please tell me what u know about rythym, and learning to play my own real rythym......my game has been f...kd....lately all im doing is thinking thinking thinking.....and missing missing missing missing....so i tried to pay more attention to shooting in a fast paced rythym which is how i shoot anyway when im not ANALYZING everything ........
what about rythym
- Thread starter jcpoolgod
- Start date
I'm fairly new to pool, however I have been an avid golfer for years. Rule of thumb is concentrate on your mechanics at the driving range. When your on the course you should be playing by instinct as too much thinking will ruin your game.
I've been applying that same concept to pool. Not sure if that's the correct way about going at it.
Cheers,
Brad
I've been applying that same concept to pool. Not sure if that's the correct way about going at it.
Cheers,
Brad
Jc I know exactly how you feel. I struggled with the same thing, being a fast paced shooter and having everyone around tell me I needed to plan and think more but it just screwed me up everytime. I play my best when I'm feeling the shots not thinking about them. I just take a look a the balls and pick out where I want to land and I leave the spin speed and aim up to my body and when I can let go like that it only takes one or two practice strokes to for most shots. Of course on safeties and tough shots I will take more time but once I get back in line I put my brain back on idle and go back to flying around the table again. When I play my best I completely lose track of the score and how many balls or racks Ive run and just focused on letting my body do what Ive trained it to do.
Just my opinion though.
Just my opinion though.
Look no further than the website you are currently on.
http://www.azbilliards.com/tomross/tom3.php
Read all of his columns as well as any others you can find on the columns (they are there).
Hope this helps
http://www.azbilliards.com/tomross/tom3.php
Read all of his columns as well as any others you can find on the columns (they are there).
Hope this helps
I believe you play like you practice. Having said that, we all have our own tempo. In golf many instructors have you find yours by walking for one minute counting your steps. They have a formula that defines your tempo and use a metronome to teach your stroke.No matter what your tempo is I believe you must be consistent with the way you practice and the way you play in competition. EVERY SHOT EVERY TIME. Just my opinion RICO
this is great advice, get out of "learning/figuring things out mode" and just play at the level you're at at the time.
on the rhythm topic, i look at it like a brain surgeon or something similar. pool requires concentration and accuracy, i think the analogy is similar enough, although what im about to say im sure doesnt hold true for many players (eg fast ones). i just think to be as accurate as possible, one would be taking a slower, controlled, yet not too slow of a pace. im sure speed varies within surgeon's procedures as well, which is to say each goes at their own pace. point is though, i think rhythm is a bit overrated. i look at players that have done really well, nick and sigel come to mind, and they took amazing amounts of time when required-- they slowed down when it was required, and shot at a nice natural pace for themselves when things were more straightforward.
JC, I'm replying to this because at this moment you sound EXACTLY like me. I'm no great pool player, not a pro, I don't hold a PHD in billiards, but I'm an intelligent guy. I know some pro's are gonna "rip me a new one" for saying this, but I believe having no set rhythm. I shoot how I feel at the time when I'm practicing. I'll take a minute between shots sometimes, and other times I'll take 3 seconds
I believe in wholeheartedly in what I call "instinctive" shooting, which involves repetitive speed practice as part of my regime. I practice with headphones on listening to my favorite music in order to block out the outside world and when I get bogged down on my serious practice(taking the time to look 2 to 3 balls ahead, focusing on stance, stroke, aim), I then flip the switch and start doing fast paced drills to help reinforce "instinctive" shooting, which is just my fancy sounding way of saying I don't want to think any more 
I'll line up balls down the center of the table and set the ball down on the table in front of each shot and bank cross side or cross corner taking like 1 second from time cue ball touches the felt to striking it. I don't take the time to line the shot up when I set the ball. random placement is best for it, so your eyes and arm learn to automatically do what is necessary to pocket the bank. I make all 15 then pull them back up and alternate their position with depth (instead of all of them lined up down the middle)... as this changes angles slightly and its that slight amount that you brain needs to accept. I rinse and repeat this for about 20 to 30 minutes and then take the balls and line them up across the foot spot end then do the same drill speed cutting the balls into the left and right corners down on the other end of the table. I shoot a left side then quickly rotate and shoot a right side then rotate back and shoot a left. The purpose is not letting my mind get used to shooting one consistent direction.
