how did a advanced/instructor player make his worst shot his best shot?

judochoke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
how does one go about making his worst shot his best shot?? i guess worst shot is the wrong word. a shot that gives him problems, say 50 % chance of making the ball..

shooting 100 balls a day, every day? or 30 minutes a day? until you can hit 15 out of 15? is that a good cutoff point, 15 for 15?

getting tired of missing my long rail cut shots, really tired. ready to make this shot my premier shot. which method is best, or does it matter?

i heard a commentator say when a pro had a long rail cut shot with pressure during a match that pros dont miss this shot, and of coarse he didnt miss the shot. i would like to get close to that if possible. :eek::eek::eek:
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
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how does one go about making his worst shot his best shot?? i guess worst shot is the wrong word. a shot that gives him problems, say 50 % chance of making the ball..

shooting 100 balls a day, every day? or 30 minutes a day? until you can hit 15 out of 15? is that a good cutoff point, 15 for 15?

getting tired of missing my long rail cut shots, really tired. ready to make this shot my premier shot. which method is best, or does it matter?

i heard a commentator say when a pro had a long rail cut shot with pressure during a match that pros dont miss this shot, and of coarse he didnt miss the shot. i would like to get close to that if possible. :eek::eek::eek:
I suggest you make your problem shot into a progressive practice drill. That's a certain kind of drill that is very good for a lot of shots. Here is a handout with a description of how "progressive practice" works: http://www.sfbilliards.com/basics.pdf

Once you understand the principle, you can make your own drills for your own problem shots.
 

bbb

AzB Gold Member
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i am not an instructor but you have to crawl before you walk
jmho
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
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Honestly, if don't have the time to do progressive drills as Bob posted, try this:

Start with the ob about 2 inches off the side rail at the 2nd diamond from a corner pocket. Place the cb in the center of the table. Not sure what aiming method you are using, but this shot ends up being between a 1/2 ball aim and a 1/4 ball aim. If you sight straight down your shaft, the cue tip should be pointed slightly outside the edge of the ob. If your stroke could move the shaft all the way to the ob it would be flush against the outer surface/edge of the ball, if that makes any sense.

Shoot this shot until you make it 10 times in a row. You might do it in the first 10 tries. If so that means you are capable of delivering the cb to where it needs to be with no trouble, which indicates that your struggle with long rail shots is likely due to inaccurate/inexperienced aiming rather than inconsistent stroke mechanics. If you struggle with the shot, knowing exactly where to aim, then you probably need to develop a consistent stroke (capable of delivering the cb accurately every time) before worrying about consistency with pocketing balls.

Note: instead of center table, if you place the cb about 1.5 diamonds from the side pocket (same long rail that ob is next to), it makes it a halfball shot. This is easier to practice because you simply aim through center cue ball to split your tip on the edge of the ob.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
You need to hit shots down the rail exactly the same way as similar cuts anywhere on the table, so if rail shots are harder for you then the rail might be distracting you. I have the most success when I can see the rail as a handy guideline pointing to the pocket while ignoring it for CB/OB alignment.

pj
chgo
 

judochoke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i was able to go 10/10 on the first try, telling me my stroke is ok. i am better on cut shots from the second diamond, with the cue ball being across table. its when the object ball is on the 3rd diamond that i want to get better on. (cue ball across table past the side pocket), when i miss, i dont miss by much. lots of rattlers.

right now im at about 50 % out of 15 balls from the third diamond. seem to better when i really follow thru with the cue.

thanks for the help guys:cool
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
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i was able to go 10/10 on the first try, telling me my stroke is ok. i am better on cut shots from the second diamond, with the cue ball being across table. its when the object ball is on the 3rd diamond that i want to get better on. (cue ball across table past the side pocket), when i miss, i dont miss by much. lots of rattlers.

right now im at about 50 % out of 15 balls from the third diamond. seem to better when i really follow thru with the cue.

thanks for the help guys:cool

That's good news.

Repetition is the key, but not to the point of boredom or frustration. Try this if it sounds beneficial: Put some hole reinforcement donuts on the table, one that puts the ob a couple of inches from the cushion across from the 3rd diamond, and 3 or 4 more for cb positions, as shown in this diagram....

Shoot each shot several times with whatever aiming method you typically use. Don't pay any attention to the fractional aiming shown unless that's what you typical use. If you find that one of these particular shots/angles is more troublesome than the others, then focus on pocketing that particular shot using the appropriate fractional relationship shown in the diagram. Shoot it until you pocket 10 or 15 in a row. Do this a couple of times everyday, like once when get home from work and once again before you go to bed. This will help your brain develop shot recognition for this particular shot. If you find yourself making all 10 or 15 on the first try, move the cb a couple of inches to make the shot a little thinner or a thicker and try from there, adjusting your aim a little thinner or thicker as needed.

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FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I guess I'm the only one still stuck on "advanced/instructor player. Are you an advanced instructor or an advanced player or both?
 

BC21

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I guess I'm the only one still stuck on "advanced/instructor player. Are you an advanced instructor or an advanced player or both?

Is this directed at me, or the op? I think the op was just asking how an instructor or advanced player would work on weak shot.
 
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judochoke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i should have said advanced player or a pro, how did they make a problem shot one of there go to shots.
 

HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i should have said advanced player or a pro, how did they make a problem shot one of there go to shots.

Judo,

Don't worry.

I knew what you were talking about from the initial post.

I don't think anybody ever turns their "worst" shot into their "best" shot. Usually, if it is your "worst" shot, it has something to do with it not being something that comes up routinely or it is a shot that is "difficult" for a lot of people.

You may make it a lot easier with practice and maybe your technique, but I don't think you will ever turn it into your "best" shot.
 

Charles Hartfield

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The shot I dislike the most is when the cb is against the cushion on the short rail and pocketing the ob in the side. I feel like I could practice that shot 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and still be uncomfortable with it.
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i should have said advanced player or a pro, how did they make a problem shot one of there go to shots.

Okay, thanks. Got it. The first thing to check is his (or your, if it's you,) approach and alignment. With an advanced player, they are pretty much on autopilot as they approach a shot. He may have programmed himself with an incorrect approach for that particular shot, so even though he sees it correctly, he may be misaligned due to his faulty approach.

I would start there --- literally with the first step the player takes into the shot. He may have to retrain himself to take that first step slightly more left or right, depending on how he misses it.
 
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BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
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Okay, thanks. Got it. The first thing to check is his (or your, if it's you,) approach and alignment. With an advanced player, they are pretty much on autopilot as they approach a shot. He may have programmed himself with an incorrect approach for that particular shot, so even though he sees it correctly, he may be misaligned due to his faulty approach.

I would start there --- literally with the first step the player takes into the shot. He may have to retrain himself to take that first step slightly more left or right, depending on how he misses it.

Great post. I once had a bad habit of correcting an occasional misalignment while already down on the shot (after realizing I didn't approach the shot correctly). I would shift my entire upper body or cue stroke a touch left or right to account for the misalignment of my stance. A friend pointed it out to me, said I do it every now and then and end up missing or almost missing the shot.

It's hard to consciously catch yourself doing something that has become habitual/automatic, especially a flaw in mechanics that only occurs on occassions. But someone paying attention to details while watching you play can pick it out when it happens, even if it's only 1 out of 50 shots. That's proof that watching other players, not just their shot selection and position play, but their body mechanics -- their PSR, approach, stance, stroke, etc... -- can be very enlightening.

Anyway, he told me what he noticed and a few games later I caught myself doing it, so I stood up and reapproached the shot. It took a while to break the habit because it was so intermittent. And I'm not sure if it was just one particular shot that I would do this on or a few different shots, because as soon as I'd catch myself making the adjustment I would stand up and start my psr over, not paying much attention to the details of the shot itself.
 
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KenRobbins

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
how does one go about making his worst shot his best shot?? i guess worst shot is the wrong word. a shot that gives him problems, say 50 % chance of making the ball..

shooting 100 balls a day, every day? or 30 minutes a day? until you can hit 15 out of 15? is that a good cutoff point, 15 for 15?

getting tired of missing my long rail cut shots, really tired. ready to make this shot my premier shot. which method is best, or does it matter?

i heard a commentator say when a pro had a long rail cut shot with pressure during a match that pros dont miss this shot, and of coarse he didnt miss the shot. i would like to get close to that if possible. :eek::eek::eek:

I was reading old articles and came across this and thought of this thread.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/deaf-player-finds-peace/
 

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KenRobbins

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Did you read the part where he asks which method is best or does it matter?

Yes I did read that. You guys already addressed how well, but how much work do you put into how? Just 30 minutes or until you really get it? He already knows fundamentals come first and is getting lessons from an instructor.

He already knows all this and how much work he needs to put into it. The amount of work is overwhelming and he's seeking a reality check. lol
 

BC21

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Knowing you need to work on a particular shot isn't so much of a mystery as knowing how you should work on the shot. Everyone agrees that work is needed -- that's non-debatable -- but the "how" seems to be a matter of varying opinion, despite the abundance of research available when it comes to skill/talent and habit development.

The old-school "work" method would have you hitting several hundred balls per day in order to get a particular shot under your belt, practicing for multiple hours daily, the HAMB method. Many pros and instructors have learned this way, so they will surely stand by that approach. But the HAMB method has taken a back seat to more effective learning methods, like replacing long dreaded practice sessions with much shorter practice sessions spread throughout the day, where quality of practice has proven more effective than quantity of practice.

Pay attention to how you miss. If you notice a pattern of overcutting or undercutting the longer rail shots, then it's likely (as Fran or someone already mentioned) that you aren't seeing/aligning the shot correctly. You are in the habit of aligning yourself out of tune with this particular shot, for whatever reason.

The cure is to consciously/purposely fix the alignment, either by approaching the shot slightly thinner or slightly thicker than you think (based on how you typically find yourself missing the shot). Ftom this mindful adjustment you need to shoot 20 or 30 shots and then take a break and think about what you did and what the difference was. You might find that the adjusted alignment clicked/resonated quickly. Or it may feel awkward. The key is to keep doing this, hitting a few shots with 100% mindfulness in approaching and lining up for the shot, settting a goal to pocket 5 in a row, then taking a break, then doing it again a few hours later. When 5 becomes easy set a goal for 7 or 8 and so on.
Within a week or so you'll begin to notice that you aren't consciously trying to line up a little thinner or thicker anymore -- you'll be doing it automatically without even thinking about.
 
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