How do you know when you're ready to hit the ball?

When I am relaxed in focus---if that makes sense to you.

I have a preshot routine that I've developed over the years that works for me. I suggest you do the same.

Ever notice how Efren ALWAYS pulls the trigger on the second stroke? It's his preshot routine that helps him work his magic.

You need to follow TX Poolnut's advice and develop a strong preshot routine. I have seen several instances over the years where reliance on "just knowing" leads to a major psychological hang up of not ever being able to pull the trigger under pressure.

Do the work and put in the time to determine exactly how many practice strokes you need to give your mind time to process the imagery and feel for what you are doing. Not enough time and you don't process the information fully and too long you lose focus or mentally lock up... IF at the end of the set number it still doesn't feel right stand up and start over, your subconscious will be telling you something in your assessment is wrong

There is truth to analysis/ paralysis and a player without a rhythm is a danger to noone but themselves unless all they want to play is onepocket.

Fuji-whopper said:

Been having trouble lately with when to pull the trigger, always trying to be fully ready to shoot before shooting but of course it sounds easier than it is. My question to you is: how do you know when to shoot?

Like others, I talk to myself before shooting and also try to control my breathing so I'll breath out slowly before the last stroke. But some people see dots or lines and others see/feel different things, please share what goes through your mind when you decide you're ready to pull the trigger.

Click to expand...

I have trouble pulling the trigger when I am tired probably because I AM NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY and my aiming suffers because of it.

Most of my problems in shooting revolve around not practicing well enough and being tired. I find short multiple sessions of practicing is better for me than long sessions.

I like your question. What does Thorsten say?

Thanks,
JoeyA

You dont know

You never really know when you are ready to pull the trigger. After a few thousand shots, your mental computer and muscle memory will tell you when you are aligned for the shot. A solid preshot routine will tell you when to pull the trigger. There is no tone or little light that comes on when you are perfect on the shot as in air to air missiles. Trust your stroke.

I take my practice strokes at the speed that I will actually take the shot. The last stroke before the shot, I pause while sighting the object ball. Confident about my shot, I pull the trigger exactly as I had practice stroke and how I visualized the shot, then pause again to make sure I follow-through while watching the shot in-progress.

Preshot routine, preshot reoutine, preshot routine.

That being said, I am learning to back off from a shot if I am not 100% ready to go. I know for a fact that I miss most shots because I am not 100% committed to a shot, but pull the tirgger anyways.

Russ.....

ugh, I almost fell for that preshot routine stuff lol...Poolnut, I respectfully disagree. I think anyone who actually counts practice strokes has a form of insanity.

I immediately googled efren to see if he really does always pull the trigger on the 2nd swing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeJbyrUC0zI

You can see that on the 2nd shot, which is a harder cut, he takes more swings. Efren's magic is NOT in his preshot routine.

Preshot routine is overhyped. The more focus you put into unimportant things that ought to be natural and subconscious (breathing, foot position, practice stroke count, where your eyes want to focus) the less focus you can put on lining up and stroking the shot.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=140076

Check out posts 5, 8, 22, 41, etc. See a pattern? The point is, excessive thinking about this shít will cause you to utterly shark yourself. It should be as natural as walking, not carefully counted and calculated.

To answer the original poster's question:
Shoot when nothing else is bothering you about the shot. You aren't worried you may be lined up to overcut. You aren't worried about undercutting it. There's no question about whether you're going to hit the part of the cue ball you want. You've compensated as best as you can for throw, squirt, etc. You like your general gameplan. You have a few warmup strokes under your belt to judge the speed.

As long as something is nagging at you and you're worried the shot might not work... even if you're not sure why... you don't pull the trigger. You honestly ask yourself what's bothering you, see if you can correct, and if necessary stand up and change your whole shooting plan.

Once nothing at all is preventing you from pulling the trigger, why wouldn't you? Are you trying to bore your opponent? ;D

CreeDo said:

ugh, I almost fell for that preshot routine stuff lol...Poolnut, I respectfully disagree. I think anyone who actually counts practice strokes has a form of insanity.

