10 months in, hit the wall big time, cant make a ball.

judochoke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
pretty much playing every night for 10 months at home, things were going pretty good I thought. was running 7 balls at time in 9 ball, (throwing out 7 balls only), and I thought I was ready to step into the next realm of intermediate pool.

well that exploded big time. seems like now I cant even make a shot anymore. dont know what happened. same aiming system, same bridge, same shot routine, same stance.
everything disappeared. almost broke my stick a couple of time I was that pissed off.

(took a hour lesson from a big time pro, got nothing at all from it) so im not sure spending more money going that route is the answer.

so now what do I do? I have books, videos, diagrams, ect ect. nothing is working

how far back to the basics do I have to go to. stop shots for a week straight????

HELP PLEASE
 

ThinSlice

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
pretty much playing every night for 10 months at home, things were going pretty good I thought. was running 7 balls at time in 9 ball, (throwing out 7 balls only), and I thought I was ready to step into the next realm of intermediate pool.



well that exploded big time. seems like now I cant even make a shot anymore. dont know what happened. same aiming system, same bridge, same shot routine, same stance.

everything disappeared. almost broke my stick a couple of time I was that pissed off.



(took a hour lesson from a big time pro, got nothing at all from it) so im not sure spending more money going that route is the answer.



so now what do I do? I have books, videos, diagrams, ect ect. nothing is working



how far back to the basics do I have to go to. stop shots for a week straight????



HELP PLEASE



It’s the stroke! Don’t poke balls. Shoot through each and every shot. Look for sound and rhythm. You will get it.


Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums
 

mfinkelstein3

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Hit a wall

Well, where do you live?

I would recommend a lesson from an experienced instructor that can work with you on stroke fundamentals.

I’ll be glad to recommend someone for you.
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
pretty much playing every night for 10 months at home, things were going pretty good I thought. was running 7 balls at time in 9 ball, (throwing out 7 balls only), and I thought I was ready to step into the next realm of intermediate pool.

well that exploded big time. seems like now I cant even make a shot anymore. dont know what happened. same aiming system, same bridge, same shot routine, same stance.
everything disappeared. almost broke my stick a couple of time I was that pissed off.

(took a hour lesson from a big time pro, got nothing at all from it) so im not sure spending more money going that route is the answer.

so now what do I do? I have books, videos, diagrams, ect ect. nothing is working

how far back to the basics do I have to go to. stop shots for a week straight????

HELP PLEASE

It happens to the best of us. Expectations can do that. Step away from it all for a week or so. Do something that you enjoy doing other than pool. When you return to the game after a break, you will find your enjoyment in the game again.
 

deraltefritz

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
how far back to the basics do I have to go to. stop shots for a week straight????

HELP PLEASE

Not an instructor.

It is difficult to assess what the root of your issues are without seeing you play. It sounds like a mental issue, but it probably is technical as well (who doesn't have technical issues?). Can you maybe post a video of you shooting a few racks?

I don't think shooting stop shots exclusively for one week is the cure. Especially not if you stop practicing them after that week, which is likely to happen after such a monotonous workout.

But starting with ten, twenty (or as many as you can while staying focused) short/medium range shots that are straight in (natural roll, stop, slight draw) every time you go to the table will be beneficial. It will get your arm relaxed and show whether you have alignment or cueing issues. Try to keep the cue ball on that straight line.

I know this is a worn out statement, but true nonetheless: work on your weaknesses until they are your strong suit. For this a notebook is very useful. If you come across a shot that you instinctively know causes you problems (whether or not you succeed at this particular instance), jot it down. See if there are patterns. Try to find drills that address those parts of the game or make your own. Be creative.

Record yourself and look at the footage in a quite minute. Do you see anything that you don't like or did not expect?
 
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evergruven

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
not an instructor either, so I'll just ask a question- why not take a lil break?
seems like you've studied and practiced plenty over the past ten months- maybe if you cooled down for a few days or a week,
some part of your brain would catch up to all the hard yards you been puttin in.

I've seen a lot of your posts here, and want to say that I admire your dedication and desire to improve, but please don't break your cue :)

slow and steady..you got this.
 

BilliardsAbout

BondFanEvents.com
Silver Member
pretty much playing every night for 10 months at home, things were going pretty good I thought. was running 7 balls at time in 9 ball, (throwing out 7 balls only), and I thought I was ready to step into the next realm of intermediate pool.

well that exploded big time. seems like now I cant even make a shot anymore. dont know what happened. same aiming system, same bridge, same shot routine, same stance.
everything disappeared. almost broke my stick a couple of time I was that pissed off.

(took a hour lesson from a big time pro, got nothing at all from it) so im not sure spending more money going that route is the answer.

so now what do I do? I have books, videos, diagrams, ect ect. nothing is working

how far back to the basics do I have to go to. stop shots for a week straight????

HELP PLEASE

Free lesson to cure your ills, send me a PM.
 

