Starting over, getting better, and playing with glasses

sifu

Registered
I played a lot 20 years ago and very little since. Since then, I've had to get glasses. I bought a 9' table so that I can get better. I've run through a decent amount of youtube lessons, and found that I'm really having to get back into the basics. I suspect I have multiple issues:
Form
Consistency
Aim
Vision

I understand practice and repetition is going to be the only answer for these, and I'm working on it. The drill I found that seems most appropriate at the moment is this one:
Eight balls lined up across the table from side pocket to side pocket. Set up a perfectly straight in shot one at a time. Run the four on each side into the respective corner pocket. The intent of the drill is to do this with a stop shot on each. Set it up again and do it with a one diamond follow for all eight. Set it up again and do a two diamond follow, then a one diamond draw, then two diamond draw, etc.

I find I'm struggling just to consistently pocket the shots.This is why I suspect the above list of deficiencies. So, my questions to you fine players:

1. For those of you with glasses, how do you deal with the object ball falling above the frame of your glasses?
2. What other drills are appropriate for my current deficiencies?
3. I also will occasionally set up a rack of 8, 9, or 10 ball to alleviate repetition boredom and work at least a little on angles, position and patterns. What other drills should I incorporate into my practice?

Thanks in advance.
 

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HNTFSH

Birds, Bass & Bottoms
Silver Member
1. For those of you with glasses, how do you deal with the object ball falling above the frame of your glasses?

I don't wear glasses other than readers for small print, I'd think though that full frame glasses wouldn't sit the glass below the cue ball unless you're not bent over?

I did start wearing a left eye contact (for the small print issue) and tried to play pool with it in. Completely screwed my shot lining. You wouldn't think down-table good eye and short table good vision (cue ball) being different but they are. What's your prescription for?
 

Toxictom

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As far as glasses go I recommend googling "snooker glasses". They are hinged so you aren't looking over the top of the lenses. I bought some from spex4less for ~$130 usd.
 

sifu

Registered
I don't wear glasses other than readers for small print, I'd think though that full frame glasses wouldn't sit the glass below the cue ball unless you're not bent over?

I did start wearing a left eye contact (for the small print issue) and tried to play pool with it in. Completely screwed my shot lining. You wouldn't think down-table good eye and short table good vision (cue ball) being different but they are. What's your prescription for?

I've got a 2 on the left eye which corrects to 20/15, but I have a 5 1/2 on the right eye. Right eye is supposed to be bifocal to 6 1/4 for reading, but I chose not to do the bifocals. I don't have an issue with the cue being outside of the lenses, but the object ball when it is about 1/2 to 3/4-ish or more down table usually is above the top of the lenses.
 

briankenobi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I played a lot 20 years ago and very little since. Since then, I've had to get glasses. I bought a 9' table so that I can get better. I've run through a decent amount of youtube lessons, and found that I'm really having to get back into the basics. I suspect I have multiple issues:
Form
Consistency
Aim
Vision

I understand practice and repetition is going to be the only answer for these, and I'm working on it. The drill I found that seems most appropriate at the moment is this one:
Eight balls lined up across the table from side pocket to side pocket. Set up a perfectly straight in shot one at a time. Run the four on each side into the respective corner pocket. The intent of the drill is to do this with a stop shot on each. Set it up again and do it with a one diamond follow for all eight. Set it up again and do a two diamond follow, then a one diamond draw, then two diamond draw, etc.

I find I'm struggling just to consistently pocket the shots.This is why I suspect the above list of deficiencies. So, my questions to you fine players:

1. For those of you with glasses, how do you deal with the object ball falling above the frame of your glasses?
2. What other drills are appropriate for my current deficiencies?
3. I also will occasionally set up a rack of 8, 9, or 10 ball to alleviate repetition boredom and work at least a little on angles, position and patterns. What other drills should I incorporate into my practice?

Thanks in advance.

I use Bill Curan's Billiard glasses. I thought they wouldn't be that good but I was wrong. They have helped me tremendously. check them out.

https://www.billiardglasses.com/
 

sifu

Registered
Those seem a lot like the ones Toxictom suggested. Thanks to both of you. I'm hoping not to have to pay for another pair of prescription lenses due to cost, but, that might be the only effective solution.
 

slach

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Very good drill, I do it with 15 balls and am pretty pleased with myself when I can pocket them all (which isn't very often!).

