Are you visiting New Jersey anytime soon on your schedual? Just wondering cause it would be cool to meet someone that is around my age who is a pro and maybe get some pointers. By the way keep up the great work
Hey Chuck. I don't have any visits to the Jersey area planned anytime soon. I will definitely let you know if I am coming to your area. Until then I'll have to try to give you pointers through the forum.
Thanks for the reply. Untill then good luck and keep on moving up in the rankings. I can't wait till Valley Fordge in PA im gonna be there for 3 days. everyone i know that sees me play cant beleive that i have only been playing seriously since last May really and I am just as good as some people i know that have been playing for years. I think with a little direction or constructive critisizm i would be much better.
No problem. You must be a natural or you practice a ton. Both are a good thing. You will have a great time at Valley Forge. I have only been there once but when I went it was alot of fun. Good luck in the tournament. Let me know how it goes.
Im definatly not going to play in the tournament. i know 6 people from my pool hall that are playing in it and they are much better then i am. And about natural talent I do have a lil bit of that. Any sport that i have ever played I am good at, and i do pratice alot. I have praticed for up to 18 hours straight at one point when i was first starting to get really into pool. not on the weekends its about 6-8 hour sessions for me. I work on banks and cuts and kicks mostly since i have a very good straight shot. and my banks have gotten much better. My fav game to play is one-pocket. when i first started to play that game i was getting 11-5 from my friend lou and in January he was giving me 9-7. now we play even and its a tough game for him. Since January i have improved more then i or anyone thought i could. and there hasnt been a day where i cant play my speed then there are days where i play much better then my speed. hopefully this weekend Lou and I will have some money games with the old guys cause they all think i stink. I am starting to take ont he name "twiztid assassin" cause Lou says If you don't pay attention i'll sneek up on you and kill. I'm not a big fan of 9 ball cause we play on double shimed pockets and its tough to run 5 balls let alone 9. but my high run in straight pool on our table is 28. that was the day where i dont remember anything and just shot very well. I wish it was like that everyday.
How important do you think a preshot routine is to your game? I am finding out it meens more than I think to my game. expecially on cut shots.
You should take a chance at playing in the tournament. The more tournaments you get a chance to play in, the more practice you get. Whenever I play in a men's tournament or any tournament with really great players I think of it as my chance at two sets with some great players. Plus, they are usually shorter races. Anyone can win a short race. I haven't played much one pocket. I get a little bored with it. I would definitely like to learn the game. The more games you learn the better your game as a whole will be. Maybe you should do practice sessions of a set of one pocket, a game of straight pool and a game of 9ball. Maybe if you save the 9ball for last you will play it better. Your focus will be intact because you had to play two games that require so much focus. 9ball will look easy after that At this point in your game you will probably notice that all of the days seem the same or better than normal. It is easy to improve in the beginning. That is great that your game continues to go up. I hope it keeps doing that.
As for the pre-shot routine. I think it is very important. You have to make your final decision as to what you are going to do. Plus the consistancy will improve your game. Notice many of the great players. No matter what the shot is, tough or hanging in the hole, everything is the same. It takes alot of discipline to make yourself do the same thing over and over. You should try practicing that as much as possible.
I have been trying to burn my preshot routine in my memory and it has been working pretty well. Lastnight i didn't get a chance to play long but i did play one of the best players in the pool hall even though he hasnt played in a couple weeks he still is good. Well we played some 9 and he saw how much better my game has gotten and couldn't believe it. I am in love with this game and don't think i will ever stop playing. Thanks for the pointers your a great help.
You should try playing the better players as often as possible. You learn alot from playing better players. They choose to play position differently and use different english. Maybe they will even be nice enough to tell you what they are doing.
It's great that you love the game so much. When you stop loving it you should quit. That is what I think about it. But be prepared, it is a love/hate relationship.
At this point in your game you will probably notice that all of the days seem the same or better than normal. It is easy to improve in the beginning. That is great that your game continues to go up. I hope it keeps doing that.