Perfect Practice: The Cueist Project

I learned something really valuable from The Cueist the other day.

I have always been of the opinion to practice like you're in a tournament.

What do I mean by that exactly?

For me, what that was if you have a pool table at home, don't play in your pajamas or slippers. Instead, wear the same clothes that you would wear if you were competing.

I didn't like a pool table at home because I didn't have the same atmosphere or feeling as during a pool tournament. You can turn off the TV, put the dogs in the bedroom, you can shut out any distractions. But is that the same atmosphere as a pool tournament?

Um, no.

I've written a lot about how I love practicing in pool rooms because things will be distracting, just like during a tournament. The music may be too loud, someone might try to talk to me while I'm playing, these are all the same things we have to deal with when we are in a tournament.

So again, you should play pool in the same settings as if you were competing in the tournament.

But The Cueist actually goes further.  And I'm so excited to share this all with you today!

He says one of his preparations to get ready for tournament is to spar with a friend. But instead of just sparring, he is instead thinking of his opponent as a nemesis.

No, no, not me.

I'm not his nemesis. (wait, I hope not!)

But pretending you are playing your nemesis makes you bare down more!

He isn't just really sparring with a friend, he actually has the feelings during a tournament against the guy that is always tough for him to beat.

I think this is a very important learning experience for you all to try to incorporate!

He describes it much better:

Since I don't get to practice as much as I used to, I tried doing something else at the start of this year. A few years back, I talked to Rodney Morris about a few different things in pool. But one thing he mentioned about practice is this:

"When I was young, trying to learn the mental game, my mentor told me, 'you need to learn to play within yourself.' For me, that means practicing exactly like you play for real. When I'm practicing, I try to convince myself that I'm in the finals against whomever is my toughest opponent. I try to create that pressure situation. Because if you just practice like you're practicing, when you're playing for real, it will be different and you won't know how to react. People say practice makes perfect, but that's not true. It's perfect practice that makes perfect. So train correctly and imagine yourself in the toughest situation every shot and you'll be able to emulate that and stay within yourself no matter what is at stake:)"

The Cueist went on:

I just happened to see Rodney's message at the start of this year, and what I started doing is picturing my friend that I spar with as my nemesis. That made me bare down a lot more, and I got to the point where I am beating my friend in a race to 18, and he's now not even getting into double digits!

Aside from mentally picturing my nemesis, I also changed things up a little when practicing certain shots, or playing the ghost. I started picturing that I was back in the finals. By just picturing the lights, etc, it helps me bare down, even when doing something as mundane as practicing the same shot over and over.

Obviously, everyone is different. And this is just what's been working for me. I'm sure I'll be changing my nemesis as needed during my next practice sessions. :)

And by the way, since he has started visualizing his sparring friend as his toughest opponent in a match during a tournament, he has noticed his game is gone up a ball. That's pretty fantastic.

Learn from The Cueist, folks! 

Next time you spar with a friend, pretend they are your toughest pool enemy.  And/or visualize your surrounds from a previous tough match, and incorporate that when practicing.

Playing Pool For Fun? Uh, no.

I was talking to a new coworker the other day, who has only been employed at my office for about 8 months, but been with our company for about 15 years. He had no idea I used to play pool and he was very intrigued because he plays golf. As we all know, the sports are very similar.  Further, he plays in tournaments on weekends and is a pretty good player for an amateur (hey, just like me!).

During our convo, he asked me something unusual, and as soon as he asked it, though, I immediately knew something about his golf game.  And when I gave him my answer, he immediately knew something about my pool game.

He asked me if I ever practiced pool for fun.

Again, I thought it was an unusual question, so I first looked at him funny, but then confidently said, "Nope."

And he replied, "Now I know you were serious about pool when you played."

And I replied, "Just by you asking that question, I also know you play a good game of golf!"

I'm not sure if I've shared this before or not, but once I became more serious about competing and also when I started to focus more on trying to make my fundamentals solid, I didn't play pool for fun anymore. I discovered it was one of the worst things I could do, was play pool for fun.

By that I mean, I either practiced with intention, or played in league and in tournaments ONLY; I no longer played pool for fun.  I wouldn't ever again, say, play for fun on a Friday night with a couple of friends that weren't pool players.

In other words, if I'm at the pool room on a Friday night and I happened to be playing pool, I'm usually doing a race, maybe gambling, maybe there for a tournament, or hitting balls to get ready for a tournament (ie practicing). But you would never have seen me in the previous 10 years just having fun with friends drinking and playing pool.

Why?

Well, when I would be out having fun with friends at the pool room, it would cause me to resort back to my old tendencies of two-stroking and jumping up on my shots. Let's face it, it had been difficult enough for me to stay down on my shots and follow through, and being in an atmosphere where there wasn't competition, I didn't even try to stay down or follow through; I was having fun with friends.

