Some people hate my preshot routine, what should I do?

H

housecue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There are some guys at the pool hall that don't like my preshot routine. they told me I should not take more than 3 practice stroke. I responded to them that my preshot routine helps me loosing my muscles and gives me time to look for my aiming point since I aim by feel.

Here is how my preshot routine goes. I bend down and I would do a few quick strokes to warm up the arm, then I pause to look for the aiming point, then I pump the warm up strokes one more time, then I do one practice stroke then fire away.

I heard that if someone takes too long to shoot it's a form of sharking, but I am not trying to shark anyone. It's just how I shoot.

What should I do? Should I try and modify my preshot routine or should I keep it the way it is and hell with what others think?

Edit: btw, my preshot routine doesn't take more than 15 seconds.
 
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If you are just practicing, keep your preshot routine. If you were to play in a tournament, I would find a way to moderate it. Otherwise your opponent may feel the need to have the shot clock called on you.
 
Try keeping your arm moving with little 2-3 inch strokes while you find those points. Once set. Do your 3 normal strokes pause and fire... This keep my arm loose and reduces the nerves.
 
I wish that some of the people I play against only took that long. At least you aren't getting up 5-times to look at the shot, and put you cue on the table at several different angles, and lift up the cue ball and brush under it, and brush off the line to the object ball in case there is something on the felt, then go talk to the waitress, then go to the bathroom.

It really doesn't sound like you are taking that long
 
hilla_hilla said:
If you are just practicing, keep your preshot routine. If you were to play in a tournament, I would find a way to moderate it. Otherwise your opponent may feel the need to have the shot clock called on you.
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I am not too worry about shot clock, my preshot routine doesn't take more than 15 seconds.
 
housecue said:
I am not too worry about shot clock, my preshot routine doesn't take more than 15 seconds.
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If that's the case you can ignore everyone's complaints because 15 seconds is not unreasonable.
 
hilla_hilla said:
If that's the case you can ignore everyone's complaints because 15 seconds is not unreasonable.
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Yeahhhhhhh... but try imagining watching your opponent at the table and count backwards from 15- now imagine him doing it several times in a row (if he's any good:p )- that would get real old REAL quick.

Time is relative- there's putting your hand on the thigh of a beautiful woman for five seconds vs. putting your hand on a hot stove for the same amount of time- which will seem longer?:cool:
 
gobrian77 said:
Yeahhhhhhh... but try imagining watching your opponent at the table and count backwards from 15- now imagine him doing it several times in a row (if he's any good:p )- that would get real old REAL quick.

Time is relative- there's putting your hand on the thigh of a beautiful woman for five seconds vs. putting your hand on a hot stove for the same amount of time- which will seem longer?:cool:
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In my case, probably putting my hand on some other girls thigh would seem longer, lol.
 
housecue said:
There are some guys at the pool hall that don't like my preshot routine. they told me I should not take more than 3 practice stroke. I responded to them that my preshot routine helps me loosing my muscles and gives me time to look for my aiming point since I aim by feel.

Here is how my preshot routine goes. I bend down and I would do a few quick strokes to warm up the arm, then I pause to look for the aiming point, then I pump the warm up strokes one more time, then I do one practice stroke then fire away.

I heard that if someone takes too long to shoot it's a form of sharking, but I am not trying to shark anyone. It's just how I shoot.

What should I do? Should I try and modify my preshot routine or should I keep it the way it is and hell with what others think?

Edit: btw, my preshot routine doesn't take more than 15 seconds.
Click to expand...

I think it depends on your priorities.

If your only concern is to play your best and this preshot routine helps you achieve that goal, then I'd stick with your current style.

If people's reaction to your style of play is detracting from your enjoyment of the game (or having a negative impact on your performance), then perhaps you might consider modifying your routine.

I'd imagine you are more than capable of modifying your preshot routine and playing at least as well as you play now.

All of that being said, here's my first response to reading your post: "The hell with them!"
 
Unlike the others, I would say modify your routine. If your looking for your point of aim while you are down, your doing something that you should have done before you got down on the shot. Adjusting, other than very minor, while your down, will alter your alignment. Find your point of aim, or line, and then bring your body down on that line and you won't need all those warm-ups.
 
Deadon said:
Unlike the others, I would say modify your routine. If your looking for your point of aim while you are down, your doing something that you should have done before you got down on the shot. Adjusting, other than very minor, while your down, will alter your alignment. Find your point of aim, or line, and then bring your body down on that line and you won't need all those warm-ups.
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Actually, that's not possible for me since my method of aim is develop while I am down on the shot. I can only see it from that perspective. This method works beautifully for me.
 
housecue said:
There are some guys at the pool hall that don't like my preshot routine. they told me I should not take more than 3 practice stroke. I responded to them that my preshot routine helps me loosing my muscles and gives me time to look for my aiming point since I aim by feel.

Here is how my preshot routine goes. I bend down and I would do a few quick strokes to warm up the arm, then I pause to look for the aiming point, then I pump the warm up strokes one more time, then I do one practice stroke then fire away.

I heard that if someone takes too long to shoot it's a form of sharking, but I am not trying to shark anyone. It's just how I shoot.

What should I do? Should I try and modify my preshot routine or should I keep it the way it is and hell with what others think?

Edit: btw, my preshot routine doesn't take more than 15 seconds.
Click to expand...

You answered your own question. If it is working for you stick with it.

Banger
 
Thanks everyone for your opinion. I will stick with my preshot routine since it has done wonders for my game.
 
It's YOUR routine and none of their business. They're just sharking YOU. Tell'm to eat sh!t and die.
 
housecue said:
Actually, that's not possible for me since my method of aim is develop while I am down on the shot. I can only see it from that perspective. This method works beautifully for me.
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You should see the line of aim before you get down on the shot , otherwise you can't align your body correct for every shot . Your method sounds to me like a banger style , if you are moving left-right when you are down on the shot is so wrong ! :eek:
 
housecue said:
Actually, that's not possible for me since my method of aim is develop while I am down on the shot. I can only see it from that perspective. This method works beautifully for me.
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If that's the case, don't change a thing. I'm a slow player myself and have had only one person ever make a comment about it: my ex-boyfriend. If I try to rush or change up my routine, I get out of stroke. Why compromise your game?
 
hey from what i just read. it seems normal. don't let others talk you out of it. if your making balls then your doing something right
 
Deadon said:
Unlike the others, I would say modify your routine. If your looking for your point of aim while you are down, your doing something that you should have done before you got down on the shot. Adjusting, other than very minor, while your down, will alter your alignment. Find your point of aim, or line, and then bring your body down on that line and you won't need all those warm-ups.
Click to expand...

I disagree. Yes we aim in the upright position, but we verify the aim point and lock in on it in the down position. I also take several "aiming strokes" before going into my fixed preshot routine. My "aiming strokes" let me finalize my aiming point and get comfortable with my position, I think this is what he (she?) is doing also. Like the OP, after I'm assured my aiming point is correct, I pause at the cueball and go into my SPF routine, 2 strokes, set at the cueball, pause at the end of the backswing, and finish (with appropriate follow through).
Sounds like the OP takes longer for this than I do, but I think the basic routine is valid.
JMHO.
 
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