What Got You To The Next Level?
- Thread starter DrCue'sProtege
- Start date
i have mentioned an opponent before. refer to him as "Dave", he is the 1998 BCA 8-Ball Champion, in Las Vegas. wish i could get him to come over more often.
but, for the most part, you are right. living in a small town i dont have much chance to find an opponent, or anyone that would like to play on a regular basis. i need some competition, no doubt about it. its a long drive to Evansville, Owensboro, Terre Haute, etc, to find a game. drove two hours on a friday night last year to play, and when i got there nobody showed up. oh well.
DCP
but, for the most part, you are right. living in a small town i dont have much chance to find an opponent, or anyone that would like to play on a regular basis. i need some competition, no doubt about it. its a long drive to Evansville, Owensboro, Terre Haute, etc, to find a game. drove two hours on a friday night last year to play, and when i got there nobody showed up. oh well.
DCP
My experience
Here is my experience. My current levels are Tri-State "B", APA7 8-ball, APA8 9-ball, high of about 50 at Straight Pool on regulation.
I’ve only been playing about two years (since moving to America). However, I had a good basis since between the age of 8 and 11, I had a 6ft snooker table at home and played pretty much daily. In the 20 years since, I played a couple of racks a week on an English pool table (6ft) at University, and I’ve played once every six months or so in a social setting again on English 6ft table. I’ve never played snooker and never seen a 9ft table until two years ago. So pretty much, my standard when I moved to the US is the same as when I was 11 (I’m 33 now)
Moved here, joined an APA bar League just to meet peeople. Big pocketed, small tables. Easy. I was an APA6.
Started playing on 9ft tables after qualifying for the APA Vegas tourney in Oct 2003. I joined the Tri-State tour and started practicing for the first time ever.
So I’ve been ‘into it’ for about 18 months, and have improved a lot. These were my key jumps (in no particular order)
a) Learn the science. I never knew about throw until I read a book last year (I actually didn’t believe it until I tried it out). It explained a lot of things. I never knew about ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ English, and that deflection on an outside English shot often cancels out the throw. This was enormous as I never used to use outside English ever, and very rarely used inside English. Now I use both regulary without thinking about it, or it affecting my accuracy.
b) Play in tournaments. It sounds obvious but my best game now comes out in tournaments. It takes a while to get used to playing under pressure especially a team environment.
c) “Target” someone. I practiced more when I lost 7-0 to an A player in a Tri-State event than I ever had. Three months later I beat him 7-3 in another Tri-State and I attribute the improvement in that period entirely down to him.
d) Have a lesson. OK so I only did this last month but I picked up some valuable tips, and even used one last night in League play which I was really chuffed about. Great to iron out technique flaws.
e) Practice. I try and get a 2-3 hr session on a Monday night. However, this is still a luxury (it’s been six weeks since I was able to do it)
f) Have fun!!!!! I love playing in a League and socialising with other players.
What holds me back from getting the standard I could achieve:
a) Full-time job. Up early and getting home tired and hungry at 7pm
b) Not living close to a pool hall.
b) Long distance relationship. Most weekends are spent exclusively with the missus.
c) Missus hates pool.
d) Missus hates me playing pool.
e) Missus will never try pool
f) Did I mention that my missus CAN'T STAND pool?
g) I’m lazy
I know that I’ve pretty much reached my limit with the limited amount of time I play, but I love meeting people and being on a team so I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Here is my experience. My current levels are Tri-State "B", APA7 8-ball, APA8 9-ball, high of about 50 at Straight Pool on regulation.
I’ve only been playing about two years (since moving to America). However, I had a good basis since between the age of 8 and 11, I had a 6ft snooker table at home and played pretty much daily. In the 20 years since, I played a couple of racks a week on an English pool table (6ft) at University, and I’ve played once every six months or so in a social setting again on English 6ft table. I’ve never played snooker and never seen a 9ft table until two years ago. So pretty much, my standard when I moved to the US is the same as when I was 11 (I’m 33 now)
Moved here, joined an APA bar League just to meet peeople. Big pocketed, small tables. Easy. I was an APA6.
Started playing on 9ft tables after qualifying for the APA Vegas tourney in Oct 2003. I joined the Tri-State tour and started practicing for the first time ever.
