Striving For A Perfect Stroke?

[lfigueroa]

Mark Wilson suggests that we should always be focused on making our stroke better. Even in a serious match, we should be analyzing our stroke after every shot and thinking of a way to improve it for the next shot. The same goes for practice.

Prior to reading his advice, I never put much thought into improving my stroke from one shot to the next or even one day to the next. I've always had the attitude that my stroke is not perfect but certainly good enough. So I would work on other aspects of the game with a lot of focus on the mental side of the game.

Lately, I've switched my tune and have been dedicating about 75% of my practice time to stroking better.

With that being said, how much emphasis do you put on achieving a perfect stroke? Do most people continually try to improve their stroke or settle for what they've got after a while?

I've always felt that the key to pool was improving your stroke.

Not to an idealized, perfect, piston motion, but to what produces results you're satisfied with. Too many guys shoot the way they shoot because... it's the way they shoot. Motion, stance, bridge, grip. And though I believe you should do what feels natural, within the range of "natural" are a whole subset of small but incredibly important mods you can make to improve your game. You just need to look and pay attention.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Zphix]

Honestly,

I think about my stroke fairly often when I play. If I miss a shot I almost always backtrack to my stroke and if I miss 3-4 shots the same way then I stop playing or hitting balls and immediately do some light drill work focused on honing in the stroke.

It's interesting because some days I'll subconsciously make some tweak and my stroke will be perfectly straight and I won't miss anything (I know because I would purposely take on very tough shots) but it hasn't been repeatable yet.

Anyway, from fixating on creating/finding a stroke that is straight and repeatable I've been able to catch a few tweaks and my playing ability has definitely gone up. So, for me, working on the stroke is something that I am almost always doing.

 

[hitman22]

Don't go nut on the Zen BS...you address different shots in different ways .Don't drive your self nuts with that guru crap...

 

[jrctherake]

I totally understand what you're saying here but I don't necessarily agree. Your stroke can be tweaked in a million different ways to produce more consistent results. Usually those tweaks involve striving for textbook fundaments, but sometimes they don’t, everyone is ultimately different.

Regardless of the textbook fundamental definition, there IS something you can change to improve your stroke, I guarantee it! If there wasn’t, then you would hit the ball exactly where you aimed 100% of the time. Even the best player in the world has something in their stroke that can be improved on, even if it’s so miniscule that it only increases their shot making percentage from 97% to 97.5%.

I think it’s important to constantly analyze your stroke for a ways to hit the ball better. It doesn’t have to be as serious as setting up a video camera to watch yourself play. Actually, I think the feel of the stroke is more important than anything. After each stroke, you should take 5 seconds to really think about how the stroke felt and search for one thing you could change to make it smoother and more consistent. Maybe you rushed the backswing, maybe you weren’t totally relaxed, maybe your head popped up a little bit, maybe your grip was too tight, maybe you steered it slighted...you get the idea. Regardless of whether or not the ball is pocketed, the stoke can always be improved.

With the example of your softball player, should she completely start over with perfect fundamentals? Probably not. Can she benefit from being hyperaware of the feel of her swing and make a few minor tweaks to get better with every swing? Absolutely!!

If it ain’t broke you don’t have to fix it but you should always look for ways to improve it.

I wasn't disagreeing with you in the least. I am not a big fan of "playing like a robot". I much prefer to be as smooth and natural as possible as long as whitey goes where I want and the object ball falls relatively close to the part of the pocket I'm shooting for....I'm happy and leave it alone.

I'm completely happy with my stroke, stance etc...etc.. There are a few things I'm constantly working on though:

Ability to concentrate longer and longer
Making said concentration more focused if possible
Staying in the best shape I can so I can play longer

There are many, many things I didn't list that are major problems at times.

All in all, I get what your saying, I just dont think tinkering with a stroke that works well.... is a great idea as you mentioned earlier.

Good post.

Rake

 

[FeelDaShot]

I wasn't disagreeing with you in the least. I am not a big fan of "playing like a robot". I much prefer to be as smooth and natural as possible as long as whitey goes where I want and the object ball falls relatively close to the part of the pocket I'm shooting for....I'm happy and leave it alone.

