The most common mistake U see low SL's make?
- Thread starter Kickin' Chicken
- Start date
That's funny. I've played with "beginners" like that. It's like, "Good Lord, we haven't even stepped to the table yet and you've all ready started playing 'Achy Breaky Heart.'"
Shooting too fast.
Shooting too hard.
Drinking too much.
Listening to other low SLs for advice.
Worrying about their SL by trying to pad their innings, instead of just trying to win the game.
Not marking their defensive shots (safeties) and thinking they are fooling the LO.
Shooting too hard.
Drinking too much.
Listening to other low SLs for advice.
Worrying about their SL by trying to pad their innings, instead of just trying to win the game.
Not marking their defensive shots (safeties) and thinking they are fooling the LO.
That is main problem that makes them lose winnable games. They will have all of their balls on the table and only one of the opponents. You can bet that they will take a hard shot miss and leave the opponent with a clear shot on their ball instead of taking a simple safe or a two way shot.
The other is they will take the hanger that is blocking a few of the opponent's balls instead of a shot further down the table and then end up hooked.
Top 10 according to "I Shoot Pool":
10. Not Chalking the Stick – Never go more than two or three shots without chalking your stick. Have you ever totally “miscued,” creating a weird snap noise instead of the usual hearty “pop” sound a shot makes? Have you noticed how the ball goes all over the table and not where you expected? Chalk is free. Pick it up and rub that sucker all over the tip of your stick.
9. Breaking up clusters – The only cluster you should be in a hurry to break is the one in a triangle formation that starts the game. If you have two or three of your opponent’s balls tied up in a cluster with yours, try to prolong breaking that cluster up. Try to make your opponent break it up. There is a 95% chance that your opponent will not make anything from that shot, and it broke your balls out, very likely closer to pockets… leaving you the next shot.
8. Unnecessary Kick Shots or Bank Shots – I’m not saying kick shots or bank shots are bad. (In case someone doesn’t know, a “bank” shot is a shot where a player hits the cue ball into another ball with the intention of hitting it off the rail into a pocket on the opposite side of the table. A kick shot is where a player hits the cue ball off of the rail with the intention of the cue ball hitting their ball into a pocket on the opposite side of the table. These shots are similar, but they differ as to which ball is intentionally shot dead into the rail. See yesterday’s videos for more on these.) I love kicks and banks. I have used them to win countless games. They have also come back to hurt me against opponents who have a killer bank or kick shot. There is a rule I learned a long time ago, “If you can cut it, don’t bank it.” (In case I have a reader that doesn’t understand what a “cut shot” is, it is simply a shot that is not a perfect straight in shot. If you have to hit it at any angle, you are essentially cutting it. Most players reserve the term “cut” for a more difficult angle.) There are so many times I’ve seen a shot someone could have just as easily cut into the pocket, but they attempted to bank or kick it. If you cut it instead, you have more of a chance of making the shot or at least sitting it closer to the pocket, if not inside the corners. A bank or kick shot has less control and can veer off, be hit too hard, or be into the opposing rail, causing a more difficult shot on that ball later in the game.
7. Talking – Talking is a wonderful thing. I love talking to more experienced players, or players that have a different view on how a shot should be executed. Two problems are wrong with that: 1. If you are playing a league game, most leagues give you a penalty for talking to your teammates unless you have called a “time out.” 2. Even if it is legal to talk to your teammates or other players wherever it is you’re shooting, you run the risk of distracting yourself. The best pool players rarely take their eyes off the table. You can tell they are having a good time, but you can see the serious look on their faces. They mean business, and as much fun as they’re having, they’re here to win. There’s plenty of time to talk. Right now you have a game to win.