So I’ve been ‘into it’ for about 18 months, and have improved a lot. These were my key jumps (in no particular order)
a) Learn the science. I never knew about throw until I read a book last year (I actually didn’t believe it until I tried it out). It explained a lot of things. I never knew about ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ English, and that deflection on an outside English shot often cancels out the throw. This was enormous as I never used to use outside English ever, and very rarely used inside English. Now I use both regulary without thinking about it, or it affecting my accuracy.
b) Play in tournaments. It sounds obvious but my best game now comes out in tournaments. It takes a while to get used to playing under pressure especially a team environment.
c) “Target” someone. I practiced more when I lost 7-0 to an A player in a Tri-State event than I ever had. Three months later I beat him 7-3 in another Tri-State and I attribute the improvement in that period entirely down to him.
d) Have a lesson. OK so I only did this last month but I picked up some valuable tips, and even used one last night in League play which I was really chuffed about. Great to iron out technique flaws.
e) Practice. I try and get a 2-3 hr session on a Monday night. However, this is still a luxury (it’s been six weeks since I was able to do it)
f) Have fun!!!!! I love playing in a League and socialising with other players.
What holds me back from getting the standard I could achieve:
a) Full-time job. Up early and getting home tired and hungry at 7pm
b) Not living close to a pool hall.
b) Long distance relationship. Most weekends are spent exclusively with the missus.
c) Missus hates pool.
d) Missus hates me playing pool.
e) Missus will never try pool
f) Did I mention that my missus CAN'T STAND pool?
g) I’m lazy
I know that I’ve pretty much reached my limit with the limited amount of time I play, but I love meeting people and being on a team so I wouldn’t change it for anything.
sjm said:
SJM,
Your advice seems to pertain to some strange game with which I am not familiar (perhaps some arcane variation of rotation?). What is your opinion on the way to get to the next level in the only game that really matters - straight pool? Say you are a total dweeb who can only run in the 40's in competition - what is the best way to get to the level where you can run in the 90's or 100's? (this hypothetical dweeb has won games to 100 where his opponent has run over 50, but would rather run 50 himself and lose - silly isn't it?).
Williebetmore said:
If you have the Byrne's standard book, there's a page in it called advice on how to run the table, deidcated to straight pool. Memorize it, for it's the most elegant encapsulation of the do's and don't of straight pool I've ever seen. When I showed it to Mika Immonen, it blew him away.
Another comment I'll make is that straight pool places a greater premium on speed control than nine ball. Make sure that some of your practice drills are ones that develop your speed control. Along the same lines, I'll endorse something you claimed Dan DiLiberto already told you. Learn to hit the cue ball softer when it's called for.
Oh, one last thing. Remember that you don't have to play the balls in numerical order.
lukeinva
Banned
DrCue'sProtege said:
DCP,
Just move to where there is competition!!! Your game will improve. I always try to play people better than me I aint talkin just a little better but people that will just slaughter me and not let me shoot for a while. You can learn alot from your opponent! All you need to do it watch them shoot!!
dcp......what got me to the next level was having the chance to run around with a road player with the name charlie brown,yes its his real name.......he taught me how to analyze my game and how to mentally think about pool.....he also taught me to treat it like business and he made me play alot of time for the cash......he said if i could beat them then there was no need for him to play and if they beat me then he new how well he would have to play to beat them.........hes probably the smartest pool player i have ever had a chance to know........anytime you get to do this it will take you to the next level......taught me alot of good habits concerning my game......and he told me something i will never forget,"you never remember something like you should until you do it for money"......how true of a statement would that ever turn out to be........just be patient and take your time.......the mental part of the game is as much as the physical......you havesome growing up to do and need some seasoning.......when this happens you will see that your tantrums and fits have cost you more than you will believe.......we all have the potential for greatness,it just takes a while to find it.......as i said before be patient and stop all the bitching and moaning.....and if you never want to have another bad playing streak,game or anything associated with pool....STOP PLAYING!!!!!.........just some more thoughts,juston
ps.....if you think things are bad just step back and look around there are those that have it much worse than you......something can be learned from watching sometimes and just keeping your mouth closed
ps.....if you think things are bad just step back and look around there are those that have it much worse than you......something can be learned from watching sometimes and just keeping your mouth closed
DrCue'sProtege said:
Not sure if I am above or below your level but I'd be up for playing you and seeing how it turns out. I currently live about 15 minutes from Loogootee.
I prefer 8 ball over 9 ball. I'm not a good player but I am not bad either. Best I have accomplished in 8 ball is 2 consecutive break and runs. Best in 9 ball is ran from the 2 out then broke and ran next 2 racks (3rd rack came up empty). I won the league MVP this year and was first in points, second in EROs (held a 9 average out of a possible 10).
As those are highlights, I am also just as likely to totally screw up something easy. I rarely practice, and it is the reason why I dont always play up to my abilities. I practiced a lot last year and it showed at the state level tournament as I did very well. This year I played about an hour a week and it also showed at the state tournament this year. It really hit home when my best friend was drawing diagrams on napkins of some of the stuff I screwed up and no one he showed them to believed him that I could blow those outs.
I'll be damned if next year anyone is able to draw layouts on a napkin and talk about stuff I screwed up. I recently purchased a table and it is in storage while I move over the next month or so.
