Warm up before league
- Thread starter Snorks
- Start date
if by warmup you mean beers and chicken strips, then yes I most certainly warm up
SoCalRick
Registered
Our league starts at 7:00 pm. I usually don't warm up right before league starts, or before I play, but occasionally (rarely) I will play a rack with someone, or shoot about 5 - 10 shots.
What I prefer to do, if I get the chance (sometimes my job gets in the way of my pool playing
), is to go out to the pool hall and practice for an hour or so, about 2 hours before league starts. I always try to quit at least an hour before league starts (and I almost never play the first match anyway), so that I get a mental break before having to play.
What I prefer to do, if I get the chance (sometimes my job gets in the way of my pool playing
), is to go out to the pool hall and practice for an hour or so, about 2 hours before league starts. I always try to quit at least an hour before league starts (and I almost never play the first match anyway), so that I get a mental break before having to play.
The only league I've played in where it really made a difference is APA masters. Usually you are sitting for a while before you play even if you do have time to warm up so it didn't really do any good, except to get a feel for the table if you are lucky enough to be able to warm up on the match table. I'd rather shoot a couple of racks by myself so I can throw in some banks and kicks but we usually end up playing a couple of games instead. Sometimes we'll get lucky and there will be another table available to play on while teammates play their matches.
It's too late to practice, so all you should be trying to do is get a read on how the table plays and groove your stroke. The reading part can continue while you watch a teammate's match. The grooved stroke will likely be gone unless you are first up. I'd say play as much as you like for warming up. Don't limit yourself unless you are fatigued or sore and more play will aggravate the situation.
It's too late to practice, so all you should be trying to do is get a read on how the table plays and groove your stroke. The reading part can continue while you watch a teammate's match. The grooved stroke will likely be gone unless you are first up. I'd say play as much as you like for warming up. Don't limit yourself unless you are fatigued or sore and more play will aggravate the situation.
I get there real early, but it isn't so much about warming up for league as it is about FREE pool.
catscradle said:
This has really been my approach in the past - to get their extremely early. I get there at 5pm or around then and play with the guys, have some small $$$ games for beer or whatever then start league. Some nights I've had 3 or 4 beer before league starts, then we play from 7:30 till 10:30 or so.
I am really wondering however if it is hurting my league play to some extent. Maybe I'm no longer focusing as much come 7:30, maybe I had 1 beer too many to be in optimum shape.. etc.
hmmm... at this point, it looks like most show up 1/2 hour before league or later (27 to 7).
Snorks said:
I don't drink so that doesn't hurt my league performance. Sometimes I have become a little complacent by the time we play.
I can concentrate for hours and hours some days, don't listen to that crapolla. I usually practice on a diamond 9' table for about 2 hours before league then I go right before game time to get in just a rack or 2. Sometimes I have other things to do and don't practice at all..........
Eric.
Eric.
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catscradle said:
Yeah, I'm the same way. My Thursday night league starts at 7:00, and I'm usually there at 5:30. At 7:00 we have a couple spare tables, so we have a sign-up list and run them like challenge tables, so you can sign up to get some table time in before your match.
A few Thursdays ago, I showed up at 5:30, warmed up alone for about 45 minutes, and some showed up and asked me to shoot a few. So I held that table playing some very good 8-ball. I think I lost twice in the next 45 minutes. When 7:00 rolled around, I was first on the sign-up list, so I got on a practice table. I held that table until 9:40, when my captain came over to tell me I was up in a match, so I conceded the practice table. I then proceeded to beat an SL7 4-1 (I'm a 6). So in 3 hours and 15 minutes of non-stop play, I lost one rack. I was pleased.
Anyway, the point is, I play every second of the night I can manage leading up to my match. Generally I play best when I've been shooting for a couple hours.
-Andrew
I used to show up about 30 minutes early and get a game or two in if I would be starting first. If not, I relax and have a drink. If there is a second open table, I will ht a few balls around on it before my match. Mostly spot and stroke shots. If that is not an option, then I will ask for a few warm up shots before my match and do my warm up routine. I will know right away if it will be a good night or bad one from the warm up shots.
I never warmed up for more then 30 minutes straight or for some reason got bored and lost the drive to play. Plus, it never helped practicing lights out in front of your opponent.
ez
I never warmed up for more then 30 minutes straight or for some reason got bored and lost the drive to play. Plus, it never helped practicing lights out in front of your opponent.
ez
I don't know about you guys but I get on the table as soon as I walk in the door. Unless I'm coaching or, keeping score I stay on the table as much as possible.
Black Cat
Black Cat
I usually arrive about an hour before...however, rarely practice prior....as team captain, I am more interested in watching the opposing team's play...looking for strengths and weaknesses. 
Lisa
Lisa
I take some long straight on stop shots. Soon as I'm dead on, nailing them, I'm ready. Or atleast, as ready as I'm gonna get.
Justin Nuder
I voted no warm up, but its probably 15 min. Cause I also shoot a few banks, to get a feel the rails and cloth speed.
Justin nuder Nuder
Justin Nuder
I voted no warm up, but its probably 15 min. Cause I also shoot a few banks, to get a feel the rails and cloth speed.
Justin nuder Nuder
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I usually practice early in the day at my lunch hour...So I arrive to league 15 minutes before it starts...Unpack my cue, grab a beer, talk to my team mates and I'm ready to go...Too many players fighting to get on the table at the last minute so I don't want the hassle...Works for me anyway... Besides. I just changed my advatar to my new Jerry Oivier cue and wanted to see if it's on there...
I warmup at home with shots that get me into stroke. If I shoot too much, I am not pumped up enough to excite myself into league play. So, I stop the minute I get into stroke and wait to use that at league. I don't leave my game on the practice table, so to speak.
Does anyone here have a TEAM WARM-UP DRILL that all members of your team do? I've often thought of doing something similar to what, for example, basketball teams do: layups, shooting drills, free throw drills, etc. This sometimes intimidates the opponents.
In pool it would be table-knowledge shots, I suppose, with some stops, draws, follows, etc. to get into stroke. Each player would repeat the same warmup exercises. I could imagine the opponents watching this sensing that they're gonna get an azz whooping. Has anyone here done that as a team?
Jeff Livingston
Does anyone here have a TEAM WARM-UP DRILL that all members of your team do? I've often thought of doing something similar to what, for example, basketball teams do: layups, shooting drills, free throw drills, etc. This sometimes intimidates the opponents.
In pool it would be table-knowledge shots, I suppose, with some stops, draws, follows, etc. to get into stroke. Each player would repeat the same warmup exercises. I could imagine the opponents watching this sensing that they're gonna get an azz whooping. Has anyone here done that as a team?
Jeff Livingston