Best Pool Training Devices

[nobcitypool]

I've found two that have helped and wondered what other people's experience has been. I think the best, far and away, is the Break-Rak. No question, if you want to improve your break, you still have to break racks of balls. But there are a ton if things you can work on with the break-rak.

At a suggestion from Stevie Moore, I started practicing with the Pro billiard glove. I had a bad habit of slightly curling my wrist in near the end of my stroke. A couple of weeks of practicing with the glove has cured that and had a side benefit of helping me keep a loose and more consistent grip pressure. It was kind of a pain getting it on at first but now it takes about 20 seconds.

I think Joe Tuckers third eye (out whatever it is called) device that helps you hit CCB deserves honorable mention.

I've been beta testing the straight stroke trainer from Cue MD. It is a small electronic device that attaches to your cue. It has bluetooth built in that connects to a tablet or windows pc. It beeps an alarm if your stroke deviates from straight. It also plots a graphical representation of your stroke as viewed from above, the side and from the butt end so you can see where the deviation occurred. It plots the acceleration curve of your stroke too. There's still a few bugs, which can be expected with a beta device, but it appears to have excellent potential.

 

[StraightPoolIU]

I'll give a plug for Joe Tucker's 3rd Eye Stroke Trainer as well. My game has progressed a lot in the last year and a half and I owe it to the 3rd Eye along with Mark Wilson's book. Before I started using it I had an extremely hard time being accurate with draw and stop shots. A lot of practice with it has made it one of my strengths. I still use it for the occasional tune up and part of my stroke drill practice.

 

[ddadams]

Mark where did you get the pro shot glove?

And can I come try the last thing you mentioned??

God knows I could use the help :thumbup:

 

[Cardigan Kid]

I'll give a plug for Joe Tucker's 3rd Eye Stroke Trainer as well. My game has progressed a lot in the last year and a half and I owe it to the 3rd Eye along with Mark Wilson's book. Before I started using it I had an extremely hard time being accurate with draw and stop shots. A lot of practice with it has made it one of my strengths. I still use it for the occasional tune up and part of my stroke drill practice.

Mark Wilson's book was a renaissance for me and how I approached the game/training. After my rails get rebuilt I'll be jumping into his special ops billiards training full time. Until then I'm on the power stroke training once to twice a dayfor the last month.

Lee Bretts video had some gems that I've applied to my game. It's great.

 

[ddadams]

Mark Wilson's book was a renaissance for me and how I approached the game/training. After my rails get rebuilt I'll be jumping into his special ops billiards training full time. Until then I'm on the power stroke training once to twice a dayfor the last month.

Lee Bretts video had some gems that I've applied to my game. It's great.

Lee Brett in person would help you a LOT as well.

Can't wait til he's back in the US so I can get more lessons.

 

[Cardigan Kid]

Lee Brett in person would help you a LOT as well.

Can't wait til he's back in the US so I can get more lessons.

He told me he will be coming through upstate New York for lessons in December. You are right, if he can help on the video, I can only imagine what one on one in person training would be like.

 

[nobcitypool]

Mark where did you get the pro shot glove?

And can I come try the last thing you mentioned??

God knows I could use the help :thumbup:

There are several places online that sell it, $40 if I remember correctly Google it.

And yes, come by anytime. You may try both if you like. I think it only adjusts to a 20" bridge length though, not sure it will work for you. Lol

 

[StraightPoolIU]

I've heard nothing but great things about the Break Rak. If I had a table at home I'd have one no question.

 

[ddadams]

There are several places online that sell it, $40 if I remember correctly Google it.

And yes, come by anytime. You may try both if you like. I think it only adjusts to a 20" bridge length though, not sure it will work for you. Lol

Well shit. I just got a Balance Rite to make my new bridge length 34". Guess it won't work.

lol...

