I practice straight pool alone
i find that shots I make at one pocket are tough at straight pool
I miss easy shots and lose my confidence
the more i practice the worse I seem to get
it has not improved my one pocket playing
I practice straight pool alone
i find that shots I make at one pocket are tough at straight pool
I miss easy shots and lose my confidence
the more i practice the worse I seem to get
it has not improved my one pocket playing
I practice straight pool alone
i find that shots I make at one pocket are tough at straight pool
I miss easy shots and lose my confidence
the more i practice the worse I seem to get
it has not improved my one pocket playing
Hey Dean , play 3 cushion?
I think the answer is quite easy, really.
In one pocket you never actually HAVE TO shoot anything. You could be dead straight in, yet choose to play a safe, which is extremely easy to do, compared to straight pool. Yes, there are more "tricky" shots in one pocket, banks, kicks etc, but you don't even have to make them, just get close and your opponent will be forced to deal with that ball or at least consider it. So in reality, you could stay within your comfort zone at all times.
Straight pool forces you to shoot. In many cases, when an opponent misses you will have a kind of tricky first shot, but once that is made, the table is easy. This puts the most pressure on you, because it means that if you miss, you lose (or at least will be severely punished). Safeties are very tricky once the table is even partly open. Also, once the run is started, you are under pressure to run out the rack. You can't really do a two and stop and expect to win anything. You will often, despite the fact that you can choose your shots, find yourself being forced to shoot shots you are not really comfortable with to keep a run going or getting it started. In one pocket you can stall forever. You don't even have to try anything at all, but just take scratches. And even then, the opponet can't just touch the ball and give it back to you, but he has to come up with something in response to it.
I practice straight pool alone
i find that shots I make at one pocket are tough at straight pool
I miss easy shots and lose my confidence
the more i practice the worse I seem to get
it has not improved my one pocket playing
14.1 is a FOCUS(ing) game.
It is hard to keep focusing a long period of time. Especially when we play pool. Brains seem to want some rest. Nowadays I try keep making run as little concentration as possible and focus hard only when I notice I need to be careful. When one need to be careful is need to be learned by practice.
Also fear is a big factor on 14.1. If one let fear creep in battle is lost. Fear should be replaced with focus.
"Allright. I got this touchy shot that needs a drag shot.. I gotta just shoot that good. What can I do to give myself best possible chance to succeed..."
Shot could also be "easy" but one could know it is more difficult than first seems.
I practice straight pool alone
i find that shots I make at one pocket are tough at straight pool
I miss easy shots and lose my confidence
the more i practice the worse I seem to get
it has not improved my one pocket playing
I practice straight pool alone
it has not improved my one pocket playing
You answered your own question. Without cost of some type (only playing yourself). Expecting to get better....speaks for itself.
NEVER in my life have I gotten better from practicing, practicing is a completely different animal and one I use to warm up or work on areas needing attention. Practice.....will never Compare to match play and will NEVER improve your play as much as competition that has MEANING.:thumbup:
Your post is ok but the battle word is wrong term, this may have been taught to you. Adventure is correct term, the word battle indicates friction and ego.
I really like your mental approach to playing straight pool, Danny. Of course I'm nowhere near your level of play, but I always had the idea that if you obey the rules that the balls and table want you to obey, then they will reward you. It's like having a mutual understanding. Respect the table and it will return the favor. Maybe that's too Zen or whatever, but I've learned through reading and practice on my own that there are rules to obey. Obvious ones:
1. Have a plan before you start into a new rack,
2. Don't go into clusters without a safety ball,
3. Nudge and separate clusters, don't "break" them,
4. Don't fight the table. Take what it gives you and play safe rather than try to force things.
and so on.
I also really like your take on competition vs practice, and especially ego, which I hadn't really thought about so much. Straight pool is about pocketing balls while competition is about competition. They are two different things.
Thanks for the posts!