Shooters and others

Billy Jackets

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Passion and natural ability will HELP lead just about anyone to their goals in life.
Sports is a perfect example. BUT, there must be some form of test for all the effort. Competition can come in many forms and this is where you can find the TEST of your Mettle. (def: a person's ability to cope well with difficulties or to face a demanding situation in a spirited and resilient way.)

Gambling you get to choose your opponent, the game, spot, the rules, where, the table and time limit, if needed.

In Tournaments, almost all the decisions are made for you once you decide to pay the entry fee.

Both Tests are measured in how you finished. Gamble, when finished you have won the wager.

Tournament, if you finish in the top 25% of the field you get money. The higher the finish, the more money.

The TEST is what's important.

The experience of TESTing your passion and what you've been practicing is what toughens your Mettle.

I'm not saying this is what you do , I am just using your premise for an intro to an example.
I'm in the pool room one day and in comes a guy who is 4 or 5 balls better than anyone in the room.
He's an arrogant blowhard which makes it even worse.
Last I heard he still lived with his parents and moved his girlfriend in a few years ago ,I am guessing him in his early 30s.
He's never had a job anyone knows of and only comes around on rare occasions to play in weak tournaments or try to pluck a fish out of the water.
Anyway, he's been all around the room making games he would be stealing at and he finally tells this young guy with more heart than brains that he is going to have to extend himself to get any better.
The kids about to go for it, and in walks a real player.
He immediately goes up to blowhard and offers him a pretty big spot , of course blowhard says he would play any time but he has to go.
I'm not usually a knocker, but the next time I hear him give someone that speech ,it's gonna be awful hard not to remind him how fast he hit the door, when he had his chance to stretch his wings !
 

wincardona

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Aug 7, 2007
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From
Dallas Tx.
Some players have natural ability some players don't, but that doesn't mean that the players that don't have as much potential as the players with natural ability do can't improve their game. After playing pool for a certain amount of time we should all be able to characterize our ability in the pecking order. This site offers a unique way of learning and improving one's game, where else can you go to develop an understanding of a game that demands as much strategic play as it does precision play. Blessed are the ones that have both but improving strategically is just as rewarding and in some cases more rewarding than improving your ball striking skills. Additionally, if you have the passion for playing certain games like many do on this site than your ball striking skill will get better because you will more often than not find yourself in situations where you can be comfortable simply because you have been making the right choices.

Dr. Bill
 

bstroud

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May 29, 2010
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One thing no one has mentioned is what age you started playing.

It seems so much easier to learn when you are young.

In my case I started about 9 years old on a 3-½ X 7 covered in green corduroy.

I could play well by 14. Was it natural ability or just a fanatic desire to improve?

All I know is that I spent every waking hour I could manage from age 9 to age

17 playing, practicing and studying pool, snooker and billiards.

It has been a wonderful experience and has served me well.

Bill S.
 

Cary

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Nov 18, 2010
Messages
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From
Bertram, Texas
Be the ball.


MM

First time I heard this it was said by long bow expert Byron Ferguson as "Be the arrow". It worked for him. The long bow turned out to be one of the few things with which I seemed to have some natural ability. What worked best for me, at least for stationary targets, was focusing on the precise center until all else faded from my vision. When I could accomplish that it seemed the arrow had no place else to go. Maybe if I could achieve that level of focus on a pool table I'd make a ball now & then.
 

NH Steve

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Apr 25, 2004
Messages
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From
New Hampshire
I notice that most players reach a certain level of expertise, then no matter how much they play, that's about where they top out. I assume that is mostly natural ability limiting them, because you see players clearly get stuck even with an obsession with practice and commitment to coaching. OK, maybe those players creep up a little more, but... ultimately and at not too much a higher level, they top out too.

The other thing I am going to say is that we at OnePocket.org are truly blessed with members that freely share tremendous thinking and advice. Wow, and thank you all!!
 

baby huey

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Oct 29, 2008
Messages
1,950
Ever notice how players who have a good break shot playing nine ball are good ball strikers over all? The requirements for an effective break shot are that your mechanics are excellent. I don't have a very good break shot and thusly have to constantly work on my ball pocketing skills. Systems, fluid stroke and hand eye coordination are just out of my reach on a constant basis. So playing One Pocket allows me to use other methods to stay competitive. I try to use ball arrangement, player analysis and trapping as my means to stay competitive. For me, being almost 70 yrs old, I have to assume I'll NEVER become a good ball striker and continue to work on the other elements of the game.
 

youngstown

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Jan 15, 2015
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Shooters and others

I think one of the biggest things I’ve noticed is that most ppl practice the same all the time. It is more fun to work on your strengths than your weaknesses. We take pride and also rely on our strengths and therefore it’s easy to think that’s the logical thing to do. However, it may be the case that there are other areas/ways that should be practiced or improved.


Another thing is that most of us are smart enough to know what is going on, so we don’t think we need to ask for help. When we do, it usually needs to be on our terms. So that is limiting. We can’t improve on something we can’t see or identify as a need area. Sometimes we need another set of eyes.


Finally, we undervalue (or overestimate our own stroke) or just have no real idea on what proper stroke mechanics are. If there is a flaw that can be identified but we are too stubborn to ask for help, believe we’re too set in our ways or old or just don’t want to change, think we don’t have time, etc, etc...then we’re never improve in that area either. I should add to this that I shoot with an extremely precise shooter, mid to high pro level (he can run out on a snooker table as often as most can run out on a normal table), who actually has poor mechanics in certain areas. So when he does miss he knows he put a horrible stroke on it, but he has no idea why.


