Do pros practice or just play?

3

3RAILKICK

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Anybody know what they practice?

Once a pro-is there anything that they still must work on?

It sounds like Shane puts in a lot of work. On what? Do other pros have a similar work ethic?

Does someone know from observing a/several pros?

PS: not referring to the pre game/match warm up-but actual extended practice session.

Thanks, in advance.
 
3RAILKICK said:
Anybody know what they practice?

Once a pro-is there anything that they still must work on?

It sounds like Shane puts in a lot of work. On what? Do other pros have a similar work ethic?

Does someone know from observing a/several pros?

PS: not referring to the pre game/match warm up-but actual extended practice session.

Thanks, in advance.
Click to expand...

i dont prac much but when i do i take break ball in hand
and play the 10 ball ghost.
 
3RAILKICK said:
Once a pro-is there anything that they still must work on?
Click to expand...

Yes, at a certain level of play, one must continuously play just to maintain the fine edge. However, the top pros don't just play to maintain where they are, they practice to get even better than they currently are.

But, to be sure, a pro will come home from a tournament with a notebook filled with shots he missed (even almost missed). They will set that shot up and shoot it again and again and again until it become rote muscle memory. perhaps the shot was a safety where just a tad too much energy was involved and lead to a "complete sellout". These shots will be repeated until the touch is developed, ingrained, commited to muscle memory, and become part of the practice regiminie for several months.

The notebook will also contain patterns the opponent shot. The pro will set these patterns up, and consider whether there is a glimer of advantage to how the opponent played the table rather than how he would have played the table position. And whether there is a still better way to do it (than either saw durring actual play).

The notebook will recoder the games/matches played, the players played, and observations about the player and how they played, looked, facial expressions, posture while sitting,... all of which gets lobbed into a database so when the next tournament comes around, the shooter can read up on who they will be playing, how to frustrate them, what shots they like and how to prevent giving them those shots.

Do other pros have a similar work ethic?
Click to expand...

The ones who want to stay on top, will be found practicing somewhere between 4 and 8 hours a day, every day; where each shot is given the absolute full concentration level of the "6-6 hill-hill last shot to win" shot.
 
3RAILKICK said:
Anybody know what they practice?

Once a pro-is there anything that they still must work on?

It sounds like Shane puts in a lot of work. On what? Do other pros have a similar work ethic?

Does someone know from observing a/several pros?

PS: not referring to the pre game/match warm up-but actual extended practice session.

Thanks, in advance.
Click to expand...

I've read many magazine interviews in which champions claim to practice 8+ hours a day to prepare for a tournament. I've always wondered what exactly they're doing with all that time.
 
MitchAlsup said:
Yes, at a certain level of play, one must continuously play just to maintain the fine edge. However, the top pros don't just play to maintain where they are, they practice to get even better than they currently are.

But, to be sure, a pro will come home from a tournament with a notebook filled with shots he missed (even almost missed). They will set that shot up and shoot it again and again and again until it become rote muscle memory. perhaps the shot was a safety where just a tad too much energy was involved and lead to a "complete sellout". These shots will be repeated until the touch is developed, ingrained, commited to muscle memory, and become part of the practice regiminie for several months.

The notebook will also contain patterns the opponent shot. The pro will set these patterns up, and consider whether there is a glimer of advantage to how the opponent played the table rather than how he would have played the table position. And whether there is a still better way to do it (than either saw durring actual play).

The notebook will recoder the games/matches played, the players played, and observations about the player and how they played, looked, facial expressions, posture while sitting,... all of which gets lobbed into a database so when the next tournament comes around, the shooter can read up on who they will be playing, how to frustrate them, what shots they like and how to prevent giving them those shots.



The ones who want to stay on top, will be found practicing somewhere between 4 and 8 hours a day, every day; where each shot is given the absolute full concentration level of the "6-6 hill-hill last shot to win" shot.
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MitchAlsup, will you steal that notebook for me? That way we can get badass and sell it as well. LOL I mean, really, if this pool game is going to take time and effort I might switch to bowling.