I got glasses from here... http://www.billiard-eyeglasses.com/.

These glasses are from Canada and the prices on the web site are in CAN$, they're very affordable in US$. I like them a lot, fit well, can see well and no more straining your neck trying to look through regular glasses.

I used disposable contacts for many years just for playing but they eventually got to be too much trouble. I'm more likely to practice when I can just put on the glasses.
 

sifu

Registered
There's no other real solutions out there except for those unattractive high-lens glasses, though, is there? Do you have issues with them touching your forehead/eyebrows and getting smudges?
 

sifu

Registered
Very good drill, I do it with 15 balls and am pretty pleased with myself when I can pocket them all (which isn't very often!).

For you and anyone else...what % should I expect to be making before I shift to working on this a little less and working on other skills?
 

SpiderWeb

iisgone@yahoo.com
Silver Member
You can type snooker glasses, England and they have many. I think they have more experience with snooker players. orkneyoptical.lab@gmail.com can help you. They are in Scotland. If you make them 1 notch stronger than long distance they work better.
I had a problem with the man in Canada that he would never address, so I went another route.
 

cjr3559

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I’m in the same boat as you with eyesight, started to wear glasses at around age 30 (I’m nearly 50) for distance but never wore them playing pool because of the tendency to look over the frames.

Got a pair of Dr Curran’s billiards glasses and oh what an amazing difference. The balls are sharp and there’s no more halo or fuzziness anymore. Should have invested in them a long time ago.

I also recently got my dream pool room set up and really want to get to the next level of skill. I’d say I’m a mid-intermediate player but struggle with patterns. I can pot balls and difficult shots decently, but absolutely not a pro.

I also purchased the latest series of Jerry Briesath tutorials and his advice has worked wonders. I’ve watched them a half dozen times at least. The most important thing I learned is increasing a consistent stroke and what he calls the ‘circle of error’ when striking the cue ball. There are so many good points in these videos and they’re explained so well I don’t know where to begin.

I really need to buckle down and practice drills to memorize how the balls react to different speeds, angles, and English, but in the meantime I’m finding improving my skills playing Equal Offense has sharpened my game considerably.
 

u12armresl

One Pocket back cutter
Silver Member
Brian,

Ya know you didn't need to post about Bill Curan's glasses, he has his PC programmed to go through every post on the internet and if it comes across pool and glasses, he posts about Bill Curan's glasses.

In fact, Bill Curan's glasses are the most sought after billiards glasses in the office of Bill Curan's glasses.



I use Bill Curan's Billiard glasses. I thought they wouldn't be that good but I was wrong. They have helped me tremendously. check them out.

https://www.billiardglasses.com/
 

MattPoland

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I wear glasses being nearsighted. My vision isn’t too bad. Things far away get fuzzy without them. Reading road signs and whiteboards would be a pain. But I’m not blind by any stretch. My wife is blind without her glasses. She thinks my lenses are fake. LOL!

For me, I look over my frames when I’m down on the shot. I accept they will be fuzzy. If I try to look through my frames, my neck is cocked so awkwardly that I get a terrible headache after 20 minutes or so.

The key for me is the value of aiming while standing up. I can see the contact point. I can see the balls lining up. I can see how they overlap. I can see where the contact points line up. And then I get down on the line of the shot I saw while standing.

When I’m down on the shot, aiming is over. The only thing happening with aim now is just making sure it still feels right (NO ADJUSTMENTS). It’s now about really addressing the cueball where I want to. Getting my elbow in the groove of a straight delivery with some small practice micro strokes. And putting a solid follow through on the ball.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

sifu

Registered
@cjr3559 Do those videos start with basic drills for form/consistency, etc, or like many, do they assume those as a baseline and focus on position and patterns like many do? I wanted to be working on those things, but quickly realized, I'm not hitting the cue ball consistently where I want to nor am I hitting the object ball where I intended to. Without those, I can't really judge how a specific english will play b/c I'm not hitting that english or I'm getting the object ball too thin/thick. Obviously, I do pot some shots, even some difficult ones, but, not as consistently as I think I should to be working on those next level skills.
 

sifu

Registered
I wear glasses being nearsighted. My vision isn’t too bad. Things far away get fuzzy without them. Reading road signs and whiteboards would be a pain. But I’m not blind by any stretch. My wife is blind without her glasses. She thinks my lenses are fake. LOL!

