Practice makes perfect...

[sonnic]

Of course it is important to practice(period). But what do I practice??? I guess the easy answer is practice what your not good at. I play in a seasonal league (going to start up again in sept.) and when league is going on i am crazy about pool i practice and play ALOT. but when "pool season" is over my interest for the game goes down considerably... I probibly played at least an hour a day and now only an hour or so every few weeks. Does that happen to any of you???

Also do you have any practice games you can play to keep interest. I play rack-a-round sometimes but that game is hard. Do any of you know any single player pool games???

[maughanm]

Sonnic, I pretty much have the same problem...Even though I probably play or practice 5 days a week for at least an hour a night.....I usually play ghost just to have some sort of competition when I am by myself.....but I get into slumps every now and then and just can't seem to see the line anymore. I'm in one now and need a new way of practicing that will be fun enough to keep from losing interest. Maybe someone with better ideas will respond.....mike

[dags_lax]

There are "practice" games out there that you can score to track your progress. One that I like is 99. Nine ball rack. After the break you have ball in hand. The rack ends when you fail to pocket a ball Scoring is 2 points for making one or more balls on the break, one point for each ball made. making the nine is worth 9 points. There is a possible 11 points per rack and the game is nine racks. This gives you a measurable way to track your progress over the course of time.

The problem with just banging the balls around and practice games is, for me anyway, keeping focused. If you are serious about improving your game you need to shoot drills. I know they can be tedious but look at them as calisthenics for pool. Look at any sport and for the players that excel it is at least 80% work and maybe 20% play. That is not to say that you cannot become a good player by just playing the game but you will become a better player quicker by putting the majority of your time into drills.

[skor]

No doubt that practice drills will improve your game better then just banging balls or even any practice game, but only if you do them right.
But if you want to practice your aim and stroke before a match it's better to rack the balls, break and try to run out.
Playing Straight Pool is also a great way to practice and to learn how to control your shot and position.

In the video - "Byrne's Power Pool Workout, Volume 5" you can find some great drills.

the best way to practice drills in a way so they won't become to boring is to do them with a friend, compeate with him/her who makes them better and progress faster :)

[maughanm]

Good ideas by both Dags and Skor. I track myself playing ghost also with a scoring system. I really agree to the fact that I find myself losing focus when practicing by myself. When I play my best is when I can focus and not see anything in the window but the ob, cb, and line of sight. By myself, my mind gets back on the problems at work, and anything but pool. I have Byrnes Volume 5, but have only watched the first few minutes so far. Maybe I need to sit down and watch the whole thing. He seems to have pretty good videos. mike

[Tanar]

Sonnic,
Like you, my interest and hours of playing severly decreases during the summer. The main reason for this is a shift in interest to softball. I had about 2 months where I didn't even pick up my cues. I usually tend to just head to the hall with my buddies and play some races or money games. It's good to put on the pressure and get the stroke back in form.

[audiopro]

Pressure helps me immensely.... If I am playing someone who is goofing off, I half goof off also.. When they get down on the ball, IT IS ON!!!

Try adding some pressure to your practice methods. I discourage playing for money, unless you're playing at home.. It is frowned upon at most bars, and I try to respect the bars wishes. Instead play for shots, a beer, table time, etc.. Bars dont frown on that, they make money too.

Drills are great!! They are something I overlooked for a long time until post after post I read of dags suggesting them.. I started to get serious with them, and my game has improved signifigantly. The Bob Byrnes line of videos are great.. A good investment... As mentioned by Skor I would suggest buying some, and using them as a guide... Hint... I said a guide... The military change SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) to SOG's (Standard Operating Guidelines) for a reason.. Not everything works for everyone, in every situation... So do not take anything as gospel except what is written in the Holy Bible.. Instead use them as tools to develop your own style...

Most importantly... Keep the game fun.. It is lame sounding, but true.. Fun is what it is all about.. Unless you are a pro playing for money, then things go to another level..

[Tanar]

Funny you mentioned that, Audio. I just received an e-mail from "freepoollesons" explaining that having fun will increase you ability to play. I know when I play ball, if i get frustrated by missing a grounder or forget that i am supposed to be having fun, my playing goes to hell. Having fun is a huge part of the game. Itmay seem to the newbie that having fun and pressure are two different things, but they do tend to go hand in hand. I know I don't have as much fun (playing seriously) if the other person doesn't put pressure on me to win.