I'm completely happy with my stroke, stance etc...etc.. There are a few things I'm constantly working on though:

Ability to concentrate longer and longer
Making said concentration more focused if possible
Staying in the best shape I can so I can play longer

There are many, many things I didn't list that are major problems at times.

All in all, I get what your saying, I just dont think tinkering with a stroke that works well.... is a great idea as you mentioned earlier.

Good post.

Rake

Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s a little scary screwing with your stroke. I’m always afraid that I won’t be able to get back to where I was. Change is never easy that’s for sure.

 

[ShootingArts]

a thing of beauty!

Allen Hopkins has a stroke that is a thing of beauty! Just not much to go wrong with a six inch jab.


My opinion, there is a time to practice and a time to play. Rarely a good idea to combine the two. When I am playing I am in the moment or trying to be. When I am working on my stroke or anything else I am no longer in the moment. Also I have the mind that thinks in words running wide open if analyzing my stroke when I want it to shut up and let my unconscious direct my actions without interference.

I try to make every inning at the table one action, a series of actions that flow together so smoothly there are no beginnings or endings between them. When I do this I am flowing around the table with no idea of what I did one or two shots ago. I'm not considering the next shot or a later shot either, that was all planned before I bent over the first time, now I'm just working the plan.

Hu

 

[jrctherake]

Allen Hopkins has a stroke that is a thing of beauty! Just not much to go wrong with a six inch jab.


My opinion, there is a time to practice and a time to play. Rarely a good idea to combine the two. When I am playing I am in the moment or trying to be. When I am working on my stroke or anything else I am no longer in the moment. Also I have the mind that thinks in words running wide open if analyzing my stroke when I want it to shut up and let my unconscious direct my actions without interference.

I try to make every inning at the table one action, a series of actions that flow together so smoothly there are no beginnings or endings between them. When I do this I am flowing around the table with no idea of what I did one or two shots ago. I'm not considering the next shot or a later shot either, that was all planned before I bent over the first time, now I'm just working the plan.

Hu

I'm very similar but, I usually have to stop, regroup and find alternative route at times due to getting out of line...... it happens.

 

[ShootingArts]

it happens but a new action follows the pause

I'm very similar but, I usually have to stop, regroup and find alternative route at times due to getting out of line...... it happens.

Getting out of line does happen of course, although it wasn't all that common when I was in tune and playing spot shape. However, if there is a need to regroup that just means that action is over, make a new plan in the upright position, then get down on the table after the new plan is fully in place and get back in the moment starting a new action.

A very basic rule we all break sometimes, do our thinking in the standing position and our shooting afterwards. If something intrudes while we are down on the shot we need to straighten up, deal with the interruption, and try again.

Hu

 

[mristea]

Focus on getting your eyes right all the way from standing position until down in shooting position, and if you do it properly and consistently then the stroke will be there for you as well ;-)

 

[grindz]

...........................
...............................Also I have the mind that thinks in words running wide open if analyzing my stroke when I want it to shut up and let my unconscious direct my actions without interference.
...............................
Hu

Pure thought...no words, just vision....see the spot, and CB winds up there...the sweetest
Feeling I know....but it’s not even a feeling..it just IS..... I think we all live for that....

No room for words or analyzing stroke there....


Td

 

[strmanglr scott]

Hate to rain on your parade but...
Perfection is a myth. It does not exist, anywhere.

I would strongly recommend against thinking about your stroke when playing. Pool is a game walked between the conscious mind and the unconscious. If you start thinking about your stroke while in competition, your game becomes off balance and you start playing conscious pool.

That's why it's so important to develop a pre-shot routine, so your not thinking about that stuff while playing. Thinking requires decision making, decision making leads to doubt. Did I make the wrong decision? You do that pre-shot routine enough, it becomes automatic and unconsciously played. This allows your mind to be more free of thought when you stroke. When I get down on a shot, it's all been figured out already.

If you miss the shot or get a bad leave, note it and move on. Then when you're done playing go practice where you made mistakes. Practicing right after a competition can be v productive.

I learned this a long time ago playing golf. My friends and I would bet occasionally. One great way to shark them for possibly the whole 9 or 18 can be done on the first tee. I simply ask how they grip the club? I show them how I do it, check how they do it. The opponent is lost after the first bad shot. They're thinking about that grip nd they are now feeling it on every shot. Every time they hit a bad shot, their mind is on that grip.

