HELP! I Need to find my old game!

poolpro

poolpro

Not a pro
Silver Member
Hey everyone. I am just coming back from a long layoff of absolutely no playing time at all. I have taken breaks before, and have been able to snap back, but this time is different. My stroke is waay off. I am an experienced player, and still have the knowledge in my head, but it is not translating to the table. I am forced to play a lot more defensively, and have no confidence/ consistency in my shotmaking. I will run an ocassional rack, but won't get out from the six in the next. I was wondering if anyone had some good tactics to get my old game/stroke back. I would like to hear some very specific techniques and drills, not just standard responses like " work on your stroke", or "focus". Some REAL advice. I am feeling like a little fish again, and it isn't too much fun! Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
 
What has worked for me as I have taken a couple many month breaks with no playing time, is some very long practice sessions. 5-6 hours straight. Just playing game after game by myself or various shots or drills. All I try to do is refocus my eyes and regain the muscle memory again. There is no specific routine or drills, I just shot what comes next. As you said, it's not about learning shots over again, it's just falling back into stroke. Putting in 3-4 of these long sessions until I am exhausted seems to do the trick. Then, I start playing people again and everything falls back into place.

ez
 
Hey ez, thanks for the response. Can you remember any specific drills that really helped you come back? I know I have to put in the time, but I am trying to cut it down as much as possible, as it is not real feasable for me to put in the time I would like to at this point.
 
You ever try shooting one handed? It might sound weird, but sometimes shooting one handed helps me get the feel of how I need to stroke the ball.
 
I have played one handed a little in the past. I am probably a bit better than average. I will give it another try and see if it helps any. My stroke is probably the part of my game that is off the most, it may be of some help.
 
One general comment I have seen on more than one occasion.

When someone returns to pool after a break of years sometimes they are not realistic in evaluating how good they actually were before the break.

I know one individual that returned to pool after a few years off and mounted a “comeback” he practiced diligently every day and was dissadisified with his progress because he felt he could not play at his previous level.

The truth was he actually was playing as good or better than ever ( I knew him before and after). Somewhere in the years of downtime he had convinced himself he used to be a world beater when in fact he never was, and was expecting to reenter the pool world with a game he never had.

That is an extreme example but it is important to be realistic about your previous level to avoid unnecessary frustration.


I’ve been trying to get my game back for thirty years myself.:o
 
You are welcome and thanks for asking.
The way I start my practice session is this.
I start with short, straight in shots, maybe 2 feet from corner pocket and shooting stop, follow, draw shots. Not trying to draw or follow any certain distance, it's all about feel and regaining the muscle memory. Then back up another foot and shot over. Then back another foot and shot over. Each time, I review the feel of my stroke and stance. Eventually, the object ball is at one end of the table and cueball is at the opposite corner.
I then start over and instead of playing stop, top, low english, I start practicing cuts into the same corner pocket. Cueball and object ball are close, play top, center, low english cuts. Move the cueball back another foot and do over. I only go back a few feet with the cut drill but pratice both sides of the table with cuts. These two drills should get you loosened up and feeling good about your stroke, stance, etc. You may opt to try this with the side pocket as well where cutting would turn into slicing the object ball in the side with top, center, low english moving the cueball up and down the table.

I then like to set an the 8 ball in the middle of the table, about a foot before the racking spot. Put the cue on the breaking spot. Put the 9 ball on the center diamond head rail(the three balls are straight in line with each other), pick a corner pocket behind the 8 ball and cut the 8 ball in that corner while trying to get 3 or 4 rail rail position with the cueball to travel back down table in the kitchen to set for the 9.. This drill will sharpen your eye, focus and gain back your stroke with a challenging stroke shot. And believe it or not, it's natural high english no fancy english. For me, after this drill, the table starts to get really small and less intimidating as it might feel when you first started practicing.

I will then go to practicing banks, mostly side pocket or corner pocket short banks. I stay away from the long banks at this time because I am just trying to gain muscle memory back. Easier to setup short banks and find a stroke then shooting up and down the table.
I then take a pee break. :P lol

I then go to one rail kicks shooting off the head rail to side rail trying to pocket a duck in the opposit corner pocket. Then 2 rail kicks shooting off the side rail to head rail to opposite side rail, trying to pocket a duck in the opposit corner behind you. When I make the duck, I move the cue ball back or forward half diamond at a time and shoot again. This will sharpen your banks/kicks/stroke/eye/memory.
Truth is, use shots/drills you find most helpful to you for getting you back in your comfort zone the quickest. Use shots/drills that will loosen you up and get you whistling around the table as you smile and see your game come back. I keep my shot/drill selection very very simple at first and then as time goes by in each session, will make the next shot/drill a lil more complex building off the previous ones. At the end, I will practice some "challenging" shots that require some sort of extreme english, cutting,throwing etc. to make but since I know I used to make them before my layoff and after just practicing X many of hours, I should be able to make them again. And if you can't make these "challenging" shots, do't get frustrated. Remember this for your next practice session and try again. Look back at this session and evaluate your performance. Not everything is going to click right away. But if your stroke feels better, your stance feels better and ultimately your mind is at ease, you accomplished what you wanted.


