Sometimes it is good to have a written record to see progress. One method is to track the number of strokes it takes to run a rack of nine ball. Do it for five games then write it down. After 10 sessions you can have a 50 game average which should be and accurate assessment of your 9 ball abilities. It can be broken down in any segment you like but I find more than five starts to get tedious.
Count the break as one stroke and each hit of the cue ball as another stoke. A perfect run without sinking the 9 ball before its time and no balls on the break would be 10 strokes, one for the break and one for each ball. If you pocket the 9 ball through a combination that would count just as in a real game of nine ball. If one could sink the 9 ball early on every game that is a skill that should be reflected in the skill rating. If the 9 ball is made on the break, that would be a one stoke game. It is a tool to chart progress, if you goal is to determine only rack run skills and not real 9 ball rules then ignore the 9 ball on the break and disallow combinations on the nine. It’s your tool, use it to support your goals.
