Pre-Shot Routine, feedback please
Looking for feedback, comments and hopefully some additions to something I put together for a student, the player is someone who has been playing for a number of years and feels that his game is "sloppy" and lacking certain mental focus points. He isn't currently gambling and his "practice" sessions are nothing more than trying to run out after the break, every blue moon he'll run a drill or two but even then he feels like he needs more structure before getting down on the ball.
Feel free to bash, copy or ignore it, just looking for the one or two small but key things that I might have missed putting this document together. Thank you all for your time.
• Survey the table, see if there are any clusters or if every ball has a pocket.
• Designate a pocket for every ball, visualizing the runout walk around the table to see the angles if needed.
• If there is a cluster or you need to play a safety, do so on the lowest numbered ball possible.
• Plan for the 3rd ball in rotation, if you’re on the 1-ball you should look at the 3-ball so you know what position you want to achieve on the 2-ball.
• After you have this plan in mind then focus on the shot in front of you.
• Visualize the contact point on the OB, then the position you want to achieve for position on the next ball.
• Calculate the speed and English needed to accomplish the desired CB position.
• Get in line with the contact point on the OB and walk forward into the CB.
• In your head think about what the shot feels like, what it sounds like & what it will ultimately look like.
• Don’t move your eyes too much between the CB and OB, when you feel comfortable rest your eyes on the contact point on the OB.
• Your practice strokes should be coming to a halt, pause, release your breath….pull the trigger.
• After the shot evaluate what exactly happened when you shot the ball:
o Did you hit the CB where you wanted to?
o Did you hit it too hard/soft?
o Did you pocket the ball too thinly or thickly?
o Did it sound the way it should have?
• You absolutely HAVE to reflect on the shot and figure out what or why it didn’t achieve what you wanted it to do.
• When you’re not at the table watch your opponent hit the balls without judgement, see how his cue moves and how much the CB moves after contact. After the ball is rolling try to guess where the CB will end up and what angle it will take after contact with a rail. Don’t think about whether or not he/she will make the ball, just watch and try to learn the speed of the table and how the rails are playing.
Any help is appreciated, thank you!!
Neil
Looking for feedback, comments and hopefully some additions to something I put together for a student, the player is someone who has been playing for a number of years and feels that his game is "sloppy" and lacking certain mental focus points. He isn't currently gambling and his "practice" sessions are nothing more than trying to run out after the break, every blue moon he'll run a drill or two but even then he feels like he needs more structure before getting down on the ball.
Feel free to bash, copy or ignore it, just looking for the one or two small but key things that I might have missed putting this document together. Thank you all for your time.
• Survey the table, see if there are any clusters or if every ball has a pocket.
• Designate a pocket for every ball, visualizing the runout walk around the table to see the angles if needed.
• If there is a cluster or you need to play a safety, do so on the lowest numbered ball possible.
• Plan for the 3rd ball in rotation, if you’re on the 1-ball you should look at the 3-ball so you know what position you want to achieve on the 2-ball.
• After you have this plan in mind then focus on the shot in front of you.
• Visualize the contact point on the OB, then the position you want to achieve for position on the next ball.
• Calculate the speed and English needed to accomplish the desired CB position.
• Get in line with the contact point on the OB and walk forward into the CB.
• In your head think about what the shot feels like, what it sounds like & what it will ultimately look like.
• Don’t move your eyes too much between the CB and OB, when you feel comfortable rest your eyes on the contact point on the OB.
• Your practice strokes should be coming to a halt, pause, release your breath….pull the trigger.
• After the shot evaluate what exactly happened when you shot the ball:
o Did you hit the CB where you wanted to?
o Did you hit it too hard/soft?
o Did you pocket the ball too thinly or thickly?
o Did it sound the way it should have?
• You absolutely HAVE to reflect on the shot and figure out what or why it didn’t achieve what you wanted it to do.
• When you’re not at the table watch your opponent hit the balls without judgement, see how his cue moves and how much the CB moves after contact. After the ball is rolling try to guess where the CB will end up and what angle it will take after contact with a rail. Don’t think about whether or not he/she will make the ball, just watch and try to learn the speed of the table and how the rails are playing.
Any help is appreciated, thank you!!
Neil
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