getting to the next level

zach12345

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what helped you break the barrier in order to jump to the next level in playing pool? right now if I play 10 racks of 9 ball, ill run out 1 or 2 times. what type of things should I be doing in order to make that 1 or 2 times 3 or 4 times? ive only been playing for around 3 months so I don't really have an idea what to do. thanks in advance
 
If you've only been playing a few months and you're breaking and running 10-20% of the time I'd just keep doing what you're doing.
For me nothing replaces lots of mechanical practice and mental training for making considerable improvements in any task you're undertaking.
 
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After 3 months if you are only running out 1-2 out of 10 in 9ball you should likely take up a different game.... Most of the AZers here were running out 3-4 of 10 within 2 months so we stayed around... Sorry to have had to break it to you........
 
You're new here, so understand that Chris (The Renfro) is implying sarcasm. Don't take that post literally and quit the game lol.

I'd have to say, just put in the time. The more time you can get at the table in these formative years the better. Take the time to walk around the table and make sure you can get on the right side of the ball. In rotation games like 9 ball or 10 ball, you should be thinking and planning 3 balls ahead, and playing shape on your next ball with an angle to get on the subsequent ball (i.e. being on the "right" side of the ball to get to the next ball easily). This is pretty much the foundation to playing rotation games successfully.

Watch video. Youtube is great for pool matches. This helped me tremendously. Watch a good match, and at the beginning of the rack (right after the break), pause the video and plan what you would do to run out. Then unpause, and watch what the pro did to run out. Is your plan the same, or what is different? This will help your knowledge greatly and quickly.

Nothing beats experience, but I hope these few tips help.
 
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I detected some sarcasm from renfro lol. I shouldn't really say ive been playing 3 months ive played before that. I am only 20 tho. this past 3 months is when I really have been taking it serious and learning position play and working on mechanics. ive never done any drills and have just kind of picked up some information from watching pro matches on youtube. I was just curious if anyone had a drill where it really helped their game? a lot of people I talk to in person always say they never do drills tho and they just rack em and try to run out which is what ive been doing
 
Watch video. Youtube is great for pool matches. This helped me tremendously. Watch a good match, and at the beginning of the rack (right after the break), pause the video and plan what you would do to run out. Then unpause, and watch what the pro did to run out. Is your plan the same, or what is different? This will help your knowledge greatly and quickly.


In my opinion the above quote is strong advise and is a great way to improve pattern play FAST!...to help drill it into my brain what I did was take my laptop to the pool room (most have free wi-fi these days)... I would pause right after the break like stated above and set the balls up on the table as close as possible to what was on the computer. This allowed me to see what the player was looking at (or close to) from his prospective.

What amazed me was often times looking at the table on the computer (usually from above) I would choose a different pattern than I would when looking at it from the "players" vantage point on the actual table. after doing this for a while I started seeing the simple patterns much more consistently while looking at the computer and then started to get better at it while just looking at the table from my vantage point. I felt I was finally getting proficient at spotting patterns when I could start seeing that "hes gunna run to the 5 ball and play shape for a safety on the back of the 8"....

Seeing the patterns is obviously only part of the equation. Your stroke,shot making ability, touch, speed control and CONSISTENCY( <------ thats a big part )...These all come with table time. There is no substitute for table time when it comes to the "feel" of the game. You put the few things listed in this paragraph together with mental toughness and ice water in your veins and you'll have the makings of a great pool player...(most of us are generally lacking a couple of these key components...me included)

The other thing I feel made a HUGE difference in my game was 14.1...If you can find someone that will play Straight Pool with you on a regular basis I almost guarantee that your game will improve much faster than just trying to run 9-ball racks. It sounds like you learn fast so find someone that plays strong, take weight if you have to and just watch how they move. It may cost you $10-$20 sets to for a while to learn but for the most part people that are taking your money are willing to answer questions about the set afterwords if asked with tact (IE..."Hey Fred you left me really tough earler and I wasnt sure what to do with it...It looked kinda like this (sets balls up)...I played it like this because i thought.. (explains shot)...was there a better way?)....Fred will usually gladly tell you what he would of done and why...

I donated my money to this old man that'd sit in the corner and play 14.1 every day that I could afford it...He was happy to play long cheap races and take my $30-$40 that I had to loose for the day... I was happy to take the knowledge he had to offer in turn. In the end I still feel like I got the better end of that stick! I eventually started winning one once in a while and slowly but surely started getting some of my cash back...I havent seen that old man in probably 10-12 years and I'm sure he's still ahead a couple hundred bucks but it was money well spent!!!

Anyways, keep in mind that im no pro nor am I an instructor but those are a couple of the big things that helped me in "getting to the next level"...Shoot well

Shaun
 
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Okies if you are 20 you could have years under the belt and have just started taking it seriously the last 3 months... If that is the case... Watch everything you can... Over and over and over..... Find a lesson to take... A real lesson not just a lesson from someone who says they teach. Then find 3 more...... Drills... drillls... DriLLs... DRILLS... Speed control drills to be exact.... Making the ball means nothing if you don't control Whitey.... Shotmakers end up done before the 3rd day in a 4 day event....... Usually......

