Mark Avlon said:
For those that warm up before a match, why do you warm up, and how do you warm up?
Excellent questions Mark.
Why?
1. To limber/stretch the muscles and skeletal parts. "Warming up" is a descriptive term since physical exercise increases circulation and actually does warm up the body.
2. To trigger muscle memory...which is a VERY forgetful type of memory.
3. To build confidence.
4. To "calibrate" the table...in terms of cushion liveliness, cloth speed and bank characteristics. While you may not be able to accomplish the entire warm up process on the match table, I always shoot at least one rack on the match table and offer the opponent to do likewise. In fact, my tactic is to intentionally appear at the table a couple of minutes after my name is called and invariably find the opponent shooting balls. So when he is finished, he can hardly deny me the same opportunity.
How?
1. Shoot the "Kinister" down the rail...replace the OB with the CB drill as a limbering up exercise.
2. Reverse that drill and shoot draw shots to check for draw distances which can vary widely for several reasons not the least of which is getting a light (worn) cb.
3. Shoot several EASY cut shots...to build confidence and to test cloth speed and cushion behavior.
4. Shoot a series of EASY shots but play for 2 and 3 rail cb paths...again to test cloth speed.
5. On the actual match table, I start with a series of cross-side/cross corner bank shots from angles that are my own "reference angles" from my own table and adust as necessary for match table cushion rebound characteristics.
6. Finish with 5 diamonds of separation straight in shots (on the diagonal) to verify and LOCK IN my SPF and eye pattern routines.
Except for possibly the bank shots I want to never miss so as to A) build my own confidence and B) cause my opponent to see that...so far...I haven't missed a shot. (-:
I would greatly appreciate your comments/criticisms.
Regards,
Jim