PRACTICE VS PLAY
- Thread starter bbb
- Start date
To maximize my potential
win or be competitive in my local tournaments.
shortstop speed
i think its too late to realistically take on tommy kennedy /anthony meglino /justin hall/tony robles some of the pros in florida
maybe i shouldnt restrict my ceiling?
your thoughts?
thanks bob
i appreciate the advice
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
In general, as with anything, the less skill one has, the higher proportion of their time should be spent on practice. A popular poker player training model suggested by a renowned author (maybe Sklansky but I can't be sure anymore) was to have a 4:1 study to play ratio when starting out and then progress till you are a seasoned player who should still study to stay sharp and keep developing but now have a 4:1 play to study ratio.
No need to really aim for some arbitrary ratio but it just makes sense that if you are really far off from the level you want to be competing at that you should practice a helluva lot more than you compete. And once you are holding your own in competition around the level you aspire to, you require a lot less practice as maintenance doesn't take nearly as much time as actual building up of skills.
I often hear the cliche goal of 'maximizing potential' like you mentioned, but the truth is, nobody is actually willing to make that level of sacrifice in other areas of their life to truly maximize their potential in one area...certainly not one mostly geared towards entertainment like a pool hobby. Tom Brady maximized his potential. You can't find other pros with hundreds of millions of dollars incentive to make the sacrifices he made. Top guys in pool are already the best in the world and practice 6+ hours a day regularly to try to max their potential. This isn't a level of commitment just about anybody uttering the phrase 'max potential' is even considering.
In light of that, I think Bob did a great job of taking a hazy 'goal' with no real tangible way to measure success like maxxing potential and turned it into a specific, measurable, and realistic goal of raising FR by 50 points. With a target in mind, you can build a game plan and work towards your goal. You can also be sure when you've achieved it. Then you can start game planning the type of improvement necessary to raise your FR another 50 points.
Some players love practice and others are Allen Iverson. How much you practice has to fit your personality and how you like to improve. Personally, I love practice. It's not the competition or social aspect that brings me to pool, it is the solitary meditative state I so enjoy when at a table by myself. So for me I'd be more than happy to mostly practice my way to trying to improve my FR by 50 points. For others, they get bored on their own. Boredom makes them sloppy. Being sloppy in practice ruins the entire point of it. So those guys just need to play and play a lot to improve. Maybe set up and hit a shot that gave them trouble a couple dozen times, but no serious practice regimen. There's been plenty of pros cut from this mold. To each their own. But as a recommendation, barring you being an Allen Iverson or Keith McCready outlier on the practice spectrum, I second Bob's take that you should practice AT LEAST as much as you compete. For a 'practicer' like me, 3:1 practice to play fits nicely. Maybe more practice, just bc I enjoy it so much. But half half should be enough to move you towards your goal in a timely fashion.
No need to really aim for some arbitrary ratio but it just makes sense that if you are really far off from the level you want to be competing at that you should practice a helluva lot more than you compete. And once you are holding your own in competition around the level you aspire to, you require a lot less practice as maintenance doesn't take nearly as much time as actual building up of skills.
I often hear the cliche goal of 'maximizing potential' like you mentioned, but the truth is, nobody is actually willing to make that level of sacrifice in other areas of their life to truly maximize their potential in one area...certainly not one mostly geared towards entertainment like a pool hobby. Tom Brady maximized his potential. You can't find other pros with hundreds of millions of dollars incentive to make the sacrifices he made. Top guys in pool are already the best in the world and practice 6+ hours a day regularly to try to max their potential. This isn't a level of commitment just about anybody uttering the phrase 'max potential' is even considering.
In light of that, I think Bob did a great job of taking a hazy 'goal' with no real tangible way to measure success like maxxing potential and turned it into a specific, measurable, and realistic goal of raising FR by 50 points. With a target in mind, you can build a game plan and work towards your goal. You can also be sure when you've achieved it. Then you can start game planning the type of improvement necessary to raise your FR another 50 points.
Some players love practice and others are Allen Iverson. How much you practice has to fit your personality and how you like to improve. Personally, I love practice. It's not the competition or social aspect that brings me to pool, it is the solitary meditative state I so enjoy when at a table by myself. So for me I'd be more than happy to mostly practice my way to trying to improve my FR by 50 points. For others, they get bored on their own. Boredom makes them sloppy. Being sloppy in practice ruins the entire point of it. So those guys just need to play and play a lot to improve. Maybe set up and hit a shot that gave them trouble a couple dozen times, but no serious practice regimen. There's been plenty of pros cut from this mold. To each their own. But as a recommendation, barring you being an Allen Iverson or Keith McCready outlier on the practice spectrum, I second Bob's take that you should practice AT LEAST as much as you compete. For a 'practicer' like me, 3:1 practice to play fits nicely. Maybe more practice, just bc I enjoy it so much. But half half should be enough to move you towards your goal in a timely fashion.
Thanks for the reply wobblystroke.
your point of "maximizing potential" and time commitment is valid
maybe i should edit my post by saying "maximizing my potential accepting i cant spend 100% of my time training/playing
so maximizing what i can accomplish given the time i am willing to devote"
(which is much more time than the casual player)
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WobblyStroke
Well-known member
does play=practice regarding time?
will answer your question later
off to tennis (its ruining my pool game ....
)WobblyStroke
Well-known member
I meant play as in total time at the table, whether matches or practice. This total amount of time is what we have to divvy up between practice and competition (leaving out away-from-the-table study as well as messing around social games).does play=practice regarding time?
will answer your question later
off to tennis (its ruining my pool game ....
bbb...practice of course is essential, but I think it is overrated compared to playing actual matches against other players. During my learning years as a player, I went to the pool room just about every day, including holidays, for 7 years. I was depressed if I missed a day. I pretty much saw it all. The priority of players, including myself, was always on playing.
