Shooting better with no practice strokes

Straightpool_99

Straightpool_99

I see dead balls
Silver Member
Anyone else shoot better with no practice strokes (and quickly). I'm simplyfying my game in order to take it to the next level and a surprising discovery is that my touch and shotmaking actually improve when I shoot quickly and with no practice strokes. I'm currently shooting faster than Tony Drago (at least on the snooker table, on the pool table it might not be possible), and with a similar style. Not claiming to be anywhere near as good. Knocked in a 50 break on the snooker table litterally running around the table...Got some looks, lol.

I did a test of touch with a napkin (trying to land the cueball on a small piece of a paper napkin), and I was shocked at how much better I did without the practice strokes. Somehow the practice strokes ruined my stroke timing. The stroke looked better and felt better with the practice strokes, sure, but the results were undeniable...

Having unleashed my inner Drago, I'm not about to shackle him back up, that's for sure.
 
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every time, without exception, if I rush the shot or especially "one stroke" the shot I miss! :angry: so I am trying to break that bad habit....;).
 
Straightpool_99 said:
Anyone else shoot better with no practice strokes (and quickly). I'm simplyfying my game in order to take it to the next level and a surprising discovery is that my touch and shotmaking actually improve when I shoot quickly and with no practice strokes. I'm currently shooting faster than Tony Drago, and with a similar style. Not claiminng to be anywhere near as good.
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Whatever works for you. I hate playing slow but that's a little too fast for me. One thing for sure. You won't over think your shot when over the ball. Do you even step into the shot or do you just sidle over to it?
 
philly said:
Whatever works for you. I hate playing slow but that's a little too fast for me. One thing for sure. You won't over think your shot when over the ball. Do you even step into the shot or do you just sidle over to it?
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Alignment is important, especially with this style, there are no second chances. Must step in, or I miss.
 
Straightpool_99 said:
Anyone else shoot better with no practice strokes (and quickly). I'm simplyfying my game in order to take it to the next level and a surprising discovery is that my touch and shotmaking actually improve when I shoot quickly and with no practice strokes. I'm currently shooting faster than Tony Drago (at least on the snooker table, on the pool table it might not be possible), and with a similar style. Not claiminng to be anywhere near as good. Knocked in a 50 break on the snooker table litterally running around the table...Got some looks, lol.

I did a test of touch with a napkin (trying to land the cueball on a small piece of a paper napkin), and I was shocked at how much better I did without the practice strokes. Somehow the practice strokes ruined my stroke timing. The stroke looked better and felt better with the practice strokes, sure, but the results were undeniable...

Having unleashed my inner Drago, I'm not about to shackle him back up, that's for sure.
Click to expand...

I think it's called Automatic Aiming though it's actually more of a "Drop and Pop"
 
I've always been a slow player, meticulous, mechanical...With this style I'm shooting only on instinct. I guess one of the reasons I've been so slow is that my vision isn't like most people. Some of you may see the cuestick pointing at the ball in the middle of your vision in a straight line. I can't see it like that, and if I try I always miss the ball. I've always had this habit of moving my head around slightly while over the ball. What I see over the cue is just crap. Can't even diagram it, it's that bad and no head adjustments either way can make it perfect, but all things considered I've done quite ok with it.

I'm learning to trust what I see with this Drago style, no corrections, no stroke thoughts, only thinking about what I want to do. I envy those of you who can see the shot like this:
 

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I sometimes practice without warmup strokes - it does a couple of things for me:

- forces me to pay closer attention to my PSR and setup

- forces me to focus and aim more quickly

pj
chgo
 
I used to do that in tournaments from time to time. Only once did someone notice I had changed my routine. I'm with Pat J -- it forced me to line up and pay attention to the shot. I don't know if I could do it now since I play 4 hours a week instead of 4 hours a day. It seems to take me a lot longer to get along the right line. I'll have to try it some.
 
I will take this one step further. I do it now and then just to try and fine tune my "without thinking about it" natural alignment.

I walk up to a shoot with my eyes focused on the object ball. I use only peripheral vision (is it peripheral if it is vision below eye level?) to line up on the cue ball. I go down in my stance keeping my eyes on the object ball. I pull the trigger NEVER ONCE directly looking at the cue ball.

This might be easier for a look at object last person than a look at cue ball last person.
 
Not much difference than practice swings in golf. It's pretty much an individual thing.
The great Horton Smith just walked up to the ball and hit it. :)
 
I'm not sure I do the same thing, but it sounds similar. I align, get down on the shot, position my cue tip where I want to hit the cue ball, and I take the shot. Almost a normal shooting routine minus all the sawing back and forth. In my case it's probably a stroke bandaid, but it works pretty well.
 
