The ONE idea to keep in mind that will MOST improve your game!

8ball said:
People who move their eyes the most (looking back and forth) are the ones who are the most inconsistent shot makers!
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Absolutely true! Better players have to LEARN an eye movement pattern (there are two, which are used predominantly, over all others). The P.E.P., or personal eye pattern, is then implanted, and ingrained, into the pre-shot routine. P.E.P. is a dominant force in learning to trust your stroke.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
I would say that you have to have a consistent aiming system, Ive developed my own on the way to becomming a semi-professional. I see lots of people in pool halls with great looking strokes, but it doenst matter how eloquently you stroke the cue if you rattle tournament pockets every other shot. People when they practice think that just practicing is going to help. I see them miss a shot and look back at thier arm, or look down at thier stance. When the truth is they can't aim with absolute precision. So first know how to aim. Which I think goes along with Captain Hooks know the ball is going in. Because once you can develop an aiming system, with practice you will get better, because position is feel, and that takes muscle memory, but aiming isnt. Its lining up correctly in an infinite number of situations. So first know the ball is going in by having a absolute aiming system, then know where the cue ball is going by using the correct english which comes from practice. This will build confidence, and take care of everything else, including your pocket book!
 
Rasta said:
I think this deserved to be said again, louder. :D

I am of the belief that one should not use side, draw or follow unless a suitable shot using natural roll is unavailable. (not an absolute rule, but a general rule of thumb)

Good Rolls,
Rasta
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LOL, no offense, but you have ALOT of learning to do about this game!!!
 
8ball said:
"Shooting crazy and low percentage shots are best learned when practicing by yourself, so you can shoot them over and over again."

No...it's not that you need to learn to shoot "them over and over" because seldom are games won by shooting hard shots! You just need to learn to make some of the hard shots against other players because it builds your confidence and more importantly it makes you focus on winning! Games are mostly LOST by people missing easy shots/position!

As far as where did I learn about quiet eyes...besides 51 years of playing you can read the research for yourself: "GAINESVILLE --- When it comes to games such as pool and darts, people with the quietest eyes will play the best, a University of Florida researcher has concluded." I'm sure you can find the report on the internet yourself! People who move their eyes the most (looking back and forth) are the ones who are the most inconsistent shot makers!
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Going for really hard shots are the same as going for low percentage shots. You will miss much more than you make them. This causes you to lose confidence. When you see the pros "come with the shot"- which is when they execute a very difficult shot, it's because they have spent countless hours practicing shots like that.

As for quiet eyes, I know what you are talking about now. They did a study about sports that require hand-eye coordination, and the people who have less eye movement, and stare at spots longer play better. This applies to pool, and I am glad you reminded me of it (because I forgot to practice this), but I don't agree that you should look at the cueball only once. You have to look at the cueball because of tip placement. Then you take your practice strokes, your eyes look back and forth. Just looking at your tip placement, and then doing a few practice strokes without looking at the cueball again, that's like shooting blind. Your tip can stray just a fraction of an inch and it will change to whole outcome of the shot.

Pay close attention to videos of the pros. Every single one of them looks back and forth a few times on every shot. I have never seen someone look at the cueball only once. It doesn't make any sense to do that.
 
Preshot Routine.......(Thank You Scott Lee)
Consistent preshot routine, doing the same thing over and over on each and every shot. For me I'm looking at the CB while taking my practice strokes, then looking at the object ball before I pull the trigger. Avoid the bouncing eye syndrome, and it will help your accuracy

McCue Banger McCue
 
cuetechasaurus said:
Going for really hard shots are the same as going for low percentage shots. You will miss much more than you make them. This causes you to lose confidence. When you see the pros "come with the shot"- which is when they execute a very difficult shot, it's because they have spent countless hours practicing shots like that.

As for quiet eyes, I know what you are talking about now. They did a study about sports that require hand-eye coordination, and the people who have less eye movement, and stare at spots longer play better. This applies to pool, and I am glad you reminded me of it (because I forgot to practice this), but I don't agree that you should look at the cueball only once. You have to look at the cueball because of tip placement. Then you take your practice strokes, your eyes look back and forth. Just looking at your tip placement, and then doing a few practice strokes without looking at the cueball again, that's like shooting blind. Your tip can stray just a fraction of an inch and it will change to whole outcome of the shot.

Pay close attention to videos of the pros. Every single one of them looks back and forth a few times on every shot. I have never seen someone look at the cueball only once. It doesn't make any sense to do that.
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RE: I don't doubt for one minute that it takes hours of practice (by oneself) to learn shooting "low-percentage" shots. My point is, the time to use them in actual play is when you play casually. It also depends on the game, 8-ball is a more aggressive game because you have multiple shot opportunities. When playing a casual game of 8-ball you can "pull the trigger" more often; even though the opportunity to do so comes up less often.
 
