Am I starting to do B-level things?

[mjantti]

Hey lewdo26. Sounds your game is improving but as mentioned here before, don't go too deep into categorizing yourself, there's a danger that if you think you're "B", then you should beat "C", but it's not that simple.

Anyway, I recall when I was in your situation like 15 years ago, I was practising a lot but my personal bests weren't improving and I thought I wasn't improving. My overall consistency was improving but I was too busy looking into rankings, personal bests, ratings etc. that I missed the fact that I had really improved, not my A-game, but the level of my worst game had improved greatly. So my level of play wasn't changing so dramatically which is very important in money games, leagues and tournaments. Took me a few good tournament matches and nice finishes to figure that one out. I wasn't dogging them anymore. I wasn't making great shots and outs either but I was very consistent. And imho, that's one of the greatest assets a poolplayer can have.

Good luck and keep practising (straight pool )

 

[lewdo26]

Hey lewdo26. Sounds your game is improving but as mentioned here before, don't go too deep into categorizing yourself, there's a danger that if you think you're "B", then you should beat "C", but it's not that simple.

Anyway, I recall when I was in your situation like 15 years ago, I was practising a lot but my records weren't improving and I thought I wasn't improving. My overall consistency was improving but I was too busy looking into rankings, records, ratings etc. that I missed the fact that I had really improved, not my A-game, but the level of my worst game had improved greatly. So my level of play wasn't changing so dramatically which is very important in money games, leagues and tournaments. Took me a few good tournament matches and nice finishes to figure that one out. I wasn't dogging them anymore. I wasn't making great shots and outs either but I was very consistent. And imho, that's one of the greatest assets a poolplayer can have.

Good luck and keep practising (straight pool )

Good to hear from you, Mikko. I can never forget the wild 35 ball run video you posted on youtube.com, as well as some of your posts.

What you said resonates with what hobokenapa and sjm have said. There's more to the game than high runs, and how many racks you can string together. You guys have made sure I have a more well-rounded and sophisticated idea of improvement.

One thing I guess goes with "playing your worst" is that I have noticed the "quality" of my misses has improved. It's a lot rarer that I miss a ball by a diamond anymore, no matter how tough the shot. That kind of thing used to be routine.

Don't worry about it, I love straight pool more than... well, more than a lot of things.

 

[Maniac]

There's more to the game than high runs, and how many racks you can string together. You guys have made sure I have a more well-rounded and sophisticated idea of improvement.

One thing I guess goes with "playing your worst" is that I have noticed the "quality" of my misses has improved. It's a lot rarer that I miss a ball by a diamond anymore, no matter how tough the shot. That kind of thing used to be routine

I guess, under that concept, that my game has improved too. My "quality" of misses has also improved. I miss a lot of shots that jaw the pocket because I am still on the learning curve on using english. I'm not a high-run or break-and-run kinda player. I just plug my way through a rack and usually need 2 or 3 times to the table to get out. It seems like I always miss that one darn shot somewhere in the middle of the rack that keeps me from running out, and it's usually a very makeable shot .

I just love the game, but if I was ranked by any system, it would be a very long number !!!

Maniac

 

[lewdo26]

I guess, under that concept, that my game has improved too. My "quality" of misses has also improved. I miss a lot of shots that jaw the pocket because I am still on the learning curve on using english. I'm not a high-run or break-and-run kinda player. I just plug my way through a rack and usually need 2 or 3 times to the table to get out. It seems like I always miss that one darn shot somewhere in the middle of the rack that keeps me from running out, and it's usually a very makeable shot .

I just love the game, but if I was ranked by any system, it would be a very long number !!!

Maniac

Write down a pre-shot routine including counting out your warm up strokes. Bring that slip of paper with you to the poolhall and repeat the thing to yourself out loud prior to every shot.

Your focus levels and overall consistency will improve based on how airtight your routine is, and how long you can stay within your natural rhythm. I think others would agree that's what missing easy shots is about.

Also, play straight pool. It will increase your focus levels, consistency and will make pattern and position play in 9 ball easier.

 

[WKRP]

This has been posted in the CCB and probably here also but is one way to self assess. I'm not sure if the copied link will work so after the link is the first post that describes the drill. Its not perfect (doesn't include safety play etc. but is still interesting...http://www.billiardsdigest.com/ccbo...d=allposts&Main=227460&Search=true#Post227589

".....Joe Tucker has a thing he uses that proves to be pretty accurate. It goes like this:

Rack up some 10 ball. Break from anywhere. After the break, take ball in hand and run out, in rotation (1, 2, 3, etc...) All balls made on the break count. Any balls made on a scratch are spotted. Once you miss, the rack is over. You should shoot 10 racks and count the total balls made for each rack. After 10 racks, take your total and compare it to this chart:

30-35 D+
36-40 C
41-45 C+
46-50 B
51-55 B+
56-60 A
61-65 A+
66-70 A++
71-up Pro

I'm not sure if it matters waht size table. I like this rating system because it takes alot into account as far as player ability i.e. shotmaking, position play, cluster breaking, break skill. It makes no difference if you play 10 ball or not, the results are very close to reality."
may be worth an extra post if any one wants to start it

 

[TATE]

Good to hear from you, Mikko. I can never forget the wild 35 ball run video you posted on youtube.com, as well as some of your posts.

