Important Things To Remember When Playing Pool.
- Thread starter JoeyA
- Start date
Mike Templeton said:
Everyone's giving such great advice. Thanks. Here's one more that requires lots of practice for most of us.
If you don't already have the ability, learn to use low inside English while pocketing a ball at different cue ball speeds. (It can be an extremely valuable asset to your game).
JoeyA
If you play 9-ball make sure you always hit the lowest numbered ball first!!! Sometimes people don't do that!
I have heard that he can't even beat Jay Helfert...
chicagomike said:
I have heard that he can't even beat Jay Helfert...
Chalk well before every shot especially around the edges of the tip. The sides of the tip are what contacts the cue ball with an off center hit. Examine your tip under the light after chalking to be sure there are no dark spots on the tip.
Your elbow is like a hinge. It can only move one direction. Your shoulder can move any which way. So leave your upper arm up and fixed shooting with only your elbow, then your shot will be straight.
On your final stroke, bring your arm back and then pause briefly before moving your arm forward to shoot your shot.
Where will the cue ball go after this shot?
What goes forward will hit a rail and come back. You can many times use follow instead of draw, the ball will hit a rail and come back!
After contacting the cue ball, leave the tip of your cue 6 inches past were the cue ball was and pointing at where you were aiming. Stay down on your shot after shooting.
You get action on the cue ball (follow, draw, spin) by following through on your shot. "This is a STUN shot. You will get STUN by following through on your shot." "This is a DRAW shot. You will get DRAW by following through on your shot." "This is a FOLLOW shot. You will get FOLLOW by following through on your shot." - Leave the tip of your cue 6 inches past where the cue ball was and the tip pointing at where you were aiming, stay down on your shot.
Your elbow is like a hinge. It can only move one direction. Your shoulder can move any which way. So leave your upper arm up and fixed shooting with only your elbow, then your shot will be straight.
On your final stroke, bring your arm back and then pause briefly before moving your arm forward to shoot your shot.
Where will the cue ball go after this shot?
What goes forward will hit a rail and come back. You can many times use follow instead of draw, the ball will hit a rail and come back!
After contacting the cue ball, leave the tip of your cue 6 inches past were the cue ball was and pointing at where you were aiming. Stay down on your shot after shooting.
You get action on the cue ball (follow, draw, spin) by following through on your shot. "This is a STUN shot. You will get STUN by following through on your shot." "This is a DRAW shot. You will get DRAW by following through on your shot." "This is a FOLLOW shot. You will get FOLLOW by following through on your shot." - Leave the tip of your cue 6 inches past where the cue ball was and the tip pointing at where you were aiming, stay down on your shot.
JoeyA said:Does Jay really play that poorly?
JoeyA (alright, stop it Roy. This is supposed to be a serious thread to help AZ's pool game and now you've got me posting s**t like you).
Earl Strickland played the wrong ball first in the 2007 World Pool Championship, and in the 2005 World Pool Championship Steve Davis pocketed the 3-ball before the 2-ball. In the interview after the match he said that in snooker they always pocketed the red before the blue
Also, Niels Feijen lost a match in the IPT because he forgot the 1-ball and pocketed the 8-ball.
So, I am serious. Make sure you always hit the lowest numbered ball first when playing 9-ball!
JoeyA said:
Well some important things to remember while playing are: staying down on the shot, follow thru, keep your eyes focused on the shot at hand, not allowing distractions to enter into your mind such as, whats your opponent doing, others milling around the room, and blocking out the (railbird) chit chat.
I personaly like to think many shots ahead at all times, when it's my turn at the table, i run out in my mind before i ever shoot the first shot
Also keep those angles,( regardless of what you say, straight n's are the hardest to make), least amount of cue ball movement, just keep it simple, their are basic patterns in pool, like 9-ball, play shape for the wide side of the object ball, and you don't have to be perfect as long as you have the proper angle,
David Harcrow
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Most important of all. IF YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, Stop. Back up from the table and rethink and focus. Someone walks by to distract. Stop. Thinking about how you're gonna spend your cash that you're winning? Stop. Refocus. NOTHING ON YOUR MIND BUT THE SHOT.
Coming in close behind:
Put your beer down.
Stop screaming "Jack it up, you loser."
Never yell, "Told you you can't give me the seven!" (Kills future action)
Use the end with the tip. (Unless you are playin' a gaff game with the other end.
