The ONE idea that will most improve YOUR pool game!

BillPorter

BillPorter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A few days ago I posed the question, “What is the ONE idea to keep in mind that will MOST improve your game?” The reason I asked for ONE idea is that my mind doesn’t seem capable of holding much more than a single thought at a time! AZ people produces LOTS of great suggestions, and if you want to read through the whole thread with all of the ideas that were contributed, here it is: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=47414

For a compilation of the suggestions, check this link: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=47512

Then I eliminated those suggestions which included more than a SINGLE IDEA and those which were, to me, unclear. I also combined two or more suggestions where possible and removed the sources of the suggestions and end up with a list of just 8 items. Here is that list: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=47577

Finally, I made up a voting poll featuring the eight items. Some good suggestions came in too late to be placed on the poll like the idea that spending time around better players is a great way to improve. The poll was voted on by 100+ people with these results:

BE STILL – 8.65%
STAY DOWN – 20.19%
Treat EVERY SHOT with the same respect - 11.54%
Have a PRE-SHOT ROUTINE and follow it! - 22.12%
Decide on the shot (speed, English), & make a COMMITMENT to the shot - 20.19%
Do the highest percentage thing that YOU KNOW HOW to do (not what Efren would do) - 6.73%
Don’t let DISTRACTIONS cause you to lose focus - 2.88%
HAVE FUN! – 7.69%

Now, FOR ME, the result of this whole process was to come up with a single sentence to repeat to myself while playing pool. The sentence is: “Commit to the shot and then stay down and still until I watch the cue ball strike the object ball.” The short version I am using is just, “watch the hit.” And I should add that there have been pool sessions where reminding myself that ultimately I play pool for FUN was key in turning around my play and improving it.

Now what about YOU? For you, there will probably be a different idea to emphasize depending on your skill and experience level and what is currently keeping you from playing your best. Maybe it’s your grip on the cue, your stance, some bad habit that you are trying to break, etc.

Finally, my thanks go out to all those AZBers who contributed to the threads involved in this process.
 
Staying down

My next project is to compile a list of techniques that have proven to be successful in correcting the tendency to come up off of a shot. I've seen world champions raise up off of a shot, though, of course, not often. And I've seen players who come up on EVERY shot. I have a couple of techniques that have worked pretty well for me, but I invite you to respond with your own. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!:)
 
BillPorter said:
I watch the cue ball strike the object ball.” The short version I am using is just, “watch the hit.” QUOTE]

Until I got through reading your post I was going to suggest. WATCH THE BALL. When I'm slumping I concentrate on two things.

Watch the ball (object)
Follow through

Paul Mon....good advice for golfers too
Click to expand...
 
A bad habit that I've only partially kicked over the years is changing my stroke selection while I'm already over the shot. So for me, it's "Stick With the Stroke."
 
Learn and master an aiming system. At least for me this would be numero uno.
 
sjm said:
A bad habit that I've only partially kicked over the years is changing my stroke selection while I'm already over the shot. So for me, it's "Stick With the Stroke."
Click to expand...


That is SO hard to do. I've tried to 'Stick with the stroke' by associating it with keeping the speed that I need on that shot in mind. Works most of the time I think.


But I know my biggest flaw. Stay serious and concentrate. A tough one to get down with a disposition like mine.
 
Last edited:
CaptainJR said:
Stay serious and concentrate. A tough one to get down with a disposition like mine.
Click to expand...

I think that is excellent, particularly for me. I do have a tendency to be a little friendly sometimes & forget I'm trying to whup my opponent!

Bill, I love your "Watch the hit" idea. Now, without being sarcastic, if you play a bad shot just say it as fast as you can. It'll still fit!
 
pooltchr said:
Finish your stroke.

Steve
Click to expand...

Amen, this is just what I was about to post--the importance of properly stroking through the ball. I remember hearing Johny Archer, in a player review commentary on a U.S. Open match with Ismael Paez, say that in crucial situations he focuses on keeping his head down and keeping the stick moving forward.
 
I don't see how just one idea or thing to do will do much good. In fact, trying to rely on just one idea might be a bad idea in itself.

This game's too complicated to reduce it down to just one, imho. Chasing that idea might just be a mystical dream that leads nowhere---or at least very limiting.

Thoughts?

Jeff Livingston
 
Learn the increasing value of Inside English. Too many people find it difficult in the beginning and give up on it too early.
 
chefjeff said:
I don't see how just one idea or thing to do will do much good. In fact, trying to rely on just one idea might be a bad idea in itself.

This game's too complicated to reduce it down to just one, imho. Chasing that idea might just be a mystical dream that leads nowhere---or at least very limiting.

Thoughts?

Jeff Livingston
Click to expand...

I think the general consensus is to perfect that single idea and then move onto other things. You said it yourself- the game's too complicated. Instead of trying to attack all your problems from all angles at once, it would make more sense to focus on one at a time. If you try to fix too many things at once, you will just go into a repetitive cycle of 'fixing one leak while springing another'. If someone has a problem with jumping up on every shot.... if they practice staying down on every shot for a good week or two, it will become natural to them, and they don't even have to think about it.
 
BillPorter said:
...
BE STILL – 8.65%
STAY DOWN – 20.19%
Treat EVERY SHOT with the same respect - 11.54%
Have a PRE-SHOT ROUTINE and follow it! - 22.12%
Decide on the shot (speed, English), & make a COMMITMENT to the shot - 20.19%
Do the highest percentage thing that YOU KNOW HOW to do (not what Efren would do) - 6.73%
Don’t let DISTRACTIONS cause you to lose focus - 2.88%
HAVE FUN! – 7.69%

Now, FOR ME, the result of this whole process was to come up with a single sentence to repeat to myself while playing pool. The sentence is: “Commit to the shot and then stay down and still until I watch the cue ball strike the object ball.” The short version I am using is just, “watch the hit.” And I should add that there have been pool sessions where reminding myself that ultimately I play pool for FUN was key in turning around my play and improving it.
....
Click to expand...

For me as I read your synopsis, it immediately brought to mind Randy G's pool school and SPF(F). Maybe I'm just projecting my own success with SPF into your comments, but that's what came to mind.
 
cuetechasaurus said:
I think the general consensus is to perfect that single idea and then move onto other things. You said it yourself- the game's too complicated. Instead of trying to attack all your problems from all angles at once, it would make more sense to focus on one at a time. If you try to fix too many things at once, you will just go into a repetitive cycle of 'fixing one leak while springing another'. If someone has a problem with jumping up on every shot.... if they practice staying down on every shot for a good week or two, it will become natural to them, and they don't even have to think about it.
Click to expand...

OK, i'm with you on that, for sure. I've always worked on just one thing at a time until I've got it good enough to let my subconscious mind do it without too much input from my conscious thoughts. I go back and tweak it as often as necessary, but when competing, it does it by itself, so to speak.

Maybe I misunderstood the thread's purpose.:confused:

It's just that I've seen people (in business, mostly) look for that magical cure, that one mystical, easy-to-do "thing" that will propel them to success---without focused, integrated effort. I've seen that as a killer of businesses. Maybe that comes from watching 1/2 hour TV shows that seem to solve all the problems of the world in 30 minutes with just one idea.

If I had to pick just one real thing that would give lasting value throughout one's pool career, I'd pick: Be honest with yourself..

Jeff Livingston
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top