Very curious about players practice time

3andstop

3andstop

Focus
Silver Member
I play occasionally with a few old friends. I've been playing a long time, owned a poolroom, loved and still do love the game. One of my friends is a practiceholic. It shows in his game and he really enjoys practice.

Me on the other hand, I don't really understand why, as much as I love the game, have a GC in my basement, just can't bring myself to go down there alone and practice.

I'm very curious if anyone else shares my distaste and or lack of desire for practice. For me, it's actually out of boredom that I have no desire to practice, and really never did.

Humor me guys, and let me know what your thoughts are on practicing. Do you look forward to playing alone? Is it regimented practice that you prefer or perhaps playing some racks of 9 ball or 14.1 by yourself, or are you like me and find you actually get bored and sloppy in a matter of seconds if you try to hit balls by yourself?

Thanks in advance for your input. ( just trying to figure out if I'm crazy) :thumbup:
 
Having measurable goals goes along way for practice.

Whether it be doing my mother drills or doing spot shots I try to have a measurable goal. (i.e. sinking 10 consecutive spot shots in the bottom right corner pocket and 10 in the bottom left pocket).

If you make your goals attainable (i.e. if you can't make 2 spot shots consecutively, then your goal may be 2 or 3 in a row to start) you can measure your progress and see how far you've come.

When I use play as a form of practice I usually will play 14.1, or the ghost in one pocket, 9 ball, 10 ball or 8 ball ( or some variation of those).
Again with a measurable goal. As an example I may decide I want to get 5 racks out of 10 against the ghost. You can adjust your goals based on your ability and of course change them as necessary.

I use Excel to keep track of my goals and can detect slumps in performance or spikes in performance. I find it helpful to have a graphical reference.

For 14.1, I can log the number of balls run for each inning during a once per week practice session and over a few months see if my average balls per inning (average runs) goes up. I find this easier than chasing my all time high run. I might have a simple goal of only increasing my average run by 1 ball over the course of a month. A good 14.1 session for me is 10 racks, though I often will only complete 5 racks. If I miss I play through the rack as another inning trying to set up on my break ball.

I hope this helps.


QUOTE=3andstop;3021503]I play occasionally with a few old friends. I've been playing a long time, owned a poolroom, loved and still do love the game. One of my friends is a practiceholic. It shows in his game and he really enjoys practice.

Me on the other hand, I don't really understand why, as much as I love the game, have a GC in my basement, just can't bring myself to go down there alone and practice.

I'm very curious if anyone else shares my distaste and or lack of desire for practice. For me, it's actually out of boredom that I have no desire to practice, and really never did.

Humor me guys, and let me know what your thoughts are on practicing. Do you look forward to playing alone? Is it regimented practice that you prefer or perhaps playing some racks of 9 ball or 14.1 by yourself, or are you like me and find you actually get bored and sloppy in a matter of seconds if you try to hit balls by yourself?

Thanks in advance for your input. ( just trying to figure out if I'm crazy) :thumbup:[/QUOTE]
 
Well
I am a practiceholic myself. I do drills and keep score on them almost every day to note my progress. I have had practice sessions that lasted 8+ hours before. (did 6 yesterday) I usually play 6 days a week and I manage to control my time schedule so that I can shoot pool without interfering with work etc.

I tell you, there is no greater feeling than seeing your progress every day and knowing it is from hard work and patience. 80% of my play time is practice and 20% are games-tourneys. I play games with other players and when I see a shot I know I can do it because I have almost died in practice trying to do it.

The will to practice for me comes from the desire to be a better player and the love for the game itself. Maybe you cannot practice because you are impatient, or you get excited from competition more, or you find your current level of play satisfying. On the other hand, I will never find my level play satisfying enough. :wink:

The downside of practicing (for me at least) is the constant fear that I am going to play below par. I really couldn't care less about losing or winning, or winning by a big score. I just don't want to miss shots I know I can make because I will let myself down.
 
You state that you have been playing for a long time, and that may well be part of it as well. One question...why do you play? You said you love the game, but what is it that you love about it? Is it the thrill of competition? is it the beauty of the strategies that come into play on every shot? Your motivation, and what you want to get out of the game will determine what you are willing to put into it.

There is another thread going on where we are discussing how much practice is needed, and it is different for casual players than it is for the pros. It really depends on your goals. Maybe your goals are no longer to reach the highest levels of competition. Maybe it is the social aspect of the game that appeals to you. That would make practicing alone somewhat unappealing.

As Rufus pointed out, the first step is to establish your goals. Then you figure out what needs to happen to reach that goal. Then you put together a step by step plan to make it happen. Then you work your plan. But you have to be realistic. If you can't commit to 2 hours of drills every day, that can't be part of your plan.

Steve
 
There's only one thing I prefer doing alone, and practice isn't it.
In my opinion, 3, practice is somewhat overpromoted, and practicing drills even more so. Why master a drill when it will never come up in a game?
A very good One Pocket player once said that players should practice only the shots they have trouble with, and I tend to agree with that statement. :)
 
3andstop said:
I play occasionally with a few old friends. I've been playing a long time, owned a poolroom, loved and still do love the game. One of my friends is a practiceholic. It shows in his game and he really enjoys practice.