8ball said:
RE: I don't doubt for one minute that it takes hours of practice (by oneself) to learn shooting "low-percentage" shots. My point is, the time to use them in actual play is when you play casually. It also depends on the game, 8-ball is a more aggressive game because you have multiple shot opportunities. When playing a casual game of 8-ball you can "pull the trigger" more often; even though the opportunity to do so comes up less often.
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You make a good point. Can you explain a little further about looking at the cueball once, and why pros look at it multiple times?
 
I don't think looking at the cue ball just once is necessarily correct. I think your mind is trying to get information, and your eyes should be focused in such a way to provide that information. When you are doing warm up strokes, you are trying to make sure you will contact the cue ball in the correct spot. Therefore, your eyes should be focused on the cue ball. When you are ready to pull the trigger, your eyes need to be on your target.

If you need to check your line of aim, it's a good idea to stop your warm-ups before you look up at the line. If you look up while your cue is moving, it's quite possible that your tip will follow your eyes, and the result could be a foul. Once you verify your line, let your eyes go back to the cue ball and complete your warm ups.

The idea of "quiet eyes" is more to make sure your eyes are focused where they need to be at a given time. When they are bouncing back and forth, you send mixed signals to your brain.

Steve
 
Mine would be... Focus on the game at hand.

I learned this lesson coz everytime I play and a beautiful lady watches or is near the table, I get distracted and evetually lose the game ;P
 
BillPorter said:
(snip)
That list reminds me of an incident that occurred about 45 years ago as I watched a local shortstop who was playing badly. At one point, he stopped shooting, walked a few feet away from the table and pull a little slip of paper out of his billfold. When he came back to the table, his play improved and IIRC, he won the match. I later asked him what was on that slip of paper and he told me that when he was playing badly it was always because he wasn’t doing something on his checklist. Stuff like staying down on the shot, picking an exact spot for the cue ball to end up, etc. Not a bad idea, in my opinion. Maybe someone should sell a little plastic card with the top ten or top twelve reminders to check on when our play has gone south.

(snip)
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I do the same. My list is about 40 things-to-do on each and every shot. That sounds like a lot, I know, but it really isn't. Everytime I miss, it is because I violated one or more of those ingredients, my term for those things-to-do. I call the whole concpet, The Recipe.

So, my ONE thought is: This shot deserves The Recipe. Then, when competing, my subconscious mind does the details. When practicing, I consciously manipulate my ingredients, depending on the situation, but when competing, this mantra brings everything together automatically.

Jeff Livingston
 
Three things you must always remember.

Lord loves a working man.
Don't trust whitey.
See a doctor and get rid of it.
 
I've had success by constantly reminding myself of one main idea, but with a sub-idea to reinforce it.

The main idea was to: Work Hard
The sub-idea: Enjoy the process as a learning / growing experience.

The sub idea was in place, because with determined focus it is often easy to fall into frustration or anger. The sub-idea helped me to keep aware of these tough times as important challenges and opportunities.

The Work Hard, primary idea, incorporated all aspects of play and ideas such as many of those mentioned in Bill's list and in the replies. Though I would try not to think of all ideas at once. Just be very focused on choosing the right shot and doing my best to execute the shot as well as I was capable.

By focusing on just working hard, it helped to block out distractions, nevousness or doubt (indecisiveness). It also heightened awareness of poor form, rushed shots etc as they occured. Such flaws would be noted and addressed as they or a tendency for them became apparent.

Colin
 
I'm having a hard time with this thread. (great thread) So much great information. I don't think I'm seeing anything I hadn't seen before but certainly a couple things that I've forgotten about from time to time.


When I miss sometimes I can pick out what I forgot to do or think about. Most times I can't but sometimes I can. It is usually a variety of things. In other words my mistakes very from one miss to the next. So for me to sit here and say, that one certain thing is the only one that I must remember or this is the most important to remember, well I just don't know. I know that the large majority of the time the last thing I think about is 'Make the Ball' as WM and WB suggest. I still miss sometimes and when I do, sometimes I think there was something else that should have been the last thing I thought about on that particular shot.

The issue of trying to remember everything is obvious. You can't do it. However you can remember one thing at a time. Maybe find a few priorities (4 maybe 5 at most), give them an order. Memorize it. Remember each of them on every shot. Much easier said than done, but I don't think just one thing is the answer. That is why we use a pre-shot routine.
 
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CaptainJR said:
I'm having a hard time with this thread. (great thread) So much great information. I don't think I'm seeing anything I hadn't seen before but certainly a couple things that I've forgotten about from time to time.


When I miss sometimes I can pick out what I forgot to do or think about. Most times I can't but sometimes I can. It is usually a variety of things. In other words my mistakes very from one miss to the next. So for me to sit here and say, that one certain thing is the only one that I must remember or this is the most important to remember, well I just don't know. I know that the large majority of the time the last thing I think about is 'Make the Ball' as WM and WB suggest. I still miss sometimes and when I do, sometimes I think there was something else that should have been the last thing I thought about on that particular shot.

