do i have a problem?

Solartje

Solartje

the Brunswick BUG bit me
Silver Member
ok, to make a long story short.

ive been training pool for 2 months. 3 weeks ago my girlfriend called me, i said i was in the poolhall so she came there as she needed a brake.
she came, we played together, was fun.
then she asked me to give her some pool lessons.
i learned her some basics, bridge hand, grip , stands, angels, etc etc.
now since one month she comming to every practice to play pool. i love to teach her, and she is loving it. i thought she just wanted to play to show she had interest in my hobby, but it seems to go farther. i didnt mind AT all to learn her, but i thought she just wanted to play a bit better. not being hooked, and think of pool 24/24 7/7. asking me bazillion questions etc.

today when i saw her, she had made a scetch of how i learned her where to aim to bank a ball. she asked me if it was right etc.

now my "thing". i cant go to the poolhall without her comming with anymore.
i could just play with here and do my own thing, but she is SO eager to learn about pool, and she gets so upset when she misses a ball, i need to tell her why she missed etc. make her pot some 5 6 practice balls again, and then continu our game.

since she plays with me, my game went down, im not practising like should any more, i cant go to the hall without her asking to come with. i DO love the fact that we are now slowly sharing the samy hobby. but i cant practice with a beginner, and i dont want my own game to go down.

what would u recon to do? ask someone else to teach her. say her i need to train alone? (id feel egoistic). split 50/50? i only practice around 6hours/week. if i do 50/50. id play 3h/week wich isnt anything near what i need to get into the top60. 6h is already a minimum, and its all i can afford financially. do i have a problem? or is this every man's dream that there girl/wife love the game like u do?

any idea's?
 
Solartje,

I've been in your shoes. The way I worked with it was to tell my wife "I'm going to set up some drills. I'll explain what to do for each set up, and if you have a question, I'll only answer three of them per hour. Choose them wisely."

Tell her that she needs the practice of working things out on her own, else she won't be able to better her mistakes of missing so much. Enforce her own will to learn how to play pool, by having her correct her own mistakes.

Don't be afaid of not knowing an answer to her question. Both of you can figure it out by taking turns trying the same shot.

Doing it this way will also be good practice for you as well. You can learn how to tune someone out and focus to get farther in the progressive drill than her. If she gets a little pissy about not talking to her or paying attention to her, just explain that your practicing on a different level and that she should try to keep up. (that works on wives, but might not with girlfriends)

Try to stay at the table longer and work the drills. And, who knows, she just may pick things up quick and start kicking your butt. :)

Most of these are simple progressive drills, but effective (imho) and can be done in a two hour session. The link is in my signature to use the code

Adjust to what standards your looking for, out of your own performance.

Goals:
All balls are frozen to the rail.
All balls that are frozen, must travel down a rail to a corner pocket.
Other three balls are obsticles.
You start where the cue ball is.
Pick you're own route.
Can't hit any balls except when pocketing it.
If you do hit a ball, the table is reset and you start over.
Pocket last three remaining balls once all rail shots are complete, in any pocket.
If you miss at anytime, reset the table.

CueTable Help



Goals:
Use cue ball to set object balls (1) ball length away from the rail.
Balls should be 1.5 ball distance away from the corner pockets and from each other.
Place cue ball for each shot perpendicular to the rail, and the ball, before each shot.
Pick a corner and shoot all balls to that corner, per rail.
Set it up again and shoot to the side pocket.

CueTable Help



Goals:
Set is same as before, except down the middle of the table, and 1.5 ball lengths away from the short rails.

CueTable Help



Goals:
Best played with 2 or more people.
Set up a 9 ball rack in the middle of the table. (9-ball should lay at center of table)
Set up the 10-15 balls in the center of the pockets, and on the frindge of falling in.
From behind the kitchen string, your first stoke is your own. Pick any ball(s) to start with.
All future "frindge" shots are called by your oppent, until all are down.
(EDIT) You can't touch any balls in the rack until the "frindge" balls are down.
Then, you get free rein at the 9-ball rack. Must strike the 1 first, just like in a normal game of 9 ball.
You have 9 strokes (including the break stroke) to clear all nine balls.
If you miss any, reset the table and start over with next in coming player.
This game is usually played as a ring game, usually a dollar a round (until you get good at it). When completed, and everyone that round had a shot at it, if 2 or more winners, they split the pot.
It's also good practice solo.
This game is sometimes refered to as French Pool.