Hope this makes sense and helps. :)
ez
 
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poolpro said:
I have played one handed a little in the past. I am probably a bit better than average. I will give it another try and see if it helps any. My stroke is probably the part of my game that is off the most, it may be of some help.
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Just to clarify, I'm not talking about playing jacked up. I'm talking about shooting with the cue resting on the rail. Hope it helps! It always seems to help me.
 
Let it happen, if your trying to make yourself get better why, it will eventually come, it always has, just expect nothing and slowly it will return. You're putting too much on yourself to get good again.
Make sure you don't whine "AT ALL" when you play.
Hope this helps, it always has for me, and I could play.
 
A little George Fels advice might help as well, as whats been posted thus far.

Start out your practice routine with this. Shoot opposite handed on set up shots that are not easy, but not hard. Try and achieve position as well. This will require all of your attention. This requires the right side of the brain to dig deeper to receiving feedback from the body itself. The nuances of your stroke come alive.

Is my follow through straight? Am I hitting it firm enough? Do I follow the same pre-shot routine? Am I hitting the cueball where I think I am? All these little things will be revisited in your mind.

In doing this you open up the channel to the brain that hasn't been visited quite as often; since everything became so automatic with your skill level.

Then after a short round of that go back to your practice routine. After a while of practice you will find that your just recently re-opened channel doesn't feel like it's being used at all. It reverts back to where everything once was. Take that time to chalk your stick; with the opposite hand you normally would. Repeat this chalking routine every time you feel that channel lapse. It serves as a little reminder to the brain of what we are trying to achieve.

Normally this little George Fels drill works best warming up before a match if you have a half hour or so to warm up.

Just thought I would throw in something different!!!
 
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Tighten up your game. Shorter bridge length, tighter grip, bend only at the elbow, etc....simplify and focus on ball making only. Try turning your grip in towards your body if you are missing everything to the outside, etc...adjust until you are making the balls. Everything else will come shortly after, and perhaps then you can loosen back up a bit.
 
breakup said:
When someone returns to pool after a break of years sometimes they are not realistic in evaluating how good they actually were before the break.
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I have no idea if this is an issue here, but you remind me of a great saying :

"The older I get the better I was."

Dave, not old and never was good either :(
 
If your near a regulation size snooker table see if they will let you shoot with regular pool balls on it. Just roll the balls out and shoot them and don't worry at all about missing. Keep the OB's at least 10 inches away from the rails when you roll them out. Its not easy but not as hard as it sounds. When you switch to a pool table it will look like a small bar size table and your ball pocketing will be strong. It works big time. Also compete as much as possible.

This may sound crazy but your comeback situation is exactly like mine. I was an A/A+ level player. Stoped playing for about 7 years (never even touched a cue). My ball pocketing was by far the biggest problem. I entered 9 ball leagues as a C+ player. I would run a rack then miss hangers constantly. With me the next problem was competition. I would get nervous and had no flow in my stroke. I put in lot of practice by myself but for months I didn't play anyone. I wanted as much time shooting by myself as possible. It was a mistake. Practice alone but play people as well. It will help you be comfortable and get beyond overthinking a shot or situation.

Another good drill is to shoot in dead straight in shots as mentioned above with stop, follow ,draw diagonally with cue and object ball at least 3 feet or more apart.

Also put OB on long rail two diamonds from corner pocket 1/4 inch from touching the rail - On the same long rail put the cue two diamonds from opposite corner pocket 1/4 from touching the rail. Now try to shoot the OB into the corner pocket with stop then with follow so CB rolls into the corner pocket right behind the OB and then with draw so CB scratches into the opposite corner pocket. When you can do this then try it ALL WITHOUT ALLOWING THE CB TO TOUCH THE RAIL!!! Even if you touch the rail, your ball pocketing and straight shooting will get sharp. Also this drill is making you shoot at a pocket opening that is about 3 inches wide.

Shoot straight in shots into the side pockets at very severe angles. Put the OB about 2 feet away from the sidepocket and the CB about 3 to 6 inches off the rail all in a straight line to the pocket. The angle should create a pocket opening that just allows the OB to be made.

Also break open a full rack of balls, now shoot in a somewhat difficult shot that you figure to make but needs your concentration and pick a ball you want to get position on. Shoot the shot and get position. You don't need to shoot the ball you played position for next. Just find another somewhat tough shot and repeat the process

Also play 8 ball against yourself. It's similar to 14.1, and will sharpen cue control and pattern play.

Also as mentioned above the more time you play the faster you'll notice your stroke come around.

Good luck!!!
 
breakup said:
One general comment I have seen on more than one occasion.

When someone returns to pool after a break of years sometimes they are not realistic in evaluating how good they actually were before the break.

I know one individual that returned to pool after a few years off and mounted a “comeback” he practiced diligently every day and was dissadisified with his progress because he felt he could not play at his previous level.

