Going backwards

[maaudiosubs]

I took lessons about 2 years ago. I practiced what my instructor gave for a few months till i got a new job. The new job had me working to many hours so I had to stop. I have the time now and started practicing again. After 3 weeks of doing drills I felt like things were getting better. I was pocketing balls a lot better and running out a lot more. 2 months later I feel like I'm back to where I started. Missing shots and not getting out very often. What should I do? Do I just keeping doing drills with hopes I will work through it?

 

[FranCrimi]

It sounds like you have some bad habits that keep coming back, which, by the way, happens to everyone. The drills may have helped straightened things out a little, but over time, your sub-conscious mind will take over again. Drills are nice, but in order to break bad habits, you have to pay attention when you're shooting, figure out the problem and consciously address it, and then teach yourself to catch and correct yourself when you start to fall back into the old habit. You won't be able to fix everything at once. Just take it one issue at a time. A good place to start is in your fundamentals. Get a consistent setup. Watch your feet.

 

[bbb]

I took lessons about 2 years ago. I practiced what my instructor gave for a few months till i got a new job. The new job had me working to many hours so I had to stop. I have the time now and started practicing again. After 3 weeks of doing drills I felt like things were getting better. I was pocketing balls a lot better and running out a lot more. 2 months later I feel like I'm back to where I started. Missing shots and not getting out very often. What should I do? Do I just keeping doing drills with hopes I will work through it?

i am not an instructor
but i would advise finding an instructor like you did 2 years ago and take a few lessons
let an expert look you over

 

[GoldCrown]

i am not an instructor
but i would advise finding an instructor like you did 2 years ago and take a few lessons
let an expert look you over

Yep.. start over. It works. Record the lesson.

 

[WobblyStroke]

i would advise finding an instructor like you did 2 years ago and take a few lessons
let an expert look you over

This.

We're all a little guilty of walking away from a lesson thinking 'OK, now I've got it and will keep it forever'. But there is a good reason why good coaches in any sport refuse to address many things in one session....retention is just really really low, even if just 2 things are covered. Add two years away from playing to the mix and you are definitely due for a refresher lesson.

 

[3kushn]

It sounds like you have some bad habits that keep coming back, which, by the way, happens to everyone. The drills may have helped straightened things out a little, but over time, your sub-conscious mind will take over again. Drills are nice, but in order to break bad habits, you have to pay attention when you're shooting, figure out the problem and consciously address it, and then teach yourself to catch and correct yourself when you start to fall back into the old habit. You won't be able to fix everything at once. Just take it one issue at a time. A good place to start is in your fundamentals. Get a consistent setup. Watch your feet.

Took a tune up lesson a couple weeks ago.
My request to the Instructor was to 1st check out my Fundamentals, then we can get into your 2nd lesson.

Back Story... I took his lesson and at the end he told me our 2nd lesson will be CB Control!

I never took that lesson and it ate on me for years since.

Why didn't I sign up??
Its a pool lesson and I don't play that much.
Poor excuse!!

The 6 hour lesson was 5 hours of Fundamentals and 1hr of CB Control.

Entering the lesson, I thought my stroke was straight.

I thought a lot of stuff was On the Money

Wrong ..

Again

 

[BRKNRUN]

It sounds like you have some bad habits that keep coming back, which, by the way, happens to everyone.

Isn't it interesting that it is always the "bad" habits that return and can't seem to get rid of???? ..... I think the mark of being a successful consistent player is being one that has "good" habits that naturally return and can't seem to get rid of.....

 

[FranCrimi]

Isn't it interesting that it is always the "bad" habits that return and can't seem to get rid of???? ..... I think the mark of being a successful consistent player is being one that has "good" habits that naturally return and can't seem to get rid of.....

Recurring bad habits are the result of a poorly trained sub conscious mind. Our sub conscious mind only knows repetition and is incapable of judging right from wrong. So, making the same mistakes repeatedly without correcting them is basically training your sub conscious mind to keep doing them.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Recurring bad habits are the result of a poorly trained sub conscious mind. Our sub conscious mind only knows repetition and is incapable of judging right from wrong. So, making the same mistakes repeatedly without correcting them is basically training your sub conscious mind to keep doing them.

Another part of this is that if you have a task and you are under pressure of some kind, you will tend to return to the first way you learned how to do the task. That's according to a study I heard of a long time ago and my own experience.

That's why it's so important to get your fundamentals problems straightened out at the start. Even if you fix them later, they are likely to bite you when your room rent is on the line.