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

BillPorter

BillPorter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Some years ago I was involved in developing a mission statement for a college. As I sat with some board members and the president, we discussed the issue of how many ideas we could incorporate into a short version of the statement and still have a version that people could commit to memory. We agreed that people could remember and keep in mind THREE key ideas, but a couple of years later we had to admit that three was too many for most people!

When it comes to pool, we have all heard one or more of the following recommendations: Stay down on the shot, follow through, never take any shot for granted, grip the cue lightly, etc., etc. How many ideas can YOU keep in mind as you begin a pool session? For me, ONE is about it. I can, if I bear down, go through most of a pool session keeping ONE important idea cooking on the front burner. So, if I am going to be limited to just one theme or one thought for a pool session, what would it be? (And I know that if I am lucky enough to get in the “zone,” there won’t be ANY ideas floating around in my mind.)

Here are some that have worked pretty well for me at one time or another.

1) Be still – I think I got this from Patrick Johnson on RSB. It covers a lot of stuff to be just two words!
2) Watch the cue ball contact the object ball – Nick Varner
3) Have a plan – Nick Varner once said he never executed a shot without a plan in mind.
4) Mike Sigel claimed that he never pulled the trigger on a shot without believing the ball would go in.
5) The “granny mode” – Someone once advised that when you are not playing well you should put your game in the “granny mode.” By this he meant you should slow WAY DOWN. Slower movements around the table, taking more time with your decisions, taking more warm up strokes, etc.
6) Full backstroke – I have noticed that when I get nervous at the table, my backstroke shortens. At times I have been able to correct this by consciously making a full backstroke.
7) Have fun! – This is from several people including Bob Fancher’s book “Pleasures of Small Motions.” There have been times that my game improved dramatically after reminding myself that I am playing pool primarily to have fun.
8) Stay down – Jimmy Reid once said he could tell who the good players were in a pool hall within a few minutes of entering the room. He said all he had to do was watch to see which players stayed down on their shots.
10) Most shots or missed because of INDECISION – I think I got this from Dr. Dave on CCB. The more I thought about it, the more correct it seemed to be.
11) Focus on the one shot right in front of you; success should be defined in terms of the percentage of shots during the session that you give your best to. Delivering a quality stroke on a shot where you have a clear plan and have made a commitment to play in a given way is ALL YOU CAN DO. If you do this shot after shot, you are playing your best, right?

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.

If I had to pick JUST ONE for an important match or session, which would I choose? Looking over the list just now, I decided on #7 AND #2. I know, it wasn’t fair for me to pick two, but hey, it’s my post and I can do what I want with it. For me, since I am not a pro and don’t NEED to make money at this game, enjoyment or having fun is my number one goal.

Now it’s your turn to contribute the idea that has worked best for you in the past. Maybe you’ll pick one from my list or maybe you will post something that was not on the list. Either way, I’d like to hear what you have to say.:)
 
BillPorter said:
Some years ago I was involved in developing a mission statement for a college. As I sat with some board members and the president, we discussed the issue of how many ideas we could incorporate into a short version of the statement and still have a version that people could commit to memory. We agreed that people could remember and keep in mind THREE key ideas, but a couple of years later we had to admit that three was too many for most people!

When it comes to pool, we have all heard one or more of the following recommendations: Stay down on the shot, follow through, never take any shot for granted, grip the cue lightly, etc., etc. How many ideas can YOU keep in mind as you begin a pool session? For me, ONE is about it. I can, if I bear down, go through most of a pool session keeping ONE important idea cooking on the front burner. So, if I am going to be limited to just one theme or one thought for a pool session, what would it be? (And I know that if I am lucky enough to get in the “zone,” there won’t be ANY ideas floating around in my mind.)

Here are some that have worked pretty well for me at one time or another.