Before I play devil's advocate to this style, I have to tell ya from my experience, as far as shot reliability, IT WORKS. You'll notice that before, you can't see certain bank shots or you hit them and all sudden the ball went two inches past the target pocket and your wanting to punch the wall :angry: . But as you practice this routine, your brain, eyes, and arm will begin to work instinctively together and make the bank shots consistently. I just started back shooting 6 weeks ago after a 6 year break(long story). and I returned not able to "see" my banks. In 6 weeks of doing those drills, just yesterday during slow practice, I made 4 bank shots in a row (in an 8 ball practice game) without hesitation or confusion. I wasn't "in the zone" or having a "good day". I could just see the shots like I used to see them.
---- Now, I am the kind of person that believes there are two sides to every story. So lemme tell you the "flip" side to all of that above. I lived in Myrtle Beach for 16 years and shot pool for 10 yrs or so there (maybe 2 years was serious pool :sorry: ) Anyhoot, one day while practicing at Smokehouse Billiards, I noticed this middle aged italian woman shooting on one of the tables. She was all serious and slow and methodical. Every shot she looked at everything, took her time, proper stance, stroke etc. She hardly ever missed. I kept watching her do this for atleast 2 hours. I stopped my practice and went to the counter and sat down talking to the owner and had a sandwich to eat. I got his attention, pointing over to her and told him "Man that lady is pretty good player" . He smiled then told me she was on the pro tour and was practicing there for a tournament in I believe charleston sc. Now the moral of the story is(and I don't know if this is true for all pros) ... Being a professional at pool doesn't mean change up in speed, fast bank shooting, etc. From what I could see of her it means repetitive, consistent play. Consistent in body stance, in stroke, in procedure, in breathing. It seems robotic and boring but maybe thats just the high level of dedication it takes.
I don't know what I'll be if anything in the art of pocket billiards... a showcase shooter or a pro tourist. I want to believe that there is more than one route to travel to get to the professional level, but as of now I can't tell if my route is gonna get me there. But at least I'm having FUN! :thumbup:
tempo
sure theres tempo to play, that's when the layouts are straight forward, and your in dead punch. it's not something you think about, it will come naturally.
in golf jack nicklaus was asked how he copes with pressure, he replied by stating that one should envelop themselves with as many details of the task at hand that they think of.
as far as playing by instinct, that should be reserved for the very few (less than .0001%) naturally gifted players. ie. ronnie o'sullivan or in pool perhaps earl strickland. most of us get in trouble when we play by the seats of or pants.
you do have to recognize however when certain layouts require some more thought than others, this is the time to be more deliberate and think over your options. once you successfully pass that obstacle, get back to rolling along.:thumbup:
lesser players don't see potential problems until they occur.
a rule of thumb that i use, given that i understand the layout of the whole table, i play to the speed where i can see my position three shots ahead(i've heard that some pros can see more than that)
-every shot that i take i add another position to the remaining two shots.
-if i play too fast, i can only concentrate on two or the shot at hand, that's where i get in trouble and am not letting my self see far enough ahead. give it a try, works very well. goodluck:thumbup:
sure theres tempo to play, that's when the layouts are straight forward, and your in dead punch. it's not something you think about, it will come naturally.
in golf jack nicklaus was asked how he copes with pressure, he replied by stating that one should envelop themselves with as many details of the task at hand that they think of.
as far as playing by instinct, that should be reserved for the very few (less than .0001%) naturally gifted players. ie. ronnie o'sullivan or in pool perhaps earl strickland. most of us get in trouble when we play by the seats of or pants.
you do have to recognize however when certain layouts require some more thought than others, this is the time to be more deliberate and think over your options. once you successfully pass that obstacle, get back to rolling along.:thumbup:
lesser players don't see potential problems until they occur.
a rule of thumb that i use, given that i understand the layout of the whole table, i play to the speed where i can see my position three shots ahead(i've heard that some pros can see more than that)
-every shot that i take i add another position to the remaining two shots.