Me on the other hand, I don't really understand why, as much as I love the game, have a GC in my basement, just can't bring myself to go down there alone and practice.

I'm very curious if anyone else shares my distaste and or lack of desire for practice. For me, it's actually out of boredom that I have no desire to practice, and really never did.

Humor me guys, and let me know what your thoughts are on practicing. Do you look forward to playing alone? Is it regimented practice that you prefer or perhaps playing some racks of 9 ball or 14.1 by yourself, or are you like me and find you actually get bored and sloppy in a matter of seconds if you try to hit balls by yourself?

Thanks in advance for your input. ( just trying to figure out if I'm crazy) :thumbup:
Click to expand...

I find MOST people do not like to practice by themselves.

For me, it is my favorite way to practice. (Each to his or her own) Personally, I like to vary my practice, working on different things that need work at that particular point in time.
 
I must start my reply by making this statement: I pretty much suck at pool.

That being said, I suck even worse at DRILLS. I hate them. Usually can't complete one without screwing it up. Won't even bother to set one up anymore.

I have a home table. I practice alone about 2 to 3 hours everyday (mostly 9 and 8-ball). My goal used to be practice for a couple hours (simulated game) and try to get a break-and-run. After I improved a bit, I changed my goal to practice for 2 hours or UNTIL I get a break-and-run, whichever comes first. Now, since I have improved a bit more, my goal is to practice for 2 hours or until I've had MULTIPLE break-and-runs. My best so far is four break-and-runs (2 of 8-ball and 2 of 9-ball) in an hour of practice. I'll get a 2-pack every once in a while (whoopity-do, eh?). I usually do this practice routine twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon (after my nap:thumbup:). I've seen some improvement over the last few years, although gradual.

By simulated game, here's what I do: I rack the balls for the game I'm playing of whichever format I will be playing on my next, upcoming league night. Then I pick a particular league nemesis at random and pretend I'm playing him (somtimes I will pick a pro to to change things up). I break and shoot until I miss (I get all the breaks). After I miss I resume the identity of the league nemesis and proceed to try to beat the pants off of myself (?). I'll use safties so I can practice kicking/jumping out of them, pushout to a tough shot, things of that nature. I'll use real game-like strategy. My only goal is for me to win a race against my pretend league nemesis (or sometimes SVB or Earl ;)).

I know that this isn't the best way to improve/practice. I had rather be shooting agaist a REAL person. But....I'm retired and I have a lot of time on my hands. I've tried and tried to find someone to come over to the house once or twice a week and shoot for a couple or three hours, but I just can't find anyone with the time to do so. I get bored with these "simulated" games, but what else can a fella do if he HATES drills.

FWIW, I am not seeking to be a "world-beater". I realize that at my age (I'm 58 in a few weeks and I only got "serious" about pool in the last few years) and with my "waggly" stroke and physical problems (eyesight, back, neck, both shoulders), I'm not going to get a whole lot better than where I'm at now. I'm okay with knowing that. I just play 'cause I love the game and all the endless possibilities the table leaves you.

Sorry for being so long-winded. It's Friday and I've spent a lot of time this week cooped-up in the house with no one to talk to. When I do start talking/typing, I can't shut up :sorry:. I tend to over-use parentheses too, and I'll try to improve on that also :embarrassed2:. And...these little things: - , sh*t, I put those little bastards EVERYWHERE in my posts. I needs me a refreher course in basic English.

Y'all have a great weekend and be sure to fill some holes with multi-colored plastic spheres!!!

Dad-gum punctuation. I must have some sort of disorder, lol!

Maniac (catching his breath at the moment, whew!!!)
 
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I too am retired, nothing much on my schedule either, :) . Yet, the table sits down there and unless a friend comes over to play or I break a water pipe, I'm probably not going to be in the basement.

Goals .... Hmm, I'd be perfectly happy with my game as it is if I were more consistent. I know I'd be more consistent if I practice a bit each day, but for some reason, my interest to be more consistent is out weighed by my lack of motivation to do so. LOL.

I play 14.1 almost exclusively, maybe some 1 pkt now and again. The only two games I even care to play. I'm still good for a few 30 or 40 somethings in a session, and if there is a rare stretch of time when I do play often with friends, I fully expect a 50 something now and again.

Wish I could put my finger on why I can't bring myself to simply go down there and play alone. Ha, I'm asking you guys, and I don't even get it. :)

edit .. maybe health wise I could be a bit more energetic, just don't know.:shrug:
 
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I enjoy practicing by myself, although if I could ever find someone similarly dedicated practicing with a partner can be fun too. You absolutely have to practice to learn the game or get better. Once you achieve a decent level, then how you practice and how often can be up for debate.

For me, I pick out a few drills to do from a list of dozens and dozens I've accumulated, and I may switch them up from time to time to work on specific aspects or just to keep things fresh. While I agree that a particular drill may not come up as is in a game, the individual shots you are honing while doing the drills do. And even if the drill is not working on particular types of shots or patterns, the focus needed to complete the drill (assuming it's the right difficulty level for your skill level) is very similar to the pressure you feel as you work your way through a rack or match.