CueTable Help



Goals:
Setup of object balls one(1) cue ball's distance away from the short rails, and 1.5 ball distance from each other starting at a coner pocket.
Start with cue ball on the disecting line that goes between the side pockets.
Line up cue ball to an object ball, so that the attack angle is perpendicular to the ball and the rail.
First ball stuck will be the center ball of either short rail you start with.
Pick one corner pocket that the full set that's lying on a rail will go to.
Any shot missed, reset, and start over.
Progressivly move your line of balls 1/2 diamond, unil you reach the 1/2 diamond from center pocket.

CueTable Help



Goals:
Set up balls at the center of each pocket, on the "frindge".
Make all 6 balls with the cue ball starting at the head spot.
All shots are 2 rail kicks.
When you make all 6 without missing, reset table and start at the center of the table with cue ball. Then move onto the foot spot.
Any miss, start over.
Try this doing all 3 rail shots too.

CueTable Help

 
Last edited:
Don't be afraid of some competition. You should be happy your girlfriend is interested in your hobby. As you get better, you might start traveling to tournaments to play and having a supporting girlfriend who can also play is a plus. On the other hand, if you don't keep teaching or working with her, she may find someone who can play well and start giving her one on one lessons and then you know....one thing may lead to another....you can figure it out from there...
 
My wife loves pool too and frankly sometimes she wants to practice on her own just as much as I do. Maybe your gf is the same way. Try going to the pool hall together and getting two tables. That way you can both work on your game, and still talk to each other and have a fun time out together. Then you can play a quick race to 3 at the end just for something to do.
 
Teaching others is one of the best ways for learning yourself. You get to rehash your assumptions and question them again to be sure they're valid. You get to re-examine your own stroke, stance, etc. as you help your lady. All good things.

Use this experience to your advantage, imho. Sure, your game is suffering right now; it will return stronger than ever if you learn as you teach.

fwiw,

Jeff Livingston
 
I agree with the other posters. What game are you primarily playing these days?

If it's eight ball play her a game of Mr. & Mrs. (sometimes called boy meets girl.) It's played like regular eight ball with the exception that you have to run your balls out in rotation ending with the eightball of course. If your working on your banks, tweek it a little so you have to bank out.

Nine ball very easy to handicap. Straight and one hole??? Can I get help from other posters on this? :o

Sooner or later she will want to see just how she stacks up to other beginners. That's when you'll have a win -win relationship playing pool together.

P.S. My brother had the same problem but he took the time with her. Now they are married and shes playing in all the pro qualifiers she can! ;)
 
Last edited:
Dump her and work on your game!!!!!!!

The choice is simply pool or a girl, you know what you have to do.
:cool:

In fact, dumping her will get more money in your pocketbook so you can have more time at the pool hall, so its a win/win in my book.
 
Ronoh: wow thats alot of work you put in your post. and its mostly apreciated. they are perfect for me :) not sure for her.

maybe i didnt stretch it enough but she is REALLY a beginner. on straight pool her average is around 1 ball / inning :p she never ever played pool before. hence why its a bit hard to play together.


justplay; yes having her playing in the samen ligue as me would be so cool. at least it wont be so boring in between matches. still on 10+ hour qualifying days i prefere to isolate myself and not say a single word, but it will be greath. guess i have to see it as a investment. i might be getting badder now, but i could gain a nice suporting pool playing lady at the end that i can talk with for hours about runout strategies etc without her looking like if im talking about biofysical formules.


wingsfan, the 2 table is excellent idea. never thought of it, as my poolhall is brand new, and still dont has any training/ competition player prices. we still have to pay 35$ each time. but they are gonna change it soon, and once we can get one or 2 day to practice for free, 2 tables would be perfect idea!!.


chefjeff: u are right. like said before, its an investment. i might play under my level for a year, but once the difference between us is smaller it will be greath. but ive always wanted things now :) not in a year. :rolleyes:

renard, usually we play straight pool. but we've added some own rulez.
- she does 3 innings, me one, she 3 , me one (just to keep the table time equal. i feel bad when doing a 20+ ball inning and she has to just sit there, whyle all she wants is to LEARN not sit and watch me play).
- ok this might sound WEIRD!! but i have to play all the pots with my eyes closed. (ud say to me? WHY are u doing this? ull never have to shoot with your eyes closed... but if u saw the karatekid movies, ull know why..)
if u shoot blind, u have to trust your shot 100% just like in real game. if the shotmaking % is low, look for other possibilities. it also make me concentrate on my stroke alot. i really have to HIT the ob exactly where i picture it, u need a perfect stroke to pot balls eyes closed. your swing has to stay straight in line ALL the time. no place for chickenwings etc.

what u think of these rulez?

mcguyver: mmm i could do that, but then id lose a greath girl. once the poolhall gives us free training days, ill just train twice as much as here.
 
