get back instroke

Practice 2 hours a day. Also practice correctly. Don't cheat yourself by a lazy practice. I think charting progress helps because if you are slipping in a part of your game it will show up. Single out the problem and work on it. Charting will also keep intrest and couldnt be better for your game. Progression method drills are my suggestion.
 
Happens to me all the time. I run for the security blanket that is Bert Kinister's Shot #1.
 
As a suggestion, a Professional Lesson with a video Camera might be a good investment. I think over time our fundamentals tend to become relaxed. A video Camera can pick up those Chicken wing farm boy pumps in our strokes etc. I feel we all take our fundamentals for granted when in fact they can be hurting us.

Once you are sure of your fundamentals, Drill away. That is the best thing you can practice. But make a game of it, because drills can get boring real quick.
 
One of the best practice routines, and one that is more fun than simply lining up balls across the table, is playing the ghost. And no, it's not our Ghost either.
Playing the ghost is a race to five, seven, or however many games you like.
You break. If you make a ball on the break continue playing until you either miss or run out (I'm talking nine ball here). If you don't make a ball on the break take the cue ball in hand and start with the one ball.
Whenever you miss you lose. Re-rack and start over.
Keep score with a nickle and a dime. You're the nickle, the ghost is the dime.
Even though the match pressure is imaginary, it still factors in. You'll be talking to yourself before you know it.
 
When I need to check my fundamentals, I train playing left-handed. Since I'm right handed, it isn't natural to me, therefore I need to consciously execute my pre-shot routine. Training left-handed seems to improve my regular game that way. In fact, when I play alone, I play the better player right-handed, and the lesser player left-handed. The differences are great enough between the two "players" that it brings vastly more interesting situations than just playing the ghost. Plus, I get to train while having true fun, something the ghost never gives me.
 
I think that (playing the ghost) would be quite demoralising for a large chunk of pool players. Especially if they're in a slump.
It is a good way of measuring progress and/or consistency though. You've inspired me - I think I'll start playing the ghost regularly and track results over time.

Questions about the ghost:
If I break and scratch, do I immediately lose? (definitely realistic, but I like to run out anyway)

If I break and tie up the lowest ball, where ball in hand isn't useful, can I play safe?

Sometimes, the runout just isn't the right thing to do. There might be a low percentage shot, or some kind of trick shot - but I'd lose a lot of games doing that, and I wouldn't be getting very useful data for my fancy schmancy graphs then. (unless I had one called "%age of Very Silly Shots Played Instead Of Obvious Boring Safety")


-Tim
 
timseal said:
I think that (playing the ghost) would be quite demoralising for a large chunk of pool players. Especially if they're in a slump.
It is a good way of measuring progress and/or consistency though. You've inspired me - I think I'll start playing the ghost regularly and track results over time.

Questions about the ghost:
If I break and scratch, do I immediately lose? (definitely realistic, but I like to run out anyway)

If I break and tie up the lowest ball, where ball in hand isn't useful, can I play safe?

Sometimes, the runout just isn't the right thing to do. There might be a low percentage shot, or some kind of trick shot - but I'd lose a lot of games doing that, and I wouldn't be getting very useful data for my fancy schmancy graphs then. (unless I had one called "%age of Very Silly Shots Played Instead Of Obvious Boring Safety")


-Tim
Click to expand...

Ok if you feel your game is in the dumps .

First put away all and anything that has to do with pool .
go to the movies ,shopping ,hang out with your friends and o'lady.

Take a trip fishing something quiet.
Get some dvd and watch them . (Non pool )
Sometime when the ol'stroke or game gets funky "stop playing" .

Your mind will tune out all the misses in your game , you'll rethink some shot when they come up .( after you had rested your mind )
Clearing the mind is the best way to get back in stroke ..
Good luck ..

I got sick for 1-1/2 weeks and went back to play and fell in stroke like i never fell out.
P.s Don't play tournament once you come back from resting your mind..
It will bring back the past fast.. Have fun , ..
 
Ball Banger said:
As a suggestion, a Professional Lesson with a video Camera might be a good investment. I think over time our fundamentals tend to become relaxed. A video Camera can pick up those Chicken wing farm boy pumps in our strokes etc. I feel we all take our fundamentals for granted when in fact they can be hurting us.

