Practicing too much?

H

Hobart007

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I am wondering what people's opinions are of too much practice and if there is such a thing.

I know the pros practice for hours daily and that is what makes them pros. My experience is different lately though. For 4 years in college I shot for a minimum of 6 hours a day - 6 days a week. Then life jumped in and I didn't play seriously for about 13 years.

I got back into playing last year and it has been an exercise in frustration though one I enjoy. Shots that used to be automatic are rough now and my stroke has gone to crap (new body shape means learning a new way to hold my rear arm - AROUND the gut).

I figured that a ton of practice would get me back into stroke but it seems that if I go longer than 5 hours for more than 1 day in a row, my game suffers in the short term. (e.g. Days 2 and on my stroke is poorer and less consistent than normal.)

Anyone else ever run into this issue? Any ideas on breaking it? Will the Army approach (shut up and keep at it until it breaks or you do) work as it has in the past if I give it more time?

I would love to hear opinions.
 
You have to be aware of your goal and then tailor your efforts toward that goal.

Wanna be a good tourney player? Gotta play tourneys.

Wanna be a 100 ball runner? Play 14.1 and expose yourself to people who can already run 100+.

Time spent is not what builds improvement.
 
Good call Black-Balled.

My goal for now is a consistent stroke and the ability to put the ball where I want to every time both in terms of shot and shape. I guess that the premise here is that to build a house I need a good foundation.

I play league twice a week and participate in small tournaments on weekends. I see performance there as important but secondary as without consistency there is not much hope in succeeding in either.

My time is tailored as much as I know how towards improving stroke and control (drills, trouble shots, etc.) and towards improving match play (shooting against opponents that challenge me).

I just feel like I wear myself out where it used to be so easy to put time in and to improve.
 
Mix it up and spread it out

I think you'd be better served with short bursts of very focused practice (20-30 min at a stretch) of a particular skill. Focus on nothing but breaking for 20 min, see what is working, what isn't. Tweak, experiment, make mistakes, take notes. Then walk away and review your notes at a later time to see what you really learned. The next day focus on your stop shots. Then focus on draw for a day, then follow for a day, etc.

If you've got 5 hours to burn on practice, take 1 of those and work on your body. If you get in shape, you'll be stronger, more stable, more focused, and better prepared to learn and get better.

I think practicing for an hour or two a day 5 days a week is worth way more than 5-10 hours in a single day.
 
Hobart007 said:
So I am wondering what people's opinions are of too much practice and if there is such a thing.

I know the pros practice for hours daily and that is what makes them pros. My experience is different lately though. For 4 years in college I shot for a minimum of 6 hours a day - 6 days a week. Then life jumped in and I didn't play seriously for about 13 years.

I got back into playing last year and it has been an exercise in frustration though one I enjoy. Shots that used to be automatic are rough now and my stroke has gone to crap (new body shape means learning a new way to hold my rear arm - AROUND the gut).

I figured that a ton of practice would get me back into stroke but it seems that if I go longer than 5 hours for more than 1 day in a row, my game suffers in the short term. (e.g. Days 2 and on my stroke is poorer and less consistent than normal.)

Anyone else ever run into this issue? Any ideas on breaking it? Will the Army approach (shut up and keep at it until it breaks or you do) work as it has in the past if I give it more time?

I would love to hear opinions.
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I'm sure you know how much of a physical game pool really is. When you are out of shape you will feel it more. You can shorten your practice sessons, but getting back in shape is a much better alternative. Diet and exercise will do amazing things for your pool game, particularly for the ability to put in long hours at the table, which I believe is the way to go.

Oh, and not to mention a longer life span....
 
FranCrimi said:
I'm sure you know how much of a physical game pool really is. When you are out of shape you will feel it more. You can shorten your practice sessons, but getting back in shape is a much better alternative. Diet and exercise will do amazing things for your pool game, particularly for the ability to put in long hours at the table, which I believe is the way to go.

Oh, and not to mention a longer life span....
Click to expand...

