your stroke,
- Thread starter jcpoolgod
- Start date
one simple idea....
A mind once stretched by a new idea can never return to its original dimension-Albert Einstein
You play at a your current level, which is presumably better than how you used to play. What ONE thing/thought/tip/trick took you up to your current level. Yes we all know that progress is incremental but I am not interested in the slow and steady progress of that way of learning. On the other hand sometimes we learn something, change something, see something differently that clicks and causes not only improvement but massive accelerated improvement. A Quantum leap in your ability.
Have you ever experienced this kind of rapid improvement in your own game? If so what was that one thing you could say attributed to your new growth?
A mind once stretched by a new idea can never return to its original dimension-Albert Einstein
You play at a your current level, which is presumably better than how you used to play. What ONE thing/thought/tip/trick took you up to your current level. Yes we all know that progress is incremental but I am not interested in the slow and steady progress of that way of learning. On the other hand sometimes we learn something, change something, see something differently that clicks and causes not only improvement but massive accelerated improvement. A Quantum leap in your ability.
Have you ever experienced this kind of rapid improvement in your own game? If so what was that one thing you could say attributed to your new growth?
Slowed down the backstroke.
The best advise I ever got, thank you Jerry Briesath, and not always the easiest to remember.
The best advise I ever got, thank you Jerry Briesath, and not always the easiest to remember.
Yes, this!! I added what feels like a short pause at the back, but I think to people watching it doesn't appear that way at all....just smooths out the transition.
A lesson with Scott Lee
Ben
Ben
Buying a 10' table and NOT adding a pause
Putting the cueball on the first diamond about an inch off the side(long) rail and the OB on the second diamond(~same distance off side rail) pocketing the OB and drawing the CB to the end rail.
Keep moving the OB down the rail(keeping the CB on 1st diamond) one diamond or 1/2 diamond at a time until the OB is in the pocket and drawing the CB back to the end rail.
Every time you miss, move the OB 1/2 diamond back towards the CB.
This "drill" does 2 things
1: makes your speed control nearly perfect
2: makes sure your stroke is straight.
If your stroke isnt straight you wont make the OB.
You can also follow to other end or force follow back to your end.
This alone helped my game more than anything. Doing it on a 10' with tight pockets, fugget about it.
Jason
Putting the cueball on the first diamond about an inch off the side(long) rail and the OB on the second diamond(~same distance off side rail) pocketing the OB and drawing the CB to the end rail.
Keep moving the OB down the rail(keeping the CB on 1st diamond) one diamond or 1/2 diamond at a time until the OB is in the pocket and drawing the CB back to the end rail.
Every time you miss, move the OB 1/2 diamond back towards the CB.
This "drill" does 2 things
1: makes your speed control nearly perfect
2: makes sure your stroke is straight.
If your stroke isnt straight you wont make the OB.
You can also follow to other end or force follow back to your end.
This alone helped my game more than anything. Doing it on a 10' with tight pockets, fugget about it.
Jason
Stop shot. Practice your stop shot so you can perform it perfect every time from different distances. Put donuts on your table so you know the shot is dead straight. When practicing stop shots make sure that not only is it a good shot but that cue ball is not spinning also.
I spent about six weeks, four times a week, practicing a variation of what Jason described, visiting weekly with Bert Kinister for guidance. It transformed my draw stroke.
In the beginning I routinely miscued when the OB and CB were far apart, but that will go away with practice. Darren Appleton's Perfect Practice added a few good tips: When the CB and OB are far apart, don't try to hit the CB harder. Focus on a slow backstroke, pulling your arm back a little more than normal, and slow accelerating smooth forward stroke. And of course get comfortable hitting the CB lower than you are currently comfortable with.
In the beginning I routinely miscued when the OB and CB were far apart, but that will go away with practice. Darren Appleton's Perfect Practice added a few good tips: When the CB and OB are far apart, don't try to hit the CB harder. Focus on a slow backstroke, pulling your arm back a little more than normal, and slow accelerating smooth forward stroke. And of course get comfortable hitting the CB lower than you are currently comfortable with.
Seperating stroke practice from everything else. When practicing i used to think about what my arm was doing during drills and while playing.
Started working on my stroke separately and learned to trust it while shooting drills or playing.
Made a big difference for me.
Started working on my stroke separately and learned to trust it while shooting drills or playing.
Made a big difference for me.
Yup. I find that when I am not playing well I am not trusting my stroke (doubt). I play my best when I concentrate on a straight wrist on the hand on the cue butt (not bent in or out), staying down through the shot, and consciously concentrating on one spot on the object ball before pulling the trigger.
I studied Stephen Lee's stroke. I don't mean watching it casually, I really studied it. Tried my very best to try to copy the timing of his ball striking. Through this I learned the most important things (to me) in regards to the stroke:
When I'm standing in back of the shot stroking my cue, I vividly visualize the entire stroke, the strike, the pullback and the outcome. When I'm struggling, I'm taking extra time in this phase, but my warmup strokes etc. are usually taking a consistent amount of time (to make sure my mechanics stay the same). If I get lazy with this, my timing won't be as sweet. It's actually quite tricky to strike the ball purely with good timing, and you can't do it if your mind is not 100% made up. During the stroke I'm focusing on "feeling the push", if the stroke feels like you're pushing the ball, then your positioning is going to be a lot better. I instantly know, when I've poked the ball, and usually it's followed by either coming up short or long.
Whenever you try to accurately copy someone, you realize that even the smallest things can interfere with achieving a good result. As a result of my study, I learned to control my breathing, stillness, pace, everything. But I guess this is a matter of mindset, more than the method. The method did work for me.
Every shot in pool and snooker is an individual act and carry equal importance. Once you realize this, you understand that every shot needs your attention. Try to shoot every shot better than the last one. Once your standards start slipping, there is no telling how bad your mechanics can get.
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The truth be told
See post #33
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=428802&highlight=pocket+john&page=3
Have fun
John
See post #33
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=428802&highlight=pocket+john&page=3
Have fun
John
I have always done a variation of this drill. But instead of drawing the ball, I would practice a stop shot at each interval.......either variation WILL teach you stroke speed!Buying a 10' table and NOT adding a pause
Putting the cueball on the first diamond about an inch off the side(long) rail and the OB on the second diamond(~same distance off side rail) pocketing the OB and drawing the CB to the end rail.
Keep moving the OB down the rail(keeping the CB on 1st diamond) one diamond or 1/2 diamond at a time until the OB is in the pocket and drawing the CB back to the end rail.
Every time you miss, move the OB 1/2 diamond back towards the CB.
This "drill" does 2 things
1: makes your speed control nearly perfect
2: makes sure your stroke is straight.
If your stroke isnt straight you wont make the OB.
You can also follow to other end or force follow back to your end.
This alone helped my game more than anything. Doing it on a 10' with tight pockets, fugget about it.
Jason
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I actually started to follow through a little more. I was always stopping short, and poking at the cue ball more than I realized.