I've heard that Rodney practices a ton. I've seen Max Eberle work hard on these long straight in shots where the cue is on the rail. He was hitting it hard too on 4 inch pockets. All the shots that drive me nuts the pros work on. It's really what separates them from us.
 
I walked into the old Mother's in Charlotte a few years ago one afternoon, and wandered into the back room to see what was going on. There were three champions practicing on three different tables. They weren't playing, they were working.
The three were Allison, G-force, and Ewa....and I parked my butt in a chair and just watched for about an hour!

Steve
 
pooltchr said:
I walked into the old Mother's in Charlotte a few years ago one afternoon, and wandered into the back room to see what was going on. There were three champions practicing on three different tables. They weren't playing, they were working.
The three were Allison, G-force, and Ewa....and I parked my butt in a chair and just watched for about an hour!

Steve
Click to expand...
What were they working on?
 
Pro practice

A particular pro I know will practice 8 hours a day for 2 weeks prior to a big tourney. He works on a series of drills to warm up, then will work on shots that he has 'trouble' with. Or a shot that he recently missed sometimes. Mainly, the focus is to fine tuning and eliminating weaknesses in his game or patterns.

Much of the time is also spent working on the break.
 
It's been quite a while back, but as I recall Allison was setting up the same shot and shooting it repeatedly for about 10 minutes...then moving on to another shot. Ewa was running racks.
At my age, I'm actually surprised that I can even remember what they were doing.!

Steve
 
Of course they practice... It's the game with no master! No matter what level you are they only way to get better is to work on your weak points. They don't have as many of course..but they still have things that aren't quite as good as they wood like So they have to do the endless drills just like us.
 
trob said:
Of course they practice... It's the game with no master!
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I like that statement. The other day I was reading a history site that was referenced in another thread and was surprised to learn how often the top pros come in fourth through whatever. When the field is filled with the top pros someone has to lose and it was surprising to see how often the top pros come in out of the real money. I think these pros are much more aware of the idea that you have to be at the top of your game to come in the money with any regularity.

When you see that Archer, Hall, Ryes, Duel came in 5th, 6th, 10th place in some touraments it opens your eyes a little. It truly is a game with no master.

And then when you see a string of wins like Allison Fisher or John Archer can put together you have to admire that much dedication
 
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It probably depends on the pro. They say Van Boening practices a lot. I suspect the pros at the top practice a lot or, like the Filipinos, are in action so much that they don't need to practice a lot.
 
I think it differs for each pro player. Some don't practice much at all, they consider playing (tourny's, gambling) sufficient to keep in top form. Others practice a lot.

the great English Billiards player Walter Lindrum, probably the most dominant cueist of all time used to practice like a demon - 8-14 hours a day even after he was World Champion. If he made a single mistake in a match he would remember the shot and then go home and practice it for hours and hours until it was his best shot. He always insisted that it was his great amounts of practice that put him ahead of all his competitors.
 
From the players i used to know they re all *working*- some also meeting with other good players to *play* also longer sessions, but not sure if all players do this.
Some players also just playin racks.

But imo many are really *workin* to stay on their level-and maybe increasing their abilities for some percent.

Ingo
 
Do Pros practice or just play?

Most of the "Pros" I've known DO practice drills and/or set up shots (that are hard for them), however, they would rather play a competitive ($$$) game any time... be it a tournament or a game for money.
 
Well I have one pro player in my circle of friends but he never practices drills and he never did while learning...he just played. He'll play between 3-4 hours a day everyday for a few weeks before a tournament. He'll either play with weaker players so he gets more time at the table or lay balls around by himself. He might practice a few pressure shots like having to force follow the CB frozen on the rail on an almost straight-in long distance OB.

He is really gifted and his offensive game is a phenomenon but I would say that he should practice his defensive and counter-defensive aspect.
 
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