Struggling to get back in stroke
- Thread starter Pete
- Start date
Pete, I took decades off. It took me almost a year to get my stroke back. That’s with a home table and trying pretty hard to get there. I didn’t even enter spool hall for a year because I felt I was playing so bad.
Do you have a favorite type of shot you like to play? Draw, force follow? Straight in long shots? Draw off a side rail?
I would start by hitting those favorite shots as much as possible to build the confidence and muscle memory back up. Then progress through the range of basic shots. Tough shots will always be tough shouts and you might have been able to make them some time ago but, don’t let that discourage you. You will get there.
Try to have fun when learning again. Getting down on yourself is the worst thing you can do. I actually believe my stroke improved through my process. Although in those decades the equipment got tougher.
Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums
Do you have a favorite type of shot you like to play? Draw, force follow? Straight in long shots? Draw off a side rail?
I would start by hitting those favorite shots as much as possible to build the confidence and muscle memory back up. Then progress through the range of basic shots. Tough shots will always be tough shouts and you might have been able to make them some time ago but, don’t let that discourage you. You will get there.
Try to have fun when learning again. Getting down on yourself is the worst thing you can do. I actually believe my stroke improved through my process. Although in those decades the equipment got tougher.
Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums
Kinister Shot#1 is all I ever used my entire life to maintain a stroke with a strong conviction
Assuming you’re not going to go pro...
Or even if you are, and you’re not going the 60 hours a week on the table route, then I suggest to seek out a stroke instructor. If you’re anywhere near Ayer, MA, I’d get with Roy Pastor.
Getting back in stroke for us amateurs means either relearning the game using whatever memory you can or revisiting your baseline stroke. I’ll assume you have no true baseline. Roy will get you one. Having a baseline and doing certain shots (what the PBIA call ‘Mother Drills’) is a very powerful way to get back to your solid baseline stroke.
(Edit: I should have read all the rest of the thread first)
Freddie <~~~ needs more memory
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I love that shot. It is also my go to.
8ballsNquarters
Registered
i bought a go pro for like $200 and use it to record myself in practice. from there i make small adjustments to my mechanics and it's helped me when my stroke starts to fall off.
I set it up on a small tripod on an adjacent table or even on the table I'm using. it's good enough quality and wide angle enough to capture your entire stance, even from close up. highly recommended
I set it up on a small tripod on an adjacent table or even on the table I'm using. it's good enough quality and wide angle enough to capture your entire stance, even from close up. highly recommended
kenny hall
Registered
Play a lot and relax and enjoy the ride . It will come with a steady amount of play against good competition. Shoot for 20 hrs. of table time a week. If you had stroke it will return. The worst thing you can do is put pressure on yourself by striving too hard and changing your style. Play naturally, focus on your shots, and enjoy the game.If you bet, play some races for low money with friends. .
I quit for 17 years wile raising my boy. I started back up about two years ago. I had no idea how much I had forgot and how much EVERYTHING had changed. From low deflection shafts to faster carpet. Add to that walking in and thinking I would shoot like it was the day I gave it up, there was a lot of frustration.
I can tell you now though, It all came back fairly quickly. I bought Tor Lowry's DVD set for like 60 bucks...it had all the stuff I had forgotten plus a hundred things I never knew to begin with. The stroke drill got me back in stroke, the position play DVD's got me thinking about patterns again, the Kicking/banking DVD's helped me see those aspects like I never had.
Looks like he is having a pretty decent Black Friday Sale as well.
Couldn't recommend a better option to get you there quicker. (along with some regular table time)
Good luck with your game.
I can tell you now though, It all came back fairly quickly. I bought Tor Lowry's DVD set for like 60 bucks...it had all the stuff I had forgotten plus a hundred things I never knew to begin with. The stroke drill got me back in stroke, the position play DVD's got me thinking about patterns again, the Kicking/banking DVD's helped me see those aspects like I never had.
Looks like he is having a pretty decent Black Friday Sale as well.
Couldn't recommend a better option to get you there quicker. (along with some regular table time)
Good luck with your game.
I second the Zero-x books and DVD.
I quit playing pool many times over 70 years and returning to top speed is always difficult.
A minimum of 6 hours daily practice doing things correctly will get you there if you already know how. If you were not a good player then it is more difficult because you need to learn as well as execute.
Thats' where the books and DVD come in. Tor has invaluable info on most pool games. For straight pool there are other sources.
Straight pool is a great practice game if you know how to play. No game will help you get in stroke faster.
I find drills boring but necessary. The best one for me is long straight in shots. Over and over with stop, draw and follow all at different speeds. This is a real test of the correctness of your stroke and shows errors very quictly.
Bill S.
I quit playing pool many times over 70 years and returning to top speed is always difficult.
A minimum of 6 hours daily practice doing things correctly will get you there if you already know how. If you were not a good player then it is more difficult because you need to learn as well as execute.
Thats' where the books and DVD come in. Tor has invaluable info on most pool games. For straight pool there are other sources.
Straight pool is a great practice game if you know how to play. No game will help you get in stroke faster.
I find drills boring but necessary. The best one for me is long straight in shots. Over and over with stop, draw and follow all at different speeds. This is a real test of the correctness of your stroke and shows errors very quictly.
Bill S.
It's good to hear you mention shooting long straight in shots as the best form of a drill, especially as a way of gauging your stroke. Many times when I miss an easy shot, I will stop practicing whatever I am practicing and begin shooting long, straight in shots until I make at least 6 or 7 in a row. I almost always set it up diagonally with the CB in the area of the lower corner and the OB at least 5 to 6 feet down table, shooting in the opposite corner. Sometimes I will shoot nothing but that shot, for an hour or more. It never fails to get me back on track.
Happy Thanksgiving, Mr. Stroud. And thanks for what you offer everyone here.
yes, pay more attention to your cue-ball position than the object ball. that's the key to the game. you must control whitey... ;-)
Another great exercise that is seldom mentioned is to throw two balls onto the table.
Shoot one in a pocket and try to try to billiard onto the other. You can use the rails.
Start with the balls close together. Then move them farther apart.
After you get good at it try to hit a particular part of the second ball.
You will be amazed how much your cue ball control improves.
Bill S.
Shoot one in a pocket and try to try to billiard onto the other. You can use the rails.
Start with the balls close together. Then move them farther apart.
After you get good at it try to hit a particular part of the second ball.
You will be amazed how much your cue ball control improves.
Bill S.
Do you have a pool teacher in you area? You could take a lesson and find out where you need the most improvement.
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Bill - It was REALLY strange. I'm wasn't sure I got your instructions exactly right once I got to the room, but what I did was, put three balls up, CB and 2 OBs. Started with them fairly close together, made one OB and caromed the CB into the other OB. Worked at it for @ an hour or so, ended up with the OBs @ 2 or 3 feet apart and tried to go at least 2 rails before hitting the 2nd OB. By the time I was done, I was going 3 rails ( with some success ).
The strange part was, many many many years ago ( and never again since ), I played 3 cushion for a few hours. Your drill brought back a LOT of memories.
Great drill! Thanks for suggesting it, Bill. I'll be doing it again soon. Please let me know if this was what you had in mind or not.
mr8ball
Active member
https://youtu.be/SEcUkTjqXYM
This will help get your stroke back in just a few days.
This will help get your stroke back in just a few days.