Best way to train for accuracy

precisepotting

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have seen the wannabe players practicing with so many routines and so many positions on the table. I fear their progress will be slow.

IMHO, we must use our practice time wisely and purposefully.

The best practice for an average player is simply to pot a straight half table ball to the corner pocket with the cue ball on the kitchen line. Why is this the best practice for fast improvement?

This practice eradicates the need to aim (assuming you are certain that your aiming with the cue is spot on). Not making the far pocket consistently meant that your fundamentals are weak. Unless your fundamentals are strong, you can never be an excellent player. Maybe you can be a good player, but definitely not an excellent player.

For an average player, you would be lucky to make 5/10 times. Everytime you learn something new from friends or YouTube, you can see if your average goes up.

I used to make 3/10. When I thought I learned something new and I am more accurate, I will see if my average goes up.

Today, I am making the pocket more than 90% of the time. This is without using the aiming method I developed. Just pure Look, Aim and Shoot. The two most drastic improvements came from pendulum stroke and from the grip. I know that they are drastic improvements as my averages shoots up.

I am now more confident in practising other shots as my straight line shot is almost there.
 
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Vorpal Cue

Just galumping back
Silver Member
Stroke Torture

Another good practice shot to work the stroke is by shooting the OB in the corner pocket with both balls frozen to the rail. Start with the OB on the 5 diamond and the CB on the 6.5 diamond. As you get tuned in, move the OB up table to the 3.5 diamond and shoot across the side pocket opening. Once you reach the 2 diamond with the OB most of the hitches should be smoothed out. Start with a slow stroke and work up to firmer hit. Then try to follow the OB into the pocket and finally draw back for a scratch in the end corner pocket.

This is also a good shot to 'de-magnetize' the cue ball. I put some extra balls along the rail with only a 1/8" to 1/16" clearance for the cue ball to pass through to get to the OB. It's a scary sight picture at first with the clearance balls looming large and square in your sight line. After a little while you get to the point where you can tune them out and can ignore them.
 

precisepotting

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
For the average players who might like to try my method of straightening your shots (like I did), you might like to do this:

1. Use the DIY method to test how well you aim. It is at the Main forum under Poll: Who have tested that their cue is pointing at the right place, post #18. Practice until you are confident that the moment you aimed at something with your cue, it will always be bulleye.
2. Look at the object ball last when you strike the cue ball. This will ensure that your cue tip moves towards the point that you aimed at, and not slightly off.
3. Pendulum swing meant that your elbow does not move, hence you have eradicate the side elbow movement factor out of the equation.
4. Hold your cue loosely. As your cue moves forward to strike the cue ball, tighten your grip "firmly" on impact. This will help in delivering a straight cue towards the point of target in the distance.

I have transformed from a 3/10 to a 9+/10 half table ball shooter. If I can do it, you can do it. I am giving this free advice so that you do not need to re-invent the wheel.
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
Those are good shots to help develop skills. It's also good to start with short distances and work your way up to longer distance where accuracy becomes more crucial.

The brain learns best when the goal is just barely out of reach, when immediate and obvious feedback is available. This is when our neurons are really firing away, creating new connections/pathways throughout our brains. These connections are the building blocks of how we learn and program ourselves.

If something is so easy that you always hit your goal (like pocketing 20 practice shots in a row), you aren't pushing your brain to make new connections. You may be refining your current abilities at a certain accuracy level, but you're not develop new accuracy levels and pushing toward new abilities. It's the equivalent of paving already traveled roads instead of creating more roads. Don't get me wrong, we need to pave those roads, but we also need to build new ones.

If the goal is too difficult to achieve, it slows down the learning process. Excessive failed attempts does not provide the brain with enough solid building blocks for rapid learning. That's why GB and some other aiming methods take a long time before any consistency begins to develop -- not enough positive results to help build solid connections in the brain. When there's no sweet spot for effective learning, we're stuck at the mercy of time.
 
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Mkindsv

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I start with three balls, half table patterns...after I run them I add a ball and start a new pattern. When I get to seven balls I transition to full table pattern play. I try to minimize the use of english as much as possible. In less than two years I have gone from a 4 in tap league 8 and nine ball to a 6 in each.

Of course this isn't my first trip to the candy store, I was a decent player when I started, just came off a 17 year hiatus while raising my boy. Thing is, you have to start with a stroke drill, get that in order, move on to a ball pocketing drill, get that in order, then graduate to pattern play.

Most would call the way I learned HAMB, but it wasn't really that, my shot-making ability was decent from the start...simple concept, simply employed. English and patterns were an issue early, a wise old man taught me not to use so darned much english and my shot-making improved even further, almost immediately.

After that it is just a matter of finding the shots that you truly suck at and practicing them until they aren't game-killers anymore.