Straightpool_99 said:
Anyone else shoot better with no practice strokes (and quickly). I'm simplyfying my game in order to take it to the next level and a surprising discovery is that my touch and shotmaking actually improve when I shoot quickly and with no practice strokes. I'm currently shooting faster than Tony Drago (at least on the snooker table, on the pool table it might not be possible), and with a similar style. Not claiming to be anywhere near as good. Knocked in a 50 break on the snooker table litterally running around the table...Got some looks, lol.

I did a test of touch with a napkin (trying to land the cueball on a small piece of a paper napkin), and I was shocked at how much better I did without the practice strokes. Somehow the practice strokes ruined my stroke timing. The stroke looked better and felt better with the practice strokes, sure, but the results were undeniable...

Having unleashed my inner Drago, I'm not about to shackle him back up, that's for sure.
Click to expand...

Well, I think there is something to be said about turning the game over to your subconscious. A talented player can definitely shoot the lights out without much hard thinking. As long as your recognition is not missing anything important and your patterns or technique don't suffer. Shaw takes those little short waves at the cueball, then fires quickly.

Just don't immediately assume a good session or 2 means the change was worth it. You might have just been destined to hit'em good those days anyway.
 
Straightpool_99 said:
Anyone else shoot better with no practice strokes (and quickly). I'm simplyfying my game in order to take it to the next level and a surprising discovery is that my touch and shotmaking actually improve when I shoot quickly and with no practice strokes. I'm currently shooting faster than Tony Drago (at least on the snooker table, on the pool table it might not be possible), and with a similar style. Not claiming to be anywhere near as good. Knocked in a 50 break on the snooker table litterally running around the table...Got some looks, lol.

I did a test of touch with a napkin (trying to land the cueball on a small piece of a paper napkin), and I was shocked at how much better I did without the practice strokes. Somehow the practice strokes ruined my stroke timing. The stroke looked better and felt better with the practice strokes, sure, but the results were undeniable...

Having unleashed my inner Drago, I'm not about to shackle him back up, that's for sure.
Click to expand...
What you are describing pretty much everybody can do. It is called "Free Wheeling". The problem is, it does not work in competition, only just mindless practice.
 
macguy said:
What you are describing pretty much everybody can do. It is called "Free Wheeling". The problem is, it does not work in competition, only just mindless practice.
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I think it depends on the individual. I could play competitively with no fiddling. Tony Drago doesn't play badly. I can name dozens of players I wish would try it.
 
Straightpool_99 said:
Anyone else shoot better with no practice strokes (and quickly). I'm simplyfying my game in order to take it to the next level and a surprising discovery is that my touch and shotmaking actually improve when I shoot quickly and with no practice strokes. I'm currently shooting faster than Tony Drago (at least on the snooker table, on the pool table it might not be possible), and with a similar style. Not claiming to be anywhere near as good. Knocked in a 50 break on the snooker table litterally running around the table...Got some looks, lol.

I did a test of touch with a napkin (trying to land the cueball on a small piece of a paper napkin), and I was shocked at how much better I did without the practice strokes. Somehow the practice strokes ruined my stroke timing. The stroke looked better and felt better with the practice strokes, sure, but the results were undeniable...

Having unleashed my inner Drago, I'm not about to shackle him back up, that's for sure.
Click to expand...


I've had this same experience. It happens when things are not going well and I get frustrated and just start swinging away. All of a sudden, balls drop (or rather, slam) in and I usually get pretty good shape too. What this tells me is that I'm consciously thinking about my stroke when I'm down on my shots and fighting against my hand/eye coordination or auto-pilot. My guess is that the reason this is working for you is because your fundamentals aren't bad and you're not giving yourself any chance of second guessing what is already ingrained in your subconscious. I suspect you'll dial things in once you're more comfortable with your stroke. Right now you're doing yourself a favor by not overthinking it.
 
ive noticed it myself
when im just shooting round at the house
long half table cut, not a bit cut but a half table cut on my 9fter
ill just glance at the angle, never focusing in
dont eve get in my stance of psr do a nice loose stroke not at all what is my stroke and it rolls in every time

and when I focus in on that and attempt a repeat it never works
its like im forever damned to not succeed, and now that ive moved on to 3c and dont take my pool playing as seriously as I did at one point I play so much better

but im a 3c man from now on, believe it or not, it seems much easier to me
I don't ever put pressure on myself or get upset if I miss, which I do quite often
its just plain fun to me
 
It's called the drop and shoot method, and you may have trouble with it in competition. I don't recommend it.
 
All different

Everyone shoots different. Drago gets down and fires the shot. I like Ko Pin's break and counted his warm up shots when he was breaking in a 10 ball match. He was stroking 13 to 15 times before firing off the shot. Much different then Shane or Drago, but it sure works for him.

I do 3 or 4 strokes and bombs away.
 
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