6. Not Looking over the Whole Table – That speaks for itself. You may be emotionally attached to a shot you just watched line up when your opponent missed. Don’t be so quick to take that shot. It might not be your best option. Look over the table. Play a little of the game out in your head. Ask yourself, “If I make this shot, where is the cue ball likely to go, and do I have a decent shot on another ball from that location?” Don’t be afraid to walk around the table for a couple of minutes while rubbing your beard. (I don’t care if you have a beard or not. Rub it.) One thing I started doing to help me slow down and look at the table is simply chalking up the tip of my stick. While I’m sitting there methodically chalking the stick, I’m a good two feet or more in distance away from the table. I’m looking. I’m thinking. I’m not checking out the beautiful blonde playing at the next table… not right now anyway. She’ll still be there when your turn is over. Right now you want to pick the best shot you have on the table. Choose wisely. Once that cue stick makes contact with the cue ball, it’s too late.
5. Food – Try not to order any food until after you’ve shot your games, unless you know that you will be a while until it’s your turn to shoot. You pay less attention to the game, miss important calls, and frankly, people are less happy to tell you if you have high balls or low balls (stripes or solids) if it’s the fifth time they have told you in this game.
4. Extremely loud music – I know, I know. You’re in a bar. You’re trying to party. I also know that music relaxes you. That’s fine. You just have to remember that you need a little remaining concentration to shoot pool. Instead of playing your favorite Slipknot song or Down With the Sickness on the jukebox, try playing some Bob Dylan, ZZ Top, or even some Country. Save the Finger Eleven, Pantera, and Marilyn Manson for after the game when you’re just having a couple of drinks afterward, playing around.
3. Alcohol Consumption – Sure, I like a drink or two when I’m playing. Who doesn’t? That’s why almost every bar has a pool table. Alcohol and pool go hand in hand. I fully support that. I shoot with a few people on APA who swear they play better drunk than sober. Good for them. Most people don’t shoot better drunk. Even those who think they do play better drunk seem to eventually get worse after they keep drinking. There’s a reason for the DUI laws in the United States. Your perspective of a straight line is considerably different under the influence. (We could have the argument of whether or not the DUI laws are exactly reasonable or not all day long. I’m not going there.) Let’s put it this way: If you are seriously concerned about the quality of your driving due to alcohol, which prompts you to sleep in your car or find a driver, you should probably be seriously concerned about the quality of your game.
2. Shooting Hard – Don’t get me wrong. There is a time for shooting hard. Unfortunately, 90% of the shots I see people shoot are entirely too hard. Hard shots are harder to control and are more likely to veer off of the trajectory that would place it in the pocket. I’ve seen a lot of straight in shots hit the corners of the pocket and bounce right out. I’ve seen people hit the ball so hard it hits the back of the pocket where the brace is, and come flying back into the table. The worst I’ve seen is when people hit a shot so hard that a ball, especially the cue ball, goes flying off the table out of control. (At this point, I jokingly hold my arms up like goal posts, and yell, “It’s good!”) My point here is that a harder shot has less control and you will likely hit a ball off the table or veer off course. If you do make the shot, it’s likely you’ve messed up placement for your next one, because only the God you worship will know where that cue ball is headed and if you will have a decent second shot.
1. Using Damaged Sticks – I cannot tell you how many people I played just grabbed a house stick out of the rack to use in a game without checking the integrity of the tip or the structure of the stick itself. I saw damaged tips, tips that wouldn’t hold chalk, and very warped sticks. If you want the perfect control over the cue ball, and ultimately your shot, the stick you use must be in good repair. The more immaculate the stick, the more you eliminate stupid mistakes.
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Then there's this one
10. Not Chalking the Stick – Never go more than two or three shots without chalking your stick. Have you ever totally “miscued,” creating a weird snap noise instead of the usual hearty “pop” sound a shot makes? Have you noticed how the ball goes all over the table and not where you expected? Chalk is free. Pick it up and rub that sucker all over the tip of your stick.
9. Breaking up clusters – The only cluster you should be in a hurry to break is the one in a triangle formation that starts the game. If you have two or three of your opponent’s balls tied up in a cluster with yours, try to prolong breaking that cluster up. Try to make your opponent break it up. There is a 95% chance that your opponent will not make anything from that shot, and it broke your balls out, very likely closer to pockets… leaving you the next shot.
