keeping stats during practice

[Opie]

Hello everyone. I've been playing a few years but started taking pool seriously about 8 months ago. Anyway, I started thinking the other day that when I go to the pool hall I should play by myself for like an hour and keep stats. I was thinking like writing down the number of balls on the break and then writing down how far I ran before I missed or would have to play a safe in a gambling/tournament situation. I thought this might be a good way to get an outside perspective on my game and a good way to track progression. I was just wondering if any of you guys do something like this and if you had any suggestions as to what type of statistics to keep. Any help or suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks.

 

[El Diablo]

Hello everyone. I've been playing a few years but started taking pool seriously about 8 months ago. Anyway, I started thinking the other day that when I go to the pool hall I should play by myself for like an hour and keep stats. I was thinking like writing down the number of balls on the break and then writing down how far I ran before I missed or would have to play a safe in a gambling/tournament situation. I thought this might be a good way to get an outside perspective on my game and a good way to track progression. I was just wondering if any of you guys do something like this and if you had any suggestions as to what type of statistics to keep. Any help or suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks.

I don't do this myself, but I do use video once in a while to check my form. If you are going to keep stats, just note the type of shots or leaves you are missing. Don't over-anaylze, it will take up a lot of time you could be using to practice those shots.

I saw a guy at a pro qualifier in Denver a couple years back taking stats during the tournament. I mean, there with a clipboard jotting everything down while his opponent was running out on him. Pool, as with anything, can be taken a little too seriously.

 

[Bobby]

Hello everyone. I've been playing a few years but started taking pool seriously about 8 months ago. Anyway, I started thinking the other day that when I go to the pool hall I should play by myself for like an hour and keep stats. I was thinking like writing down the number of balls on the break and then writing down how far I ran before I missed or would have to play a safe in a gambling/tournament situation. I thought this might be a good way to get an outside perspective on my game and a good way to track progression. I was just wondering if any of you guys do something like this and if you had any suggestions as to what type of statistics to keep. Any help or suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks.

I used to play the 9-ball ghost and record he score
and keep a list of the scores from all the sets over
a few months. It keeps practice interesting because
you're always trying to beat your personal best.

 

[vapoolplayer]

Hello everyone. I've been playing a few years but started taking pool seriously about 8 months ago. Anyway, I started thinking the other day that when I go to the pool hall I should play by myself for like an hour and keep stats. I was thinking like writing down the number of balls on the break and then writing down how far I ran before I missed or would have to play a safe in a gambling/tournament situation. I thought this might be a good way to get an outside perspective on my game and a good way to track progression. I was just wondering if any of you guys do something like this and if you had any suggestions as to what type of statistics to keep. Any help or suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks.

you should record EVERYTHING. playing the ghost, drills, tourmaments..........EVERYTHING. i don't mean that you have to have very detailed info all the time, but keep a journal or book with pool table diagrams with you.

all depends on how "serious" you are.

VAP

 

[Jack Flanagan]

I was thinking like writing down the number of balls on the break and then writing down how far I ran before I missed or would have to play a safe in a gambling/tournament situation.

,,,don't have to keep stats,,,a one ball run is easy to remember,,,is there such a thing as an 'F' player,,,,<- that's me,,,,,LOL

 

[El Diablo]

you should record EVERYTHING. playing the ghost, drills, tourmaments..........EVERYTHING. i don't mean that you have to have very detailed info all the time, but keep a journal or book with pool table diagrams with you.

all depends on how "serious" you are.

VAP

That is so stupid. Record EVERYTHING? If really want to get "serious," do this:

1. Learn the fundamentals first.
2. Read as many pool books and watch as many videos as possible (learn as much as possible)
3. Practice, practice, practice. Drills, drills, drills. For beginners, drills really make a difference later on in my opinion.
3. Play as many hours as possible and against as tough of competition as you can.
4. Play as many tournaments as possible.
5. Play for money as much as possible (don't ever bet what you don't have or can afford).

