Congrats, Mike. A 101 and a 98 within a day. Very nice.
2012 AZ Billiards Straight Pool Challenge!
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Congrats, Mike. A 101 and a 98 within a day. Very nice.
Congrats for your 32-
pay full attention to make the balls- how u wrote, you seem to play often and good 8-ball. Straight Pool is similar. if the table is really wide open-just do your *next 3balls plan*- and if its about the last 5-7 balls-just plan backwards from the breakball.
3rd rack callin your name
lg
Ingo
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Good advise from Ratta. Keep practicing 14.1 it is a game that never gets boring. It will help you with your other types of games in the long run. As for getting stuck, I know the feeling. I like reading that other players have the same problems b/c at times I think I am cursed.... LOL
Dennis: Thanks for the nice comment.
Good advise from Ratta. Keep practicing 14.1 it is a game that never gets boring. It will help you with your other types of games in the long run. As for getting stuck, I know the feeling. I like reading that other players have the same problems b/c at times I think I am cursed.... LOL
Dennis: Thanks for the nice comment.
Thanks. Yes, it sure can get you frustrated when you don't see any improvement after a long period of time. I know I'm a better player than I have been showing. I just seem to do something dumb or get a bad roll.
I needed that! I put too much pressure on myself that is not needed.
I needed that! I put too much pressure on myself that is not needed.
Shaky: Tell me one reason for putting on so much pressure during executing something you like so much?.
Enjoy your tabletime- sure you need to keep focus, but keeping focus and attention+plus willing has nothing to do with making yourself scary.
Enjoy the game- and stop counting balls-just racks
Some day it makes just *click* and you will run a few balls more overall. And so on ..and so on
Enjoy your tabletime- sure you need to keep focus, but keeping focus and attention+plus willing has nothing to do with making yourself scary.
Enjoy the game- and stop counting balls-just racks
Some day it makes just *click* and you will run a few balls more overall. And so on ..and so on
Shaky,
this is not really a bad attitude- it just shows, that you wanna show the maximum-always try to play perfect! That includes perfect technics (fundamentals), knowledge of course, and executing.
And in billiards you wanna do every shot perfectly- don t stop to learn to live with your misses that would mean you re learning to loose. And i m sure you prefer to win :thumbup:
lg
Ingo
this is not really a bad attitude- it just shows, that you wanna show the maximum-always try to play perfect! That includes perfect technics (fundamentals), knowledge of course, and executing.
And in billiards you wanna do every shot perfectly- don t stop to learn to live with your misses
that would mean you re learning to loose. And i m sure you prefer to win :thumbup:lg
Ingo
Ran a 35 on Sunday, 02/19... my best for the year so far. My run ended when I shot an easy combo while breaking up another easy combo that didn't really need to be broken up. It resulted in a difficult shot that I missed.
Runs like these remind me to keep to stop doing a lot of unnecessary stuff. Also, I'm always amazed at how much mental concentration it takes me to run just two racks. I need to play more. I played three games to 150 and had many runs in the 20s, but this was the only one above 30.
Runs like these remind me to keep to stop doing a lot of unnecessary stuff. Also, I'm always amazed at how much mental concentration it takes me to run just two racks. I need to play more. I played three games to 150 and had many runs in the 20s, but this was the only one above 30.
Congratulations Rich... I put together a 13 again, nothing special... But beating my opponent, race to 100 by 39 balls was not too shabby!
I'm finally starting to get myself out of trouble and slow myself down to the point where I'm comfortable with myself and the results are increasing my shot average... Time will tell how it goes though.
I'm finally starting to get myself out of trouble and slow myself down to the point where I'm comfortable with myself and the results are increasing my shot average... Time will tell how it goes though.
My friend has been prodding me to put my runs in the challenge this year. I ran a 42 on Feb. 9th. Looking to do a little better in the future.
I ordered some new cloth so it should get a little easier in the next couple of weeks. Playing on my table right now is brutal for straight pool, 9 foot Diamond with pro cut pockets and 4 year old cloth. I find myself rattling a lot of balls.
I ordered some new cloth so it should get a little easier in the next couple of weeks. Playing on my table right now is brutal for straight pool, 9 foot Diamond with pro cut pockets and 4 year old cloth. I find myself rattling a lot of balls.
