ShootingArts said:

Anything you want to compete at, even informally, should first of all be fun. I am competitive by nature and have started many activities for fun then got so involved competing I forgot to have fun. I started finishing my practice with a pistol with a "mad minute" actually twelve seconds or so. Fifteen rounds center, speed reload, fifteen rounds head of a B-27 target. It was good practice but more importantly it is fun to rip up a new target rapid fire with a .45. With pool I did something similar to speed pool. Move around the table rapidly, plant and fire. Sometimes I fired as I was planting, sometimes afterwards. My stance had to be aligned right, there was no second chance!

Hu

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Good point here.. I’m a strong amateur but I never just set out to be good at pool. I love the game. Playing every day is my favorite part of my day. Becoming as good as I can at the game is a great feeling because first and foremost I love this game.

Something I didn’t consider with 30 mins practice is how important it is for things to become 2nd nature . The more you do without thought the better you’ll play in my opinion. Does that make it more difficult if you are only play 30 mins a day.

Frosty said:

Have you played a lot of stakes matches that only lasted a 1/2 hour? Not a gambler, ok, have you played a lot of tournament matches that only lasted a 1/2 hour?

My point is, if said instructor states most average people lose focus after 1/2 hour, making further table time useless, then how do you propose to ever become a good player or do well in Action or Tournament matches that are longer than that?

To do battle, and succeed in battle, one must prepare for battle

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The real issue is that you have built a straw man to do battle with. I don't know of any instructor who limits their lessons to thirty minutes or says that further table time is useless.

mareh said:

Is focus a thing that can be trained?

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Some are trying to consider focus like a finite and solid mass. Focus is fluid. It is also to a large degree trainable. Consider the focus of a chess master. They aren't born with that level of focus.

I suspect there are free things on the net to increase focus, used to be anyway.

DrCue'sProtege said:

A ton of top level players will probably tell you they got to be outstanding players by practing 6-8 hours a day.

I doubt they did that in 30 minute increments.

This nonsense that you lose focus after 30 minutes is ridiculous.

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Nobody is saying that you lose every bit of focus but you certainly can't produce the same level of focus for sixty minutes that you can produce for sixty seconds.

Hu

Received a new set today! My biggest balls so far



Italian carambolage balls with 69mm and 59mm. Even topping my Russian balls, which only have 67/68mm diameters

pwd72s said:

apologies if this has been posted before...

<iframe width="1218" height="685" src=" Login to view embedded media " title="Textbook Straight versus Reality" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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Very informative, thanks for sharing.

Is focus a thing that can be trained?

LibraryFool77 said:

Guessing Schmelke will make a less costly option as any you’ll find for resale.

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…...thank you

Guessing Schmelke will make a less costly option as any you’ll find for resale.

LibraryFool77 said:

Schmelke

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LibraryFool77 said:

If you got the shaft that you like order a butt weighted to your preference. Schmelke or Viking could meet your needs. If you want more prestige, there are plenty

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Looking to get a used one thank you.

straightline said:

All of it comes down to preparation - freewheeling included. Which, besides flipping through the pages of your mind real fast, includes an element of inertia that has to be addressed or it's back to the PSR pedantics.

People are always like, well I've been playing for 30 years and blah blah... Begs the questions; how many years have you been playing real good? Have you ever attained - real good?

hint: Your scalp list is not an indicator.

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Some people do something for thirty years and are masters. Some people do something thirty years and have one year of experience repeated twenty-nine times!

Hu

DC1317 said:

Hello I’m looking for a 30” butt. Ideally it would be a uniloc but I can do any joint if need be. I play with a whyte carbon shaft so joints are interchangeable. Please let me know what you have and how much you are looking to get. Thank you.

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If you got the shaft that you like order a butt weighted to your preference. Schmelke or Viking could meet your needs. If you want more prestige, there are plenty

Gracio is the jig builder, you just jilted my brain.

wacokid9ball said:

Richard Black, Known him for almost 50 years. Have played and owned his cues thru the years, and he will never let you pay for lunch.

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In the same vein, Scott Gilmore is a great guy as well. I had to steal the check to pay for lunch.

Jerry Olivier is also a nice guy.

How long are you at the table during a tournament or gambling session before you take a "break" for your opponent to play?

During a race to say 5, how long are you actually shooting continuously without a break?

How many matches do you play in a day during tournament play?

If the tournament is a race to 5. Total time is what 45 min to an hour, your actual time at the table is less than half of that most likely.
And that includes "breaks" for your opponent to play.

Friday- Sunday tournaments, if you win, are about 9 matches. 2ish on Friday, 5 Saturday, 2ish on Sunday.
On the longest day your max table time would be around 100-150 minutes with many, many "breaks"

If you can hold full focus for 30 minutes in one to two practice sessions most days, you'll probably be doing just fine.

Building bad habits won't help you.

LibraryFool77 said:

RIP. Nothing else to contribute.

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I don’t comment on the dead, everyone deserves a rebuttal.

RIP. Nothing else to contribute.

couldnthinkof01 said:

You come on here all the time asking for help.

You never add a video, which makes it impossible to diagnose.

Nobody is going to be able to give you some magic tip.

Video recording and self diagnosis is a big part of fixing most of the problems you seem to have.

Having an in-person instructor work with you on your struggles is another big part.

Willingness to do the uncomfortable and actually work on these things and putting them to the test in competition is the last part.

I honestly wish you well. The game is more fun when you can play the way you'd like.

You seem to have the money, time, and equipment.

Are you doing any of these things?

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He doesn't practice. He breaks a rack, if he doesn't make a ball it's his break is bad.

If he does make a ball and doesn't get out he is "hosed."

Such good advice to take that shot he is missing and shoot it 50 times until it is natural.
Much easier for him to complain and talk about how he doesn't know how to upload a video

Some of the newer pocket sized action type cameras have apps built in to upload directly to Youtube, Facebook, Wi-Fi, etc. but why buy something that can help when you can start another thread about the color of cloth.

I'm a duffer, but I post videos on here and love the criticism and also sometimes kind comments about a unique shot pattern or tough shot.

bbb said:

Who is ed?
I have no idea what you are insinuating
I am not a trouble maker
Cheers

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Gein, liked his lamp shades.