How long does it take?
- Thread starter ByronJr
- Start date
From 3 to 6 isin just a year & a half...
That's maybe faster improvement than anyone I know.
When you say you run out 1-6 times, does that mean 1 to 6 times per evening?
Or you think you run out 1-out-of-6 racks?
The first one sounds pretty normal for a six... the 2nd one, no way.
You'll hear stories of pros who got there in just a couple of years, but that's not typical.
Even improving as fast as you did, may not be realistic for many players.
So don't sweat it. If you hit APA7 in like, 2 years, you'd still be ahead of the curve.
I dunno if anything is 'holding you back' or whatever, but here are a couple of thoughts.
Maybe one of these sounds like you.
• a buddy of mine has been a 6 forever because he just makes bad decisions, and doesn't know
where the cue ball is going to go. He is not comfortable hitting the ball a certain way
(for example hard with inside) and he won't step out of his comfort zone. Great shotmaker,
great kicker, but his position goes to hell fast because he usually takes dangerous, difficult
position routes. Doesn't have much book knowledge, throw and tangent lines etc. are a mystery.
• Another teammate has been a 6 since I met him, he's smart and he's willing to try new things,
but he's been shooting with his current stance and stroke for like 20 years and it's tough for him to change.
He stands up too tall IMO and it gives him no chance on some long shots.
And he's scared to put really heavy sidespin on the ball, he was used to a really deflect-y shaft
and trying to put heavy inside spin on a ball... he just avoids it or butchers it.
• I know a 6 who won top gun and the regional top gun tournament, and he's almost to 7,
knows all the book knowledge / physics stuff and plays a lot (3 days a week at least).
I think he'll break through shortly. His shortcomings seem to be speed control, not knowing
certain position shots, certain safes, and having too much wishful thinking. Like trying to do
stuff that's got no chance of succeeding, or trying to force an angle where there isn't any.
This post has some stuff that helped me make the jump:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=793333&postcount=3
That's maybe faster improvement than anyone I know.
When you say you run out 1-6 times, does that mean 1 to 6 times per evening?
Or you think you run out 1-out-of-6 racks?
The first one sounds pretty normal for a six... the 2nd one, no way.
You'll hear stories of pros who got there in just a couple of years, but that's not typical.
Even improving as fast as you did, may not be realistic for many players.
So don't sweat it. If you hit APA7 in like, 2 years, you'd still be ahead of the curve.
I dunno if anything is 'holding you back' or whatever, but here are a couple of thoughts.
Maybe one of these sounds like you.
• a buddy of mine has been a 6 forever because he just makes bad decisions, and doesn't know
where the cue ball is going to go. He is not comfortable hitting the ball a certain way
(for example hard with inside) and he won't step out of his comfort zone. Great shotmaker,
great kicker, but his position goes to hell fast because he usually takes dangerous, difficult
position routes. Doesn't have much book knowledge, throw and tangent lines etc. are a mystery.
• Another teammate has been a 6 since I met him, he's smart and he's willing to try new things,
but he's been shooting with his current stance and stroke for like 20 years and it's tough for him to change.
He stands up too tall IMO and it gives him no chance on some long shots.
And he's scared to put really heavy sidespin on the ball, he was used to a really deflect-y shaft
and trying to put heavy inside spin on a ball... he just avoids it or butchers it.
• I know a 6 who won top gun and the regional top gun tournament, and he's almost to 7,
knows all the book knowledge / physics stuff and plays a lot (3 days a week at least).
I think he'll break through shortly. His shortcomings seem to be speed control, not knowing
certain position shots, certain safes, and having too much wishful thinking. Like trying to do
stuff that's got no chance of succeeding, or trying to force an angle where there isn't any.
This post has some stuff that helped me make the jump:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=793333&postcount=3
By all means look for George Fels's Mastering Pool. A lot of people here think it's the best book on pool available even after 36 years. Also:http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=343431
There is some great stuff there, from one of the best pool writers in the business who, unfortunately, is no longer with us.