Especially on old cloth like yours: If you clean it from time to time- take clean piece of towel (towel you usualy clean tableware/dishes with). make it bit wet (bit wet). Then detract/pull the cloth completly. It s also a good workout for your arms, LOL ! if you do this with the complete cloth once a week, and ALSO with the rails/cushions, you will see that the cloth will be much longer in good condition.
Imo also much better than using chemical stuff. Even on new cloth i recommend this. I do it usualy on each table before i play in our clubhouse. The next step would be, to put this towel onto a wooden/pastic block which you are usualy using for plastering and fetting . Works wonder^^ cloth will be so dirty-lol^^. when you re ready take a dry towel and do it again.
you ll feel for sure a difference. The most are just too lazy, bc it s really hard work, hrhr.
Hope it was understandable enough-if not- just ask again.
Imo also much better than using chemical stuff. Even on new cloth i recommend this. I do it usualy on each table before i play in our clubhouse. The next step would be, to put this towel onto a wooden/pastic block which you are usualy using for plastering and fetting
. Works wonder^^ cloth will be so dirty-lol^^. when you re ready take a dry towel and do it again. you ll feel for sure a difference. The most are just too lazy, bc it s really hard work, hrhr.
Hope it was understandable enough-if not- just ask again.
i am , or i should say instead "i was" where you are. My high run is just like you, still 32, but I have not played straight pool for the past 3 weeks. Instead I worked a lot on my fundamentals and lots of experimentation, including experimentation on position play and stroke, mental game and concentration.
i don't know how to describe it, but all the points that i'm about to describe to you - helped me immensely and i am sure i will break 32 soon. let me give you a few tips that i think will help you improve.
1) shorten your bridge length if you usually play with a longer one. you don't need a super long bridge to make a 5 inch stun shot.
2) use the middle of the cue ball more. i foudn this recently and improved my short and medium position play by like 200%.
instead of going real low on the cue ball to make a 9 inch draw shot, just use stun draw, and hit it more firmly, you will see the cue ball come back nicely. same thing for stun follow , stun right, stun left, then your placement is more predictable and you will get much less "unexpected" cue ball surprises.. stun means all the spins you are using are closer to the center of the cue ball, thus the cue ball goes less crazy on you, but you hit it a bit more firm. not hard, but firm. if there is an angle then you need to hit it softer or change the tip position a bit.
as you know on an angle shot the cue ball follows very nearly to the 90 degree path when using stun shots so it's easy to predict cue ball behavior. when using draw and follow, cue speed greatly changes the angle, while the angle changes less for stun shots.
3) keep your eyes on the shot all the way till the end of your execution until the object ball is pocketed. keeping your concentration on the target until the very end improves your potting by 200%. most people unconsciously take their eyes off the target when their arm swings for the shot. that's becauase there is communication between arm and brain during the stroke and follow through, so it's easy to get the eyes slightly off target or even stop looking at the target.
when you look at shane van boening he locks his eyes on the target and keeps them there until he executes with his arm completely.
my ball potting improved by like 50 to 100% just by training myself for a whole night to keep my eyes on the target point until the end of the shot.
4) this one was and is sometimes my problem. don't take too many practice swings. i used to think that it helps me concentrate to keep my eyes on the target, but it was really unnecessary. a few warm-up strokes is enough. although, if you are working on your technique, i would say as an exception you can over-do the warm up strokes to get to feel the stroke, but it should not become habit because you actually lose concentration by doing that, youre concentrating more on the warm up strokes and less on the target.
this point is a little touchy, some players like to warm up longer than others. it's a question of feel. but i would say, taking 15 to 20 warm -up strokes as i used to do and sometimes still do, is too much if you're trying to execute a normal shot.