-if i play too fast, i can only concentrate on two or the shot at hand, that's where i get in trouble and am not letting my self see far enough ahead. give it a try, works very well. goodluck:thumbup:
master9baller
Banned
overthinking
There are really 2 reasons why players get caught up overanalyzing everything.
1 they don't have a preset routine that keeps the "on cue".
2 they fall prey to pressure, which is always and can only be self-induced
You need to be good at everything and be confident, but what keeps your nerves in line is having a routine.
Preshot routine, including decision making while standing, then get down and think of nothing but making the ball. The advanced pro book by Henning does a great job of covering this (for like 80 pages!)
As far as handling self induced pressure, play people your speed or better when possible, for money if possible. Shooting $100+ sets builds nerve. You have to be in action as much as possible to keep your edge.
Lastly try to add skills to your game and master them and add more. This is what really improves your game, one piece at a time.
Dead stroke only comes from the unconscious mind, you cannot be thinking about everything and get there. With enough practice and trust in your game you will make these decisions without much conscious thought at all.
Changing your tempo of play probably isn't the answer right now, primarily you need to develop an approach to shot setup and decision making.
There are really 2 reasons why players get caught up overanalyzing everything.
1 they don't have a preset routine that keeps the "on cue".
2 they fall prey to pressure, which is always and can only be self-induced
You need to be good at everything and be confident, but what keeps your nerves in line is having a routine.
Preshot routine, including decision making while standing, then get down and think of nothing but making the ball. The advanced pro book by Henning does a great job of covering this (for like 80 pages!)
As far as handling self induced pressure, play people your speed or better when possible, for money if possible. Shooting $100+ sets builds nerve. You have to be in action as much as possible to keep your edge.
Lastly try to add skills to your game and master them and add more. This is what really improves your game, one piece at a time.
Dead stroke only comes from the unconscious mind, you cannot be thinking about everything and get there. With enough practice and trust in your game you will make these decisions without much conscious thought at all.
Changing your tempo of play probably isn't the answer right now, primarily you need to develop an approach to shot setup and decision making.
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This is good advice. As Randyg mentioned to the OP (in his other thread), in pool school we teach you that you CANNOT play and think. You must think first (standing up), and not think at all, once you are down on the shot. The OP can relearn his own system, very quickly, and get back to his old game, simply by following some simple directions (self-implimented), and find his old "stroke". As mentioned, we have pool schools coming up next later this month, in Youngstown, OH, in Feb. in Atlanta, and in March, in Las Vegas. Anyone interested in any of these schools can pm me for more information.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
I have found that counting one thousand one , one thousand two and so on while going through my shot routine has helped me find my rhythm I just count and pay attention at what count I do what. Now, this is a training exercise before anyone gets their panites in a bunch. Only to be done during practice to help you feel what your rhythm is for shot which I noitced, for me, depends on the shot.
Pleasure of Small Motions has a good chapter on this and some other good stuff.
There is a saying "Change your thinking, change your world." Why does this apply?
Simply put, one must transistion from thinking about how to make a shot to what you want to do with the shot.
Say you want to put a ball in the side pocket and go into the rail with the CB to get down table for your next shot. Instead of thinking about where to hit the OB and how hard with what spin, you just think "The x ball in the side and the CB into the rail hit hard enought to make the ball and put the CB a x spot.
It takes practice, thats why I say this is a transistion. It just doesn't happen over night.
Pleasure of Small Motions has a good chapter on this and some other good stuff.
There is a saying "Change your thinking, change your world." Why does this apply?
Simply put, one must transistion from thinking about how to make a shot to what you want to do with the shot.
Say you want to put a ball in the side pocket and go into the rail with the CB to get down table for your next shot. Instead of thinking about where to hit the OB and how hard with what spin, you just think "The x ball in the side and the CB into the rail hit hard enought to make the ball and put the CB a x spot.
It takes practice, thats why I say this is a transistion. It just doesn't happen over night.
And if you really want to know about rhythm, check this out. Scoll down to Rhythm in Strategy section: http://www.bookoffiverings.com/EarthBook.htm