Playing better with less practice??

[dareads]

I was wondering if anyone has had it happen where they play better when getting less practice time. My friend that I used to shoot with 2-3 times a week has moved out of the area. Now the only time I get to play is once, maybe twice a week in local tournaments. What's weird is that I've placed in all 3 tournaments I've played in since he moved :thumbup:. Any ideas??

 

[NewStroke]

Based on RandyG's advice, I practice hard about 15 mins per session. I modified it to have a session about every 2 hours. It's working for me.

 

[Junkyarddog]

I was wondering if anyone has had it happen where they play better when getting less practice time. My friend that I used to shoot with 2-3 times a week has moved out of the area. Now the only time I get to play is once, maybe twice a week in local tournaments. What's weird is that I've placed in all 3 tournaments I've played in since he moved :thumbup:. Any ideas??

I read somewhere that if you recognize that you haven't done something in awhile or think you are out of practice you try a little harder since you aren't doing it as much. You could have also have been suffering burnout playing with your friend so often.

 

[Nostroke]

Some times a little break makes you shake bad habits.

I knew a kid who went away for the summer to Myrtle Beach. He couldn't play at all there because they enforced the age thing. When he came back and started playing again, he was a ball better and he kept it.

 

[dareads]

I read somewhere that if you recognize that you haven't done something in awhile or think you are out of practice you try a little harder since you aren't doing it as much. You could have also have been suffering burnout playing with your friend so often.

Might be on to something here. I consciously don't feel any different when playing, but I have had it happen before when I went a few months without playing at all and went into a tournament with no expectations and finished higher than I ever had in that tournament. The "mental" aspect of pool, just another reason why I love it so much.

 

[paksat]

You know when you're getting burned out.. balls get blurry, angles that are normally childs play now get challenging, stupid mistakes happen etc. etc.

Just put the stick down for a week or so until you start to feel that burn again.

 

[duckie]

Try Softer

A young boy traveled across Japan to the school of a famous martial artist. When he arrived at the dojo he was given an audience by the sensi.

"What do you wish from me?" the master asked.
"I wish to be your student and become the finest karateka in the land," the boy replied. "How long must I study?"
"Ten years at least," the master answered.
"Ten years is a long time," said the boy. "What if I study twice as harder as all your other students?"
"Twenty years," replied the master.
"Twenty years! What if I practice day and night with all my efforts?"
"Thirty years," was the master reply.
"How is it that each time I say I will work harder, you tell me that it will take longer?" the boy asked.
"The answer is clear. When one eye is on the destination, there is only ont eye left with which to find the Way."

Anonymous

 

[Mike in MN]

You know when you're getting burned out.. balls get blurry, angles that are normally childs play now get challenging, stupid mistakes happen etc. etc.

Just put the stick down for a week or so until you start to feel that burn again.

Maybe your avatar has me mesmerized, but I completely agree with you. If you get burnt out, you don't care as much. Happens to me from time to time.

 

[driz86]

i started practicing like twice per week for an hour or so each time. I would quit the second i got bored, and i will say that my game jumped quite a bit

 

[Mr Slate]

I practice 1 hour before matches. The rest of the week I try to get more practice but it's a challenge to play early in the day knowing I have to be at work at 4pm till 1am.

 

[mullyman]

I was wondering if anyone has had it happen where they play better when getting less practice time. My friend that I used to shoot with 2-3 times a week has moved out of the area. Now the only time I get to play is once, maybe twice a week in local tournaments. What's weird is that I've placed in all 3 tournaments I've played in since he moved :thumbup:. Any ideas??

I would say that some people can definitely play better after a little break. What happens when you play all the time is that you get content and start hitting ceilings. When you take a little time off and get back to the table you unconsciously use more center ball, stop trying 3 rail positions, ease up on playing for bank shots etc... and it seems like you're totally in stroke. The reality is that you're getting back to basics and once you get comfortable you'll start spinning a little more, taking riskier shots etc... and you'll be back where you were. Having some time off is a good thing, but actually look at what you're doing compared to what you used to do and see if you can pick anything out.
MULLY

 

[BWTadpole]

I kind of like the mix of ideas that are coming up in this thread. Unfortunately, I have to inject one of my own here.