And anyway, who wants to hang out with a friend who is trying to be super serious at pool? They would rather be joking and drinking and catching up anyway.

I had put so much time and energy into my game, I didn't want to put myself in situations that set me back.

What do I mean by set me back?

Well, I found this out the hard way:

Once my fundamentals started to get better, if I went out to the pool room for fun and drinking with friends (who don't play pool), I noticed at my next practice session I had some fine tuning to work on because I had flubbed up my fundamentals. Figured it was fluke, so of course I went out and had fun again a few weeks later on another night lol. And what to do you know - same thing happened: my mechanics got messed up.

My fundamentals weren't solid yet, so any time I played where I wasn't serious, was a detriment to my game.

Seriously.

You see, I was finally always working on my game. You may not have seen it, you may not have known it, but if you saw me on a table in the last 10 years I was either trying to stay down, trying to focus on three-ball shape, trying to walk 'into my shots,' working on shape, trying to learn... all that type of stuff. So why would I possibly want to take steps backwards?

Okay, okay.... don't be sitting there thinking I didn't have fun lol. I did have a lot of fun! I went out a lot still - I just didn't play pool when I did go out and have fun.

I remember also that when I traveled for my job, people would always try to get me to play pool after work. It was always difficult to explain I just wasn't interested. Even if I gave the excuse I didn't bring my cue (which I didn't travel with unless I was playing in a big tournament), they would say, "Just use a house cue, come on!"

Nope.

Again, playing for fun when I was trying to improve and work on my fundamentals was a step backwards for me. I wasn't using the same muscle memory when I was having fun. Why? I was focused on laughing and joking and drinking with non-pool playing friends. Those nights just weren't the proper times to be working on my game.

And btw, this proved extremely beneficial to me. Because even when I play pool now, I am surprised just how solid my fundamentals are and good I am still playing, though I hardly play pool and haven't competed in over 2 years.

Now, go check your fun factor. Have you noticed the same thing? If so, just have fun with your non-pool playing friends at other spots that don't have pool tables. See? Simple solution. haha

There are Different Forms of Practice - Project Hunger Games

Katniss (of the Project Hunger Game Series section of my blog) shared with me a few months ago one afternoon that she was playing well, even though she hadn't been able to practice but one time that week. And that "it was very unusual for me to not practice more."

I discovered that she plays league twice a week, maybe plays a tournament once on the weekends, and also still practices three to four times a week.

Holy cow that's a lot of pool!

I was hesitant to share my opinion, but I really thought she was practicing too much. I actually consider league practice and also playing in tournaments practice. Sure, those are not dedicated "practice sessions" (if we want to put a label on it), but it's still playing pool - it's still working on your game. 

Let me put it this way, if you not playing league or tournaments or gambling, then yes, you should be putting in a practice session or two a week if you can because otherwise you aren't playing at all.

Further, this might sound silly, but if in your mind you think you have to practice, let's say four times a week, and you only get to practice two times that week, you might think it will hurt your play.  And you might blame not shooting well because you didn't put in your normal 4-times-a-week practice session. Yet, the reason could be stress at work or not enough sleep or because you just had a bad night.  What I didn't want Katniss to get in the habit was, was to think that she had to practice four times a week to play well.

I shared with her, "You may not like this, but I think you practice too much lol. So, only practicing once, then having league twice, and playing in a tournament is actually a lot of pool. :) Therefore, it makes sense to me you are still playing well, even tho you don't feel like you practiced enough.  I think reading can be considered a "practice" day because you are still working on your game, for example. :)"

She explained, "Yes, I do practice a lot, but I enjoy it! I'm obsessed with the game lol. I may back off some. Well, I will try anyway, lol."

I explained further, because I didn't want to deter her, "I'm not necessarily saying back off a lot. But I am suggesting that you should consider league night, reading, gambling, and/or playing a weekly tournament as forms of practice. So if you don't get in the dedicated practice you are used to, you'll still feel good. :)"

She replied, "That is true. Hmmm, never thought of it like that."

What I diddn't share with her is that sometimes when we ease up on so much dedicated practice, and realize that other activities (reading, playing league, watching videos, etc.) are a form of practice by working on our game, it actually helps us. Consequently, we will still play well (and sometimes better!), even though we aren't physically playing pool during a "dedicated practice session." 

I talked to her over the weekend and she said she hasn't been practicing as much. I was surprsied, as I didn't think she was really going to cut down the number of her dedicated practice sessions.  

I was like, "Really?"

"Yep," she said, "And you know what? I'm playing better."  

