How are you improving your game?

youngstown

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Jan 15, 2015
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1,748
How are you improving your game?

Do you breathe in or out? (Golf sharking question), lol.
 

crabbcatjohn

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Nov 30, 2014
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4,997
From
Benton, Ky.
I'm working everything you are Mike...lol Heck I think we are all tweaking something. My current thing is mainly lack of concentration causing me to miss too many shots. Sometimes during a run i'm lazy on making sure my line is right before I pull the trigger and miss too many balls. I'm also working on my stroke and trying to keep my wrist straight.
 

12squared

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Mar 14, 2005
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Fort Collins, CO
I'm trying to keep my head down...
 

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chicagomike

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Oct 7, 2008
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I'm working everything you are Mike...lol Heck I think we are all tweaking something. My current thing is mainly lack of concentration causing me to miss too many shots. Sometimes during a run i'm lazy on making sure my line is right before I pull the trigger and miss too many balls. I'm also working on my stroke and trying to keep my wrist straight.

I think you’re definitely correct that alot of us are always looking for that magic “something” that will bring us to the next level of consistency. I’ll miss some really easy shots or easy position play and I also think concentration is one of my pitfalls from time to time.
 

youngstown

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Jan 15, 2015
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1,748
How are you improving your game?

Who are the best people for this? Who do you recommend?



Scott Lee is the only stroke mechanics instructor I’ve ever worked with, and I would highly recommend him. I can PM you his number.
 

Scrzbill

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Feb 8, 2011
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4,689
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Eagles Rest, Wa
My way was buy a house that had room for a pool table and then bought a new one and put it then. Then I sold a house to have enough money to gamble with for the memebers tournament. Now, just sold another house to replace the money lost to Mitch and go again.:frus
 

12squared

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Mar 14, 2005
Messages
3,997
From
Fort Collins, CO
My way was buy a house that had room for a pool table and then bought a new one and put it then. Then I sold a house to have enough money to gamble with for the memebers tournament. Now, just sold another house to replace the money lost to Mitch and go again.:frus

The cycle of life. hahaha
 

Dennis "Whitey" Young

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Jul 8, 2017
Messages
3,923
From
Klamath Falls, Or.
Lately I have really been trying to commit to improving my eye alignment over my cue. I think my inconsistent alignment, lack of good follow through, unstable bridge hand, and lifting up while stroking are all things I can improve on and that will help my pool game. I’ve been trying to practice ladder drills and also been throwing 5-6 balls on the table to pocket in one hole.

I’m looking for more ways to improve my 1p game.

What are you doing to improve your game? Some may be satisfied with their level of play and that’s all good. I mean really improve...I’m not talking about just playing an opponent to practice. Also I’ve heard people say that gambling will improve your game and I believe that to a certain point, but it will only get you so far.

Mike, a friend of mine that practices a whole lot and he had also taken a liking to One Pocket, called me up, and asked; "how do I get to the next level". Now, he is mainly talking about 8-ball and doing better at bcapl regionals.
Well, I knew he practice a lot so i could not tell him to practice although that is the key, until you start getting burned out then your are done! So I gave him a old hustler OP game that I use to do. This I thought would give him a challenge plus spike his mind and make it active again, and its fun.

You break the balls towards your corner pocket and try to leave yourself a shot at the hole. Then start shooting until you miss and that is your score. A scratch or foul is counted just like in the real game of op. Take 5 breaks and the total balls scored is your score. Top players play to a count in the low to mid 20 balls.

My friend has never looked back since then, and now has won a championship, and is one of the most consistent players in regionals'. There is nothing like running all 15 balls! Good luck! Whitey
 

lll

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Joined
Mar 19, 2007
Messages
19,057
From
vero beach fl
Mike, a friend of mine that practices a whole lot and he had also taken a liking to One Pocket, called me up, and asked; "how do I get to the next level". Now, he is mainly talking about 8-ball and doing better at bcapl regionals.
Well, I knew he practice a lot so i could not tell him to practice although that is the key, until you start getting burned out then your are done! So I gave him a old hustler OP game that I use to do. This I thought would give him a challenge plus spike his mind and make it active again, and its fun.

You break the balls towards your corner pocket and try to leave yourself a shot at the hole. Then start shooting until you miss and that is your score. A scratch or foul is counted just like in the real game of op. Take 5 breaks and the total balls scored is your score. Top players play to a count in the low to mid 20 balls.

My friend has never looked back since then, and now has won a championship, and is one of the most consistent players in regionals'. There is nothing like running all 15 balls! Good luck! Whitey
whitey
they do this at dcc for money
i think the pros get to 50-60 in 5 tries
maybe someone who knows for sure can say whats the average among the pros
 

Billy Jackets

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Sep 3, 2011
Messages
2,735
Shotmaking drills . I miss too many shots that I should make .
I know in my mind that it is confidence mostly.
I was never a great ball maker , but I made the ones in my range ,since my health went downhill, I now make less than 50% of the shots I used to make.
Not paper thin cuts across the table , balls 2 feet from the pocket and just off straight in are not gimmes.
It's a horrible feeling to never know if you will make the shot , so you steer them , then you get angry and hit everything at warp speed, eventually you go back to doing the best you can on a given day and hope tomorrow will be better.
I am improving! Even though my body has been in rough shape for a long time. A lot of the shoulder pain is gone and some days my back is bearable, thank God, and I can play a little.
If I had the stamina to do 3 or 4 hour stretchs of just pocketing balls I might get back to where I was 20 years ago, when I played my best .
Till then I will do the drills and be glad for any improvement.
 

vapros

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Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
4,806
From
baton rouge, la
I can play a little one-pocket, but I have never been a good shot maker. I have an aiming problem - I don't see the shots correctly. My left eye is not only the dominant eye, it's the only one in use, and always has been. My vision is good, but all my seeing is done with one eye. I have no depth perception at all. I tend to under-cut going to my left and over-cut going to my right. I have to try to make aiming adjustments, but as a result I am shooting at shots that do not look correct and I often make little adjustments in my stroke - without intending to. Often I get down on the shot and then stop looking at it - look only at the cue ball - and that helps a bit, but it seems like a poor solution.