Charles Hartfield

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
pretty much playing every night for 10 months at home, things were going pretty good I thought. was running 7 balls at time in 9 ball, (throwing out 7 balls only), and I thought I was ready to step into the next realm of intermediate pool.

well that exploded big time. seems like now I cant even make a shot anymore. dont know what happened. same aiming system, same bridge, same shot routine, same stance.
everything disappeared. almost broke my stick a couple of time I was that pissed off.

(took a hour lesson from a big time pro, got nothing at all from it) so im not sure spending more money going that route is the answer.

so now what do I do? I have books, videos, diagrams, ect ect. nothing is working

how far back to the basics do I have to go to. stop shots for a week straight????

HELP PLEASE

I’m not an instructor but I wanted to say I sympathize with you. I go through the same thing from time to time.
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Free lesson to cure your ills, send me a PM.

There you go again, shamelessly soliciting your first free lesson, hoping to drum up new business via this web site.

You do this in thread after thread while the rest of us respect what this forum is actually for. Why don't you just cut the funny business and make a real contribution to the pool community by trying to help the person publicly instead of trying to acquire a new client?

Could it be that part of the reason is because so much of what you preach gets challenged by other instructors and posters here?
 
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BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
pretty much playing every night for 10 months at home, things were going pretty good I thought. was running 7 balls at time in 9 ball, (throwing out 7 balls only), and I thought I was ready to step into the next realm of intermediate pool.

well that exploded big time. seems like now I cant even make a shot anymore. dont know what happened. same aiming system, same bridge, same shot routine, same stance.
everything disappeared. almost broke my stick a couple of time I was that pissed off.

(took a hour lesson from a big time pro, got nothing at all from it) so im not sure spending more money going that route is the answer.

so now what do I do? I have books, videos, diagrams, ect ect. nothing is working

how far back to the basics do I have to go to. stop shots for a week straight????

HELP PLEASE

Unfortunately, a lesson from a pro player can often be similar to getting a physics lesson from a genius instead of a good teacher. Just because someone is great at something doesn't mean they can teach you how to be great at it as well. It's a bummer that you got nothing from this lesson, other than a dose of reality when it comes to lessons and learning. But there are plenty of great instructors out there.

I think Fran has solid advice, as usual. Take a week off, maybe two weeks. When you start back up you're likely to find yourself back in tune. Improvement usually comes with ups and downs. You fall back a bit only to jump ahead a little further each time.

When you're practicing, pay attention to your stroke, how it feels when you pocket a ball, how it feels when you miss, where your grip hand ends up at the end of the stroke while watching the ball drop into the pocket, where your grip hand ends up whenever the ball doesn't hit the pocket, etc... In these little details you'll find something that clicks for you. When I feel the knuckle of my thumb brush my right chest muscle, I know the ball is hitting the pocket.
 

Knels

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thx very much for the thumb knuckle idea, this straightened out my stroke for the time being!
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
Thx very much for the thumb knuckle idea, this straightened out my stroke for the time being!

You're very welcome! But here's the thing: When you feel like you're not on, off a bubble or whatever, don't consciously try to make your thumb brush against your ribs or chest muscle. Just focus on the psr, on a good follow through, on not rushing... and then you'll notice that knuckle hitting the spot again all on its own.
 
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BilliardsAbout

BondFanEvents.com
Silver Member
There you go again, shamelessly soliciting your first free lesson, hoping to drum up new business via this web site.

You do this in thread after thread while the rest of us respect what this forum is actually for. Why don't you just cut the funny business and make a real contribution to the pool community by trying to help the person publicly instead of trying to acquire a new client?

Could it be that part of the reason is because so much of what you preach gets challenged by other instructors and posters here?

Respectfully, I would say no. Specifically:

1) I do place some help here at the forums--which is why people who oppose my teaching concepts challenge me, therefore, I'm not only "trolling lessons", but offering my (admittedly controversial at times) opinions.

2) I have been applauded at AZ for offering free lessons, and actually started offering them more often in response to threads where people called out all the instructors for not helping more.

3) I'm sorry the wording is offensive, I should say, "I'll fix the problem for free" not "first lesson is free". I did say above, "free lesson to cure your ills", the word "lesson" meaning "I'll teach you to fix the problem," unlike "I also play pool, can I take a look?"

4) I do not rely on lessons for income and I do not do lessons greedily. I do not offer free lessons to everyone, but I tend to offer them when a problem needs a free look, maybe I should say instead, "post a video, please".

5) The OP is in pain, and claims to be doing everything the same but went from running against the ghost to a really bad slump. I think a look at their stance, aim and stroke could be helpful. A week off could also be helpful, sure.

As for offering free lessons, shouldn't that be a self-correcting problem? That is, if I'm a bad teacher, they can see that in lesson one, and if I'm a good teacher who deserves to be paid for time, they can pay me for lessons and get better.

