If you could do just ONE thing to make you Pool Game better what would it be.
- Thread starter CocoboloCowboy
- Start date
My one big improvment
I'm 62 and been playing for over 50 yrs.I was never a great player But better than average. I lost the sight of my left eye about 3 years ago and thay killed my game. Bought a nice Mottey cue and it breaks my heart I just plain suck! I wanted to have surgery but I wasn't ready. Well next monday the Doc's are going to try to restore my sight. I'm kinda nervous but if it works I'm gonna play every day for the rest of my life. Wish me LUCK brothers
I'm 62 and been playing for over 50 yrs.I was never a great player But better than average. I lost the sight of my left eye about 3 years ago and thay killed my game. Bought a nice Mottey cue and it breaks my heart I just plain suck! I wanted to have surgery but I wasn't ready. Well next monday the Doc's are going to try to restore my sight. I'm kinda nervous but if it works I'm gonna play every day for the rest of my life. Wish me LUCK brothers
Find the level of concentration I need to have to play my best and stay in that zone despite anything that might be going on around me. Easier said than done.
rubberheels said:
Good Luck, let us know how it turns out.
Defense,defense,defense..thats my weak spot, i've always played a mccready style(not speed) fire em.. if i can hit it i can make it was my motto..i'll turn the cue ball loose to make a ball knowing the next shot wiil too be hard. I guess i need some self restraint or something.
Consistency.
For some weird reason when I play really good players my game gets better, but when I play bangers my game drops and I start messing up easy shots. For example, I missed a straight in shot that needed slight left english vs. a banger that I normally would pot in every time. But against Dr. Cue a couple weeks ago when he came through here doing an exhibition, I break and pot something, combo the 8 in, combo the 7 in, carom the 6 in, and hook him with a corner pocket safety where the cueball is frozen on the pocket rail hanging off of the pocket with 2 balls blocking his shot. Unfortunately, he is Dr. Cue for a reason and he kicks out, makes a shot, then does an insane 4-9 combo for the win. The 4 and 9 were 2mm from each other stuck near a side pocket. He whacks the 4, which combos the 9 into the corner of the side pocket, which launches it into the opposing side pocket!
For some weird reason when I play really good players my game gets better, but when I play bangers my game drops and I start messing up easy shots. For example, I missed a straight in shot that needed slight left english vs. a banger that I normally would pot in every time. But against Dr. Cue a couple weeks ago when he came through here doing an exhibition, I break and pot something, combo the 8 in, combo the 7 in, carom the 6 in, and hook him with a corner pocket safety where the cueball is frozen on the pocket rail hanging off of the pocket with 2 balls blocking his shot. Unfortunately, he is Dr. Cue for a reason and he kicks out, makes a shot, then does an insane 4-9 combo for the win. The 4 and 9 were 2mm from each other stuck near a side pocket. He whacks the 4, which combos the 9 into the corner of the side pocket, which launches it into the opposing side pocket!
Gregg said:
Gregg,
You are truly a wise man. We all want straighter strokes, to miss less and to win more but the truth is that if we never missed and always won we wouldn't be any happier. It's the journey that makes it exciting. The struggle and the little improvement along the way that make it fun, satisfying and often frustrating.
Good answer,
CocoboloCowboy said:
I'd find Cocobolo Cowboy and take some lessons from him.
Commie, don't think I'm singling you out, but are you sure you're playing better when you play a strong player? In the example you gave you mention a bunch of trick shots, caroms and combos. Sinking several low percentage shots is not so much "I started hitting 'em like Efren", it's more like "I got heads on a coin toss five times in a row".
I have no idea of your skill level so I could be totally out of line, if so I apologize, I just wanted to make sure you're aware that too many caroms and combos are usually a sign of playing badly, not playing well
On an unrelated note: boggs, that looks like a yamaha F335 you're playing there? I carry mine into the pool hall all the time.
I have no idea of your skill level so I could be totally out of line, if so I apologize, I just wanted to make sure you're aware that too many caroms and combos are usually a sign of playing badly, not playing well
On an unrelated note: boggs, that looks like a yamaha F335 you're playing there? I carry mine into the pool hall all the time.
All this talk about a reliable consistent stroke. Without it you will never hit any shot well. You'll do it sometimes, but not most of the time. This is why I went to pool school. Two years ago I went to Pool school with Randyg, Scott Lee, and Joe Tucker. My whole game changed. I may never be more than a b player, but before this school I would never have been more than a d player. I'm closing in on 60. I understand my limitations. But, pool school gave me a chance to develop that reliable consistent stroke. That is not just one of the things they teach you. It is the entire emphasis of the program.
