Hey Shari! Thanks for the content that always has some crucial reminder! I personally try to do too much with the CUEBALL or sometimes it’s just a a tweak with my aiming!
Pretty sure my issue with missed shots, is not consistently having a straight cue action... I always seem to miss the straight ones, and thats also probably because I then try to get more action in to the cue ball
@@apexpredatorbilliardstraining Just half-decent player here 👋. I feel the same, a tweak of aim really made me miss occasionally. But, not enough "tweaking" also leads to sloppy stroke/aim spots. Fundamentals and mental (pressure/focus management) are next. Some days I feel like im going backwards, not feeling good about my stroke and trying to fix something about it. My best "day" would be the day when I can shoot straight and never 2nd guess my shots.
Spin-induced throw is definitely my biggest problem. I tend to put spin on the ball when I don't really need to, because I'm trying to "help" myself get better shape on the next shot, even when the cue ball was going that way anyway. Even if I make the ball, I often end up sending the cue ball way past the shot line for the next shot, and now I'm way out of position.
Loved how you mentioned the mental game and the pressure.. in my local league I play great against teams I'm not worried about and can run 3- 5 balls somewhat consistently, but when I play a top 3 team and who have players who can run a whole table I'm suddenly missing shots I've never had a problem making
Stop checking team standings, and stop checking the score sheet. Just pocket balls, you're not even at the table to beat the guy infront of you you're at the table to make your shots just like practice.
Absolutely right on this one. Two sessions ago in league play, I was shooting great and won 11 out of 13 matches. I had so much confidence that I kind of just "felt" the shots and didn't have to think too much. I rarely missed more than one shot per rack. Then I went up in skill level, and last session I did terribly because I was playing against opponents who were generally better than I am. That was a big hit to my confidence level and now I'm struggling during matches. The mental part of pool makes a huge difference, particularly your confidence level.
@coldred9639 while practice does make it so that you are more consistent and therefore you trust your shot making ability more, I wouldn't say that's the only thing you need to do. I practice on my table at home all the time, but I definitely don't do as well when I'm playing competitively against an opponent. However, the gap isn't as wide as it used to be. The difference is that I changed my thought process during matches. I don't get rattled when my opponent runs a rack or when I miss an easy shot anymore, for instance. But, I can't really practice that at home. I had to teach myself that during matches. So the mental conditioning part matters just as much, and unfortunately, the only way to practice that is by playing in league or in tournaments.
@BROU-bb2uc I do the same thing and tell them, "Nice shooting, good job." But what I meant was, even though I am a good shot, if I was playing someone and they proceeded to break and run on me or even just run out their last 5 balls and then the 8, it used to really rattle me and throw me off my game because I got intimidated by their strong play. It would make me nervous, and I'd start to miss shots that I would normally make, etc. I had to teach myself not to be fazed by that kind of thing and tell myself in my head, "OK, man, no big deal, he just shot really well, but you can do that too. You'll kick ass next time you get to shoot." Once I learned to do that, I got a lot better at managing my game against very good players instead of choking when they did well.
When practicing straight in shots you need to realize that your tip contact point is the center of the cue ball is also pointing at the center of the object ball and the center of the pocket. When your practice strokes confirm this on your final stroke forget the cue ball is there and push you tip to the contact point on the object ball. This will force you to stay on the line of aim and create a straight stroke. Its an excellent practice tool in developing a straight stroke. Most beginners just push the cue on the final stroke "just somewhere in front of them" which will veer to the left or right of the line of aim.
I'd say more would watch a video on the mental side than you think. As I get better, shot percentage goes up, confidence with it, I recognize what I'm thinking directly affects if i make a shot and speed control of the cb.
The mental game is super important and I would love to see more videos about it. Makes sure I'm not the only one who struggles with it, especially in tournaments or at the money ball. I had a nice situation with Ralf Souquet at the bca nationals in Vegas when we played a little 10 ball at the predator booth. Score was 1:1. I made a couple of balls and ended up with a long straight shot on the 10. Of course I was nervous. I played my idol, so it was serious for me even when it was just a friendly game. I missed and left him an easy shot to the corner. He decided to bank it cross corner and missed. That was the moment I recognized that it was nothing but a friendly game. He left me a super easy shot to the corner, but then without any pressure, I still used the preshot routine and took it serious and didn't bang the ball or anything. I made a beautiful 4 rail shot to the same pocket and hit it absolutely perfect. No pressure, no nerves. The perfect shot. In a tournament situation against a player like Ralf I probably missed that shot even directly to the corner.😂
Yes, so glad you mentioned the aesthetics of a stroke, which can be "lovely" when you get the fundamentals right. That's our reward for all the practicing we do to make that happen. It's true; getting the mechanics right really is a beautiful thing! Mastering the game of pool reminds me of learning how to play, say, the violin or piano on a very high level. Terrific point made on "mental mistakes” and how to fix them-- just concentrating on pushing the cue forward in a straight line. Can't wait to try it!
