Help...my funamentals suck!!!

railbird25

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
been playing quite a few years but i quit for 3 years and just started back...i'll play good for a bit and then bad...but playing good or bad i always feel uncomfortable and not lined up...i used to play pretty decent and had no problems with this but after the layoff all my knowledge left me...any advice would be greatly appreciated
 
Take a lesson from one of the well qualified BCA instructors here that will teach you the mother drills. Practice them like crazy, and your fundamentals will become rock solid.
 
Take a lesson from one of the well qualified BCA instructors here that will teach you the mother drills. Practice them like crazy, and your fundamentals will become rock solid.

Yeah, I can't agree with this more. Get some lessons from an instructor or pro in your area. It made all the difference for me. 40 bucks an hour may sound steep at first but you will carry that lesson with you the rest of your life (if you practice and are willing to take one step back to take many steps forward). And build on it. Gotta have that foundation first.
 
been playing quite a few years but i quit for 3 years and just started back...i'll play good for a bit and then bad...but playing good or bad i always feel uncomfortable and not lined up...i used to play pretty decent and had no problems with this but after the layoff all my knowledge left me...any advice would be greatly appreciated

What the hell is a "funamental"?

Just kidding, I don't have any funamentals either. That's why I need weight from young schoolgirls taking pool for PE.
 
Hi, I understand your feeling!

I recommend a video for you. (Part 1 - 5)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmLe4pRLoNQ&feature=channel

You might think "why I should learn the pool from Snooker". To me, the video has changed my foundations a lot. I don't recommend you learn everything from the tape, but the video provides some very good knowledge / tips of how to build up a good and solid foundation which I think it is the most important thing for every one who plays the pool seriously.

Also, I recommend you practice some "straight-in shots" which I practice them daily. I set up some goals whenever shooting them. For example, shooting 10 balls in a row on each side successfully. I can learn at least two things from those drills:
1) I use them to build up my foundation.
2) I use them to figure out what my shooting problems are, then, fix them.

Hope it helps!
 
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Take whatever time it takes to lose 90% of the muscle memory OFF and then start with a Teacher known for his work on the fundamentals.

That might take a year or a decade I have no idea. If you're in a hurry, well.......Ill try and get back to you on that.
 
Practice long straight in shots to get your eye and stroke in sinc. Try for 10 out of 10 in a row. Shoot this shot progressively harder - 10 out 0f 10.

If you get your aim and stroke back you are ready for cuts and English and.....

Good fortune,
 
Spend time in solitary practice with all fifteen balls. Learn proper pre-shot routine. When surveying the table circle the table without crowding it. For each shot you are concerned with two lines. First you need to see the line from the object ball contact point to the pocket from a vantage point behind the object ball. Next find the line from the cue ball to the spot which will enable the cue ball to hit the contact point.

Practice easy shots and try to make a high percentage. Shoot very close to center ball if you are missing a lot. Before each shot pick an area where you want the cue ball for the next shot.

When not practicing watch good players. Beginners seem to be overly concerned with english and where to hit the cue ball failing to realize the importance of HOW to hit the cue ball.

Good Luck.
 
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thanks for all these tips but it's not shot making or repetition i need help with it's mainly my stance that feels uncomfortable
 
I think i can help you..........

been playing quite a few years but i quit for 3 years and just started back...i'll play good for a bit and then bad...but playing good or bad i always feel uncomfortable and not lined up...i used to play pretty decent and had no problems with this but after the layoff all my knowledge left me...any advice would be greatly appreciated

hi there,
my name is gene the creator of perfect aim. I think i know what is going on with your game.

If you read the perfect aim review on the forum here you would see that this deals with getting the eyes in the right position. After not playing for awhile this is the first thing that we lose and the hardest to get back.

I would like to include you in the review at absolutely no cost to you whatsoever.

If you want to do this i will send you the video right away. You can pm your name address and phone number and we will get started right away.

I would like to start the perfect aim lesson before you get the video. This is part of the review to see how well you understand perfect aim before you even get the video. I AM USING NEW TECNIQUES THAT SO FAR HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.

I see you are struggling and this will help you and at the same time i'm learning how to do this better and better.

Send me the pm to get started. This won't cost you a cent.

Thanks geno..............
 
hi there,
my name is gene the creator of perfect aim. I think i know what is going on with your game.

If you read the perfect aim review on the forum here you would see that this deals with getting the eyes in the right position. After not playing for awhile this is the first thing that we lose and the hardest to get back.

