How long does it take to see positive results?

[snyder1]

its different for everyone, i have a friend were the same age we started playing at the same time(coincidence we met at the pool room in 85), he had natural talant, i didnt, after a year i could beat him playing one pocket and needed the 8 playing 9ball, 3 years later i needed the 6 and had no shot playing one-pocket, 10 years later i have no idea what i would need from him it would have been alot. he played in tournments, i gambled, i believe to this day i can take more heat and play better under the heat, but he is a FAR better player than me-knows more shots, executes shots i simpally cant 1 out of 10 times etc. we both played full time. but the longer we played the wide the gap between us got. We were best friends in and out of the pool room and played in the same spots and had the same exposiure to the same things, he just had something I didnt, he helped much as possible but I just didnt have "It", he did, i'm not jealous at all i'm happy for him and awalys have supported him, hell I gave him a satin SW once for a personal favor, were still great friends-i moved.


there is no answere to the origional post in this thread, you cant train in what God left out, having proper instruction at 12 years old would have helped me, i played then too and devloped habits(i had zero help from anyone) i still have them once in a while today-had they been addressed when i was that young i would be a better player because they wouldnt pop up once in a while. I shoot guns very good-I started when I was 8 with proper instruction and its natural to me, pool is natural but not like guns, so age, natural talent, persistance, proper training, determination all count for alot. Some players can play at a professional level for $5/game and cant hod a cue for $1000, there are too many variables to predict the future of your game, keep Playing, get proper instruction, and set goals, but in the end water finds its own level.

Dont put pressure on your self or count days time is your friend, just keep playing, if you feel burned out-STOP for a while, I usually took sundays off, it was just a convenient day, when all I did was play pool and was a good player I would take off Friday and Saturday nights because the pool room was too busy, when I was a C/B player I liked those nights because I could find a game easily, but after a while everyone knew they couldnt win so I knocked off the busy nights because i couldnt geta game-pool to me wasnt social it was something i wanted to get better at and noise and crowds dont help my game,

things change as your game changes, there are no rules for any of this its a process-not a formula, practice drills are a formula and best done on a tuesay morning with no distractions. I know this is a long post but read it a few times and try and get the feel of the concept of it. its good information, in my opinion, if Scott Lee of Bob Jewett reads it I'd like their feed back on it or any other instructors, thanks guys. I put alot of effort in this post and wish I had this info in 85. but please i'd like opinions of it from instructors. thanks

Some great points & I agree. I've always been athletic - sports came easy for me. I took up pool in my late 30's & never struggled so much with any sport in my life. Its probably like anything else, the younger you start, the better off you'll be. I firmly believe some people have aptitudes for different things ... practice alone simply won't get you to the top of the hill if you don't have the eyesight or hand eye coordination required in this particular sport (I can't think of another sport where being off a mere millimeter is enough to consistently lose ...)

J

 

[Scott Lee]

its different for everyone, i have a friend were the same age we started playing at the same time(coincidence we met at the pool room in 85), he had natural talant, i didnt, after a year i could beat him playing one pocket and needed the 8 playing 9ball, 3 years later i needed the 6 and had no shot playing one-pocket, 10 years later i have no idea what i would need from him it would have been alot. he played in tournments, i gambled, i believe to this day i can take more heat and play better under the heat, but he is a FAR better player than me-knows more shots, executes shots i simpally cant 1 out of 10 times etc. we both played full time. but the longer we played the wide the gap between us got. We were best friends in and out of the pool room and played in the same spots and had the same exposiure to the same things, he just had something I didnt, he helped much as possible but I just didnt have "It", he did, i'm not jealous at all i'm happy for him and awalys have supported him, hell I gave him a satin SW once for a personal favor, were still great friends-i moved.


there is no answere to the origional post in this thread, you cant train in what God left out, having proper instruction at 12 years old would have helped me, i played then too and devloped habits(i had zero help from anyone) i still have them once in a while today-had they been addressed when i was that young i would be a better player because they wouldnt pop up once in a while. I shoot guns very good-I started when I was 8 with proper instruction and its natural to me, pool is natural but not like guns, so age, natural talent, persistance, proper training, determination all count for alot. Some players can play at a professional level for $5/game and cant hod a cue for $1000, there are too many variables to predict the future of your game, keep Playing, get proper instruction, and set goals, but in the end water finds its own level.

Dont put pressure on your self or count days time is your friend, just keep playing, if you feel burned out-STOP for a while, I usually took sundays off, it was just a convenient day, when all I did was play pool and was a good player I would take off Friday and Saturday nights because the pool room was too busy, when I was a C/B player I liked those nights because I could find a game easily, but after a while everyone knew they couldnt win so I knocked off the busy nights because i couldnt geta game-pool to me wasnt social it was something i wanted to get better at and noise and crowds dont help my game,

things change as your game changes, there are no rules for any of this its a process-not a formula, practice drills are a formula and best done on a tuesay morning with no distractions. I know this is a long post but read it a few times and try and get the feel of the concept of it. its good information, in my opinion, if Scott Lee of Bob Jewett reads it I'd like their feed back on it or any other instructors, thanks guys. I put alot of effort in this post and wish I had this info in 85. but please i'd like opinions of it from instructors. thanks

Fatboy...I would certainly agree with a lot of what you posted. There is a difference between those who have "it", and those that don't! IMO the main difference is in the speed of assimilating new information, and putting into practice. Although I personally believe that anyone can learn to play better, more quickly, and have it last longer, by pursuing good instruction, most players will not dedicate the time or effort necessary to make new knowledge a permanent part of their game. There's been a lot of discussion here about how long it takes to improve. For some it will be immediate, but may or may not last over time. For others, it is a slow process that may take months or even years. IMO it definitely depends on several variables...desire, time available, discipline, extra funds (hard to justify pool lessons when you're struggling to pay the mortgage). Natural talent I think is the smallest variable, for the average player looking to improve. On the other hand, someone with 'natural talent' may excel quite quickly, especially with some quality instruction right at the beginning of the process.

