I have to become more consistent, even if it means that I have to practice. What is your preshot routine and how does it help?
What is your preshot routine?
- Thread starter Saturated Fats
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i, regretlully, have to step up with a gameface if i am to be serious. no matter layout, i take my time to walk around the table to see all angles and openings, options i guess, and will always take my time to plan from the last ball to object (mostly 8 ball but some 9/10 layouts too). no whiffs in the air before going down, but i do stare my shot down for a sec (air stroke? sheit, maybe 1), just to tell myself that i picked the right thought. as some washington bia.. puts it in ornimental? demental? i lost myself here... anyway it's mental and i think mine is or should be very basic.
also, search the topic. you'll get 300 better routines than this.
also, search the topic. you'll get 300 better routines than this.
I kind of stroke the shaft in the air while I'm thinking and visualizing. For a while I didn't even realize I did it until my friend mentioned it. After I get down over the CB, I take a bit extra time to reconsider one of my options(normally to just confirm that I'm making the right decision) and to adjust my bridge if I'm uncomfortable with it. A couple of practice strokes which is where I make any adjustments to my rear hand if needed(see: reach shots).
What's a pre-shot routine? 
If I'm being good...
1. Visualize the shot and make sure you know where you want the cueball to end up
2. Chalk up
3. Get down on the shot (align yourself correctly)
4. Look at the object ball and know where you're going to hit it
5. Look at the cueball and know where you're going to hit it
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you're comfortable
7. Take some practice strokes
8. Concentrate on the object ball and shoot
For me, step 8 is the hardest because I tend to not concentrate on the object ball enough and worry too much about shape. If you've done step 1 correctly, you should already know the speed of the shot and where you want to end up, so step 8 should be easy. Step 8 should be about hitting the object ball where you want to... you should already know where the cueball is going.
Step 1 is most important, followed by step 8. Step 1 includes many things, like knowing where the cueball will end up, how to hit the cueball (english, stroke, etc.), playing correct shape, etc.
Step 8 is about realizing step 1, by hitting the object correctly and getting perfect shape.
My thought is that if you don't remember where you hit the object ball and where the object ball went, then you didn't concentrate on it effectively.
You can only control cueball up until you hit the object ball (well, that's not 100% true, but you should already know where the cueball should go afterwards) so you should concentrate all of your efforts on hitting the object ball correctly. If you've done everything else right in terms of speed and spin (possibly), the rest should take care of itself.
That's my current theory anyhow!
If I'm being good...
1. Visualize the shot and make sure you know where you want the cueball to end up
2. Chalk up
3. Get down on the shot (align yourself correctly)
4. Look at the object ball and know where you're going to hit it
5. Look at the cueball and know where you're going to hit it
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you're comfortable
7. Take some practice strokes
8. Concentrate on the object ball and shoot
For me, step 8 is the hardest because I tend to not concentrate on the object ball enough and worry too much about shape. If you've done step 1 correctly, you should already know the speed of the shot and where you want to end up, so step 8 should be easy. Step 8 should be about hitting the object ball where you want to... you should already know where the cueball is going.
Step 1 is most important, followed by step 8. Step 1 includes many things, like knowing where the cueball will end up, how to hit the cueball (english, stroke, etc.), playing correct shape, etc.
Step 8 is about realizing step 1, by hitting the object correctly and getting perfect shape.
My thought is that if you don't remember where you hit the object ball and where the object ball went, then you didn't concentrate on it effectively.
You can only control cueball up until you hit the object ball (well, that's not 100% true, but you should already know where the cueball should go afterwards) so you should concentrate all of your efforts on hitting the object ball correctly. If you've done everything else right in terms of speed and spin (possibly), the rest should take care of itself.
That's my current theory anyhow!