We our often our own blocker to improvement.


MM
 
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sausage

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It is more fun to work on your strengths than your weaknesses.

that's right.... in fact, Dick Lane told me "practice your weaknesses" . that's how he got so good.... and on that note, today i was practicing straight-in corner to corner shots with the cueball frozen to the rail. Thorston recommends using this as a practice drill to check your stroke by following the object ball into the pocket. super difficult but rewarding when you do so.
 

SactownTom

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May 31, 2004
Messages
813
From
Sacramento CA
I'm not usually a knocker, but the next time I hear him give someone that speech ,it's gonna be awful hard not to remind him how fast he hit the door, when he had his chance to stretch his wings !

I agree Mr. Jackets.

There always seems to be at least someone in a pool room that the rest of the players just LOVE to see lose. (Gambling or in a Tournament)
 

vapros

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May 24, 2004
Messages
4,806
From
baton rouge, la
Sausage, I tried the exercise you suggested - straight-in corner to corner, cue ball frozen to the rail - to check my stroke. Just as I feared, it's not so good.
 

lll

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Mar 19, 2007
Messages
19,057
From
vero beach fl
that's right.... in fact, Dick Lane told me "practice your weaknesses" . that's how he got so good.... and on that note, today i was practicing straight-in corner to corner shots with the cueball frozen to the rail. Thorston recommends using this as a practice drill to check your stroke by following the object ball into the pocket. super difficult but rewarding when you do so.

corner to corner
how do you freeze the cue ball to the rail??
there is a pocket in the corner
i obviously dont understand the cue ball object ball placements
i apologize for being so dense...:eek::eek:
 

FrenchAT

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Joined
Aug 5, 2016
Messages
151
From
Augusta, Georgia
I'm not saying this is what you do , I am just using your premise for an intro to an example.
I'm in the pool room one day and in comes a guy who is 4 or 5 balls better than anyone in the room.
He's an arrogant blowhard which makes it even worse.
Last I heard he still lived with his parents and moved his girlfriend in a few years ago ,I am guessing him in his early 30s.
He's never had a job anyone knows of and only comes around on rare occasions to play in weak tournaments or try to pluck a fish out of the water.
Anyway, he's been all around the room making games he would be stealing at and he finally tells this young guy with more heart than brains that he is going to have to extend himself to get any better.
The kids about to go for it, and in walks a real player.
He immediately goes up to blowhard and offers him a pretty big spot , of course blowhard says he would play any time but he has to go.
I'm not usually a knocker, but the next time I hear him give someone that speech ,it's gonna be awful hard not to remind him how fast he hit the door, when he had his chance to stretch his wings !

LOL, This is a very common character and conversation in most pool halls. It's not new, he is not recreating the wheel. That guy who has never had a job actually has one, it's gambling! Guy told me a long time ago, you can work for a living or gamble, you cant do both. Your 8-10 hours on the job, he's learning a new hustle or spending it practicing the prop he's going to sell to the fish. That old "you have to gamble, or extend yourself" talk is a pyramid scheme. They tell that to fish who believe it and rob them until they get good enough for those fish to tell that same lie to the next batch of fish. Teach that fish just enough to get better, but never enough for him to stop feeding you at the top of the pyramid. The more fish you can keep under you, the longer your stay at the top of the pyramid.lol Works especially well on certain individual's personalities, obviously. We all know who they are. You can challenge yourself and get better without handing someone your wallet. There's just too much available out there technologically these days for someone to have to gamble to pay for each lesson on the pool table.
 

sausage

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i forgot to mention something critical about pocketing balls. PLAY YOUR POSITION ON EVERY SHOT, EVEN YOUR FINAL SHOT. this is why you see so many good players miss the money ball or "choke". they stop playing their position... i had a good player tell me this long ago "play your position on every shot".... low and behold this is what Rempe's aforementioned practice routine forces you to do. when your position is on, the object ball falls. never watch the object ball to the pocket. follow the cue-ball and listen for the object ball to fall. Keep your eyes glued to your cue-ball position. the object-ball is only there to set the parameters of cue-ball position. ... i'm absolutely certain that this is the key to consistent shot-making. i was watching a video of Reyes not playing well. he started watching his cue-ball like it just stole his wallet. it was that noticeable. this is the key. this is the truth, the way and the light.
 
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sausage

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That old "you have to gamble, or extend yourself" talk is a pyramid scheme.

not according to John Schmidt. he encourages lesser players to gamble to improve their game. in fact, i learned while watching one-pocket videos of Scott Frost the commentators were remarking about how Scott was schooled in the game by losing a lot of money or "paying his dues". i believe that this is true. nothing will make you more determined to improve your game than losing your money. just like losing a fight. you become determined to never let that happen again and work on your weaknesses. there's nothing sweeter than being able to beat-up someone who used to pick on you. :heh
 

sausage

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Sausage, I tried the exercise you suggested - straight-in corner to corner, cue ball frozen to the rail - to check my stroke. Just as I feared, it's not so good.

yeah, it's a real showstopper isn't it. lol... try it with a bit of downward pressure on the cue looking at the cue-ball and stroking through the blurry object ball in your peripheral vision. but don't feel bad. it's tough for everyone but Thorston.
 

sausage

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corner to corner
how do you freeze the cue ball to the rail??
there is a pocket in the corner
i obviously dont understand the cue ball object ball placements
i apologize for being so dense...:eek::eek:

put the cue-ball close to the corner pocket on the rail and the object ball on a straight line with the opposite corner pocket then try to make the object ball and follow it in with your cueball.
 
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