I "forgot" how to play pool

Push&Pool

Push&Pool

Professional Banger
Silver Member
I've played pool for 6 years now, and I have to say that for some reason my old "pool auto-pilot", which wasn't terrible at all, simply doesn't work anymore. I had to completely reinvent my play style and start all over again. I realized that about a year before I used to do the ghost ball aiming thing but without actually trying to imagine the ghost ball, I just "felt" the spot the CB had to hit. Now I desperately try to do it all with my conscious mind as my subconscious won't obey. Again, not saying I'm terrible, but I'm quite bad as longer shots I used to perform without thinking a couple of years earlier have become extremely challenging when I do it by focusing on it. It feels I literally forgot how to play pool, as I had more success and more accuracy with my old smash&hope style than now, when I supposedly play the game like it's meant to be played.
 
If you stopped playing for a while, just try to put more time on the table and everything that you have learned before will come back eventually.
 
I just went through this. Just keep shooting. Practice the same few simple cut shots over and over and your eye will come back. I've been playing pool on and off for 30+ years and this recent comeback was the first time I lost my eye for cuts (not for shallow banks, though). You might be psyched out now. I determined that I was psyched out subconsciously by my pro-cut pockets- this is the first time I ever played on them. I then started leaning over lower to try to be more precise and I think that messed me up more. I sometimes would completely miss the pocket and that NEVER happened before.

I recently posted a Byrne tip on how to re-create the exact same shot over and over- use those round reinforcement stickys for hole punch holes. They have very littly stickiness so won't mess with your cloth at all and I can't see a room owner having a gripe if you do it at a hall. I put them on my simonis with no problem.

Now back to what I was looking for in here... Good luck!
 
From your posts you were never very good. Playing to get a ball in by bouncing it all over the table is not "playing good" even if you made more shots that way.

Keep playing by actually aiming, eventually you'll be able to make balls again, in the right pockets even :thumbup:

I had to just about re-build my game after over 15 years of playing to go from a B to a B+ and I still need to figure out something I need to change so I can get to an A. Was not an easy process as I changed my stroke, my ideas about position play and a bit of how I aligned my body with the shot. Eventually I went back to how I used to play before the change, and the changes helped me to move past how I played before.
 
Seriously, if you haven't yet downloaded the pdf in my sig, I strongly urge you to do so. If your stroke and other fundamentals are at least half way decent, there is a wealth of information in that article. George Fels was one of the most highly regarded of pool authors and this is, in my opinion, one of his very best articles. I recommend it to any and all of my students and anyone else who wants to improve. There is something there for just about everyone, if it's just a reminder to do something they may have been neglecting to do every shot.
 
Mark

If you really want to get back or better go see Mark Wilson. Fix fundamentals first so your are practicing good things.

Good Luck to you.
 
OK, I think I located a part of my problems. First, I've had certain difficulties in my personal life, so stress is probably a factor why my game seems off. Putting that aside, though, the other, more important issue is the fact that ever since I switched to my new style I became too rigid and started to over think shots instead of trusting my judgement. I was practicing today and even playing some great players and I did much better, because I told myself to relax and trust my instincts, no matter how it turns out. That way I managed to incorporate my old "instinct pool", but without the banging part, with my new style based on precision and CB control. I'll need a lot of practice and experience but I feel I can gradually improve that way.
 
"my new style based on precision and CB control"?!

Where is the real Push&Pool and what have you done with him?
 
Sometimes I just take a break from playing and hang out in NPR. It clears my mind. A mental and physical break does help me a lot though.
 
Get your vision checked. I have fantastic vision, but my eye dominance switches around on me wreaking havoc on my game.
 
Sorry to say but maybe your age start to catching up on you.

It's not only about the physical condition I guess, sometimes when you get older you tend to think too much which it might affects your game.
 
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