8. Unnecessary Kick Shots or Bank Shots – I’m not saying kick shots or bank shots are bad. (In case someone doesn’t know, a “bank” shot is a shot where a player hits the cue ball into another ball with the intention of hitting it off the rail into a pocket on the opposite side of the table. A kick shot is where a player hits the cue ball off of the rail with the intention of the cue ball hitting their ball into a pocket on the opposite side of the table. These shots are similar, but they differ as to which ball is intentionally shot dead into the rail. See yesterday’s videos for more on these.) I love kicks and banks. I have used them to win countless games. They have also come back to hurt me against opponents who have a killer bank or kick shot. There is a rule I learned a long time ago, “If you can cut it, don’t bank it.” (In case I have a reader that doesn’t understand what a “cut shot” is, it is simply a shot that is not a perfect straight in shot. If you have to hit it at any angle, you are essentially cutting it. Most players reserve the term “cut” for a more difficult angle.) There are so many times I’ve seen a shot someone could have just as easily cut into the pocket, but they attempted to bank or kick it. If you cut it instead, you have more of a chance of making the shot or at least sitting it closer to the pocket, if not inside the corners. A bank or kick shot has less control and can veer off, be hit too hard, or be into the opposing rail, causing a more difficult shot on that ball later in the game.
7. Talking – Talking is a wonderful thing. I love talking to more experienced players, or players that have a different view on how a shot should be executed. Two problems are wrong with that: 1. If you are playing a league game, most leagues give you a penalty for talking to your teammates unless you have called a “time out.” 2. Even if it is legal to talk to your teammates or other players wherever it is you’re shooting, you run the risk of distracting yourself. The best pool players rarely take their eyes off the table. You can tell they are having a good time, but you can see the serious look on their faces. They mean business, and as much fun as they’re having, they’re here to win. There’s plenty of time to talk. Right now you have a game to win.
6. Not Looking over the Whole Table – That speaks for itself. You may be emotionally attached to a shot you just watched line up when your opponent missed. Don’t be so quick to take that shot. It might not be your best option. Look over the table. Play a little of the game out in your head. Ask yourself, “If I make this shot, where is the cue ball likely to go, and do I have a decent shot on another ball from that location?” Don’t be afraid to walk around the table for a couple of minutes while rubbing your beard. (I don’t care if you have a beard or not. Rub it.) One thing I started doing to help me slow down and look at the table is simply chalking up the tip of my stick. While I’m sitting there methodically chalking the stick, I’m a good two feet or more in distance away from the table. I’m looking. I’m thinking. I’m not checking out the beautiful blonde playing at the next table… not right now anyway. She’ll still be there when your turn is over. Right now you want to pick the best shot you have on the table. Choose wisely. Once that cue stick makes contact with the cue ball, it’s too late.
5. Food – Try not to order any food until after you’ve shot your games, unless you know that you will be a while until it’s your turn to shoot. You pay less attention to the game, miss important calls, and frankly, people are less happy to tell you if you have high balls or low balls (stripes or solids) if it’s the fifth time they have told you in this game.
4. Extremely loud music – I know, I know. You’re in a bar. You’re trying to party. I also know that music relaxes you. That’s fine. You just have to remember that you need a little remaining concentration to shoot pool. Instead of playing your favorite Slipknot song or Down With the Sickness on the jukebox, try playing some Bob Dylan, ZZ Top, or even some Country. Save the Finger Eleven, Pantera, and Marilyn Manson for after the game when you’re just having a couple of drinks afterward, playing around.
3. Alcohol Consumption – Sure, I like a drink or two when I’m playing. Who doesn’t? That’s why almost every bar has a pool table. Alcohol and pool go hand in hand. I fully support that. I shoot with a few people on APA who swear they play better drunk than sober. Good for them. Most people don’t shoot better drunk. Even those who think they do play better drunk seem to eventually get worse after they keep drinking. There’s a reason for the DUI laws in the United States. Your perspective of a straight line is considerably different under the influence. (We could have the argument of whether or not the DUI laws are exactly reasonable or not all day long. I’m not going there.) Let’s put it this way: If you are seriously concerned about the quality of your driving due to alcohol, which prompts you to sleep in your car or find a driver, you should probably be seriously concerned about the quality of your game.
