Practice Stroke Routine

K

kollegedave

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am not sure if it is a weakness or strength in my game, but I am constantly tinkering with my pre-shot routine, and I feel like I might have stumbled onto some knowledge that I would like to share.

In watching a stream of Mike Dechaine playing Mike Sigel, I noticed that Mike Dechaine took four practice strokes for almost every shot. I decided that I would try this for a period of time practicing 14.1 and 9-ball.

Prior to this, I had a routine to try and get my body and head into the same spot each shot, but no practice stroke routine.

In this particular practice session, I found that using a set number of strokes help me accomplish two main things for me:

1) I think using 4 practice strokes help me concentrate/ focus more during my practice strokes. It might help a person get into a bit of a rhythmic trance/ dead stroke/ some mental place where background stuff is shut out.

2) Four practice strokes do not take a long time. A reduced time over the shot means that my body has to stay still for a shorter period of time. I found that this maybe lead to some unconscious expectation that my body would not have to remain still for very long, and I feel like, for a number of shots, this expectation of a lower demand allowed my body to remain absolutely rock solid. I am not sure if I ever achieved this level of quietness in my body prior to shooting until this practice session.

At the end of my practice session, I drilled a jacked-up table-length draw shot that would have intimidated any "non-Efren-on-looker".

In short, I am convinced there may be some benefit to a set number of practice strokes if one works with it, and I will continue to work with it.

I would be interested to hear your experiences with a set number of practice strokes. Do you find this helpful to you or not? What are the benefits and drawbacks?

kollegedave
 
kollegedave said:
I am not sure if it is a weakness or strength in my game, but I am constantly tinkering with my pre-shot routine, and I feel like I might have stumbled onto some knowledge that I would like to share.

In watching a stream of Mike Dechaine playing Mike Sigel, I noticed that Mike Dechaine took four practice strokes for almost every shot. I decided that I would try this for a period of time practicing 14.1 and 9-ball.

Prior to this, I had a routine to try and get my body and head into the same spot each shot, but no practice stroke routine.

In this particular practice session, I found that using a set number of strokes help me accomplish two main things for me:

1) I think using 4 practice strokes help me concentrate/ focus more during my practice strokes. It might help a person get into a bit of a rhythmic trance/ dead stroke/ some mental place where background stuff is shut out.

2) Four practice strokes do not take a long time. A reduced time over the shot means that my body has to stay still for a shorter period of time. I found that this maybe lead to some unconscious expectation that my body would not have to remain still for very long, and I feel like, for a number of shots, this expectation of a lower demand allowed my body to remain absolutely rock solid. I am not sure if I ever achieved this level of quietness in my body prior to shooting until this practice session.

At the end of my practice session, I drilled a jacked-up table-length draw shot that would have intimidated any "non-Efren-on-looker".

In short, I am convinced there may be some benefit to a set number of practice strokes if one works with it, and I will continue to work with it.

I would be interested to hear your experiences with a set number of practice strokes. Do you find this helpful to you or not? What are the benefits and drawbacks?

kollegedave
Click to expand...

Coach Lee Brett discusses this a lot in his video. He feels that the brain shuts off when staying down on the shot for too long of a period of time. Coach Lee generally only takes one practice stroke or one stroke if I am not mistaken. I can't do that all of the time and think my average is four strokes.

Thanks for starting a good thread. Consistency in everything is a good thing.
 
I'm don't think the number of practice strokes is as important as having the same pre shot routine every single time. I believe this is similar to golf. Once you get past the basics, one of the primary things instructors will emphasize is a consistent pre shot routine. Watch the professionals and find one that doesn't have a consistent pre shot routine. Same for their putting.

I also think, like professional golfers, if you're into your pre shot routine and get distracted, something doesn't feel right, etc., you stop, step away and start the routine all over again. And it isn't just your practice strokes, a consistent routine should be developed from the time you start the process of pocketing a ball.
 
Recently I was filming myself playing and I noticed that on almost every shot I take 4 practice strokes. 2 strokes, pause, 2 strokes, pause, shoot. I literally did it on almost every shot except for a couple times when I really had to draw the rock. Those times it was exactly the same too though, 3 strokes, pause, 2 strokes, pause, shoot. I really never focused on it, I guess it's just something I developed. I worked on my pre shot routine alot as far as what I do before I get down on the shot but once I get down I kinda zone out and it's like my body knows what to do. I think a consistent pre shot routine is very important, at least for me it is. I think a different amount of practice strokes works for different people but I think you play more consistently when you do have some kind of routine. I used to not worry about it but my game was kinda inconsistent, so I started working on it and since I got a routine that works for me, my game has gone up alot. Good topic. Thanks for posting.
 
