how to practice when not able to play pool
- Thread starter ducky3653
- Start date
I thinkif you are not playing, but you want to practice, the only thing you can do is visualize making shots and going over your routine.
I once read about a study of basketball players where 5 players practiced all week for 8 hours a day. the other 5 players practiced for 4 hours a day and thought about playing really good basketball the other 4 hours. Both groups improved substantially. I might be a bit off in my recollection of the analysis but you get my point.
I once read about a study of basketball players where 5 players practiced all week for 8 hours a day. the other 5 players practiced for 4 hours a day and thought about playing really good basketball the other 4 hours. Both groups improved substantially. I might be a bit off in my recollection of the analysis but you get my point.
fast larry
Banned
ducky3653 said:
I sometime do not hit a ball for a month, then fly into a major show or exhibition and perform. I pull that off by playing in my mind before hand, or on the plane. I see the show, every shot being made perfectly, then just pull the triggers on them.
I am back now practicing like I should, but it can be done, without a lot of practice if your mental powers are great enough.
I always go to sleep every night, seeing my self play perfect, with out error. My mind accepts this is normal and expects me to now just do that.
It all comes down to this: The more you put into the game, the more you will get out of it. If you are constantly thinking positively about the game while you are not playing, you will improve your mental side of the game and play better. It will not help you with your stroke, or anything technical like that, but you will be in a better frame of mind when you play. It will also give you a desire, or hunger, to play, which is what you need to improve. If you just play to have fun, you will not improve. However, if you have a goal in mind, like going up a few handicap levels in a tournament or in the APA, or improving a high run, or something like that, you will improve faster. Once you get to a high level, you need to push yourself even harder to improve. Without a hunger for that, you will have difficulty doing it. Trust me. I've been through that before with 9-ball. Once I started doing trick shots full time, I lost the desire to improve my 9-ball game and it went down rapidly. I know I can still play pretty good 9-ball, but the desire is gone so I don't play as well as I should anymore.
Something else about thinking about the game while you aren't playing: When I was playing 9-ball regularly, I would always think about a situation where I was playing a set in a professional tournament and was down big, and then ran a bunch of racks and out to win. I would always think about this. Not for any reason, but because it put me in a good mood and it gave me the desire that I mentioned above. Anyway, eventually it happened in real life. I was playing in a tournament - not a pro tournament, but a big regional tournament. It was on the old McDermott tour or I think it was also called the National 9-Ball Tour. It was on the east coast, run in rooms from Virginia up to New York. It was a tour that lasted for a few years back in the mid 90's. Some of you may remember it. The tournament that I am talking about was held at Whitestone Billiards in Queens, NY. Anyway, I was down 8-4 to Danny Baroudi, he missed a shot, and I ran out that rack and then 4 more to win 9-8. It was amazing because that was the actual scenario that I was thinking about for years. Maybe it was just coincidence or maybe my mind was subconsiously programmed to do something like that. Who knows. The funny thing is that my next match, I was playing Frankie Hernandez and we had the exact same situation. I was down 8-4, he missed a shot. I ran out that rack, and then 3 more to make it 8-8. So far it was the exact same result. I was in the middle of running out the last rack when I hit the side pocket point with the cue ball and got out of line. I ended up missing a ball and he won. Almost two matches in a row with the exact same situation and result.
One comment about Larry's post: He is 100% right on this. Without practice, you can still perform if your mind is right. Once you get into the right situation, like an exhibition, your body just pulls it off like it knows how to do, especially if you have been doing it for years.
I also want to mention, as a member of IAPA and a player on the professional artistic tour, that I am happy to see that Larry will be competing again in our tournaments. Welcome back. Looking forward to seeing you at the New England Open in Connecticut and at the Masters at the Hopkins Billiard Expo. See you soon good buddy.
Andy Segal
Something else about thinking about the game while you aren't playing: When I was playing 9-ball regularly, I would always think about a situation where I was playing a set in a professional tournament and was down big, and then ran a bunch of racks and out to win. I would always think about this. Not for any reason, but because it put me in a good mood and it gave me the desire that I mentioned above. Anyway, eventually it happened in real life. I was playing in a tournament - not a pro tournament, but a big regional tournament. It was on the old McDermott tour or I think it was also called the National 9-Ball Tour. It was on the east coast, run in rooms from Virginia up to New York. It was a tour that lasted for a few years back in the mid 90's. Some of you may remember it. The tournament that I am talking about was held at Whitestone Billiards in Queens, NY. Anyway, I was down 8-4 to Danny Baroudi, he missed a shot, and I ran out that rack and then 4 more to win 9-8. It was amazing because that was the actual scenario that I was thinking about for years. Maybe it was just coincidence or maybe my mind was subconsiously programmed to do something like that. Who knows. The funny thing is that my next match, I was playing Frankie Hernandez and we had the exact same situation. I was down 8-4, he missed a shot. I ran out that rack, and then 3 more to make it 8-8. So far it was the exact same result. I was in the middle of running out the last rack when I hit the side pocket point with the cue ball and got out of line. I ended up missing a ball and he won. Almost two matches in a row with the exact same situation and result.
One comment about Larry's post: He is 100% right on this. Without practice, you can still perform if your mind is right. Once you get into the right situation, like an exhibition, your body just pulls it off like it knows how to do, especially if you have been doing it for years.
I also want to mention, as a member of IAPA and a player on the professional artistic tour, that I am happy to see that Larry will be competing again in our tournaments. Welcome back. Looking forward to seeing you at the New England Open in Connecticut and at the Masters at the Hopkins Billiard Expo. See you soon good buddy.
Andy Segal
When Im not playing, I usually think of playing/practicing. Visualize a tough shot that you want to work on then visualize making them one after another. I also do alot of reading focusing on the mental side of the game. Even if Ive read the book cover to cover once, I would go over them again and again. I also reading P&B mag & BD and try to visualize the shots or situations that the columnists wrote about.
Virtual Pool video game.