I smiled to myself and was so happy she experienced that positive consequence! 

Practicing Alone Effectively

The other day someone posted on Facebook looking for advice.

Because I am a huge fan of Copy and Paste, lol, I thought it would be cool to share with you all the question and the answers this player received.

Q:  Anyone else have trouble focusing when practicing alone? Need some tips on how to practice the way I would play against an opponent. 

Reply 1: Practice playing the ghost, and commit to competing against it the whole set, start off with shorter sets and even give yourself a reasonable spot and work your way up to playing it even

Reply 2: Definitely play the ghost like suggested, really work to stay focused. Straight Pool is also a great way to practice. Sometimes you can begin to play 9ball unconsciously because the balls tell you what you need to do. To play straight pool you’ll need to be constantly thinking of what to do next. It will improve your game all around as well.

Reply 3: Go on the road. (this received a lot of laughing emoticons)

Reply 4: I didn't contribute to the discussion on Facebook, but I will share my thoughts with you all here.  I wrote a blog post many moons ago that shares how I practice.  When I played by myself (which was most of the time back then), this was my practice routine - and it helped me all these years.

Great Golf Advice from a Pitcher about Not Practicing

I know, I know, the subject of this blog post is interesting (or confusing, right?!  haha).

I have mentioned a few times now that I work on blog articles after work at my desk in my office.  Well, I took a much needed vacation the first full week of October.  So, that kept me from my office, right?  Then I was busy catching up at work and now I find myself with not many blog posts this month (October).  So, I'm trying to catch up and write several before the end of the month to meet my personal monthly quota lol (10-15 per month).

Where did I go for this much-needed, stress-free vacation?  Well, of course Vegas!  My fave city.  :)  I even saw a show this time.  Being that I have been to Vegas a lot, I have seen most shows, but this time my friend Robin and I went to see Barry Manilow.  It was a really great show and she and I had a great time!  Barry is now 75 years old, but you would never it know based on how he moves all around the stage, dancing and very active, for the entire full 2 hours of his show.  Heck, I lost close to 20 pounds before going to Vegas and he STILL had more energy than I did at 75.  Pretty impressive!

This time in Vegas, I actually found a boyfriend!  He wasn't very talkative, but we hit it off:

Don't be jealous!

hahaha.

I also used a new app called "Relive" and it's super cool!  It creates a video of hikes/runs/walks/biking/etc and puts your route on a google map, and you can also add photos along the way.  Here I am walking from the Peppermill to the Flamingo Casino along the Vegas Strip and here is another video when I walked from NYNY casino along the Vegas Strip back to the Flamingo.  It can show how many miles, how fast you went, and how long it took.  Pretty cool app, right?

So, I flew Southwest Airlines for the first time in about 15 years this trip to Vegas.  I normally fly American because DFW is a hub and that's who all my airline miles are with, lol.  But, it was about $200 cheaper with Southwest this time and therefore I found myself at a new airport (Love Field) and a new airline.  I normally watch the movies on AA through my tablet (if they don't have screens in the chairs) but because I hadn't flown SW in so long, I didn't know I needed to download their app to watch shows BEFORE I got on the plane.  Oopps!

However, always the prepared person that I am (smile) I brought along my ipod for music, sudoku puzzles and a magazine, "Golf."  I somehow have a subscription to Golf magazine, prolly from some online thing I signed up for and then got a free magazine.  I normally stop any free issues, but I have been sharing the mag each month with my coworkers.  However, I took this issue with me in case I needed some time to kill on my flights (SW had a layover on each leg of my flight - well, "stop over," not switching planes).

ANYWAY, lol.

Archie Bradley (pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks) was interviewed in the Golf magazine and I really enjoy when different sports and athletes cross each other in magazines or interviews or articles.
Towards the end of the interview he shared some great advice a golf pro shared with him.  And now I am sharing it with you all :)

Q:  What's the best advice you've received about your golf game?

Answer:

"I played with Lucas Glover, and he gave me a bit of advice.  He said, "Hey, man, you don't practice, so when you come out here don't expect to shoot a 75, because you're not good enough to shoot a 75.  If you shoot an 85, you shoot an 85."  Ever since then, I've loved golf 100 times more."

Great advice for our pool game, too, right?

Distractions During Practice - In Stereo

I  sparred with my friend Tina a couple of times in early October.  Here we are before the bloodbath:

Both times we met up, we were distracted by another player.  He came in all cocky, and he had his own personal stereo.  He was listening to music, but not via headphones.  Instead, it was clipped on his shirt or something and everyone could hear it.

It was very annoying.  If he turned toward us to shoot, the music was louder.  As he turned away to shoot, we could still hear his song of choice, just muffled a little bit.  He mostly listened to 80s music, but not hip hop like I'd of preferred, lol.

