bulldogpool
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Was there one factor that really improved your skill level? It can be anything, lessons, a given exercise, a cue, etc. Please be specific. 
What massively improved your game?
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Was there one factor that really improved your skill level? It can be anything, lessons, a given exercise, a cue, etc. Please be specific.
Understanding squirt, where it belongs on the food chain of english, how to compensate for it, and how to use the compensation in conjunction with an aiming system (comprehensive or not).
Freddie
Was there one factor that really improved your skill level? It can be anything, lessons, a given exercise, a cue, etc. Please be specific.
Getting a little cash from winning a lower division tournament and using the money to get a low deflection shaft.
The win gave me desire to get more practice, the LD shaft provided equipment consistency.
a few things helped me.
1) Playing a lot. I have a table at home to practice on and keep in stroke. Playing regularly helped me not grow cold
2) My equipment. I am really comfortable with my equipment. So whatever works for you, and makes you not worry about your equipment while you are playing, .
3) Watching the pros. Watching people a lot better than me helped me out as well. Seeing their approach, their fundamentals, and their patterns. sometimes what I seen them do comes up when I am playing, and I try and sometimes it works the same way.
1) Playing a lot. I have a table at home to practice on and keep in stroke. Playing regularly helped me not grow cold
2) My equipment. I am really comfortable with my equipment. So whatever works for you, and makes you not worry about your equipment while you are playing, .
3) Watching the pros. Watching people a lot better than me helped me out as well. Seeing their approach, their fundamentals, and their patterns. sometimes what I seen them do comes up when I am playing, and I try and sometimes it works the same way.
I started playing better pool when I quit trying to slow-roll everything in and just "let my stroke out" and use the rails for cueball positioning. (i.e. 2-rail, 3-rail positioning, etc.). Once I got the correct speeds down, it all came together for me.
Maniac (make no mistake here, I STILL suck at pool :embarrassed2
Maniac (make no mistake here, I STILL suck at pool :embarrassed2
There was no "one" thing for me that led to massive improvement. It was a series of many small things over time. I expect that's the same for everyone.
Over time, professional lessons made the biggest difference.
But if you want one thing that I noticed, it was when I stopped playing with the cue I thought I was supposed to use (because it was fancy) and started playing with the cue that I liked in my hand (which happened to be el cheapo cue).
Over time, professional lessons made the biggest difference.
But if you want one thing that I noticed, it was when I stopped playing with the cue I thought I was supposed to use (because it was fancy) and started playing with the cue that I liked in my hand (which happened to be el cheapo cue).
Lessons and finding center ball.
Toi
I know there are alot of postings on this subject, but after recently reading C.J. Wiley's TOI bit a few weeks ago I thought I would give it a full 3 hour practice session like he suggested. My results have been amazing. I previously used outside on almost every cut shot unless I needed inside for position. I now use the technique religiously. I still use outside from time to time, but get down on every shot with TOI first in mind. I have the DVD on order, and hope to get even more out of it, but I have picked up so much just from C.J.'s explanation on how it works. I was very skeptical at first, but like many who has given it a chance I have found a new higher level in play. For me it not only helps pocketing balls easier, it also makes playing position on most shots easier as well. It does require an understanding of how deflection on the cue ball works when cueing off center, which most people on this forum grasp.
I know there are alot of postings on this subject, but after recently reading C.J. Wiley's TOI bit a few weeks ago I thought I would give it a full 3 hour practice session like he suggested. My results have been amazing. I previously used outside on almost every cut shot unless I needed inside for position. I now use the technique religiously. I still use outside from time to time, but get down on every shot with TOI first in mind. I have the DVD on order, and hope to get even more out of it, but I have picked up so much just from C.J.'s explanation on how it works. I was very skeptical at first, but like many who has given it a chance I have found a new higher level in play. For me it not only helps pocketing balls easier, it also makes playing position on most shots easier as well. It does require an understanding of how deflection on the cue ball works when cueing off center, which most people on this forum grasp.
Dang it, I lied in my last post.
What really improved my game the most is going to the Mpls boat show on a Friday.
All of the lines to get on the boats were shorter than on a weekend. No waiting around, didn't need to waste $30 the frying pan or the sham-wow due to bordom.
The beer lines were shorter too - had plenty of the show and the beer, stopped by Peter's Billiards in Mpls and with the $30 I didn't spend at the boat show, bought a table - $30 didn't quite cover it but you get the idea.
What really improved my game the most is going to the Mpls boat show on a Friday.
All of the lines to get on the boats were shorter than on a weekend. No waiting around, didn't need to waste $30 the frying pan or the sham-wow due to bordom.
The beer lines were shorter too - had plenty of the show and the beer, stopped by Peter's Billiards in Mpls and with the $30 I didn't spend at the boat show, bought a table - $30 didn't quite cover it but you get the idea.
