The single idea that will most improve your game - Final compilation

[BillPorter]

After studying all the suggestions so graciously provided by my fellow AZBers, I eliminated those 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. I take full responsibility for all of these editing changes. With only 8 suggestions left after this editing, I want to make up a poll for voting and will do so soon. Here are the 8 suggestions.

1. BE STILL – with the exceptions, of course, of your eyes and shooting arm.
2. 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. Watching the cue ball contact the object ball is a good way to work on staying down on the shot as you stay down to watch the cue ball on its path to the object ball. This one is similar to #1, but deserves a slot to itself.
3. Treat EVERY SHOT with the same respect. "I quit missing those shots when I came to the realization that there is no such thing as an easy shot." (Luther “Wimpy” Lassiter)
4. Have a PRE-SHOT ROUTINE and follow it!
5. While standing up, decide on the shot (offense/defense, speed, English), then make a COMMITMENT to shoot the shot as you have decided to shoot it. Most shots are missed because of indecision. Another way to say this is to have a plan before every shot.
6. Do the highest percentage thing that YOU KNOW HOW to do (not what Efren would do).
7. Don’t let DISTRACTIONS cause you to lose focus on the shot. If something distracts you, stand up and go through your pre-shot routine from the beginning.
8. HAVE FUN! – Your game may improve dramatically after reminding yourself that you are playing pool primarily to have fun.

 

[berlowmj]

#60 sandpaper on my phenolic tip eliminated miscues & permitted me to lengthen my bridge for greater power with no loss in accuracy on the break

 

[ceebee]

After studying all the suggestions so graciously provided by my fellow AZBers, I eliminated those 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. I take full responsibility for all of these editing changes. With only 8 suggestions left after this editing, I want to make up a poll for voting and will do so soon. Here are the 8 suggestions.

1. BE STILL – with the exceptions, of course, of your eyes and shooting arm.
2. 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. Watching the cue ball contact the object ball is a good way to work on staying down on the shot as you stay down to watch the cue ball on its path to the object ball. This one is similar to #1, but deserves a slot to itself.
3. Treat EVERY SHOT with the same respect. "I quit missing those shots when I came to the realization that there is no such thing as an easy shot." (Luther “Wimpy” Lassiter)
4. Have a PRE-SHOT ROUTINE and follow it!
5. While standing up, decide on the shot (offense/defense, speed, English), then make a COMMITMENT to shoot the shot as you have decided to shoot it. Most shots are missed because of indecision. Another way to say this is to have a plan before every shot.
6. Do the highest percentage thing that YOU KNOW HOW to do (not what Efren would do).
7. Don’t let DISTRACTIONS cause you to lose focus on the shot. If something distracts you, stand up and go through your pre-shot routine from the beginning.
8. HAVE FUN! – Your game may improve dramatically after reminding yourself that you are playing pool primarily to have fun.

This is a great list to use for developing a routine for high performance play. Adding this info to one's knowledge base (understanding why these items are important and/or necessary) & integerating the processes into your personal routine, should make a big difference in your skill level.

 

[tedkaufman]

1. BE STILL – with the exceptions, of course, of your eyes and shooting arm.
2. 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. Watching the cue ball contact the object ball is a good way to work on staying down on the shot as you stay down to watch the cue ball on its path to the object ball. This one is similar to #1, but deserves a slot to itself.
3. Treat EVERY SHOT with the same respect. "I quit missing those shots when I came to the realization that there is no such thing as an easy shot." (Luther “Wimpy” Lassiter)
4. Have a PRE-SHOT ROUTINE and follow it!
5. While standing up, decide on the shot (offense/defense, speed, English), then make a COMMITMENT to shoot the shot as you have decided to shoot it. Most shots are missed because of indecision. Another way to say this is to have a plan before every shot.
6. Do the highest percentage thing that YOU KNOW HOW to do (not what Efren would do).
7. Don’t let DISTRACTIONS cause you to lose focus on the shot. If something distracts you, stand up and go through your pre-shot routine from the beginning.
8. HAVE FUN! – Your game may improve dramatically after reminding yourself that you are playing pool primarily to have fun.

That is one hell of a list, Bill. I was thinking as I read through it that a list like that would be the first place to turn if I ever felt a slump coming on. The solution would almost certainly be there. Also, that list is probably a good thing to read through every few weeks. It's amazing how we all know those things but seem to blow them off until we start missing shots. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.