Videos me vs. The Ghost

Sensation said:
Thanks for all the great comments, including Andrew's :D

I've been playing for almost 2 years and nobody showed me the fundamentals... watching myself on video allowed me to notice some "defaults" in my technique (which good players already told me about).

Have you noticed my bridge arm getting locked on more than 50% of the shots? How about that?

Left eye dominant... blue mark on chin proves it.

What about my stance, I'm 6'2"?

Don't know if I wanna change my chicken wing stroke. I sure can get plenty of action on the rock with it... probably could get more...:rolleyes:
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wow bro you been playing only 2 years? i've been playing 4 ish and you look like you play a lot stronger than me. i like the way you're hittin 'em man keep it up
 
Haha, thanks for all the comments, good or "bad".

VIP, I should videotape myself making long straight-ins...(stop and draw shots) I practiced it so much, I soooo rarely miss. And about action on the cue ball, I guess you would also be impressed, it's far from being a problem for me. (Yes, it COULD be better... not by much.)

My safety play, safety creativity are pretty darn good. Effectively under my runout game's speed, only been 2 years. Knowledge of the rails... maybe semi-pro speed. Don't remember the last time I fouled 3 times.. I played on and off in the last 10 months, but consider myself just below semi-pro speed. Some semi-pros got their ass kicked in practice, mine too.. hehe

CONSTISTENCY, tournament experience.

All I wanted to know is: Do you think my form is and/or will be a problem at all? How to correct it. So thanks a lot.

My stroke could effectively be more by the book (help consistency when under the gun). I also have to gain some experience. I'll keep enjoying, learning and practicing!

Martel or Salvas. Let's just not talk about Martel's situation (I think he would be the best coach I could get here). We'll see in the futur how things develop for him. Salvas plays "too much" by instincts... 1h30 to get told: do like me.. nah!
 
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i didn't feel like going back and reading who said it but using more muscles than you need to to control your stroke could be a problem if you played for several hours (i think) hay you should post a straightpool video of yourself (as a favor to me). i like watching straightpool on youtube
 
poolplayer2093 said:
i didn't feel like going back and reading who said it but using more muscles than you need to to control your stroke could be a problem if you played for several hours (i think) hay you should post a straightpool video of yourself (as a favor to me). i like watching straightpool on youtube
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I don't have the camera anymore... I only played 14.1 maybe.. 10 times?!
Highest run of 45. It's been a year since I haven't played.

Never had back problems or arm's caused by pool. Not even over fatigue.
 
i just figured that with mostly bone support instead of having muscles involved would be easier to keep going in the long haul
 
poolplayer2093 said:
i just figured that with mostly bone support instead of having muscles involved would be easier to keep going in the long haul
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Yep. That's for sure.
 
I have the same stroke. Mine is on purpose. I lightly hold the cue against my body to ensure the stroke is straight. Alot of people do not understand that I do it on purpose and they also don't realize that by shifting my body over the cue a bit more straightens it out for me...

I use to have the text book stroke and decided to try out AF's to see if it helps me keep it straight... I've been doing it for a couple years now and no matter how hard I try, it just does not feel right to go text book. It works for me though...

I also play shape similar to you. My philosophy about position is - never make the CB go do anything it does not want to do naturally if you don't need too... So, I like your style :)

BTW - 2 years to get where you are is quite amazing.
 
Sensation said:
I'd just like to know your opinions on my game. Especially on my stroke.

Have a good day! :D

Part #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvWCgwZpRLk

Part #2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIxAXTQCPBo

P.S.: Please, don't be shy.
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It all looks very solid to me. I like your game a lot. You look like you have excellent control and are solid over the ball. I liked the way you worked the natural angles on your position.

I didn't see you using much inside english. Playing shape for inside gives you a lot more options when the racks and position routes get tight. That might be something to work on to expand your horizons.

Chris
 
Sensation, just a word of caution in case you do try to change your fundamentals. You will have a hard time changing. I used to shoot with a very similar style, and it has taken me a long time to become consistent again, having gotten some coaching on how to be more "traditional". I'm better than I was before, but it took time (a few months) to get back to the level I was at previously. This came as no surprise, as the person coaching me told me it would be the case. This in no way means you shouldn't try to change though. I'm saying if you do, don't expect everything to feel good right away. You will probably have really good days (better than now) and really bad days before everything becomes very consistent and comfortable again.

Also, when I shot like you I had a couple pro players tell me that I had a strong stroke (even though it was so short). When I changed my fundamentals it got even stronger. For a while I was saying "I can do THAT with the cue ball?!?!" So you might be surprised.

You play really solid btw!
 
Sensation said:
Haha, thanks for all the comments, good or "bad".