Writing a novel won't do you any good.

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

That is so stupid. Record EVERYTHING? If really want to get "serious," do this:

1. Learn the fundamentals first.
2. Read as many pool books and watch as many videos as possible (learn as much as possible)
3. Practice, practice, practice. Drills, drills, drills. For beginners, drills really make a difference later on in my opinion.
3. Play as many hours as possible and against as tough of competition as you can.
4. Play as many tournaments as possible.
5. Play for money as much as possible (don't ever bet what you don't have or can afford).

Writing a novel won't do you any good.

I couldn't agree more. I know some people beginner/intermediate players that record shots they intend to work on which I think is a good idea but to keep statistics of your practice sessions is a little overzealous. The only statistic I keep is the score.

 

[vapoolplayer]

That is so stupid. Record EVERYTHING? QUOTE]

i'll remember to let quite a few pro players that gave me that advice, that cary journals with them to record progress know how stupid it is next time i see them.

next time read what i wrote, i told him he didn't have to get too detailed, i was merely making a point that he should record his practice and competition........dumbass.

VAP

 

[El Diablo]

i'll remember to let quite a few pro players that gave me that advice, that cary journals with them to record progress know how stupid it is next time i see them.

next time read what i wrote, i told him he didn't have to get too detailed, i was merely making a point that he should record his practice and competition........dumbass.

VAP

Be sure to let them know hot-head. I did read what you wrote, sorry I disagreed with you. Obviously you have a problem with anyone that doesn't agree with your opinion.

And, if you read my FIRST post, that's exactly what I told him, don't "over-analyze it"!! How is that different from "don't get too detailed?"

I'm no dumbass, maybe a smartass, but no dumbass.

 

[vapoolplayer]

Be sure to let them know hot-head. I did read what you wrote, sorry I disagreed with you. Obviously you have a problem with anyone that doesn't agree with your opinion.

And, if you read my FIRST post, that's exactly what I told him, don't "over-analyze it"!! How is that different from "don't get too detailed?"

I'm no dumbass, maybe a smartass, but no dumbass.

if you look over my posts, you'll see i don't have a problem with people disagreeing with me.

what i have a problem with is after someone gives worthwhile advice, then someone wants to come along and say that the advice is stupid.

simply disagreeing is far from calling it stupid.

and there's no hot-headiness going on over here, i'm calmly calling you a dumbass.

VAP

 

[DaveK]

I know some people beginner/intermediate players that record shots they intend to work on which I think is a good idea but to keep statistics of your practice sessions is a little overzealous.

On this I will disagree. If you don't record your performances during practice sessions you are likely being less than objective about your abilities. If you KNOW you typically shoot a given shot at 7 of 10, and an alternative shot at 9 of 10, this can be real valuable information in making a shot selection. You can develop a FEELING about shot reliability without records, but egos often distort the reality. Have you ever had an opponent miss a hard shot then said "I usually make that shot" , and you think to yourself 'ya right buddy, you can't make that 3 out 10 on a good day' ? Those types are not realistic about their abilities ... of course the truth often hurts, which is why many do not record performances (not to say that is why you hold your opinion Jude, just expressing my own).

Dave, who is basically reciting doctrine according to Henning, and always drives a golf ball 300 yards

 

[DaveK]

That is so stupid. Record EVERYTHING? If really want to get "serious," do this:

1. Learn the fundamentals first.
2. Read as many pool books and watch as many videos as possible (learn as much as possible)
3. Practice, practice, practice. Drills, drills, drills. For beginners, drills really make a difference later on in my opinion.
3. Play as many hours as possible and against as tough of competition as you can.
4. Play as many tournaments as possible.
5. Play for money as much as possible (don't ever bet what you don't have or can afford).

Writing a novel won't do you any good.

The funny thing about this post is that some of the books read in point 2 suggest that you record performances during the first point 3 (it can be distracting during the second point 3) !

