What single thing (theory,suggestion,equipment) has turned your game around?
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I think that's right, that OE is self-correcting on a wide range of shot angles and speeds that most players will naturally make balls with OE.Patrick Johnson said:
Part of the challenge of inside english is that most of us learn about throw and not about squirt early on. And if others are like me, I was forever trying to adjust for inside english by adjusting for throw. And it just never dawned on me that I was getting farther away from the pocket, not closer simply because I convinced myself that I had to adjust for throw.
Fred
On Playing 1 Pocket
Not every shot has to be a great shot.
Don't give away a game you are suppose to win.
On clusters- If you need them break them up as soon as you can safely, if he needs them never touch them.----Smitty
Not every shot has to be a great shot.
Don't give away a game you are suppose to win.
On clusters- If you need them break them up as soon as you can safely, if he needs them never touch them.----Smitty
GreekTycoon
Registered
I'm with Smitty...not every shot has to be perfect. Sometimes, you just need to make the ball. When I was a young guy, a famous pool player from Buffalo (first name "Danny") told me "Kid, don't fight the table." Thirty years later, that advice still rings true.
GreekTycoon said:
Very true. A key part of my education as a billiard player was when I started to understand better what the balls want to do and what they don't. And when they don't want to do something, do not try to force them.
I am not saying that you should avoid spinning the ball, or hitting it hard sometimes (that could be good advice I suppose, but where would be the fun in that?). Its just like the man said - don't fight them.
"Turn your game around"
Practice, Practice, Practice...take a warm up regimen of the shots you find to be your toughest. Use your warmup time for these shots, not just banging them around. Pretty soon the tough ones become natural.
Take SMALL tips from those who know. The small ones become game winners.
Practice, Practice, Practice...take a warm up regimen of the shots you find to be your toughest. Use your warmup time for these shots, not just banging them around. Pretty soon the tough ones become natural.
Take SMALL tips from those who know. The small ones become game winners.
the pool cue
I've never been too accurate just throwing the ball
I've never been too accurate just throwing the ball
Cecil P.
The single most influential thing that changed the way I play for the better was just hearing Buddy Hall say I was doing it right. I have bad habits from trying to emulate some of the filipino player's especially Busti. I used to watch him and go to the pool hall the next day and try to reproduce what I watched. That created a number of flaws that totally went against the basic fundamentals of the stroke.
Buddy Hall corrected all of that for me. He taught me how to think, stand, approach, and deliver. Just hearing the words coming out of his mouth ... 'That's it!' gave me absolute confidence in what I'm doing today. I play everyday, sometimes 4-6 hours a day and I feel like I can reach a fairly high level now.
Before, I used to miss relatively easy shots and I couldn't figure out why. I've even filmed myself and still couldn't see what I was doing wrong. You really gotta have someone who knows what's going on tell you how to do it and the proper way to view the game. If you don't, you could be spinning your tires for a long, long time. Trust me.
Good luck
The single most influential thing that changed the way I play for the better was just hearing Buddy Hall say I was doing it right. I have bad habits from trying to emulate some of the filipino player's especially Busti. I used to watch him and go to the pool hall the next day and try to reproduce what I watched. That created a number of flaws that totally went against the basic fundamentals of the stroke.
Buddy Hall corrected all of that for me. He taught me how to think, stand, approach, and deliver. Just hearing the words coming out of his mouth ... 'That's it!' gave me absolute confidence in what I'm doing today. I play everyday, sometimes 4-6 hours a day and I feel like I can reach a fairly high level now.
Before, I used to miss relatively easy shots and I couldn't figure out why. I've even filmed myself and still couldn't see what I was doing wrong. You really gotta have someone who knows what's going on tell you how to do it and the proper way to view the game. If you don't, you could be spinning your tires for a long, long time. Trust me.
Good luck
Pity
The above only made me feel helpless. Sometimes it helped when I watched great players. But...the one thing that improved my game was listening to Jimmy Reid. He spoke to me in a way that I understood. Mainly it was in staying down on the ball no matter how ugly the shot. How else can I find out what I did wrong? Also, my stance and addressing the cue ball. Jimmy taught me to visualize the ball traveling the distance and going in the hole. When I do this, it Works!!!
With me pity helps. I'm no real playa.
Little Debbie
JoeyA said:
The above only made me feel helpless. Sometimes it helped when I watched great players. But...the one thing that improved my game was listening to Jimmy Reid. He spoke to me in a way that I understood. Mainly it was in staying down on the ball no matter how ugly the shot. How else can I find out what I did wrong? Also, my stance and addressing the cue ball. Jimmy taught me to visualize the ball traveling the distance and going in the hole. When I do this, it Works!!!
With me pity helps. I'm no real playa.
Little Debbie
I forgot one. I remember a guy showing me two great stroke shots. Those two shots showed me something that no one actually showed me and that is to use your imagination.
A crowning point of that imagination came in a final week in APA years and years ago. I was on the 8 ball but didn't have a clear path. The captain asked if I wanted a time out and I declined saying that I can "see it". I threw the 8 ball just slightly to the left and won to get us into the playoffs.
The next week I also won the match getting us to the City Tourney. Unfortunately I was also the only one who practiced and won the only match at the City Tourney.
I'm working on getting another team to the playoffs now. I just need to organize some structure to make it happen.
A crowning point of that imagination came in a final week in APA years and years ago. I was on the 8 ball but didn't have a clear path. The captain asked if I wanted a time out and I declined saying that I can "see it". I threw the 8 ball just slightly to the left and won to get us into the playoffs.
The next week I also won the match getting us to the City Tourney. Unfortunately I was also the only one who practiced and won the only match at the City Tourney.
I'm working on getting another team to the playoffs now. I just need to organize some structure to make it happen.
Surly said:Several people here mentioned setting up the shot while standing, and then taking only one practice stroke, letting the 'inner pool player' take over. I achieved outstanding results using that yesterday!!
Read the shot, then stop thinking and shoot it. Amazing...
What your doing is avoiding "analysis paralysis"....in turn your 'letting' it happen instead of trying to 'make' it happen.
when my stroke is off
When my stroke is off or I am steering the cue I'll try other things first but as a last resort I'll play something very close to speed pool for five or ten minutes or so. Move into the shot on line, bang! Loosens up my arm and gets me back into alignment too because the main trick to doing this is alignment.
I practiced this on my home table many years ago when I was a teenager. I used it in gambling matches purely as a shark move. Pretty discouraging when you opponent does this or is already down and taking his practice strokes before the cue ball stops. :grin: :grin: :grin:
Hu
Surly said:Several people here mentioned setting up the shot while standing, and then taking only one practice stroke, letting the 'inner pool player' take over. I achieved outstanding results using that yesterday!!
Read the shot, then stop thinking and shoot it. Amazing...
When my stroke is off or I am steering the cue I'll try other things first but as a last resort I'll play something very close to speed pool for five or ten minutes or so. Move into the shot on line, bang! Loosens up my arm and gets me back into alignment too because the main trick to doing this is alignment.
I practiced this on my home table many years ago when I was a teenager. I used it in gambling matches purely as a shark move. Pretty discouraging when you opponent does this or is already down and taking his practice strokes before the cue ball stops. :grin: :grin: :grin:
Hu
Spf
Biggest thing/s to help me were SPF ala Randyg and keep my eyes on the OB once I've aligned and ready to deliver
Biggest thing/s to help me were SPF ala Randyg and keep my eyes on the OB once I've aligned and ready to deliver