Why am I regressing?Shouldn't I have improved at least a little?!

pmata814

pmata814

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been practicing for 3 hrs a day for the last 2 weeks and it seems that I'm regressing! I'm so frustrated!!

I know that it's only been 2 weeks but shouldn't have I improved at least a little? Or at least not get worse? I measured myself by playing equal offense (with 3 ball in hands per rack) and last week I scored 103. Today I scored an 86! Also my brothers come over every Friday to shoot pool (8ball) with me at my house and I can't seem to win a game when before I would win quite often.

The only time they play is when they come over so it's not like they're practicing. Here I am working my butt off and...nothing. :mad:

What's going on? :confused:
 
move on

You're bored. You've surpassed your goals (even if you did not
consciously set them) and need to set higher ones.This games
like dope. Raise the bet, sign up for tournaments, challenge
better competition. Go to a strange room and pick somebody
at random and ask to play. If the adrenaline ain't pumpin' it ain't
no fun. You gotta work on your heart and your head along with
making balls. That is, IMNSHO.
 
Basics

Usually when your game goes down, especially over a period of time, it is because your basics are off. Basics are first in a building block. It's like have a shorter table leg, that table is always going to wobble untill they are even again.

Have someone that is good watch you play for a few minutes, and then tell you what they think is wrong, particularly with your form and stroke. It could be something very little and that you are doing unconsciously.
 
The best way to learn is the same way they build a brick house, one brick at a time. You are trying to improve everything in two weeks I'll bet your upset and at wits end...

Try this...try learning to shoot one straight in. Shoot it this until you make almost every time. the longer the shot the better practice you are getting. If you are on a nice level table shoot it as soft as you can. After it is like second nature to shoot the ball perfectly straight. Then try playing ten games of eight ball, keep track of all the shots you mess up on...Then pick one to fix, shoot it until it is like second nature. Then stop for the day, and let your mind absorb it. Then come back the next day, and learn the next shot on your list. After a while you will have a real nice foundation to stand on.

Always remember this is a game that takes two lifetimes to master. But you must learn it one brick at a time.
 
2 things struck me about your post.

1. You said you are practicing 3 hours per day, but you didn't say how you are practicing. In my experience, how you practice is actually more important than how much time you are spending. It really is about quality over quantity.

2. You said you were playing 8 ball with people that don't play very often and losing. 8 ball is a game of strategy as much as and sometimes more than a game of perfect position and shot making. It's not enough to just be able to make the balls and move the cue ball, you have to know when to make the balls and from which angle.

Dinner is ready, I'll try to get back to this later. Try to describe how you are currently practicing and how you approach the game of 8 ball.
 
I bet you are concentrating on too many elements at once, causing you to loose concentration. Just practice a few drills over and over until they become more consistent. Stops, follows, draws from different lengths... Boring I know, but it is helping me when I do play REAL games. Good luck!
 
i'm playing worse now that I did a year ago, and I play alot. I did catch a gear last july for a while when I wasnt playing very much. Its very frustraiting for everyone-from the Top down to the absolute bottom.

i may take a long break and step back and see whats wrong, 2 weeks is absolutely nothing when it comes to becomming a player. I wish you the best.

Fatboy<-------------not happy at all
 
Some things to think about when playing 8 ball. This is assuming you are not playing against people that can run out half the time their first turn at the table.

Just because you can make a ball, doesn't mean that you should make a ball, and a lot of the time, you shouldn’t make the ball.

Every ball on the table is an option. Every time you make a ball, you take an option off the table. By option I mean a chance to break out a cluster, bump an opponent’s ball into a bad spot or off the table, get position on a tough ball, or hook your opponent; all things that can give you a better chance of winning the game or hindering your opponent's efforts. If you are just making balls in some kind of race to a hopelessly tied up 8 ball, anyone, even an inferior shot maker, will be able to take you apart if they have a basic grasp of 8 ball strategy.