A beginner won't learn a thing from this video believe me. It's a nice video but you're not speaking beginner language. What is right spin, what's left spin?
Let me tell you where your educational abilities failed on this video at two minutes and 45 seconds you say your shot has to look like this and it does not appear to be educational at all. You don’t tell us how the shot should look there’s no instruction on how you changed your shot. From an educational standpoint you didn’t teach us anything here you came teaching us something but then you failed to give us instruction on what to do to make shots.
I've got 6 months in. Thanks to you I'm doing well. I have my good days and bad days like all of us. A clean smooth stroke is everything. Your advice is spot on!
Some times even I get a ball in hand I miss 😂 I think because I'm trying to play like pro's with skills that I don't have yet . Sometimes I miss when my opponents compete me (pressure), I need to, work on my mental aspect.
Please can you do a small video about the mental game and some tips. I honestly think this is a massive part of the game and if someone has an opportunity to get a taste of it on RU-vid then they would invest more time and maybe money into getting a proper course for it.
Good video, but you failed to mention ALCOHOL. I know a few players who, soon after the break, head for the bar where they'll stand for an hour and RARELY miss a shot. By the time they return to the table you're so in tune with watching Matlock reruns on the sports screen that your entire game is distracted...
Perhaps most people lack the practice. Others are playing on an unfamiliar table. From what I've seen it's a lot different to play on a 4' wide table to playing on a 5' wide table. Also the length of the table makes a difference.
At the begging of the video, you said that a new student-player was missing that ball thick. I can relate to that. I used to (and still do tbh, but much less frequently) miss balls on the thick side. One day I realized that I was aiming at the wrong point, that is when I was down preparing to shoot, I was instinctively concentrating on the middle of the pocket, but not the middle of the pocket opening, the middle of the actual pocket, like the middle of the bucket if you're looking at the table from above. However, the line connecting the object ball and that point is obstructed by the rail... Once I realized that, I made huge progress pottingwise, because I started to aim at the pocket opening rather than the "pocket" as I had in my mind. I know that to 99.999% of people this could be obvious, but that example with that new student missing the ball thick was really relatable to me.. The thing is that this is almost built in to how I play to this day. Even now, when I miss a ball I miss it thick. I would say 93% of my missed shots are on the thick side...
Where i was young 13 or 14 years old i played against 12 people and they loose against me a newbie played for 2 hours in a week in the school , some guys was older and one was the son from the owner of the club... that was very cool, i love billard
You have to get the feeling of the pool stroke and fundamentals and mechanics of follow through of the game to be persist of making shots you reprecate the position of the cue ball most important ball on the pool table....❤❤😢😮😅😊❤❤❤❤
The main reason I miss shots is because I don't have a straight follow through. I can do 3-10 pre- shots and, a lot of the time, I can't put the tip at the same point on the cue ball. It's so frustrating. Any ideas on how to fix this?
so something that helped me a ton was center ball training, where I put tape on the end of cue and don't chalk so if I don't hit center I miscue... helped me understand that I missed a lot of shots by adding accidental English I wasn't compensating for
Even though I am more of an advanced player, I have noticed more recently that sometimes I will twist the cue on my stroke. Still a straight stroke but just a little bit of a twist, and that does enough to put just enough english on the cue ball to make me miss an easy shot. But i don't want to get it completely out of my system because there are certain shots that i have to do it. Like middle of the table cuts to the corner pocket. I always have a downward dip at the end of the stroke. Don't ask me why but that's the only way I can make the shot.
Great stuff man, as usual! At some point you mention that if you were to think about where precisely to hit the object ball, you wouldn't make a single shot. Personally, when I started doing fractional aiming (the poolology method), which is all about finding that point on the object ball, it really helped my consistency. No guessing! I can line up the same shot 30 times and pocket it every time. Before that, without the help of the reference point on the OB, i would have been 70% at most... Thoughts?