I think if you get into the habit of counting how many practice strokes you are taking you will lose focus on the exact point of where to hit the object ball. Then if you lose the spot to hit you will think you have to shoot because you have reached the maximum number of strokes to take and it is time to shoot even if you're not really ready to.
 
4 Practice Strokes

I also use four. One...pause...one one...pause...one and then shoot. I believe that if you stay consistent with your routine your brain gets programmed to know exactly on which stroke you are going to hit the cue ball.

Wedge
 
If I take more then two,I need to stand back up..believe it or not,I can take my practice strokes in my head while standing,then get down an sight the shot..draw back to a pause then an let it go while looking through the ob to the back of the pocket..seems to work most of the time...I think almost any amount of strokes will work as long as your consistanced with it..an not bored...but I suck...not being negative,still looking for a decent stroke my self...some days I'm on,an other days my friends think I'm letting them win.
Have a nice 4th
 
I too am working on my PSR. Like the op, I used to do better just lining up and shooting. The last week I have seen improvement with one pump to line up pause two strokes to check for fluid movement in my arm, pause on back stroke, shoot. If I do this consistently, I go from being a piss pore banger to banger status. Now I just have to figure out how to do it consistently.

Larry
 
I especially do this

for my break shot. I could never decide when to pull the trigger when breaking, so I take 4 'rough' strokes, then 5 'smooth' strokes, and break on the 10th stroke, everytime. It gives me time to line up properly, check where I am hitting on the cue ball, and then back to the object ball before breaking.
 
kollegedave said:
I am not sure if it is a weakness or strength in my game, but I am constantly tinkering with my pre-shot routine
Click to expand...

It is a strength, you will need to make tiny little adjustments through time because you will get better (hopefully) and your body will change, that is a fact of human existence and you will need to compensate for the good and bad alike.

Strickland was a 2 stroker for a long time like Morris, Villereal and Me. :wink: But in the Mosconi cup (the last time he played in it) I noticed he has gone to 3.

Adding more specificity to any part of your pre-shot-routine is a good thing. You will not find the need to count this for very long; you will acclimate in just a couple months depending on how much you play. 4 is the number I used for more than 10yrs. Over the years I mutated it went to 2 for high % shots and 4 for all others, then it just gradually went to just 2 as I got better.

Now as I teach I do not demand that my students stick to a set number of warm-up strokes but I do suggest it and here is why. Because everything in our memory is sequential that’s how we are programmed, all of us period.

At some point in our lives we have probably said or it has been said to us many times “1, 2, 3, GO!” or “1, 2, THREE!”. My personal theory is that this translates very well over to pool. It uses programming that already exists as an aid and I happen to like that idea and do that whenever possible.

Now not all of my students end up with a set number of warm-up strokes but most of them end up doing 3 or 2, most 3. Not that 4 isn’t a great # it is. In fact any “SET” number is IMHO a method that will work for most players. Will there be lots of players that this will not work for? Absolutely for sure there will be, not even a question about it. I think you are on the right track and it will work for you very well and also remember don’t be afraid to change this over time.
 
There were some great points made that I had not heard before. Particularly, this idea that we already have the ability to adapt to a 1, 2, 3, countdown, because it is so prevalent in our society / culture, etc.

However, no one touched on the what I think was the real nugget. I wish someone would maybe criticize it if they disagree or tell me if there experience is similar. Whatever.

My hypothesis is that maybe if my mind knows ahead of time that it needs to make my body still for only four practice strokes, then such an expectation may aid in maintaining a truer stillness in the bridge and body. I wonder if this is why so many top players wind up settling on 3 - 5 practice strokes. Maybe this habit prepares the body for a short time of extreme stillness.

I have always marveled at watching top players play. To me, most seem easy to spot, because they are like a rock over the shot...perfect stillness, so the cue moves with total precision.

Comments? Also, thanx for the compliment JoeyA

kollegedave
 
63Kcode said:
If I do this consistently, I go from being a piss pore banger to banger status.
Larry
Click to expand...

Hey, no hiding your true speed allowed on this thread, buddy!!!

This ain't the Action Room :wink:.

Maniac (needs weight from Larry)
 
kollegedave said:
However, no one touched on the what I think was the real nugget. I wish someone would maybe criticize it if they disagree or tell me if there experience is similar. Whatever.

My hypothesis is that maybe if my mind knows ahead of time that it needs to make my body still for only four practice strokes, then such an expectation may aid in maintaining a truer stillness in the bridge and body. I wonder if this is why so many top players wind up settling on 3 - 5 practice strokes. Maybe this habit prepares the body for a short time of extreme stillness.
Click to expand...

