Single best tip, book or drill

Beware_of_Dawg

Beware_of_Dawg

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Silver Member
Howdy all. Noob here. I've been playing pool for 15 years (5 seriously)... At this point I primarily play 9 ball. I also captain a APA 9ball team in the Florida. I am a APA 5. Skill level wise, my peers would say Im a "very strong" 5... I manage my game and skill level well.

I practice between 10-15 hours weekly on average and it's appearent that my stroke has improved vastly over the last few years. Most of the biggest "leaps" in my game have been when I've had the opportunity to play for extended lengths of time against players that are obviously much better tha I am. Problem is I don't get to play against players that are much better than I am as much as I would like... but that's for another post...

My question is what is the single best tip that you've gotten, that has made a marked difference in your game/stroke... The one tip that jumped out and helped contribute to a "quantum" leap in your game? and by tip I mean either something someone pointed out to you, or your noticed about your own game... or a single book you read or DVD/Tape you watched or even a single drill you saw online or in a book or whatever....

I understand for everyone it's different, what works for you may not work for everyone or it could even be something very silly and tiny...

What is/was it?
 
2 things for me.

1) Shorten bridge length.
2) Use rails for position. I used to try and use draw for position on everything. Balls go in a lot easier now...lol
 
I agree with the "draw-crutch" thing... I usta also use draw in way to mant situations... Now that I've put a solid top/follow stroke into my game I've definetley opened up the table and my shape/shot selection has benefited big. I'd say on average I use draw less than 1x per rack, hell maybe as little as 1x per 5+ racks.

I was trying to think of the one thing that made the biggest difference...

I'd havta say golf, (pool golf the game). It really made a very big difference on my ball control & stroke speed/focus.
 
George Fels.."I'm sorry, but I'll just bet you're hitting the balls too hard."
 
Ray martin's book the 99 critical shots sin pool says draw is used for approx 50% or more of shots in pool. I am not sure how you would get around a table well using draw once every 5 racks.
 
Pushout said:
George Fels.."I'm sorry, but I'll just bet you're hitting the balls too hard."
Click to expand...

BINGO. That's what that game helped train me not to do, hit the balls to hard. I have a friend that I play with, I tease him when he misses a shot I say.... was thatme? again? (too hard and too much english)
 
Beware_of_Dawg said:
Howdy all. Noob here. I've been playing pool for 15 years (5 seriously)... At this point I primarily play 9 ball. I also captain a APA 9ball team in the Florida. I am a APA 5. Skill level wise, my peers would say Im a "very strong" 5... I manage my game and skill level well.

I practice between 10-15 hours weekly on average and it's appearent that my stroke has improved vastly over the last few years. Most of the biggest "leaps" in my game have been when I've had the opportunity to play for extended lengths of time against players that are obviously much better tha I am. Problem is I don't get to play against players that are much better than I am as much as I would like... but that's for another post...

My question is what is the single best tip that you've gotten, that has made a marked difference in your game/stroke... The one tip that jumped out and helped contribute to a "quantum" leap in your game? and by tip I mean either something someone pointed out to you, or your noticed about your own game... or a single book you read or DVD/Tape you watched or even a single drill you saw online or in a book or whatever....

I understand for everyone it's different, what works for you may not work for everyone or it could even be something very silly and tiny...

What is/was it?
Click to expand...

Best book I ever purchased was "Pleasure Of Small Motions".

It's about the mental aspect of the game. It doesn't have any of those silly things like a lot of psych books have like "If you did it once, you can do it again, or imagine a perfect runout in your mind bla, bla, bla"

It approaches the mental aspect in a very common sense and helps you understand how and where your decisions are formed and how to get a handle on your decisions and thoughts.

Best piece of advice - Play 10 games a day for a month, at the end add up how many runouts, 8 ball, 7 ball, 6 ball runs etc., that you did. Get your averages for each. Then you see that if you only runout 10% of the time.....attempting a runout each time you get to the table is setting you up to fail 90% of the time.

If you can make a 5 ball run 75% of the time play to that strength. Make 4 or 5, play safe and then runout. Work on upping your consecutive until that 75% is a runout
 
Practice. All the books ive read and dvds ive got havent helped me as much as plain old table time. Once i got my 9foot brunswick installed and got to spend more time on it I noticed i was pocketing more consistently and getting shape easier. 99 critical shots in pool. If i had to pick one book.
 
Beware_of_Dawg said:
Howdy all. Noob here. I've been playing pool for 15 years (5 seriously)... At this point I primarily play 9 ball. I also captain a APA 9ball team in the Florida. I am a APA 5. Skill level wise, my peers would say Im a "very strong" 5... I manage my game and skill level well.

I practice between 10-15 hours weekly on average and it's appearent that my stroke has improved vastly over the last few years. Most of the biggest "leaps" in my game have been when I've had the opportunity to play for extended lengths of time against players that are obviously much better tha I am. Problem is I don't get to play against players that are much better than I am as much as I would like... but that's for another post...

My question is what is the single best tip that you've gotten, that has made a marked difference in your game/stroke... The one tip that jumped out and helped contribute to a "quantum" leap in your game? and by tip I mean either something someone pointed out to you, or your noticed about your own game... or a single book you read or DVD/Tape you watched or even a single drill you saw online or in a book or whatever....