MacGyver said:
Dump her and work on your game!!!!!!!

The choice is simply pool or a girl, you know what you have to do.
:cool:

In fact, dumping her will get more money in your pocketbook so you can have more time at the pool hall, so its a win/win in my book.
Click to expand...

Not cool at all. MG
Not a lot of ladys want to get in to pool ,With there partners.It's good to have her there ,cause u can help her and she can help u .And turn in something fun 4 both of u'll.When she misses shots write them down, and make her do it 5 in a row.If she can't , she has to do something 4 u ..( Back rubs,cookin etc) ,,And she does the same for u ,It can become a whole lot of fun ..And will help your focus, out of poolroom action .u know what i mean..???? :) :) :)
Good luck and have fun ..
 
Solartje said:
Ronoh: wow thats alot of work you put in your post. and its mostly apreciated. they are perfect for me :) not sure for her.

maybe i didnt stretch it enough but she is REALLY a beginner. on straight pool her average is around 1 ball / inning :p she never ever played pool before. hence why its a bit hard to play together.


justplay; yes having her playing in the samen ligue as me would be so cool. at least it wont be so boring in between matches. still on 10+ hour qualifying days i prefere to isolate myself and not say a single word, but it will be greath. guess i have to see it as a investment. i might be getting badder now, but i could gain a nice suporting pool playing lady at the end that i can talk with for hours about runout strategies etc without her looking like if im talking about biofysical formules.


wingsfan, the 2 table is excellent idea. never thought of it, as my poolhall is brand new, and still dont has any training/ competition player prices. we still have to pay 35$ each time. but they are gonna change it soon, and once we can get one or 2 day to practice for free, 2 tables would be perfect idea!!.


chefjeff: u are right. like said before, its an investment. i might play under my level for a year, but once the difference between us is smaller it will be greath. but ive always wanted things now :) not in a year. :rolleyes:

renard, usually we play straight pool. but we've added some own rulez.
- she does 3 innings, me one, she 3 , me one (just to keep the table time equal. i feel bad when doing a 20+ ball inning and she has to just sit there, whyle all she wants is to LEARN not sit and watch me play).
- ok this might sound WEIRD!! but i have to play all the pots with my eyes closed. (ud say to me? WHY are u doing this? ull never have to shoot with your eyes closed... but if u saw the karatekid movies, ull know why..)
if u shoot blind, u have to trust your shot 100% just like in real game. if the shotmaking % is low, look for other possibilities. it also make me concentrate on my stroke alot. i really have to HIT the ob exactly where i picture it, u need a perfect stroke to pot balls eyes closed. your swing has to stay straight in line ALL the time. no place for chickenwings etc.

what u think of these rulez?

mcguyver: mmm i could do that, but then id lose a greath girl. once the poolhall gives us free training days, ill just train twice as much as here.
Click to expand...

I like those rules. I used to do progressive straight in shots with my eyes closed because it is good for the stroke. The only problem for me was when the distance was slowly added I started missing more til I got pretty frustrated and would go into another drill. Very tuff indeed!

As for shooting straight pool I can see where your coming from. Very hard when she makes one then misses one. You must have a lot of patience!!!

Your handicap is as good as I can think of for playing straight pool.

I also like a practice drill called Nitro (I've also heard it called brainwash.)
RULES:
Throw all 15 balls out on the table randomly. No balls touching at least 6 inches apart from each other, and at least 6 inches from the rail. The cueball cannot touch a rail or any other ball except the object ball itself. Run them out starting with ball in hand.
 
Last edited:
deadstroke32 said:
Not cool at all. MG
Not a lot of ladys want to get in to pool ,With there partners.It's good to have her there ,cause u can help her and she can help u .And turn in something fun 4 both of u'll.When she misses shots write them down, and make her do it 5 in a row.If she can't , she has to do something 4 u ..( Back rubs,cookin etc) ,,And she does the same for u ,It can become a whole lot of fun ..And will help your focus, out of poolroom action .u know what i mean..???? :) :) :)
Good luck and have fun ..
Click to expand...

