A dismantled game-hitting the next level

Hello,
Is it common to get worse before you get better when trying to hit the next level?Do I just have to wait till it all comes together,and does?It would help to know that this could be overcome.
Thanks

I would love to see a womens one-pocket division, I have never understood why there isnt one.

"Is it common to get worse before you get better when trying to hit the next level?"

The answer to this question is yes. When learning a skill you will go through ups, downs, and plateaus. At times, the harder you work the worse you will get to some degree (you won't totally fall apart but will slip). Other times you'll see some improvement then level off and not get any better (plateau) for awhile. It's even good to put it aside for a short time and come back to it and you'll find that you've passed your previous level even thought you were not playing. This can occur after intense practice over a period of time. I taught a skill subject in high school for many years and students would be amazed that they were better after not doing anything over Christmas vacation and when they picked it up again they passed their previous level.

As far as your shooting goes, one-pocket will slow down your shooting ability due to the fact that at times you might not shoot a shot for 1/2 hour or more. Then you have to step up and make one. It's not a rhythm game like nine ball and unless your a very good player you'll find the adjustment hard. The only thing I can recommend is to practice your shooting as much as possible in between your one-pocket.

jerseygirl said:

Hello,
...Also could anyone tell me if there is a womens one-pocket division, my heart and soul is in the game of one-pocket and I would like to eventually focus on that.
Thanks

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This year at the Derby City Classic they introduced a top women 'all around' title -- for the top women finisher in all three divisions, One pocket, 9-Ball & Banks. I don't know of any women's division One Pocket event.

Of course, there is a lot of opportunity for free-lance matching up About three years ago at Derby City Rachel Abbink got in a real big match with John Mataya (Jimmy Mataya's brother).

As far as your One Pocket game influencing your 9-ball game. You can always mix the two. 9-Ball should help your ball-running and pocketing skills in One Pocket, and One Pocket should help your safety play in 9-Ball.

I always like to think of Steve Cook's advice to One Pocket players (in Shots, Moves and Strategies)

My advice to all one-pocket players, beginners and experts alike, is to work as hard on the easiest shots and moves as you would on the most difficult. This advice is not meant for games like straight pool, for example, where the better players continually pocket balls by the rack. Just playing that game will naturally keep them in stroke. In that game the player must relax wherever he can get away with it. Relaxing on the simple shots in one-pocket, on the other hand, is why so many get out of stroke.

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Never let up your effort to hit safeties just as accurately as you would hit a game ball shot in 9-Ball -- likewise never let up on your effort to hit your safeties with perfect cue ball control, and perfect speed on the object ball. If you do that, how can you not keep improving, in all games?

I empathize

I empathize

Well, you've about summed up my dilemma as well. I've reached a point in my pool playing career (I use that term liberally) to where about all I want to play is one pocket. Indeed, my problem is similar to yours. My 9 ball game has slipped. I just can't seem to get into rythme or control my stroke when I need to let it out most. Oddly though, my eight ball game has improved. I think that is due to an overall strategy improvement. Nevertheless, it's frustrating to have seen my speed control slip a bit. Personally, I plan to return to my 9 ball roots for a while in order to concentrate on speed and stroke. I suppose that there is some consolation that I am not the only player experiencing this particular issue. Anyway, play well and keep the one pocket faith. It's too bad there isn't a coed interstate onepocket league...

It just takes time.

It just takes time.

I also had this problem when I first started playing one-pocket. I just couldn't stay in stroke or make the tough shots when I finally was left something to shoot at, however, the last six months or so I have noticed a change in that. I don't really see any difference in my ability to switch back and forth between games. The speed control, or more importantly, the attention payed to the cue ball on almost every shot in one-pocket has seemed to help me always focus as much on the cue ball on every shot even when I play nine-ball. I know that many people will often cinch shots that seem difficult and just concentrate on making it, but I have found that even on the absolutely hardest shots, I make them much more often if I try to visualize where the cue ball stops. Even on thin cuts where I turn the cue ball loose I have learned to think about where I want it to stop. On the game ball, I read something that Buddy Hall uses that has also really helped. He said that many people get to the last ball of any game and because they don't have another ball to get to they don't visualize where the cue ball is going. If you visualize another ball to get position on, you will make the shot more often because your brain/body is trained to think about position on every shot. Anyway, I digress but I think that if you keep playing one-pocket long enough, you will break through this barrier.

Note to Jalapus (previous poster and friend)- I played banks on a 4 by 8 today after getting a new tip on my cue and banked 9 out of 10! Generous pockets compared to my Diamond, I admit, but still my best ever. I guess Freddie's books have really helped. Of course it could be the hundreds of hours I have spent banking them around the last year.

Freddie, you can send me the money for advertising any time you like, or perhaps just release some of that mythical one-pocket strategy that I keep hearing about over at AZbilliards through pm's I am just a school teacher that likes to play for the love of the game. Of course, I just teach to fill up the time between one-pocket games.