1) Be still – I think I got this from Patrick Johnson on RSB. It covers a lot of stuff to be just two words!
2) Watch the cue ball contact the object ball – Nick Varner
3) Have a plan – Nick Varner once said he never executed a shot without a plan in mind.
4) Mike Sigel claimed that he never pulled the trigger on a shot without believing the ball would go in.
5) The “granny mode” – Someone once advised that when you are not playing well you should put your game in the “granny mode.” By this he meant you should slow WAY DOWN. Slower movements around the table, taking more time with your decisions, taking more warm up strokes, etc.
6) Full backstroke – I have noticed that when I get nervous at the table, my backstroke shortens. At times I have been able to correct this by consciously making a full backstroke.
7) Have fun! – This is from several people including Bob Fancher’s book “Pleasures of Small Motions.” There have been times that my game improved dramatically after reminding myself that I am playing pool primarily to have fun.
8) Stay down – Jimmy Reid once said he could tell who the good players were in a pool hall within a few minutes of entering the room. He said all he had to do was watch to see which players stayed down on their shots.
10) Most shots or missed because of INDECISION – I think I got this from Dr. Dave on CCB. The more I thought about it, the more correct it seemed to be.
11) Focus on the one shot right in front of you; success should be defined in terms of the percentage of shots during the session that you give your best to. Delivering a quality stroke on a shot where you have a clear plan and have made a commitment to play in a given way is ALL YOU CAN DO. If you do this shot after shot, you are playing your best, right?

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.

If I had to pick JUST ONE for an important match or session, which would I choose? Looking over the list just now, I decided on #7 AND #2. I know, it wasn’t fair for me to pick two, but hey, it’s my post and I can do what I want with it. For me, since I am not a pro and don’t NEED to make money at this game, enjoyment or having fun is my number one goal.

Now it’s your turn to contribute the idea that has worked best for you in the past. Maybe you’ll pick one from my list or maybe you will post something that was not on the list. Either way, I’d like to hear what you have to say.:)
Click to expand...

The one I have to keep reminding myself of is:
Respect the shot.
-or-
Make sure you make it.

Cheers,
RC
 
For me, if I focus on a nice light grip and staying down on my shot, I tend to do pretty well. I have struggled in the past with trying to think about too many things while shooting. That does me more harm than good while playing. I like to focus on one thing at a time while practicing.
While playing competetively, I try to simply focus on enjoying myself and the rest "usually" takes care of itself.
As I get older, I place much less importance in winning. As a result, I win more often because I don't put as much pressure on myself. That makes the game a lot more fun. YMMV

Nice thread, BTW.. Joe
 
BillPorter said:
Some years ago I was involved in developing a mission statement for a college. As I sat with some board members and the president, we discussed the issue of how many ideas we could incorporate into a short version of the statement and still have a version that people could commit to memory. We agreed that people could remember and keep in mind THREE key ideas, but a couple of years later we had to admit that three was too many for most people!

When it comes to pool, we have all heard one or more of the following recommendations: Stay down on the shot, follow through, never take any shot for granted, grip the cue lightly, etc., etc. How many ideas can YOU keep in mind as you begin a pool session? For me, ONE is about it. I can, if I bear down, go through most of a pool session keeping ONE important idea cooking on the front burner. So, if I am going to be limited to just one theme or one thought for a pool session, what would it be? (And I know that if I am lucky enough to get in the “zone,” there won’t be ANY ideas floating around in my mind.)

Here are some that have worked pretty well for me at one time or another.

1) Be still – I think I got this from Patrick Johnson on RSB. It covers a lot of stuff to be just two words!
2) Watch the cue ball contact the object ball – Nick Varner
3) Have a plan – Nick Varner once said he never executed a shot without a plan in mind.
4) Mike Sigel claimed that he never pulled the trigger on a shot without believing the ball would go in.
5) The “granny mode” – Someone once advised that when you are not playing well you should put your game in the “granny mode.” By this he meant you should slow WAY DOWN. Slower movements around the table, taking more time with your decisions, taking more warm up strokes, etc.
6) Full backstroke – I have noticed that when I get nervous at the table, my backstroke shortens. At times I have been able to correct this by consciously making a full backstroke.
7) Have fun! – This is from several people including Bob Fancher’s book “Pleasures of Small Motions.” There have been times that my game improved dramatically after reminding myself that I am playing pool primarily to have fun.
8) Stay down – Jimmy Reid once said he could tell who the good players were in a pool hall within a few minutes of entering the room. He said all he had to do was watch to see which players stayed down on their shots.
10) Most shots or missed because of INDECISION – I think I got this from Dr. Dave on CCB. The more I thought about it, the more correct it seemed to be.
11) Focus on the one shot right in front of you; success should be defined in terms of the percentage of shots during the session that you give your best to. Delivering a quality stroke on a shot where you have a clear plan and have made a commitment to play in a given way is ALL YOU CAN DO. If you do this shot after shot, you are playing your best, right?

