I came across an article today, Cue Ball Control, that discusses the precision required to building a straight stroke. I think you will be impress with the author, Fast Larry Guniger, who holds several world records. I felt compelled to share it with you. I hope that I can talk Jeff from Bank Shot Billiards into haveing Fast Larry do an exhibition.
I have had my stroke trainer out for about two weeks and worked with it consistantly this week. I can tell a difference and my practice session this evening showed that the work is paying off. I get out the stroke trainer 2 or 3 time a year and work with it two weeks or so. This usually raises my level of play for 2 to 3 months. The old less than straight stroke gradually comes back.
Since I use the “Aiming by the Numbers” method consistently now I felt the bridge to better play would be to build a stright stroke. Without a straight stroke you are not guaranteed to hit your “Aiming by the Numbers”. I am an evangelist now about “Aiming by the Numbers” which is a tool you can buy here on this page.
FTC disclosure :I get a commission if you buy “Aiming by the Numbers” tool from this website.
Technorati Tags: aiming by the numbers, pool stroke
Drills lead to consistant steady improvement in your pool game, if you have the patience and the stamina. Most people will try a drill once or twice, get bored because they can not execute yet and give up. A friend of mine watched the PAT part 1 video and committed to doing the 15,000 balls in pocket drill that was recommended. He set a goal and completed the 15,000 pocketed balls. It improved his pool stroke.
The Aiming by the Numbers pool tool I recommend comes with a number of drills for shooting the numbered aim points. The repetition from doing the drills gives you the familiarity with the shot when you approach the table and along with familiarity comes confidence. Both Mike Massey and Joe Tucker provide drills in their books on Aiming by the Numbers. As an example, for the 4 and half shot Joe recommends putting the object ball on the spot and then shoot the object ball into corner pocket with the cue on the rail at each diamond even or above the cue ball. It is a difficult drill and some of drills in their books are easier.
About two months ago I was lucky enough to watch the “Drill Instructor” demo his drills and promo his video and books for drills at Bank Shots in Jacksonville, Fl. It was an exciting evening and I learned a lot from this promotion. But it was not nearly as much as I would learn from actually doing the drills. “Drill Instructor” Pro Skill Drills – Training Instructional Books & DVDs
has more than enough drills to keep you busy.
To get you started on drills, I recommend you do the circle drill. Place the balls in a circle that is two diamonds wide centered on a 4 and half by 9 foot table. Now your object is to pocket all the balls with out hitting another ball with the cue ball and you can not let the cue ball touch a rail. This drill is also recommended by the “Drill Instructor” and builds the skills for alignment, pace and position play.
Throw all the balls on the table and shoot each one in with a stop shot. After shooting in a ball pick the next ball that is straight into a pocket. If there is not a straight in shot place the cue so that there is a straight in shot. This drill teaches skills for various speeds and distance to make a stop shot.
This evening I am .going to do some drills with my stroke training machine. Lately my stroke has not been as keen as I like. I usually get the stroke training machine out 2 or 3 times a year to sharpen my performance. I do this daily for about 3 weeks.
Improve your skills do some drills.
Greg
Technorati Tags: aiming by the numbers, drills, skills
How far is your bridge hand from the cue ball? Is it a bridge too far? If you have a long bridge that is more than 8 inches, it may be too long. The long bridge provides more of an opportunity to sway your stick during the pool stroke. The sway causes the cue ball to create unintended english and/or off the line of aim. Unless you are a seasoned player with many years of play measure your bridge length to see if it needs to be shortened. Or use a stroke improvement tool such as coke bottle or Cue Track to see if you are swaying the cue when you stroke. A 6-8 inch bridge length is recommended for most players.
Technorati Tags: aiming, pool stroke, stroking
Three common mistakes during the stroke process for most players are pulling back too fast on the backswing, raising the head/body before the stroke is finished and gripping the cue too hard.
I attended Jerry Brieseth’s Pool School in 1995 and learned the pool stroke is like a throwing motion. Imagine throwing a baseball from the outfield to home plate. You pulled the arm back slowly and accelerated into the throw to home plate. A whippy motion on the backswing jerks you off line and limits the acceleration through the cueball. When I observe a really good player missing a shot I often notice he has tried to “load up” on the shot and the flaw was he was too quick with the backswing. When I coach players I usually say “Slow down the backswings”. I tell that I will tell them this so many time that they are going to dream about “Slow down the back swing”.
Another common mistake is raising the head/body before the stroke is finished. During a match you might miss a shot that you think you should make. So being anxious on the next shot you get you raise your head/body too soon. More failure leads to more anxiousness leads to more body movement. This can lead to habitually raising the head/body too soon. Practice staying down today by setting up a shot and stay down with cue stick extended until the cueball comes to rest or crosses the path of the cue stick.
Are you gripping the cue stick too hard? You are if I can walk up behind you and hit the butt of your cue stick with the palm of my hand and it does not fall out of your hand. Grip lightly to give your wrist a chance to help with the stroke and to finish the stroke process properly. Can’t get the draw action you expect then try loosening the grip.
