Getting the most out of practice sessions?

[Hustler84]

I was just wondering what other pool players do to get the most out of their practice sessions? What types of drills, shots, thought processes, and pre-shot routines? I have my own set of drill and such, but I would like to see what other players work on also. I normally start out by doing a few warm-up drill of throwing four balls on the table, and playing shape on each ball for the runout. I do this a few times, and then I will work on my break for about 30 minutes. Getting my control of the cb down, as this is the most important shot of the game. Then I will do some long straight in shots, medium straight in shots, and short straight in shots. I gradually start to add some follow and draw to these until I have these down. After that, I work on some thin cut shots, and running long rail shots. After a good warm-up of these, I will then go on to practice some racks of 9 ball, 10 ball, and bank. Practicing everything that I warmed up on, and putting it into game situations. So I am asking, what do you do to warm-up? Thanks for any input! :thumbup:

 

[duckie]

You are off to a good start by having some structure. Some people I see just throw balls out there and do not have a solid practice plan.

What you practice depends on where you are in skill level, beginner, intermediate, advanced, or master. A master level needs not practice the same things as a beginner. They may do some of the drills just to warm up, to loosen up the muscles, but that is not the same thing as practice.

The key is to identify what weakness you need to practice on. Practice until that weakness becomes a strength to your game, then move on to your next weakness. This requires you to really reflect on your game and yourself. You must be brutally honest with yourself about yourself.

What the weakness is determines what you need to practice on. If you are so-so at a certain type of shot, set that shot up over and over again until you are no longer so-so at it.

By biggest weakness right now is safety play. I've lost too many games because not being able to respond to a safety played on me. I've been playing this 3 cushion player. I have played a safe on him that most pool players could not respond to, at least the ones around here. I watched him go 3 or more rails to hit his ball. Also, when he plays a safe on me and because he knows angles and multi rails are a weakness of mine, I'm usually hosed.

Slowly this weakness is going away. I have surprised him enough, now, with my safety replies that he is starting to call me, "the Bank Master". I already had a strong single rail bank game, but now with the improving in multi rails banks, he can no longer play a safe and feel confident he is going to get BIH.

This is how I practice this weakness. I put the CB and a OB on the table. I then try to go 1,2,or 3 rails with the CB to hit that ball.

I start all my practice session on my weaknesses. I'm fresh this way and it seems to be better than trying new stuff after 3 hours at the table.

I finish all my practice sessions on a high note, a positive, something that makes me feel good about my playing.

I'm not a big fan of set pattern drills. I use either 1 OB or all 15 OB's.

The single ball drills are for training to do certain shots, like responding to a safety as I mentioned.

I use all 15 balls to put what I have been training on unto action. With all 15 out there and I'm practicing replying to a safety, it feels more like a actual game and practicing as close as possible to a game situation is valuable.

With the 15 balls session, I have five variations of using the 15 ball drill.
1. Any ball, any pocket, any method but they must be called, no slop.
2. 8 ball practice
3. Bank, carom or combo-this is when you can only bank a ball, play a carom, or a combo or any combination of the three. There are no what I call direct to the pocket shots allowed for the OB.
4. As many balls as possible into one pocket, just pick a pocket and see how many balls you can put in that pocket.
5. Safety replies-I recently just added this because of my weak safety play. Basically, you pick a ball that you have to go 1 or more rails with the CB to hit

Your training/practice needs to always be harder than any match you have ever played.

I guess to really sum it up, there is more to practice than just doing drills. Its knowing yourself.

To put a little Zen spin on it, You are never not practicing...

 

[OneIron]

I like to start by running the cueball around the table and checking out the rails and table speed. Then I throw 5 or 6 balls on the table and run em out. I do this this several times. What I don't like to do is work on my game or warm up by playing someone else.

 

[catpool9]

I was just wondering what other pool players do to get the most out of their practice sessions? What types of drills, shots, thought processes, and pre-shot routines? I have my own set of drill and such, but I would like to see what other players work on also. I normally start out by doing a few warm-up drill of throwing four balls on the table, and playing shape on each ball for the runout. I do this a few times, and then I will work on my break for about 30 minutes. Getting my control of the cb down, as this is the most important shot of the game. Then I will do some long straight in shots, medium straight in shots, and short straight in shots. I gradually start to add some follow and draw to these until I have these down. After that, I work on some thin cut shots, and running long rail shots. After a good warm-up of these, I will then go on to practice some racks of 9 ball, 10 ball, and bank. Practicing everything that I warmed up on, and putting it into game situations. So I am asking, what do you do to warm-up? Thanks for any input! :thumbup:

I basically do the same as you, throw about 6 balls or so out and shoot them in to loosen up, I do like to add some cross side banks in there with some long rail banks shots, and hit a few up close cut shots then practice a few long rail cuts.

I also like to cluster two to three balls close to the rail and out in middle of the table and practice breakout shots for shape, I like to know how the balls I'm breaking out are going to react.

If I know I'm going to be playing later that night on a paticular table or two I'll shoot the cue ball from corner pocket to corner pocket to check for any major roll off, and long rail diamond to diamond.

I like to practice 8-ball mostly with other players because I can practice my safteys without showing alot of speed, but at the same time be working on shots.

When I do get in a game I just try to go with the flow and play loose!


David Harcrow

 

[Tony_in_MD]

I always start with the mother drills to reinforce my stroke mechanics and my PSR.

After that I may do a six ball rail drill, or progressive stop and draw shots, or Bert Kinisters 60 minute workout for 9 ball depending on the day and what I feel like doing.

I try to finish most practice sessions with some short 9 ball races. I always,always, always, end the practice session on a high note. For me the problem I have is time management. I work on my game very early in the morning before going to work, so I can spend my evenings with my family.