That's funny because my brother and his wife make wagers all the time when they play each other now. Her bets if she won are usually things off the honey do list...his bets...he wouldnt tell me!
 
hehhe :)
well im pritty lucky of having a very healthy ... sexlife? can i say this word? i dont need any wagers to get a nice treathment, nor does she. but it could be a cool idea just for once. never enough spice in your life right.


i too think the shooting blind is a very good drill. sound stupid but its not. it helps in many ways.

im sure we'll have our own pooltable soon. and ill just give her homework of drills to do. instead of having them explained, write them down, and let her do the work, and let her ask questions later at dinner or so or in front of a nice cocktail... mmm maybe better buy 2 diamonds :) or we'll have catfights about who can play the pool table :p

anyway, thats why i called the topic, DO i have a problem. i dont think its a problem, just something both need to understand that at my level i need different training and some trainings i need to be alone to do it. and im sure she'll understand after x time.

btw, she broke her record. from 3balls potted in one inning (a long time ago and 2 of them where luck) to 7 balls. (1lucky) in two 2hour trainings, guess thats good right.

OW forgot to say. u would be surprised how many people in the club first laughed, as they thought mmm another guy doing some expert pool talk to impress a girl and get a 'nice' position behind her, with many physical contact, but now ive seen alot sitting near us, just to hear what im teaching her and trying it out :D

btw her favorit pot, is banking. she just LOVES IT. im trying to explain her its only a backup shot, but she shoots them whenever she can :) and she has the explenation haning above her bedroom :cool: i think she's getting hooked :) no way turning back. reminds me of my first pool experience. good old memories...
 
Solartje said:
hehhe :)
well im pritty lucky of having a very healthy ... sexlife? can i say this word? i dont need any wagers to get a nice treathment, nor does she. but it could be a cool idea just for once. never enough spice in your life right.


i too think the shooting blind is a very good drill. sound stupid but its not. it helps in many ways.

im sure we'll have our own pooltable soon. and ill just give her homework of drills to do. instead of having them explained, write them down, and let her do the work, and let her ask questions later at dinner or so or in front of a nice cocktail... mmm maybe better buy 2 diamonds :) or we'll have catfights about who can play the pool table :p

anyway, thats why i called the topic, DO i have a problem. i dont think its a problem, just something both need to understand that at my level i need different training and some trainings i need to be alone to do it. and im sure she'll understand after x time.

btw, she broke her record. from 3balls potted in one inning (a long time ago and 2 of them where luck) to 7 balls. (1lucky) in two 2hour trainings, guess thats good right.

OW forgot to say. u would be surprised how many people in the club first laughed, as they thought mmm another guy doing some expert pool talk to impress a girl and get a 'nice' position behind her, with many physical contact, but now ive seen alot sitting near us, just to hear what im teaching her and trying it out :D

btw her favorit pot, is banking. she just LOVES IT. im trying to explain her its only a backup shot, but she shoots them whenever she can :) and she has the explenation haning above her bedroom :cool: i think she's getting hooked :) no way turning back. reminds me of my first pool experience. good old memories...
Click to expand...

Thats great that she improving, and posting diagramed explanations of shots is a dead giveaway that she is indeed hooked!

I believe most beginners are enthralled with the idea of making a bank shot, they just can't pass them up! I tell them the same thing, "You should cut the ball before you bank it, a bank is the last resort." Still they seem to feel more comfortable banking than cutting the ball thinly.

We have womens teams in the league we shoot in. Several women are married and have husbands that shoot as well on other teams. I have had these women ask questions about the game. I say, "Your husband hasnt shown you this?" The reply is, "He gets all frustrated and bent out of shape because he doesn't see the results and doesn't explain it clearly.

So I show them. Soon the whole womens team gathers around and its great to see them improve. Making shots and position that they never could before. Showing them the strategies that will give them a better chance to win. It's fun!

Lets hope by the next time I hear from you she's up to 11 in a inning!!! Good luck, have fun!
 
thx for the nice words and storie renard.

lets hope for the 10+, but i think 7 is already a MASIVE improvement. i must even say i was proud and amazed at the same time. but i dont care much about innings now, (even if she does) she has to learn her stands and stroke first. and she has still a really big amount of BASICS to learn, before even thinking of doing potting drills. but just like kids they want it all , and right away. but she does know she'll have to wait a bit before learning about poting angles, ghost ball/ spots, etc. its funny, on one side she wants to learn as much as possible in 1 single training, and then she gets all upset cuz she missed a ball, just because she had to many lessons to think of and forgot about the pot. and she does get frustrated and sometimes just SMACK the balls around.

im pritty sure she's hooked :) she called 15min ago saying she had a day off, and wanted to go practice... where before she'd ask to watch some romantic movie... weird how pool can change your life. well...

conclusion of this post. i dont got a problem, im blessed to have to luck to have a girlfriend who shares the same addiction as me.

:cool: thx for the help guys.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top