The truth was he actually was playing as good or better than ever ( I knew him before and after). Somewhere in the years of downtime he had convinced himself he used to be a world beater when in fact he never was, and was expecting to reenter the pool world with a game he never had.

That is an extreme example but it is important to be realistic about your previous level to avoid unnecessary frustration.


I’ve been trying to get my game back for thirty years myself.:o
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Hey, I get what you are saying. I have witnessed this kind of behaviour myself. Especially in the bars. You see guys who have been making the exact same mistakes for years, without making any effort to learn or correct them, scratch their head when it happens again! -and again, and again.

I appreiciate your reality check. Trust me I was already in the midst of one! Any illusions of mine have already been taken away at least for this moment. Just for the record, I was a 7 and 8 skill level in APA, and a 94 or 9.4 in BCA and went to national events for it. I have worked in four different pool rooms in two different states, and have seen and played some of the best players in this game. I do know how to accurately gauge ones ability ( mine and others). I consider myself to be a very competent, and knowledgeable player. I have never claimed to be a world beater or on par with the best players, but am ( at least in the past) a serious danger to get out in most circumstances, and can usually get the cash more often than not. If I were to be judged by my best consistant game, I would be a B+ player. A pretty good shortstop.

So to go from being able to runout at least open racks consistently, and more challenging ones most of the time, to not having any real confidence in getting out from the six, is quite an adjustment! Trust me, I ran into a guy I haven't played in about three years ( who I used to rob blind) and he was asking me what was wrong! A lot of people are accusing me of hustling, when I am playing full out! I am not imagining my decline in performance.

I may have responded the same way if I read this post from someone else. Just thought I would put it into perspective.
 
Island Drive said:
Let it happen, if your trying to make yourself get better why, it will eventually come, it always has, just expect nothing and slowly it will return. You're putting too much on yourself to get good again.
Make sure you don't whine "AT ALL" when you play.
Hope this helps, it always has for me, and I could play.
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Hey, I REALLY appriciate this post! This is great advice. I have given this same advice to others in the past, and now it is my turn to take it. I just started a new team in a new league, and I have been trying to make a good impression. I am used to being one of the better players in the league, and am getting frustrated at not playing even close to my level.

I am going to change my point of view and make an effort to play and not worry about the results. I know better, but needed to be reminded! Thanks
 
Thanks to everyone who has responded, I will take all of it into consideration. I know that my biggest enemy is making the time to put in the work.I will try all of these suggestions, and see what sticks. I am definately a "rythm player" , so when I can't get in sync my whole game goes down. I need to have the confidence and feel loose and comfortable to get my game to come out. Being away from the game has hurt my ability to get in stroke and find my rythm. I will continue to pursue this.
 
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breakup said:
One general comment I have seen on more than one occasion.

When someone returns to pool after a break of years sometimes they are not realistic in evaluating how good they actually were before the break.

I know one individual that returned to pool after a few years off and mounted a “comeback” he practiced diligently every day and was dissadisified with his progress because he felt he could not play at his previous level.

The truth was he actually was playing as good or better than ever ( I knew him before and after). Somewhere in the years of downtime he had convinced himself he used to be a world beater when in fact he never was, and was expecting to reenter the pool world with a game he never had.

That is an extreme example but it is important to be realistic about your previous level to avoid unnecessary frustration.


I’ve been trying to get my game back for thirty years myself.:o
Click to expand...


That was good. About 6 or 7 years ago I started again after a 11 year lay off. I was thinking getting frustrated. What had happened to me was instead of starting back with leagues I started back playing tournaments. As it turned out, it wasn't that I thought I was better than I really was before. It was the competition I was playing with was better than what I was playing with before. Showing that before the break I didn't really know what "good" was.
 
One last drill I just thought of: Set up relative easy shots (straight in or various angles) and aim to pocket the OB in the right or left or center of the pocket. Increase difficulty by moving OB away from pocket.
 
CaptainJR said:
That was good. About 6 or 7 years ago I started again after a 11 year lay off. I was thinking getting frustrated. What had happened to me was instead of starting back with leagues I started back playing tournaments. As it turned out, it wasn't that I thought I was better than I really was before. It was the competition I was playing with was better than what I was playing with before. Showing that before the break I didn't really know what "good" was.
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This is something that I have just broke through!!!!!!I had the same problems.
I had a twelve year lay-off! The biggest challenge I faced was getting back my feel for things. I think mosts advice is generic at best. One routine that helps for me............
1- picture the object ball going where you want it to go!
( i can see it going in the pocket in my mind)
2- pick out the spot where your cue ball needs to be
( always easy to runout if you never have a hard shot)
3- dont shoot until you have it pictured in your mind
( To me this is the difference .... focus and execute!!)
I am amazed how much my focus and in essence my runouts have improved of this routine!!!! My cue ball control is way better and I'm pocketing balls alot cleaner also!

I hope this helps! It took me months of practice to pin point that this was my down fall!! Before that I was mindlessly firing balls!!
 
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