For more info, visit billiards.colostate.edu
Pool and Billiards Advice
... general advice about miscelaneous pool and billiards topics.
... general advice about miscelaneous pool and billiards topics.
Why is it I sometimes play better when I drink alcohol?
First of all, you need to separate actual level of play from perceived level of play. Alcohol can affect both. For some people, a small amount of alcohol can actually increase relaxation and result in less tense (and better) play. For much more info, see "Beer-goggle effects" (Download) (BD, June, 2008).
First of all, you need to separate actual level of play from perceived level of play. Alcohol can affect both. For some people, a small amount of alcohol can actually increase relaxation and result in less tense (and better) play. For much more info, see "Beer-goggle effects" (Download) (BD, June, 2008).
Should I do what feels natural, or try to change my stroke?
Concerning doing what is "natural," I don't think this is always the best advice. What many people do "naturally" doesn't always give the best results. For example, not dropping the elbow, or pausing in the final back swing, doesn't come naturally to many, but these changes can still help (some but not all people), even if it doesn't feel "natural." Now, with lots of practice, anything can be made to feel natural.
However, many people have stroke/stance/grip/bridge flaws that feel natural but cause inconsistency or inaccuracy. Sometimes, if these "natural" flaws are removed (through lots and lots of practice and maybe some instruction), improvement can result and the new technique (with the flaws removed) can become natural and relaxed (and more effective).
Concerning doing what is "natural," I don't think this is always the best advice. What many people do "naturally" doesn't always give the best results. For example, not dropping the elbow, or pausing in the final back swing, doesn't come naturally to many, but these changes can still help (some but not all people), even if it doesn't feel "natural." Now, with lots of practice, anything can be made to feel natural.
However, many people have stroke/stance/grip/bridge flaws that feel natural but cause inconsistency or inaccuracy. Sometimes, if these "natural" flaws are removed (through lots and lots of practice and maybe some instruction), improvement can result and the new technique (with the flaws removed) can become natural and relaxed (and more effective).
What can I do to make my game better?
The best way to improve is to practice (especially, if you work on your trouble areas. It might also help you to see an experienced and qualified instructor. They can often see problems or deficiencies with your mechanics and game that you might not know are there. They can also provide good advice for how to improve. Finally, if you haven't done so yet, you should read some books about pool. Improving your knowledge and understanding of the game might give you a wider arsenal of shots, help you be more creative at the table, help you be more aware of important factors for different types of shots, and help you improve with less practice.
from BillPorter:
A couple of years ago I asked AZBers to single out the ONE IDEA that would most improve your pool game and they came up with a couple of dozen candidates. I narrowed those suggestions down to the eight you see below.
1. BE STILL over the shot, with as little movement of the head and body as possible.
2. STAY DOWN on the shot. Jimmy Reid once said he could tell who the good players were in a pool hall within a few minutes of entering the room. He said all he had to do was watch to see which players stayed down on their shots. Watching the cue ball contact the object ball is a good way to work on staying down on the shot as you stay down to watch the cue ball on its path to the object ball. This one is similar to #1, but deserves its own slot.
3. Treat EVERY SHOT with the same respect. "I quit missing those shots when I came to the realization that there is no such thing as an easy shot." (Luther "Wimpy" Lassiter)
4. Have a PRE-SHOT ROUTINE and follow it!
5. While standing up, decide on the shot (offense/defense, speed, sidespin), then make a COMMITMENT to shoot the shot as you have decided to shoot it. Most shots are missed because of indecision. Another way to say this is to have a plan before every shot.
6. Do the highest percentage thing that YOU KNOW HOW to do (not what Efren would do).
7. Don?t let DISTRACTIONS cause you to lose focus on the shot. If something distracts you, stand up and go through your pre-shot routine from the beginning.
8. HAVE FUN! ? Your game may improve dramatically after reminding yourself that you are playing pool primarily to have fun.
Here's a suggestion for you. Take a small card, like a business card or an index card, and write a short version of the above suggestions on the card. Maybe the short versions would read something like this.
1) Be still
2) Stay down
3) Respect every shot
4) Follow the pre-shot routine
5) Commit to the shot
6) Play within your abilities
7) Defeat distractions, reset if necessary
8) Have fun!