It may seem like this shouldn't be a bother, but it really was annoying for some reason.  Sure, people play music on the jukebox all the time I may not recognize or like, but for some reason that never bothers me.  This guy - bothersome with his personal stereo system we could all hear.  If he was just walking by it prolly wouldn't have been an issue, but it was lingering around us for over 2 hours.  Even when the guy found an opponent (not sure how), he didn't turn it down or turn it off, just kept on his little own world.

I didn't say anything to Tina the first Saturday about my thoughts about him, but when he walked in again the second Saturday, I noticed we both kinda grimaced at the same time lol, and then we talked about how he was a distraction.

Here's the thing about this guy and his personal karaoke system:  I'm glad he showed up!  The whole reason to practice in a pool room is to experience the same non-controlled atmosphere we might encounter at league or in a tournament.  It was almost the perfect set up!  Except, I would have chosen a different annoyance, lol.

Ouch. Practice IS Important

This is one of those unusual post topics where I'm going to just straightforwardly admit to you all that I was wrong.

I WAS WRONG!

And what a harsh reality it was for me, lol.

I played in a tournament this past Saturday.  It was basically a tournament where if you were rated a 6 or under on the Omega Billiards Tour, you could play.  I wanted to play because it was a nice change of pace instead of playing a lot of players better than I was, and it was cool to be thrown into the mix of playing players my own level.

The night before, I located my cue stick out from the back of my closet and put it together for the first time in about 6 months.  I wanted to see if I could even make a bridge comfortably with my mower-strickened hand.  And of course I found out it was extremely painful to play pool.  The two fingers of my bridge hand that I need to put on the felt are the two fingers that my lawn mower blade cut right into.

But that didn't stop me from going, as I envisioned my heyday of pool playing springing out of my body and I was going to play spot on like I did without practicing all these past years.  Plus, I was going to show up Saturday morning as planned because I wouldn't want to cancel on that Tournament Director (I know from first-hand experience how cancellations cause so much extra work).

Also on that Friday night, I prepared myself mentally.  Since I didn’t have time to physically practice, I still imagined the many, many instances of staying down, following through, looking at the cue ball last, and trying not to think of my surroundings.  You see, in this particular pool room, it's very close quarters and it feels like all eyes are on you, so it’s a tough environment to play in.

But alas, Saturday was a harsh reminder of why I simply don't want to play pool anymore.  I guess you could say I’m finally growing up.  Awww!  You see, I'd rather walk through a new lush park on a beautiful day with a great friend or my dog than be in a smoky pool room dealing with pressure, emotions, conflict, mental toughness, etc.

I went through years of that very successfully!  And I'm very proud of those successful years and titles.  But now I just want to take it easy, lol.

I'll be honest - I wasn't laughing, I wasn't smiling, I wasn't having fun on Saturday.  And yet there I was, trying to play pool from my golden years, lol, in an environment that I'm trying to stay away from, even with hurt fingers.  lol.

And I also found out Saturday I turned into the person that has learned the hard way that playing pool is definitely not like riding a bike. The few times that I competed last year I competed very well with still not practicing.  Even when someone asked me, “it's not like riding a bike, is it?”  I countered with, “what are you talking about?  I don't even notice a difference - I'm still playing gooooood.”

But what I want to say right here and now is that I'm a hundred percent wrong.  One does need to practice. One does need to hit balls to stay competitive.  No matter how many times I tried to pontificate that I have such solid fundamentals that I didn't need to practice, I was completely wrong. I lied to myself.  I lied to anyone who would listen.  And it turns out I'm just like everyone else after you take a break - you're just not the same competitive pool player that you were before.

You may think - then go practice! 

Uh, sorry.  My pool playing days are over with.  And I’m extremely content with that!  It's time to find out what is beyond the smoke-filled pool room walls out there.  I can’t wait!

I was very frustrated and disappointed about Saturday, but it was also a great reminder that my new focus on life really is away from the pool room and away from competing (read more about this here).  And I want to be around things that give my heart and soul peace.  Competing in pool gave me that happiness before, but my goals have shifted away from that.  And again - that's okay!

So I'm glad Saturday happened.  Sure, I'd rather of been getting a massage or walking in a park, but having a great reminder of your goals for your heart in life is not a bad thing.

Practice Makes Perfect

After I posted about a solid break, someone asked me to explain this sentence:

"That's yet another cause-n-effect of not often-enough play in tournaments or leagues and so I kinda forgot due to lack of play and repetition. "

I'm glad they asked!

I practiced over and over and over again my 9-ball break on a diamond bar table.  Suffice it to say, it's my most solid, accurate, and dependable break I have.