Edit: How long does it take? It all depends on the player and where he wants to get with the game and how much he's willing to put into it. When I took up the game seriously in 1973 I was advised to quit my job and get a divorce. I chose to do neither, so I'm probably a strong B player
{or maybe a bit better} I know a friend, who Jay Helfert knows also, who ran 80 balls his second year and went on to become a world class Straight Pool player who stayed under the radar for 10 years or so. He had some natural ability, which the better players pretty much seem to have. I played as often and as long as I could daily when I was learning. I'd get in the door when the place opened and leave 15 minutes before I had to hit the time clock at 3 pm if I didn't have my son with me. It takes dedication, no matter how many hours per day you can/will practice.
Last edited:
Great tips.
I read your post excellent tips. I definitely do some of those things you mentioned. I definitely get out a lot more in 8 all than 9 ball. Thanks for the tips!
I read your post excellent tips. I definitely do some of those things you mentioned. I definitely get out a lot more in 8 all than 9 ball. Thanks for the tips!
There's not a whole lot you can force. Play as much as you can. When you play, pay attention. I'm not saying *try harder* or get down on yourself. I simply mean, keep note of what happens. If you miss, try to deduce why. If you don't get position, deduce what happened. I know this sounds cliche but every mistake is an opportunity to learn.
At the end of each turn at the table, take a moment to think about why your turn ended. Was it a routine miss? Did you get hooked? Some mistakes are hard to overcome. You really can't do much to improve your pocketing skills other than play more but you can improve your decisions. Plenty of runs end because the shooter wasn't thoughtful enough. Did you choose to take an unpredictable route? If so, was there another choice you could have made that would have been more predictable? Did you get flat on a ball? If so, was there something you could have done to insure an angle? Were you frozen to a rail? Could you have insured easier cuing-position? The more honest you are with yourself, the more likely you are to avoid these problems in the future. If you write-off your run-killers as bad luck, you're only going to find yourself repeating them.
At the end of each turn at the table, take a moment to think about why your turn ended. Was it a routine miss? Did you get hooked? Some mistakes are hard to overcome. You really can't do much to improve your pocketing skills other than play more but you can improve your decisions. Plenty of runs end because the shooter wasn't thoughtful enough. Did you choose to take an unpredictable route? If so, was there another choice you could have made that would have been more predictable? Did you get flat on a ball? If so, was there something you could have done to insure an angle? Were you frozen to a rail? Could you have insured easier cuing-position? The more honest you are with yourself, the more likely you are to avoid these problems in the future. If you write-off your run-killers as bad luck, you're only going to find yourself repeating them.
Most of the times, I miss a shot I shouldve made, preventing me from getting out. Other times I come up short on shots I had to hit a little harder and vice versa. I never really give thought on why I miss when I miss but this is something I am definitely going to start doing.
Improvement is not a function of time.
Like others said, to get better, you need to play with better people an/ or get lessons.
And never miss easy shots again...!
Like others said, to get better, you need to play with better people an/ or get lessons.
And never miss easy shots again...!
There can be a bunch of reasons for doing this, lack of concentration being one of the big ones. I've been told video recording yourself can be a big help, haven't been able to do it myself, though. You might want to get in touch with Mark Wilson or Jerry Briseith{sp?} for a lesson.
Last edited:
Dee Adkins is the guy I would recommend for lessons in Columbus if you can get a spot in one of his classes. You can contact him on Facebook.
Like CreeDo said, sl3 to sl6 in a year and a half seems pretty quick, congrats. I'm jealous 
I've been struggling to get past sl5 for a couple years now. So I've been reading this thread with great interest. I'm trying to change my bad habits and improve, too.
You seem to have the right attitude, and the available time to put into it, so I wouldn't worry about the skill level itself too much. You will also find that the actual advancement of the skill level may very well not coincide with the actual advancement in skill. Meaning there are many determining factors that go into what determines our APA skill levels, for better and for worse. Who you play, their skill levels, how the score is kept on the sheet.......don't get hung up on what the APA thinks. When you are beating the 7's regularly, the number itself will change.
I bet that will happen sooner rather than later in your case, especially now that you are getting the advice you see in this thread. Good luck!
I've been struggling to get past sl5 for a couple years now. So I've been reading this thread with great interest. I'm trying to change my bad habits and improve, too.