The issue of trying to remember everything is obvious. You can't do it. However you can remember one thing at a time. Maybe find a few priorities (4 maybe 5 at most), give them an order. Memorize it. Remember each of them on every shot. Much easier said than done, but I don't think just one thing is the answer. That is why we use a pre-shot routine.
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I'm with you Captain. Making the ball is the last thing I want to be thinking about on my stroke. I try and only think about the speed and direction of the cuestick itself and separate that from any results. If that is right, the ball goes in and you get shape. If it's wrong, you aimed wrong, or stroked it too hard or too soft. Usually not hard enough, imo. You must be able to learn the difference. You can't watch the object ball, cueball and stick at the same time while focusing on your aim point. So I only look at the aim point and concentrate on hitting over the speed threshold for keeping the cueball on line. Then the ball goes where it's supposed to. Eliminating variables is key.

unknownpro
 
8ball said:
The 2 points I would add are:
Quiet eyes! You need to look at the cueball only once, then NEVER take your eyes off the object ball.

All too often I see inexperienced players shoot defensively in a casual game. Casual games are practice time, learn to shoot aggressively when you can AFFORD to lose. The only people who cannot make the difficult shots are the people that never try.
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Look at cueball once. Look at object ball as you find your aim point somewhere around it. Then keep your eyes there, not on the object ball unless it's straight in. It's ALWAYS a shark to look at a point on the object ball unless it's where your stick is aiming.

unknownpro
 
cuetechasaurus said:
Going for really hard shots are the same as going for low percentage shots. You will miss much more than you make them. This causes you to lose confidence. When you see the pros "come with the shot"- which is when they execute a very difficult shot, it's because they have spent countless hours practicing shots like that.

As for quiet eyes, I know what you are talking about now. They did a study about sports that require hand-eye coordination, and the people who have less eye movement, and stare at spots longer play better. This applies to pool, and I am glad you reminded me of it (because I forgot to practice this), but I don't agree that you should look at the cueball only once. You have to look at the cueball because of tip placement. Then you take your practice strokes, your eyes look back and forth. Just looking at your tip placement, and then doing a few practice strokes without looking at the cueball again, that's like shooting blind. Your tip can stray just a fraction of an inch and it will change to whole outcome of the shot.

Pay close attention to videos of the pros. Every single one of them looks back and forth a few times on every shot. I have never seen someone look at the cueball only once. It doesn't make any sense to do that.
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Your tip straying a fraction of an inch may change the whole outcome, but not necessarilly. Your stroke line should be more important than the actual tip impact spot on the cueball. If you apply english intending to fully deflect the cueball, you shoud always come off the edge of the ball with your stroke, and the impact point is less important. So I'm not so concerned with exactly where I hit the cueball in tips, just that I'm coming off of it on the correct angle directly away from the center. My stroke line and point downtable should assure that.

Also, the only way to change the impact point of your tip on the cueball after you're down on the shot should be to move your bridge hand. That or completely change your aim or english, which means you shoud get back up anyway. That's why I'm not very concerned with looking at the cueball, unless it moves.
 
It’s probably obvious to everyone here, but when I start rattling pockets I remind myself to level my cue. This usually results in an immediate improvement.
 
cuetechasaurus said:
Going for really hard shots are the same as going for low percentage shots. You will miss much more than you make them. This causes you to lose confidence. When you see the pros "come with the shot"- which is when they execute a very difficult shot, it's because they have spent countless hours practicing shots like that.

Pros do practice a lot of shots. But mainly they play long and hard enough to get really, really, in stroke, and everything gets easier all at once. It's imho simply impossible to practice all the shots that come up in pool. They make the hard shots the same way they make the easy ones, by knowing how to get the cueball to hit the object ball in the right spot for that particular shot. Someone once said that all shots are the same difficulty, some are just harder to see. It may not be true, but it's a good philosophy if you like to running out.

unknownpro
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I've had success by constantly reminding myself of one main idea, but with a sub-idea to reinforce it.

The main idea was to: Work Hard
The sub-idea: Enjoy the process as a learning / growing experience.
- Colin
This supports my idea that you need to either have systems in place or natural talent. I read pros brief advice a lot and it all sounds something like that. But all they are telling you is this....(I have a ton of natural talent, so for me all I have to do to make balls consistently is....fill in the blank of untangible thing. Like work hard, or practice a lot, or focus.) Oh really is that all! Well than that settles it. No this is absurd you need a ton of natural talent to work hard on, but most people do not have this. We call them amatuers. So what are you supposed to do if your natural talent is sub-standard and you miss balls all the time and get out of position? Have fun by enjoying the experience of getting beat by C players???? NO! Everyone who is B or below probably needs to use systems to get themselves to the next level, because practice just isn't going to cut it anymore.
 
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