AND, because I practiced it so much and was diligent about learning the sweet spot to it, I wont ever forget how to break well on a 9-ball break on a diamond bar table.

Whereas, I did not work on or practice my break for 9-ball on an 8-foot table or 9-foot table.  When I played all the time the last 10 years, I had a certain "routine" down for those breaks that worked well for me, but since I haven't been playing, that routine is no longer there and I'm just kinda whacking at my breaks on the bigger tables.  "Hopeful Break" is what I should call it lol.

Now - had I practiced a lot my break on those larger tables as I did on a diamond bar table, I wouldn't have had to remember any "routine" and instead it would have been ingrained how I break with what speed, finesse, or solidness.

That's what I meant by "kinda forgot due to lack of play and repetition."

So, if you want to remember certain aspects of the game, practice to perfection will help you a lot if you ever take a hiatus.

Tell-Tale Signs Practicing?

I decided last minute to play in a tournament last weekend (read how that happened here) and did not show up until about 5-10 minutes before noon.

The calcutta would start late about 12:25 or so and I was able to collaborate with a couple of friends about who might be good buys in the calcutta.

I knew most of the players, or recognized them, but there were a few I did not know.  Many I hadn't seen in years it seemed like.

As we discussed the potential horses to buy, one of my friends said, "I don't know who he is, but he plays really good - I saw him practicing earlier."

And another friend said a little later about a different player, "that guy right there couldn't miss a ball practicing this morning against Phillip."

I quickly discounted both of those players.

I told each of my friends when this came up, "well, everyone practices well.  There's no pressure just hitting balls."

It gave them something extra to think about - because I didn't want to them spend their money on an unknown player just because he hit balls well while he practiced.  We all free-stroke during practice, right?  That is actually why some people suggest to play in your matches like you are practicing, because there's no pressure in practice and we play pretty sporty while we hit balls by ourselves with no "real" competition right in front of us.  For instance, have you felt adrenaline during practice?

Don't get me wrong - practice IS important.  Crucial and essential, actually.  But, you can't judge who will be the top players of a tourney the morning of.  Some may be just trying to get the table speed down.  Or warming up their body or getting lose. 

One of the guys asked about another player, "What about the guy in the black shirt?  Do you know him?  He was also hitting balls well this morning."

I didn't know who he was, but I joked, "Well, again, everyone practices well with no pressure.  Wait til he runs against a chick like me."  And everyone laughed.

While funny, it IS true.  If you find yourself against a good player, playing a chick in front of all your friends, or being down 0-3 against a scrub, it WILL affect your play and your free-stroking games of practice in the morning are all of a sudden now no-where to be found.

Practice / Drills? Or Something else?

I was walking through the aisles at the ACS Texas State tourney inbetween all the pool tables, as I had just come washing my hands before my 9am match. 

I then saw out of the corner of my eye two friends shooting the same shot over and over.

I walked my a$$ over and interrupted, "What's going on over here?"

"I'm showing B how to shoot this shot," C said.

B shot the shot and missed it badly, AND the shape (which is what they were going for).

I said, "well, that way makes it a REALLY tough shot.  If you want to get down and around the table, you should do this instead."

And I shot the shot with top left English and the cueball smoothly sailed around for shape at the bottom end of the table.

C and B both tried it and couldn't really do the shot.  I told them even THAT shot is a tough shot and you just have to hit it over and over again to get used to it.  I added, "eventually, you will get the hang of the shot and really enjoy it."

I apologized for interrupting them (I really did fell bad) and I skedaddled on my way to my match.

A few hours later I saw B and I apologized again.  "Sorry I bothered you two, I was just trying to help."

"Oh you didn't bother us at all!  We leanred from what you showed us and we actually want to spend more time on shots with you."

"Oh really?  Cool.  Yes, let's do that."

She then confided with me.  "My significant other always want me to shoot shots over and over and over again and she wants me to practice shots I don't know yet or miss a lot and do drills.  I really don't like to do that.  But they insist, and then even get upset when I push back on practicing."

I told her, "well, honestly, I don't like to practice.  And I don't do drills.  So, I look at it as just shooting a shot til I feel comfortable with it.  If you look at it as NOT practice or NOT drills, but something that is fun to do - like learning a new shot - then you will be more apt to shoot a shot over and over til you love it/learn it."

"That's a really good point," she said.

"They are just trying ti help, but if you are already dreading it, then it wont be helpful at all.  Just look at it as improving, not drills or practice.  Those are "dry" words and not very positive to many people.  "Learning" and "excelling," are.  I do "practice" shots but I don't consider a full blown practice session."

Basically I was trying to tell her that practicing (or shooting) a shot over and over is good, but not if you are dreading "practicing."  Just call it something more fun!  Look at it from a different point of view.