The only way to overcome this, is to have already worked out the grip upside down and backwash, consciously in practice so much, that like the pre-shot routine it's automatic.

I'm a big fan of practicing pool while being extremely conscious of everything I do when playing.

 

[Michael Andros]

I usually start by shooting long, diagonal corner-to-corner straight-ins. My problem is getting unwanted spin. My goal is to smoke the ball in and have cb stop without spinning. At all. After a few of those its just a few drills and play that monster, THE GHOST.

That is EXACTLY what *I* do. Only I do it at the end. And I try to hit each one with authority as well AND stop whitey on a dime. The kids call me "Sniper" from doing it.

My goal is to make 100 in a row. The room owner thinks I'm totally nuts ( and, to be fair, that's not the only reason he thinks so ). I'm up to 26 so far. But hey, I've only been working on it for @ 35 years or so. Gimme time!

 

[RiverCity]

When I need to work on my stroke, I sit on my hand until it goes numb, then it feels like someone else. I call this move 'The Stranger'. :thumbup:

Oh wait, you guys are talking pool..... :duck:

 

[pogmothoin]

I think part of what Mr. Wilson said is that the method he teaches is not the only way to develop a consistent stroke. He cites examples of pro's who do not have a textbook stroke but are great players in spite of whatever peculiarities they may have because they have developed a repeatable and consistent stroke through many years of practice.

I think part of what he said is that the method he endorses may be the quickest way for the average player to see marked improvement. He doesn't claim it's the only way though.

I've been playing for around 6 years where I've actually tried to learn how to play. I am a fan of the method he teaches though I have not achieved the level of play I would like. I have improved quite a bit since concentrating on having a more consistent approach.

 

[Dan White]

That is EXACTLY what *I* do. Only I do it at the end. And I try to hit each one with authority as well AND stop whitey on a dime. The kids call me "Sniper" from doing it.

My goal is to make 100 in a row. The room owner thinks I'm totally nuts ( and, to be fair, that's not the only reason he thinks so ). I'm up to 26 so far. But hey, I've only been working on it for @ 35 years or so. Gimme time!

You might consider that you have mastered that shot and move on to something that challenges you more and is actually a more realistic game time shot. Hit the same shot with follow and try to follow the cue ball into the pocket. It is more difficult than hitting a stop shot and also allows you to practice precision on follow shots. Then there is the same shot with draw back into the pocket, which is more difficult than the follow shot, though possibly not as useful since it is a power shot not as likely to be necessary.

 

[BeiberLvr]

This guy got it...hypothetically- so if I shoot a long straight in shot and make it 97% of the time, I and many people would consider that pretty consistent. Now, what if I happen to video my stroke and notice my grip is off, my back stroke is too fast, my head bobs up, my elbow drops, or any other of a million factors that make up a stroke? So do I change my stroke that was getting me great results just because it isn't a textbook definition of perfect?

If your head is coming up on the shot, or you have a jerky stroke. Yeah, you should probably fix that. Even if you are able to make one shot 97% of the time.

 

[lfigueroa]

Hate to rain on your parade but...
Perfection is a myth. It does not exist, anywhere.

I would strongly recommend against thinking about your stroke when playing. Pool is a game walked between the conscious mind and the unconscious. If you start thinking about your stroke while in competition, your game becomes off balance and you start playing conscious pool.

That's why it's so important to develop a pre-shot routine, so your not thinking about that stuff while playing. Thinking requires decision making, decision making leads to doubt. Did I make the wrong decision? You do that pre-shot routine enough, it becomes automatic and unconsciously played. This allows your mind to be more free of thought when you stroke. When I get down on a shot, it's all been figured out already.

If you miss the shot or get a bad leave, note it and move on. Then when you're done playing go practice where you made mistakes. Practicing right after a competition can be v productive.

I learned this a long time ago playing golf. My friends and I would bet occasionally. One great way to shark them for possibly the whole 9 or 18 can be done on the first tee. I simply ask how they grip the club? I show them how I do it, check how they do it. The opponent is lost after the first bad shot. They're thinking about that grip nd they are now feeling it on every shot. Every time they hit a bad shot, their mind is on that grip.