Learn 1pocket sooner rather than later... Pickup 14.1 as your practice game sooner rather than later.... you are 20 so you won't likely listen but you can spend 20 years right where you are now or you can listen and improve rapidly.........

Chris
 
Find a lesson to take... A real lesson not just a lesson from someone who says they teach. Then find 3 more......

Learn 1pocket sooner rather than later... Pickup 14.1 as your practice game sooner rather than later.... you are 20 so you won't likely listen but you can spend 20 years right where you are now or you can listen and improve rapidly.........

Chris

Take heed to what The Renfro is saying here and take the lesson thing serious...it sucks to drop a few hundred bucks on a lesson from someone that cant teach or worse yet doesn't know what to teach you in order to improve your game...check credentials
 
There are two or three things that can make big improvements in your game.

1. Recognize that concentration on the current shot is in the top three things you can do to improve. Do your thinking while standing. Visualize the OB rolling towards the pocket and concentrate on every shot like it is the game ball. As some of the pros have pointed out become very aware of exactly where you place the cue tip.

2. Work on your fundamentals every day.

3. Keep track of your progress and work on your weaknesses.
 
push your limits. play people that are at least as good as you, and play those players that are better than u. don't just play either. put something on the line each time you play, and i don't mean the table time either. nothing will improve your game more than gambling. u can pay for lessons and such but you must learn how to beat someone better than u to improve. also u need to learn to play with someone keeping u in your seat. to me that was the hardest part of improvement: getting up from my seat after watching my opponent put a six pack on me. u can't learn that from drills, practice, videos, and such.

good luck.
 
Zach, in my opinion you have been given some valuable advise and now the rest is up to you...The one thing I forgot to mention that it will take to improve your game is...Dedication!!! The more time you devote to LEARNING pool the the faster and further you will progress....

I wanted to share a couple of the "what not to do to take your game to the next level" list of mistakes that I made early on when I first started taking the game serious....

1. Dont learn a drill, shoot it a few times and then dismiss it out of boredom or frustration!!!!.....
Drills can suck at times but if practiced whole hearted with discipline they can have
a very positive affect on your game (took me almost 15 years of playing to accept
that shooting drills is important...im thick headed...learn from my
frustration LOL)...I have to admit that I still slack off on shooting drills <---- avoid this
if you can!

2. Dont confuse screwing around playing 9-ball with your buddies as serious practice...
This was something that I had a serious problem with when I was younger. I was
playing a lot of pool and small parts of my game were improving but for the most part
my buddies that would take the time to shoot drills and commit to a practice
regiment left me in the dust...I became a shot maker and I could sometimes
hang with the guys by shooting my way out of jams (revert back to what The Renfro
says about shot makers)...

3. Dont get caught up trying to look cool....
I saw someone masse around a ball to get out of a safe and said I gotta learn that!!!
....its fun and looks cool but ultimately useless...LEARN TO KICK!!! (a jump shot
isnt a bad thing to have in your bag of tricks but really...learn to kick)

4. Dont beat yourself up or get all pissed after a loss or missed shot....
It sucks to get knocked out of a tournament or miss a shot that you should never
miss but it happens...plain and simple...shrug it off, learn from the mistake you
made and keep a positive attitude going into the next match or tourney...

5. Dont take constructive criticism as an insult even from lesser players....
I used to hate it when people would point out flaws in my game especially players
that I could beat...the fact is that a lot of the time the criticism would of helped me
out if i wouldnt of had a big chip on my shoulder and just listened to what they had
to say....

6. Dont shy away from better players...obviously dont go biting off more than you can chew if you cant afford it but any chance you get to play a higher caliber player than yourself jump on it!...it'll toughen you up...you'll get punished for mistakes and if you stick at it you'll learn to punish them right back when they let you to the table....

I wont bore you with anymore of my "C player" pool knowledge...I hope you stick with it! Shoot well....

Shaun
 
... much of the opinions offered above are good.

1. If you find some drills you like do them...

2. if you like running out then beat up the 3, then the 4 then the 5 then the 6, etc ball ghosts... make it long races ... to 25 or 30 like on TAR (do one to 100 to test your personal highest level)... this also creates a pressure you usually find in match play.

When playing the ghost if you end up with no way out in the rack (a rack the ghost wins play out a safety battle to see if you can get the first high percentage shot)...

3. No matter which you are doing BE AWARE. Meaning don't start playing really fast 'cause you can't miss... really become AWARE of How you are approaching the table, How the cue feels in your hand, Is your bridge different - does it feel more solid?

During practice be very particular on how and where you are striking the cue ball. (1/4 tip low? 1/2 tip left). Make an effort to be in the moment during practice...

on your best days really try to internalize EVERYTHING you feel and see. It will be easier to recall this level of play and soon you will own it....