I've never had a great eye, while I developed into a decent league player it was always more of a poke and hope kind of thing. But like Ratta I began to work fundamentals, specifically the basic stop shot. When I got a grip on that and was confident with it my game improved greatly. For some reason at that point a lot of things just fell into place
I started playing scotch doubles 9 ball for low dollars, but enough that it hurts if I lose all the sets. The key is all 3 of the other players are a bit better then me.
We play at least 2 rounds a week.
It forces me to concentrate, bear down and to play position, and shoot safe shots (at least I try with the position and safetys).
We play at least 2 rounds a week.
It forces me to concentrate, bear down and to play position, and shoot safe shots (at least I try with the position and safetys).
I agree that watching the pros or any good player very closely, particularly technique, helped me more than other instructional sources.
Another thing that helped my game jump, surprisingly, was taking breaks. I played/practiced/gambled etc. every day for several years, and during that period it never felt like I had my stroke settled and could trust it, some days it was on others it was off, sometimes I felt like I would practice until I unlearned how to make a friggin ball. I was forced to take a long break, and when I got back on the table, although it took me a little bit to regain my ability to shoot, I found that I was distilling my technique into its most essential elements. Practicing so much earlier surely helped but it also led me to obsess over minute, relatively unimportant things that would eventually make me loose sight of the important elements of the game. Nowadays if I take a break every once in a while, usually from 1-6 weeks, I find that when I get on the table I get my game in gear faster and I'm more comfortable with it. I don't think I could be where I'm at without all the practice but I would have never discovered the benefits of a break without being forced into it. Before I'd worry that if I took a few days off my game would tank (it did), now I don't sweat it and look forward to playing with enjoyment when I want to.
Psychology studies have shown that people work with information best when they are given a chance to learn it gradually and sleep on it or otherwise have a break period before they are required to use it. This is not true for everything, a break won't help you memorize numbers unless you do so repeatedly. However, this is the case for so-called procedural knowledge, knowledge of how to perform a series of motor actions where you might not necessarily be able to verbalize what you are doing easily (i.e. tying your shoe). I knew that procedural knowledge benefited from a so-called consolidation period, but fear of having my game drop off kept me from taking breaks that probably would have only helped in the end. Breaks also keep you hungry to play the game, so you don't end up playing bored and developing bad habits.
Another thing that helped my game jump, surprisingly, was taking breaks. I played/practiced/gambled etc. every day for several years, and during that period it never felt like I had my stroke settled and could trust it, some days it was on others it was off, sometimes I felt like I would practice until I unlearned how to make a friggin ball. I was forced to take a long break, and when I got back on the table, although it took me a little bit to regain my ability to shoot, I found that I was distilling my technique into its most essential elements. Practicing so much earlier surely helped but it also led me to obsess over minute, relatively unimportant things that would eventually make me loose sight of the important elements of the game. Nowadays if I take a break every once in a while, usually from 1-6 weeks, I find that when I get on the table I get my game in gear faster and I'm more comfortable with it. I don't think I could be where I'm at without all the practice but I would have never discovered the benefits of a break without being forced into it. Before I'd worry that if I took a few days off my game would tank (it did), now I don't sweat it and look forward to playing with enjoyment when I want to.
Psychology studies have shown that people work with information best when they are given a chance to learn it gradually and sleep on it or otherwise have a break period before they are required to use it. This is not true for everything, a break won't help you memorize numbers unless you do so repeatedly. However, this is the case for so-called procedural knowledge, knowledge of how to perform a series of motor actions where you might not necessarily be able to verbalize what you are doing easily (i.e. tying your shoe). I knew that procedural knowledge benefited from a so-called consolidation period, but fear of having my game drop off kept me from taking breaks that probably would have only helped in the end. Breaks also keep you hungry to play the game, so you don't end up playing bored and developing bad habits.
Was there one factor that really improved your skill level? It can be anything, lessons, a given exercise, a cue, etc. Please be specific.
One huge thing that massively improved my game is staying out of the Aiming conversation part of AZ....
Seriously though.
Our very own Koop helped me out alot. He quickly taught me a aiming system that worked well with the type of english I apply (front hand).
Then I got Perfect aim. That was another big jump for me.
And a mention of Joe Tucker, Scott Lee, and Tom McGonagle (gosh I hope i spelled that right).
I have taken many lessons over the years but these are the most lates instructors I worked with.
Also tons (I mean tons) of Accu-Stats and TAR matches.
Pool isn't a game, it's a way of living.
Pete
Then I got Perfect aim. That was another big jump for me.
And a mention of Joe Tucker, Scott Lee, and Tom McGonagle (gosh I hope i spelled that right).
I have taken many lessons over the years but these are the most lates instructors I worked with.
Also tons (I mean tons) of Accu-Stats and TAR matches.
Pool isn't a game, it's a way of living.
Pete
TheThaiger
Banned
Hard work improved it. Taking notice of advice on AZB ruined it.