The single thing that would most improve your pool game

one other thing....

learn how to let the pool cue do the work....i.e. don't force the cue stick through the CB. i.e. guide the cue to the CB and let it flow through with the momentum that your guidance has provided it.

Whatever you have to do to let the cue do the work....

Jaden
 
I had one of the better one pocket players giving me some advice....

Island Drive said:
Shortside K said:
"Play the table... not your opponent".


Not 100% of the time.........
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he asked me "What is your biggest strength" I honestly didn't know, he said "you are a ball pocketer". If your opponent isn't as good a ball pocketer as you, let him take the long shot, leave him up near the head rail and try to get him to go for that long shot, if he misses, you'll get out because you're a ball pocketer. (Of course he was so drunk he could hardly stand up at the time too).

Now in a game like nineball, sure, play the table, but in one pocket you can't play the table, you HAVE to play the opponent's weaknesses and your own strengths.

Jaden
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Jaden said:
Island Drive said:
he asked me "What is your biggest strength" I honestly didn't know, he said "you are a ball pocketer". If your opponent isn't as good a ball pocketer as you, let him take the long shot, leave him up near the head rail and try to get him to go for that long shot, if he misses, you'll get out because you're a ball pocketer. (Of course he was so drunk he could hardly stand up at the time too).

Now in a game like nineball, sure, play the table, but in one pocket you can't play the table, you HAVE to play the opponent's weaknesses and your own strengths.

Jaden
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I don't believe that "play the table not the opponent" is good advice in nine-ball or any other game played over the green felt. In nine-ball, who I am playing is often the deciding factor in whether I choose offense, defense, or a two-way shot in many a position.
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sjm said:
Jaden said:
I don't believe that "play the table not the opponent" is good advice in nine-ball or any other game played over the green felt. In nine-ball, who I am playing is often the deciding factor in whether I choose offense, defense, or a two-way shot in many a position.
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Bingo.......................
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When I say play the table.....

sjm said:
Jaden said:
I don't believe that "play the table not the opponent" is good advice in nine-ball or any other game played over the green felt. In nine-ball, who I am playing is often the deciding factor in whether I choose offense, defense, or a two-way shot in many a position.
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when I say play the table i nineball, I mean to not let your opponents level affect your play mentally. Sometimes it's better to play the table because then you're not thinking about who your playing and you have a better chance of playing to your skill level.

Also, in a game like nineball, you're not going to play a different type of safe if you play safe. you'll try to play the best safe you can regardless of who you are playing, so in effect you ARE playing the table.

In a game like one pocket, you won't safety someone like Efren the same way you would someone else, hell, anyone else. One pocket is more a game of playing your opponent where as nineball is a game of playing the table.

You may be able to get away with stuff against some opponents that you wouldn't against other opponents in nineball, but if you're changing your game in nineball, you'll limit the level you can reach, unless you are just trying to hustle and keep them playing you but that's a whole different question.

In one pocket, if you aren't playing the opponent, then you AREN'T playing the game right.

Jaden
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SpiderWebComm said:
Jenna Haze as my corner-girl.

f_JennaHazephm_98c13bf.jpg
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oh she'd affect my game all right, but not in a good way...who cares about that silly little pool game going on, HOW YOU DOIN'?? :p
 
Jaden...tap, tap, tap! Great advice...rep to you! One of the best ways to learn this often(for some players) elusive concept, is to take a lesson from a qualified instructor, who uses video review.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Jaden said:
learn how to let the pool cue do the work....i.e. don't force the cue stick through the CB. i.e. guide the cue to the CB and let it flow through with the momentum that your guidance has provided it.

Whatever you have to do to let the cue do the work....

Jaden
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Gregg said:
Step away when the "game" becomes work, or frustrating.

I took two and half weeks away from the table, and came back much stronger as a player, and best of all I'm enjoying the games.
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Good point Gregg.I've took maybe 10 breaks from playing pool in my 14 years of playing.Each time when I came back I noticed something new about the game I hadn't before.I went from being a middle C player to an A- player within the last 3 years.Btw,this is the first and last time I will ever reveal my true speed on this board!:wink:
 
Don't ever allow yourself to be limited by others expectations. In my area there is a heirarchy within the pool world and it is written in stone as to who falls where on said ladder. If I had accepted my position in those ranks I would have remained stagnant and never felt the glory of victory over an expected "superior" opponent. In short, don't buy into the B.S. of others, cut your own path through the "written in stone" list so many have implanted in their own pool playin' souls.

Egos are built on memories of the past, reality is decided on the tables and it can change everyday! Keep hittin' 'em straight! ;)
 
The simple thing that would most improve my pool game.... cut my age in half. :groucho: (anybody that remembers the duck is toooooo dammed old to get good at pool.)
 
Here's My List

1. Tight bridge.
2. Loose grip.
3. Focus on contact point.

4. Pull the trigger (wrist snap)
5. Follow through.
 
great post Bill, i agree with this post 100%......everything else will fall into place over time if you stick to these guidelines IMO. :thumbup:
 
First Impression

BillPorter said:
A couple of years ago I asked AZBers to single out the ONE IDEA that would most improve your pool game and they came up with a couple of dozen candidates. I narrowed those suggestions down to the eight you see below.

1. BE STILL over the shot, with as little movement of the head and body as possible.
2. STAY DOWN on the shot ? 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 its own slot.
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.

Here?s a suggestion for you. Take a small card, like a business card or an index card, and write a short version of the above suggestions on the card. Maybe the short versions would read something like this.

1) Be still
2) Stay down
3) Respect every shot
4) Follow the pre-shot routine
5) Commit to the shot
6) Play within your abilities
7) Defeat distractions, reset if necessary
8) Have fun!

Of course you may want to OMIT any of the 8 that really don?t relate to your game. And you may want to ADD a few that are especially important for your game. Maybe you would add reminders to grip the cue lightly, pause at the end of your last back stroke, check your stance alignment, snug up your bridge, or whatever you have learned is useful for your game. If you carry that little card around with you, it will be handy to read over when you?re shooting poorly or in a slump.

I know this was all posted a couple of years back, but I thought it deserved a "reactivation.":smile:
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I think after becoming a "much more seasoned player" as to just learning, # 5 is the Best way to " most improve your pool game ( "Commit to the shot").....

with me usually the "first impression" I get about the shot is the correct way to go, not always but usually, and if your struggling with shape, "Let Good Be Good Enough" you don't have to be perfect as long as you got the "Proper Angle' in most cases,( although I do like squatting whitey on a dime ) it does help get over being indecisive!


David Harcrow
 
trustyrusty said:
I'm sure all of the things listed would help, but the ONE thing that would help more than any of that is...table time!!! 3-4 hours on Thurs. playing is the absolute biggest thing holding back MY improvement.
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I agree with that...haven't touched a cue in nearly a month. Stuff to do first, then sickness, then... just hard to find the time.
 
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