I drive right through Loogootee on my way home from work each day.
Tim
OldHasBeen
Tom Ferry
Great Post & VERY TRUE!
I "THINK" I remember this Charlie Brown.
He said - "you never remember something like you should until you do it for money". VERY, VERY TRUE!!!
That is exactly what I tell up & coming players who want me to give lessons. I don't give lessons but I WILL PLAY CHEAP (or high) SETS with them with enough of a spot to make it competitive for both of us. I can think of 3 current players who are improving their game "as we speak".
TY & GL
cuewhiz189 said:
I "THINK" I remember this Charlie Brown.
He said - "you never remember something like you should until you do it for money". VERY, VERY TRUE!!!
That is exactly what I tell up & coming players who want me to give lessons. I don't give lessons but I WILL PLAY CHEAP (or high) SETS with them with enough of a spot to make it competitive for both of us. I can think of 3 current players who are improving their game "as we speak".
TY & GL
OldHasBeen
Tom Ferry
Seeing is only one component.
Ken - Laser surgery and special contacts (that's what I have), helped your vision, not your POOL GAME.
While eyesight is very important, it is only one of the components that go into playing pool.
There are a lot of people with excellent vision that can't draw their ball.
TY & GL
Ken_4fun said:
Ken - Laser surgery and special contacts (that's what I have), helped your vision, not your POOL GAME.
While eyesight is very important, it is only one of the components that go into playing pool.
There are a lot of people with excellent vision that can't draw their ball.
TY & GL
okay ...
WW .... me. I wear hard contacts and my vision is only 20/40, worse with
glasses. I have -10/670 vision in both eyes with astigmytism at the back
and front of both eyes with scarred corneas.
My glasses growing up were coke bottle ends, and I got contact lenses
on my 18th birthday, but had to wear glasses for 3 years after my
corneas got scarred from a pair of hard contacts that warped because
they were older than 4 years.
700 is legally blind in Kansas....
And there are some old timer pros that didn't have especially good eyesight.
WW .... me. I wear hard contacts and my vision is only 20/40, worse with
glasses. I have -10/670 vision in both eyes with astigmytism at the back
and front of both eyes with scarred corneas.
My glasses growing up were coke bottle ends, and I got contact lenses
on my 18th birthday, but had to wear glasses for 3 years after my
corneas got scarred from a pair of hard contacts that warped because
they were older than 4 years.
700 is legally blind in Kansas....
And there are some old timer pros that didn't have especially good eyesight.
Snapshot9 said:
i'm not a doctor.........but i didn't think that the 20 in front ever changed???
and i thought that 20/200 was legally blind in most states......
VAP
You are correct VAP.....the 20 in the front never changes and 20/200 is what's considered legally blind in EVERY state. The 20 in the front is constant and is used to compare one's vision to someone that has normal vision. Example 20/200. A person with this vision can only see from 20 feet as compared to another person that can see from 200 feet.vapoolplayer said:
Christyd
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christyd said:
hmm........so does that make the above windbag full of shit?
VAP
mjantti said:
Jude Rosenstock said:
My answer, would have been a combination of the two above.. You have to be relaxed and confident that the object ball is going exactly where you want it to. When you can devote all of your concentration on 'where is whitey going', then it will all start to come together. Also once you get past the above, then start to play pinpoint position on every shot. You wont always get it, but you will be working toward that goal.
Tracy
I have had that exact thought before. When someone is 'playing out his a$$', so to speak, it is actually a look into what is possible for that person to acieve consistantly through practice.pete lafond said:
Tracy
OldHasBeen
Tom Ferry
How Would You Like It Cooked ???
JOHNNY EDWARDS - OUT OF BOWLING GREEN, KY
BEAT MOST ALL PLAYERS WHO CAME TO PLAY HIM BACK IN THE '70'S & WHIPPED MANY AT JOHNSTON CITY, IL.
HAD COKE BOTTLE GLASSES SO THICK - NO ONE ELSE COULD EVEN SEE OUT OF THEM. ASK ANY OldHasBeen & THEY WILL TELL YOU.
TY & GL
whitewolf said:
JOHNNY EDWARDS - OUT OF BOWLING GREEN, KY
BEAT MOST ALL PLAYERS WHO CAME TO PLAY HIM BACK IN THE '70'S & WHIPPED MANY AT JOHNSTON CITY, IL.
HAD COKE BOTTLE GLASSES SO THICK - NO ONE ELSE COULD EVEN SEE OUT OF THEM. ASK ANY OldHasBeen & THEY WILL TELL YOU.
TY & GL
Blind Larry from northern Indiana. Haven't seen him in a while but he used to play like a demon and had glasses that were so thick they that gave you a headache just looking AT them !! The heavily duct taped cue and flip flops were an especially nice touch I thought.