What you said resonates with what hobokenapa and sjm have said. There's more to the game than high runs, and how many racks you can string together. You guys have made sure I have a more well-rounded and sophisticated idea of improvement.

One thing I guess goes with "playing your worst" is that I have noticed the "quality" of my misses has improved. It's a lot rarer that I miss a ball by a diamond anymore, no matter how tough the shot. That kind of thing used to be routine.

Don't worry about it, I love straight pool more than... well, more than a lot of things.

I noticed one thing that has changed as I've improved. It's my confidence. When faced with a difficult shot, when my game was less honed, I would think "let's see if we can make this" or "I'll try this", then I would be thrilled if it worked out. That has become in recent years more like the thought "It's do-able" and if I don't make it, trying to figure out why, and working on it later. This may seem like a simple thing, but the transition took many years. It's simple confidence in one's knowledge and ability to execute.

As your skills round out, things start clicking and you soon find yourself looking at things from a different point of view. The first skill is shotmaking, making a lot of balls from a lot of angles. The next is position play, being able to direct the speed and direction of the cue ball at will and using patterns, without missing the shot in the process. Right now, IMO these should be 90% of your concern.

What will happen is as you get better and better, so will your confidence. Then it progresses to the finer points, but you need the skills above to progress much further.

You will be high as a kite when, not too far off from now, you will have a moment, a day, or a week where everything goes exactly as planned, the balls fall and the cue ball goes where you directed it. You will see the player you will become. It might come and go at first, but you will keep practicing. Then one day it comes and stays. The magic is in you.

Chris

 

[lewdo26]

I noticed one thing that has changed as I've improved. It's my confidence. When faced with a difficult shot, when my game was less honed, I would think "let's see if we can make this" or "I'll try this", then I would be thrilled if it worked out. That has become in recent years more like the thought "It's do-able" and if I don't make it, trying to figure out why, and working on it later. This may seem like a simple thing, but the transition took many years. It's simple confidence in one's knowledge and ability to execute.

As your skills round out, things start clicking and you soon find yourself looking at things from a different point of view. The first skill is shotmaking, making a lot of balls from a lot of angles. The next is position play, being able to direct the speed and direction of the cue ball at will and using patterns, without missing the shot in the process. Right now, IMO these should be 90% of your concern.

What will happen is as you get better and better, so will your confidence. Then it progresses to the finer points, but you need the skills above to progress much further.

You will be high as a kite when, not too far off from now, you will have a moment, a day, or a week where everything goes exactly as planned, the balls fall and the cue ball goes where you directed it. You will see the player you will become. It might come and go at first, but you will keep practicing. Then one day it comes and stays. The magic is in you.

Chris

I work hard on playing every shot with the same amount of confidence. That is, playing to make it no matter how tough. But of course, I still waver.

Thanks, Chris. Your words are my inspiration.

 

[mjantti]

Good to hear from you, Mikko. I can never forget the wild 35 ball run video you posted on youtube.com, as well as some of your posts.

What you said resonates with what hobokenapa and sjm have said. There's more to the game than high runs, and how many racks you can string together. You guys have made sure I have a more well-rounded and sophisticated idea of improvement.

One thing I guess goes with "playing your worst" is that I have noticed the "quality" of my misses has improved. It's a lot rarer that I miss a ball by a diamond anymore, no matter how tough the shot. That kind of thing used to be routine.

Don't worry about it, I love straight pool more than... well, more than a lot of things.

Thank you Lewdo26. Stilll looking for putting up some video material on my "real" 14.1 shooting For some reason I think shooting straight pool is a very good improvement method for you right now. Increase you shotmaking accuracy and consistency and soon you'll start finding new elements in your game with higher confidence etc.

Oh, a few months ago I added some more vids. Check them out if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mjantti

Keep practising...

 

[TATE]

Thank you Lewdo26. Stilll looking for putting up some video material on my "real" 14.1 shooting For some reason I think shooting straight pool is a very good improvement method for you right now. Increase you shotmaking accuracy and consistency and soon you'll start finding new elements in your game with higher confidence etc.

Oh, a few months ago I added some more vids. Check them out if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mjantti

Keep practising...

Some very nice shooting there, Mikko! Good video quality too.

Chris

 

[mjantti]

Some very nice shooting there, Mikko! Good video quality too.

Chris

Thank you. There are times when a few compliments here and there adds up to one's confidence