Practice Schedule

Vlado312

Vlado312

Registered
Hey, It's 3 in the morning and I gotta stop studying for 15 min to get a little "billiard buzz" for energy ;p

I was hoping to get some feedback on this practice schedule I'm trying to set up. What I've been doing has been too disorganized so I want to try writing it out and sticking to it. Most days I might spend 1-2 hours at a table, but occasionally I will be in the pool hall for like 7 hours.

This here is a list of things I think I should practice but not sure exactly how to organize it...

1. Fundamentals (stroke, Preshot routine, alignment, speed control)
2. Stop shots (progressive drills and other fun stuff)
3. Draw shots (progressive drills, and a few all out max draw shots at the end for fun)
4. Follow shots (progressive drills)
5. Cut shots (progressive drills focused on pure pocketing for now, soon I will start to incorporate putting English on the shots and still just trying to sink them.)
6. Bank shots (I still gotta find some good progressive drills for this, been lazy about these and gotta get on it!)
7. Things like L drills, I haven't been doing these at all but want to get into it. I think this at the end of my practice will be like a fun game for me.
8. PLAY! real games, try to run full racks, play the ghost...


So I think I'll always start with some of my #1, 15-20 min. Not everything at once, but on different days I'll mix it up. Following that some solid 2,3 and 4. Like 10 min of each. At this point I usually start to run out of steam and can't do too many more of those pure drills. So maybe I'll do 5 OR 6 that day and mix it up. Then for the rest of the time I might do #7, or some of that and then play games.

How does this look?

How much should I practice on those days when I spend a lot of time at the table? Still do the same amount of practice I would and then just have fun doing whatever for the rest of the time? Or maybe go through the full routine, play time included, a couple times?

What else might I want to try and add to my list?

Thanks,
Vlad
 
Don't forget to practice your break shot.

You really have to mix up drills with play time to keep everything fun, and to refresh your energy level. Doing drills for an hour is tiring work. I think you found that out.

Other then than you plan looks good to me, you should always start with number one on your list and then mix up the others each practice session. Don't do drills for more then 30 - 40 minutes, and then relax and play pool. if you are putting the level of concentration into the drills that are required, you will see that you will be fatigued. When that happens most get sloppy, sloppy practice will become sloppy play.

Finally always end a practice session on a high note. It really helps with the mental attitude.
 
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Vlado312 said:
Hey, It's 3 in the morning and I gotta stop studying for 15 min to get a little "billiard buzz" for energy ;p

I was hoping to get some feedback on this practice schedule I'm trying to set up. What I've been doing has been too disorganized so I want to try writing it out and sticking to it. Most days I might spend 1-2 hours at a table, but occasionally I will be in the pool hall for like 7 hours.

This here is a list of things I think I should practice but not sure exactly how to organize it...

1. Fundamentals (stroke, Preshot routine, alignment, speed control)
2. Stop shots (progressive drills and other fun stuff)
3. Draw shots (progressive drills, and a few all out max draw shots at the end for fun)
4. Follow shots (progressive drills)
5. Cut shots (progressive drills focused on pure pocketing for now, soon I will start to incorporate putting English on the shots and still just trying to sink them.)
6. Bank shots (I still gotta find some good progressive drills for this, been lazy about these and gotta get on it!)
7. Things like L drills, I haven't been doing these at all but want to get into it. I think this at the end of my practice will be like a fun game for me.
8. PLAY! real games, try to run full racks, play the ghost...


So I think I'll always start with some of my #1, 15-20 min. Not everything at once, but on different days I'll mix it up. Following that some solid 2,3 and 4. Like 10 min of each. At this point I usually start to run out of steam and can't do too many more of those pure drills. So maybe I'll do 5 OR 6 that day and mix it up. Then for the rest of the time I might do #7, or some of that and then play games.

How does this look?

How much should I practice on those days when I spend a lot of time at the table? Still do the same amount of practice I would and then just have fun doing whatever for the rest of the time? Or maybe go through the full routine, play time included, a couple times?

What else might I want to try and add to my list?

Thanks,
Vlad
Click to expand...

Play one pocket ghost....he isn't as brain dead as the nineball ghost.
 
Thanks, I'll try to alternate a little practice and soem play durring a long session today and see how I hold up :smile:

And I'll try the one pocket ghost when I can clean out the 9 ball ghost!
 
Hi Vlad,

After reading your proposed practice routine, I don't know anything about your game. Why? Because you're speaking in general terms and not being specific to your personal needs. When you play someone, take note of your mistakes, then bring them to the practice table and work on them.

Did you know that players will generally miss the same types of shots? Which types to you tend to miss? Left to right? Right to left, for example? Write them down and then spend time on them. You may find that on certain shots you tend to rush your pre shot routine, or maybe your approach is a bit off, but not with other shots. So, just practicing your pre shot routine in general on shots that you already make will not necessarily help. Or practicing cut shots in general will help minimally but maybe not in the way that would most benefit your game.

Think about it. If you could fix just one mistake every time you practice, think of how much better you'll be. Many games are lost by just one mistake too many.
 
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FranCrimi said:
Hi Vlad,

After reading your proposed practice routine, I don't know anything about your game. Why? Because you're speaking in general terms and not being specific to your personal needs. When you play someone, take note of your mistakes, then bring them to the practice table and work on them.

Did you know that players will generally miss the same types of shots? Which types to you tend to miss? Left to right? Right to left, for example? Write them down and then spend time on them. You may find that on certain shots you tend to rush your pre shot routine, or maybe your approach is a bit off, but not with other shots. So, just practicing your pre shot routine in general on shots that you already make will not necessarily help. Or practicing cut shots in general will help minimally but maybe not in the way that would most benefit your game.