I think everybody has stroke weaknesses that may be helped by one technique or another. For you, it sounds like you have trouble keeping your body still, and counting to 4 improves your stillness. It's always great when you find something that works for you. However, not everybody has the same weaknesses, so we don't all benefit in the same way from the same technique, as in counting to 3 or 4. I guess it can be said that being consistent with the number of strokes benefits most people, but not always in the same way.

I also think you should keep at it, and see if you are still shooting at this higher level a few weeks from now.
 
kollegedave said:
I wish someone would maybe criticize it if they disagree or tell me if there experience is similar.
kollegedave
Click to expand...

I'm not criticizing, but am curious. What if, at the end of the fourth practice stroke your brain is telling you that you are not ready to pull the trigger? Do you have the time/discipline to make yourself stop, stand, and re-set? Or, do you just pull the trigger anyway?

I do not count my practice strokes. Sometimes I take two or three, sometimes maybe up to six, depending on the comfort level of the shot I am taking.

I usually pull the trigger when my brain tells me everything is a "go".

I bet if you polled a hundred different players, you would get five or six different answers (possibly more) on this subject.

Maniac
 
Maniac said:
I'm not criticizing, but am curious. What if, at the end of the fourth practice stroke your brain is telling you that you are not ready to pull the trigger?
Click to expand...

Maniac this is an excellent question and I am sorry to “hack the answer” as I know it is not directed toward me. But as someone that is an advocate of a particular # of warm-up strokes I feel I am qualified to answer this one.

When your PSR is geared toward a particular # of warm-up strokes a different # will always “feel wrong” the only # of warm-up strokes that will tell him that he “is ready” will be 4 and this will happen VERY quickly 2-3 months depending on how often he practices/plays.

Maniac said:
Do you have the time/discipline to make yourself stop, stand, and re-set? Or, do you just pull the trigger anyway?
Click to expand...

It depends on his PSR the PONR (point of no return) is different for most players and for most it is the final backward motion before the delivery stroke. That’s why you see the indecision “double cue” mistake with so many good players they know they fu%$@ed up but they have reached PONR during the delivery backswing or the delivery forward swing. I hope you know what I mean.

Maniac said:
I do not count my practice strokes. Sometimes I take two or three, sometimes maybe up to six, depending on the comfort level of the shot I am taking.
Click to expand...

And there are many great players that have played great pool throughout pools history that feel the same way.

Maniac said:
I usually pull the trigger when my brain tells me everything is a "go".
Click to expand...

And this works for you, and for some a set # may work much better; keep an open mind.
.
Maniac said:
I bet if you polled a hundred different players, you would get five or six different answers (possibly more) on this subject.
Maniac.
Click to expand...

My bet is that you would get more than 5 or 6. The only obvious thing here is that a set # of strokes works better for him, this is not true of all but true for many; I would go as far as to say “most” but that is pure speculation.
 
I agree a set number is important, but what is more important is why do you do them and what do you get out of it?
 
Most people think a consistent pre-shot routine results in good pool. It's actually the other way around. Good pool habits lead to a consistent pre-shot routine.

If you visualize any non-100% shot before you get down, that's a good pool habit. If you settle into your stance carefully, so that you're already on the correct line, and you're comfortable, that's a good pool habit. If you chalk while you decide the next shot, that's a good pool habit.

All of these good habits grouped together will form a pattern that gets repeated over and over. That pattern is your pre-shot routine. You don't need to go out of your way to make the pattern happen. It's just the result of approaching every shot intelligently and with care.

With that in mind, ask yourself... does taking exactly 4 warmup strokes make a player better?

What if you don't feel ready to shoot after 4? Do you shoot anyway? No way... you never shoot with doubt in your mind. That's a great recipe for a miss. Picking some arbitrary number like "4" is like setting a personal shot clock for yourself, which is just added pressure you don't need. You should never pull the trigger until you're 100% ready. If that means 4 strokes, great. But if it doesn't, you keep fine tuning. Then you fire.

Obviously, don't keep sawing wood if you feel 100% ready for the shot (does anyone really do that?). If you find yourself taking an excessive number of strokes, that's probably a sign that you need to stand up and figure out why you can't pull the trigger. Maybe you suspect it's the wrong shot subconsciously.
 
kollegedave said:
I am not sure if it is a weakness or strength in my game, but I am constantly tinkering with my pre-shot routine, and I feel like I might have stumbled onto some knowledge that I would like to share.

