Best items you can purchase to increase your game? Consistant wise, any aspect wise

This will make your game better

Beg borrow or steal Hal Houles Phone #. Or if you can do that call Ronnie V. :cool:
If you have english questions you must learn more about this game. It isnt all about the spin. It is more, when am I forced to use it.
 
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Destrukkt...Save the money you want to spend on the shaft, and invest in some quality instruction (that means find an instructor who uses video review). The Predator, or any other piece of equipment, will not help iron out the problems with your consistency. Fix your stroke...and you can't do it by yourself (well maybe you can, perhaps in years...but you can do it in short order, with some good instruction). Pool school would be a good investment for your game.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Destrukkt said:
Yep guess I knew the answer already.

I think ill get the pred shaft and hope it helps a bit.

I can pocket balls just my cueball control is lacking. Ill just keep practicing, not expecting any miracle just wondering if the pred shaft would help me apply english
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Destrukkt said:
What would they be?

So far I bought a Lucasi Hybrid but I read a lot and see the predator shafts seem to be much better shafts then the shaft that comes on the hybrid.


so I am guessing the best item I could purchase right now (other then the obvious answer everyone will say which is lessons, which I am getting as well) is the predator 2 shaft.

Would you agree? I am learning english well and draw, follow etc.. I think my lucasi some what low deflection shaft makes it easier a bit but the medium tip sucks on it, compared to my adams bushka with a hard tip which does good on english. So I am thinking a predator 2 shaft with a hard tip would be the next best thing to improve my game , as it would help me give the ball english with more ease (which i need).






What are some of your opinions? What are some objects/items I could purchase that would improve my game?
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A 160z. returnable bottle of Pepsi! Drink the Pepsi, rinse out & dry off the bottle. Lay the bottle down flat on any table at pool table height (don't even need a pool table to practice this drill). Practice stroking deep into the bottle without touching it. Do this for as many hours as you can spare. It will help you develop "muscle memory" which will help you to stroke through the cueball without imparting any unwanted english or deflection on the cue ball. It's the same principal as the "Buddy Hall Stroke trainer" which was invented because it would be hard to market Pepsi bottles at a prophet. This is an age old method that a lot of the legends used way back when they were learning. It sounds easy but you'll be surprised at how much the slightest body movement affects the accuracy of your stroke and the affect of the slightest movements on your ball pocketing accuracy. I guarrantee that the time put into this stroke practice will pay huge dividends in your overall game unless you happen to be the only person on earth with a perfect stroke "out of the box"! It works!


just more hot air!


Sherm
 
Destrukkt said:
Yep guess I knew the answer already.

I think ill get the pred shaft and hope it helps a bit.

I can pocket balls just my cueball control is lacking. Ill just keep practicing, not expecting any miracle just wondering if the pred shaft would help me apply english
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A cheaper alternative to a new miracle shaft:grin:
Buy Willie Mosconi on Pocket Billiards
Read pages pages 39 - 41

"Again stressing the fact that the cue ball is round and has no flat surfaces, I cannot overemphasize the value of centre-ball stroking. In pocket billiards, my experience has taught me that more than 85 percent of the shots can be accomplished by stroking the cue ball in the centre of its vertical axis.

The player will never appreciate just how important centre-ball stroking is until he has learned that English influences: (1) the path of the cue ball to the object ball, and (2) the path of the object ball from the cue ball to the pocket.

A good rule to remember in pocket billiards is use centre-ball stroking on every shot unless English is absolutely required for position or to make a shot that is not 'on' without English."

If you haven't got speed control english will just put you out of position in a different area of the table:grin::grin::grin:
 
I would think lessons should be #1.
I think it is counter-productive for a relatively new player to practice a lot if you are practicing with bad fundamentals.
I heard somewhere that perfect practice makes perfect.
Once your fundamentals are good, then practice, practice, practice!!
JMHO.
 
Cheez Dawg...You heard right! :grin: However, after the practice, you have to go out and test yourself. Get into some kind of combat...tournaments, league play, gambling (all three if you can)...but do it.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Cheez Dawg said:
I heard somewhere that perfect practice makes perfect.
Once your fundamentals are good, then practice, practice, practice!!
JMHO.
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The best items to purchase .....

