How should I practice?

brandon667

New member
I'm starting to get a little more serious about my pool playing and I'd like to get better. I'm on my second session of APA(I'm a pretty solid 4) league play and I occasionally play bar tournaments and such. I have 4-5 hours a week I can practice, usually about an hour or so. Currently I just practice banks and long shots as they give me the most trouble, then I'll end up breaking racks and playing against myself working on position play and safeties. Since I only have a little bit of practice time, I'd like to maximize my results.

Some other things that may factor in:
League play is 8-ball for me currently.
Tournaments vary between 8/9.
I practice on a 9 foot table but usually play competitively on a bar box
I'm right handed, but left eye dominant

Not sure if any of that matters, but hopefully it provides a bit of insight. Are there any specific books, training dvds, youtube series recommended? I'd like to take lessons at some point but at this time I don't have the cash or the consistent time. Thanks in advance for your help!
 
Lessons first

I'm starting to get a little more serious about my pool playing and I'd like to get better. I'm on my second session of APA(I'm a pretty solid 4) league play and I occasionally play bar tournaments and such. I have 4-5 hours a week I can practice, usually about an hour or so. Currently I just practice banks and long shots as they give me the most trouble, then I'll end up breaking racks and playing against myself working on position play and safeties. Since I only have a little bit of practice time, I'd like to maximize my results.

Some other things that may factor in:
League play is 8-ball for me currently.
Tournaments vary between 8/9.
I practice on a 9 foot table but usually play competitively on a bar box
I'm right handed, but left eye dominant

Not sure if any of that matters, but hopefully it provides a bit of insight. Are there any specific books, training dvds, youtube series recommended? I'd like to take lessons at some point but at this time I don't have the cash or the consistent time. Thanks in advance for your help!

The most efficient way to improve your game is with lessons from a qualified instructor. Practice without knowing what you're doing right and wrong will not help your game much.
Books and DVDs are great, but they can't watch you and critique your game. And there's not free, either.
 
I'm starting to get a little more serious about my pool playing and I'd like to get better. .... Are there any specific books, training dvds, youtube series recommended? I'd like to take lessons at some point but at this time I don't have the cash or the consistent time. Thanks in advance for your help!
As Donny mentioned, it's a good idea to get a lesson to make sure you don't have a serious problem with your fundamentals. If you can make a video of yourself, you may be able to do some self-diagnosis (or maybe ask people here to comment).

As for what to practice, you need to practice what you have trouble with. You mentioned long shots and banks, but if you miss those shots (and you weren't shooting them because of an opponent's safety) you should be practicing playing better position. Each time you miss, try to note the underlying reason which is not always obvious.

Robert Byrne has several books on how to play pool. Dr. Dave's site has many useful resources including practice drills: http://billiards.colostate.edu/ Both of them have video products that are top quality.
 
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