Of course you may want to OMIT any of the 8 that really don't relate to your game. And you may want to ADD a few that are especially important for your game. Maybe you would add reminders to grip the cue lightly, pause at the end of your last back stroke, check your stance alignment, snug up your bridge, or whatever you have learned is useful for your game. If you carry that little card around with you, it will be handy to read over when you?re shooting poorly or in a slump.
from DeeMan, with a little humor thrown in:
Here are a few things to think about if you are really serious about improving and moving beyond banger status.
Some rules most don't have to think about but are impediments to playing well.
1) Don't shoot harder then you need for the shot and to gain position.
2) Know which direction your cue balls will go and think about how far it needs to travel.
3) Don't hit other balls on the table without a reason.
4) Learn to hit the center of the cue ball very precisely before worrying about hitting it off center.
5) Try not to leave the cue ball on a rail if not necessary.
6) Shoot balls first that clear the way for your other balls.
7) Identify packs and clusters and balls that won't "go" early and get a strategy to open then up or move them. To try to run out without this plan is foolish.
8) If you don't think you have a shot or safety you are playing Efren or just not looking hard enough.
9) Don't twirl the rack or do any other trick moves to impress people unless you are trying out for the circus.
10) Learn to stay level and shoot smoothly and don't think running boring balls rack after rack is something stupid or lucky.
11) Learn that draw and follow are for more than following or backing balls up.
12) Learn to "kill" the cue ball. NOTE: This does not involve a gun.
13) Don't put powder all over the table unless you are changing your opponent's diaper.
14) Don't show disappointment to your opponent when you mess up. That way, when you learn to intentionally miss, they won't know.
15) Don't whine, we have a guy named Earl that will handle that for you.
16) Chalk with your opposite hand.
17) Learn to read kisses. Not related to Madonna and Brittany.
18) Learn your limits and don't think your draw will all of a sudden resemble Cory's. That means learn to take your medicine and shoot the possible shot, the percentage shot.
19) Play the table (unless you are stalling).
20) Don't listen to guys on the internet giving you pool advice, especially DeeMan.
The best way to improve is to practice (especially, if you work on your trouble areas. It might also help you to see an experienced and qualified instructor. They can often see problems or deficiencies with your mechanics and game that you might not know are there. They can also provide good advice for how to improve. Finally, if you haven't done so yet, you should read some books about pool. Improving your knowledge and understanding of the game might give you a wider arsenal of shots, help you be more creative at the table, help you be more aware of important factors for different types of shots, and help you improve with less practice.
from BillPorter:
A couple of years ago I asked AZBers to single out the ONE IDEA that would most improve your pool game and they came up with a couple of dozen candidates. I narrowed those suggestions down to the eight you see below.
1. BE STILL over the shot, with as little movement of the head and body as possible.
2. STAY DOWN on the shot. Jimmy Reid once said he could tell who the good players were in a pool hall within a few minutes of entering the room. He said all he had to do was watch to see which players stayed down on their shots. Watching the cue ball contact the object ball is a good way to work on staying down on the shot as you stay down to watch the cue ball on its path to the object ball. This one is similar to #1, but deserves its own slot.
3. Treat EVERY SHOT with the same respect. "I quit missing those shots when I came to the realization that there is no such thing as an easy shot." (Luther "Wimpy" Lassiter)
4. Have a PRE-SHOT ROUTINE and follow it!
5. While standing up, decide on the shot (offense/defense, speed, sidespin), then make a COMMITMENT to shoot the shot as you have decided to shoot it. Most shots are missed because of indecision. Another way to say this is to have a plan before every shot.
6. Do the highest percentage thing that YOU KNOW HOW to do (not what Efren would do).
7. Don?t let DISTRACTIONS cause you to lose focus on the shot. If something distracts you, stand up and go through your pre-shot routine from the beginning.
8. HAVE FUN! ? Your game may improve dramatically after reminding yourself that you are playing pool primarily to have fun.
Here's a suggestion for you. Take a small card, like a business card or an index card, and write a short version of the above suggestions on the card. Maybe the short versions would read something like this.
1) Be still
2) Stay down
3) Respect every shot
4) Follow the pre-shot routine
5) Commit to the shot
6) Play within your abilities
7) Defeat distractions, reset if necessary
8) Have fun!
