Out of stroke.....

[3kushn]

I had the weirdest experience recently, maybe it'll help.

I felt like there was something wrong with my stroke, it's not bad but it's not textbook. Every so often I go into textbook mode and try to set my stance carefully, make sure my practice strokes are driving straight forward and back with no wobble, and I try a pause before every shot... shooting this way, especially with the pause, doesn't quite feel natural to me, but I force myself to do it, even if I suffer and don't hit like I'm used to, even if I lose a bunch of matches.

So I did that for a while with mixed results, then played some straight pool and after a few minutes I said "screw it" and went back to my normal stroke, with no pause. I shot better than ever and made a new high run, and felt like I was really hitting them perfectly.

So maybe a helpful thing is to intentionally shoot in a slow, forced way for a while, going by the book, and then switch to your normal stroke. When you do, it'll feel like it's super natural and fluid in comparison. Maybe you'll feel like you're shooting nicely again instead of swinging someone else's arm.

CreeDo,

I've expeirenced the same in the past. Just toatlly change for an hour or two, going back to "perfect form". I'm speculating that this exercise, as well as laying off for a few days, tends to eliminate some unknow factor that's creeped in.

Your suggestion I'd say would have more likely results vs the layoff as practicing perfect form can't hurt even if it's impossible to be robotic.

 

[pooltchr]

Every so often I go into textbook mode and try to set my stance carefully, make sure my practice strokes are driving straight forward and back with no wobble, and I try a pause before every shot... shooting this way, especially with the pause, doesn't quite feel natural to me, but I force myself to do it, even if I suffer and don't hit like I'm used to, even if I lose a bunch of matches.

The way we practice will become the way we play. If you are trying to consciously change/correct your stroke while you are playing, you are almost certainly going to struggle. If you practice solid fundamentals, they will become more natural, so when you are in a match, they will be there without thinking about it.
Steve

 

[CreeDo]

yeah, it's a good point, trying to change in the middle of a match is a bit late, it'd be better if I already had the changes locked in during a practice session. I guess I consider playing others a practice session though, as long as it's not for money. More than almost anyone I know, I see it as just me and the table. I don't care who's racking for me =)

I think I enjoy practicing the pause only because I feel like it occasionally helps on a tough long straightish shot. It's like my arm had no choice but to send the CB where I was aiming. But for everyday shots that I can't miss even if you kick me in the head midstroke, the pause just feels redundant and saps some of the 'feel' out of my stroke.

 

[Jaden]

IT is.....

I had the weirdest experience recently, maybe it'll help.

I felt like there was something wrong with my stroke, it's not bad but it's not textbook. Every so often I go into textbook mode and try to set my stance carefully, make sure my practice strokes are driving straight forward and back with no wobble, and I try a pause before every shot... shooting this way, especially with the pause, doesn't quite feel natural to me, but I force myself to do it, even if I suffer and don't hit like I'm used to, even if I lose a bunch of matches.

So I did that for a while with mixed results, then played some straight pool and after a few minutes I said "screw it" and went back to my normal stroke, with no pause. I shot better than ever and made a new high run, and felt like I was really hitting them perfectly.

So maybe a helpful thing is to intentionally shoot in a slow, forced way for a while, going by the book, and then switch to your normal stroke. When you do, it'll feel like it's super natural and fluid in comparison. Maybe you'll feel like you're shooting nicely again instead of swinging someone else's arm.

The fact that this works is exactly why I teach exact aiming techniques like JT's system and the parallel line up technique or tangent draw back technique. If you practice with these systems and practice exactly setting up the shot, using correct fundamentals etc... and then go back to your normal rythm of play you'll notice that you'll be in dead stroke more often.

 

[pooltchr]

I think I enjoy practicing the pause only because I feel like it occasionally helps on a tough long straightish shot.... But for everyday shots that I can't miss even if you kick me in the head midstroke, the pause just feels redundant and saps some of the 'feel' out of my stroke.

If it helps on the long straight shots, wouldn't it make sense that it would help on ALL shots? What most of us are looking for in our game is consistancy. If you practice the pause, it will become your natural stroke. Why throw your brain a curve in the middle of a match by having to decide whether or not you need a pause on this shot? That way, you end up using the same stroke on EVERY shot.

A consistant stroke delivers consistant results.
Steve

 

[Ralph Kramden]

Get our eyes checked.

Sounds like good advice to me.

You could try hitting a few shots while looking at the cueball last. Line up your shot and look at the cueball when you stroke to make sure the cue tip is hitting exactly where you intended.

 

[gpeezy]

Back playing good again. My mind was just getting in the way. I played a tournament and split it and the played a 6 ahead set and won it in 45 min! My eyes have lost some sharpness I've thought over the last year but seem to have stabalized. Not sure what the deal was but I'm glad it hasn't gotten worse. As far as playing all I did was play for about 1 hr and tried to bust the back out of the pockets and spin the cue ball 12 rails and I went right back to playing. Thanks everyone.

 

[IA8baller]

I need to hand out some good reps on this thread, some very good advice from some knowledgable people. That's why I love AZ.