Practice practice practice

Wow just wow, I guess if I had known this, I could have had a different outlook on the times I had to crawl under houses as a carpenter/maintenance person.😉 Going on to all 4's into a space that could include Black Widows or Rattle Snake wasn't a favorite task.😉 I did have to do just that to get the raccoon off my little Jack Russell/Boston Terrorist. On hands and knees with a flashlight in one hand and the beer bottle it landed on in the other. Negotiating a truce was successful. Then we loaded up and went to a tournament in Snoqualmie.🤷
 
Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics: One reason I discount statistic s from practice. Apple vs Orange.
After 50 days keeping score.....25-25.
After seeing players with crazy skills developed in practice Alone, fold up in competition. I developed my practice theory of left vs right. In the long run I think the crawl effect is the true benefit. I can't interject the pissed off factor playing self vs fles.🤷
 
gregcantrall said:
Learning to crawl: Back in the day, a mother would be proud that her child learned to walk early.

The conventional wisdom is that crawling (or cross-lateral locomotion) otherwise known as quadrupedal movement is for babies while walking is for adults. But there’s growing evidence that crawling – one of the most basic developmental movement patterns – has surprising physical and mental benefits for adults as well.

Benefits of Crawling​

Spock says it's logic to start my morning workout with a slow crawl or "slow roll" exercise. Slow not only in the roll but the entire dance. Taking time to smell the flowers uh figurative Lee.
At address I am allowed to do form work. One of my favorites I call "The Hat".
Standing on the lead leg, I raise the rear leg to bring the heal up as if to kick the cue ball with the heal. At my age and dexterity level keeping the heal behind the rail and just holding the pose is the challenge. In the day Rich used the hard heel of his dress shoe to kick the cue ball and never touch the table. Kind of like Mike Massey's finger pool.
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When my back is acting up I go up the stairs on all fours a few times to help it limber up. Not fast mind you but just a slow stretching pace. If I don't feel like looking like a fool I'll just lean over on the steps and kind of do some half assed 45 degree stretch.

I also recently figured out a lot of my misses. I went back to the Mark Wilson pool clinic video and started taking 2-3 practice strokes and the final pause followed by "ladies and gentlemen." That little act of slowing down has cut my miss percentage by a lot. I guess I had drifted into a bad habit of being in some kind of rush. Practice strokes with the pause also make sure my stance is good and everything looks right. It's so easy to forget something so elementary in the heat of competition, but actually looking at the shot at the pause and confirming it's on does wonders. Gotta keep the yips out of competition.
 
boogieman said:
When my back is acting up I go up the stairs on all fours a few times to help it limber up. Not fast mind you but just a slow stretching pace. If I don't feel like looking like a fool I'll just lean over on the steps and kind of do some half assed 45 degree stretch.

I also recently figured out a lot of my misses. I went back to the Mark Wilson pool clinic video and started taking 2-3 practice strokes and the final pause followed by "ladies and gentlemen." That little act of slowing down has cut my miss percentage by a lot. I guess I had drifted into a bad habit of being in some kind of rush. Practice strokes with the pause also make sure my stance is good and everything looks right. It's so easy to forget something so elementary in the heat of competition, but actually looking at the shot at the pause and confirming it's on does wonders. Gotta keep the yips out of competition.
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Cheating the pause is possibly my most common error. Under pressure it's so easy to rush the delivery. I like the "ladies and gentlemen" to get the cadence. My thought to get the same effect is, "wait for the ring finger". 👍
 
gregcantrall said:
Cheating the pause is possibly my most common error. Under pressure it's so easy to rush the delivery. I like the "ladies and gentlemen" to get the cadence. My thought to get the same effect is, "wait for the ring finger". 👍
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...and if the ring-finger doesn't show???
 
After years of playing I had reletively good skills and form but I I caught myself on occasion having a mental break on the case ball, the final ball for many players at one time or another can rattle a guy out of his enviornment, people watching, etc. To overcome this I would break the balls and arrange them to where it was likely that I could run out, as it became a "habit" to run out I gradually arranged them less until finally I broke and just ran out. It became more common that I got out than I didn't. So when I approached the table I expected to run out and then no mental breaks my offense gained greatly. It was the best overall practice I ever did. Once the mechanics and basics of throw and speed are in place the biggest obsticle for many is the mental aspect. Identify the shortcommings that are mental and attack them with whatever works for you.

In addition the man that taught me the most about pool had a saying, "Learn to Play the Balls, Not the Opponent" after working on it and the first time I played the Monk then again with Roger Griffis I understood. It can be mentally defeating when you let your mind stray off into who the opponent is and his strength in play. But if your battle is with the balls they act the same everytime and you can control what they do, the only way to control an opponent is to keep him in his chair, for me that was much easier when I played against those balls versus someone like Johnny Archer or others like him, they are real hard to beat the balls weren't as hard. These things may not work for everyone and a guy needs, stroke, bridge, stance, etc. but don't discount the mental side and practice drills that help that.
 
My eyes closed practice helps me turn over the lead to the feel. The feel in the ring finger. Play the shot.😉
 
The discipline is doing every simple nuance of the routine to perfection. If I am absent minded hitting balls, I am hurting my game. A routine is about the good habits.
 
Monday is analysis day: Sunday funday was competition day. Now for the real self to self. Being real in the analysis is job one.
Enjoy the things I did well and analysis of things I could have done better. The when where and why of the breakdowns. Hmmmm.
Being a hobby ist makes it easier to enjoy the competition regardless of outcome. Winning makes it easier too.😉
Breaking even
Is like kissing your sister. Oh well back to the slow kiss competition.
Race to 10 alternate shots . Winner takes 1 point to Chasing Tail.
My morning fitness 😁
 
Looks like 45 minutes for my morning workout.
The analysis says I let down when I was playing for the point and the tournament director handed me the side pot money. Broke even/paid expenses just wasn't hungry enough.😉 I have experience with the mental condition.
That's my excuse, now the truth is classified personal restricted highly sensitive information.😉
 
Worst was the best .
Barry Stark is the best.Barry on practice.
My analogies (I hate them)😉.
Tend to go to baseball, The All American sport.😉
So I like being the lead off hitter. The Lead man. I have heard of Worst walking in and challenge the room. A cold start against the best for significant stakes.
With 8 ball the All American game. I worked hard perfecting my break. 3 ball is a quick way to get meaningful break practice. Through repetition daily signs are available for me to get tendencies. Watching exactly how the tip inter acts with the cue ball.
I have slighted 9 ball. Sorry just as important.
Earl through hearsay said he looked at the cue ball on the break.
 
My fitness requirements including at address move both feet to The Horse, then go down. To the stance I was taught as catcher. Upper leg parallel to floor.
Moderate the breathing... take the shot.
 
Just about an hour is my normal morning fitness.
Slow Kiss followed by The Chase. Cover goes back but can be lifted for a quick 3 ball break in passing.
 
Ronnie O vs Barry H is an interesting study, 2021 Tour Championship.
I study the missed shot by Ronnie to see how the mental change effects the routine. The slightest variation in the routine when I feel good and then exceed the speed limit.🤷 Slighting one step in the dance...... seeing the top players miss does my heart good especially when I can say, "I have done that 🤷"
 
Flavor of the day:
I open with a slow kiss record attempt. Left puting up a 7. Right surrendered. Then the Scotch kiss race to 10.
 
Form of the day is; Broken Wing. Chasing the click in the shoulder. Holding the cue at arms length I go through the range. Combine it with the crane and I have a Goofy dance.🤷
 
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