Of course you may want to OMIT any of the 8 that really don't relate to your game. And you may want to ADD a few that are especially important for your game. Maybe you would add reminders to grip the cue lightly, pause at the end of your last back stroke, check your stance alignment, snug up your bridge, or whatever you have learned is useful for your game. If you carry that little card around with you, it will be handy to read over when you?re shooting poorly or in a slump.
from DeeMan, with a little humor thrown in:
Here are a few things to think about if you are really serious about improving and moving beyond banger status.
Some rules most don't have to think about but are impediments to playing well.
1) Don't shoot harder then you need for the shot and to gain position.
2) Know which direction your cue balls will go and think about how far it needs to travel.
3) Don't hit other balls on the table without a reason.
4) Learn to hit the center of the cue ball very precisely before worrying about hitting it off center.
5) Try not to leave the cue ball on a rail if not necessary.
6) Shoot balls first that clear the way for your other balls.
7) Identify packs and clusters and balls that won't "go" early and get a strategy to open then up or move them. To try to run out without this plan is foolish.
8) If you don't think you have a shot or safety you are playing Efren or just not looking hard enough.
9) Don't twirl the rack or do any other trick moves to impress people unless you are trying out for the circus.
10) Learn to stay level and shoot smoothly and don't think running boring balls rack after rack is something stupid or lucky.
11) Learn that draw and follow are for more than following or backing balls up.
12) Learn to "kill" the cue ball. NOTE: This does not involve a gun.
13) Don't put powder all over the table unless you are changing your opponent's diaper.
14) Don't show disappointment to your opponent when you mess up. That way, when you learn to intentionally miss, they won't know.
15) Don't whine, we have a guy named Earl that will handle that for you.
16) Chalk with your opposite hand.
17) Learn to read kisses. Not related to Madonna and Brittany.
18) Learn your limits and don't think your draw will all of a sudden resemble Cory's. That means learn to take your medicine and shoot the possible shot, the percentage shot.
19) Play the table (unless you are stalling).
20) Don't listen to guys on the internet giving you pool advice, especially DeeMan.
How do I decide how to select an instructor?
I have met several "instructors" that were great pool players but terrible teachers. I have also met countless great players who would make terrible instructors. An instructor obviously must be knowledgeable and understand all of the intricacies of the game, and certainly have enough experience to appreciate those intricacies. An instructor must also be a good teacher and communicator and know how to connect with various types of people. Also, a great instructor should be a total "student of the game" (i.e., read everything, discuss and debate stuff on forums, communicate professionally and open-mindedly with other instructors and players, etc). Great instructors have too many things on their plate to be great players. To be a great player, one must have sharp eyes, a near-flawless stroke, and near-perfect speed control. That takes hours and hours of practice and play ... youth can also help. Only people completely dedicated to playing pool can put in the amount of time necessary to be great.
I don't think the true value a coach or instructor provides is information. Lots of great information can be found in good books and videos (and sometimes, even on the Internet). To me, the most important value an instructor offers is the ability and experience to work with a player as a unique individual, catering the instruction to best help that person improve.
FYI, a good list of well-respected and well-known instructors can be found here:
http://billiards.colostate.edu/links.html#Schools (external web-Link)
from Spiderman:
Talk to their former students. Ask them how the lessons were structured, did they feel it was worthwhile, and why. What was good, what was bad? Would they pay this instructor for more lessons in the future? Then ask yourself whether the described style of instruction is what you want.
Talk to as many as you can find, so that you're not captive to one person's glowing praise or damning complaint. You'll also learn how the instructor customizes his agenda to an individual student, or whether he has a "cookie-cutter" approach.
In other words, don't depend on the person selling you a service to tell you whether that service is good or bad. There's a huge temptation to tell you what you want to hear. Find the former students and get the story from the perspective of someone who was in the position you're about to be in. For a well-known instructor, or even a not-so-well known one that is local to you, there should be plenty of discussion available.
from Brian_in_VA:
I don't think a great teacher is necessarily a great player as they are two very different skill sets. Someone that is blessed with both is truly exceptional and may still not give a great lesson if the student isn't prepared to learn but then, that's the students fault.
A teacher has an abundant knowledge of the game, and knowledge of the mechanics for playing it properly and the willingness to share these.
A good teacher has that plus a methodology (often in the form of drills) for passing the knowledge to the student, for demonstrating the techniques and providing appropriate feedback to the student when first attempting them. This helps the student to build success with the new skill.