What am I doing to improve this? Make a suggestion . . . :frus
 

Kschexnaydre1

New Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2018
Messages
1
Set up a straight in shot about 4 diamonds away and practice drawing the cue ball to the back rail, it will work on your stroke, alignment, tip placement and shot making. All around good drill
 

darmoose

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Joined
May 16, 2012
Messages
2,420
From
Baltimore, MD
I can play a little one-pocket, but I have never been a good shot maker. I have an aiming problem - I don't see the shots correctly. My left eye is not only the dominant eye, it's the only one in use, and always has been. My vision is good, but all my seeing is done with one eye. I have no depth perception at all. I tend to under-cut going to my left and over-cut going to my right. I have to try to make aiming adjustments, but as a result I am shooting at shots that do not look correct and I often make little adjustments in my stroke - without intending to. Often I get down on the shot and then stop looking at it - look only at the cue ball - and that helps a bit, but it seems like a poor solution.

What am I doing to improve this? Make a suggestion . . . :frus

We all lose ball pocketing skills as we age. There is no guarantee that you can get them back no matter what you do.:( That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, if you can see a reasonable expectation for improvement based on the effort you are willing to make.

But, you should not overlook improving your game (win/loss ratio) through mental strategies like adjusting your risk/reward analysis, more moving and less shooting at your hole, defensive strategies like trapping and trying to minimize your opponents opportunities, while maximizing his mistakes.

Bottom line is you have no choice but to play with "what you brung", unless you like losing (some do).:eek: You can gain confidence through executing skills that don't necessarily involve shooting at your hole like you did 30yrs ago.

Course, there's players that won't like playing with you cause they don't get to shoot as much as they think they are entitled to.:rolleyes:
 

jrhendy

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Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
5,717
From
Placerville, CA
We all lose ball pocketing skills as we age. There is no guarantee that you can get them back no matter what you do.:( That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, if you can see a reasonable expectation for improvement based on the effort you are willing to make.

But, you should not overlook improving your game (win/loss ratio) through mental strategies like adjusting your risk/reward analysis, more moving and less shooting at your hole, defensive strategies like trapping and trying to minimize your opponents opportunities, while maximizing his mistakes.

Bottom line is you have no choice but to play with "what you brung", unless you like losing (some do).:eek: You can gain confidence through executing skills that don't necessarily involve shooting at your hole like you did 30yrs ago.

Course, there's players that won't like playing with you cause they don't get to shoot as much as they think they are entitled to.:rolleyes:

I gamble weekly with a couple young players I have basically taught to play one pocket in the last couple years. We usually play $50 a game and it started out with them getting 9/7, 8/7 and now they are giving me all I want playing even. They were already very good rotation players and once they started thinking a little bit like a one pocket player instead of going for too many shots, their game went up a ball or two.

One of them got a little froggy and decided to play for $100 a game and finally quit because I would not go for balls he thought I should be trying to make when I had the ball count lead. I told him when you get paid more $$ for winning faster I might start going for them.:D

I find the older I get the more aggressive I want to be. Maybe it’s because as I lose my ball pocketing skills, I want to convince myself I still have it when deep down I know I don’t. I still have my moments, which is why I keep playing, but at my age there are days where it seems I lose focus and the harder I try the worse it gets.
 

darmoose

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Joined
May 16, 2012
Messages
2,420
From
Baltimore, MD
John,

Your accomplishments since I've been following you, starting with when you and Ghostie played in Chicago in 2013 (I think), have always been admirable and probably unmatched by anyone your age. I also envy your golf game and your being able to play Golf at your home room, even though I've never actually seen you play or been able to play in a game with you. I had hoped to in Chicago last year but it never happened.

I gamble weekly with a couple young players I have basically taught to play one pocket in the last couple years. We usually play $50 a game and it started out with them getting 9/7, 8/7 and now they are giving me all I want playing even. They were already very good rotation players and once they started thinking a little bit like a one pocket player instead of going for too many shots, their game went up a ball or two.

One of them got a little froggy and decided to play for $100 a game and finally quit because I would not go for balls he thought I should be trying to make when I had the ball count lead. I told him when you get paid more $$ for winning faster I might start going for them.:D

You've told this story before and I love what you tell them when they complain about your shot choices. Where do they get the hutzpah to say that to a kind, harmless, old gentleman like you :heh:heh or even to a crabapple like me, I wonder. When I hear that complaint I say"shoot at your hole more, it will end faster, I promise".;)

I find the older I get the more aggressive I want to be. Maybe it’s because as I lose my ball pocketing skills, I want to convince myself I still have it when deep down I know I don’t. I still have my moments, which is why I keep playing, but at my age there are days where it seems I lose focus and the harder I try the worse it gets.

I think we play this game because we love the competition and we love to win. When we lose that, we quit playing. Fortunately, OP offers more than one way to be competitive and to win. We have no choice but to play with what we brung and within our capabilities. For me, focus and confidence are all important. They used to come from firing balls in, now they come from other places, or they don't come at all.
 
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