One Practice Stroke Before Shooting

teedotaj

teedotaj

teedot oohhhhhh
Silver Member
I can't remember who it was who posted it here but whoever you are, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I want to share this experience from practice the other day (a bit long)

Recently I have been having trouble pocketing balls consistently. Even during practice, I miss the easiest shots. What I noticed was every time I got down to shoot, it felt funny and I was unsure of myself. Sure enough I would miss.

Got me back to thinking it has to be either my alignment or my stroke. So I was desperately trying to find a way to fix the weird feeling. Then I remember reading here somewhere I think one poster said he learned from unknownpro to practice shooting with just one stroke.

I set up a long straight in shot from one corner shooting an OB at the middle of the table to the opposite corner. The first shot I fired went in true. I figured, ok maybe I shot that one good but let's see if I can do it again. I did it 6 times in a row with one practice stroke and they all went in. It works!

I think how it worked for me was it forced me to line up properly before getting down the shot. With proper alignment and a consistent stroke, I should be able to get the shots in even with one practice stroke. Indeed it worked true for me. Still not convinced, I said to myself, well if this really fixes a lot of the flaws of my shot, I should be able to knock these long straight in shots with my eyes closed after lining up properly (centre ball only of cours :p ).

So I did and to my surprise, I got 5 or 6 of them in a row before finally missing one (cmon I'm bound to miss one lol)

Anyways, I would just like to share this experience to anyone who feels that they are playing like crap lately and couldn't explain why. Try this approach because maybe it's just your alignment that's messed up.

After this excercise, I was able to knock in a lot of difficult cuts and long shots with much more confidence and no feeling of "man i know I'm gonna miss" :)

Anyone else tried this before and got good results??
 
yup. I remember mentioning it but I think you read it from somewhere else (and I didn't 'invent' it either, I got it from a Bert Kinister video).

It really does force you to get everything set just right before you even THINK about hitting the ball.

Of course, you aren't gonna 1-stroke everything all day. It's just a training or diagnostic tool. The practicing swing is sort of a way to judge the speed of a shot, and that info is valuable. But I think this is definitely worth fooling around with.

If there's still anyone in the world who isn't sold on the "pause at the end of the backswing"... give that one a try too. It really works. Like crazy. I showed it to a friend of mine and now he can't shut up about it. Even more annoying, he can't miss long cuts.
 
One of the Mother Drills we teach in the SPF classes has you shooting without ANY warm-up strokes. It's purely to focus on proper alignment.

SPF Rocks!

Steve
 
I'm going to give this a try. Alignment is so important and it's easy to take a shot for granted and just get down and not really be lined up properly. If you do this once in a while before you know it you'll be doing it more often and your fundamentals will start to suffer and you won't realize what's wrong.

James
 
I don't see why 1 practice would matter as long as you are consistent and it works for you.
 
NewStroke said:
I don't see why 1 practice would matter as long as you are consistent and it works for you.
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My theory is because you don't get a chance to adjust your shot once you are down so you better get it right the first time around.

I can stroke consistently but still miss because I'm consistently aligning tot he wrong spot.
 
yup, keeping a "quiet cue" or not having warm up strokes gives your eyes a chance to adjust and make a good aim for the shot.

having a ton of warm up strokes and a lot of movement just distracts you from the task at hand.....aiming!


G.
 
There is a guy at Hard Times who has been around just a short while and he gets down, takes 1 practice stroke. very slow backswing and fires away. He shoots all games very well. He is always somewhat Jacked Up and the ball never seems to jump. Go figure.
 
pooltchr said:
One of the Mother Drills we teach in the SPF classes has you shooting without ANY warm-up strokes. It's purely to focus on proper alignment.

SPF Rocks!

Steve
Click to expand...