She then gave me a hug and then she skedaddled to her next match!

Bad Practice and Two-Stroking

I mentioned that I played poorly during the BCAPL Nationals this year in July.

I have been trying to figure out why.  One of the reasons is because I didn't get enough sleep .  But truly, the other reason, once I thought about it, was because I was practicing bad.

I have written numerous time how I hadn't practiced not even ONE time before my two recent big wins (BCAPL Texas State Ladies Single title and ACS 9-Ball Ladies Single title).

Well, this time I decided to practice before the BCAPL Nationals.  While that may seem like a good idea, it bit me in the ass instead.

I thought practicing straight pool would help me, but it did not. 

While straight pool is suppose to hone you in and help your rotation games, I ended up two-stroking my shots (literally only stroking only TWICE and then shooting) b/c I was playing by myself (no pressure) but more so because the shots seemed easy to me.

I no longer had that good stroke that everyone talked about.  And two-stroking is NOT good for me.  Hurts my shot making ability 100%.

I was even playing bad on my Thursday night ladies league before Nationals.  I knew something was off, but I didn't know what until in Vegas I was missing shots I don't normally miss b/c I was back to two-stroking.

"Any day of the week, no practice is better than bad practice."

-Randy Goettlicher, Pool School Instructor

Once I figured this out (too late during that big event), I have been playing much better at my ladies league and even played well in the last Omega!  Got 17th out of 80 players :) :)

Reviewing Straight Pool Videos

A friend of mine is going to the Straight pool tournament in New York in the beginning of August.  I offered to let him borrow some of my favorite straight pool videos, so he can study and maybe it will help him be more prepared.

Since I have JUST started to play straight pool at the house again, after I found the videos, I decided to watch three of them this weekend before I handed the bunch over to my friend.

I LOVE these videos and highly recommend them if you get a chance to buy them or view them.

First:

Pat Fleming's Break Shots, instructional video.

Second:

Pat Fleming's Key Balls, instructional video.

BOTH videos can be found at this link on Accustats.com.   These two videos are EXCEPTIONAL for reviews for break shots and key balls - prolly the most important points of straight pool.  I actually watched each video twice this weekend.

Third:

Phil Capelle's Break Shots DVD (it also comes with a book).  Another great resource to watch and learn from about break shots.

I'm glad I offered the videos, or else I wouldn't have watched them.  And now I know they will help me do better in my renewed interest in straight pool (for the moment, lol).  It's amazing how helpful they were - I had forgotten most of the important tips and pointers and I know reviewing these will help me improve my high runs!

Straight Pool at it Again

The other day I mentioned I actually cleaned off my pool table.  I brushed it and dusted it and it looked so pretty!

I never practice on it (I really don't hit balls at all), but wanted to clear it off, as I mentioned in a previous blog post.

Well, there I was Monday night, not doing anything but watching Major Crimes on TNT, and I was texting my friend Rebecca about her straight pool match.

And then all of a sudden I was like, "I should play some straight pool, too."

I got my cue, and since the table was already cleaned up, I just pulled the balls onto the table from the pockets.  Then, had to find the box the balls came in - I hadn't ever played with more than the 9 balls since I got the table in December, HA!

I broke a few racks with the break shot John Schmidt showed me in Vegas when I competed in the Straight Pool Challenge a few years ago:

I tried this a few times with no success.  UGH!  I scratched, I got stuck in the rack, I scratched in the far pocket with too much bottom right, or didn't have shots,..... it was a mess!

Then I finally figured it out (it had been too long to recall what he told me, honestly). 

And had a few racks I could make some balls.  I was seeing the table REALLY well - it was amazing.  I honestly thought about joining the straight pool league I had been in before, to see if I would do better since I am playing so much better pool in general.

I only played for an hour, but had a 24 ball run.  WOW!  I was stoked!  I don't recall my highest run from that league I was on, but I know I often didn't get over 14 balls lol.

But as straight pool goes, that wouldn't last long, lol.  This game is SO frustrating!

I was SO excited about playing (believe it or not since I don't practice or hit balls), I decided to play straight pool again on Wednesday instead of sitting on my butt and just watching tv lol.

So, I played for TWO hours this night!

But..... omg.... I only had a high run of like 12.  Maybe only 10, lol.

I was SO frustrated.

I was missing a lot.  I couldn't get a good break shot a lot from that angle.  It was NOT fun at all.

I would re-rack after every miss or bad break. I must have racked a 100 times.  It's obviously "Easier" if you have someone to spar with, but I did not, so I just kept re-breaking after each miss.