 

[sfleinen]

For me, the following were invaluable:

1. Taking a lesson from a snooker coach (decades ago), and working on throwing away my pool fundamentals to adopt snooker fundamentals. This one massive change alone revolutionized my game. It wasn't easy to just forget everything you know and put your trust into something new, but it was the best thing I ever did. My game literally tripled in ability once I was comfortable with the new stance and fundamentals. That's when all my records (e.g. high run in 14.1, packages in 8-ball and 9-/10-ball, etc.) started to fall and be left in the dust.

2. Laser Stroke. This device revealed little hitches in my stroke that I didn't know existed, that I later (because of the LaserStroke) root-caused to be my grip. These little hitches would manifest themselves when I was applying power to my stroke, and often would occur right as my cue tip contacted the cue ball. Prior to getting and using the Laser Stroke, I was scratching my head at misses (esp. on power strokes), wondering why I was always missing to one side. This device pulled the veil away.

3. Joe Tucker's Third Eye stroke trainer. 'Nuff said about this device -- there's no better training aid to help you find and lock in to center cue ball (esp. with a lagging drill where you try to get the cue ball to return to your cue tip).

4. Any of Freddy the Beard's banking books & DVDs (esp. "Banking with the Beard" and "Banks that Don't Go but Do!"). What can you say about the definitive resource on banking? And his books cover so much more -- like, for example, the effects of nap cloth on banks, etc. RIP Freddy! Your influence lives on!

-Sean

 

[DrCue'sProtege]

I'll give a plug for Joe Tucker's 3rd Eye Stroke Trainer as well. My game has progressed a lot in the last year and a half and I owe it to the 3rd Eye along with Mark Wilson's book. Before I started using it I had an extremely hard time being accurate with draw and stop shots. A lot of practice with it has made it one of my strengths. I still use it for the occasional tune up and part of my stroke drill practice.

Do you actually shoot and practice draw shots with the 3rd Eye Trainer on your cue?

DCP

 

[StraightPoolIU]

Do you actually shoot and practice draw shots with the 3rd Eye Trainer on your cue?

DCP

I would say the 2 things I do most with it are shoot stop shots of varying length and the straight up and down the table drill, but I shoot draw shots with it on as well.

 

[Masirib5]

How about just playing a lot. What a concept!

 

[Cardigan Kid]

How about just playing a lot. What a concept!

Like tor lowry says: it's not about hitting a million balls any way you want, it's about hitting a few thousand balls the right way-that's how you advance your game.

Lee Brett : "practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent"
If you are playing a lot of pool the wrong way, it will become permanent and more difficult to fix when you want to advance.

 

[Pete]

Like tor lowry says: it's not about hitting a million balls any way you want, it's about hitting a few thousand balls the right way-that's how you advance your game.

Lee Brett : "practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent"
If you are playing a lot of pool the wrong way, it will become permanent and more difficult to fix when you want to advance.

Two Gems right there...

 

[JB Cases]

If no one said the break rak. That is one of the greatest ones IMO.

Guess I should have read the opening post.

 

[sfleinen]

Do you actually shoot and practice draw shots with the 3rd Eye Trainer on your cue?

DCP

Yup. And even play a couple racks with it, to teach yourself that, yes, you can actually use the center axis of the cue ball to get position, and not have to "english" every shot.

It's weird at first, but after a few racks with it, you'll hone and lock-in to center ball (center axis, actually) like you never have.

-Sean

 

[DrCue'sProtege]

Like tor lowry says: it's not about hitting a million balls any way you want, it's about hitting a few thousand balls the right way-that's how you advance your game.

Lee Brett : "practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent"

I can believe these statements alot more than some instructors on here that say to practice 15 minutes and then quit for awhile because thats all you can concentrate.

DCP

 

[duckie]

Imagine having something you can place on the table that points to where the CB contact patch, where the CB touches the table, needs to be to make the OB go where ever you want, say center pocket.

Babe Cranfield's the Aiming Arrow.

 

[nobcitypool]

Imagine having something you can place on the table that points to where the CB contact patch, where the CB touches the table, needs to be to make the OB go where ever you want, say center pocket.

Babe Cranfield's the Aiming Arrow.

Just imagine. Imagine if I could use that while playing my opponent, might be of some value.