I don't like to practice.

T

The Bourbonator

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I cannot sit alone in my basement and run drills. It's just terribly boring. I just want to play the game. I'm the same way with golf. Anything more than a warmup on the driving range bores me.

The closest I come to practice is playing the ghost, and I rarely do that. Sometimes I will punish myself by reshooting a missed or misplayed shot a dozen or two times.

Maybe I just lack the drive needed to improve myself. Maybe I just don't approach practice the way I should. Maybe I'm content with my skill level, or just lack the needed drive. Maybe I will just always need you to give me a couple balls.

I'm sure I'm not the only one.
 
Try rewarding yourself for things instead of punishing yourself.

It can be hard to motivate ones self to work and drill alone. I think everybody has some degree of difficulty with this at one time or another, some more than others.

.
 
The Bourbonator said:
I cannot sit alone in my basement and run drills. It's just terribly boring. I just want to play the game. I'm the same way with golf. Anything more than a warmup on the driving range bores me.

The closest I come to practice is playing the ghost, and I rarely do that. Sometimes I will punish myself by reshooting a missed or misplayed shot a dozen or two times.

Maybe I just lack the drive needed to improve myself. Maybe I just don't approach practice the way I should. Maybe I'm content with my skill level, or just lack the needed drive. Maybe I will just always need you to give me a couple balls.

I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Click to expand...

Play fast 8 against yourself. Fewer balls so you can position the CB. Try to beat yourself... https://sites.google.com/site/poolandbilliard/Home/fast-8
 
I dont either, i have to talk myself into it. I like losing less than i do practice. You know it got to be good for u if you dont like it. So funny best thread ever.
 
Man do I hear your pain. I've been playing many many years. I play pretty good but I know for sure if I were to practice things like eye timing, and focus/concentration, I'd be much better.

I only really enjoy straight pool, and even at that, I can't bring myself to practice. I have a GC in my basement, (heated and air conditioned) I can't bring myself to go down there and practice.

I mean, I've tried many times, but after hitting only a few balls, I find myself banging bank shots, firing table length balls with high inside english, just stupid things.

As much as I enjoy the game, and look forward to playing, I just can't practice either.

If your affliction is not as bad as mine, here is something that might work for you. It actually motivated me for about a week and then I got bored with it.

Try to hook up a camera and see how many balls you can run playing straight pool. To some degree, knowing the camera was running DID help me to try more, but alas, I fear my ailment is terminal. I hope yours is not. :)
 
I have the same problem you do. I have a table at home and try to practice at least an hour a day after work but I usually end up playing the ghost, fargo or just playing a regular game and shoot missed shots or bad position shots over and over till I get it right.

I am finding that my shot making is slowly improving but my position play is not as far along as I think it should be for as much as I play. Years ago I used to do more drills and actually practice and I remember I was much better at position play than I am now. I want to run more position drills but I find I also get very bored and end up going back to some type of game instead.

I am going to the pool hall today to practice on a larger table but I'm sure if someone asks me to play I will end up throwing practice out the window and just playing. I am working on getting more disciplined though because I really want to get better than I am and I know I have the skill.
 
The Bourbonator said:
Straight pool doesn't get played much in my circles. You mean solo straight pool for practice?
Click to expand...

I'm with ctyhntr here......try straight pool.
Give yourself your best break ball, like the 14.1 challenge...
...and keep trying to beat your high run.

You'll not only improve your stroke and pattern play....
...you'll feel the same pressure as a match.

Many martial artists, regardless of their favorite discipline, practice tai chi.
Straight pool is the tai chi of billiards.
 
I like the reward idea. Make a shot, toss youself a gummy bear.
That's how I learned to go potty. :smile:
 
Not practicing is fine as long as you don't want your game to advance. Why even have a table at home? May as well sell it :grin: No?

I need to have some music playing in the background, it helps .
 
I'm exactly the same. Occasionally I practice a shot I missed that bothers me. But only for like 5 minutes, so who am I kidding?

I think we're both secretly content with our skill level. Or just lazy?

The best thing you can do is find a buddy who practices. If you're secretly a social player, this will make it much more entertaining. I do practice games with one my buddies, like a safety game. And sometimes we drill specific touchy shots, or the break. Sharing the pain makes it much easier to swallow.
 
I am surprised nobody else has addressed one particular part of the OP post. To better your game, you HAVE to practice the shots you missed. Like the old saying goes "an amateur will practice a shot until they miss it, a pro will shoot it until they CAN'T miss it" Every pro, coach, and/or teacher I have ever talked to or seen things they have said about this subject they all say to shoot a shot you are having trouble with 50 times until you make it consistently, then shoot it 50 more times. Why is SVB's break so good? Because I have seen him spend 5 hours of racking and breaking, never shot a single shot, just racked and broke. All the top pros do the same thing with shots they miss or are having trouble with.
 
