Hi all. I started to reply to the thread on eye dominance and I decided to start another thread instead. I thought it may be of interest to share how I've gotten better at this game. Hope it helps some. 
With respect to what I mentioned on cross dominant vision. I'm not making this stuff up The benefits of being cross dominant have been written about over the years. Billiard Digest is one publication that I can specifically recall.
If your stance and approach is approximately a 45% angle as you address the cue ball, and being right handed means you hold the butt in your right hand, then in your natural stance your left eye leads. If that happens to be your dominant eye, you are better off for it.
With that said, I would like to share what I believe is the most important thing to focus on to improve one's game. I hope it will help at least a few improve. It did for me once I took it seriously, and that was a long time ago. This is also kind of how I would define "dead stroke". I can get there often now, but LOL, I still can't figure out how to stay there.
IMO no one specific attribute or method is as important as the ability to combine the other zillion hodge podge of things that have to go into a confident, rhythmic, smooth, level, consistent, speed controlled, accurate, stroke that includes a pure mental vision of where the OB and CB are going, what they will hit and the paths of those other balls that they do hit will be. ( I made up that big old list for a reason, hear me out)
I think all these things can be pretty much classified in three areas. At least that's how I've addressed them.
The important thing IMO to a consistent game is #1 proper mechanics, #2 proper muscle memory through practice and repetition and #3 proper mental attitude at the table. All of these things can be readily learned by reading the tons of publications that apply to them.
The bigger issue is execution. How to properly execute what you learn. Unfortunately, thats the hard part, and thats what makes advanced play of the game so unreachable for so many. Not too many people are prepared to obsess about the game and devote the relentless time needed to make it second nature.
Developing the needed skills to make it second nature will develop confidence and confidence is the key to being able to execute the shot from a more unconscious state which is a more flowing state. If you have to think about all these things that I purposely listed in the sentence above, your conscious thoughts can't keep up with the flow of a shot. Thats a lot of stuff to be thinking about in the time it takes to backstroke and follow through, and the list can be added to easily. If you have to think these steps through every time you shoot, your rhythm will be disrupted and all bets are off as to what the outcome of the shot will be.
The better you get, the more you can leave much of this advanced rubbing your tummy and patting your head to auto pilot. The unconscious execution of shots not only allows it to happen more naturally, but it prevents hitches both mental and physical that may happen during the course of your stroke if you have to think about it.
The more that you have to make conscious adjustments when you shoot (a product of lack of confidence with the specific shot), the more apt you are to get out of sync and falter. So, there is no easy fast magic fix to becoming an advanced player. It is IMO a direct product of constant practice, and learning from mistakes.
I've been playing this game over 45yrs and that's how I would explain developing progress in it. These are the speeds we notice as we get better and what I strongly feel are the reasons they happen. They are different levels of confidence manifesting themselves finally after practice.
With respect to what I mentioned on cross dominant vision. I'm not making this stuff up
The benefits of being cross dominant have been written about over the years. Billiard Digest is one publication that I can specifically recall.If your stance and approach is approximately a 45% angle as you address the cue ball, and being right handed means you hold the butt in your right hand, then in your natural stance your left eye leads. If that happens to be your dominant eye, you are better off for it.
With that said, I would like to share what I believe is the most important thing to focus on to improve one's game. I hope it will help at least a few improve. It did for me once I took it seriously, and that was a long time ago.
This is also kind of how I would define "dead stroke". I can get there often now, but LOL, I still can't figure out how to stay there. IMO no one specific attribute or method is as important as the ability to combine the other zillion hodge podge of things that have to go into a confident, rhythmic, smooth, level, consistent, speed controlled, accurate, stroke that includes a pure mental vision of where the OB and CB are going, what they will hit and the paths of those other balls that they do hit will be. ( I made up that big old list for a reason, hear me out)
I think all these things can be pretty much classified in three areas. At least that's how I've addressed them.
The important thing IMO to a consistent game is #1 proper mechanics, #2 proper muscle memory through practice and repetition and #3 proper mental attitude at the table. All of these things can be readily learned by reading the tons of publications that apply to them.
The bigger issue is execution. How to properly execute what you learn. Unfortunately, thats the hard part, and thats what makes advanced play of the game so unreachable for so many. Not too many people are prepared to obsess about the game and devote the relentless time needed to make it second nature.
Developing the needed skills to make it second nature will develop confidence and confidence is the key to being able to execute the shot from a more unconscious state which is a more flowing state. If you have to think about all these things that I purposely listed in the sentence above, your conscious thoughts can't keep up with the flow of a shot. Thats a lot of stuff to be thinking about in the time it takes to backstroke and follow through, and the list can be added to easily. If you have to think these steps through every time you shoot, your rhythm will be disrupted and all bets are off as to what the outcome of the shot will be.
The better you get, the more you can leave much of this advanced rubbing your tummy and patting your head to auto pilot. The unconscious execution of shots not only allows it to happen more naturally, but it prevents hitches both mental and physical that may happen during the course of your stroke if you have to think about it.
The more that you have to make conscious adjustments when you shoot (a product of lack of confidence with the specific shot), the more apt you are to get out of sync and falter. So, there is no easy fast magic fix to becoming an advanced player. It is IMO a direct product of constant practice, and learning from mistakes.
I've been playing this game over 45yrs and that's how I would explain developing progress in it. These are the speeds we notice as we get better and what I strongly feel are the reasons they happen. They are different levels of confidence manifesting themselves finally after practice.