**

Your post raised a really good issue, Fran--I've finished writing a book of nearly 450 mini-lessons. I was thinking of shooting it for video to YouTube so thousands of players could get free help. Your post today makes me think I'll get accused of "trying to make money" on YouTube. But is that an issue in America? Is it fundamentally wrong to try to sell pool lessons and make an honest living (or side income), since I'm (just being honest here) a very good pool teacher in person, hands-on? I used to charge less for pool lessons, and because of the toxicity here and elsewhere, it took me a while to "get over myself", if you follow me.

**

PS. I want to be honest, sometimes I offer a free lesson because I see the blind leading the blind here and the other posters take issue with my nonstandard advice. I don't need to be flamed for preaching pool truth, it's not necessary, and I'd rather show the person some secret in private. I can give specific examples if that will help.
 
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FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Respectfully, I would say no. Specifically:

1) I do place some help here at the forums--which is why people who oppose my teaching concepts challenge me, therefore, I'm not only "trolling lessons", but offering my (admittedly controversial at times) opinions.

2) I have been applauded at AZ for offering free lessons, and actually started offering them more often in response to threads where people called out all the instructors for not helping more.

3) I'm sorry the wording is offensive, I should say, "I'll fix the problem for free" not "first lesson is free". I did say above, "free lesson to cure your ills", the word "lesson" meaning "I'll teach you to fix the problem," unlike "I also play pool, can I take a look?"

4) I do not rely on lessons for income and I do not do lessons greedily. I do not offer free lessons to everyone, but I tend to offer them when a problem needs a free look, maybe I should say instead, "post a video, please".

5) The OP is in pain, and claims to be doing everything the same but went from running against the ghost to a really bad slump. I think a look at their stance, aim and stroke could be helpful. A week off could also be helpful, sure.

As for offering free lessons, shouldn't that be a self-correcting problem? That is, if I'm a bad teacher, they can see that in lesson one, and if I'm a good teacher who deserves to be paid for time, they can pay me for lessons and get better.

**

Your post raised a really good issue, Fran--I've finished writing a book of nearly 450 mini-lessons. I was thinking of shooting it for video to YouTube so thousands of players could get free help. Your post today makes me think I'll get accused of "trying to make money" on YouTube. But is that an issue in America? Is it fundamentally wrong to try to sell pool lessons and make an honest living (or side income), since I'm (just being honest here) a very good pool teacher in person, hands-on? I used to charge less for pool lessons, and because of the toxicity here and elsewhere, it took me a while to "get over myself", if you follow me.

**

PS. I want to be honest, sometimes I offer a free lesson because I see the blind leading the blind here and the other posters take issue with my nonstandard advice. I don't need to be flamed for preaching pool truth, it's not necessary, and I'd rather show the person some secret in private. I can give specific examples if that will help.


Baloney. You're soliciting business.
 

Low500

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As for offering free lessons, shouldn't that be a self-correcting problem? That is, if I'm a bad teacher, they can see that in lesson one, and if I'm a good teacher who deserves to be paid for time, they can pay me for lessons and get better.
Your post raised a really good issue, Fran--I've finished writing a book of nearly 450 mini-lessons. I was thinking of shooting it for video to YouTube so thousands of players could get free help. Your post today makes me think I'll get accused of "trying to make money" on YouTube. But is that an issue in America? Is it fundamentally wrong to try to sell pool lessons and make an honest living (or side income), since I'm (just being honest here) a very good pool teacher in person, hands-on? I used to charge less for pool lessons, and because of the toxicity here and elsewhere, it took me a while to "get over myself", if you follow me.
PS. I want to be honest, sometimes I offer a free lesson because I see the blind leading the blind here and the other posters take issue with my nonstandard advice. I don't need to be flamed for preaching pool truth, it's not necessary, and I'd rather show the person some secret in private. I can give specific examples if that will help.
The parts I have highlighted in blue are outstanding!
I see nothing wrong with auditioning an instructor. As you say, that is a "self correcting issue".
Examples of auditioning:
"I need a piano player for a wedding...where can I see you play the piano, for pay?"
"You say you're a baseball player and want to play on my team? Then get in the cage and let's see what you can do with the low and away"
"You say you want a job as a sales rep and have been selling xyz product for 10 years? Okay, let me see your presentation."
"You say you have an excellent landscaping service? Okay, where is your next job and I will drive over and watch what you do".
"You are a great fishing guide? I like your deal of no fish - no pay"
I see absolutely nothing wrong with any of that.
Anyone who is afraid to audition has something to hide, in my opinion.
:thumbup2:
 

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I was honest and disclosed 8 reasons/evidences.

We can sum as "What is wrong with offering free help to someone in need?"

there is nothing wrong with offering free help
BUT
at least in my case you offered "free" help but it was only to get me to pay for more lessons
you were shocked when i didnt think more lessons with you were worth it to pay for
jmho
 
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