Once you are sure of your fundamentals, Drill away. That is the best thing you can practice. But make a game of it, because drills can get boring real quick.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your advice i will ask a friend to do this on fri. Hint Hint dr2112 :wink:
 
That is a very good suggestion. But I would add to it the following in addition -

If you've played for a long time, you know you have the muscle memory to stroke the cue. REMOVE ANY AND ALL OTHER THOUGHTS FROM YOUR MIND FIRST. Concentrate on the task at hand (executing the shot) and just do it. There is no suck thing as a "slump," the root is in confidence and attitude. You know what your doing with the cue and on the table.... why are you letting what happened in your day affect your play. When your at the pool hall, your there to play and relax. All other thoughts should be left at the door of the pool room.

BUT, an occasional lesson (to help you "clean up" stance/choppy cue movement/aim) are a MUST. The trick is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. A video camera even in a practice session can make all the difference in the world, cause it lets you see what you're doing, or NOT doing in a totally objective way. I'm coming back after years of not playing, at first I went to the pool hall just to hit balls again, then I worked with a pro for a little bit to help me "connect the dots" with how to use english again. I stopped the lessons after a while, and get myself in the pool hall 2 consecutive days a week for 7 to 9 hours at a time, and do NOTHING but play with others, or practice on my own. I may be going a little overboard with the length of play time, but I'm getting much better very quickly. But when I'm on the table, the ONLY thought I have is execution of the shot at hand and putting the cue ball within 6 inches of where I intend it to stop.

Ball Banger said:
As a suggestion, a Professional Lesson with a video Camera might be a good investment. I think over time our fundamentals tend to become relaxed. A video Camera can pick up those Chicken wing farm boy pumps in our strokes etc. I feel we all take our fundamentals for granted when in fact they can be hurting us.

Once you are sure of your fundamentals, Drill away. That is the best thing you can practice. But make a game of it, because drills can get boring real quick.
Click to expand...
 
Another good suggestion was made about taking some time off and AWAY. That works perfectly at times. Drills work to a point, but the one thing my teacher stressed to me was CUE BALL CONTROL, and DON'T THINK OF RESULTS. Play a tournament when your ready for it, NOT because you "have to," and the other thing my teacher told me was "Win or loose, it doesn't matter..... it's HOW you played." I may loose a game or match, but when I got up to shoot, did I stroke the cue as I should and did it feel NATURAL and not forced or mechanical. Win, loose, or draw makes no difference to me..... I came back to pool because I love the game, and I play because I love the game. When I play a match now, the only thing I keep track of are the times I don't execute the shot properly, and even that I'm not gonna stress over.

Of course if all else fails..... go back to the basics...... cue, cue ball, stroke, and pocket. Best drill is to line up a straight in shot on a diagonal on the table with the object ball in the middle, hit HARD, and stop the cue ball exactly where the object ball was. Hitting hard will tell you if your putting english when you don't need to because the cue ball will move. Do that for a few minutes... who cares if you pocket the object ball.... then decrease how hard you hit the cue ball until you feel comfortable, and the cue ball stops where the object ball was. Remember how that shot felt, and try to duplicate it, for a few min, then just scatter balls on the table, take ball in hand and run the balls until you miss, and take ball in hand again.
 
For me there are several things that I do. I normally play on a barbox at the local student pub, so there's not so much time for solo drills. If I feel I'm out of stroke I have a mental checklist of things that are usually wrong. This is different for everyone, obviously, but it usually gets me back on track relatively quickly. However, my best cure is the Joe Tucker Laser Trainer. After a while of practicing long straight in shots I always play well for days after.
 
timseal said:
I think that (playing the ghost) would be quite demoralising for a large chunk of pool players. Especially if they're in a slump.
It is a good way of measuring progress and/or consistency though. You've inspired me - I think I'll start playing the ghost regularly and track results over time.

Questions about the ghost:
If I break and scratch, do I immediately lose? (definitely realistic, but I like to run out anyway)

If I break and tie up the lowest ball, where ball in hand isn't useful, can I play safe?

Sometimes, the runout just isn't the right thing to do. There might be a low percentage shot, or some kind of trick shot - but I'd lose a lot of games doing that, and I wouldn't be getting very useful data for my fancy schmancy graphs then. (unless I had one called "%age of Very Silly Shots Played Instead Of Obvious Boring Safety")


-Tim
Click to expand...

Keep it simple. The point here is to practice and have fun at the same time. If you scratch on the break, take cue ball in hand and begin with the one ball. If you hook yourself, move the cue ball enough to provide a shot. Practice safety-play as a separate endeavor. Playing the ghost is not easy, but if you are to do well at nine-ball you must be able break and go out.
 
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