I always found aiming to be pretty simple, look at where you want the shot to go, decide how to get it there, then execute, if you miss, try again with a slightly different aim, check your results and adjust as necessary.
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
I start with three balls, half table patterns...after I run them I add a ball and start a new pattern. When I get to seven balls I transition to full table pattern play. I try to minimize the use of english as much as possible. In less than two years I have gone from a 4 in tap league 8 and nine ball to a 6 in each.

Of course this isn't my first trip to the candy store, I was a decent player when I started, just came off a 17 year hiatus while raising my boy. Thing is, you have to start with a stroke drill, get that in order, move on to a ball pocketing drill, get that in order, then graduate to pattern play.

Most would call the way I learned HAMB, but it wasn't really that, my shot-making ability was decent from the start...simple concept, simply employed. English and patterns were an issue early, a wise old man taught me not to use so darned much english and my shot-making improved even further, almost immediately.

After that it is just a matter of finding the shots that you truly suck at and practicing them until they aren't game-killers anymore.

I always found aiming to be pretty simple, look at where you want the shot to go, decide how to get it there, then execute, if you miss, try again with a slightly different aim, check your results and adjust as necessary.

Good post. Working on one element at a time and paying attention to results. Then work on a combination of elements as a complete package.
 

precisepotting

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Many of you are pretty good to excellent players.

I am just an average player. I see my average for long distance straight in shot improve leaps and bound when I learn and adopt a new technical skill - the most recent being the grip. Of course not all techniques work. You will know which works and which does not.

A little side-track: There is a big difference between aiming and aiming system. Aiming system helps you visualise where you want your cue ball to be located as it contact the object ball. Aiming is where you point your cue at. Aiming does not mean that your cue is pointing at the location where your intended future cue ball position is at. If your welding of the cue stick is poor, you will probably not be able to aimed at where you want your cue ball to end up. That is the reason why there are threads about alignment of body, dominant eye over the cue etc etc.

I am curious as to how the average players in this forum fared for half table straight in shot. 50% or 60%?

Of course, being able to pot straight balls accurately ain't gonna win you games. But it is a good start. At least, you are confident of your stroke.
 

Cuemaster98

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Shooting straight shots have always been my favorite drills as it tell you so much about your stroke. Not everyone can hit a dead center shot, some of us tend to hit a bit off to the left or right of center and the only way you find out how you fair is shooting these straight shot drills. Practicing this for a few weeks will literally improve you potting skills. The most important part with these drill is to understand why you miss the shot and the cue ball don't lie. If the object ball miss to the left or right of the pocket...you know exactly where the cue ball hit the object ball and where you hit the cue ball. That alone is amazing insight into how your stroke fair. The fact that you can make 10 out of 10 shots doesn't really mean much...unless you analyze how each of those shot were made and exactly where you cue ball end up is the key to understanding your stroke and eventually will allow you to make adjustment for playing other shots.

Another key benefit with straight shot drills is that it allow you to also practice your speed of stroke. Shooting the same shot over and over again will give you a better feel for the speed of the shot and let your subconscious dial into the right pocket speed for your shot. Once you find the right speed for your stroke..you find that pocketing ball will also be much easier.

There are also a lot of drills that can help you hit better center ball....some of these are available for free on Youtube.

Have fun and good luck with improving your game.
 

nobcitypool

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I like placing the CB on the spot and OB on the other spot, then hitting a stop shot and having the OB round out striking the CB. This tells you vey quickly how straight your stroke is. Imho, aiming is secondary to a straight stroke anyway.
 

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I like placing the CB on the spot and OB on the other spot, then hitting a stop shot and having the OB round out striking the CB. This tells you vey quickly how straight your stroke is. Imho, aiming is secondary to a straight stroke anyway.

try object ball in the center of the table and cue ball on head spot
 

nobcitypool

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
try object ball in the center of the table and cue ball on head spot

Never thought of that. That would really make it tough. Any slight spin on the CB would throw the OB off. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

goettlicher

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have seen the wannabe players practicing with so many routines and so many positions on the table. I fear their progress will be slow.

IMHO, we must use our practice time wisely and purposefully.

The best practice for an average player is simply to pot a straight half table ball to the corner pocket with the cue ball on the kitchen line. Why is this the best practice for fast improvement?

This practice eradicates the need to aim (assuming you are certain that your aiming with the cue is spot on). Not making the far pocket consistently meant that your fundamentals are weak. Unless your fundamentals are strong, you can never be an excellent player. Maybe you can be a good player, but definitely not an excellent player.

For an average player, you would be lucky to make 5/10 times. Everytime you learn something new from friends or YouTube, you can see if your average goes up.

I used to make 3/10. When I thought I learned something new and I am more accurate, I will see if my average goes up.

Today, I am making the pocket more than 90% of the time. This is without using the aiming method I developed. Just pure Look, Aim and Shoot. The two most drastic improvements came from pendulum stroke and from the grip. I know that they are drastic improvements as my averages shoots up.