Only play with a broom if that's the only way to get action.
No, that girl isn't sitting that way just for you. (this shit will get into your head).
Tomorrow IS a workday, but take this monkey off and quit being a pansy about it.
I have a few more, but only bring them to light after a couple of beers.
Coming in close behind:
Put your beer down.
Stop screaming "Jack it up, you loser."
Never yell, "Told you you can't give me the seven!" (Kills future action)
Use the end with the tip. (Unless you are playin' a gaff game with the other end.
Only play with a broom if that's the only way to get action.
No, that girl isn't sitting that way just for you. (this shit will get into your head).
Tomorrow IS a workday, but take this monkey off and quit being a pansy about it.
I have a few more, but only bring them to light after a couple of beers.
It is about your shoulder
The one that has helped me more than most others lately and not posted yet is as follows:
Walk into the shot from behind the shooting position and place your shoulder on the shot line. This helps in many ways. The cue stick will tend to stay on the line when you bend down resulting in a straight stroke. When you know the stroke is dead straight you only have to move your butt (or your bridge hand in extreme cases). For some unknown reason your stroke will be much smoother if your shoulder is on line.
This principle works so well that I sometimes think it must be one of those pool secrets of the pros that we hear about but are not revealed. No one told it to me, I found it through trial and error and studying my own success and many failures.
The one that has helped me more than most others lately and not posted yet is as follows:
Walk into the shot from behind the shooting position and place your shoulder on the shot line. This helps in many ways. The cue stick will tend to stay on the line when you bend down resulting in a straight stroke. When you know the stroke is dead straight you only have to move your butt (or your bridge hand in extreme cases). For some unknown reason your stroke will be much smoother if your shoulder is on line.
This principle works so well that I sometimes think it must be one of those pool secrets of the pros that we hear about but are not revealed. No one told it to me, I found it through trial and error and studying my own success and many failures.
The Slow eye technique
Another technique I have learned recently and have re-thought for my own use is a modification of the "quiet eye" technique.
There is no reason to rapidly shift focus from the OB to the CB when playing pool. If you think about it, when you change focus from OB to CB your mind draws a line that connects the dots (so to speak). You can do that intentionally or unintentionally, but you will do it if the CB is going to go where you want it to go.
There is no need to draw this line quickly. I have found that I can slowly draw the line and can see all sorts of markers that help me insure I stay on line. Markers might be dust or chalk marks on or near the shot line. I am also more likely to attempt to determine a very small spot on the OB and insure that I am in the right place on the CB when I move my eyes slowly. So why let your eyes "jump" around when there is no need to and you may ignore valuable information?
Works for me.
Another technique I have learned recently and have re-thought for my own use is a modification of the "quiet eye" technique.
There is no reason to rapidly shift focus from the OB to the CB when playing pool. If you think about it, when you change focus from OB to CB your mind draws a line that connects the dots (so to speak). You can do that intentionally or unintentionally, but you will do it if the CB is going to go where you want it to go.
There is no need to draw this line quickly. I have found that I can slowly draw the line and can see all sorts of markers that help me insure I stay on line. Markers might be dust or chalk marks on or near the shot line. I am also more likely to attempt to determine a very small spot on the OB and insure that I am in the right place on the CB when I move my eyes slowly. So why let your eyes "jump" around when there is no need to and you may ignore valuable information?
Works for me.
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catpool9 said:
so true!
I always try to tell beginners to play for angles, still they put the cueball straight in if they get ball in hand
Ah, well, as long as they hit the lowest numbered ball first I guess it is ok
When watching pool, whether while your opponent is at the table, or another match with a pro, or watching Accu-Stats videos, or just watching bangers, don't
turn your mind off".
Consciously strive to imagine how you would hit the current shot. What spin, speed, and stroke. Then, observe how the player hits it, and what the results are.
Imagine how the shot you are observing would "feel". Try to imagine yourself physically setting up for the shot, and executing it perfectly. People will read this and say "Yeah, I've heard that before, and I do that..", but DO you?
A lot of players get bored watching matches, but it's one of the quickest ways to improve your game. A good player once told a story about going to prison, and said he imagined himself playing in his mind for the two or three years he was in, and came out playing two balls better than when he went in.
From a sports psychology perspective, visualization might be the MOST critical skill to have once you get past running fast, jumping high, being strong, etc. In other words, it might be the most important mental skill.
Short Bus "C Player" Russ
turn your mind off".