Steve, I keep seeing you harp about your SPF mother drills. As a result I, like many other AZBr's, finally took the bait and ordered your SPF dvd set. Unfortunately, a large part of your dvd content was devoted to the rules of eightball and nineball, and there was no discussion whatsoever of the mother drills you're constantly pitching. Do you think I and your other customers realized we were buying a DVD devoted largely to the rules of two pool games? I believe most of us already know the rules, and have rule books. So, why did you omit the SPF mother drills in the SPF dvd set - certainly that would have been relevant content, whereas, a discussion of the rules of eight and nine ball is not. Am I missing something here? I brought this to Mr. Lee's attention long ago, and wonder if, nowadays, your new dvd customers are alerted about this ommission prior to taking their money, since it is likely they read a thread like this and are expecting information on the mother drills, don't you think? Thanks
 
Shankster8,
If you are talking about the DVD's that Randy and Scott made, I have seen them, and they are very good for what they are...DVDs. I'm sure Randy or Scott would be the first to tell you that the DVD's do not provide anywhere near the instruction provided in the 3 day pool school. (3 days, 8 hours per day, 24 hours of instruction) There is no way all of that information could be presented in a couple of hours.

The unique thing about SPF is while it does present some principles we encourage our students to incorporate into their game, we also blend those concepts to fit each individual student. The Mother Drills are follow-up to the individual attention everyone receives in the class setting. I could give you all 7 Mother Drills on paper, but you wouldn't get the full benefit of them without working with an instructor to help you customize them to your individual shooting style. When students leave pool school, they are given an individualized practice schedule. This kind of thing just can't be done with a DVD.

That is probably why they aren't presented in the DVD format.

Maybe Randy or Scott will see this and give a firsthand response. I do know they are getting ready to make another DVD this summer.

Steve
 
pooltchr said:
Shankster8,
If you are talking about the DVD's that Randy and Scott made, I have seen them, and they are very good for what they are...DVDs. I'm sure Randy or Scott would be the first to tell you that the DVD's do not provide anywhere near the instruction provided in the 3 day pool school. (3 days, 8 hours per day, 24 hours of instruction) There is no way all of that information could be presented in a couple of hours.

The unique thing about SPF is while it does present some principles we encourage our students to incorporate into their game, we also blend those concepts to fit each individual student. The Mother Drills are follow-up to the individual attention everyone receives in the class setting. I could give you all 7 Mother Drills on paper, but you wouldn't get the full benefit of them without working with an instructor to help you customize them to your individual shooting style. When students leave pool school, they are given an individualized practice schedule. This kind of thing just can't be done with a DVD.

That is probably why they aren't presented in the DVD format.

Maybe Randy or Scott will see this and give a firsthand response. I do know they are getting ready to make another DVD this summer.

Steve
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Thanks Steve, I happily accept your offer to provide the seven "mother drills" on paper. I am confident that other purchasers of the SPF dvd would also appreciate that information. Do you really believe that the "mother drills" are too complicated to benefit your AZB counterparts absent your personalized instruction?
 
I quit playing for a few years and have been back playing probably 5 months now. I noticed I was missing a lot of my shots. I started noticing all of my fundamentals and noticed that I was taking alot of practice strokes and not stopping at all on my backstroke. I never remembered having this sytle before so Im am not sure why I was doing it now. The last few weeks I have been retraining myself to use only one (and sometimes none) practice strokes. I also pause a second at the backstroke before I swing and follow through. My game has picked up tremendously in the last few weeks.

It may be a mental thing, or it may not, but its working for me.
 
shankster8 said:
Steve, I keep seeing you harp about your SPF mother drills. As a result I, like many other AZBr's, finally took the bait and ordered your SPF dvd set. Unfortunately, a large part of your dvd content was devoted to the rules of eightball and nineball, and there was no discussion whatsoever of the mother drills you're constantly pitching. Do you think I and your other customers realized we were buying a DVD devoted largely to the rules of two pool games? I believe most of us already know the rules, and have rule books. So, why did you omit the SPF mother drills in the SPF dvd set - certainly that would have been relevant content, whereas, a discussion of the rules of eight and nine ball is not. Am I missing something here? I brought this to Mr. Lee's attention long ago, and wonder if, nowadays, your new dvd customers are alerted about this ommission prior to taking their money, since it is likely they read a thread like this and are expecting information on the mother drills, don't you think? Thanks
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Shankster, thanks for the info. I was tempted to buy them at one point, glad I didn't.
 
