What is something you know you do wrong and need to fix?

brandoncook26

brandoncook26

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm sure I have more than one. This one I don't do very often, but every once in a while it costs me a ball/game.

There are times when the position I need doesn't coincide with making the shot. I will sometimes alter the line and hit the wrong place on the object ball, which results in missing the ball but getting where I want for shape on the next ball.

The bad part is I know I'm doing it and I do it anyway like I can somehow will the ball in. I need to work on making the ball and taking the best shape I can from that position instead of attempting manipulate the line.

What is something you screw up occasionally that you can work on?
 
Drop my elbow as well as over grip my cue on hard shots. Sometimes causes me to jump the cue ball on hard draw shots. At the end of my normal stroke, I feel my fist against my pec, but when I do this, I feel it hit the middle of my ribs. Definately negatively effects my game. Really throwing off my draw stroke. That, and sometimes not transitioning smoothly from back stroke to forward stroke.
 
Jumping up is a constant problem of mine. Also, I find I'm not thinking ahead in the rack. For example, if I'm 2 balls from getting out or back in line and I have a choice between shooting a more difficult shot on the first ball to get an easy shot on the second ball (say shot A is 60% and shot B is 90% for 54% chance of executing the 2 ball run) vs shooting an easier shot on the first ball but getting slightly worse shape on the second ball (say shot C is 80% and shot D is 80% for a 64% chance of executing the 2 ball run) I find myself taking the first choice almost every time. I suppose it's a good thing that I can recognize I'm doing this after the fact, but it'd be nicer if one day I could pull my head out and see it before hand.

Please note, percentages have been doubled to save face.
 
Over thinking

I have a bad habit of over thinking shots. Sometimes it is best to go with the flow. I also jump up too quickly. It has cost me bad shots from cue movement in the past.

The last one is I spend too much time reading forums and not enough time practicing.
 
A few things previously mentioned...

1. Overthinking.
2. Coming up out of a shot.
3. Better speed control.
 
Jumping up for me too. I seem to have a hard time keeping my head still on tough shots later in the rack. It has cost me more games than anything else I can think of.
 
Getting in a zone after running a few and trying to plan the next shot while I am down in stroke position. I end up missing the shot or my CB position or both.
 
I WISH I only had "one" thing wrong!

1. Not staying down (I tend to rise up just after/upon impact)
2. Not keeping elbow aligned (it tends to push out as my forearm approaches the bicep)
3. Not putting full effort into every shot (I tend to get lazy & dog an easy one)
4. Not playing enough (my CB is eratic)
 
mantis99 said:
Drop my elbow as well as over grip my cue on hard shots. That, and sometimes not transitioning smoothly from back stroke to forward stroke.
Click to expand...

You and I share the same two problems. Oh yeah, make that three.
 
Definitely speed control for me.
Also rushing the next shot, getting out of my routine.
 
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I tend to do alot of things but the main one i always try is to keep my preshot routine each time on everyshot.

I have developed a good habit of stayimg down on the shot as this was a very bad habit of mine by doing one simple thing which might help others with this problem. After you execute your final stroke while still down take one extra practice stroke, it feels awesome
 
Pre-Shot Routine? Wuzzat?

I've never really had an involved pre-shot routine. Some shots don't need real thought to line up, other shots need measurement and analysis, some just need a good eyeball and kentucky windage. So, my pre-shot routine is basically what I do right before I get down on the ball. I line myself up with the line I want to hit, set the cue in that line as I drop into the shot, double check that the shot feels right, couple practice strokes (sometimes none, depends on the mood), slide back, slide forward. Everything before the shot is completely random. So yeah, you could say my pre-shot routine is something I'm doing wrong.

That being said, I've only recently started chalking between shots. I started out playing on my parents' table with house cues. Super-hard tips that didn't take chalk anyway, so I never used chalk. Apparently the never chalking as a kid (25 years ago) helped me get to a soft stroke that lets me get away with forgetting to chalk now. So I guess chalking is something else I do wrong.

I'll get into swings of doing one type of english or another instead of actually choosing the english that's appropriate to the shot. Some days I'll exclusively draw every shot, some days I'll follow every shot. Pretty much doing english wrong, too, yeah.

I usually jump the first shot of the night off the table, so I'll try to get a warm-up round in, at least shoot a couple balls, with one good power draw to get that out of my system. Tuesday night I sent my first shot three tables away attempting to draw the cue six inches.

I think my mechanics are good, stroke is good; it's those mental things I'm working on lately, and not working on them all that hard.
 
TheConArtist said:
I tend to do alot of things but the main one i always try is to keep my preshot routine each time on everyshot.

I have developed a good habit of stayimg down on the shot as this was a very bad habit of mine by doing one simple thing which might help others with this problem. After you execute your final stroke while still down take one extra practice stroke, it feels awesome
Click to expand...

ConArtist...
My god... is it healthy for your shaft to bend that much during your break?
 
I keep thinking there's something wrong with my line up and stroke. When I look down at the cue it looks like it comes in sideways and then straight.

I also think I'm doing something wrong with my grip and it translates into my stroke. I feel like my hand doing the stroke when it should come from my elbow.
 
Starting over-not

Too often, after aligning, aiming, thinking in the standing position-the shot doesn't look quite right in the down, shooting position.

Rather than start over, or resetting in the shooting position-I will add some english to throw the ball in instead. Ok on hangers-not so good on 7 foot shots.

Despite failing at this, more often than not-I keep doing it. Stubborn and stupid.
 
i have some sort of a body movement on my final stroke, it needs to be fixed, but once i focus to fix that I just miss any shot, even the easy ones, I think it got into my rhythm and its become really hard to fix.
 
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