A Structured Start
Not sure where to start with ICATS? This guided program takes you through 46 drills in seven stages, from stroke fundamentals to advanced pattern play. Work through the drills in order, repeating each until you can perform it consistently.
Unless a different folder is shown, every drill is in Drills → ICA → Starter Module. Items marked folder mean every drill in that folder. Press l to open the File Manager; see Loading Drills for help.
Download the two-page practice guide to keep at your pool table as you work through the 46 drills.
The seven stages
- Fundamentals (drills 1–8)
- Aiming (drills 9–12)
- Transitions (drills 13–20)
- Banks and Kicks (drills 21–22)
- Safeties (drills 23–27)
- Combos and Caroms (drills 28–34)
- Pattern Play (drills 35–46)
Fundamentals
Practice these often, until every one of these drills is reliably repeatable. These skills will be used again and again in game play.
Aiming Ball speed guidance is calibrated to the exercises in Drills → ICA → Speed Control.
- Speed Control (folder: Drills → ICA → Speed Control)
- Mighty X
- Straight stroke FSD
- Follow control
- Draw control
- Basic cue ball angle control
- Follow and draw angle control
- Angle control follow stop draw
Aiming
- Novice players: focus on pocketing balls.
- Advanced players: add speed (strong/soft) and spin (inside/outside, top/bottom) variations.
- Basic aiming
- Side cuts
- Corner cuts
- Progressive Aiming by Degrees (folder: Drills → ICA → Progressive Aiming by Degrees)
Transitions
Practice each transition until you consistently pocket the ball and land the cue ball on target.
- Transition 1 ML
- Transition 2 ML
- Transition L1 #19
- Transition L2 #11
- Pocket Billiard Workout Side to Side transition_L1
- Transitional Studies (folder: Drills → ICA → Transitional Studies)
- Around the Clock Position (folder: Drills → ICA → Around the Clock Position)
- 2-ball position challenge
Banks and Kicks
- Banks: practice with varying speeds, noting the effect off the rails (more speed, tighter angles; less speed, wider angles).
- Kicks: note the importance of an exact cue ball strike, as cue ball spin has a big impact on the cue ball track.
- Corner Short Banks 1_ML
- 1-Rail Kicks Off the Side Rail_L1
Safeties
Safeties are some of the most difficult shots in pool. Note and practice the critical tradeoff of speed, spin, and cut angle to get perfect safeties.
- Side rail to end rail
- End rail to side rail
- Seek and hide #35
- Seek and hide #3
- Safety Challenges (folder: Drills → ICA → Safety Challenges)
Combos and Caroms
Not every table layout is "clean". Practice these shots to keep your run going (combos) and to get breakouts (caroms) on challenging layouts.
- Tangent line #1
- Tangent line #2
- Tangent line #3
- Angled Caroms Follow 1a
- Angled Caroms Stun 1a
- Angled Caroms Draw 1a
- Angled combinations 1a
Pattern Play
These drills start with ball-in-hand.
- Novice players: start with smaller ball counts.
- Advanced players: start with higher ball counts.
All players should first analyze the layout. Then conceive a pattern, with each shot leading naturally to position for the next, and place the cue ball for the ideal first shot. There are generally multiple ways to run a table, so experiment with different patterns!
- 3 ball challenge 1
- 4 ball challenge 1
- 5 ball challenge 1
- 6 ball challenge 1
- 7 ball challenge 1
- 8 ball challenge 1
- 9 ball challenge 1
- 10 ball challenge 1
- 8-ball game challenge 1
- 8-ball game challenge 2
- Pattern shape challenge 6-ball diamond
- Pattern shape challenge 5-Ball S