The most difficult thing you have mastered in pool.

JoeyA

JoeyA

Efren's Mini-Tourn BACKER
Silver Member
There is a major difference between completely understanding something and being able to do it consistently well.

Just knowing something doesn't make you a master at it. There are many things in pool that are extremely difficult to master.

With the database of the Internet out there for each of us, there is no reason for us to not know anything related to pool.

The most difficult thing I have had to master in playing pool seems to be the spin to speed ratio of the cue ball. It really is a work in progress with table conditions changing from table to table, event to event, even cue ball to cue ball, but experimenting with spin to speed ratio in practice, has given me a heightened since of awareness of the different paths that the cue ball can take after contacting the object ball and a greater appreciation for what the professional players are able to accomplish on a regular basis.

There are other things that have been difficult to understand, let alone master and you might have a few things that have been difficult for you to master and that you care to share.

What's the most difficult thing you have mastered in pool?

(It's ok, it can be silly, like dealing with a waitress that is distracting you while you play pool or something more serious.):smile:

Ok, maybe you haven't mastered your difficult thing in pool, but it is a work in progress like mine. Let's hear it.
JoeyA
 
I've always had second thoughts about shots where the object ball is near or frozen one diamond from the side pocket, with the CB near the center of the table, and having to shoot it down the rail into the corner. I've watched top players purposely set up shape for these shots and until recently, I never understood why. I wouldn't say that I've mastered it, but once I figured it out, my game improved tremendously.

Shots like these:
http://youtu.be/ZH1tuvo0zXc?t=18m43s
http://youtu.be/ZH1tuvo0zXc?t=46m15s
 
I'm a long way from having mastered anything in pool, but I've had to work harder on inside english than anything else so far.
 
I don't think that I "Master" anything.
This is a long journey and I have my seat belt on.

randyg
 
Always a work in progress.........my patience when the rolls aren't fair or waiting for an opportunity against a player in full flight.
 
I would say mine is the same as JoeyA's. The speed needed for English. I've by no means mastered it and still pretty shitty at sidespin to be honest but I've finally become at least marginally good at top and draw. I've always been good at drawing the length of the table if I needed but in the last couple years I've finally got decent at pulling it back a few inches or longer if needed instead of constantly complaining because I would overdraw everything. Still struggling to find the speeds for sidespin off the rails.
 
The mental game continues to be quite erratic. Confidence makes a huge difference in in how well you stay focused on the task at hand, which in turn really impacts creating a successful outcome.
 
Deese 'N Dat

randyg said:
I don't think that I "Master" anything.
This is a long journey and I have my seat belt on.


randyg
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What he said.....

Roll Out said:
The mental game continues to be quite erratic. Confidence makes a huge difference in in how well you stay focused on the task at hand, which in turn really impacts creating a successful outcome.
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What he said 2 .....
 
The most difficult thing of all certainly is that I have learned listening people about theirs reasons that caused them to lose theirs matches,immediately after the match and then over and over again for months,sometimes years.I have to listen this last 25 years and still haven't been adjusted fully on that !!!But can say I have mastered it somehow!!!
:wink::):wink:
 
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ivicafranic said:
The most difficult thing of all certainly is that I have learned listen people about theirs reasons that caused them to lose theirs matches,immediately after the match and then over and over again for months,sometimes years.I have to listen this last 25 years and still haven't been adjustend fully on that !!!But can say I have mastered it somehow!!!
:wink::):wink:
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You mean pool players have excuses? Say it's not so.

I have always had issue with long distance inside spin shots, and retaining focus over long periods. I can play Efren speed for 3 minutes any given day. I just don't know which 3 minutes it will be or how to extend it to 3 hours. The rest of the day I'm just a rusty banger.
 
I don't think I've mastered anything...except maybe relatively.
I was pretty good at waiting for my turn without having negative thoughts
for my opponent.....in my years of action, I found a lot of players can't do that...
...even a lot of the champions.
I like to save my energy for when it's my turn.
 
pt109 said:
I don't think I've mastered anything...except maybe relatively.
I was pretty good at waiting for my turn without having negative thoughts
for my opponent.....in my years of action, I found a lot of players can't do that...
...even a lot of the champions.
I like to save my energy for when it's my turn.
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Great post.
 
Do you ever really master anything in pool?

As soon as one part of your game improves, doesn't that impact the rest of your game?

For example: you start spinning the ball more (two tips from center vs one) and suddenly your aim is different, the impact of the playing conditions is a bigger factor and so on.

To me, it feels like someone's pool game is forever being refined and adjusted based on a wider set of capabilities and variables.

Shane's break might be one of the best in the game but would he claim he's mastered it? My guess is that there are still aspects of it that he is working on and tweaking based on experience.

Then again...I could be wrong.
 
NitPicker said:
I think I have mastered chalking but that's about it.
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ChalkHolePoster_zpsb5f962a5.jpg
 
I will be starting my 4th year of playing pool next month. The biggest issue I have had to get under control was excitement/nervousness, my adrenalin so to speak. I cant tell you how many easy shots that I blew on the 8 or the ball before when closing in on a break & run during league play. I am not quite sure how I got it under control other than trying to put myself in as many pressure situations as possible. I try to play in as many local tournaments as I can, I think that's what helped the most.
 
fastone371 said:
I will be starting my 4th year of playing pool next month. The biggest issue I have had to get under control was excitement/nervousness, my adrenalin so to speak. I cant tell you how many easy shots that I blew on the 8 or the ball before when closing in on a break & run during league play. I am not quite sure how I got it under control other than trying to put myself in as many pressure situations as possible. I try to play in as many local tournaments as I can, I think that's what helped the most.
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I had the exact same issue in my first few years of pool. The thing that got me over it was simply playing the ghost. It got me into the mindset that everytime I walked up to the table I was going to run it. The people around never bothered me and I honestly don't know what did but when I started beating the ghost on a regular basis it just kind of went away. I will still have some bouts of it at tournament though when you know it's a close game if you don't sink it your team has a chance to lose and it's on you. Basically at that point I just try not to think. :)
 
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