Dude, I picked up on some things that will definitely help me get out of my two week slump in the league. I shot a guy on a family night out and he recruited me for the league in the middle of the season. But I'm trying to get back to what I used to be, after not shooting at all for 30 years. So I went through my process mentally and realized I was going through too many items on my mental check list. My last step was too take one last look at the lay, then shoot. Hell, if I can see the shot there is no need for a last look, for starters. Next, I will not be watching ANYONE shoot. It makes zero difference what happens before it's my shot. That ought to do it!!! P.S. Once called a six rail shot on the eight ball thinking I was going to impress the girls we were playing, with all theirs still on the table. Made the shot. Chicks left. Who cares!!!!
Humbly suggest you so watch the opponent play as it can inform you as to their strength and weakness which in turn informs your decision to attempt a high risk shot or to play a safety. Just one guys opinion.
when i am down on the shot i normally cue with center chin, but when i do the dominant eye test, and holing a pen towards an object bring toward my face, that pen hits my right chin. should i trust my normal chin position or the pen test result? thank you very much
I seldom play I tournaments or large events either. What I do is, I put myself in that situation in my mind by being pushed to run the 9ball rack out in under 60 seconds, including the break. This creates additional pressure for myself. Im not sure if it's enough to help me prepare for events though. Thx for all ya do 4 the game!
Thats the problem with my game, lack of control, over thinking. Overconfidence on seemingly easy shots. And #1, patience. I dont play tournaments, buying a bar with friends. I can go on runs, but are far and between. And almost always fail at the win.
I don't know what's wrong with me because some days I play really good and other days I miss easiest shots, which make me not know exactly why I am missing shots 💔💔 But I've recently started watching your videos I will definitely start observing every shot I shoot, By the way thanks for the amazing content ❤️❤️
I was struggling with the same problem as you for a long time. What helped me becoming more consistent was working on my fundamentals and pre shot routine. There are still good and bad days, but I play good with my B game.
For me, when I rely on instinct and don't try hard, I play well, when I'm ACTUALLY trying to do well, that's when I play worse......because I'm not knowelegable enough to actually know what I'm doing when trying lol
This depends on you as a player. If you are using aiming systems, you will need to focus on a specific point, or better said, a part of the ball. When playing with feel and muscle memory, you should not aim at a specific point; this will mess everything up.
Everyone just says practice but if you're practicing incorrectly this has a negative effect! Learn the basics and some handy techniques and practice those!
Great video! I especially enjoyed your focus on the stroke importance, and how even slight flaws contribute to misses! At 75 years old, my stroke degradation prevents me from executing many shots that my mind knows 1:46 how to shoot. I’ve watched and enjoyed many of your videos, because of your knowledge and explanation of the physics of this wonderful game of pool. THANKYOU!
Good info. I've been working with a guy who is a good shot, but is trying to find that next level. He shoots way too fast. When I called him on this he said " Well, Earl Strickland shoots fast, and he is one of the best ever." True, but you are not Earl Strickland lol. Floyd Mayweather fights with his hands down at his sides which is completely wrong for anyone but him. Stop trying to impersonate your favorite player, as long as you follow the pre shot routine rules that you talked about and master them, then you can begin to develop your own style. Don't be afraid to try new things! I shot the same way for 30 years and am a very good player, but when I started shortening my stroke is when I went to that next level.
Sir , I'm an amateur player , I can pot balls fluently with some dressing, however lately I've developed a habit to only use side spin in all my shots ,it really impressive as hard shots has become somewhat easy but I've noticed with this habit it's important my concentration has to be 100 % , if not I'll definitely miss the shot..is this habit dangerous to me or should I stop it. Also note if I try to go back to center white I'm missing the shots..
Your first statement is intrinsically incorrect. The biggest difference between high level players and beginners is not ability to pot balls, it's shot selection and cue ball control.
I'm one of those guys... I spend a lot of time on my stroke ... like really and I think I have good fundamentals ... yet can't make really easy balls sometimes (usually those straight or at small angles lol)
When I drill down the rail cut shots (your video) I focus on the sight picture and a clean consistent stroke. Kinda like shooting Trap...you need to learn the lead on a bird. The toughest part is knowing where the 2 radii intersect. Yes I can see the point on the object ball I need to hit, but where does the radius of my cue ball hit it? That's where I sometimes under/ overcut a ball.