5) try to practice and only focus on your alignment, legs and back swing. if your back swing is straight and on the line of aim, the shot will be made like butter. anything other than that, you may miss or put unwanted english. also do some exercises to make sure you are not putting any unwanted english. if you don't feel confident about making the shot and the shot is relatively easy, the problem could be your back swing and alignment.
your legs should be firmly standing on the ground. the outside leg should be somewhere near or on the lign of aim, but both legs need to be standing firm and body balanced. some instructors tell to put the foot on the line of aim while others say to place your hand/elbow on the line of aim.
if you want to go a little crazy like me, try placing both the outside leg , hand, and back of your elbow on the line of aim while having a balanced leg and body position.
unfortunately after doing all this you might still be missing shots. the solution to that is play a lot of pool. your eyes will adjust to the correct line of aim. what i mean by a lot of pool, is about 6 to 8 weeks of 20-30 hrs a week or 150 hours total of training/potting should be enough to get there. if after that many hours you are still missing, then i would say there is something wrong with your stroke (grip to hard, twisting, nervous), concentration (focus), back swing (not straight, off the line of aim), legs position and balance is off, moving the shoulder in a way that it changes the path of the cue away from line of aim, etc......
6) pre shot routine. train yourself to come into the line of the shot. learn to "make" the shot before even getting down. you make the shot before you go down, then only execute when you are down.
7) don't bend too low for short shots. you get a better vision for short shots if you move your body higher a bit. experiment on it, you might be okay with whatever you are doing currently. but if you consistently miss position on shots, it may be because you are not seing the line of aim properly, that would be because of the shorter shot.
what is more important is to keep the cue relatively leveled , especially on follow shots.
8) make sure you don't have any grip-hand/finger tension during the entire stroke delivery. if you find out that you do, then work on your grip for a month and you will successfully change it. it takes about a month to learn a new habit (3-5 days a week training).
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Well done sir. I look forward to playing with you again soon. Might just be time to leave the 10 ball alone and play some more 14.1. Looking forward to more of your high runs.
Cheers mate!
Well,
it s nice if you want to help someone out- but to make such specified comments and *orders* about a person, you ve never seen not serious!
You could have also told him to light a candle and say that helps.
I m sure these were good meant advices.
But you shown up so many things, that usualy only c an be observed and found out by a qualifed person seeing him personally or on video.
lg
Ingo
Thank you for all of your advice!!!:smile:
I didn't do a good job with the last reply so I'll repeat some here To make it easier, Sorry!
I have been told that Although I have a good follow through, I need to stay with the shot longer. That is difficult!!
How do you know when your back swing is straight, other than seeing that your cue is not perfectly running exactly straight back and forth in front of you? Is there a way to turn around and look for a certain position that your arm should be in at the full rear position?
Nerves, I don't know if I will ever beat the nerves.
I have been told that Although I have a good follow through, I need to stay with the shot longer. That is difficult!!
How do you know when your back swing is straight, other than seeing that your cue is not perfectly running exactly straight back and forth in front of you? Is there a way to turn around and look for a certain position that your arm should be in at the full rear position?
Nerves, I don't know if I will ever beat the nerves.
I would light a candle if it might work? :grin:
I didn't do a good job with the last reply so I'll repeat some here To make it easier, Sorry!
I have been told that Although I have a good follow through, I need to stay with the shot longer. That is difficult!!
How do you know when your back swing is straight, other than seeing that your cue is not perfectly running exactly straight back and forth in front of you? Is there a way to turn around and look for a certain position that your arm should be in at the full rear position?
Nerves, I don't know if I will ever beat the nerves.
I recomme d buying yourself a GoPro HD Hero 2 Camera and a tripod and record your practice and serious matches if you have the ability to do so. It has improved my game tremendously because when you can see yourself play on tv, its a whole different view my friend... You can see exactly what youre doing before you do it and you know what you thought then but youre thinking differently from the sofa and it allows you to take that "sofa knowledge" and apply it in practice and then competition play.
You'll beat the nerves my friend! I had them soooo bad after not playing for almost 10 years in competition. It takes a little time but the most important part is finding a place that is positive and surround yourself with good players that are also positive and are willing to help you progress and when you guys play seriously, the nerves will still be there currently but will go away once you bury them with your newly found confidence in yourself and your abilities. This really works, for me it was The Illinois Billiard Club... This place is full of every range of talent and everyone is willing to help and it just feels so peaceful when I play competitively over there. That feeling spills over into outside tournaments and leagues as well. I used to get sharked alot in APA leagues, and now I don't even see or hear those idiots anymore, truly!!
Good luck and I hope I was as to help out if even a little bit, then it was worth writing all of this!!