In watching a stream of Mike Dechaine playing Mike Sigel, I noticed that Mike Dechaine took four practice strokes for almost every shot. I decided that I would try this for a period of time practicing 14.1 and 9-ball.

Prior to this, I had a routine to try and get my body and head into the same spot each shot, but no practice stroke routine.

In this particular practice session, I found that using a set number of strokes help me accomplish two main things for me:

1) I think using 4 practice strokes help me concentrate/ focus more during my practice strokes. It might help a person get into a bit of a rhythmic trance/ dead stroke/ some mental place where background stuff is shut out.

2) Four practice strokes do not take a long time. A reduced time over the shot means that my body has to stay still for a shorter period of time. I found that this maybe lead to some unconscious expectation that my body would not have to remain still for very long, and I feel like, for a number of shots, this expectation of a lower demand allowed my body to remain absolutely rock solid. I am not sure if I ever achieved this level of quietness in my body prior to shooting until this practice session.

At the end of my practice session, I drilled a jacked-up table-length draw shot that would have intimidated any "non-Efren-on-looker".

In short, I am convinced there may be some benefit to a set number of practice strokes if one works with it, and I will continue to work with it.

I would be interested to hear your experiences with a set number of practice strokes. Do you find this helpful to you or not? What are the benefits and drawbacks?

kollegedave
Click to expand...


I’ve always felt that my practice strokes -- not unlike my final delivery stroke -- were a manifestation of my PSR. The look, tempo, and number of warm up strokes all resulting from how I’ve set up. Once you’ve completed your PSR and have descended into shooting position, from there about the only thing that matters is how long it takes your wetware (brain) to allow both sides to do their thing. The left, or linear side, needs time to size up the shot from shooting position and for it to orchestrate any last minute refinements, and 2) the right, or holistic side, needs to figure out what feels natural and right. Then you go.

For obvious reasons, each player’s warm up stroke sequence is going to be different, But I do think it’s a mistake to come up with a number without linking that number to your best play and an understanding of the PSR behind it. IOW, when you’re playing well, you will probably have a very specific sequence that you repeat on the majority of your shots. That would be the number. But even so, the number isn’t what’s important because the number alone is not going to make you play better just because that’s what you do when playing well. The stroke sequence is just a result of what’s happening further back up the chain of events in your PSR. And without the PSR that creates a warm up sequence with a specific look, tempo, feel, line up, accuracy, speed control, and pinpoint delivery of your cue tip to the cue ball... it’s just a number.

Lou Figueroa
 
This may sound alien to some and relative to others but I have no set number or practice strokes. I play off and on and take years off at a time. I am a B player despite the fact that I almost never feel completely comfortable when I'm down on the shot. My stance and grip seem to never agree to the same line. This week I switched to a new stance that puts less stress on my back and it is working pretty well to this point. My routine is to get on the line, take my stance, take X amount of crooked practice strokes, relax my grip to straighten it out, one more practice stroke, slowly take it back, slight pause, and fire. Due to the weird motion created by my wrist and grip trying to get in line, I have a sort of waggle like golf. The last stroke is straight but I catch a lot of flack over how "crooked" my stroke is. Even though the last two are straight, I wish to goodness I could just drop down and be straight from the get go.
I'd guess I'm more like 5 or 6 practice strokes on average.
This is a great thread btw, thanks to the OP
-James
 
Last edited:
Maniac said:
I'm not criticizing, but am curious. What if, at the end of the fourth practice stroke your brain is telling you that you are not ready to pull the trigger? Do you have the time/discipline to make yourself stop, stand, and re-set? Or, do you just pull the trigger anyway?

I do not count my practice strokes. Sometimes I take two or three, sometimes maybe up to six, depending on the comfort level of the shot I am taking.

I usually pull the trigger when my brain tells me everything is a "go".

I bet if you polled a hundred different players, you would get five or six different answers (possibly more) on this subject.

Maniac
Click to expand...


Exactly!

Maniac, I never used a set number of practice strokes...ever. When pressed, I cited exactly what you said, and people left me alone. This critique / question you level is totally reasonable and my exact objection to this point.

However...after watching an hour and a half of Mike Dechaine pound triple tough shots straight into a hole with four practice strokes on each shot...I decided I would give it another try. Incidentally, for a period of time, Tony Robles used 5 practice strokes. Not 6. Not 4.

After about an hour of sticking to the 4 practice stokes, I could not ignore the results. One big benefit for me was that tough shots seemed easier.

This is the long way to say, I appreciate your questions, because they are my own. However, for now, I am going to give 4 practice strokes a "Kollege try".

Kollegedave
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top