Destrukkt said:
Thanks but I have money to spend, and this is an activity I like doing so I'll buy stuff to make it more enjoyable.

I am practicing everyday and have access to one of the best instructors, so now I am going to gear up and make sure I have the newer technology in my cue so I learn with the best.

Did I ever once blame the equipment? No.. I don't expect to even notice a increase in a predator shaft right away, I actually expect to play worse, but in the long run from the information I have gathered this is a good decision.

Why would I pick one cue when I can own 5 and enjoy all of them?

Good job ball banger, keep trying to stop the flow of money from new players into the Pool economy, then later when you post a thread "THIS IS WHY POOL IS DEAD" think back to this post of yours.

anyways after paying what I did for my table I am not worried much about the cost of a $200 shaft and $200 ball set and some other stuff that I may want to purchase with my money.
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would be EVERYTHING......................

Anyone who knows how to play, also knows but won't tell you
that the more stuff you buy, and the more cues you own, the
better you will become. The one who spends the most $ is
ALWAYS the best.

Just ignore all the NITS who will tell you that there isn't any THING
that will help other than hour upon endless hour of endless practice
and watching the best players play...... that's all just a waste of
time.


td
 
Destrukkt said:
Thanks but I have money to spend, and this is an activity I like doing so I'll buy stuff to make it more enjoyable.

I am practicing everyday and have access to one of the best instructors, so now I am going to gear up and make sure I have the newer technology in my cue so I learn with the best.
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Spending money on pool because you enjoy the things you buy, have pride in owning them, enjoy using them, etc., is great. Everyone should have things they like. But make sure that those reasons are the only ones that are behind the purchase. Lots of good advice on this thread and hundreds of others that equipment won't make a difference; practice makes a difference.

But you absolutely must practice the right things in the right order if you wish to maximize the rate at which you acquire skills.

Good Instruction will show you what to practice, why it matters, how to practice it, and how to measure your progress.

Order is important, because there are dependencies, so you need to learn the fundamentals first, because EVERYTHING else depends on them.

Destrukkt said:
Why would I pick one cue when I can own 5 and enjoy all of them?

anyways after paying what I did for my table I am not worried much about the cost of a $200 shaft and $200 ball set and some other stuff that I may want to purchase with my money.
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I'm glad you have the money to buy what gives you pleasure. But playing with 5 different cues can create some confusion. I agree with Ball Banger and suggest picking the one you like the best and playing exclusively with it for awhile. Keep the others, admire them, trade them for others, but use only one.

I know others who've taken lessons from Ray Martin and gotten nothing from them. NOT because of anything Ray did, but because they did not do the homework that Ray assigned them. You cannot buy skill, it must be learned through doing. You can speed up this process with a good instructor who can keep you on the right track, always working on the most important things for your game.
 
.....just pay attention to what good shooters do when at the table. when i say good someone thats a master level player, or a very strong open player... if you dont have any in your area watch pool on tv or buy some DVD's and just watch how they setup....how smooth everything seems to be how natural they make it look

im not a big fan on lessons
i say this because ive seen people give lessons to someone with a good Bridge and a stance they are comfortable with and completely mess them up by changing bridge and stance....if your completely clueless about the game then a few lessons will definately help thou

as long as your bridge is solid and your stance get you in position, your fine.....

