What has helped improve your game the most?

Finding the proper tip for my style. I am currently using a Triangle. Its a different world as I am used to using a medium and under. Finally getting more confident with it. Might sound funny but I use Pre Flag, BD and Russian Magic. Whatever you feel helps boost the confidence.

Probably the most helpful is playing better players. There are a few in town that will help me with my game if I ask questions. There are some who carefully guard their secrets. That and just watching how the better players get out.

I played a guy yesterday, weekly 9 Ball touney. He is considered a Master by most or close to it. I know he knocked his games down a few notches so I could have a few turns at the table, it was obvious. He still makes you work for your shots but its always a pleasure to go up against him when I can. He knows he is going to win the set anyway.
 
Learning the location of front dead center on the cue ball. Everthing else is relative to it.
 
I'd have to say practicing every chance
I could for the past 2yrs.
And Reading And Reading And Reading!
My favorite's & most helpfull were
1)Banking with the beard.
2)The Illustrated Principles of Pool & Billiards.
3)Play Your Best Pool.
 
I took a lesson from Scott Lee in January 2010.

Practice.

Playing really strong players (James Walden, Joey Gray, Chip Compton, and several other players a little under these guys). These type of players will not play for free, but they are generous with their time and knowledge.

I don't play in league anymore. For me, it was social hour and I was not gaining much.

Steven
 
Agree 100%

JoeW said:
Learning the location of front dead center on the cue ball. Everthing else is relative to it.
Click to expand...


Joe-

A) The most useful: CB center hit. I agree completely. I have struggled with this possibly most basic element in the game. On my short straight-ins-the cb stops not quite dead and has side spin.

B) Next most useful: Tangent line. In all its variations. Reliably plan cb routes based on a true tangent or a modified tangent line.

At least for me-these two are the most basic and the ones that I have to work on to be able to progress on to other stuff. After 3 months off, this is what I will work on first.
 
I've tried everything over the past 25+ years. The one thing that improved me the most the quickest was playing folks that were better than me...as often and as long as I could. Playing the same couple of guys all the time puts you in a rut and lets you develop bad habits and tactics. This is probably why some think gambling does it, you're always matching up against heavyweights and have to grow your game. You don't have to gamble, you just have to seek out a variety of better players to knock a few around with. Another thing that really grew my game was tournament play. Even if you know you're going to get smoked, playing under competitive circumstances against other guys who are really putting out really lights it up for your game, too, and is well worth the cost of entryfees even if you never quite get in the money.
 
Pool School. I learned more in one weekend than I did in 30 years of trying to figure it out on my own.

close second...becoming an instructor and teaching. Every time I teach, it solidifies all that good stuff in my own game.

Steve
 
Terry Ardeno,
As a retired Navy SEAL I thank you for your appreciation. You can rest assured your spec op guys are not in it for the money, nor the glory. Having served 20 years in SEAL Team I can attest to the fact that each and every one of us would find a way, money or not, to live the life stile and be among our comrades. All things being relative, you can compare it to pool players if you wish. We all have a need to be around people who share our passion, what ever that may be. We SEALs simply need to accomplish. It doesn't matter the venue. Accomplishment is all that matters. Like competitive pool players meeting in a tournament, we just show up for muster at our assigned SEAL Team and do our thing. And like competitive pool players we give it every thing we have every single day. I retired in 2003 but have found it impossible to escape who I am. So I turned my attention back to the game I grew up loving with all my heart and passion. I used my SEAL training and invented a device that has without a doubt made the greatest improvement in my game. I was planing on just doing a statement about it but saw you had a soft spot for Navy SEALs. Sorry I got on my soap box. My device is the "Bank Shot Calculator". Check it out at my web sight. WWW.offensivebilliardsllc.com. And Thank very much for your appreciation from a 20 year Navy SEAL.

Cheers Mate, and good banking
 
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The Bank Shot Calculator

Without a doubt the Bank Shot Calculator has made far more improvement in my game than anything I've ever read, or practiced. I now see the angles and no longer fear the safe. I now bank and kick with confidence. Straight in shots give me trouble but who cares about those? It's a new product. Yes, it's my product. Yes, I'm self promoting. But, it's a darn good product, it's cheep and it works! And I just feel like everyone should know about it. Check out the blog I started on the main forum, (The Banks are now Open, bank & kick with confidence & avoid ball-in-hand). Randyg gave me a great shout out. BCA approved.

Cheers All,
 
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The old guys back in the 50s that made you bet $5 a game to play. After about 6months of it they were not liking it at all. Plus having Willie and Jimmy come give exhibitions once in a while. Bert Smith who owned the room in Bethesda MD. was champion of 3cushion billiards in Washington D.C. I used to play daily with Wayne Norcross who was the U.S.Army champion back then. Later on it was Lassiter, Taylor, Weenie Beenie and a great black champion Marvin Henderson. Not bad company for a young player to be around.
"country" Bob
 
For me it was starting to play in the weekly Friday night 9 ball ring game, after ~6 months of playing, and getting whooped by all the guys even after getting spotted 15 chips. Started playing every day, going every Friday for the ring game, etc. The ring game itself didn't necessarily improve my game most, but it's what gave me the motivation to really work on improving.
 
Getting my mechanics down pat. Still a work in progress. And getting a Kieth Josie sneaky built the way I wanted it. It gives me confidence I never before felt. Sometimes the arrow does in deed make a difference. Learning from here is also a big factor.

Mark Shuman
 
Helping other players has really opened my eyes to many things for my own game. And the more I learn the more effective I can be at teaching.

Practice makes perfect and every time you teach you are practicing teaching.

I hear there are some pretty good teachers around the country. Pick one that teaches alot. Like I said, Practice makes perfect.


Now I just have to learn to apply everything when I'm at a tourny, been there since 10 in the morning and now it's 1:30 AM the next morning and dead tired and exhausted. .

All the great players I know though practice or play someone 3 to 6 hours a day for about a week before a big tourny or a big match.

If I don't do this winning is pretty iffy. Still possible but iffy.
 
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