Practice

Stew boo

Stew boo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
From what I heard and experienced knocking balls around is not a good way to practice. For me it almost seems to do more harm than good because I get careless. I know of a few good drills like playing the 6 ball ghost or trying to achieve a straight pool run. What are other good practice methods? Any books or videos recommended that go over drills?
 
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Another good book is "Play Great Pool" by Mark Wilson. I agree 100% that plunking balls around with no purpose, or focus will kill your game.
 
Stew boo said:
From what I heard and experienced knocking balls around is not a good way to practice. For me it almost seems to do more harm than good because I get careless. I know of a few good drills like playing the 6 ball ghost or trying to achieve a straight pool run. What are other good practice methods? Any books or videos recommended that go over drills?
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Practice sessions need to be focused and disciplined, with some kind of goal. I either like to practice straight pool - going for a high run and starting over with a break shot every time I miss, or playing the ghost a few races to 11 in 9-ball. For drills, I love to practice the famous L drill, and once I successfully complete it twice from both sides, I like to move the object balls 2-1/2 diamonds from the corner pocket up and across instead of 2 diamonds - then it gets extremely tough to do.
 
Stew boo said:
From what I heard and experienced knocking balls around is not a good way to practice. For me it almost seems to do more harm than good because I get careless. I know of a few good drills like playing the 6 ball ghost or trying to achieve a straight pool run. What are other good practice methods? Any books or videos recommended that go over drills?
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Don't know your skill level but this is what I do:

I record 10 ball ghost races, AR and SP innings. I then make drills built around MY NEEDS instead of using a drill/drills made for the masses.

If your at certain level of play then the cookie cutter drills may be just what the doctor ordered.

If your past the average league player, well.... those same drills may help but FOR SURE will not be your biggest bang for your buck (time spent).

Train hard AND smart. Make it count!!!!
 
I have a really hard time focusing if I have no opponent. I need to be competing to play my best, so the only way that I've found to practice by myself is to record straight pool runs. Anything else and I just seem to revert to banging balls. It would probably be good practice for mental discipline to force myself to focus, but I've been pretty unsuccessful at it.
 
Mick said:
I have a really hard time focusing if I have no opponent. I need to be competing to play my best, so the only way that I've found to practice by myself is to record straight pool runs. Anything else and I just seem to revert to banging balls. It would probably be good practice for mental discipline to force myself to focus, but I've been pretty unsuccessful at it.
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Agreed that straight pool is a very focused way to practice. I sometimes keep a score, starting with an ideal break shot and running until I miss, then starting over with another break shot, but vary your opening break shots so you are not practicing the same break shot over and over. Do a 10 inning session, then tally the total balls made for the 10 innings.

It's also very revealing to record the reason why each individual run ended - missed break shot, failing to set up a break ball at the end of a rack, leaving a hard shot or no shot following the break shot, missed positioning leaving a hard shot then missing, missing an easier shot due to taking it for granted, leaving the cue ball stuck in the pack with no shot, scratch, etc. By doing this, over a number of sessions, you can analyze the most common reasons your runs are ending and work on improving those weaknesses.
 
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Stew boo said:
From what I heard and experienced knocking balls around is not a good way to practice. For me it almost seems to do more harm than good because I get careless. I know of a few good drills like playing the 6 ball ghost or trying to achieve a straight pool run. What are other good practice methods? Any books or videos recommended that go over drills?
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Find a pool teacher/ instructor in your area. They will usually have hand outs for banks, safeties, double kisses, forced follow, English, rail systems, etc, etc. My teacher has handouts for every faucet of the game. I have a notebook filled with the drills.
 
ChrisinNC said:
Agreed that straight pool is a very focused way to practice. I sometimes keep a score, starting with an ideal break shot and running until I miss, then starting over with another break shot, but vary your opening break shots so you are not practicing the same break shot over and over. Do a 10 inning session, then tally the total balls made for the 10 innings.

It's also very revealing to record the reason why each individual run ended - missed break shot, failing to set up a break ball at the end of a rack, leaving a hard shot or no shot following the break shot, missed positioning leaving a hard shot then missing, missing an easier shot due to taking it for granted, leaving the cue ball stuck in the pack with no shot, scratch, etc. By doing this, over a number of sessions, you can analyze the most common reasons your runs are ending and work on improving those weaknesses.
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Some good ideas in there.
 
Stew boo said:
From what I heard and experienced knocking balls around is not a good way to practice. For me it almost seems to do more harm than good because I get careless. I know of a few good drills like playing the 6 ball ghost or trying to achieve a straight pool run. What are other good practice methods? Any books or videos recommended that go over drills?
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Throw nine balls on the table (one thru nine) and spread them out. Give yourself BIH on the one and try to run out. When you miss, put that shot back up until you make it and continue your run until the rack is over. Do it again 100 times a day. You will get better! :D
 
jay helfert said:
Throw nine balls on the table (one thru nine) and spread them out. Give yourself BIH on the one and try to run out. When you miss, put that shot back up until you make it and continue your run until the rack is over. Do it again 100 times a day. You will get better! :D
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Only then your break will suck....