Drills..... set up long strait shot and shoot the ball hard enuff just to make it....shoot the shot untill you make 10 in a row. then shoot the same shot with a medium stroke for 10 in a row ....and finally a firm stroke 10 in a row....if you cant make 10 in a row with medium speed then dont advance to a firm stroke, untill you can make 10 at medium stroke
the long strait shot will tell you if your stroke is bad.....
practice your stop shots the cue ball shoouldnt move atall after contact..(very important)
practice shots where you just want to roll the ball strait forward 3-4 inches ....
practice shots where you just want to draw strait back 3-4 inches...
throw the balls on the table nice and spread out and shoot any ball...try to runout without using english. just use speed and angle.
you will learne patterns and speed quick this way

Drill these simple easy drills over and over........like your doing it to improve instead of just banging balls and youll improve quick.


one thing you can do at home is:

Get a Jagermeister Bottle(ask a local bar to save an empty for you) and glue some felt around the openin.(so you dont ding your cue on the opening)
the Jager bottle is a flat rectangle shape so you can position it on a table in 2 different positions(high or low). Get your cue and practice stroking and following threw so your cue tip goes inside the bottle with out touching the sides of the bottle opening....setup to the bottle just like you woould a cueball....imagine the opening of the bottle is the center of the cueball take your practice strokes then follow throu like your shooting....do this for 5 minutes a day it will give you a strait stroke

believe it or not this will help your game
 
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From my personal experience, the best thing you can buy to improve your consistency at this game .... Lessons from a qualified, professional instructor.
 
FWIW a low deflection shaft will be very helpful to someone just starting out JMHO.

But I agree with everyone, if you have money to spend, lessons are the best investment. I'm almost entirely self-taught and it was one of the most challenging (and still is) things I have undertaken.
 
best thing to purchase for your game....

A good hat...like my trusty fedora
and some nice pinstripes...you know what they say about the yankees

just kidding, but am a firm believer that if you look good, you feel good, if you feel good, you play good.
 
hybrid

Doesn't Thorsten shoot with a lucasi hybrid.
He seems to do ok with it.

Knowing your equipment is more valuable than the technology within it.
 
Pushout said:
Joe Tucker's Third Eye Stroke Trainer. Leave the LD shafts alone.
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I completely agree with you on the Third Eye but why stay away from a LD shaft? You do know Joe Tucker uses a Predator BLAK with a Z2 shaft right? They must not be all that bad.
 
If you have only been playing for half a year or so, I'd say, don't even go with lessons yet and see if you can learn it on your own. I see that it says you only have hit a ball 3 months ago.

Right now, you might be interested in investing in a good all around pool book, and learn good fundamentals. With correct fundamentals is the way to go. I don't care if you have the best cue in the world, your fundamentals are important. Fundamentals are the way to consistency.

Learn to play the game right. Stick with what you are going to play with, because it is almost impossible to switch from LD and regular maple. So make up your mind.

If you have only been shooting for this very small period of time, like they all say, table time is what you need. If you have only been shooting half a year, I doubt you have got a feel for the game unless you are a natural.

I have been shooting for about a year now, and I can't say I have gotten a feel for the game yet.

Here are the following items you should need as a beginner:

-Your own cue that is comfortable to you (you will learn what you like better the more you play, I started with a 13mm, now I'm on a 11.75 OB2 and I would never go back to a 13mm)

-A decent case to protect your investment

-Tip maintenance tool

-A break cue for consistent breaking (I think a break cue is essential, but a bar cue can do)

-Pool books

-A measle CB would definitely help you see what sort of english you are putting on whitey

-A LOT of Table time

-Watch "GOOD" players play

-Watch and learn to analyze how the pros play (youtube that ish)

hope this helps man, good luck nonetheless

Happy Shooting! :)

Chino
 
chin0 said:
If you have only been playing for half a year or so, I'd say, don't even go with lessons yet and see if you can learn it on your own.

and learn good fundamentals. With correct fundamentals is the way to go. I don't care if you have the best cue in the world, your fundamentals are important. Fundamentals are the way to consistency.

Learn to play the game right.
Chino
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Considering the line of thought in the second part of your post, I don't understand the reasoning in the first comment.

The best and easiest way to learn to play the game right is to have someone who can make sure you are doing the right things from the beginning. Beginning players that I have worked with often do much better than the more experienced ones. They are completely open to learning, haven't developed bad habits, and don't have to overcome the "I've always done it that way" mentality.

Having a good instructor is like having a road map before you start a cross country trip. You might get there without it, but you are likely to make a few wrong turns and slow your progress.


Get it right from the beginnins.

Steve
 
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