A great teacher has all that plus superior communication skills. This allows them to listen to the student, understand what the student is hearing and how they learn and then adapting their communication style to better fit that student. This provides a faster application of the new skill, a better cementing of it in the student's memory and a higher motivation to perform it correctly. The great teacher also assists the student in defining and developing reachable goals for their improvement. Without goals, there is little chance for long term success and application of what's been learned.
An excellent lesson, in my opinion, is 50% the responsibility of the student. If the student is anywhere above rank beginner, they should come prepared to learn with at least some idea of why they are taking a lesson, an initial goal, if you will. "I want to get better" is not a goal, it's a dream. "I want to improve my APA rating from a 4 to a 5" is better but it still is very results oriented. Best might be "I want to build a consistent enough stroke to be able to...."
I have met several "instructors" that were great pool players but terrible teachers. I have also met countless great players who would make terrible instructors. An instructor obviously must be knowledgeable and understand all of the intricacies of the game, and certainly have enough experience to appreciate those intricacies. An instructor must also be a good teacher and communicator and know how to connect with various types of people. Also, a great instructor should be a total "student of the game" (i.e., read everything, discuss and debate stuff on forums, communicate professionally and open-mindedly with other instructors and players, etc). Great instructors have too many things on their plate to be great players. To be a great player, one must have sharp eyes, a near-flawless stroke, and near-perfect speed control. That takes hours and hours of practice and play ... youth can also help. Only people completely dedicated to playing pool can put in the amount of time necessary to be great.
I don't think the true value a coach or instructor provides is information. Lots of great information can be found in good books and videos (and sometimes, even on the Internet). To me, the most important value an instructor offers is the ability and experience to work with a player as a unique individual, catering the instruction to best help that person improve.
FYI, a good list of well-respected and well-known instructors can be found here:
http://billiards.colostate.edu/links.html#Schools (external web-Link)
from Spiderman:
Talk to their former students. Ask them how the lessons were structured, did they feel it was worthwhile, and why. What was good, what was bad? Would they pay this instructor for more lessons in the future? Then ask yourself whether the described style of instruction is what you want.
Talk to as many as you can find, so that you're not captive to one person's glowing praise or damning complaint. You'll also learn how the instructor customizes his agenda to an individual student, or whether he has a "cookie-cutter" approach.
In other words, don't depend on the person selling you a service to tell you whether that service is good or bad. There's a huge temptation to tell you what you want to hear. Find the former students and get the story from the perspective of someone who was in the position you're about to be in. For a well-known instructor, or even a not-so-well known one that is local to you, there should be plenty of discussion available.
from Brian_in_VA:
I don't think a great teacher is necessarily a great player as they are two very different skill sets. Someone that is blessed with both is truly exceptional and may still not give a great lesson if the student isn't prepared to learn but then, that's the students fault.
A teacher has an abundant knowledge of the game, and knowledge of the mechanics for playing it properly and the willingness to share these.
A good teacher has that plus a methodology (often in the form of drills) for passing the knowledge to the student, for demonstrating the techniques and providing appropriate feedback to the student when first attempting them. This helps the student to build success with the new skill.
A great teacher has all that plus superior communication skills. This allows them to listen to the student, understand what the student is hearing and how they learn and then adapting their communication style to better fit that student. This provides a faster application of the new skill, a better cementing of it in the student's memory and a higher motivation to perform it correctly. The great teacher also assists the student in defining and developing reachable goals for their improvement. Without goals, there is little chance for long term success and application of what's been learned.
An excellent lesson, in my opinion, is 50% the responsibility of the student. If the student is anywhere above rank beginner, they should come prepared to learn with at least some idea of why they are taking a lesson, an initial goal, if you will. "I want to get better" is not a goal, it's a dream. "I want to improve my APA rating from a 4 to a 5" is better but it still is very results oriented. Best might be "I want to build a consistent enough stroke to be able to...."
What does it take to play like a pro?
The main things top players have in common are:
The main things top players have in common are:
- they have great vision and visual perception (i.e., they can clearly and consistently "see" the "angle of the shot" and the required line of aim).
- they have excellent "feel" for shot speed, spin, and position play.
- they are able to consistently and accurately deliver the cue along the desired line with the tip contact point and speed needed for the shot (even if their mechanics aren't always "textbook").
- they have tremendous focus and intensity and have a strong drive to improve and win
For more info, visit billiards.colostate.edu
