Using statistics to improve your game?

I tracked my game qualitatively for over a year, which was useful for knowing what I needed to practice.

I think tracking play with a game will introduce too many variables, so to get good data you want a consistent method. For quantifiable data, I would recommend a standard assessment like the BU exam or the PAT. Take it at regular intervals, like every 1-3 months.

Having real data should at least provide motivation to strive to get better. We all know that practice drills are good for us

I've been tracking my game in excel for the past few years. I have a separate tab for each practice drill. I also graph out some of the stuff.

I find it useful to know if something was a real improvement, or a placebo. Thus far, I have not measured any statistically valid improvement

Good stuff here.

Might take it one level further. Are your misses undercuts or overcuts or half and half? How does the use of inside English affect your pocketing?

etc., etc., etc.

I've heard it all now. Tracking your progression on Excel...there is such a thing as being over analytical. I cant think of anyone I've ever known do anything like it.

I'm more of a "I messed up this shot last game so I'm going to practice that shot until my hands bleed" kinda guy. Then next game i don't mess that shot up again. That's how most and I'm guessing most top players became so good. Work on a shot or something you struggle with until you no longer struggle. No need to nite things down in Excel unless you have short term memory loss.

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When I was very serious about improvement, one thing that really helped was not just tracking how often I missed but how I missed. Here are some categories you can consider. Entries should be labeled as either missing to the left or the right:

Straight shot, center spin: LLL
Straight shot, left spin: RRR
Straight shot, right spin: LLL

Cut right, center spin: LLL
Cut right, left spin: LRR
Cut right, right spin: LLR

I'm lazy so I'm not going to continue showing each category but I think you get the point. If you can document exactly how you miss, you can help deduce *why* you miss. At the very least, when the shot comes up, you'll know to pay a little extra attention to it.

tashworth19191 said:

I want to understand my game more, not just guess at it. I come from an Engineering background in the Semiconductor Industry for over 30 years. This job did not allow me to play pool and understand my game very much. For the past 8 years I have worked as a Realtor and now set my own schedule. I work around 4 hours a day Monday-Friday and 8 hours on Sat. This gives me more time, so I wanted to use statistics in a meaningful fashion to help me understand my improvement, hours of practice, problem areas and skill levels.

I was not asking for naysayers to chime in, my question was aimed at others that do this already. I have meet a few people here in Austin that track every shot and they are top caliber players.

Click to expand...

You crack on then, lad.

Tom,

I've had the same question. Anything I want to improve upon in my job I take a quantitative analytic approach; why not do the same with my pool game?

I think Jude's attributes are good ones, it makes sense to flag what shots you miss. I've logged misses by cuts to the left/right but I think it would help if I had more data points like cut angle ranges, tips of English and approx. diamonds of distance from CB to OB and OB to pocket.

I think my improvement would be more rapid if I had a fairly accurate Pareto chart of what shots are higher variance for me. Sometimes what we perceive our main issues are is different than what they are in reality. Anytime we objectively scrutinize our games I think we've taken the first step to improvement.

Whatever you do, don't call it science

drhanson said:

Tom,

I've had the same question. Anything I want to improve upon in my job I take a quantitative analytically approach; why not do the same with my pool game?

I think Jude's attributes are good ones, it makes sense to flag what shots you miss. I've logged misses by cuts to the left/right but I think it would help if I had more data points like cut angle ranges, tips of English and approx. diamonds of distance from CB to OB and OB to pocket.

I think my improvement would be more rapid if I had a fairly accurate Pareto chart of what shots are higher variance for me. Sometimes what we perceive our main issues are is different than what they are in reality. Anytime we objectively scrutinize our games I think we've taken the first step to improvement.

Click to expand...

When I did my own, I realized that most of my misses were over-cuts. At the time, I was reading a lot about the mental game and philosophical approaches to competing. I deduced I wasn't trusting myself enough and trying to impose a calculated measurement on each shot. So, as a result, I threw away my aiming systems and began going with my gut. I know there are plenty of people out there that disagree with me on this and that's okay. I'll go through life taking my own path and respect others for taking theirs.

There is a set of drills you can download that track how well you shoot those shots.

http://www.billiards.colostate.edu/resources/#drills

http://www.billiards.colostate.edu/resources/progpract.pdf

That will get you a lot better idea how you play vs how you do in tournaments. The drills and progressive practice stuff will give you an independent rating instead of one where you track how you do against people in tournaments which is relative.

