I learned from playing and observing. But I understand that some players may struggle a bit more than others with it.
How To Improve Speed Control?
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I learned from playing and observing. But I understand that some players may struggle a bit more than others with it.
I learned from my desire and love of play....as you know Fran, many out there think there is always a simple answer. To me its just being extremely aware of whats going on....and a TON of trial and error. No if I could just find that drill than would improve my long straight in jacked up shots, that would be great:thumbup:.
Island Drive, next time you practice try putting a ball behind the CB every single shot. You'll absolutely hate it, but you'll get better at those shots.
Isn't there a standard warm up routine where you pocket the OB and leave the cue ball in the middle of the table to get a feel for the table and its rails?
Seems I have seen several good players warm up in this way. This could also be a drill or a way to learn speed control, could it not?
BTW my post above as a form of self evaluation seems to give one a pretty good handle on what they can and cannot do on a regular basis.
Just last night I was working on placing the OB within a diamond of the pocket one inch off the rail and using top inside English to move the ball around the table. In general, I suck at this type of CB Control and keep working on it to get more accurate. I can move the cue ball but have a difficult time getting it to land exactly as desired. Hence, lots of practice.
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That's why I play 14.1 as part of practice. In pro play years ago, we used to call ''being jacked up'' the Chinese hook...
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I remember a road player in Youngstown, OH who walked into the Holiday Inn where a local tournament was being held and said he would play anyone 9-Ball for $50.00 a game. I heard from by-standers that he was Alan Hopkins running buddy at the time (early 90s). Never did find out his name.
Anyway the fellow warms up by placing the CB off the foot spot, pockets the OB up table and runs the CB to the side rail and back to the foot rail. He does this using each pocket at the other end of the table.
Next he does basically the same thing but uses force follow to move the CB around table three rails and says he is ready to play after four or five shots (including a couple of dead on banks).
Long story short he beat the other guy (an APA 6 or so) out of $600.00 bucks in about 50 minutes. The other guy never won a game. The road player asked for any other players, found none, broke down his cue and left. BTW we had some pretty good players in Youngstown at the time, at least Short Stop speed and nobody was taking him on after he "practiced" a little.
I have no way of knowing but the road player could have been Jimmy Mataya. At least from what I remember he kinda looked like him and had that "attitude."
Anyway the fellow warms up by placing the CB off the foot spot, pockets the OB up table and runs the CB to the side rail and back to the foot rail. He does this using each pocket at the other end of the table.
Next he does basically the same thing but uses force follow to move the CB around table three rails and says he is ready to play after four or five shots (including a couple of dead on banks).
Long story short he beat the other guy (an APA 6 or so) out of $600.00 bucks in about 50 minutes. The other guy never won a game. The road player asked for any other players, found none, broke down his cue and left. BTW we had some pretty good players in Youngstown at the time, at least Short Stop speed and nobody was taking him on after he "practiced" a little.
I have no way of knowing but the road player could have been Jimmy Mataya. At least from what I remember he kinda looked like him and had that "attitude."
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Yeah I didn't learn speed control from doing drills, maybe if I did I might have improved at a quicker pace when I was younger. My guy seems to be responding well to the drills I've shown him that have been posted on the thread. I did drills as I was learning from scratch, but they weren't directly linked to speed control, but as a bonus I developed speed control.
I've got an OCD rule of mine; if I perform a particular shot in a match poorly then when I get home ill be pissed off at myself, win or lose and ill repeat the shot 100 times. Doesn't matter if its a simple 2 ft straight in where I've got to moved the CB an inch back; if I move the CB too far back and it nags me, ill go home and do it 100 times until I perfect it. I hate having pool OCD
I've got an OCD rule of mine; if I perform a particular shot in a match poorly then when I get home ill be pissed off at myself, win or lose and ill repeat the shot 100 times. Doesn't matter if its a simple 2 ft straight in where I've got to moved the CB an inch back; if I move the CB too far back and it nags me, ill go home and do it 100 times until I perfect it. I hate having pool OCD
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In snooker its called a "Chinese snooker" when you're jacked up cueing over another ballThat's why I play 14.1 as part of practice. In pro play years ago, we used to call ''being jacked up'' the Chinese hook...
I would rather be snookered full ball than have to play from a Chinese snooker...and I play a lot of 14.1
The one I like is to place a ball over one end pocket and the cue ball at the other pocket.
Shoot the cue ball three rails to pocket the object ball.
Do it for all four pockets.