I am now more confident in practising other shots as my straight line shot is almost there.



I hope you mean "ball pocketing" accuracy!

!. Must have a dependable stroke.
2. Using the white "donuts", set up a 30 degree shot from both sides.
Why 30 degrees? Because this is the MOTHER of all pool shots. Shows up over 60% of your shot making. (1/2 ball aim)
3. Once the brain understands the 30 degrees move your donuts to 15 & 45 degrees and repeat. This will cover over 95% of your shot making.

Hal Houle once told me this:

Learn the three Major shots and you will already know the three Minor shots.

randyg
 

EddieBme

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I hope you mean "ball pocketing" accuracy!

!. Must have a dependable stroke.
2. Using the white "donuts", set up a 30 degree shot from both sides.
Why 30 degrees? Because this is the MOTHER of all pool shots. Shows up over 60% of your shot making. (1/2 ball aim)
3. Once the brain understands the 30 degrees move your donuts to 15 & 45 degrees and repeat. This will cover over 95% of your shot making.

Hal Houle once told me this:

Learn the three Major shots and you will already know the three Minor shots.

randyg

What if I don't understand what a 30 degree angle is, or any degree of a shot? How can I can I learn that method of aiming?
 

Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Now this is the kind of REAL information pool players need. One reason I don't think too much of big shot instructors is because none of them (as far as I know) teach this kind of thing. This is the meat and potatoes.
All I hear are references to Mosconi's books...Mosconi this and Mosconi that. For crying out loud, Mosconi himself didn't do all that ridiculous stuff in those books. No way could he have been the great pool player he was by doing that lame stuff in actual combat.
I know, I know, he was a no-gamble nit and a smart aleck, but that's beside the point. The point I'm dwelling on is he could flat shoot those balls in the pockets over and over and over, get position, and leave the opponent bewildered at what the hell just happened. And there is no way he did all that using some kind of mumbo-jumbo "feel" way of playing or using those silly fractions in the books for aiming. It didn't happen and it can never happen. He was doing exactly what you've just described........but was sly enough to keep it away from the masses.
He knew the true meat and potatoes of the game too. But he was NOT about to reveal it to other pool players (in some book). Then he would've had to contend, financially, with those who got wise to what the game is really all about.
Thank you for posting these super ideas. These are really good.

Funny post. Mosconi is reported to have run a rack of balls within his first few tries, if not his first try, from the first time ever holding a cue as a child. How dare anyone say he used feel to pocket balls!!!

Thanks for the laugh to kick off the weekend!
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
What if I don't understand what a 30 degree angle is, or any degree of a shot? How can I can I learn that method of aiming?

That's where the old traditional trial and error method of the quarters system (or the 5 line system) fails to provide quick learning progress. That's why I published my book, to provide a method of knowing which fractional aim to use instead of guessing.
 

Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That's where the old traditional trial and error method of the quarters system (or the 5 line system) fails to provide quick learning progress. That's why I published my book, to provide a method of knowing which fractional aim to use instead of guessing.

... and it works right out of the box, no mumbo jumbo bs with Poolology.
 

tashworth19191

Pool will make you humble
Silver Member
I like poology the best of the aiming stuff. No perceptions, no pivots, not two lines to the ball. you just look at numbers and aim at a fraction.
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
I like poology the best of the aiming stuff. No perceptions, no pivots, not two lines to the ball. you just look at numbers and aim at a fraction.

Thanks! But in all fairness, it may not every player's mug of beer, like CTE isn't for everyone, or Salux or contact points, etc...
 

Ralph Kramden

BOOM!.. ZOOM!.. MOON!
Silver Member
Now this is the kind of REAL information pool players need. One reason I don't think too much of big shot instructors is because none of them (as far as I know) teach this kind of thing. This is the meat and potatoes.
All I hear are references to Mosconi's books...Mosconi this and Mosconi that. For crying out loud, Mosconi himself didn't do all that ridiculous stuff in those books. No way could he have been the great pool player he was by doing that lame stuff in actual combat.
I know, I know, he was a no-gamble nit and a smart aleck, but that's beside the point. The point I'm dwelling on is he could flat shoot those balls in the pockets over and over and over, get position, and leave the opponent bewildered at what the hell just happened. And there is no way he did all that using some kind of mumbo-jumbo "feel" way of playing or using those silly fractions in the books for aiming. It didn't happen and it can never happen. He was doing exactly what you've just described........but was sly enough to keep it away from the masses.
He knew the true meat and potatoes of the game too. But he was NOT about to reveal it to other pool players (in some book). Then he would've had to contend, financially, with those who got wise to what the game is really all about.
Thank you for posting these super ideas. These are really good.

I think he actually used OB fractions, but not in the way he described them in his book.
The way he described was more CP2CP, trying to match up imaginary lines on 2 balls.

IMO the way to aim at "those silly fractions" is aiming with CB center, not the CB edge.

.
 
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