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.

If I had to pick JUST ONE for an important match or session, which would I choose? Looking over the list just now, I decided on #7 AND #2. I know, it wasn’t fair for me to pick two, but hey, it’s my post and I can do what I want with it. For me, since I am not a pro and don’t NEED to make money at this game, enjoyment or having fun is my number one goal.

Now it’s your turn to contribute the idea that has worked best for you in the past. Maybe you’ll pick one from my list or maybe you will post something that was not on the list. Either way, I’d like to hear what you have to say.:)
Click to expand...

Getting my students to quicky understand a natural rolling cue ball, and where it will go once it strikes an object ball. This is the foundation for understanding making balls and getting shape with speed control only, KISS.
 
Great post BP...some very good advice from the best. I am by no means a great pool player (although I do match up well :D ), but one of the best tid bits I have ever received was this: There are no EASY shots and HARD shots.....treat them all the same! If you normally take 2,3 or 4 warm up strokes before you shoot a shot you consider difficult, then do the same on a striaght in shot. I guess it goes towards mental preparation. Anyway, it has help me.

Southpaw
 
If I could contribute one that's helped my game it would be this:

Be decisive.

Look at your options and rule out all but the route you choose and don't question or second guess yourself.
 
Light Bulb Moments

Bill, #7 is it for me.

You simply will not get better if you're not enjoying the time you spend playing pool. Fighting thru frustration and anger is too much to heap on the learning process. Besides, why would I want to continue doing something if all I get out of it is frustration and anger?

For me the number one rule is to relax and have fun. The "light bulb moments" seem to come more often that way too.:)
 
BillPorter said:
Some years ago I was involved in developing a mission statement for a college. As I sat with some board members and the president, we discussed the issue of how many ideas we could incorporate into a short version of the statement and still have a version that people could commit to memory. We agreed that people could remember and keep in mind THREE key ideas, but a couple of years later we had to admit that three was too many for most people!

When it comes to pool, we have all heard one or more of the following recommendations: Stay down on the shot, follow through, never take any shot for granted, grip the cue lightly, etc., etc. How many ideas can YOU keep in mind as you begin a pool session? For me, ONE is about it. I can, if I bear down, go through most of a pool session keeping ONE important idea cooking on the front burner. So, if I am going to be limited to just one theme or one thought for a pool session, what would it be? (And I know that if I am lucky enough to get in the “zone,” there won’t be ANY ideas floating around in my mind.)

Here are some that have worked pretty well for me at one time or another.

1) Be still – I think I got this from Patrick Johnson on RSB. It covers a lot of stuff to be just two words!
2) Watch the cue ball contact the object ball – Nick Varner
3) Have a plan – Nick Varner once said he never executed a shot without a plan in mind.
4) Mike Sigel claimed that he never pulled the trigger on a shot without believing the ball would go in.
5) The “granny mode” – Someone once advised that when you are not playing well you should put your game in the “granny mode.” By this he meant you should slow WAY DOWN. Slower movements around the table, taking more time with your decisions, taking more warm up strokes, etc.
6) Full backstroke – I have noticed that when I get nervous at the table, my backstroke shortens. At times I have been able to correct this by consciously making a full backstroke.
7) Have fun! – This is from several people including Bob Fancher’s book “Pleasures of Small Motions.” There have been times that my game improved dramatically after reminding myself that I am playing pool primarily to have fun.
8) Stay down – Jimmy Reid once said he could tell who the good players were in a pool hall within a few minutes of entering the room. He said all he had to do was watch to see which players stayed down on their shots.
10) Most shots or missed because of INDECISION – I think I got this from Dr. Dave on CCB. The more I thought about it, the more correct it seemed to be.
11) Focus on the one shot right in front of you; success should be defined in terms of the percentage of shots during the session that you give your best to. Delivering a quality stroke on a shot where you have a clear plan and have made a commitment to play in a given way is ALL YOU CAN DO. If you do this shot after shot, you are playing your best, right?

