Drills, reset or continue

[Billiard Architect]

Doing only drills lately. I need to get back to where I once was. Doing the 1/4 circle in the corner. (2 diamonds, 6 balls). Ball at each intersection, no rail. 2 diamond circle in the center draw drill. (run out of time at this point)

My question is... If in the middle of my drill I blow a shot or position is it better to reset the drill and start over or move the missed ball and re position the cueball and continue the drill?

My possible pro's and cons are...
Reset:
Pro: If I complete the drill then I am getting the full benefit from the drill
Con: If it is a difficult drill I may never complete it and I end up shooting the same shot over and over again (might not be a con)

Continue:
Pro: I get more experience shooting the remaining shots that are different from the beginning shots
Con: I am not learning anything by not punishing myself for missing the position or shot.

Thoughts

 

[Cdryden]

Doing only drills lately. I need to get back to where I once was. Doing the 1/4 circle in the corner. (2 diamonds, 6 balls). Ball at each intersection, no rail. 2 diamond circle in the center draw drill. (run out of time at this point)

My question is... If in the middle of my drill I blow a shot or position is it better to reset the drill and start over or move the missed ball and re position the cueball and continue the drill?

My possible pro's and cons are...
Reset:
Pro: If I complete the drill then I am getting the full benefit from the drill
Con: If it is a difficult drill I may never complete it and I end up shooting the same shot over and over again (might not be a con)

Continue:
Pro: I get more experience shooting the remaining shots that are different from the beginning shots
Con: I am not learning anything by not punishing myself for missing the position or shot.

Thoughts

Don't stress to much over it, there is no reason that you cant do both. The main thing is that you are putting in the work. Why not spend some time re-shooting the missed shot until you feel you got it down then work the drill the other way for awhile.

Above all have some fun while your doing it, if it feels like work then you need to change things up a bit.

 

[Scott Lee]

While I agree in principle with Chris...that you should practice the shot you're missing...this is a progressive drill, meant to be completed. My philosophy is that if you have an accurate and repeatable stroke, you should be able to diagnose why you're missing, and self correct. Give yourself 5-10 tries at completing the drill according to directions Pay attention to what you're doing, and if you fail, start over. If you fail at all tries, then give it up until the next day. It is counterproductive to continue making the same errors over and over. If you can self-diagnose your own errors, eventually you will overcome your problems, and master the drill. Quality over quantity every time.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

 

[Mikjary]

I reset even if I make the shot and I don't get the position I need. I think shooting all the balls over like a video game to get to the next level is distracting and tedious. Bad for your rhythm.

My home table has very tight pockets. Shooting a ball down the rail leaves only a tip of extra room more than the ball to make it. Geno shot on it and said it was "a brutal table to practice on". Still, a well hit hard shot will go. If I miss, many times I tap the object ball in and keep going. Gets my mind right and keeps my concentration sharper than feeling like I'm doggin' it. It also gets my mind used to running a lot of balls instead of a few.

Best,
Mike

 

[Cdryden]

While I agree in principle with Chris...that you should practice the shot you're missing...this is a progressive drill, meant to be completed. My philosophy is that if you have an accurate and repeatable stroke, you should be able to diagnose why you're missing, and self correct. Give yourself 5-10 tries at completing the drill according to directions Pay attention to what you're doing, and if you fail, start over. If you fail at all tries, then give it up until the next day. It is counterproductive to continue making the same errors over and over. If you can self-diagnose your own errors, eventually you will overcome your problems, and master the drill. Quality over quantity every time.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Good point.

To the OP you should give allot more weight to what Scott says rather than what I said as well. He is a professional instructor and I am a regular player commenting from my own experience. I should have mentioned that in my previous post.

In fact if I take lessons again it will be from either Scott Lee or Mark Wilson. Both are very knowledgeable.

I appreciate your posts on here Mr. Lee, I have learned allot from you.

 

[Scott Lee]

Thanks Chris...I learn things from you too! :thumbup: I love the videos and the blog that you post up on your site. BTW, given the chance, don't ever overlook an opportunity to work with Randyg!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Good point.

To the OP you should give allot more weight to what Scott says rather than what I said as well. He is a professional instructor and I am a regular player commenting from my own experience. I should have mentioned that in my previous post.

In fact if I take lessons again it will be from either Scott Lee or Mark Wilson. Both are very knowledgeable.

I appreciate your posts on here Mr. Lee, I have learned allot from you.

 

[stljohnny]

For me, it depends on the drill. If it's a drill I expect I can complete, I'll reset and start over. If I never complete it properly, then I'll change the guidelines and make it a "best run" score. Once I get better at the "easier" version and build more confidence I'll revisit the drill with the intended stricter rules of resetting.

In the easy version, I'm still working on aspects of the drill while not getting terribly upset or depressed and I'm learning which shots are giving me trouble. Once I've identified those, I'll practice those singular shots (with position requirements). Once I feel confident in those troublesome shots, I'll go back to the drill and start the entire process over again.

For me, it helps build confidence and consistency - but since I don't play but a couple of times a week, it does take me a little longer to get through this process. It works for me though and at the end of the day, finding a process that works is the best move, imo.

 

[Billiard Architect]

While I agree in principle with Chris...that you should practice the shot you're missing...this is a progressive drill, meant to be completed. My philosophy is that if you have an accurate and repeatable stroke, you should be able to diagnose why you're missing, and self correct. Give yourself 5-10 tries at completing the drill according to directions Pay attention to what you're doing, and if you fail, start over. If you fail at all tries, then give it up until the next day. It is counterproductive to continue making the same errors over and over. If you can self-diagnose your own errors, eventually you will overcome your problems, and master the drill. Quality over quantity every time.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

How do you view progressive?

Using the 1/4 circle in the corner as an example. Lets say I pot the first ball the second ball I get perfect shape. I pot the second ball but get out of line on the third ball. I pot the 3rd ball but get back in shape for the 4th ball. Should I have reset after the second ball or is another element of the drill trying to get back in line to continue the drill?

 

[Scott Lee]

Johnny "V"...It depends on your perspective. The way Jerry Briesath taught us to achieve position, as well as run out, was to throw out 3 or 4 balls, take ball in hand, and run out in numerical order. In his mind, if you did not achieve an angle of near 30 degrees, on each successive shot, you failed the drill (no straight ins and no severe cuts...even if you can make the shot). That said, it certainly requires skill to get 'back in line', once you lose it.
Both ways work, imo.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

How do you view progressive?

Using the 1/4 circle in the corner as an example. Lets say I pot the first ball the second ball I get perfect shape. I pot the second ball but get out of line on the third ball. I pot the 3rd ball but get back in shape for the 4th ball. Should I have reset after the second ball or is another element of the drill trying to get back in line to continue the drill?