What changed your game?
- Thread starter 80P
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Scott Lee, Stan Shuffett, Stevie Moore, CTE/Pro One and Mark Wilson's book.
I don't know if it's a coincidence, but when I started to work the simple stop shot my game opened up and I improved by leaps. I began to see the table and patterns. Very rarely do I address the table and see just one ball anymore. I can recall as a very young person first beginning to study music seriously. I had never had a lesson in my life but sitting at the piano and being able to listen to something and just play. As a musician I don't know what it is to hear only with my ears, I've never experienced music that way. It's always been a full body and sensory experience for me, it just made sense somehow. I can't really say that's where I am with pool and the table and cue, but what I began to feel as a pool player was awful familiar. I can recall looking at the table and seeing the first shot and wondering "what next"? now I see the whole thing, and when I can execute what I am seeing it's really cool. All that happened when I began to work something as basic as the stop shot. It was quite an amazing epiphany.
I would say watching other players. Really watching how they play. Seeing how they played shots and position. Taking one or more shots I saw them do that I wasn't sure that I could. I would set those shots up until I figured out how they did it. One shot I could not do until I tried parallel english. So that taught me that there was a difference in how English was applied.
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Finding out how dominant my left eye was. As I settle into the shot I use my left eye for alignment to the center of the cueball. If I want to use some form of english it's easy for me to have the yarstick of exact vertical center. My longshot straight ins are now really straight ins. Mitch
Mine was a simply drill that focused on mechanics and addressing the ball as planned.
I would put the cueball on the head spot, with a cube of chalk on either side of the cueball (first about a half a ball width away), and play centerball at a medium speed, down table at the center diamond. I would do this over and over and over, until I could have the cueball pass back through those two pieces of chalk 10 consecutive times.
On the tenth successful attempt, I would bring the cubes of chalk closer together (in about 1/4" increments). I continued this drill daily until I was able to complete the drill with only about a credit cards width on either side of the CB between the cubes of chalk.
Once I was confident in my ability to actually hit the cueball where I intended, the flood gates opened and my game grew in leaps and bounds!!!
I would put the cueball on the head spot, with a cube of chalk on either side of the cueball (first about a half a ball width away), and play centerball at a medium speed, down table at the center diamond. I would do this over and over and over, until I could have the cueball pass back through those two pieces of chalk 10 consecutive times.
On the tenth successful attempt, I would bring the cubes of chalk closer together (in about 1/4" increments). I continued this drill daily until I was able to complete the drill with only about a credit cards width on either side of the CB between the cubes of chalk.
Once I was confident in my ability to actually hit the cueball where I intended, the flood gates opened and my game grew in leaps and bounds!!!
No one in my family plays.
I read some books from the library trying to learn more about the game. In a very old book it said that you should find the balance point of the cue and hold the cue two hand grips back from there. I am 6'2" with 35" sleeves, with my arm length every thing was pretty much forward motion, no pendulum motion (think Allen Hopkins without all the talent).
I played like this for years, poorly I might add.
One day a very kind player pointed out that I should move my hand back and actually stroke the ball, big improvement!
Watching great players use a lot of center ball and getting shape in the middle of the table.
I read some books from the library trying to learn more about the game. In a very old book it said that you should find the balance point of the cue and hold the cue two hand grips back from there. I am 6'2" with 35" sleeves, with my arm length every thing was pretty much forward motion, no pendulum motion (think Allen Hopkins without all the talent).
I played like this for years, poorly I might add.
One day a very kind player pointed out that I should move my hand back and actually stroke the ball, big improvement!
Watching great players use a lot of center ball and getting shape in the middle of the table.
My biggest jump came when I decided to stop BSing myself.
I used to be a lazy player and make excuses.
I wouldn't use english out of my comfort zone, I'd blame equipment,
and I'd always convince myself the easier shot/english was correct
even though I knew it wasn't.
I chose to make myself do the extra work on shots, hit them the way
they need to be hit, and never settle on leave unless settling is truly the best option.
I got rid of wishful thinking... I stopped telling myself barely blocked balls could pass,
or that I could hold a cut that was too thin, or that I'd send the cue ball towards
a tricky area and just hope it worked out.
Basically it was a mental thing, not a physical thing, though I do work
on my stance and fundamentals.
A longer explanation is here: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=793333&postcount=3
I used to be a lazy player and make excuses.
I wouldn't use english out of my comfort zone, I'd blame equipment,
and I'd always convince myself the easier shot/english was correct
even though I knew it wasn't.
I chose to make myself do the extra work on shots, hit them the way
they need to be hit, and never settle on leave unless settling is truly the best option.
I got rid of wishful thinking... I stopped telling myself barely blocked balls could pass,
or that I could hold a cut that was too thin, or that I'd send the cue ball towards
a tricky area and just hope it worked out.
Basically it was a mental thing, not a physical thing, though I do work
on my stance and fundamentals.
