As a fairly new player I've taken the 'drills' approach. On day one I lined up the balls for the straight shot diagonally across the table and. I missed them all. In fact, I just kept shooting until I pocketed all 15 balls and it took me over a 100 tries!! Yes, I sucked.
But that started a process of trial and error: what if I hold the cue this way, what if I move my feet, what if I change the way I place my head, etc.
A year and a half later, I still do my 'straight-ins' as a warmup everyday. Now I frequently run the rack out and my best so far is 34 in a row. So... I would say that doing this drill has indeed improved my ability, in a way that gambling or just playing with friends would not have. And I’m getting similar results on other drills.
If you take them seriously, drills are really just games that you play alone, and have the benefit of being measurable, so when improvement is made you know it. What I do find boring is just walking around the table firing balls in, that is NOT playing a game, you can’t win, you can’t lose, and you can’t measure your improvement (if any) and yet this is exactly how most people ‘practice.’
Yawn.
Some people like drills, some don’t. Fair enough. But to drill or not to drill, isn’t the question. The question is what is up with the hostility and contempt of the people who don’t like them?
I take a lot of guff for my drilling ways. One guy whose been playing for decades gives me the standard spiel all the time, “Drills are boring, you gotta gamble if you want to get good.”
A year ago he kicked my ass. Last week I beat him, he gave me money, and begrudgingly said, “You’re game has bumped up a few notches.”
I had to agree that it had, and I know, because I can measure it. But his game hadn’t changed at all over the year, and it likely won’t. He’s going to keep doing what he’s been doing, and he’s going to keep getting what he’s been getting – except my money of course.
Drills have multiple values and though you don't see them doing them, I would be willing to bet they do more than they will admit.
Skippy...Drills show where you need to develop. Drills reenforce good habits and help break bad ones. Drills are good at getting you through a slump. Drills are great warmup sets on tables you are preparing to play matches on.
Any player that wants to improve and be good would be a fool not to spend some of their time doing drills, some of their time running balls alone and even less of their time playing actual matches.
We have our APA LTC tournament this weekend. I assure you I will be there doing drills on a table by myself before it kicks off for 3 reasons. 1.) Get me in the flow and "set my sights" 2.) Get me use to the table (much faster cloth) 3.) Help me determine what my limitations are.