Jay, I did exactly as you speak of and still do a lot of days due to back issues.

Days that I add breaking to my practice, well.... let's just say my session gets very short.

I think I remember you saying you do it for the same reason and the fact that you have to shoot MORE balls since all 9 are on table from no break.
 
jrctherake said:
Only then your break will suck....

Jay, I did exactly as you speak of and still do a lot of days due to back issues.

Days that I add breaking to my practice, well.... let's just say my session gets very short.

I think I remember you saying you do it for the same reason and the fact that you have to shoot MORE balls since all 9 are on table from no break.
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Thanks JC. This is good practice for working on both your cue ball control and shot making. I would suggest that when you want to work on your break you just break the balls over and over again. Break, rack, break, rack etc. I have personally seen great players like Shane and Dennis just break the balls (9-Ball and Ten Ball) for several hours at a time!

The only other thing I say about the break shot is that it is far different than any other shot you will make. On every other shot you want to keep your body perfectly still, but on the break shot ideally you are moving your torso into the shot, like a karate punch. You get a lot of your strength from your thighs and back side. This is, of course, if you desire to break as hard as possible. These days, a softer "cut" break is often more advantageous.
 
I just practice straight pool. I love the game and I know people have told me to do drills and what not, but I've seen much more improvement playing that game than doing drills. So I just keep at it. I'm no world beater, but I usually give higher handicaps a run for their money because 14.1 has taught me how to be delicate with the cueball. I also do a lot of reading and watching players like Sigel, Ray Martin and whatever footage of the old masters are available on Youtube.

And if that gets boring, I usually do a game or two of 15 ball rotation with bih after the break and counting up how many times I had to take bih to continue.
 
jay helfert said:
Thanks JC. This is good practice for working on both your cue ball control and shot making. I would suggest that when you want to work on your break you just break the balls over and over again. Break, rack, break, rack etc. I have personally seen great players like Shane and Dennis just break the balls (9-Ball and Ten Ball) for several hours at a time!

The only other thing I say about the break shot is that it is far different than any other shot you will make. On every other shot you want to keep your body perfectly still, but on the break shot ideally you are moving your torso into the shot, like a karate punch. You get a lot of your strength from your thighs and back side. This is, of course, if you desire to break as hard as possible. These days, a softer "cut" break is often more advantageous.
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It is so amazing Shane and the others can toss their total body movement into the break. How they can hit the cue ball in the middle. Dead, no spin. I have to keep my hips and shoulders stationary back in order to do that on the break at about half the speed.
 
Mick said:
I have a really hard time focusing if I have no opponent. I need to be competing to play my best, so the only way that I've found to practice by myself is to record straight pool runs. Anything else and I just seem to revert to banging balls. It would probably be good practice for mental discipline to force myself to focus, but I've been pretty unsuccessful at it.
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Set up drills to practice. It will definitely improve focus. Drills force you to concentrate on the shot at hand and position.
 
I believe practice with the best feedback will be the most productive. Here is an example to start with.

Put an object ball one half inch from the long rail near the side pocket. Put the cue ball on the head string one half inch from the same long rail. Shoot this straight in shot. You will get instant feedback.

After you become proficient shooting this shot hard, soft, stop, and follow...now comes the hard part. Shoot this shot with only left English. (You should be able to make this ball while having the cue ball stop and spin in place.) After you become proficient at one speed, then try a different speed. When proficiency is attained, try high left English. Then low left. Then high right. Then low right. I think you see the pattern now.

Step two: Repeat this same process with spot shots. You now will be a shot maker.
 
Prairie dog said:
Find a pool teacher/ instructor in your area. They will usually have hand outs for banks, safeties, double kisses, forced follow, English, rail systems, etc, etc. My teacher has handouts for every faucet of the game. I have a notebook filled with the drills.
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PD,

That's a good idea but please make sure that the instructor knows what they're doing. I watched a guy "teaching" a late teen/early 20's fella one morning. The mentor had his 6" targets laid out nicely on the table working the student through some 3-rail position with just the cue ball. The problem that I saw was that the kid couldn't have run over the target shooting straight at it. He had absolutely no idea how to stroke straight enough to be 50/50 on even contacting the cue ball with the cue tip. His "instructor" didn't notice or seem at all interested in that part of the process.

OP,

There are plenty of good resources out there, just be careful where you spend your time and money.

Keith
 
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