A longer explanation is here: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=793333&postcount=3
Tangent line
Understanding the effects speed, bottom spin, and top spin have on the tangent line after the first inch or two after contact with the object ball. Second, watching countless hours of great players shoot shots.
Understanding the effects speed, bottom spin, and top spin have on the tangent line after the first inch or two after contact with the object ball. Second, watching countless hours of great players shoot shots.
proper compensation for squirt/deflection when using inside english.
Exact same for me! I was getting down on the wrong line until I realised how dominant my left eye is, knowing that I felt a lot better down on the ball, helping my stroke as well.
Something that also helps is an instructor, and I watch hours of pool just to learn patterns and what ever I can pick up. Ive set up exact same racks in the matches I watch after yhe break and tried running them out just like the player did, helps with speed control position shot selection.
But tbh quality time spent at the table really helped me the most, if I can't get in any practice, I try and get even 20 min. Im still new and learning but these few things have helped me.
Playing in pressure situations against better players.
Most of the little changes - in recent years I've changed to using an LD shaft, I've moved from mostly using a closed bridge to mostly using an open bridge, I've changed my stance to be more sideways, I've worked on my preshot routine, etc. - those have done little to improve my game in any obvious ways. Even if they're for the best in the long run, I feel the majority of the differences are short lived and probably mostly placebo effects.
Most of the little changes - in recent years I've changed to using an LD shaft, I've moved from mostly using a closed bridge to mostly using an open bridge, I've changed my stance to be more sideways, I've worked on my preshot routine, etc. - those have done little to improve my game in any obvious ways. Even if they're for the best in the long run, I feel the majority of the differences are short lived and probably mostly placebo effects.
Awesome answers and comments in this thread..
I think this is an unfair question or at least very tough to answer
its really about stages IMO..
When i was new to pool simple things made huge differences..
Making sure not to hit too far from center
learning to draw
lining up correctly
somewhere in the middle
playing safe instead of taking low % shots
Breaking with some intelligence
focus (still an issue)
taking a slightly tougher shot instead of ramping up on previous shot
correct patterns for breaking out balls
later and now
preshot routine from standing and aiming before shot to actual strokes before the shot
making sure I leave hooks making them kick the way I want them to kick
Some big things along the way
correct safes..importance of getting CB near balls to take away kicking angles.
3-4 paths to get around the table
understanding the perils of a shot ... what could go wrong
To be a good player there will be all sorts of things you learn that you never even realize that you learned. Often times someone will tell you something and that will help but you need actual brain experiences to really learn something
I think this is an unfair question or at least very tough to answer
its really about stages IMO..
When i was new to pool simple things made huge differences..
Making sure not to hit too far from center
learning to draw
lining up correctly
somewhere in the middle
playing safe instead of taking low % shots
Breaking with some intelligence
focus (still an issue)
taking a slightly tougher shot instead of ramping up on previous shot
correct patterns for breaking out balls
later and now
preshot routine from standing and aiming before shot to actual strokes before the shot
making sure I leave hooks making them kick the way I want them to kick
Some big things along the way
correct safes..importance of getting CB near balls to take away kicking angles.
3-4 paths to get around the table
understanding the perils of a shot ... what could go wrong
To be a good player there will be all sorts of things you learn that you never even realize that you learned. Often times someone will tell you something and that will help but you need actual brain experiences to really learn something
Banks
Banned
What Frank said!
I tried to think about it myself, but I couldn't really come up with any one thing that stuck out.
There was when I stopped letting people tell me how to play and instead considered their words options. Not everybody plays the same style. Sometimes you'll realize why some shots were better, but it's not always the case.
Then there was standing up and resetting myself instead of forcing a shot I didn't feel comfortable taking.
Maybe it was when I decided that having a guaranteed mediocre shot was better than trying for a tougher leave that would make the shot easier.
Could be when I allowed myself to revert to playing to my strengths.
All kinds of things to consider..
the poqet trainer. No, im not trying to sell them, I came up with the idea to bring drills and missed shots to practice, real drills and practice. It worked out and had people asking me to make them one. But drills and bearing down during practice, that will improve your game.
youtube and virtual pool 4.
new to 8ball, 9ball and straight after playing snooker as a kid...so all i wanted to do when i got back into billiards was learn the strategy, read the table and start picking out high percentage patterns.
Youtube has been great for this, and virtual pool 4 is such a good sim of the physics of pool that it helps recreate things like running out, playing safe etc. Sounds weird, but for developing strategy and shot selection and just seeing the table, vp4 is pretty amazing.
new to 8ball, 9ball and straight after playing snooker as a kid...so all i wanted to do when i got back into billiards was learn the strategy, read the table and start picking out high percentage patterns.
Youtube has been great for this, and virtual pool 4 is such a good sim of the physics of pool that it helps recreate things like running out, playing safe etc. Sounds weird, but for developing strategy and shot selection and just seeing the table, vp4 is pretty amazing.