VIP, I should videotape myself making long straight-ins...(stop and draw shots) I practiced it so much, I soooo rarely miss. And about action on the cue ball, I guess you would also be impressed, it's far from being a problem for me. (Yes, it COULD be better... not by much.)

My safety play, safety creativity are pretty darn good. Effectively under my runout game's speed, only been 2 years. Knowledge of the rails... maybe semi-pro speed. Don't remember the last time I fouled 3 times.. I played on and off in the last 10 months, but consider myself just below semi-pro speed. Some semi-pros got their ass kicked in practice, mine too.. hehe

CONSTISTENCY, tournament experience.

All I wanted to know is: Do you think my form is and/or will be a problem at all? How to correct it. So thanks a lot.

My stroke could effectively be more by the book (help consistency when under the gun). I also have to gain some experience. I'll keep enjoying, learning and practicing!

Martel or Salvas. Let's just not talk about Martel's situation (I think he would be the best coach I could get here). We'll see in the futur how things develop for him. Salvas plays "too much" by instincts... 1h30 to get told: do like me.. nah!
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Well hell man, if you're as good as all that, don't change a thing.

What you have to ask yourself is what your weaknesses are. You're not Efren Reyes yet, and even Efren doesn't win 'em ALL, so there is something you need improvement on.

The changes I suggested to your stroke will cost you in the very short run. For a few weeks you won't be as accurate or controlled as you were. But if you've gotten to your current speed in two years, then you have the coordination and the aptitude to get your speed back very quickly after making mechanical adjustments.

Consistency is where you'll really see a long-term gain with a simpler, more mechanically solid stroke. You didn't show us your "bad days" (we ALL have them sometimes) when things aren't working right; you showed us video of yourself playing very well. Champions aren't necessarily the ones with the best good days. They're the ones with the best bad days. Having a simple stroke to fall back on, that goes where you want with no amazing feats of coordination to keep it in line, will really help with your bad days, when your coordination just does not want to accomplish its feats. Does that make any sense?

Take a while (maybe a few months) examining your game and deciding what it is that you really need to improve, and then rethink the advice in this thread.

-Andrew
 
Sensation said:
I'd just like to know your opinions on my game. Especially on my stroke.

Have a good day! :D

Part #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvWCgwZpRLk

Part #2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIxAXTQCPBo

P.S.: Please, don't be shy.
Click to expand...

I have a few words of advice, if you play pool for money.

#1 Shave the sideburns, and don't grow any facial hair. You want to look as young as possible

#2 Get a tan ASAP. Your "poolhall tan" is a giveaway to alot of people that you have spent alot of time on a pool table.

#3 Don't show your face in any more videos, and try not to show what the room looks like.

Here is my reason why for those suggestions- You play GREAT. You have 'future worldbeater' written all over you. If you are a tournament player strictly, then ignore my advice. If you play for money, listen to it. You have got tremendous talent. Good luck bro!

Edit: IMHO, although others offered some advice to change, and their advice was very good, I think you should just stick with the way you shoot. There are tons, and tons, and tons of world beaters that have non-"textbook" stances, strokes, etc. But they got to the level of being worldbeaters by having tremendous heart, talent, intelligence, and killer instinct.
 
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Wow!! Cuetec, thanks for the kind words, really appreciated.
Never gonna be a hustler, my heart is too big... OK! I had my times.

Andrew, I love your posts. I really do!
Summer is coming to us. I may use the stroke change as a new motivation for the warm season (no more tournament or even gambling).

I have a whole LOT of things to get better at. Break, safety play, banking, consistency and so on..

Thank you all for the comments, I assure you it's gonna be helpfull :D
 
Your stroke is IMO horrible.I know because it`s like watching my twisted elbow on the video.I didn`t say that it isn`t efficient but on long term i don`t see how you could take it to the next level.The shitty thing about this stroke isthat it`s not consistent.At least not with me.Somedays i have no problems drawing the cb accross the table but on the bad days im having big problems with straight-ins+ it`s hard to predict the action on the cb.Today i had enough of this and i started changing things.This is horrible and i was seriously considering throwing my cue through the window.But i hope the results will come.
Your control is sooooooo good that you probably don`t even notice the flaws in your stroke.You seems to be very talented.With that lousy stroke as a hustler you would have no problems taking candys from a baby;)
 
I have a friend who has been playing for around 2 years and quickly became very strong to where not many people in the area could beat him. It just hits people sometimes....Although, I've been playing quite a few years longer, but we are about even....

Anyway, you definitely remind me of a player I know down in Texas. Very similar characteristics in stroke, game, and talent. Keep playing like you do, the more you play like that, the more you realize how to work with it and make it even better.
 
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