I agree that practicing less frequently may alleviate some mental stress and elevate the level of your game. However, I through and through believe that this technique only brings your game up to your personal highest for your skill level. In a way, it's like climbing a ladder: the reduced mental stress lets you climb the ladder higher than before, but the top of the ladder is fixed by your own skill level. Tempering hard practice with extreme focus will allow you to lengthen the ladder and raise the ceiling on just how good your dead-punch A game really is.

AKA, rehashing what Mully said

 

[Falcon Eddie]

If you are practicing the right things. It will always elevate your level.

But even practicing the "right things"when your tried or unmotivated will produce bad results and you might pick up unsuitable habits that you don't realize.
Practice should be enjoyable and not a chore. Some need more to stay in-stroke others less time.

 

[SKUNKBOY]

Most of the time, my best game is the first of the evening?session. Weather I have been practicing regularly or not, that is usually the case. I attribute that fact to the theory that when you first walk up to the table, you are concentrating better. You don't take any shots for granted as you will evenually do during your session. You actually look at that thin cut in the corner and don't just (subconciously) take it for granted because you've made it a number of times tonight. As your session or evening goes on, you find yourself getting more familiar with shots, thus taking them for granted and that's when your game falls apart.

Concentration is a very important part of this game...maybe more so that a lot of people think. I get distracted easily and that's my downfall. If I'm thinking about that blonde over in the corner that just winked at me, I'm probably not thinking about the game at hand.

JMHO...Ken

 

[Neil]

.............

 

[dareads]

I would say that some people can definitely play better after a little break. What happens when you play all the time is that you get content and start hitting ceilings. When you take a little time off and get back to the table you unconsciously use more center ball, stop trying 3 rail positions, ease up on playing for bank shots etc... and it seems like you're totally in stroke. The reality is that you're getting back to basics and once you get comfortable you'll start spinning a little more, taking riskier shots etc... and you'll be back where you were. Having some time off is a good thing, but actually look at what you're doing compared to what you used to do and see if you can pick anything out.
MULLY

This is probably closest to the way I feel about it. I seem to have more focus when playing now because I know it will be the only time I get to play for about a week.
I have also noticed a definite change in the way I am shooting as well. It seems like I have developed more speed control, partially from playing on the tournament tables at Hard Times with the faster cloth and tighter pockets. (Huge thank you to whoever it was that suggested I play in the line tournament there). I have always been the type to read everything I can about the game and it seems like now I am slowing down and applying what I have read over the years. I can't express enough how grateful I am to all of the people here who are always willing to share opinions and advice.

 

[poolplayer2093]

I was wondering if anyone has had it happen where they play better when getting less practice time. My friend that I used to shoot with 2-3 times a week has moved out of the area. Now the only time I get to play is once, maybe twice a week in local tournaments. What's weird is that I've placed in all 3 tournaments I've played in since he moved :thumbup:. Any ideas??

i made a huge jump in my skill when i had my practice time cue by 3/4ths.

back in the day i used to play 4-6 hours at a time 3-5 days a week. then my work schedule changed and i could only make it to the pool room 1.5 hours a day. it forced me to work on the quality of what i was doing

just like with women. it's quality not quantity that counts

 

[woody_968]

I think to get a good answer to this question you need to define what you mean by practice. What most people call practice would be called "beating them around" by good players.

If your spending time working on specific parts of your game, preshot routines, mechanics, pattern play, cueball control just to name a few, then I would agree that sometimes less is more because your time at the table will be more focused and productive.

If your just going out and playing and calling it practice then I dont think it makes a whole lot of difference, but would tend to say playing less would hurt more often than help.

If your working on things then a short break now and then can definately help you improve faster.

But IMHO if you are really trying to improve, you must always be trying to learn something you didnt know before. If you only try to perfect what you already know, you will get better at performing what you know. But your max skill level will be limited to your current knowledge.

Woody