Someone explain this to me

leehayes

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have been playing seriously since around November and on and off for a couple of years but mostly just a reason to hang out and have a few beers with friends. In November I had made a commitment to be a better player and started to study the game. In February I started taking some lessons from a semi pro player. Learned alot but my game struggled. Started playing alot of talented guys, playing in tournaments and basically alot more practice time. Anyway, I have struggled over the last 8 or 9 months with shooting accuracy. Long shots, short shots, cuts etc....just alot of times I missed shots that I knew I aimed at the right spot and didn't make them. About 2 weeks ago I noticed a huge change. Now those same shots consistently sink, all without alot of thought. Is this just a natural byproduct of practice and play or did something click in my head? I'm curious because I want to make sure it stays with me. My shooting percentage and my win loss percentage is really moving up.
Just curious about thoughts of others.
 
You will see this happen ALL THE TIME with pool. You practice, practice, practice, and then you are thinking, man I HAVE to be getting better. Then you go to play in a tourny and you feel like it was the worst you had ever played. A couple weeks down the road and something clicks, all the practice payed off! Its an on going roller coaster, you just have to be strapped in for the ride.
 
A rollercoaster ride it is indeed. Amazing how the mind works. I've had days where I was playing like I could beat anybody on the planet and then the next night I couldn't make a ball to save my life. It happens.
 
learning

leehayes said:
I have been playing seriously since around November and on and off for a couple of years but mostly just a reason to hang out and have a few beers with friends. In November I had made a commitment to be a better player and started to study the game. In February I started taking some lessons from a semi pro player. Learned alot but my game struggled. Started playing alot of talented guys, playing in tournaments and basically alot more practice time. Anyway, I have struggled over the last 8 or 9 months with shooting accuracy. Long shots, short shots, cuts etc....just alot of times I missed shots that I knew I aimed at the right spot and didn't make them. About 2 weeks ago I noticed a huge change. Now those same shots consistently sink, all without alot of thought. Is this just a natural byproduct of practice and play or did something click in my head? I'm curious because I want to make sure it stays with me. My shooting percentage and my win loss percentage is really moving up.
Just curious about thoughts of others.
I help beginers and afew advanced players, with the beginers the consept of making ball is my first lesson the move up to the movement of qb i position play ,this is where i lose a lot of players as they canot grasp the movement of qb to next ball ?? takes a while , but it is worth the wait when it finley clicks and they start putting balls together, just be patient and it will come. but it will come good luck STICK:D :D :D
 
leehayes said:
.... About 2 weeks ago I noticed a huge change. Now those same shots consistently sink, all without alot of thought. Is this just a natural byproduct of practice ... ? ....

Yes. If you practice, pay close attention to the results, and make adjustments to cause the results to be closer to what you want to happen, you will learn over time to cause the exact result you want. The "without a lot of thought" part is critical. The "thought" comes during practice when you are observing and making adjustments. Once you are comfortable with any particular shot you shouldn't have to think about it, you just do it.

Learning is a beautiful thing. Somtimes I feel like a broken record, but the book Inner Game of Tennis covers 'how we learn' very well imo, if you are interested in the phenomena.

Dave
 
DaveK said:
Learning is a beautiful thing. Somtimes I feel like a broken record, but the book Inner Game of Tennis covers 'how we learn' very well imo, if you are interested in the phenomena.

Dave

Just ordered this book the other day, waiting on it
 
I appreciate the help guys. I'm a sl 6 in APA so I'm not a complete slouch. I started taking lessons because I just couldn't consistently pocket. there have been days when I played lights out but my shooting outside those matches was just not consistent. I watch guys who shoot and wonder how the heck are they so accurate. It just seems to have clicked. Not complaining that's for sure. It has definitely increased my enjoyment factor and now it allows me to concentrate more on position.
 
Learning and getting training are kind of like getting a new stick. You need to get used to what you are learning before you can use it effectively. I know when I take lessons or learn some new technique, my game suffers for a few weeks. My mind and body is trying to get used to the new information. Once that happens, you will see your game improve based on what you learned.
 
soulcatcher said:
Learning and getting training are kind of like getting a new stick. You need to get used to what you are learning before you can use it effectively. I know when I take lessons or learn some new technique, my game suffers for a few weeks. My mind and body is trying to get used to the new information. Once that happens, you will see your game improve based on what you learned.

I agree with this. The more changes you make the longer it will take for them to be part of your natural game. In most cases when you change something in your game you go backwards a little until it becomes natural to you. Altough I never really took lessons I feel they are very worth while for most and should be taken as soon as possible when you become serious about the game. The fewer bad habits you have before taking lessons the faster new things will take to work IMO. Johnnyt
 
Back
Top