I would like to include you in the review at absolutely no cost to you whatsoever.

If you want to do this i will send you the video right away. You can pm your name address and phone number and we will get started right away.

I would like to start the perfect aim lesson before you get the video. This is part of the review to see how well you understand perfect aim before you even get the video. I AM USING NEW TECNIQUES THAT SO FAR HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.

I see you are struggling and this will help you and at the same time i'm learning how to do this better and better.

Send me the pm to get started. This won't cost you a cent.

Thanks geno..............

pm sent thank you
 
thanks for all these tips but it's not shot making or repetition i need help with it's mainly my stance that feels uncomfortable

if you problem is only about your "stance", you really didn't need to quit playing pool for years (I dont mean the stance isn't important).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmLe4...eature=channel
the video above also mentions the stance, which I just can't remember which part (part 3 maybe).
 
I am no teacher of pool. If your uncomfortable in your stance switch it until your comfortable. It really is that easy. There is no right or wrong way to stand and don't let anyone tell you different. Only you are going to know what is the best stance for you. When you get down on your shot as long as your comfortable and steady your stance is fine. I'd advise to just take 1/2 each practice session to find a stance where your comfortable and learn how to get into that position for every possible shot you can take around the table. Sooner or later it's gonna become second nature and you'll be fine.
 
VERY good answer............

i am no teacher of pool. If your uncomfortable in your stance switch it until your comfortable. It really is that easy. There is no right or wrong way to stand and don't let anyone tell you different. Only you are going to know what is the best stance for you. When you get down on your shot as long as your comfortable and steady your stance is fine. I'd advise to just take 1/2 each practice session to find a stance where your comfortable and learn how to get into that position for every possible shot you can take around the table. Sooner or later it's gonna become second nature and you'll be fine.

you got it right.
Different shapes and sizes. Just like clothes whatever fits for you.
 
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Some of your lack of comfort might be because your eyes and muscles have forgotten info that you used to have locked down. Like shots that should look like old friends look foreign and you have no idea if you're aiming 'em right or not. Then when you miss them you're like "man my stroke must be off"

No way to know what's wrong with your stance without seeing it. Video it and post it on youtube. Here's some advice anyway.

1. Make sure your shoulder, elbow, wrist, and stick are all kind of in the same straight line. Try to look back and be aware of any kind of chicken wing (elbow sticking out or tucked elbow).

2. It will feel weird at first, but force yourself to do at least a full 1 or 2 second pause at the end of your backswing. Go back, count 1-mississippi, then forward in a nice straight line. Sometimes during the pause you can catch yourself lined up wrong or you can tell you're about to steer the shot. Don't steer anything. Watch when you go forward to see if the stick swoops sideways when you go back or forward.

3. Not everyone agrees on this one, but sometimes it helps me to concentrate on moving only the bare minimum amount of muscles to make the shot. What I mean by that is... imagine your elbow is locked in place and totally still. When you stroke, just bring your forearm back... then swing it forward without letting that elbow drop. Basically you're cutting the shot down to only one moving part.

Some people won't like that advice, Railbird... because there's a common argument about whether people should try hard to keep their elbow still. Many pros look like they don't. But I don't want this to turn into that big argument :) I'm just saying give it a try. If it helps you at all, good. If not, don't worry about it, focus on 1 and 2.
 
Some of your lack of comfort might be because your eyes and muscles have forgotten info that you used to have locked down. Like shots that should look like old friends look foreign and you have no idea if you're aiming 'em right or not. Then when you miss them you're like "man my stroke must be off"

No way to know what's wrong with your stance without seeing it. Video it and post it on youtube. Here's some advice anyway.

1. Make sure your shoulder, elbow, wrist, and stick are all kind of in the same straight line. Try to look back and be aware of any kind of chicken wing (elbow sticking out or tucked elbow).

2. It will feel weird at first, but force yourself to do at least a full 1 or 2 second pause at the end of your backswing. Go back, count 1-mississippi, then forward in a nice straight line. Sometimes during the pause you can catch yourself lined up wrong or you can tell you're about to steer the shot. Don't steer anything. Watch when you go forward to see if the stick swoops sideways when you go back or forward.

3. Not everyone agrees on this one, but sometimes it helps me to concentrate on moving only the bare minimum amount of muscles to make the shot. What I mean by that is... imagine your elbow is locked in place and totally still. When you stroke, just bring your forearm back... then swing it forward without letting that elbow drop. Basically you're cutting the shot down to only one moving part.