Depends on when you keep stats. Practice stats vs match stats. I know why I lose matches. Stubborness and lack of practice in weak areas. Look we could all have the pocketing skills of a pro. That also seems to be the main topic on this forum. Aiming. Which is important for making balls. However let's say you make balls at a pro level. Which I don't but I think working on other areas of my game are more important. I suck at kick shots. My safes are 50/50. My willingness to play a safe over a low percentage shot or a bank is 10/90. I scratch or make nothing on the break 50/50. My jump is 50/50. My position is 70/30. My shot making skills 70/30. This is all in my head. If I want to be a run out player I would work on my shot making and position. If I want to win more I would work on breaking, jumping, safe, decision making, kicks, bridge use etc.

Nothing worse than losing to someone you know you can out shoot. Except losing to someone that hardly runs 5 balls but plays smarter than you.

I am sure tracking can do you no harm, instead of tracking how many balls on the break you get focus on why your run ended. This will help you understand what to work on.

Make a list of categories that end your run out. Such things as missed shot (and type of shot), poor shape or hooked yourself, poor planning. There are many good suggestions in this thread.

I play in a straight pool league. I made myself a little book with blank table diagrams. After a miss, I'd sit down and diagram it (hate to admit I spend a fair share of time sitting). Then when practicing I'd setup my misses from the book and work on making those shots.

this goes back in time...

Long long time ago in far a way galaxy i was once pool instructional happening where was EPBF head coach back then Jorgen Sandman(not sure right spelling at name)

He had really impressive way to practice and that included keeping scores.

It´s been awhile so i really can´t remember all but i still remember some...

First you need to be honest to yourself when doing this practice or if you can´t it´s better not keep score at all:wink:

He had idea that all practices had 75 max points and you keep scores every time you shoot them.
He was emphasizing quality over quantity when practice and that is why he wanted to player keep score every time they practice those scored drills.

Not always but maybe 2-3 times a week 1-2h per session. He also suggested 5 minute break after every 20-30 minutes because brains get too tired.

I practiced like that maybe 3 months and what i learned was huge improvement of focus because you HATE mark bad points your sheets:angry:

couple examples: Line up practice 5 times. start ball in hand 15 balls in row straight across a table and pocket all 15 is 15 points. Cueball not allowed hit another balls after pocketing. If you made 6 balls score is six.. and so on. 5x tries is total score and max is 75. So let´s say you make (12+15+15+15+15) 72 points first time you do this. and that is nice btw. next time you are not focusing so much and you dog position and pocketing also and finish making only 33(3+12+2+4+14) points. that sux! You hate to write it down to your practice sheet. 2 weeks later you can start look stats better. What is your high gear? how consistent your game is. Average and so on. Do you get better or not?

Another one is rack of straight pool without break shot. Just shoot 8-ball break and clear table any order. 5 times max 15 points is 75 total again..

One really good was Stop shot. Higs English and Draw drill. also good practice to straight in shot and fundamentals and focus.

put 10 balls on line 1 diamond from head string touching to together and 1 ball touching side rail. take out ball against rail and every second after that so you leave 5 balls left to table. Every one of them is 1 ball width away from other. This is how you can repeat quite exact position. Ball in hand every shot from head string.. After this comes too easy for you (average 67+) you move object balls 1 diamond further. So next level is middle pocket line.

Stop shot:
5x 5 balls max points per ball is 3.
If you make ball in and make perfect or REALLY close perfect stop it´s 3 points.
If you make ball and almost stop cueball it is 2 points.
1 point if you screw cueball position or if you did not made a ball but kept cueball fairly close to stop. If shot was missed any drill stop/draw/follow 1 is maximum points for that shot..
0 Total fail.

Follow: same as above but cueball follow near end(1 diamond away max) rail or scratch is 3 points.
cueball must hit cushion if not scratch to get 3.

Draw: same as follow but of cource low english

You can make own drills easily using same concept..

dunno if you guys can get it from text but i really think it have a lot of sense.
I was away from pool quite a time but when i was competing i was making this sometimes. especially when stroke needed practice.
Today i´m way too lazy to practice like that but if i start really suck i maybe go back doing this.