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.

If I had to pick JUST ONE for an important match or session, which would I choose? Looking over the list just now, I decided on #7 AND #2. I know, it wasn’t fair for me to pick two, but hey, it’s my post and I can do what I want with it. For me, since I am not a pro and don’t NEED to make money at this game, enjoyment or having fun is my number one goal.

Now it’s your turn to contribute the idea that has worked best for you in the past. Maybe you’ll pick one from my list or maybe you will post something that was not on the list. Either way, I’d like to hear what you have to say.:)
Click to expand...


I havent had alot of time to practice or play for that matter these days but when I do I say two words during my pre-shot routine thru the execution...its gonna sound funny but I have method to my madness.

Sam Perkins

Former NBA star foward that had the SMOOTHEST follow thru and release I ever witnessed..I mean his nickname was "SMOOTH". At the Charity stripe, Sam's motions were and are unparralled...he just looked smooth!! If it worked for him it can for me.:cool: I mutter his name under my breath while I scout the table out...strange huh?
 
One idea

Since you asked for ONE idea only, I would say....

Always follow a preshot routine and you'll never miss.
 
Nick Varner said in Billiards Digest that the one most important thing he worked on every practice session was keeping his head down. He even said that most of the time this is the only thing on his mind when practicing, because it is so difficult for him to stay down on a shot.

Ditto for Allison Fisher - right on her website I believe. Plus in practice she only works on fundaments.

I have been advocating writing 6 or 7 things to remember on the back of a business card for years (nice to know that I am not crazy LOL). Mine is in my pool bag. For me, keeping my head down works best if you are in a slump. It WILL bring you right out of it if you are moving your head.
 
Willie Mosconi always taught that the most important single thought was, "make the ball." Meaning, whatever you do, make sure not to shoot until you are totally committed to doing whatever it takes to make the ball; and that your last thought before shooting is concentrate on pocketing the ball.

I've heard George Breedlove say exactly the same thing (with no idea that Mosconi had offered this advice 50 years ago).
 
Try this:
Stand up and decide on the shot (offense/defense, speed, english), chalk up, then think of absolutely nothing and let your body do the work.
 
Pay attention.
It may not help the current shot, but in the long run...

Jim
 
Take what the table gives you and don't fight the table.

In other words, do the highest percentage thing YOU know how to do (not what Efren would do).
 
This is a great Thread, the only thing I can add is, "Distractions" pre shot conversations, waitress in a Micro Mini skirt, or Low cut top for you "Boob" guys, the morons on the table next to you just have to shoot from the very spot you need to be standing for your pre-shot routine etc etc, you get the idea. All these things can make you lose Focus.:)
 
Forget your name...

Sounds like mumbo-jumbo, I know, but I dare you to try it while shooting! It's unbelievable...
 
In a BD article years back, they asked players "whats the most important" thing you could tell a player.
Fats hit it on the head, "avoid distractions" because its what he was the best at, "creating distraction"
 
Willie Mosconi always taught that the most important single thought was, "make the ball." Meaning, whatever you do, make sure not to shoot until you are totally committed to doing whatever it takes to make the ball; and that your last thought before shooting is concentrate on pocketing the ball.

I've heard George Breedlove say exactly the same thing (with no idea that Mosconi had offered this advice 50 years ago).
Click to expand...

similar point to Sigel's advice which was my favourite from the list. such an obvious point - why shoot the shot if you think you are going to miss? yet we all do it!
 
I haven't been playing/practicing much lately. "Mum" pool comes to mind. Not talking alound to my opponent, spectators, myself, helps focus concentration. Try it.
 
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