You seem to have the right attitude, and the available time to put into it, so I wouldn't worry about the skill level itself too much. You will also find that the actual advancement of the skill level may very well not coincide with the actual advancement in skill. Meaning there are many determining factors that go into what determines our APA skill levels, for better and for worse. Who you play, their skill levels, how the score is kept on the sheet.......don't get hung up on what the APA thinks. When you are beating the 7's regularly, the number itself will change.
I bet that will happen sooner rather than later in your case, especially now that you are getting the advice you see in this thread. Good luck!
With Age
Sometimes a light just goes off. I have quit the game two different times and come back. I restarted this last time after 10 years. I had only played leagues and was an APA 5/7 so I was decent. For whatever reason it just started making sense. Playing higher percentages instead of pulling off the amazing three rail draw just seemed more prudent. In about two years I progressed to a 7/9 (I dont know what my BCA ranking would be) Anyway, I love pool but it is a hobby. Once, maybe twice a week for 3 or 4 hours so my goal is to play in local tourneys when I can and beat some of the known players and cash every once in a while. Who has time for 4-5 hours a day if you hold down a regular job?
There is an AZ member that has a great quote in his signiture "steady beats spectacular every time" - words to live by in pool
Sometimes a light just goes off. I have quit the game two different times and come back. I restarted this last time after 10 years. I had only played leagues and was an APA 5/7 so I was decent. For whatever reason it just started making sense. Playing higher percentages instead of pulling off the amazing three rail draw just seemed more prudent. In about two years I progressed to a 7/9 (I dont know what my BCA ranking would be) Anyway, I love pool but it is a hobby. Once, maybe twice a week for 3 or 4 hours so my goal is to play in local tourneys when I can and beat some of the known players and cash every once in a while. Who has time for 4-5 hours a day if you hold down a regular job?
There is an AZ member that has a great quote in his signiture "steady beats spectacular every time" - words to live by in pool
Last edited:
Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words! Hopefully your are right.
Like CreeDo said, sl3 to sl6 in a year and a half seems pretty quick, congrats. I'm jealous
I've been struggling to get past sl5 for a couple years now. So I've been reading this thread with great interest. I'm trying to change my bad habits and improve, too.
You seem to have the right attitude, and the available time to put into it, so I wouldn't worry about the skill level itself too much. You will also find that the actual advancement of the skill level may very well not coincide with the actual advancement in skill. Meaning there are many determining factors that go into what determines our APA skill levels, for better and for worse. Who you play, their skill levels, how the score is kept on the sheet.......don't get hung up on what the APA thinks. When you are beating the 7's regularly, the number itself will change.
I bet that will happen sooner rather than later in your case, especially now that you are getting the advice you see in this thread. Good luck!
Thanks for the kind words! Hopefully your are right.
Practice?
Lol truth is I often wish I had 4-5 hours a day I can put in, but with a 2 year old and a full time job, there is just no way. Hopefully it starts to make sense for me sooner rather than later!
Sometimes a light just goes off. I have quit the game two different times and come back. I restarted this last time after 10 years. I had only played leagues and was an APA 5/7 so I was decent. For whatever reason it just started making sense. Playing higher percentages instead of pulling off the amazing three rail draw just seemed more prudent. In about two years I progressed to a 7/9 (I dont know what my BCA ranking would be) Anyway, I love pool but it is a hobby. Once, maybe twice a week for 3 or 4 hours so my goal is to play in local tourneys when I can and beat some of the known players and cash every once in a while. Who has time for 4-5 hours a day if you hold down a regular job?
There is an AZ member that has a great quote in his signiture "steady beats spectacular every time" - words to live by in pool
Lol truth is I often wish I had 4-5 hours a day I can put in, but with a 2 year old and a full time job, there is just no way. Hopefully it starts to make sense for me sooner rather than later!
Byron, the shortcut to becoming a good shooter is going to an instructor, practicing assigned drills and understanding what he/she is teaching you. I promise you will not stay on a plateau for long if the instructor is good. If you hit a plateau and stay there for awhile, find a new instructor.
JC
Coos Cues
Well you hit the jackpot. Having a full time job makes you the perfect candidate for Mark Wilson's book "play great pool" and Jerry Breiseth's videos "A pool lesson with Jerry Breiseth"
I wish I would have had this information available 40 years ago when I fell in love with pool.
JC