C players to beginners

7forlife

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I would like to hear or start a thread dedicated to lower skilled people to hear what it is that they are struggling with or perhaps interested in learning. I know sometimes it can be tough posting a question "on this forum" without receiving sometimes severe and unwanted criticism so i would like this thread to be just for you guy, then together in hopefully in a more comfortable setting all can learn and grow. I will do my best to share what I know and have learned along with the advice on trusted individuals both hear and outside.
Then depending how the response I'll reveal what my true plan or goal is. So ask away (no trolling please) and let's see what's the burning question out there and who needs help with practicing and choosing the right drills etc.
 

Tramp Steamer

One Pocket enthusiast.
Silver Member
So I would like to hear or start a thread dedicated to lower skilled people to hear what it is that they are struggling with or perhaps interested in learning. I know sometimes it can be tough posting a question "on this forum" without receiving sometimes severe and unwanted criticism so i would like this thread to be just for you guy, then together in hopefully in a more comfortable setting all can learn and grow. I will do my best to share what I know and have learned along with the advice on trusted individuals both hear and outside.
Then depending how the response I'll reveal what my true plan or goal is. So ask away (no trolling please) and let's see what's the burning question out there and who needs help with practicing and choosing the right drills etc.

There is no way I'm going to ask anything until I first know what your true plan, or goal is. :scratchhead:
 

Aero_Dave

Registered
It's an easy question I have but not an easy answer to solve it, I don't think. For me it's Consistency of play. For an example, Monday night I wad playing a lower skilled player. I Should have beaten him without any trouble. I was up 3-0 then for 'some reason' I started to make Dumb mistakes. I ended-up losing my match. Extremely frustrating to say the least. The 3 prior weeks is played even or higher skilled players and won all 3 matches. Two of them I went undefeated in sweeps. I'm currently ranked a 4 in or APA league but consider myself more of a 4.5-5 skilled player. So, what drills or other things do I need to work on for more consistency?

Thanks,
Dave...


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NastyNate13

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cue ball control and basic positioning is my problem, as someone who is a C/C+. When playing 14.1 or rotation games (9 or 10) I have the idea in my head what to shoot and how to play it but when I execute I always fall short or hit too hard.


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7forlife

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well that was quick. And here i was hoping that someone would come on saying their skill level and post a question amongst other possible beginners in peace. This place never fails.
 

7forlife

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cue ball control and basic positioning is my problem, as someone who is a C/C+. When playing 14.1 or rotation games (9 or 10) I have the idea in my head what to shoot and how to play it but when I execute I always fall short or hit too hard.


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Hey Nate have you asked this question here before or followed advice from another thread started from someone else perhaps?
 

philly

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'll give my advice and then be done and lay low.

> a cue ball only knows three things...direction, spin, and speed. Speed is the toughest
to get down.
> hit a million balls
> play people that are better than you are whenever you can. As Yogi Berra said "You
can observe a lot just by watching."
> read, watch videos, immerse yourself. It's the passion and desire to improve that
allows you to improve.
> work through the inevitable plateaus
> be comfortable with your stick and trust your stroke. Not trusting your stroke leads
to doubt, which can destroy the best of em..
 

7forlife

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Keep it coming guys, I love how easily and quickly people prove the problems with this site is. Run beginners run the big bad forum trolls are coming.
 

Tramp Steamer

One Pocket enthusiast.
Silver Member
7, you're making way more out of this than needs to be. Also, in one form, or another, your question has been asked many, many times on this forum and the answer still remains the same. For a C player to become a B player he must play. It's as simple as that.
Yes, as Poolplayer2016 mentioned, practice helps. So does quality instruction like that given by my good friend Scott Lee. But the best way is to play pool, and lots of it. Hang out at a poolroom. Watch better players play. Play those at your level, or higher. And whenever possible be at a table hitting balls.
It's not magic. You just have to do it. :smile:
 
I'll give my advice and then be done and lay low.

> a cue ball only knows three things...direction, spin, and speed. Speed is the toughest
to get down.
> hit a million balls
> play people that are better than you are whenever you can. As Yogi Berra said "You
can observe a lot just by watching."
> read, watch videos, immerse yourself. It's the passion and desire to improve that
allows you to improve.
> work through the inevitable plateaus
> be comfortable with your stick and trust your stroke. Not trusting your stroke leads
to doubt, which can destroy the best of em..

That was a great reply, and really great suggestions. I learned from playing better players and observing how they played. I knew a guy that had a horrible stroke, and did not have any natural ability. But he really loved the game, so much that he practiced every night for like 6 hours doing drills. After a few years (of 6 hours a day practicing), he became a pretty strong player, with a really nice stroke. I was really impressed with how good he got, seeing how little natural ability he had from the start. He also learned from observing the better players. He ended up having all the confidence in the world on the table (it seemed), and did not seem to have any self doubt in his stroke. He loved the game more then anyone I ever knew. I think it takes a lot of love for the game in order to get better. I had a lot of natural ability (and got pretty good within the 1st year of playing). I never sat there and practiced for 6 hours a day. Actually, I never practiced, and rarely ever did drills (was too lazy I guess, and just did not care about doing drills). I just loved to play, and compete against better players. I learned fast just by observing the better players. So, the best advice I can think of (to players who really love the game and really want to get better) is just to practice, practice, practice (as much as possible), and learn some good drills to practice (at what ever level you are at).
 