I liked your comparison of you and your friend...you the gambler and he the tournament player. I've always thought tournaments held even more pressure than gambling. You can always play another game, as long as you can reach into your pocket. When you lose in the tournament, you're done. I suppose the ultimate challenge is to excel at both. Handling pressure (gambling or tournament play) is not really something that can be taught. It only comes from being out there in combat, again and again. However, you can raise the level you consisently play at, with correct practice of applied knowledge. That builds confidence, which is a key factor in succeeding at either discipline. One comment Joey A made I thought was very practical. He mentioned that to raise yourself up in competition, you need to step up to regional and national tournament levels, and take your shot. That takes time, money, and courage...but it's the only way to test yourself against the best players.

I also agree with your statement (and others) that when practice becomes boring, you must quit. If you cannot discipline yourself to practice correctly, even for a short while, you're mostly just spinning your wheels. Jay said you have to hit a million balls, and while there is some truth to that, if you hit a million balls with poor fundamentals the large majority of us will merely ingraine bad habits that will prevent us from reaching the heights of our individual abilities. I think the OP is just a young kid, who doesn't really know what he wants...and just wants to play good pool RIGHT NOW! LOL Don't we all?

Good post!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

 

[8-Ball Player]

Yes, Thank you Fatboy and Scott Lee. I will give you both reputation but it said I have already given out too much in the past 24 hours lol, so don't worry, it will come soon enough.

Thank you for you time and effort that you put into your posts. It really helps me out alot. Im just very impatient and want to play like a pro NOW! . These things take time , I just need to calm down, have fun, and dont rush anything. If I feel like Im being rushed for time then every practice drill cancels itself out, and becomes usless.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Fatboy]

Fatboy...I would certainly agree with a lot of what you posted. There is a difference between those who have "it", and those that don't! IMO the main difference is in the speed of assimilating new information, and putting into practice. Although I personally believe that anyone can learn to play better, more quickly, and have it last longer, by pursuing good instruction, most players will not dedicate the time or effort necessary to make new knowledge a permanent part of their game. There's been a lot of discussion here about how long it takes to improve. For some it will be immediate, but may or may not last over time. For others, it is a slow process that may take months or even years. IMO it definitely depends on several variables...desire, time available, discipline, extra funds (hard to justify pool lessons when you're struggling to pay the mortgage). Natural talent I think is the smallest variable, for the average player looking to improve. On the other hand, someone with 'natural talent' may excel quite quickly, especially with some quality instruction right at the beginning of the process.

I liked your comparison of you and your friend...you the gambler and he the tournament player. I've always thought tournaments held even more pressure than gambling. You can always play another game, as long as you can reach into your pocket. When you lose in the tournament, you're done. I suppose the ultimate challenge is to excel at both. Handling pressure (gambling or tournament play) is not really something that can be taught. It only comes from being out there in combat, again and again. However, you can raise the level you consisently play at, with correct practice of applied knowledge. That builds confidence, which is a key factor in succeeding at either discipline. One comment Joey A made I thought was very practical. He mentioned that to raise yourself up in competition, you need to step up to regional and national tournament levels, and take your shot. That takes time, money, and courage...but it's the only way to test yourself against the best players.

I also agree with your statement (and others) that when practice becomes boring, you must quit. If you cannot discipline yourself to practice correctly, even for a short while, you're mostly just spinning your wheels. Jay said you have to hit a million balls, and while there is some truth to that, if you hit a million balls with poor fundamentals the large majority of us will merely ingraine bad habits that will prevent us from reaching the heights of our individual abilities. I think the OP is just a young kid, who doesn't really know what he wants...and just wants to play good pool RIGHT NOW! LOL Don't we all?

Good post!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

thanks Scott, my friend has self confidence issues, even in tournments when he gets close to the $$$ he falls apart, not $5 tournments but big tournments, he'll lose match that will put him $400 winner(picking a number out of the air) even if he plays 2 balls better than his oppenent that late in a $50 entry tournment, but is subjuct to beat Tang or Rodney in the first round, when ever it counts he just falls apart, his skill and my brain there would be a new pro-I have said that for years. I played in maybe 6-8 tournments in my life, I was banned from B tournments at a place I liked and I didnt win but the director could tell I out classed the field, I just dont like sitting around waiting for my next match nor do I like to show what I have-knocking my own action. I played in a coupe open tournys and unless I get a good draw I cant cash. I leveled off there, before i went into retirement, now Ive taken a couple lessions and am playing good considering my back issues, it will be interesting to see how much better i'll play now.

Also being in good shape helps alot, when i was in top shape i might not hit a ball for a month and in 15 minutes played like i never missed a day, when i was playing full time i wasnt in shape and if i missed a fewdays playing i could tell, that topic of fitness is a big part of pool over looked often, thanks again for your reply.

 

[Goldy]

Just got a new table about a week ago, now I am putting an average a 5 hours of practice a day on it. ( 8 hours stright the first 3 days) Its been a week now, Im not really seeing any inprovment, my stroke is a little smoother, and my shot is a little better. But for the amount I have practiced I should be seeing a little more positive results, dont you think? How long does it take before you know your game is improving?

Thanks in advance.

When you start seeing money in your wallet