The Bourbonator said:
I cannot sit alone in my basement and run drills. It's just terribly boring. I just want to play the game. I'm the same way with golf. Anything more than a warmup on the driving range bores me.

The closest I come to practice is playing the ghost, and I rarely do that. Sometimes I will punish myself by reshooting a missed or misplayed shot a dozen or two times.

Maybe I just lack the drive needed to improve myself. Maybe I just don't approach practice the way I should. Maybe I'm content with my skill level, or just lack the needed drive. Maybe I will just always need you to give me a couple balls.

I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Click to expand...

You need a practice partner. Try this: Grab a player that likes to gamble as your practice partner. With paper reinforcements set up an angled shot that can be set up repeatedly. Using Bob Jewetts random target pool placement determine the target.

http://http://www.sfbilliards.com/articles/2005-07.pdf

Then both of you put in $10 each in the form of a 20 dollar bill as the target itself. First one to land on the target gets the cash. The exception is if someone does it on the first try the challenger gets at least one shot to push the $20 to the next position if he's successful.
 

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The Bourbonator said:
I cannot sit alone in my basement and run drills. It's just terribly boring. I just want to play the game. I'm the same way with golf. Anything more than a warmup on the driving range bores me.

The closest I come to practice is playing the ghost, and I rarely do that. Sometimes I will punish myself by reshooting a missed or misplayed shot a dozen or two times.

Maybe I just lack the drive needed to improve myself. Maybe I just don't approach practice the way I should. Maybe I'm content with my skill level, or just lack the needed drive. Maybe I will just always need you to give me a couple balls.

I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Click to expand...

You're definitely not the only one. I have hardly ever 'practiced'. The most I do is just throw the balls out on the table & play both sides of an 8 ball game & only long enough as if I am warming up. If some problem has pooped up, I'll work it out & then quit.

I'm working on CJ Wiley's TOI & just Thursday I quit after just 1 hour as boredom was setting in & started doing more harm than good. So I made myself get it back & then quit on a good note.

Everyone is different. I'll say this, even playing someone of lesser talent, that you know can't beat you, is better, TO ME, than practicing alone. It's sort of the team mentality. Many times I have coached very good ball players that did not want to practice & I would tell them, 'you may not need the practice but x,y, & z on your team does, so do it to help them. It worked almost every time.

I hope you find your solution.

Regards to You &
 
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First, do whatever makes you happy playing pool. Do not lose the fun factor by thinking one has to always improve. If you are happy where pool is fitting in your life, then what's the issue? Don't listen to what others are saying about what you need to do. The worst thing that can happen is to lose the pleasure you find in playing pool at whatever level or league.

I'm the opposite. I wonder if I practice too much at times. Its been two days since I've been at the table and I'm hurting for a fix. Last time, I lost two very close 14.1 games and I'm wanting to get to the table to practice the shots that lead to the loses.

I can not explain this drive in me. I think you either have it or you don't. If you don't, don't try to cause it will lead you to hate pool and that's not a good thing. That's one of the great things about pool in that it can fit in anywhere in a person life. Don't force your growth in pool, let it develop to where it fits your lifestyle.

There maybe a time this will change for you. One day you may just go hmmmm, and just slowing start practicing more. If it is to come, let it come when the time is right for you.

Enjoy the game for what it brings you.
 
I just started practicing 6 pocket. You smash the break and run until you miss. Repeat ten times. A perfect score would be 150. You subtract a point for a scratch on the break and take BIH behind the head string. You also have the option for BIH behind the head string after the break for a one point penalty. It's fun. I am still looking for my first 150!
 
I practice at home probably 5 times a week, I usually play both sides of 8 ball (in an 8 ball league), some Fargo, and a little 9 ball. I will work on shots that give me trouble, but maybe only for about a half hour or so, I think it becomes counter productive if you start to get bored. I also practice long straight shots diagonally across the table to try to get my stroke staightened out cause I know it sucks (9' table, makes all shots on BB short). When I started playing 1 1/2 years ago I was about same level as my friend whos team I joined, when he practices he just goes out and shoots 8 ball against other people but does not work on any particular part of his game, I am always looking at something, better follow thru, slower back stroke, etc. Last we played against each other and one other person who was about equal to me when I started I only lost 1 game in about 3 hours against them, I had to give up table when I wanted a break. my practice routine seems to be working for me.
 
I think this is the case with non pro players who have a table at home. My table sits in my dining room and the only time I use it is when I'm working on something new. When I was working with the CTE system and the SEE system and now I'm working with the TOI. That's the sort of things that break the monotony of practice. I am also lucky enough to have a very strong player as a neighbor that loves to practice. As a matter of fact I think I'll go hit some balls
Good luck and get you something to work on
 
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