shankster8 said:
Steve, I keep seeing you harp about your SPF mother drills. As a result I, like many other AZBr's, finally took the bait and ordered your SPF dvd set. Unfortunately, a large part of your dvd content was devoted to the rules of eightball and nineball, and there was no discussion whatsoever of the mother drills you're constantly pitching. Do you think I and your other customers realized we were buying a DVD devoted largely to the rules of two pool games? I believe most of us already know the rules, and have rule books. So, why did you omit the SPF mother drills in the SPF dvd set - certainly that would have been relevant content, whereas, a discussion of the rules of eight and nine ball is not. Am I missing something here? I brought this to Mr. Lee's attention long ago, and wonder if, nowadays, your new dvd customers are alerted about this ommission prior to taking their money, since it is likely they read a thread like this and are expecting information on the mother drills, don't you think? Thanks
Click to expand...

Are referring to a DVD set made by Steve or the one Randy and Scott made? The one Randy and Scott made has a minimal amount of time spent on the rules of the games and in the first disc goes on to cover SPF, pre shot routines, speed control, stop shots and other basics. It is labeled "Mastering the Basics."! The 2nd disc covers 1-2-3 rail kicking systems practice games and some trick shots. Advanced players are probably famililar with most of the things covered but refreshment never hurts. I don't think any of the instructors will give out the Mother Drills--ever. Unless you take their course. I certainly don't think that Scott misrepresents anything. I know him as a man of integrity.JMHO
 
It's not a question of how complicated they are. It's a question of knowing how to take the drills and use the information you get from them. For example, the first mother drill is simply to set up a ball about 7 inches from the corner of the table and shoot it into the corner pocket. THAT'S IT! Repeat! What good does it do? Well, if you know what kind of feedback you are looking for, it can help a great deal in helping you determine if something is going wrong with your stroke. If you don't, you are just shooting balls into a pocket. Another has you shoot stop shots at different distances. Again, no big secret. I've heard dozens of posters here say this is a good drill.

It's not the drills, it's how to apply what you learned in class when you are doing them. There is no magic to them at all. The magic comes from what you do with them.

As I said, pool school is about helping individuals gain knowledge and develop skills that will help them improve their game. While DVD's and books, and even forums like this are great for sharing information, there is no way they can match the individual attention you get from face-to-face instruction. They aren't substitutes, so you can't hope to get everything out of them that you would get from personal instruction.

Steve
 
Gerald said:
Are referring to a DVD set made by Steve or the one Randy and Scott made?
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I had to assume he was talking about Scott and Randy's, since I haven't produced a DVD. But the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if he had something else. I don't remember very much time being spent by Soctt and Randy on the rules of the game. He may be confused.

If I'm not mistaken, SPF is a trademark of Randy's, and he is, understandably, somewhat restrictive about how and when and by whom it is used.

Steve
 
I'm going to take some credit here. Unknowpro first brought the 1 practice stroke and shoot practicing method to my attention and I tried it. Once I tried it and loved what it was doing for me I then posted over and over about the virtures of one stroke practice shooting. It has taught me how to aim while up and aiming while up is the way to play.
 
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shankster8 said:
Steve, I keep seeing you harp about your SPF mother drills. As a result I, like many other AZBr's, finally took the bait and ordered your SPF dvd set. Unfortunately, a large part of your dvd content was devoted to the rules of eightball and nineball, and there was no discussion whatsoever of the mother drills you're constantly pitching. Do you think I and your other customers realized we were buying a DVD devoted largely to the rules of two pool games? I believe most of us already know the rules, and have rule books. So, why did you omit the SPF mother drills in the SPF dvd set - certainly that would have been relevant content, whereas, a discussion of the rules of eight and nine ball is not. Am I missing something here? I brought this to Mr. Lee's attention long ago, and wonder if, nowadays, your new dvd customers are alerted about this ommission prior to taking their money, since it is likely they read a thread like this and are expecting information on the mother drills, don't you think? Thanks
Click to expand...



Dear Mr. shankster8, What is the name of the DVDs that you are watching? Both Scott & I demostrate The Mother Drills on OUR DVDS. Very little time (1%) is spent on Rules. We do not have a set of dvds titled, SPF. I think something is wrong here. What's up?......SPF=randyg
 
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