and pattern
The Ladder — Part 1
The Ladder
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (editorial)
- Needs
- per the poster's Part 1 setup (the thread's diagrams; measurements in DR-074's style)
- Setup
- Run the part's balls in order.
- Scoring
- Standard: run the part five times in a row before moving on.
- Advance
- after 5 consecutive clean runs.
- Dose
- 5 runs per part
Weak source: forum-only sourceDR-0772D Position and pattern
The Ladder — Part 2
The Ladder
position/pattern
Intermediate → Advancedintermediate→advanced (editorial)
- Needs
- per the poster's Part 2 setup
- Setup
- Run in order.
- Scoring
- Standard: 5 consecutive clean runs to advance.
- Dose
- 5 runs per part
Weak source: forum-only sourceDR-0782D Position and pattern
The Ladder — Part 3
The Ladder
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (editorial)
- Needs
- per the poster's Part 3 setup
- Setup
- Run in order.
- Scoring
- Standard: 5 consecutive clean runs.
- Advance
- not stated by source (top part).
- Dose
- 5 runs per part
Weak source: forum quote as sole descriptionDR-0792D Position and pattern
Three Time (Tin Man's pattern drill)
Three Time
position/patternmental
Intermediate → Advancedintermediate→advanced (editorial)
- Needs
- three balls, any layout the shooter chooses
- Setup
- Shoot the three balls however you want; take them down and re-shoot the pattern, over and over, until you can run all three balls three times — three racks in a row without a miss.
- Scoring
- Streak standard: 3 consecutive clean racks.
- Advance
- not stated by source. The poster (a bootcamp instructor, Tin Man in the Chapter 7 corpus) frames pattern possibility, not pocketing skill, as the drill's point.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0802D Position and pattern
The Cross Drill, Level 1 — beginner
The Cross Drill
position/pattern
Foundationfoundation (source label: beginner)
- Needs
- 5 balls (then 9) in the cross formation per the site's diagram; pockets labeled B–E in that diagram
- Setup
- Ball in hand; pot in any order, any pocket; contacting another ball forces a reset. The drill exists to force thinking "at least 2/3 balls ahead" in tight 8-ball quarters.
- Scoring
- Streak standard: run the 5-ball setup 3 times in a row, then move to 9 balls; run all 9 three times in a row to advance.
- Advance
- to L2 after 3 consecutive clean 9-ball runs; pocket-restriction variants (only B–E, then only C and D) harden the level.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0812D Position and pattern
The Cross Drill, Level 2 — intermediate
The Cross Drill
position/pattern
Intermediateintermediate (source label)
- Needs
- all 15 balls in the cross
- Setup
- Same rules as L1 with all fifteen; a second variation runs it under 8-ball rules (solids, stripes, then the 8).
- Scoring
- Streak standard: 3 consecutive clean runs to advance.
- Advance
- to L3 after 3 consecutive clean runs.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0822D Position and pattern
The Cross Drill, Level 3 — advanced
The Cross Drill
position/pattern
Advancedadvanced (source label)
- Needs
- the cross with a tighter pack per the site's diagram
- Setup
- Ball in hand; no contact with the cushions; no bank shots; pot in any pocket — the site frames this level as short-position work on stun and draw.
- Scoring
- Streak standard implied by the level ladder; the site's top-level advance rule is not stated.
- Advance
- not stated by source; the pocket-restriction variant (only B–E) hardens it further.
- Dose
- not stated by source
DR-0832E Safety
NAFE — "Nine-ball Safe"
NAFE safety games
safetymental
Intermediateintermediate (editorial)
- Needs
- full 9-ball rack; an opponent
- Setup
- Score points by hooking: after your shot the opponent must have no direct path to the lowest ball (banks, swerves and jumps count as indirect). A scored safe also earns ball in hand as if the opponent had fouled; failing to make a ball or score a valid safe hands ball in hand to the opponent; the first shot after the break starts with ball in hand.
- Scoring
- 1 point per successful hook; play to a target such as 10 or 20; whoever pockets the 9 breaks the next rack. The author's stated teaching point: the game trains planning the safe early in the run instead of taking the hero's route.
- Advance
- none.
- Dose
- Game to 10 or 20 points (several racks)
DR-0842E Safety
Pro Nafe
NAFE safety games
safetymental
Intermediate → Advancedintermediate→advanced (editorial)
- Needs
- as DR-083. The strict variant: the opponent may test a posted safe, and a legal hit cancels the point and hands ball in hand to the tester
- Setup
- Jewett adds a suggested layer: the tester may shoot any shot that reduces the other player's chance of repeating the safe.
- Scoring
- As DR-083, with testable safes.
- Advance
- none.
- Dose
- As DR-083
Weak source: forum-only sourceDR-0852E Safety
Hooks
Hooks
safety
Intermediateintermediate (editorial)
- Needs
- full 10-ball rack; an opponent
- Setup
- Each shot must be preceded by calling the ball you will hook the opponent with; hit that ball first and try to hook; a point scores if the opponent cannot make a good hit (drive anything to a rail after contact). A scratch while hooking loses a point; a called ball that is sunk returns to the spot only after the opponent's unhook attempt; all scratches give ball in hand in the kitchen.
- Scoring
- First to 5 points wins.
- Advance
- none.
- Dose
- Game to 5 points