When I'm practicing for 8 ball I do a few different drills.

1. Toss all the balls out on the table and pick out random balls and shoot the ball in at hard to medium speed. Every time you do, try to pick out and hit another ball or cluster of balls on the table. This will give you confidence with your breakouts, an essential skill if you want to get past a certain level of 8 ball.

2. Put all the balls in the middle of the table, keep them in between the head string and the kitchen lines and between the first spots of the short rails. Shoot all the balls into any convenient pocket without missing and without letting the cue ball hit a rail. This will give you practice on those delicate touch and throw shots that are also a critical part of running out those tougher tables in 8 ball.

3. Safeties, Safeties, Safeties. Some tables simply cannot be run out by amateur players without getting very lucky. Having a broad knowledge of the safeties that you can play in 8 ball cannot be understated. If you don't spend time practicing them, you will not be able to execute them with any consistency in competition. Don't forget that in 8 ball, there are a lot of ways to play safe that don't involve actually hooking your opponent behind one of your balls.

These address the most common weaknesses that I see in amature 8 ball. Not that I'm anywhere near a pro level myself, so take this for what it's worth.
 
I agree with above, it is not how much you practice but HOW you practice. I personally start out doing drills I learned from Randy G last year and they help tons. Then I work on specific shots that usually give me trouble.
Usually if you aren't consistent, there are issues with you fundamentals (line up, stance, grip pressure, stroke, etc.) Ever thought of getting with an instructor? I did finally, and I'm probably as consistent as I've been in quite a long time.
 
STOP PRACTICING ,you need get in play mode.If you are playing in the league or local tourny,dont hit but just about 1 rack or so by yourself before it starts,if you do this for a month and let your arms catch up with your mind,dont put pressure on yourself to perform,My father in law moved in with me about 18 months ago and never having a table in his home he practiced 10hrs a day,and couldnt beat anybody,he tried this and in 2 weeks he won a tourny and the next week he won another.This is my honest opinion,I didnt read any ones reply.And I am not disputing any one else.Good Luck
 
Patience grasshopper. Improvement is not linear, but if you stay with it over time it will come.
 
MinoInADixeCup said:
1. You said you are practicing 3 hours per day, but you didn't say how you are practicing. In my experience, how you practice is actually more important than how much time you are spending. It really is about quality over quantity.
Click to expand...

Tap Tap TripleTap
 
MinoInADixeCup...Remember too, that you've had the benefit of having a trained observer (rather than just "someone who plays good) take you through a video analysis of your stroke...and then help you to know WHAT to practice, as well as HOW to practice correctly. I don't think the OP has had this opportunity, and may just be grooving in bad habits. JMO

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

MinoInADixeCup said:
Some things to think about when playing 8 ball. This is assuming you are not playing against people that can run out half the time their first turn at the table.

Just because you can make a ball, doesn't mean that you should make a ball, and a lot of the time, you shouldn’t make the ball.

Every ball on the table is an option. Every time you make a ball, you take an option off the table. By option I mean a chance to break out a cluster, bump an opponent’s ball into a bad spot or off the table, get position on a tough ball, or hook your opponent; all things that can give you a better chance of winning the game or hindering your opponent's efforts. If you are just making balls in some kind of race to a hopelessly tied up 8 ball, anyone, even an inferior shot maker, will be able to take you apart if they have a basic grasp of 8 ball strategy.

When I'm practicing for 8 ball I do a few different drills.

1. Toss all the balls out on the table and pick out random balls and shoot the ball in at hard to medium speed. Every time you do, try to pick out and hit another ball or cluster of balls on the table. This will give you confidence with your breakouts, an essential skill if you want to get past a certain level of 8 ball.

2. Put all the balls in the middle of the table, keep them in between the head string and the kitchen lines and between the first spots of the short rails. Shoot all the balls into any convenient pocket without missing and without letting the cue ball hit a rail. This will give you practice on those delicate touch and throw shots that are also a critical part of running out those tougher tables in 8 ball.