I immediately googled efren to see if he really does always pull the trigger on the 2nd swing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeJbyrUC0zI

You can see that on the 2nd shot, which is a harder cut, he takes more swings. Efren's magic is NOT in his preshot routine.

Preshot routine is overhyped. The more focus you put into unimportant things that ought to be natural and subconscious (breathing, foot position, practice stroke count, where your eyes want to focus) the less focus you can put on lining up and stroking the shot.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=140076

Check out posts 5, 8, 22, 41, etc. See a pattern? The point is, excessive thinking about this shít will cause you to utterly shark yourself. It should be as natural as walking, not carefully counted and calculated.

To answer the original poster's question:
Shoot when nothing else is bothering you about the shot. You aren't worried you may be lined up to overcut. You aren't worried about undercutting it. There's no question about whether you're going to hit the part of the cue ball you want. You've compensated as best as you can for throw, squirt, etc. You like your general gameplan. You have a few warmup strokes under your belt to judge the speed.

As long as something is nagging at you and you're worried the shot might not work... even if you're not sure why... you don't pull the trigger. You honestly ask yourself what's bothering you, see if you can correct, and if necessary stand up and change your whole shooting plan.

Once nothing at all is preventing you from pulling the trigger, why wouldn't you? Are you trying to bore your opponent? ;D

Click to expand...

That's exactly why you need a good preshot routine, so you can focus on the shot, lining up correctly,etc. Once you have developed it, you don't have to think about it. It is second nature and allows you to focus on the shot.

Being a newbie, I am not sure what feeling it is, but a feeling of confidence and comfort sets in, and it feels like everything in the room goes quiet and nothing is in motion other than my stroke hitting the CB. It feels like I know I made that shot before it was shot. It almost feels as if the blood in my veins started to run warmer and once the stroke falls, the CB contacts the OB and you hear it traveling directly into the pocket. It is a feeling that you know you are going to make the shot, your pre-stroke feels smooth like the clocks have slowed down, and a feeling of security, the OB is clear in your view, and you deliver the promising shot. You may not be smiling on the outside, but you can feel yourself smiling on the inside.

I know it sounds confusing, but I am doing my best to describe the feeling. :embarrassed2:

Chino

Fuji-whopper said:

Been having trouble lately with when to pull the trigger, always trying to be fully ready to shoot before shooting but of course it sounds easier than it is. My question to you is: how do you know when to shoot?

Like others, I talk to myself before shooting and also try to control my breathing so I'll breath out slowly before the last stroke. But some people see dots or lines and others see/feel different things, please share what goes through your mind when you decide you're ready to pull the trigger.

Click to expand...

Hey neil, you had no problem pulling the trigger on me at park avenue on tuesday

Good luck at tophat and bankshot god knows you need it.:wink:

Fuji-whopper said:

Been having trouble lately with when to pull the trigger, always trying to be fully ready to shoot before shooting but of course it sounds easier than it is. My question to you is: how do you know when to shoot?

Like others, I talk to myself before shooting and also try to control my breathing so I'll breath out slowly before the last stroke. But some people see dots or lines and others see/feel different things, please share what goes through your mind when you decide you're ready to pull the trigger.

Click to expand...

I pull the trigger when I know im going to make the ball

I think you're thinking way too much. I can't imagine paying attention to my breath while shooting. I honestly don't think about anything when shooting, I just get the object ball in my sight and when it looks right I shoot. No pre-shot routine, no aiming system.

Fuji-whopper said:

Been having trouble lately with when to pull the trigger, always trying to be fully ready to shoot before shooting but of course it sounds easier than it is. My question to you is: how do you know when to shoot?

Like others, I talk to myself before shooting and also try to control my breathing so I'll breath out slowly before the last stroke. But some people see dots or lines and others see/feel different things, please share what goes through your mind when you decide you're ready to pull the trigger.

Click to expand...

When I start thinking about I know I am in trouble. I will usually get up off the ball and start over. It has to feel natural and right, not conscious.

bell said:

You never really know when you are ready to pull the trigger. After a few thousand shots, your mental computer and muscle memory will tell you when you are aligned for the shot. A solid preshot routine will tell you when to pull the trigger. There is no tone or little light that comes on when you are perfect on the shot as in air to air missiles. Trust your stroke.