7forlife

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I agree and disagree at the same time. See anyone who has truly been around the game like some of us can say with confidence that not everything is for everyone and I for one strongly believe that when comes to "this game" that practice (however you/one wants to interpret that) needs to be tailored to that person. I'm sure that Scott can also agree to that if you asked him, with that in mind and as i mentioned above I had the thought to target just the beginners and amateurs real amateurs and see if they will be willing to come out once more in a thread for the most part just for them and ask their question among their peers and get help. Maybe one of them had the same problem and found a fix or solution maybe the info they got in the past was not overly clear to them and they not only didn't know how to attempt but was afraid because of how they or others get treated on her when their limited knowledge is known. Maybe they are new don't really know how to navigate the forum or how to look up old threads heck many of us bring up old topics without doing the same, so all this was was a deep hopeful cry and experiment to those who get kind of stepped on in this forum. I held back what i truly had in mind cause like most project (in real i'm talking about) they don't get off the ground when dealing with a crowd such as this or the internet in general, now have that same discussion in person and bing light bulbs are going of and taps on the back are being passed.
So no i don't feel that i'm reading too much into this when the first comments are from not just experience players but also long time members that seem to instantly degrade the "unknown" intent of the thread to being with, it's no secret that beginners are afraid to post here and look how the ones that do are treated, take that kid from Canada i think that wanted to play pro speed in a year as the last one I remember cause i try to keep my visits to here limited.
I would genuinely like to see a thread mostly between low ranked players and first timers talking amongst themselves the same way us more experiences ones start a thread about match suggestions and "how would you play this" stuff, these guys see this stuff can't comment for the most part see how we play the out then go out thinking they can fail because they do know yet understand the CB and possibly loose some for on interest.
This is a new year I had or have an idea and want to see what little i can contribute to this beautiful game that has cause us all to suffer from stockholm syndrome.
 

strmanglr scott

All about Focus
Silver Member
I don't think there is a "burning question" that fits all players or even most.

Posting a thread and holding back your motives makes many suspect you rt away.

A beginner doesn't know that "burning question" to ask imo either. They would have asked it already and moved on and up.

A little more constructive approach I believe would be, what mistakes do accomplished players see beginners make consistently?

What basic things unlocked your game when you just started out?

For me...
I worked on developing a straight stroke that made the cb go straight.
Knowing the point of contact on the ob.
Developing solid draw control.
 

7forlife

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't think there is a "burning question" that fits all players or even most.

Posting a thread and holding back your motives makes many suspect you rt away.

A beginner doesn't know that "burning question" to ask imo either. They would have asked it already and moved on and up.

A little more constructive approach I believe would be, what mistakes do accomplished players see beginners make consistently?

What basic things unlocked your game when you just started out?

For me...
I worked on developing a straight stroke that made the cb go straight.
Knowing the point of contact on the ob.
Developing solid draw control.

Scott i never said there was a single question but there might be a common one, each would ask their own. And about the hidden motive thing it's a forum no ones asking for your SS# and DOB, and what about those who didn't ask the question? didn't get or understand the answer? or never moved "on and up"?
A little more constructive approach at hi low skilled player this thread is for you?
And again automatically taking it to accomplished players doesn't quite fit the general narrative imo, like i said how about hearing from someone who was there yesterday struggling with the same issues as you? How about not hearing "ah go hit a million balls and gamble with a pro, you'll learn".
I think i stated my initial intent and may of proved an earlier point by now. A coffee shop for certain players to sit and converse, what was i thinking?
 

strmanglr scott

All about Focus
Silver Member
A little more constructive approach at hi low skilled player this thread is for you?

A coffee shop for certain players to sit and converse, what was i thinking?

I wasn't trying to be nasty.

First sentence doesn't make sense to me, what are you asking?

The second, that's what the forum is.

Another big thing I see beginners or novice players do is not ask for advice. Why not? Embarrassment, ego, wanting to learn it on their own, etc.

Azb is a place beginners would be even more afraid to ask. A result of the culture here, no doubt, I understand your perspective on that. I wondered who, if anyone would step on that stage to ask a beginner question.
 

7forlife

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
no hard feelings no disrespect intended myself.
I was just thinking or testing to see if targeting these people would yield anything because as we know it's not easy on here. You see a repeat of the same question/s on here from time to time and most of them go off track and then you stop seeing replies from the OP by the 3 page, I was hoping some of them would see this and want to give it one last try or possible even the new ones who don't know about the rep that has fallen upon the forum.
 

Bob 14:1

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would like to see an entire forum section just for beginners. I often have questions, but don't write a thread for fear of ridicule or redundancy.

In this way, the more advanced players have the choice of entering the section and giving some help to the less skilled players. It eliminates most of the so called comedians, and "not this again" comments. :boring:

It seems like it would be really easy to do this, but having suggested it at least a half a dozen times, it apparently falls on deaf ears... :withstupid:

We all excel at different things, and I think we all too soon forget what it was like to be a humble beginner.
 
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