Technorati Tags: pool stroke, stroking
Here you can take your game to the next level by ordering the books Recommended Book List.
Before the Color of Money there was only one book worth reading more than once on pool Byrne’s Standard Book of Pool and Billiards”. It is still in print and is now called the Byrne’s NEW Book of Pool and Billiards. Byrne has several books on Pool and Billiards and I also highly recommend his Byrne’s Complete Book of Pool Shots.
After the Color of Money there seemed to be an explosion in pool and billiard books. Play Your Best Pool by Phill Capelle is worth reading again and again.
Gerry Kanov gave us Precision Pool and it is a great book for the intermediate to advanced player. I discovered Banking with the Beard: Secretes of A Master last year and it interweaves great pool stories with serious discussion regarding banking balls. Win at Pocket Billiards is a little known pool book and this one is recommended for building knowledge of banking and kicking and is recommended to the intermediate to advance player.
Although “The Dead Stroke Tapes” by Ryan Elliot is not a book but is a set of a dozen or so audio tapes for hypnosis. These tapes helped me win the regional APA league singles championship in 2002 and finish 9th in the nationals at Las Vegas.
Edie Robin’s books on one pocket are essential reading for the One Pocket enthusiast or advanced pool player.
I have to put in a plug for the Aiming by the Numbers aiming system developed by Mike Massey and Joe Tucker.
Here you can take your game to the next level by ordering the books Recommended Book List.
The number one book for pool players to deal with the mental side is not about pool. It is The Inner Game of Tennis.
Technorati Tags: aiming, billiard books, pool books
Shooting from the rail presents problems for most players because rail shots are not frequently practiced. Here are some general guide lines for shooting from the rail. Keep the cue as level as possible. Rest the tips of the bridge fingers at the outside edge of the rail. This helps to keep cue as close to level as possible. Jimmy Caras recommended I use a closed bridge for power shots on rail but most players will do best with the open bridge. The open bridge will provide best view from cue to object ball.
With the above guidelines practice this drill. Place an object ball in center of table between the side pockets. Now shoot the cue ball from on the rail at each of the diamonds along the side rails to pocket the object ball in opposite side pocket. If you miss the shot shoot it again before progessing to the next diamond. The shot from the diamond closest to the side pocket is a natural scratch shot into corner pocket. See if you can keep it from scratching. Also shoot with the cue ball placed in the corner and then move one diamond along the head and foot rail. These last two shots are difficult but can be made. Good luck and keep practicing!
If you are using the aiming by the numbers system the aim for this drill is “9″.
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1) Learn from the best. Consider a coach/ mentor or instructor. Find a BCA instructor in your area and attend their school / seminar. Or look for an instructor in your local room. Here in Jacksonville, FL Thorsten Hohman, Neil Fujiwara and Butch Croft ((904) 714-3857) are some local instructors. I (904 537-8252) do a basic stroke building session for 4 hours for 100.00.
2) Develope a straight stroke. I see there is a new stroke trainer on the market called Cue Track. I use a similar device and pull it out once every 3 months of so and work with it for 2 weeks or more almost every day. I couldn’t find a link to this product. Or use a coke bottle and stroke through the opening. The stroke trainers will take the twists and crossing patterns out of your stroke.
3) Master the stop shot. The most important shot in pool is the stop shot. You need to know there are two variables to mastering the stop shot – speed and distance. The lower the cue to the axis the slower the speed to stop the cue ball. The stop occurs when the cue arrives with no spin at time of impact with the object ball. The farther away you are away from the object ball the harder you have to hit to create the stop. If there is an angle and the cue arrives with no spin then the cue slides at a right angle to the direction of the object ball. Knowing the stop shot gives you the ability to start mastering position play. Throw the balls on the table and position cue ball straight in for first stop shop. Shoot the stop shop and then select next ball that is straight into a pocket. This drill will teach the two things to master the stop shot. Speed and distance.
4) Do the circle drill. Place all 15 balls in a circle in middle of table spanning about 2 diamonds. Start with cue in circle and object is to pocket all the balls without cue touching another ball or a rail. When you touch a ball or rail with cue start over. Stick with it and do this daily for 3 months. You will have to learn to shoot softly and stroke through the ball on every shot. This drill develops shooting alignment, stop shots and tempo. This is an addicting drill.
5) Shoot straight. on a straight line form corner to corner pocket set object ball 2 diamonds away from corner pocket and set cue 2 1/2 diamonds from other corner pocket. Pocket ball with stop , follow and draw 33 times each.
6) Enjoy the game. Join a pool league.
7) Play competitively. Play in local 8 ball and 9 ball tournamenets. Play in regional league tournaments.
Read “Inner Game of Tennis” . Best pool book ever written but it is not about pool.
9) Study the game and read the best books about pool. Learn aiming by the numbers, banking systems, kicking systems and safety paly.
10) Practice , practice , practice. Commit to putting in about 10,00 hours of practice.