For me, I look over my frames when I’m down on the shot. I accept they will be fuzzy. If I try to look through my frames, my neck is cocked so awkwardly that I get a terrible headache after 20 minutes or so.

The key for me is the value of aiming while standing up. I can see the contact point. I can see the balls lining up. I can see how they overlap. I can see where the contact points line up. And then I get down on the line of the shot I saw while standing.

When I’m down on the shot, aiming is over. The only thing happening with aim now is just making sure it still feels right (NO ADJUSTMENTS). It’s now about really addressing the cueball where I want to. Getting my elbow in the groove of a straight delivery with some small practice micro strokes. And putting a solid follow through on the ball.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Honestly, this is kind of what I'm doing, but, my consistency is so bad, I'm questioning if that is the right way. Obviously, I don't have the muscle memory to rely on any more, either.
 

MattPoland

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Honestly, this is kind of what I'm doing, but, my consistency is so bad, I'm questioning if that is the right way. Obviously, I don't have the muscle memory to rely on any more, either.


I would take this to heart for life. Your back arm will be the cause of most of your misses much more than your eyes will be.

I watch players wobble their practice strokes, clench up in their delivery, raise their head, drop their shoulder, jab with no follow through, and genuinely struggle to bring the cue forward with intention, control and finesse.

I see that and think, just be still and deliver the cue better. It’s just like this (and I do it). Then I try a left handed shot and I do all the things they do. Everything from my bridge to stroke is just as awkward. I just don’t have the muscle memory. Your ability to execute is an act of muscle development. Odds are even if you feel like your in control, that arm is still why you’re missing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

cjr3559

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
@cjr3559 Do those videos start with basic drills for form/consistency, etc, or like many, do they assume those as a baseline and focus on position and patterns like many do? I wanted to be working on those things, but quickly realized, I'm not hitting the cue ball consistently where I want to nor am I hitting the object ball where I intended to. Without those, I can't really judge how a specific english will play b/c I'm not hitting that english or I'm getting the object ball too thin/thick. Obviously, I do pot some shots, even some difficult ones, but, not as consistently as I think I should to be working on those next level skills.


He starts with the basics in video 1 and talks about everything you mentioned. I learned a lot of what I was doing wrong from addressing shots to stroking the cue just from the first 40 minutes. I highly recommend getting the first video.

Here’s a sample clip about speed tradeoff to get you started.

https://youtu.be/-zGeT7Vcw3U

The videos can be found for download at poolondemand.net

Best!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Poolmanis

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Try get basics right.
maybe ditch object ball for 5-15 min for warm up stroke. Focus one thing specifically. maybe 10-15 min per thing, then switch. Other aspects are there but they not matter.. like making a ball etc..
Little starter list for basics that can be focused one at time.
- staying still after stroke
- following thru ball
- slow backswing
- head placement
- shot speed
- spin at cueball
- loosey goosey grip
- bridge hand placement! more important than many know. many flaws come from here.
and so on...


Example ..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTCmF7EcN-M
Here is my (Finnish) program to students that need to improve stroke mechanics. This is for staying still emphasis.. Basically i only showed this one to my little sister. She improved really fast after doing this(with other stuff) and was elected to European Champ team member later same year(after 25 year no playing) There is actually little more repetition and scoring system involved so one can see improvement from averages..
 

MANPUSS

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i got 2 astigmatisms , and im now 51 , i had some glasses but stepped on them i need to get some more . close up fine , reading further away blurry, i dunno if my eyes will end my comback in billiards or not .
 

David in FL

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Have you considered contact lenses? They made a world of difference for me. Not only in pool, but in many other aspects of life too...
 
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