This is the best advice in here, look good-feel good-play good. I noticed myself playing better when I workout, if I slack off and sit around eating bad then I am a bit sluggish as is my game. You will do everything better if your in good physical health. :smile:
 
Fast Lenny said:
This is the best advice in here, look good-feel good-play good. I noticed myself playing better when I workout, if I slack off and sit around eating bad then I am a bit sluggish as is my game. You will do everything better if your in good physical health. :smile:
Click to expand...

Take it from Lenny...his body is RIDONCULOUS!!!
 
Good calls on getting back into shape. I had considered that and the "boy I sure hate cardio" side of me won that battle. Sounds like I need to reconsider.

It is amazing how physical the game really is. I hadn't noticed before as I was in great shape (collegiate level athletics and military) when I played previously. Goes to show that what you take for granted can sneak up and bite you.
 
I don't think you can practice too much if you are working on known problem areas. Not just banging balls around. But just practicing by yourself won't help you much when you jump in the grease or play in good tournaments against players as good or better than you. Guys that just practice all week by themselves tend to go down a ball or 2 when they play even with someone that plays in compitition all the time. Just like the fighter that only hits the bag all the time and then gets in the ring with someone that hit back. Johnnyt
 
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Fast Lenny said:
This is the best advice in here, look good-feel good-play good. I noticed myself playing better when I workout, if I slack off and sit around eating bad then I am a bit sluggish as is my game. You will do everything better if your in good physical health. :smile:
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I dunno. When I am working out I eat all friggin day. Can't play pool for more than a couple hours without a meal and I hate to eat while playing.
easy-e said:
Take it from Lenny...his body is RIDONCULOUS!!!
Click to expand...
And now I want to eat Lenny.
 
Johnnyt said:
... just practicing by yourself won't help you much when you jump in the grease or play in good tournaments
... Guys that just practice all week by themselves tend to go down a ball or 2 when they play even with someone that plays in compitition all the time... someone that hit back. Johnnyt
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Truth. Only good side to that is when someone comes over to the basement to play, he's at a severe disadvantage.
 
Johnnyt said:
I don't think you can practice too much if you are working on known problem areas. Not just banging balls around. But just practicing by yourself won't help you much when you jump in the grease or play in good tournaments against players as good or better than you. Guys that just practice all week by themselves tend to go down a ball or 2 when they play even with someone that plays in compitition all the time. Just like the fighter that only hits the bag all the time and then gets in the ring with someone that hit back. Johnnyt
Click to expand...

Excellent analogy on the boxing. I boxed from when I was 8 until I was 24 and nothing beats competing for getting better at competing.

I try to split my time between working on issues and shooting games with partners (75/25).
 
My Ideas

Make sure you aren't practicing fatigued...

Like you said, the longer you play, your body fatigues and changes your focus, stroke, stance, etc.

My suggestion would be to shorten your practice sessions until you can build up your endurance to play longer and practice longer.

Frustration is good to an extent because it will help you learn how to adapt and overcome that emotion, but if your main focus is to nail down the intricacies of your stroke and position, make sure you give yourself the best possible circumstances to practice in.

Carl
 
Jbmcgee1 touched on a very good point when it comes to muscle memory. The brain learns better with motions that are repeated then taking a rest break. The task becomes more automatic as the brain sees endless much of the same. Combining breaks & soft safeties would be less effective even with the rest break.
 
I really like long practice sessions because I find that a long session will start to break you down. That may sound like a bad thing but I have found that it's in long sessions where I start to feel what it's like to be really loose again.

Sometimes that can take hours to kick-in if you've been playing tight for awhile and haven't realized it. Then all of a sudden your arm starts to move freely, you don't think so much, and you start to let go and just shoot pool instead of trying to control every little thing. When that happens, lookout --- you're in stroke.
 
I think having a strong practice partner is also instrumental in getting better, and maybe not necessarily the same one all the time. Drills, banks, ball position,,,,,all of that is extremely important, but it takes good competition and strategy to keep you sharp.
 
The amount of time in practising doesnt say anything at all. Learn from practising advances you to the next lvl faster.
 
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