Dave, who still plays the Drivermaker game as a way of measuring progress ...

 

[El Diablo]

if you look over my posts, you'll see i don't have a problem with people disagreeing with me.

what i have a problem with is after someone gives worthwhile advice, then someone wants to come along and say that the advice is stupid.

simply disagreeing is far from calling it stupid.

and there's no hot-headiness going on over here, i'm calmly calling you a dumbass.

VAP

I did look over your posts and overall, you seem to be knowlegeable, but maybe slightly more sarcastic than average.

I'll say this, I originally took offense to you using my "serious" comment from my original post. A player can be serious whether or not they keep a journal. You implied that I'm not a serious pool player and maybe I took it the wrong way. Fact is, I am a serious pool player and pretty damn good also.

If you were offended by my stupid comment, then I sincerely apologize. I used the word stupid a little loosely and I didn't mean to portray you as being stupid.

Having said all of that, I still think keeping a log of everything is a waste of time. I have myself used a journal and found it tedious. I guess it depends on the type of person you are whether it will benefit you.

\

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

On this I will disagree. If you don't record your performances during practice sessions you are likely being less than objective about your abilities. If you KNOW you typically shoot a given shot at 7 of 10, and an alternative shot at 9 of 10, this can be real valuable information in making a shot selection. You can develop a FEELING about shot reliability without records, but egos often distort the reality. Have you ever had an opponent miss a hard shot then said "I usually make that shot" , and you think to yourself 'ya right buddy, you can't make that 3 out 10 on a good day' ? Those types are not realistic about their abilities ... of course the truth often hurts, which is why many do not record performances (not to say that is why you hold your opinion Jude, just expressing my own).

Dave, who is basically reciting doctrine according to Henning, and always drives a golf ball 300 yards

You need to be more maleable. The game of pool cannot be narrowed to a select number of shots and knowing your percentages in executing them. There are correct shots to take and incorrect shots and if you allow percentages to influence your decision, you may be compromising your game more than you're helping it.

There is a "Percentage Player". This is someone who will try and balance offence with defense and use them appropriately. However, don't let the word fool you. Most Percentage Players don't know the percentages. They simply ask themselves, "Among the choices that I have, which am I most likely to execute effectively?" These "percentages" are going to change every time you play at a different table or with different humidity or with different balls or on a different day. Your mechanics change, you mood changes, your eye-sight changes, your feelings change.

Most of the time YOU KNOW what you have to do in order to win. YOU KNOW if you're pocketing well and if playing aggressively is favorable. YOU KNOW when you're not comfortable with a shot or the pockets are tight and to look for defensive possibilities that are more comfortable. That "feel" is actually paramount to success and even if it's slightly warped by self-ego, that's likely better than the player who is trying to convince himself to take the right shot because of a practice drill success rate.

 

[El Diablo]

The funny thing about this post is that some of the books read in point 2 suggest that you record performances during the first point 3 (it can be distracting during the second point 3) !

Dave, who still plays the Drivermaker game as a way of measuring progress ...

So what, do you agree with everything you read? I will also guarantee you that every one of those authors will agree that it doesn't work for everyone.

It can be distracting period.

Here's what I'm saying, take what you need for you. Don't worry about the rest.

 

[DaveK]

You need to be more maleable. The game of pool cannot be narrowed to a select number of shots and knowing your percentages in executing them. There are correct shots to take and incorrect shots and if you allow percentages to influence your decision, you may be compromising your game more than you're helping it.

There is a "Percentage Player". This is someone who will try and balance offence with defense and use them appropriately. However, don't let the word fool you. Most Percentage Players don't know the percentages. They simply ask themselves, "Among the choices that I have, which am I most likely to execute effectively?" These "percentages" are going to change every time you play at a different table or with different humidity or with different balls or on a different day. Your mechanics change, you mood changes, your eye-sight changes, your feelings change.