Some people won't like that advice, Railbird... because there's a common argument about whether people should try hard to keep their elbow still. Many pros look like they don't. But I don't want this to turn into that big argument :) I'm just saying give it a try. If it helps you at all, good. If not, don't worry about it, focus on 1 and 2.

i really appreciate the input the eye and muscle thing sounds about right...i have been back playing about a month or so and even though i runout a good bit of the time everything is still looking a little funny as well as feeling funny which tells me something is not right and that i will not hold up when things get tuff...anyway thanks again very useful
 
2. It will feel weird at first, but force yourself to do at least a full 1 or 2 second pause at the end of your backswing. Go back, count 1-mississippi, then forward in a nice straight line. Sometimes during the pause you can catch yourself lined up wrong or you can tell you're about to steer the shot. Don't steer anything. Watch when you go forward to see if the stick swoops sideways when you go back or forward.

A lot of players exaggerate the pause and lose the 1-2 rhythm of a great stroke. The best snooker and pool players do this.

When I once slowed down the video of Ronnie's 147 super quick break... he used 8 frames from address to the top of the backstroke and 8 frames to the finish... every frame the cue was moving... although in the transition it moved slower. An excellent example of a 1-2 rhythm.

Its an old piece of advice - "give it ye old one-two".

You have to make sure there is a definite change of direction on these counts. Where the pause helps people is when the biceps and the triceps are working in conflict.
 
Respectfully disagree Geometry.

You're talking about Ronnie, a player whose nickname is "The Rocket". It is not good advice to tell a player to emulate Ronnie, or Luc Salvas, or anyone else known for being "unusually" fast.

For every pro who shoots great two-stroking it, I can find you a several who play at the highest level with a very deliberate pace and use a distinct pause.

We've all seen Earl go one-two-pop, one-two-pop, and it's beautiful to watch. But that's more of a mental/rhythm thing that helps pros who already have good fundamentals or a consistent stroke. Two stroking won't GIVE you good fundamentals, it's not even related to your mechanics. And encouraging it might make the OP's problems even worse. You ever hear the expression "he two-stroked that ball"? It's usually said after an ugly miss.

The pause is really a good diagnostic tool. You just KNOW if you're about to do something funky during that 1 second before you swing. After a while you don't need to come to literally a dead stop and wait there a full second. You can gradually smooth it out to a deliberate backswing and a very gradual transition to forward swing... half a second instead of 1 second. Watch shane to see what I'm talking about.
 
It would be a lot easier to help you if you could post a pcture or a video of yourself, in action.

It may be just what you need to figure it out for yourself.
 
Respectfully disagree Geometry.

You're talking about Ronnie, a player whose nickname is "The Rocket". It is not good advice to tell a player to emulate Ronnie, or Luc Salvas, or anyone else known for being "unusually" fast.

For every pro who shoots great two-stroking it, I can find you a several who play at the highest level with a very deliberate pace and use a distinct pause.

We've all seen Earl go one-two-pop, one-two-pop, and it's beautiful to watch. But that's more of a mental/rhythm thing that helps pros who already have good fundamentals or a consistent stroke. Two stroking won't GIVE you good fundamentals, it's not even related to your mechanics. And encouraging it might make the OP's problems even worse. You ever hear the expression "he two-stroked that ball"? It's usually said after an ugly miss.

The pause is really a good diagnostic tool. You just KNOW if you're about to do something funky during that 1 second before you swing. After a while you don't need to come to literally a dead stop and wait there a full second. You can gradually smooth it out to a deliberate backswing and a very gradual transition to forward swing... half a second instead of 1 second. Watch shane to see what I'm talking about.

Earl Strickland does exactly what I said. I don't think you read my post very carefully.

By one-two rhythm, I am talking about the stroke that delivers the cue only. Not the preamble warm up strokes! One beat for the backstroke, One beat to the finish... equal duration of time.

For some good players the movement is more staccato than others which can give them that 'exaggerated pause' look but the beat remains constant.

I only see horrible players do what you describe. A deliberate (meaning slow) backstroke holding it there for a second and then delivering the cue with a sudden burst of speed. Its just not conducive to good speed control. Pool is not a bow and arrow action its a constant acceleration back, constant acceleration through... one-two Same duration of time.
 
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