2. Shooting Hard – Don’t get me wrong. There is a time for shooting hard. Unfortunately, 90% of the shots I see people shoot are entirely too hard. Hard shots are harder to control and are more likely to veer off of the trajectory that would place it in the pocket. I’ve seen a lot of straight in shots hit the corners of the pocket and bounce right out. I’ve seen people hit the ball so hard it hits the back of the pocket where the brace is, and come flying back into the table. The worst I’ve seen is when people hit a shot so hard that a ball, especially the cue ball, goes flying off the table out of control. (At this point, I jokingly hold my arms up like goal posts, and yell, “It’s good!”) My point here is that a harder shot has less control and you will likely hit a ball off the table or veer off course. If you do make the shot, it’s likely you’ve messed up placement for your next one, because only the God you worship will know where that cue ball is headed and if you will have a decent second shot.
1. Using Damaged Sticks – I cannot tell you how many people I played just grabbed a house stick out of the rack to use in a game without checking the integrity of the tip or the structure of the stick itself. I saw damaged tips, tips that wouldn’t hold chalk, and very warped sticks. If you want the perfect control over the cue ball, and ultimately your shot, the stick you use must be in good repair. The more immaculate the stick, the more you eliminate stupid mistakes.
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Then there's this one
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haha, thanks. Was bored at work.
perhaps.. but being fully hydrated (drink lots of water) works quite well all on it's own..
drinking alcohol dehydrates the body... (thickens the blood)
being dehydrated also lengthens the time it takes for a message sent from your brain to reach your muscles...for the finest motor control you want this time to be as short as possible..
brain commands are electrical signals.. electricity needs a medium to flow through.. our bodies medium is salt water...
most people have too much salt = not enough water= bad signals.= bad stroke= why the hell did the CB go over there..
H20...it'll do more for your stroke than a predator
There is no "Grey" areas with this "Ghost" ~ as is the norm!
I agree it's a good list, but it ignores original poster's request for listing the single most common mistake that low level players make.
I'd like to add that it needs to be in relation to some goal. Say your goal is to maximize your chance of winning a given game, in that situation. Practice isn't going to do it, because you don't have time for that. The single biggest mistake might very well be something like not being able to loosen up or some strategic flaw like playing too aggressively. Say the goal is to become the best player you can and the answer is going to revolve around practice somehow.
This might sound nitpicking, but I honestly think it's a good idea to restrict the options, because it can bring a fresh focus to the answer.
In maximizing the chance of winning a match, I'd argue that the single biggest mistake is not opting for safeties when it increases your chances of winning the game. Very few realize how low percentage choice even some five ball run-out is for them. Often you have the option for a pretty easy safe, which significantly increases your chances of winning the game.
Our league team has this player who has been a pretty good player, but has not played much lately so he doesn't feel confident about his shot making. He has always played with good strategic eye, which has earned him a reputation for playing "too much safeties." Last night, on an important league match, I saw him playing safes in places that I never would have, but resulting in a solid win, which can mostly be attributed to his insistence on choosing the high yield strategic option.
It is interesting how people on the one hand dislike losing games but still scoff at players who play a lot of safeties, especially when there are but few balls on the table. If you have a tough cut and a tough position play, chances are you're not going to make it. So to maximize your chance of winning, just play a safe.
As an example, look at Shane van Boening playing Dominguez at US Open 9-ball at around 8:00 mark. He gets out of line, plays a safe. He gets a difficult shot and plays a safe and snookers the opponent. I see players that have 0.1% of SVB's shot making abilities going for both of those shots. (Me included.) And funny enough, Danny DiLiberto talks about the exact same thing in the commentary.
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No your thinking good ideas, but IMOP if we are talking about your weak players....they do everything under the sun wrong. So honestly there's no really one thing. All their alignments are bad, they hold the cue too tight, they bunt the ball, they don't chalk their cue. After a certain point if you didn't learn what to do correctly from someone or read it or something then you stale mate b/c your games always hemorrhaging.
