When I made my return to league play after a ~10yr absence. The 'now regulars' would comment on my demeanor during a match. When I wasn't at the table, I was having fun, shooting the shit, drinking/laughing. Once I was at the table, I appeared "intense". It was really me just turning on and off focus. When I'm competing I treat every shot like it's going to win me the Worlds. Doesn't matter how 'easy' it is. Too easy to turn on that focus...?..., then ramp up focus on CB position afterward. Don't need CB either...?..., try moving it fractional inches in whatever direction.
How to practice not missing?
- Thread starter ldl01031
- Start date
I'm not letting it stop me, trust me. I just recognize it as a truth (like knowing someday I will die, not to be morbid...). It (both I guess) saddens me a bit but it doesn't stop me and I don't dwell on either. I'm averaging 4 hours a day (that little only because I have a demanding day job) and play in all the tournaments I can. It's definitely been slower getting back than I expected. I started playing again (remember that TV commercial where someone slaps their head and says "I could have had a V8!" - that's me and pool), just a few weeks before Covid shut everything down. That was good and bad. Good because I kicked my car out of the garage and bought a table, bad because I had no competition until recently - heck, I didn't even know anyone who played pool. All that said, no, I'm not letting it stop me. I just have to focus on 'now' and forgo the 5-10 year plan stuff; but I'm also in better shape than most people 15-20 years younger than me so I have a whole lot of tournaments to go. When is someone going to organize a senior tour?
Thumbs up on that!
You might just have me here. After having my fundamentals examined rather exhaustively, the only issue I'm aware of is that my elbow tends to be 'inward' a bit. I've proven to myself many times over that this is the difference between missing a long straight in shot much of the time, and making it for sure, every time. I try hard to keep this in mind (and to correct it) as I practice. The heck of it is, on the vast majority of shots it causes no problems. If it wasn't for the evidence on the long straight in, I would think "it's just the way I shoot." I'm not sure how to go about moving that retraining into my subconscious though. I assume/hope that with enough thoughtful repetition, it will become my normal stroke. If you have any tricks/techniques that might help correct that - I am most definitely all ears. Note that I have no trouble hitting the cue ball the length of the table and having it come back to my tip. But then again, when I do that, I'm concentrating on it. I'll start putting extra effort into that 'correction.' Again, if you have any tips other than 'try to remember to move your elbow out to straight up and down', I'm willing to spend any amount of time on any drill. Thanks!
One last fun fact, I was taught to play by Greg Sullivan
We used to go over and hustle the bars in Louisville, Ky. That was in the 70's, well before Diamond tables were even a twinkle in his eye.What I've done for a number of years is air shoot the shot before getting down. Line up in the air right over the cueball/shot and run a couple simulations. Stroke right over the shot until the tip of the stick is well into and past the Ghost ball socket. You can rehearse just about anything about the shot - cut, speed, direction, etc... nobody calls foul. The coolest part about these simulations is any stroke error becomes immediately evident and correctable. Now when you get down, your stroke is actually in line as opposed to just feeling right.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
There's a reason you see some great players windmill the cue around in the air before stroking. They are getting the correct speed control, grip, and visualizing the shot. It's pretty amazing how well you can calibrate your stroke just from a few air strokes while standing up.
That exercise has little to do with pocketing balls. I think it is better to have drills that include putting the ball in the pocket.
Instead, set up a draw shot straight into a pocket. Begin with a short one. Make the ball and draw the cue ball straight back to your tip. Adjust the length of each shot as you make or miss the previous shot in standard "progressive practice" style, so the shots are challenging but not beyond your reach.
For additional feedback use a stripe or a striped training ball as your cue ball and keep the strip vertical throughout the shot.
Yes, very good. Thanks. Time to put my Elephant cue ball to work.
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I find the big samurai sweep ineffective. More on the order of histrionics as far as I can tell. But eh, stahz...
What I do instead is stroke the shot from above and once that clicks in; the stick goes into shooting position as vertically as possible. If there's room to rest my backhand on the table, I might do that as well and anchor before bringing the rest of my body into shooting stance.
What great players windmill the cue around in the air before stroking, or even take practice strokes in the air before stepping into their stances?
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
Many of the old school players... Here's one:
It's not necessarily a hugely exaggerated windmill for everyone, but air strokes are something I notice a lot of players doing, especially if they've been sitting. My thoughts are it helps them get their stroke calibrated and find the balance point for a particular shot. Air strokes seem to help with the visualization process. The more out of the ordinary or important the shot the more it seems to happen. It's a great way to shut your head up and visualize.
Garreth Potts and Albin Ouschan come to mind but with those guys, their craft is fully functioning and current in their head. Frankly I think sweeping down to a shot from stroking 45 degrees into left field is ridiculous but for them it's become a familiar routine and keeps them at a technical optimum. Like I said, I practice the shot directly over the shot. Any errors are immediately apparent. Far as I'm concerned it's a better pre routine than anything else.
I'm not sure what it means to "windmill" a pool cue, but if we're talking about priming/feathering
shane comes to mind
in the effort to prevent missing
is there a good reason *not* to prime/feather a cue before shooting?
Are you referring to that little motion that Earl did at the point you marked? That's nothing.
It's a habit. Just like chalking again after you changed your mind. It's part of their thought process. They may not even realize what they're doing. Is there a good reason to not do it? No, nor is there a good reason to do it.
thanks for the reply, fran
what you said prompted several thoughts in me
and I wonder
1. if practicing helps us get better, wouldn't practicing stroking the cue be a good thing? even just to practice the feeling, even off the table?
2. and if priming/feathering is a good idea for that reason, couldn't it be doubly-encouraging, to integrate that into our PSR/thought/"unthought" process?
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
He's air stroking. If it meant nothing he, nor any other pool players would do it. It's common, helps get speed, stance and stroke in order and also helps visualize the shot. Next time you watch any pro pool match, especially with the older/classic players, notice just how much they air stroke. If they are doing it, it's something. It's not every shot, but on shots that require thinking or a shot that's not a gimmie, you'll see it.
I'm not saying this is a windmill motion, but it falls in the same category, you'll see that too, especially if they've been sitting for a while and want to get their body tuned in. Kind of like a cat wiggling his butt before pouncing.
I'm not saying it's good or bad, but anything to quiet your mind and get your body involved is a plus at least in my book.
Windmill immediately brought to mind the full torso pivot landing some players including Potts and Ouschan do but come to think of it Tom Cruise's cue dance might be a better example
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
Well... maybe windmill is a terrible way to explain it, sometimes it can look like using a pump handle, not really spinning as a windmill would.