The only way to overcome this, is to have already worked out the grip upside down and backwash, consciously in practice so much, that like the pre-shot routine it's automatic.

I'm a big fan of practicing pool while being extremely conscious of everything I do when playing.

Your sentiment about not thinking about your stroke during competition is all well and good but what if you're playing like ca-ca? Few of us play at our highest gear the majority of the time.

Sure, practice time is the time to work on your PSR and tinker with your mechanics. But sometimes you have to do a roadside repair and the only way you can do that is to be conscious of what you're doing, or not.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Luxury]

I keep a cue at work as I have tons of down time and I stroke in a bottle and hang a small paper cup from the ceiling and stroke through that. It swings forward and then lands on the brim.

When I get home I take on increasingly difficult ghosts as I beat them. If I lose I have to go back to the easier ghost


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tin Man]

Love some of these replies. Practicing shots repeatedly. Progressive ghost (I remember doing this when I was 14 playing on my home table!). All good stuff.

My own twist on progressive drills has to do with finding the edge of my comfort zone on any given shot, then working on using my 'comfortable' form on increasingly uncomfortable shots.

For example, when I teach beginners to draw the ball, I first have them shoot a series of short stop shots. I tell them to be aware of how relaxed they feel swinging their cue, how confident they feel, etc. Then I tell them to lower their tip just slightly and focus on delivering the cue with the same relaxed swing. Then again. Then a hair lower. Inevitably they will tighten up and jerk their cue trying to draw the ball. I remind them the goal isn't to draw the ball, the goal is to deliver a smooth comfortable stroke with accurate tip placement. If they do that the cue ball will take care of itself.

The point is it helps to go back to what's comfortable, then trying to maintain that comfortable swing on shots that typically cause you to tense up.

I do this all the time in my practice. I shoot progressively long draw shots on the border of my comfort zone and focus on the smooth delivery. I do the same with long shots, or thin cuts, or elevated shots. I just gradually make them tougher until I find myself tightening up or my confidence dropping. Then I back it down a hair to smooth things out, and try to maintain that as the shot gets more difficult. I'm always going to miss balls, but bringing my best stroke during adversity is my best chance.

It's also a good goal for competition. It's process vs. results. When facing a difficult opportunity in a critical juncture it's easy to be hung up on making the shot or winning the game. Instead I can remind myself that I can't force the ball in the hole, or force a win. No one can. What I can do is try to bring a smooth confident swing to my shot and let the chips fall where they will. So this practice is good at building up the right competitive mindset too in my opinion.

 

[FeelDaShot]

Love some of these replies. Practicing shots repeatedly. Progressive ghost (I remember doing this when I was 14 playing on my home table!). All good stuff.

My own twist on progressive drills has to do with finding the edge of my comfort zone on any given shot, then working on using my 'comfortable' form on increasingly uncomfortable shots.

For example, when I teach beginners to draw the ball, I first have them shoot a series of short stop shots. I tell them to be aware of how relaxed they feel swinging their cue, how confident they feel, etc. Then I tell them to lower their tip just slightly and focus on delivering the cue with the same relaxed swing. Then again. Then a hair lower. Inevitably they will tighten up and jerk their cue trying to draw the ball. I remind them the goal isn't to draw the ball, the goal is to deliver a smooth comfortable stroke with accurate tip placement. If they do that the cue ball will take care of itself.

The point is it helps to go back to what's comfortable, then trying to maintain that comfortable swing on shots that typically cause you to tense up.

I do this all the time in my practice. I shoot progressively long draw shots on the border of my comfort zone and focus on the smooth delivery. I do the same with long shots, or thin cuts, or elevated shots. I just gradually make them tougher until I find myself tightening up or my confidence dropping. Then I back it down a hair to smooth things out, and try to maintain that as the shot gets more difficult. I'm always going to miss balls, but bringing my best stroke during adversity is my best chance.

It's also a good goal for competition. It's process vs. results. When facing a difficult opportunity in a critical juncture it's easy to be hung up on making the shot or winning the game. Instead I can remind myself that I can't force the ball in the hole, or force a win. No one can. What I can do is try to bring a smooth confident swing to my shot and let the chips fall where they will. So this practice is good at building up the right competitive mindset too in my opinion.

Wow, I really like this method! I'll have to start implementing this into my training. Thanks for sharing.