I can tell you with confidence --- do not spend too much time playing alone. Put yourself out there and play against other players and you will progress at a much faster rate.
Don't feel guilty playing more than practicing. It's a myth when it comes to pool. If you want to put yourself on a schedule, then take one day a week and call it your practice day. But the rest of the days --- play pool!
I can tell you with confidence --- do not spend too much time playing alone. Put yourself out there and play against other players and you will progress at a much faster rate.
Don't feel guilty playing more than practicing. It's a myth when it comes to pool. If you want to put yourself on a schedule, then take one day a week and call it your practice day. But the rest of the days --- play pool!
Developing pros should be 80% drills/structured practice and 20% free play. Reverse that for amateurs wanting (less) improvement and happy to recommend my drills to shave time off that 20%, too.
Thanks fran for your reply advice and perspective
I appreciate it
Thanks for the reply matt
Sure.. oh and don't keep playing the same person over and over. Mix it up. Venture out into the unknown. You should expand your comfort zone into playing different types of players. Many times people fail in organized competitions, not because they haven't practiced enough, but because they're way out of their comfort zone in playing different types of players. They become intimidated and they don't play to their potential. Also, because they haven't experienced enough situations against players on the table and they become lost at what to do. Every player you play has their own style, and will address the table a little differently. That means the leaves you wind up with when it's your turn to shoot will be different as well.
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Thanks
Zerksies
Well-known member
Depends on conditions.
Do you have a table to use at home? Yes, work on your weaknesses their. Going to pool hall/bar you should be playing games.
If you don't have a table at home. You should spend a good 30 solid minutes working on your weaknesses. And this should be done several times a week.
Do you have a table to use at home? Yes, work on your weaknesses their. Going to pool hall/bar you should be playing games.
If you don't have a table at home. You should spend a good 30 solid minutes working on your weaknesses. And this should be done several times a week.
thanks for all the replies
i will try to answer some questions and give some reasons for my thread
i practice 1-3 hours most days.......... some days its more productive than others
i play onepocket with a very highly skilled player on sundays from 10-5 with a break for lunch
on some days that 1-3 hours is going to the pool room playing some 9 ball.
i try to enter the tournaments at my room whenever time permits
i would say right now my time is 85- 90% practice and 10-15 % play
to be continued
i will try to answer some questions and give some reasons for my thread
i practice 1-3 hours most days.......... some days its more productive than others
i play onepocket with a very highly skilled player on sundays from 10-5 with a break for lunch
on some days that 1-3 hours is going to the pool room playing some 9 ball.
i try to enter the tournaments at my room whenever time permits
i would say right now my time is 85- 90% practice and 10-15 % play
to be continued
i am a believer that if you cant do it under controlled conditions in practice you are not likely to do it under pressure in play.
but i think more than just playing happens when you are playing in competition
speaking for myself
when is competition
sometimes i find doubt creeps in on my confidence to make the shot
my heart races and i am nervous
i am aware these will sabotage me performing at my best
and am learning how to deal with it and convert to positive thinking.
this has come from studying the "mental game"
and by putting myself in the pressure moments to get used to it
learning how to let my subconcious take over and shut my left brain up.
i cant simulate these pressure feelings in practice.
to be continued
but i think more than just playing happens when you are playing in competition
speaking for myself
when is competition
sometimes i find doubt creeps in on my confidence to make the shot
my heart races and i am nervous
i am aware these will sabotage me performing at my best
and am learning how to deal with it and convert to positive thinking.
this has come from studying the "mental game"
and by putting myself in the pressure moments to get used to it
learning how to let my subconcious take over and shut my left brain up.
i cant simulate these pressure feelings in practice.
to be continued
bob suggested i try to raise my fargo 50 points and said to work on my weaknesses at least as much as i play.
wobblystrokes your comments about practicing more if i am not at the level i want to versus playing more if i am
your statement
" you require a lot less practice as maintenance doesn't take nearly as much time as actual building up of skills."
i see alot of truth in that
fran your advice to "play pool" and play as many people as you can
playing different styles
touches for me my need to gain "experience in the heat of battle"...great advice...and a big part of the reason for the thread as mentioned above
you said above
"they haven't experienced enough situations against players on the table and they become lost at what to do. Every player you play has their own style, and will address the table a little differently. That means the leaves you wind up with when it's your turn to shoot will be different as well."
i bolded that part above because i have found myself in that situation and its another benefit that "seasoning" does for you
although i think you need to devote more time to practice as you are devloping your skill (icbw)
matt your 80/20% ratio for "developing pros"(p.s. i love that description).....thanks for your guidelines
zerksies as i appreciate your comments and willingness to take the time to reply and solid advice
thanks all
please everyone continue to voice your comment/opinions/suggestions
wobblystrokes your comments about practicing more if i am not at the level i want to versus playing more if i am
your statement
" you require a lot less practice as maintenance doesn't take nearly as much time as actual building up of skills."
i see alot of truth in that
fran your advice to "play pool" and play as many people as you can
playing different styles
touches for me my need to gain "experience in the heat of battle"...great advice...and a big part of the reason for the thread as mentioned above
you said above
"they haven't experienced enough situations against players on the table and they become lost at what to do. Every player you play has their own style, and will address the table a little differently. That means the leaves you wind up with when it's your turn to shoot will be different as well."
i bolded that part above because i have found myself in that situation and its another benefit that "seasoning" does for you
although i think you need to devote more time to practice as you are devloping your skill (icbw)
matt your 80/20% ratio for "developing pros"(p.s. i love that description).....thanks for your guidelines
zerksies as i appreciate your comments and willingness to take the time to reply and solid advice
thanks all
please everyone continue to voice your comment/opinions/suggestions
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