3. Safeties, Safeties, Safeties. Some tables simply cannot be run out by amateur players without getting very lucky. Having a broad knowledge of the safeties that you can play in 8 ball cannot be understated. If you don't spend time practicing them, you will not be able to execute them with any consistency in competition. Don't forget that in 8 ball, there are a lot of ways to play safe that don't involve actually hooking your opponent behind one of your balls.

These address the most common weaknesses that I see in amature 8 ball. Not that I'm anywhere near a pro level myself, so take this for what it's worth.
Click to expand...
 
MinoInADixeCup said:
Try to describe how you are currently practicing and how you approach the game of 8 ball.
Click to expand...

Thanks to all for your replies. As far as how I practice I'll try to summarize so as not to make this post too long. I actually keep a journal of what I practice every day so I have some kind of record.

I try to vary my practices as much as possible. One day I'll practice Joe Tucker's GI drills for an hour then play some 3-ball at night for another hour. Another day I'll practice cut shots for an hr then Equal Offense or Bowlliards at night for another hr. I try to practice my position drills the most as I feel improving position is what is most important. When I play 3-ball I'll sometimes mark the position of the balls with doughnut stickers and practice until I can get the postion I want on each ball. Then I'll throw out 3 new balls and do the same. Every Friday night 2 of my brothers come over and we play 8 ball for about 3-4 hrs. I don't play in any leagues or tourneys and to be honest I'm not really interested right now. I just want to improve because I enjoy the game.

I've learned a lot from Martin's "99 critical shots.." and Capelle's "PYBP" and ofcourse from this forum :) I've also ordered a set of DVD's from Randyg.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...thanks for all your help!
 
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Unless you are a beginner or have some major fundamental flaws, 2 weeks generally isn't enough time to improve a noticeable amount.

Pool is a game of swings, some days we are at the top of our game and other days we can't seem to get anything right. If 2 weeks ago was the best you ever played, it's unlikely that you will surpass that in a short amount of time. If you work hard enough, your average game will improve steadily and another good swing will eventually come around that surpasses your current best score at whatever measuring tool you use.
 
pmata814 said:
I try to vary my practices as much as possible. One day I'll practice Joe Tucker's GI drills for an hour then play some 3-ball at night for another hour. Another day I'll practice cut shots for an hr then Equal Offense or Bowlliards at night for another hr. I try to practice my position drills the most as I feel improving position is what is most important. When I play 3-ball I'll sometimes mark the position of the balls with doughnut stickers and practice until I can get the postion I want on each ball. Then I'll throw out 3 new balls and do the same. Every Friday night 2 of my brothers come over and we play 8 ball for about 3-4 hrs.
Click to expand...

It sounds like you are making good use of your practice time. The DVD's will help you get your fundamentals down and give you a system that you can rely on.

Do you have a video camera? I can't tell you how useful watching my stroke on camera has been to me. I don't know what your budget looks like, but I bought a small video camera called a flip video for about $100 a couple years ago and it is perfectly adequate for my purposes, they might even be cheaper now. You could probably get a used one off eBay pretty cheap now if money is tight. Check newegg.com, good prices and great customer service, and I’m not affiliated with them in anyway other than being a loyal customer.

What is the main reason that you are getting stuck on EO? Missed shots, poor position, failed breakouts? In my game, 8 ball and EO problems are almost always position related and just as often, a concentration issue. It’s very easy to spend the right amount of time on the tough shots, it’s much harder to force yourself to put in the extra time when the ball is easy to make and the position looks automatic.

i.e. I would have had better position if I had taken those extra seconds to double check my assumptions about how hard to hit the ball, what kind of spin, etc.... and then spent the necessary amount of concentration to execute the shot properly.


I hope this helps, good luck man and keep shooting.
 
MinoInADixeCup said:
It sounds like you are making good use of your practice time. The DVD's will help you get your fundamentals down and give you a system that you can rely on.