Well, the next day I go searching in the 14.1 section of the AZB Forums for some tips.  I figure a few VERY important KEY things out that I was doing incorrectly.

First, the break shot I was using, no one really used.  I asked Marop (straight pool beast) about this and he said I should use the normal first break shot, because it will also allow me to practice it as it's the one that comes up the most.  Like at the beginning of this great instructional video from Mike Grosso:


14.1 Instructional Video Part II from Michael Grosso on Vimeo.

Second and more importantly, I should NOT have been re-racking after every time I missed!!  I should have just started my run again.  OMG, really!  I think I was kinda thinking of the straight pool challenge where you have 4 tries and keep re-breaking. 

Well, at home I don't have to keep re-breaking after every miss, I simply start my count over after I miss.  Sheesh!

I can't wait to play again already!  I think I will be more successful with these two very important changes.

New Table

I was in the position back in Nov/Dec to acquire this lovely 8 foot table for my living room:

I used to have a 9 foot table, but I had to sell it back in September.  Yep, I cried!  And I wish I still had it today and never had to sell it!!! 

Anyway, this new one has new felt and shimmed up pockets (not super tight but not buckets), but I hadn't played on it but MAYBE 2 times.

Well, last weekend I cleaned the entire house and organized and decided to even clean off the pool table and stop using it as a shelf and storage area, lol. 

So, there it sits... all clean.  lol.

I don't normally practice at all.  Maybe I should have left it as a table....  hehe.

New Philosphy Isn't Healthy

I am the first to admit that how I prepared for BCAPL Texas State was NOT ideal. 

I hadn't hit any balls, didn't spend any time on the table, didn't play in weekly tourneys; nothing.

I spent NO time on the table.

While I read a couple of books, it is obviously much more beneficial to remain in stroke by practicing or playing pool! 

And yet here I find myself in the same situation for ACS Nationals.  YIKES!

I've played even LESS pool than last time.  I've played two league nights only twice since I won on April 4th.  OMGoodness, that's almost a month!

I again read Play Your Best Pool (the 8-ball section the last two nights) and will also read my notes about Winning Ugly to get my mental face on. 

But I do NOT recommend this.

Someone told me I'll be okay because I have natural talent.  UM NO.  I am the last to have natural talent.  If I had, I'd have been placing better and higher MANY years earlier in my pool life.

Instead, it's been 1000's of learning experiences I gained in each tournament match that has led me to my skills and knowledge I have today.  And it took me over ten years to solidify my fundamentals.

This philosophy I'm using for this tourney again has GOT to stop!  I have to start practicing again if I want to do well consistently.  I need to prepare better if I really want to place better in my tournaments.

Actually Studied

I admit it. 

I've been slacking.

I haven't watched a video, practiced, or read anything about pool in a LONG time.

Well, Thursday night, I actually put in the DVD player a one pocket match (Buddy Hall versus Ray Martin) with Ronnie Allen and Bill Incardona commenting.  THEN, I read the 8-ball section of Phil Capelle's Play Your Best Pool (my #1 recommendation for 8ball!!).

Whew, look at me!

When You Can't Play...

If you can't get to a pool table, you can still work on your game.

Read books, watch videos, read items online, practice your stroke in a mirror (seriously!), etc.

This was my view on Monday night at a local restaurant (SaltGrass - LOVE their salads!)

What is Practice?

I have wondered like the rest of you who really practices and who doesn't.

We hear all the time that pros practice hours upon hours upon hours.

Then we might hear in reality, they don't.  They just "say that" for the interviews.

However, I know some pros that really do practice and others I know only say they do, so both are true, lol.  I've heard both my whole life.

I have a good friend who NEVER practices (I know this for a fact) and she is a top player in Texas (lucky beeeatch lol). 

Everyone is different. 

But I found it very interesting when a top gambler in the area told me he never practices.  I told him he was full of it, then he shared his story.

Thought I'd share with you.  :)

He said that he doesn't practice because he gets enough table time in by gambling.  Oh, and playing some tournaments.

I was like, REALLY? (in my sarcastic voice, head a little tilted)

He said he even lived with about 4 other pool players a couple of years ago in a house that had a 9 foot table and he never practiced on the tab;e.  They would ask him to hit balls with him all the time.  He ALWAYS turned them down.

ALWAYS.

They would finally get fed up with him, and offer to play cheap sets.

Which of course he would.

And he would win.

Every time.

Now, the roommates would win also because the would be sparring and learning from a player better than them!  But he would win their money, lol.

He said they would beg him to play for hours, but he never gave in.... until.... they put money on the line.

THAT was his practice while he lived in a house with a pool table.

Gambling.  Tournaments.  Only.  Never hitting balls alone for hours.