4. Strive and fight for consistency -- someone who is playing well and does the same thing over and over puts a lot of heat on the people they play. They just "look" more professional (there is a reason for that! it because that is what the pros do...)

In my sig line I have a quote from Mr. Incardona "..Solid beats spectacular ALL DAY LONG" -- remember it as you climb the food chain... Good Luck!
 
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I almost always played the ghost - I figured why waste half my time at the TABLE watching my opponent play when I could use ALL my time at the table playing/practicing.
If there was a good player shooting I would grab some food and sit for hours( or as long as I had) watching them play/practice. Now with the Internet you don't even have to leave the house to watch the TOP PLAYERS in the WORLD (huge difference from a local A player). With all the videos on YouTube learning to play should be a lot easier than it was 25+ years ago
 
Develop and keep to a good pre-shot routine...don't get lazy. Get in the habit of not pulling the trigger until you KNOW it will go in and you'll get the shape you want with the CB. You'll know it when you feel it...too many missed shots are from pulling the trigger when you're not ready/in the right line. PSR will really help you fix this. This will reinforce success and develop the muscle memory you need to repeat it without a lot of thought. Take the time to walk to the opposite end of the shot, picture where the CB will want to go after contact. You'll be surprised at how different it will look to you from the other end...your shooting perspective can lie to you.
 
I detected some sarcasm from renfro lol. I shouldn't really say ive been playing 3 months ive played before that. I am only 20 tho. this past 3 months is when I really have been taking it serious and learning position play and working on mechanics. ive never done any drills and have just kind of picked up some information from watching pro matches on youtube. I was just curious if anyone had a drill where it really helped their game? a lot of people I talk to in person always say they never do drills tho and they just rack em and try to run out which is what ive been doing

The best drills....can be getting drilled by another, $3 a game adds up quickly in any rotation game. If your opponent is up 5 or six games every hour in 9 ball, you'll need to adjust. If that person will NOT then I'd find another that sees matters differently. Matching up and playing a fair game nowadays in our area in a fair manner is very difficult. Nowadays many are more concerned about their ego and winning, getting better and better is Not their concern. If it becomes an addiction, then you might someday become a GOOD player. Find a good instructor and learn the right way early on, that's the best advice. Years ago there were almost zero instructors, hard Knox was the way. There is NO easy way to get better at this game unless you play ALLOT and can't get enough.
 
The best drills....can be getting drilled by another, $3 a game adds up quickly in any rotation game. If your opponent is up 5 or six games every hour in 9 ball, you'll need to adjust. If that person will NOT then I'd find another that sees matters differently. Matching up and playing a fair game nowadays in our area in a fair manner is very difficult. Nowadays many are more concerned about their ego and winning, getting better and better is Not their concern. If it becomes an addiction, then you might someday become a GOOD player. Find a good instructor and learn the right way early on, that's the best advice. Years ago there were almost zero instructors, hard Knox was the way. There is NO easy way to get better at this game unless you play ALLOT and can't get enough.

This is good advice. Competition, even friendly competition, against another player (hopefully better than you) is the fastest way to improve/jump a level. Try and play in a local tournament at least once a week if you can find one.

As far as drills go, they're usually not much fun. They tend to focus on narrow shot selection/CB action, so they're useful for certain types of shots you are having trouble with. I like to play 15 ball rotation Ghost...once you start getting out from the break on this, you're pretty damn scary. It's what Efren plays when he's practicing. Good enough for me!
 
10-20% B&R after 3 months is outstanding IMO. Well done on that. It would really help to know why you don't B&R more though. Why do you not run out a certain rack? Is it because you miss an easy shot, screw up position, play the wrong position?

I'm going to take a stab in the dark and put it down to a fundamental issue firstly. Since you've been playing for no time at all, your body will still be learning and trying to memorise how to stroke and stand and align. You likely don't have much of a subconcious to fall back on if a shot doesn't look right. This all comes with time and repetition, so there isn't a quick fix for it. Reading books on mechanics, watching instructional videos and having a few lessons purely on fundamentals will help you out quicker than anything else. Having a solid base to work on will also help you with consistency. If you play lights out one rack then play like you've never held a cue before the next (which we all do) is easily fixed by having a solid base to work from.

Secondly I'd put it down to a lack of experience. Not knowing the right CB path to take, when a run out is on or off, when to play safe, what the right safe would be. All this kinda stuff is learned through playing. You can become competent at beating the ghost, but its no substitute for playing a real person.

Lastly I'd work on the break. Having a good break makes increasing your B&R percentage that much easier. In 9 ball there are 2 balls you have any kind of control over. The cue ball and the 1. I avoid trying to make the 1 at all costs unless I can't make any other ball. If you can develop a break that makes the CB stay mid table and the 1 ball float up past the centre pocket, whilst making a wing ball then those 1 or 2 out of 10 run outs will become 5 or 6 out of 10 in no time.

First things first though. I'd get some lessons with a respected instructor. I'm sure there are countless instructors on here that would love to work with someone who clearly has a nack for the game and a lot of promise.
 
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