Egg McDogit said:
HAte to say it, Egg, but alot of people have a similar story...
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=29479&page=5
Eric
B player to A player
- Thread starter Thepoolroomchef
- Start date
HAte to say it, Egg, but alot of people have a similar story...
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=29479&page=5
Eric
How I advanced to A from B...
What worked for me was placing myself in the company of champions as much as possible. Whether it was at league or the action arena or the toughest tourneys in my area. Go to the toughest 5.00-20.00 nightlys during the week and weekend, and play in the toughest regional 20.000-100.00 entry weekend tourneys you can find within a days drive of your home. The champs will show you how to play the game properly. They most always shoot the shot correctly and choose the correct action for the layout of the table or situation at hand. Do not be afraid to ask questions and for guidance from the champs...they love to help someone who is not afraid to step up and try to give them a challenge. Keep your eyes only on the best and you will surely learn only good pool and not learn bad habits or bad pool...
Good luck and don't forget to open you mouth and ask many questions...
Jeff Jimenez
What worked for me was placing myself in the company of champions as much as possible. Whether it was at league or the action arena or the toughest tourneys in my area. Go to the toughest 5.00-20.00 nightlys during the week and weekend, and play in the toughest regional 20.000-100.00 entry weekend tourneys you can find within a days drive of your home. The champs will show you how to play the game properly. They most always shoot the shot correctly and choose the correct action for the layout of the table or situation at hand. Do not be afraid to ask questions and for guidance from the champs...they love to help someone who is not afraid to step up and try to give them a challenge. Keep your eyes only on the best and you will surely learn only good pool and not learn bad habits or bad pool...
Good luck and don't forget to open you mouth and ask many questions...
Jeff Jimenez
Thank you Mr. J
My wife and I have been talking about what you just said almost word for word. I think I know what to do it is just getting off my ars and doing it.
My wife and I have been talking about what you just said almost word for word. I think I know what to do it is just getting off my ars and doing it.
Here is another question for you guys.... Do you aim with english or line up w/out and adjust your english in your stroke??
I know it might sound a little funny to some but this is something that a few pros do.
I know it might sound a little funny to some but this is something that a few pros do.
To be the best you can be you have to do whatever it takes to get there. This might mean gambling against better players, traveling hundreds of miles to play in a higher rated tournament or practicing several hours a day everyday.
You can't expect to improve by playing at your local pool hall and beating the same players you always beat.
You need to keep pushing yourself to be better. You need to get out of your comfort zone.
I quickly got to the "A" level by playing and practicing with "A" players. I didn't win at first, but it eventually came.
It's not always great to be an "A" player. It's hard to find a game in your average poolhall. It was a lot easier when I was a "C" player. So enjoy what ever level you are currently at.
It's not about the prize, but the journey (or however that saying goes)
You can't expect to improve by playing at your local pool hall and beating the same players you always beat.
You need to keep pushing yourself to be better. You need to get out of your comfort zone.
I quickly got to the "A" level by playing and practicing with "A" players. I didn't win at first, but it eventually came.
It's not always great to be an "A" player. It's hard to find a game in your average poolhall. It was a lot easier when I was a "C" player. So enjoy what ever level you are currently at.
It's not about the prize, but the journey (or however that saying goes)
I actually got that info from Paul Potier out of Vancouver. Also just talked with a buddy of mine that would be considered an A player that uses the same system and said it came from a video with Tony Robles? I have been using it for about a year now and the only thing that I don't like about it is the moving your arm and side stroking.
supergreenman said:
I agree with you and Eric, tournaments help get you to focus quickly. I actually think that a local race to 2(!) loser break 9ball tourny on bar boxes helped my game a lot. I mean if you don't play error free, you're gonna lose (well ok, sometimes even if you do play error free you lose) It took me a while to get that but once I did, me and a couple of other guys would regularly win that tournament week after week (I mean we rotated winning), for like 5 years. Sure every now and again somone new would win but we'd win over half the time for sure, probably 60-70% of the time. Most people feel that a race to 2 on a bar box, loser breaks is a crap shoot and it is amongst the better players but it's still a good test in that you don't have time to make up for any errors. Once, after beating a local champ in this tournament (best player in CO for my money), I shook his hand and said well the break is big in this thing, he looked at me and said "the flip is big in this thing". LOL.
Anyway, I think gambling (within your means) is important too. Just playing in different pool halls under different conditions is important also, I think that's a big part of why going on the road is important at some time in your "career", just to force yourself to play anyone on any table will make you tougher and more versatile. If you're a B+ player you should do OK at that, just try to match up right.
I know guys that are super tough on "their" table, but get them off that and they fall apart.
Alex
Well I don't see many male snooker players on tv( in the 9 ball tournys) But snooker seems like it has done well for the women side of it. GO TAHIT!!!!!!
Don't practice while working will help
Thepoolroomchef said:
I didn't feel like reading all of the other posts so I sorry if I am repeating anything. One of the most important things to do is to play A players and shortstops. The only way to increase your level is to play better players. You have to get used to extra pressure that comes with playing better players which is key. Every time you move up a level misses are punished that much more.
There is a lot more money in snooker, thats why you don't see them. There is one or two b-level snooker players (never made it in pros) that have made the switch (marlon manalo for one), and Tony Drago won the World Masters last year. Also Steve Davis (semis in worlds) and wait for Ronnie O Sullivan in IPT. (although he is getting killed in snooker right now). Allison Fisher still plays with a textbook snooker stroke.
raybo147 said:
Cameron Smith said:
Very true statement...to a point...I would revise that just a little..
I don't think that a C player should seek out shortstops...I think they will be better served to seek out B or B+ players......A C player playing a A player will only learn how to sit correctly without causing back pain, and learn how to rack...They never get to shoot......If they play strong Bs they will get similar experience in watching mechanics and improved pattern play (better than C anyway)...and at the same time will get more opportunity to shoot...As soon as they develope into a B player, then they should start seeking out the A players, and every once in a while try and find a nearby pro or semi pro event to play in so they can get a reality check on thier current level.
BRKNRUN said:
your right. Thats actually what I had in mind when I wrote my post but I guess I wasn't very clear in my writing. Geez what did my school teach me? I want my tuition back!
Thepoolroomchef said:
You have to be able to practice by yourself to get better. You have to practice some drills interspersed with regular play to get better. You have to play for money to get better while playing for money and you have to play in tournaments to get better at playing in tournaments.
I was an A- to an A player since about 1993-94. Back then I was shooting pool probably between 12-15 hours a day five or six days a week. I would play for money I would play in tournaments and I would usually place in the tournaments I was in.
I'm now an A+ player, I'm probably about six balls better than I was then and up until just recently I couldn't place in tournaments. I just couldn't play my game in the tournaments. Now that I'm playing tournaments almost as often as I did back then, I am now starting to do better and play my REAL game longer into the tournaments with each tournament I play in.
There's NO WAY I would've improved as much as I did if I didn't practice alone , but at the same time, there's no way to get better at playing for money and in tournaments than playing for money and in tournaments.
