Practice Time

Randy and Scott have put it all out there for anyone who wants to apply it. The only thing I would add is that between the focused practice sessions, and the actual playing (league, tournaments, etc) there is also what Randy refers to as "sparring". Sparring is what we do to simulate serious competition while still learning. Whenever we get together to teach a class, we usually find time the night before the class for an instructors ring game. It's a chance to test ourselves in a game setting, attempt shots we might not normally try in a serious match, and just enjoy playing for playing's sake. It's not what we call practice, nor is it serious competition. If I am getting ready for a competitive match, I enjoy finding a sparring partner before my match gets called. It's much better than trying to do any serious practice at that point. I try never to "practice" on game day.
Steve
 
SlickRick_PCS said:
I want to ask yall AZers out there a question that is quite important to me. I have been playing in my local pool hall for about 3 hours minimum and I do get mentally burned out. I used to play for about 5 hours a couple of years ago. What is the most ideal amount of time one should practice for billiards? If this post has already been replied, please send me the links.

Thanks
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The time will pass more quickly if you have a playing partner. Ideally someone as good, or a little better than you. Try playing Races To Nine or Eleven. Three of them and you will have played several hours.
 
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randyg said:
Playing is not practice nor is practice playing.
30 minutes a session would be pushing a pratice session.
"You can't think and hit at the same time"....Yogi Berra.........SPF=randyg
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When I was teaching guitar. this is basically what I used to tell my students. 30 minutes a day five to six days a week. Sadly not all of them took my advice, one felt that one hour once a week was plenty of practice and another thought that 10 minutes a day was good enough (which included the time it took to take the guitar out of the case and put it away, which was a good 3 minutes in itself for him). For those two students, I never understood why they were wasting their money on me if they weren't going to take my advice.

On to my question. Is 30 minutes what you would tell someone to do even if they were only able to play once a week? I used to be in this situation. Every Saturday I practice for about 5 hours and progressed fairly well. But would you say that if I had cut that time down I would have done as well or better? Or would you have different advice for me (outside of play more)?
 
Training, Practice, Playing

Well I have been through Randy's school enough to know that he is correct.

Let me explain this a little better.

I have a schedule that I try to maintain, but unfortunately work and family sometimes throw me off the schedule.

I start out Sunday -Tuesday, and Friday - Saturday with the same routine. After I get ready for work I do my "Training Mother Drills" I do all 7 of them each time I am training. Then I pick one other aspect of the game I want to focus on for another 10 minutes. Like kicking, banking, etc. I do that for 10 minutes. Then I pile rocks or "Practice". I normally do 5 sets of 10 balls.

In 45 minutes to an hour I am done!

When I get home that evening I try and "practice" again. I either pile all 15 balls and shoot them in no particular order, or I shoot 9 ball myself. (Good for me to practice position.) If I don't have a shot then I try to play good defense. It gives the the opportunity to work on safety shots, and how to get out of a safety situation. (30 - 45 minutes max!)

Wed, and Thurs I get my playing face on. In the morning I might play a few games of 8 ball against myself since my two leagues are 8 ball leagues.
(30 - 45 minutes max!) I do this instead of training/practicing, because I don't want to get in that mindset on game day. On game day I want to be focused, and kick some butt!

This has improved my game so much more than trying to play 8 or 9 hours a day.

In fact I missed practice and training for about 3 weeks a few months ago. In league I started to slip a bit. So one Tuesday before the Wed league I trained and practiced. That Wed I crushed them at league.

A buddy asked if I practiced all week, and I said nope.........only yesterday for 45 minutes.

He was pissed cause he practices 3-4 hours every night, and his game isn't improving like mine. I told him he practices too much, and he really ought to try my schedule out.

The brain can only remember so much. How many shots do you think you take in 8 hours? How many of those shots do you actually remember 30 minutes after you are done?

I can finish my training/practice session and remember everything. Therefore I think mine are just about perfect for me.
 
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I saw a TV show or something with Miz in it, they were at his house and he said he would practice 45 min to an hour 2-3 times a day, he said that if he became frustraited he would just put down his cue and come back later, he said once in a while he would have days where he just couldnt play, on the days he was playing good he would still stop after an hour on a high note and come back in a few hours.

I was thinking of this thread and that interview popped into my brain, i saw it at least 20 years ago, it was on 60 minutes or something like that show, it wasnt a 30 second spot on ESPN while your watching a match, I remember them talking about his house, career as a pool player and teacher etc. I remember it well, because I was practicing even after i was frustraited trying to get my head back in the game and it dosent work, I also remember him saying that was the luxery of having a table at home, you can start and stop when ever-he had a old GC as I remember.
 
Fatboy said:
I saw a TV show or something with Miz in it, they were at his house and he said he would practice 45 min to an hour 2-3 times a day, he said that if he became frustraited he would just put down his cue and come back later, he said once in a while he would have days where he just couldnt play, on the days he was playing good he would still stop after an hour on a high note and come back in a few hours.

I was thinking of this thread and that interview popped into my brain, i saw it at least 20 years ago, it was on 60 minutes or something like that show, it wasnt a 30 second spot on ESPN while your watching a match, I remember them talking about his house, career as a pool player and teacher etc. I remember it well, because I was practicing even after i was frustraited trying to get my head back in the game and it dosent work, I also remember him saying that was the luxery of having a table at home, you can start and stop when ever-he had a old GC as I remember.
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Tap Tap Tap!!!!!!

I forgot to mention that if I am frustrated with a certain aspect of training/practice that I move on to something else and come back to that aspect the next day.

This has helped me in play as well. If I have a bad match or a bad game, then I walk away from the table. Maybe go to the bathroom, order a drink, get some food, etc. Then I come back and my head is clear of that bad match up that I fouled up.

In other words by not allowing myself to get frustrated too bad in practice then I am teaching myself to not get frustrated at league, or a tourny or something.

My actual attitude at the table is changing in a positive way!
 
pooltchr said:
Randy and Scott have put it all out there for anyone who wants to apply it. The only thing I would add is that between the focused practice sessions, and the actual playing (league, tournaments, etc) there is also what Randy refers to as "sparring". Sparring is what we do to simulate serious competition while still learning. Whenever we get together to teach a class, we usually find time the night before the class for an instructors ring game. It's a chance to test ourselves in a game setting, attempt shots we might not normally try in a serious match, and just enjoy playing for playing's sake. It's not what we call practice, nor is it serious competition. If I am getting ready for a competitive match, I enjoy finding a sparring partner before my match gets called. It's much better than trying to do any serious practice at that point. I try never to "practice" on game day.
Steve
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Randy really didn't go over sparring with me. However, based on what you said about sparring, I already have a regiment on that too. I have two good buddies that are way above my speed. (Well not so much anymore, but they do have a lot more knowledge about the game.) Anyway, when I get the chance we just spar, and if I am in a pickle or I have done something wrong they talk me through a better way of doing it. They don't focus on my mechanics, but rather focus on my mental strategy at the table, like the pattern I am shooting, or defense, etc!
 
45 minutes is about perfect for me to have a serious practice session. When I first started out I would take a shot out of the "101 shots of pool" book and practice it for a half hour. Then the next practice session I would spend the first 15 minutes practicing the previous sessions shot and then follow that with a half hour with a new shot.

Then I needed to use what I practiced, so I would set up a tough game for as many hours as possible and purposely shot the shots that I had been practicing.

Once I learned all the shots I would then practice shots that gave me difficulty during actual matches and that always raised my game.

Bring up your weaknesses and your whole game will improve quickly. For a lot of people this is either long shots or inside english.
 
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