I understand for everyone it's different, what works for you may not work for everyone or it could even be something very silly and tiny...

What is/was it?
Click to expand...


stay down, follow through (every time) and be decisive!!
 
mantis99 said:
Ray martin's book the 99 critical shots sin pool says draw is used for approx 50% or more of shots in pool. I am not sure how you would get around a table well using draw once every 5 racks.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry draw was was to broad a statement as any lower english stroke could be considered draw... I meant straight bottom draw. (not using any rails). Just drawing the ball stright back.
 
Beware_of_Dawg said:
Howdy all. Noob here. I've been playing pool for 15 years (5 seriously)... At this point I primarily play 9 ball. I also captain a APA 9ball team in the Florida. I am a APA 5. Skill level wise, my peers would say Im a "very strong" 5... I manage my game and skill level well.

I practice between 10-15 hours weekly on average and it's appearent that my stroke has improved vastly over the last few years. Most of the biggest "leaps" in my game have been when I've had the opportunity to play for extended lengths of time against players that are obviously much better tha I am. Problem is I don't get to play against players that are much better than I am as much as I would like... but that's for another post...

My question is what is the single best tip that you've gotten, that has made a marked difference in your game/stroke... The one tip that jumped out and helped contribute to a "quantum" leap in your game? and by tip I mean either something someone pointed out to you, or your noticed about your own game... or a single book you read or DVD/Tape you watched or even a single drill you saw online or in a book or whatever....

I understand for everyone it's different, what works for you may not work for everyone or it could even be something very silly and tiny...

What is/was it?
Click to expand...

You first. :) Playing against other better players wasn't a tip you received)
JoeyA
 
JoeyA said:
You first. :) Playing against other better players wasn't a tip you received)
JoeyA
Click to expand...

I did say one thing that I felt helped a certain area of my game...

Beware_of_Dawg said:
I'd havta say golf, (pool golf the game). It really made a very big difference on my ball control & stroke speed/focus.
Click to expand...
 
Here's my $0.02....

Setup a straight shot to the corner pocket. Practice your stop shots by repetitively leaving the cue ball where it stopped. The more successful you are with stop shots the more confident you will be in your game. Once confident in pocketing balls, then practice one tip around center. Until you can continually pocket balls with a certain percenage of success you shouldn't be practicing any sort of english.

Secondly, try using a shorter back swing and a long follow through for close/short shots

Thirdly, play all different types of games especially billiards. Billiards will definitely show you how to get better position.

Lastly, Once you are confident in your game..get off your butt and start playing for cash!
 
Noob Too!

Noob myself. Greetings!

Single best piece of advice I ever got was - Keep your head down, and don't move ;)
Kev
 
"Align your upper arm with the line of the shot."

When I went in for my first lesson, I knew that for best accuracy (in terms of CB direction and also accurate application of english), a straight stroke was important. But I didn't realize how much easier it was to stroke straight, generate power, and have your stroke be reliable rather than desert you when you're cold or rusty, if you make sure that the shoulder AND the elbow are DIRECTLY above the cue. It's easier said than done, but if done right, the stroke motion just gets so simple and easy and powerful.

Anyway, before an instructor helped me understand that this was the most important aspect of stance and mechanics, I had no idea what to believe as far as what form I should strive to achieve. It basically became my compass in my ongoing quest to improve my technique.

-Andrew
 
I've never had a lesson or even read a book on pool.

I would be curious (love to) to hear what a "pro" or instructor had to say about my fundamentals... I try to picture some of the things you guys describe about some fundamentals in my head to "quality control" to see if these are indeed things I do but its difficult. I'm a visual learner so it's tough.

keep 'em coming... what else has helped you guys the most?
 
NEVER SACRIFICE ACCURACY FOR POWER... I learned that in a book called Lessons In 9 Ball...

;)
 
The most important thing in pocket billiards is to MAKE THE ***. If you are playing a safety make the safety, if you are playing a kick make the kick(hit the object ball you are trying to hit)..if you are playing the shot..make the shot.
The most important thing in the stroke is alignment stick alignment along with body alignment straight at the contact point. Because if you are not aligned straight no matter how good of a stroke you have you aren't going to hit the ball as good as you can.
Best beginner tape/dvd is How to Play Pool Right from Jerry Brieseth. The best advanced tapes I have seen so far is the Grady Matthew's tapes. I suspect the 60 minute workout is awesome but I haven't seen it yet.
Best beginner book is 99 critical shots by Ray Martin.
 
Beware_of_Dawg said:
I'm sorry draw was was to broad a statement as any lower english stroke could be considered draw... I meant straight bottom draw. (not using any rails). Just drawing the ball stright back.
Click to expand...

Not really, you can shoot a lot of shots with low right or left english and not draw the cue ball. I'm not real sure of your statement because of the two "was".
 
Forgot that one....

Pushout said:
George Fels.."I'm sorry, but I'll just bet you're hitting the balls too hard."
Click to expand...

Yeah, shooting softer helps a lot also.

Using more center ball helped me also.

I guess everything, all the lessons learned and tips remembered helps your game. Since everyone's game/style is different, certain things make a bigger difference than others.
 
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