Click to expand...

Incorrect. When I am in stroke (confident) a light literally comes on for me when I am lined up correctly. I describe it like missile lock on Top Gun. When I am lined up on my contact point, every thing (cue ball, object ball, and the imaginary line between them) literally lights up for me. I know it's weird, but when that is happening, I don't miss much.

For The Record

For those of you who don't know Fuji-whopper:

HE IS A VERY STRONG PLAYER!

JoeyA

JoeyA said:

For those of you who don't know Fuji-whopper:

HE IS A VERY STRONG PLAYER!

JoeyA

Click to expand...

Yeah, I had the pleasure to meet and play him in a tourney in Athens, GA, a few years back, and not only is he a very, very good player, he is also a really nice guy. Even if you luck out on him. And as to the original question, I only hit the ball AFTER it has talked trash on my mother. Then it is GO TIME!

poolhustler (and others who talk about the routine)... I think the goal of the preshot routine is to get players who rush to slow down and focus. And it makes them shoot the same way every time. That's an admirable goal.

One player talked about taking a little trip around the table and really looking before deciding on a shot. That's part of his routine and it makes sure he doesn't overlook anything. I can also see the value in teaching X practice strokes. If someone does a minimum of ten practice strokes then it becomes impossible to 'two-stroke' the ball (i.e. just take a quick hurried whack at it without properly considering the outcome).

But, I feel a player should best be taught to bring patience and focus to their game without using any ritual or tricks. They don't need routine to bring these things into play... at least I don't. Routine might sound like it builds consistency but it can also mentally put you to sleep or make you unable to adapt to unfamiliar situations. If you are facing a tough shot, extra practice swings are necessary. What if you are determined to swing at practice stroke 5 but you just don't feel ready and locked on? You're gonna miss.

We all want a consistent stroke but no two shots are identical and you'll often be forced to shoot slightly differently...whether it's sliding the grip hand back for a power stroke, or changing your foot position to lean across the table. All the little things we're taught to do the same way every time can't always be done the same way every time.

The important thing is to just be comfortable. Do what comes naturally. Don't force yourself to stroke during the in or out breath, don't force yourself to stroke on the fifth swing, don't force yourself to plant your feet at 90 degree angles when 60 feels more comfortable, etc.

Forcing yourself to do things works against being comfortable and sucks focus away from the actual shotmaking process (which has nothing to do with whether you're inhaling or exhaling when you backswing). Yes, you can also force yourself into a routine until it feels like second nature and you don't have to think about it, but you aren't doing yourself any favors when a shot comes up that defies the routine, and I don't think you really have an edge over a player who just shoots comfortably and naturally, with no preset routine.

Unless you are on a shot clock

Fuji-whopper said:

Been having trouble lately with when to pull the trigger, always trying to be fully ready to shoot before shooting but of course it sounds easier than it is. My question to you is: how do you know when to shoot?

Like others, I talk to myself before shooting and also try to control my breathing so I'll breath out slowly before the last stroke. But some people see dots or lines and others see/feel different things, please share what goes through your mind when you decide you're ready to pull the trigger.

Click to expand...

Neil,

Unless you are playing on a shot clock, if it doesn't feel right within fifteen seconds or so to pull the trigger come off the shot and try again. Don't try to force the shot when it doesn't feel like time to pull the trigger. I can't really tell you when to shoot but I can tell you when not to, I have a great deal of experience at that!

Preshot routine and rhythm are wonderful things but to a certain extent they are the result of being comfortable, not what make you comfortable. You probably already have a good general routine, just don't hesitate to pull up if it doesn't feel right. I pulled up twice off a very simple shot in a tournament recently, almost dead straight in but for some reason I couldn't see the angle. The third time down I refused to come up again. Any banger could make that shot almost every time. So can I, but you already know I missed it that time.

Shoot when you genuinely feel ready. Don't let a preshot routine or any other outside factor persuade you to shoot. Paraphrasing from the sixties, "When it feels good, do it!"

Hu