And in addition to setup type drills I also use the practice time to refine certain areas of my routine or stroke, or work on specific shots, especially any shots that have been giving me trouble lately. I also spend time "practice playing", where I toss 5 or 6 balls out and try to run them in order perfectly, fixing any mistakes, and keeping track of how many times out of 20 I accomplish the goal. I also play the ghost, another way to practice play with a scoring system built in.

I also think you need a blend of practice and play - while I'm probably at a 90/10 ratio right now (90% practice, 10% play) because I've been really trying to incorporate some things into my game, once I'm happy with things again I'll probably shift to a more normal ratio of 30/70 or even 20/80.

Scott
 
IMO, being bored practicing is not uncommon. Most people have this problem.
The people that excel are the people that can find a way to combat this or any
other form of distraction. I was always told, you play like you practice. Practice hard and you will play hard, there is no way around this. Just watch any top level players, they pay extra attention to everything to ensure
they accomplish the task at hand. This comes from practicing the same thing over and over, which in turn, will give you confidence at the table and in get you rhythm.
 
3andstop, I think you should get iPAT and here you have your goal: to score at least 800 points for the given level (1, 2 or even 3). With PAT you have not only a test but a set of drills to practice in the basement in order to achieve that goal.
 
It just depends on what you want from the game. If you want to improve your game then you will need to do something different other than what you are doing now. Deliberate practice is one of the ways to improve. The good news is that you don't necessarily have to practice 8 hours a day to improve.

Do practical drills that help improve weak areas in your game. There are numerous resources such as books, dvd's, internet, you tube, etc. Figure out a way to keep score. This can help with motivation plus give you feedback about improvement. Keep the practice sessions short (30 - 45 minutes) but maintain focus. It's better to practice 30 minutes with full focus than just hit balls for 2 hours without any structure.

The bad news is that practice isn't much fun, it reminds me of studying for a test in school. But, the question you have to ask yourself, Is it worth the practice to play better?
 
Maniac said:
That being said, I suck even worse at DRILLS. I hate them. Usually can't complete one without screwing it up.
Click to expand...

I have a similar problem. I don't do well with repetitive training. I can do the shot the first few times and then it gets a lot worse.
So, I taped myself doing drills and playing and the difference was interesting.
In play I move faster, my pre-strokes are fewer but more rhythmic and faster, even the setup and approach are different.
The slowing down seems to introduce problems. The harder I try the worse it gets.

Anyway, something to think about, practice like you play or something like that.........
 
As in most things in life, it is a lot easier to do something when you really want to do it.

Desire is a motivating factor for any accomplishment.

If you are happy with your game why practice?
To keep in stroke? that can take about 15 minutes of warmup time for some players.
To make that shot you're having trouble making... that is just working out a glitch in your giddyup..

Drills include stroke and warmup at the same time... its just a matter of how you look at it.

If I had a table to practice with or play on I would make sure I would do both.
 
Interesting thread. I'm hot and cold with my practice. During the winter, I was playing in small tournaments once or twice a week and playing on a league one day a week. When I was doing that, I was practicing every night.

Now, the weather is warming up and lots of stuff has to be done around the house. With that, I am finding it really difficult to find time to practice. As long as it is nice outside, I want to be out there doing stuff. But, when I don't practice daily, my game goes down hill pretty fast (I've always had this problem...unless I play a lot, I lose all consistency).

My practice usually starts out with a measurable task. For example, I'll try to shoot 10 balls in a row into a corner pocket from a specific position on the table. For example, i might come out 1 diamond and up three diamonds from the foot of the table for the object ball and come out and down one diamond from the head of the table for the cue ball. After shooting 10 of these, I'll move to the other side of the table to practice cuts in the opposite direction. Or, I'll shoot spot shots...10 to each corner. I like this because it provides feedback about how I am improving and really helps me "see" where the cue ball needs to contact the object ball.

When I get bored with this, I'll lay out a few racks of 9-ball or 8-ball, depending on what tournaments I have coming up. But, this can screw up my game if I'm not taking it 100% serious, because I end up just knocking balls around.

For me, even if I can only shoot for 15 minutes a night, it helps my consistency. I try to get a couple of hours in a night...but that isn't happening right now.

I guess the bottom line for me is that practice is a necessity...keeping focus is the hard part.

John
 
I do the same thing

dr9ball; Having measurable goals goes along way for practice.


I do almost exactly the same thing as dr9ball but I use google docs. that way I can enter the data on my phone where ever I am. There are also a few android apps for pool stats one for bowlliards that is rather nice. but I like my spread sheet better it has pages for 9 ball 8 ball 14.1 and Bowlliards and calculates daily averages and monthly averages and Grand averages.

If anyone would like to share worksheets or just take mine to use pm me I can email it to you. If you have a gmail account you can use it with your smart phone in google docs even if you don't have a computer. It would be cool to see what others have come up with as far as useful metrics. Wouldn't it be nice to have a spread sheet that averaged your runs over several games.
 
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