I would definitely watch a full video about the mental game, and I'm still a beginner. I don't have a table to learn on, so I always feel anxious and nervous taking the most basic shots at the bar full of pool sharks lmao. TY for all the great vids helping me learn
My pool game was rusted for almost 13years, i only play during my vacation months (1-2mos for a seafarer) felt so sad that even in my mind that i can do but my execution is not guaranteed to success and make a clean shots. I hope i can regain my focus and right strokes, i miss my game.. this video helps me, thank you sir
All angles of shots at all distances are the same difficulty! You need to deliver the cue straight and to the target. The % of making them can go up or down but you only control the straight cue.
Top tip! Most people miss thick shots too thin and thin shots too thick. ie: most people play a 3/4 ball shot as 2/3 ball and a 1/4 ball shot as a 1/3 ball shot. play your thick shots thicker and your thin shots thinner and you will massively improve your potting skills.
Don’t be too sure that few people would watch a string of videos about the deeper thinking/zen attributes of pool. IMHO after hours of stroke/shot practice a few sessions where I have to think about the deeper aspects of pool is refreshing. For that I play 14:1 and one pocket which are thinking men’s games.
Can I tell you there is actually a way to align on the line of contact between balls and that there is a way when playing spin to align the same thing, but sit on the line of the cue instead of the contact line which fixes the margin (without taking into account force of the shot & follow through). I am a pool and a snooker player for context. Cheers
I actually really take my time on shots now after your advice, and put effort and aiming even on the easy shots and my game has increased 10 fold ..😊 my break to.
How you shot that 9 in during the 8 ball scenario was fine because you do have a cut shot on the 10 you can position with but what the player at your pool hall does wrong with the 10 is that he takes it too easy and doesn't use the right spin to get in like with the 8. If he plays proper position he'd come off the rails and get a nice position on the 8 depending on his speed control with the shoot too. Whenever I'm in that scenario for any game I do the same stop shot but then I use top spin with left or right to get position for the next ball
Hello Sharivari...i a huge fan from the Caribbean...ive notice something in pool in general an would appreciate if you can make a video on it...i realized when i play on slower tables i dont miss..an when i play on a really fast table i cant pot a ball with the same angle ,same cut ,same aiming point...why is that..?.and its not just me but alot of guys i play with said thhe same thing.
When I personally am teaching someone to cut a angle shot I take an extra ball and line it up right next to the object ball in line with the pocket so they can visually see in their mind where the ball needs to be in reference to the hit
Good points in this video. The quick shot resonated with me, I'm naturally quite cocky when I get in my stride. I'm probably extremely naive too lol, I think I'm alot better than I am, but alot of these simple adjustments I've been paying attention to on different videos, would help my game alot I reckon. It's like I know where a ball needs to be hit, but I'm probably striking the ball terribly, plus the fear of missing, then when I eventually miss, puts doubt in my mind and the confidence lowers etcetera, etcetera lol. But I loved this video regardless, made alot of sense. A snooker channel called Break Time (I think that's the name), mentioned the seesaw affect you have on yourself before taking a shot. That applies to me so much, so when you pair it with this video too, it all ties into one big lesson essentially. Practicing is key, then understanding why you've missed and essentially not letting it get to you, will help you grow as a player so much, then you can be more confident in your stroke and so much more other things too. Definitely need to humble myself and I believe the rest will follow. Cheers.
Im glad you took the time to mention the mental aspect of the game. In my opinion, its every bit as important as potting ability. Being able to get u der a stronger player's skin can win games that can otherwise be lost. That's also the reason drills for defensive play are so very critical. Snooker a guy four times in a game, and generally speaking, he's gonna lose his mind, lol. Thanks, man, great stuff.....
I was the rail QA for KASSON Pool tables. Always aware of the quality needed for our precision tables. Never done learning. I appreciate how this video broke down the importance of fundamentals and speed. thankyou
Good to see you again, sharivari , back to play, golf and tennis season is over. I'm back to have some fun pool and snooker with friends. You are right. Mentally is very important when I practice to fell confidence and trust my shots. Thanks again.
Thanks for the continued great work on this content. While your knowledge of game is always very strong, you do so much better than most at 'being in a player's head' and explaining that perspective in the game's context. You teach about the 'elephant in the room' that hides from us all.