Think about it. If you could fix just one mistake every time you practice, think of how much better you'll be. Many games are lost by just one mistake too many.
Click to expand...

I would say the biggest flaw in my game is position play in general. Even if I can make the shot, often I don't know the best path to choose for the cue ball. And then if I have an idea for the path, sometimes I can't execute it because I'm not sure how much spin on the ball will give me the deflection I'm looking for.

I'm hoping that seeing the paterns will come with game experience, and that control of deflection will come with a better control of the amount of follow or draw I can put on any shot. Like if I know a ball would come back 2 diamonds on a straight in, and I know that a 2 diamond amount of draw will give me a particular angle of deflection, I can put that together to get the shape I want.

Do you think I should put more specific position plays into my routine? Like the other night a good player showed me a shot I should learn, and plan on practicing today, that is a ball near a side rail cut into the corner and come come back and off 3 rails for position.

I want to do more of these, but I guess I feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of shots there are to learn and dont know where to start. Well I guess I got one to start with. I work well with specific things that someone recomends I practice, and not so well when there are too many options and I don't know where to start (like picking shots out of my game ;p). Can you recommend 2 or 3 more common position plays that I should master?

Thanks,
Vlad
 
I've got a great position shot most people don't think about.

Set the object ball in the jaws of any corner pocket. You have so many options on the contact point, you should be able to put the cue ball anywhere on the table from that shot. With that in mind,

1) shooting down the long rail (from about the side pocket), find your speed and angle to leave the cue ball at the head spot, center table, and foot spot, 10 times each.
2) shooting from the center of the adjacent short rail, do the same thing for all three spots.
3) shooting from center table, same deal
4) shooting from foot spot
5) shooting from head spot
6) from opposite side pocket
7) from opposite corner pocket
8) from center of opposite short rail

That gives you about 240 position shots, plus the shot or five it'll take to dial in the speed and contact point for each position, so about 300 shots.

I'd call that a good day of drills, and you'll be automatic for shape or breakouts off your ducks for, like, ever. I'd say for your first time out, leaving the cue ball within a foot of your target is good. Later you can upgrade your expectations for the leave. Try to get your position with as few rails as possible.
 
You can also do the same thing with a ball near a side pocket. I used to put a ball by each side pocket one about two balls towards the head rail, the other at the other side favoring the foot rail. Cue ball in the center. Shoot one try to get center table position. Replace ball you shot. Shoot the other ball from wherever the cue ends up. Replace that ball and repeat till u cant pocket the ball in a side.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
 
Vlado312 said:
I would say the biggest flaw in my game is position play in general. Even if I can make the shot, often I don't know the best path to choose for the cue ball. And then if I have an idea for the path, sometimes I can't execute it because I'm not sure how much spin on the ball will give me the deflection I'm looking for.

I'm hoping that seeing the paterns will come with game experience, and that control of deflection will come with a better control of the amount of follow or draw I can put on any shot. Like if I know a ball would come back 2 diamonds on a straight in, and I know that a 2 diamond amount of draw will give me a particular angle of deflection, I can put that together to get the shape I want.

Do you think I should put more specific position plays into my routine? Like the other night a good player showed me a shot I should learn, and plan on practicing today, that is a ball near a side rail cut into the corner and come come back and off 3 rails for position.

I want to do more of these, but I guess I feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of shots there are to learn and dont know where to start. Well I guess I got one to start with. I work well with specific things that someone recomends I practice, and not so well when there are too many options and I don't know where to start (like picking shots out of my game ;p). Can you recommend 2 or 3 more common position plays that I should master?

Thanks,
Vlad
Click to expand...

Now you've got the idea. One shot at a time. Just think of it that way. If you think of it in terms of all the shots you have to learn you will feel too overwhelmed and only learn a little of each. Master one at a time and position will come. You can't work on posiition play until you can pocket the ball consistently.

If you learn one shot per week, that would be 52 new shots per year. That's a lot of shots because each one of those shots can come up at any part of the table at any time. Practice the shot with high, low, left right, etc....
 
In my opinion I wouldn't come up with just 1 practice schedule. I would start with how many days a week you are going to practice. If you are practicing 3 days a week then come up with 3 different practice sessions.

Start with a 15 - 20 minute warmup which should include stroke straightness, speed and fundamentals. I suggest shoot straight into a rail without english and have the ball come back to your tip. Then practice speed: 10 shots at 1 table length, 10 at 2 table lengths and 10 at 3 table lengths. then practice straight in shots where you go through your full routine (start short and work to long). Then loosen up your stroke a little more with 10 straight in shots with maximum follow (focus on straight hit) and then 10 maximum draw.

At this point you should be really warmed up. Then spend 10 - 15 minutes working on breaking. Focus on accuracy before you work on speed. Squat the cueball and don't increase speed until you got it down.

Then focus 20 minutes or so on a weakness. Find something you struggle with and work on it. Do this maybe 2 of the 3 sessions and on the 3rd session work on a strength.

Finish up with some sort of drill that you are graded on. Keep an accurate score so you know over time if you are improving. Also note what you notice is working good this day and what wasn't working too great.

Then play some games. If you are playing against yourself focus on your routine every shot. Once you find yourself just banging balls around you should either quit for the day or take a break.

If you practice with purpose and you keep notes (and score yourself) you will have something to look back on and learn from. This will show you more of what you need to work on.
 
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