These guy know their stuff. The know how to teach. The enjoy teaching. If you can't make it to a full three day school contact Scott Lee. He travels the country giving lessons.
I recently hooked up my friend with Scott. They did 4-5 hours a day for two days. My friend keeps thanking me for introducing him to Scott.
Rubberheels I wish you the best. I hope everything works out for you.
These guy know their stuff. The know how to teach. The enjoy teaching. If you can't make it to a full three day school contact Scott Lee. He travels the country giving lessons.
I recently hooked up my friend with Scott. They did 4-5 hours a day for two days. My friend keeps thanking me for introducing him to Scott.
Rubberheels I wish you the best. I hope everything works out for you.
CreeDo said:Commie, don't think I'm singling you out, but are you sure you're playing better when you play a strong player? In the example you gave you mention a bunch of trick shots, caroms and combos. Sinking several low percentage shots is not so much "I started hitting 'em like Efren", it's more like "I got heads on a coin toss five times in a row".
I have no idea of your skill level so I could be totally out of line, if so I apologize, I just wanted to make sure you're aware that too many caroms and combos are usually a sign of playing badly, not playing well
On an unrelated note: boggs, that looks like a yamaha F335 you're playing there? I carry mine into the pool hall all the time.
I didnt do any trick shots, Dr. Cue ended the game with a trick shot that humiliated me
.I'm just a banger, but do have a pretty consistent combo. They weren't super hard ones either, the 8 was pretty much a given combo, and the 7 I did get lucky on cutting it in. The 6 was a given too. The two was hooked behind something else near the corner pocket and I didn't have position on it if I pocketed the 1, so I just used it to clear the table a little bit first. And that was the same corner pocket I used to play the pocket rail safety, so the 2 and what was hooking it (the 3 or 5 I think, it's been a few weeks, so sue me
) turned into obstacles for him.And Dr. Cue was just one example. I do much better in almost all my shot percentages when I'm playing against a good player. Perhaps it's because their own position play inadvertently helps me when they miss
. But I start messing up, especially in 8 ball, when someone who doesn't play much starts messing up my own positioning by comboing their OB and messing with my balls. I then have to completely revamp the position plays in my head to adjust to the new table situation.Advice
Learn how to play safeties from a kick, masse, or jump shot. Often you will be needing to use English to achieve this successfully. However, once you learn it, you will surprise yourself and your opponent.
This has worked very well for my game. A lot of people will think it is luck but it is not. I started by simply trying to make a good hit...then I progressed into trying to make the shot....then I progressed into hitting the object ball in order to place my cue ball in a "safe" area on the table. Start with one-rail kick shots as those are the easiest...but then progress into two and three rail kicks as these are a lot more common than you think. I will spend hours simply trying to hook myself and then trying to make a complete hit from the safety play. Likewise you can setup scenarios and practice making the hit and safety in the process. Know how to get stop, follow, etc from a kick shot and how to throw balls from a kickshot and you are cooking with fire!
rburgoyne said:
Learn how to play safeties from a kick, masse, or jump shot. Often you will be needing to use English to achieve this successfully. However, once you learn it, you will surprise yourself and your opponent.
This has worked very well for my game. A lot of people will think it is luck but it is not. I started by simply trying to make a good hit...then I progressed into trying to make the shot....then I progressed into hitting the object ball in order to place my cue ball in a "safe" area on the table. Start with one-rail kick shots as those are the easiest...but then progress into two and three rail kicks as these are a lot more common than you think. I will spend hours simply trying to hook myself and then trying to make a complete hit from the safety play. Likewise you can setup scenarios and practice making the hit and safety in the process. Know how to get stop, follow, etc from a kick shot and how to throw balls from a kickshot and you are cooking with fire!
Cue ball control. I think most people can pot balls but controlling the cue ball separates the bangers from the real players.
Great thread CoCo....
Hu,
GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!
How do you always think, respond and write exactly what I am thinking before I do? :smile:
Besides the clock.... for me it is translating the mental game to the physical game.......i.e. execution....... age can just suck!
td
ShootingArts said:
Hu,
GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!
How do you always think, respond and write exactly what I am thinking before I do? :smile:
Besides the clock.... for me it is translating the mental game to the physical game.......i.e. execution....... age can just suck!
td