Most of the time YOU KNOW what you have to do in order to win. YOU KNOW if you're pocketing well and if playing aggressively is favorable. YOU KNOW when you're not comfortable with a shot or the pockets are tight and to look for defensive possibilities that are more comfortable. That "feel" is actually paramount to success and even if it's slightly warped by self-ego, that's likely better than the player who is trying to convince himself to take the right shot because of a practice drill success rate.

What you say makes sense, and falls into the 'feel' category as opposed to the 'science' category. I definately try to 'play by feel', but will often select shots by percentages, especially when there are several options. This kind of thinking on my part comes up most often while selecting from various kick options when snookered.

Dave, who believes the wise man who said 'you can't fix what you can't measure' ... yes, I am an engineer, which may be a partial explanation of my attitude

 

[Billy_Bob]

The thing which has helped me the most (besides learning fundamental shots from books/videos - how to), is to keep track of shots I miss or have difficulty with.

Then I have a "shots to practice list" and add these shots to my list. So I have been practicing the things I am not good at for quite some time.

Now I am pretty good at some of these shots.

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

What you say makes sense, and falls into the 'feel' category as opposed to the 'science' category. I definately try to 'play by feel', but will often select shots by percentages, especially when there are several options. This kind of thinking on my part comes up most often while selecting from various kick options when snookered.

Dave, who believes the wise man who said 'you can't fix what you can't measure' ... yes, I am an engineer, which may be a partial explanation of my attitude

Try and think of it this way: Pool is more of a strategical game than it is a statistical game. You want to play the correct strategy.

A good example to consider is this:

Player has an offensive option with a Practice-Drill-Success-Rate of 20%. Player's defensive option has a PDSR of 30%. Player is uncommitted to both shots.

Based on the argument previously given, this statistician is going to take the defensive option because it's 33% more likely to succeed than the offensive option. I would say both percentages are low, I might as well go for it.

 

[vapoolplayer]

I did look over your posts and overall, you seem to be knowlegeable, but maybe slightly more sarcastic than average.

I'll say this, I originally took offense to you using my "serious" comment from my original post. A player can be serious whether or not they keep a journal. You implied that I'm not a serious pool player and maybe I took it the wrong way. Fact is, I am a serious pool player and pretty damn good also.

If you were offended by my stupid comment, then I sincerely apologize. I used the word stupid a little loosely and I didn't mean to portray you as being stupid.

Having said all of that, I still think keeping a log of everything is a waste of time. I have myself used a journal and found it tedious. I guess it depends on the type of person you are whether it will benefit you.

\

a little more sarcastic is an understatement

no offense taken, its just an online forum, everyone has different opinions.

i'll be perfectly honest.......(going to sound like a hipocrit now) i don't keep everthing in a log, i do keep alot in the journal. i'm totally a "feel" player, i don't weigh in the statitistic percentages when i look at a shot. sometimes i see a shot, and i know to lay up and play safe.........sometimes i see a shot that most of the time would be a snowflake's chance in hell, but it seems right, so i take it, most of the time i make it, but sometimes i don't. point being that i'm a feel player.

i wish i did keep more written down, thats why i gave the advice i did.

anyways, welcome aboard the forum.

VAP

 

[frankncali]

Pool should not be any different from any other sport and all others
take stats during practice and games/matches.

The same mentality is taken by pool players regardly lessons as well. Many people will take a golf lesson or tennis lesson but think its crazy to take
a pool lesson.

I think recording some info during practice can be helpful. Afterall its practice. One thing I have always found is that the better players
all know what shots they have trouble with and which ones they
dont.

Its also good to have another person watching and writing them down that
way you dont get out of a groove. During a match you can get someone to
watch for certain things and jot them down.

I think the problem lies in our ability to remember clearly. When playing we hit
so many shots and have good ones and bad ones that its hard to play and
remember everything so concise. The notes help. Many people tend to only remember the bad shots/rolls and not the good ones.