Now, he hits balls a little the morning before tourneys and gambling matches, but he doesn't hit balls for hours upon hours.

However, some other players HAVE to hit balls for hours to warm up.  Another top gambler in the area has to hit balls for hours by himself to feel comfortable about his game and in top form. 

I like it when people do what they need to do to be prepared.  Whatever works for them!

Everyone is different. 

Everyone has their own way of staying in stroke or getting in stroke.

And I like that!

Creating Bad Habits

I have been trying to explain this in other blog entries, but never really got my point across (yea, sometimes it takes me a while, lol).

However, I was talking to someone a few weeks ago at the Omega Billiards Tour stop about this and he described it perfectly, so I wanted to try and explain this one more time, lol, since I think this new explanation will help.

I have shared that I really don't like to just hit balls around socially with just anyone.  It brings my game down and hurts my fundamentals.

I also do not like to play pool when I've had too much to drink, because my fundamentals go out the window.  I've worked so hard on my fundamentals all these years, why would I ever consider playing pool while drinking too much or for fun if it will CREATE BAD HABITS?

If I am TRYING to practice with friends, then I will be fine, but otherwise, I do not play pool socially - I always have a goal or plan when I play. 

I honestly only try to play pool to better my game.

This means, I do not play unless I'm practicing and I don't like to just hit balls. 

Again, playing pool while drinking or just being social CREATES BAD HABITS! 

If you are okay with that, then it's super okay to have fun and play pool socially and/or drink!

My point it is for me, sure it's ok to socialize and have fun, but I take my game very serious and the last thing I want to do is create bad habits and weaken my fundamentals.

Randomly hitting balls around is not improving my game.  I have to be focused; sober, in the right frame of mind.  Otherwise, playing while drinking creates bad habits that I have tried to break all these years.  Staying down, follow through, looking at the object last, etc.   I can NOT do those things if I've had too much to drink!

Have I done this?  Sure.  Was I happy about it?  No not really.  But, I then get right back on the practice table and practice my pre-shot routine and fundamentals.  I don't want anything funny going on in tournaments or leagues!

I recommend to all my friends that want to improve your game, be careful how and when you play pool - don't create bad habits.  You want to at all times WORK on solidifying your fundamentals.

I'm not saying not to have fun, I'm just saying to keep this in the back of your mind.

:)

Practicing and Drinking

You know the saying, "Can't walk and Chew Gum at the Same Time"  ?

Well, I can't play pool well and drink alcohol at the same time.

I see other people do it all the time, and yet I don't know how they do it!  Lol.

I simply can't play pool well with alcohol.   My fundamentals go out the window and all the training and conditioning I've done over the years magically goes away.  And that upsets me, since I've worked all these years conditioning my pre-shot routine.

Therefore, when I mentioned I practiced the other night at the pool room, which hardly ever happens, I only practiced because I wasn't drinking.

It's one.

Or the other.

Not both.

Even one of my friends there said, "I've never seen you play before."

"Yea, I don't drink and play pool at the same time."

She added, "Seriously; I've never seen you play before."

LMAO.

It's true - at this particular pool room, I don't go there to practice; I go there to watch a gambling match or I go there to drink with friends.

So, when she saw me playing pool, she was surprised.

However, what I felt bad about was, I normally only practice by myself.  So, when others asked that night if they could join me, I told them no.  I actually felt really bad for trying to explain, "I'm getting ready for a tourney and like to practice by myself."  It sounded so selfish and actually hurt my little heart to say no, because NO ONE does this at this pool room.  Everyone jumps on a table with others and hits balls together.

That's just not me.  I don't just hit balls; I am fully engaged when I practice, which I do alone by trying to run racks.

If I play with someone, it's to help each others' game (which I will do occasionally).  I do spar with my boyfriend, but even then, I wont drink during that.  But, I don't just hit balls to socialize.  It's one of the very serious things about myself. 

So, if I'm drinking, you wont see me socializing by hitting balls with others.  It actually brings my game DOWN to do that.  If I can't focus on my fundamentals, there's no point to hit balls.

(click photo to enlarge)

Drinking makes me jump up, miss balls, etc.  I practice like I'm in a match, so why would I want my fundamentals compromised with alcohol?  It defeats the purpose of a dedicated practice session.  I want to WORK on my fundamentals, not hurt them. That's what practice is all about imo.

Now, have I drank during a tournament?  Of course, lol.  I have taken a shot (or more) when I am tired or nervous.  It's not smart to do this a lot, but I don't want to come across like I never drink and play pool.  I drink during weekly tourneys, too.  It depends on how serious the event is, honestly.

My point is, when I practice, it's pointless for ME to drink because I can't work on my game.  Practice is to help us improve.  :)

It's one or the other when I practice.