It's not one thing, I really don't think that we could pick anything that if studied would turn out to be the majority number 1 thing said players do wrong.
Now if someone had asked what is the majority thing that say a B player would error on, thats a much more refined question. Its not like everyones jumping out their shoes to get an instructor or something.
just too broad a topic, so we should treat it as such and come with the list.
-Grey Ghost
I just realized the answer!
Most common mistake low SL's make is not investing in some good instruction. So that way you don't have to suck for 5years or possibly forever who knows. Its like anything else ain't no one worth a crap at anything thats new to them. So someone teaches you to do it, usually someone qualified in some way shape or form.
After that their biggest mistake is not paying attention, b/c once you are given the tools from instruction, the lapse of mind, and loss of focus is the biggest mistake...it makes for fool hardy decisions. And the game we play is all about decisions once you learn to move your arm back and forth right etc...
Most common mistake low SL's make is not investing in some good instruction. So that way you don't have to suck for 5years or possibly forever who knows. Its like anything else ain't no one worth a crap at anything thats new to them. So someone teaches you to do it, usually someone qualified in some way shape or form.
After that their biggest mistake is not paying attention, b/c once you are given the tools from instruction, the lapse of mind, and loss of focus is the biggest mistake...it makes for fool hardy decisions. And the game we play is all about decisions once you learn to move your arm back and forth right etc...
Hey, watch it buddy. Some of us have no choice but to "chicken choke" the cue. LOL!
Best,
Brian kc
Hey, watch it buddy. Some of us have no choice but to "chicken choke" the cue. LOL!
Best,
Brian kc
Now Boy, I SAID BOY They aint gona be no chicken choking around here.
Attachments
I'll write this more for the okay player rather than the totally rotten player.
Technique problems. Not settling on their shot, not taking enough time to aim and rushing the delivery of the cue, and not staying down and following through to the finish.
Failure to completely work out the shot before hitting it. Admittedly, this is something that gets quicker and easier the longer you play. You should see the entire movie of what is going to happen before it happens. Most players brains just short out once the shot becomes a little bit complex and very often just whack the ball.
Mental game. Where do you begin.
I disagree. In the UK almost all players play with a snooker style when playing pool. I wouldn't say that their pocketing skills are much different than the average player in the Philippines where the players tend to vary their head position a lot depending on the distance of the CB to OB. Infact, I would have to say the standard of pocketing for the average player is fractionally higher in the Philippines than in the UK.
most common mistake...
i know i draw a lot of analogies to golf, but i think lower skill levels in pool miss the one thing they can do just like the pros, and that is the same thing with golfers, pre-shot routine. i may not shoot like Johnny Archer (or play golf like Jim Furyk), but i can find a repeatable pre-shot routine and stick with it every time, just like they do. sure, the 2 or 3 minutes before the shot is different every time, but if you put a clock on them the last 15-30 seconds is almost always the same, even from year to year (although the pre-shot routine does often change throughout a career, it's generally by small increments).
i know that is pretty similar to a couple of the other posts ("jump up on a shot different every time" & "different stance for every shot" in particular), but if im helping a newb, i give them the basics of the grip and stance and then talk about a routine they are comfortable with, and that applies to golf or pool.
i know i draw a lot of analogies to golf, but i think lower skill levels in pool miss the one thing they can do just like the pros, and that is the same thing with golfers, pre-shot routine. i may not shoot like Johnny Archer (or play golf like Jim Furyk), but i can find a repeatable pre-shot routine and stick with it every time, just like they do. sure, the 2 or 3 minutes before the shot is different every time, but if you put a clock on them the last 15-30 seconds is almost always the same, even from year to year (although the pre-shot routine does often change throughout a career, it's generally by small increments).
i know that is pretty similar to a couple of the other posts ("jump up on a shot different every time" & "different stance for every shot" in particular), but if im helping a newb, i give them the basics of the grip and stance and then talk about a routine they are comfortable with, and that applies to golf or pool.
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