Do you have a video camera? I can't tell you how useful watching my stroke on camera has been to me. I don't know what your budget looks like, but I bought a small video camera called a flip video for about $100 a couple years ago and it is perfectly adequate for my purposes, they might even be cheaper now. You could probably get a used one off eBay pretty cheap now if money is tight. Check newegg.com, good prices and great customer service, and I’m not affiliated with them in anyway other than being a loyal customer.

What is the main reason that you are getting stuck on EO? Missed shots, poor position, failed breakouts? In my game, 8 ball and EO problems are almost always position related and just as often, a concentration issue. It’s very easy to spend the right amount of time on the tough shots, it’s much harder to force yourself to put in the extra time when the ball is easy to make and the position looks automatic.

i.e. I would have had better position if I had taken those extra seconds to double check my assumptions about how hard to hit the ball, what kind of spin, etc.... and then spent the necessary amount of concentration to execute the shot properly.


I hope this helps, good luck man and keep shooting.
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Mino,

Thanks so much for your responses. I do have a camera but I haven't taped myself because I just wouldn't know what to look for. (I used to this with my tennis practices quite often) Hopefully with the DVD's I ordered I'll get a good idea though.

As far as what mistakes I make, it's one of two things. Either I play poor position (and 90% of the time it's that the cue ball goes too far or stops short) or I miss the shot BECAUSE I'm trying to play position.

I have a pretty good understanding of how the cue ball reacts after hitting the object ball or rail it's the speed that always gets me. I get bad shape on one shot and it messes up my entire pattern. I do try to practice drills for cueball speed control but I guess I just need to put in more time.
 
It also helps to take time off, too, especially if you're trying to work on many things all at once. Sometimes I'll practice several days in a row and get into a slump, take a day or two off, then come back with a refreshed attitude and everything falling into place.
 
pmata814 said:
Mino,

Thanks so much for your responses. I do have a camera but I haven't taped myself because I just wouldn't know what to look for. (I used to this with my tennis practices quite often) Hopefully with the DVD's I ordered I'll get a good idea though.
Click to expand...

No problem man. I've been there myself. I was practicing and playing constantly in leagues and tournaments and was not seeing much improvement. I had assumed that I had reached the limits of whatever talent I may have had for the game and just accepted the fact that this was as good as I was going to get. Then I took some lessons from Scott Lee and it really changed my perspective on the game and the way I practiced.

pmata814 said:
As far as what mistakes I make, it's one of two things. Either I play poor position (and 90% of the time it's that the cue ball goes too far or stops short) or I miss the shot BECAUSE I'm trying to play position.

I have a pretty good understanding of how the cue ball reacts after hitting the object ball or rail it's the speed that always gets me. I get bad shape on one shot and it messes up my entire pattern. I do try to practice drills for cueball speed control but I guess I just need to put in more time.
Click to expand...

I'm going to assume that you do what most people do and pick a spot that you feel will give you the best chance of getting to your next ball, playing safe, breaking something out, etc..... and then do the best you can to get the cue ball to that spot. The problem with that is you have to be able to perfectly apply the correct angle, speed, and spin to the cue ball in order get the cue ball to stop in a very precise spot. Sometimes an inch or two too far or too short isn't that big of a deal, but sometimes it's a critical error.

What I noticed last year was that the angle was a LOT more important than 2 or 3 inches closer or further away from the object ball. This lets me select a line instead of a spot to try and land the cue ball on. This can often let me pick a more natural shot where I only have to concentrate on one or 2 things, say speed and spin and just shoot the object ball into the center of the pocket. Sometimes it convinces me that that the shot that seemed to make so much sense at first glance actually isn't going to do anything for me.

Since I started doing this, I've eliminated a lot of the misses due to trying to do something extreme with the cue ball or trying to cheat the pocket with the object ball.

Good luck, I hope some of this helps.
 
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