Consciously strive to imagine how you would hit the current shot. What spin, speed, and stroke. Then, observe how the player hits it, and what the results are.
Imagine how the shot you are observing would "feel". Try to imagine yourself physically setting up for the shot, and executing it perfectly. People will read this and say "Yeah, I've heard that before, and I do that..", but DO you?
A lot of players get bored watching matches, but it's one of the quickest ways to improve your game. A good player once told a story about going to prison, and said he imagined himself playing in his mind for the two or three years he was in, and came out playing two balls better than when he went in.
From a sports psychology perspective, visualization might be the MOST critical skill to have once you get past running fast, jumping high, being strong, etc. In other words, it might be the most important mental skill.
Short Bus "C Player" Russ
Heard this from a BCA instructor here in the Dallas area...
There are only two things you MUST remember to play great pool.
First, never ever under any circumstances, under cut the ball.
Second, and this is probably the most important thing that you must not forget...never over cut the ball.
Jimbo
There are only two things you MUST remember to play great pool.
First, never ever under any circumstances, under cut the ball.
Second, and this is probably the most important thing that you must not forget...never over cut the ball.
Jimbo
Important things to remember while playing pool!
This is an older short thread, but one with a wealth of information that will surely help a player to improve their game!
One thing I may add to remember is every so often check the rack!
David Harcrow
This is an older short thread, but one with a wealth of information that will surely help a player to improve their game!
One thing I may add to remember is every so often check the rack!
David Harcrow
When I am playing less than to my abilities in a match, I go through a checklist of what I know I should be doing. One of the things I did not see mentioned here is to remember to accelerate through the CB. Don't go from zero to full speed in an instant. Remembering this seems to quiet my mind, improve my focus, and I use fewer practice strokes. I find it gives me more control of the hit and the CB after the initial contact with the OB.
Smoothly accelerate.
I like that James. You explained not going full speed in an instant but I would add SMOOTHLY in front of the word accelerate. The word SMOOTH has won me a lot of games and helped me to increase my consistency of playing well.
I like that James. You explained not going full speed in an instant but I would add SMOOTHLY in front of the word accelerate. The word SMOOTH has won me a lot of games and helped me to increase my consistency of playing well.
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Many good advices already
-Keep it simple
-Think before shooting...then shoot without thinking!
-Enjoy your game
-keep watching your opponent to detect weakness etc (tournament)
- DON T forget to breathe (serioulsy)
- Believe !
- PSR PSR PSR PSR PSR ....
And if you miss: Just smile, get your chalkand sit down
-Keep it simple
-Think before shooting...then shoot without thinking!
-Enjoy your game
-keep watching your opponent to detect weakness etc (tournament)
- DON T forget to breathe (serioulsy)
- Believe !
- PSR PSR PSR PSR PSR ....
And if you miss: Just smile, get your chalkand sit down
Lots of great info here. Was before my time here so a good thing Dave brought it back to life.
Thats what I try to do James. There are times that I step up and start shooting. Missing relatively easy shots and I feel I'm forgetting some important part. I go thru the mental checklist and it usually ends up being something such as not following thru, popping up, etc. Once realized and corrected, I can settle into my game.
Thats what I try to do James. There are times that I step up and start shooting. Missing relatively easy shots and I feel I'm forgetting some important part. I go thru the mental checklist and it usually ends up being something such as not following thru, popping up, etc. Once realized and corrected, I can settle into my game.
Notice the line of the next object ball, play for a side
When you shoot stay down after the shot, Keeping the tip on the table will help you stay down
After impact follow the object ball with your eyes not the cue ball, good players watch the object ball enter the pocket.
Keep the tip on the table after the shot, check the tip postion was it online or is it to the right or left.
When you waggle pull back with the tricep forward with the bicep
Pause to check your aim
Play to the center of the table, if you are stuck for what to do consider landing their first and then work your way out
If you hit a rail and cross the exact center of the table you will never scratch
When you shoot stay down after the shot, Keeping the tip on the table will help you stay down
After impact follow the object ball with your eyes not the cue ball, good players watch the object ball enter the pocket.
Keep the tip on the table after the shot, check the tip postion was it online or is it to the right or left.
When you waggle pull back with the tricep forward with the bicep
Pause to check your aim
Play to the center of the table, if you are stuck for what to do consider landing their first and then work your way out
If you hit a rail and cross the exact center of the table you will never scratch
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