You’re an athlete, so you know the importance of physical training. This is a general introduction to using the mind to improve your practice and performance as an athlete or pool player. But are you aware of your subconscious mind’s power in sports? It’s a game changer, enhancing performance and overcoming challenges. Let’s explore five …
5 Reasons to Trust Your Subconscious Mind in Sport Read More »
In a recent online discussion, non-expert players argued about the relative difficulty of the 2 games (8 ball pool and 9 ball pool) on the 2 tables (7′ and 9′). There was also disagreement as to which game the professionals found the easiest and the hardest to play. The relative difficulty of 8-ball vs. 9-ball, …
8 Ball Vs 9 Ball Pool : Which is Harder, Does Table Size Matter? Read More »
When playing pool, confidence comes from the knowledge that what you are about to do will work. This confidence will be reinforced by regular practice and experience at the table. To effectively practice and improve, the particular skill that you are working on needs to be repeatable and measurable. The natural rolling cue ball is …
The Rolling Cue Ball – How it Can Improve Your Position Play. Read More »
In pool, the pendulum stroke and elbow drop piston stroke are frequently utilized techniques. Each has its unique benefits and drawbacks, necessitating players to understand their differences and select one that aligns with their game strategy. The pendulum stroke involves a fluid, back and forth motion with the arm, mimicking a pendulum. This technique is …
There is a school of thought in pool or snooker that says that if you can’t hit the center of the cue ball consistently you should work on your stroke. You should make sure that you are delivering the cue in a straight line and if not, make adjustments accordingly. I was told by several …
If you’ve been playing pool for any length of time you’re probably aware yourself, or you’ve heard somebody else say how difficult it is to make a straight-in shot. Most players do not relish the long, straight-in 8 ball for the match and are filled with trepidation at the mere thought of shooting one in …
If you’re a beginner player, learning the fundamentals of pool is crucial to your success in the game. Understanding these mechanics and techniques can help you improve your shot accuracy, consistency, and overall performance on the table. In this article we cover some of the key fundamentals that every novice should know when playing pool. …
So let’s talk about speed control as it relates to pool shots when you are playing any billiard game such as 9 ball, 8 ball, one pocket, banks, etc. When I’m talking about speed control, I’m not talking so much about the pace your white ball travels around the table after hitting any given shot. …
A proper aiming technique is one of the most fundamental skills needed to succeed in billiards and pool. It’s crucial to develop consistency if you want to improve your game. The Hit a Million Balls Aiming Method, or HAMBS for short, is an method designed specifically for players who do not use aiming systems. This …
Successful players must learn how to practice pool like a professional. Practicing pool is a learned skill just like any other game skill. Practicing like a professional pool player means having a plan and taking the appropriate action toward a goal. Getting on a table and playing multiple games of 9 ball will keep you …
How To Practice Pool Like A Pro? – Use Your Time Wisely. Read More »
Introduction One of the most complicated aspects of playing great pool is something that most players are unaware of until someone else points it out to you during a game or a practice session. So what is this thing? Well the truth is it’s not just one thing it’s anything and everything that you are …
Muscle Memory Can Help You Learn New Pool Skills Faster! Read More »
What is a Pool Cue Tip? A pool cue tip is the small, rounded piece of material at the end of a pool cue that comes in contact with the cue ball. Its purpose is to provide a degree of grip and cushioning between the cue ball and the pool cue shaft. Pool cues are …
Complete Guide to Pool Cue Tips – How They Affect Your game. Read More »
It is a fact of life that some people are more competitive than others in their careers, relationships and billiards. Perhaps you are happy playing pool with your buddies in a bar, maybe its “just a game” to you and if so that is great. However if you have a burning desire to be the …
Pool players are always looking for ways to improve their stroke. Making little tweaks here and there over a period of time until they feel comfortable with the end result. A good end result is a stroke that is simple and easily repeatable under pressure without the stroke breaking down. However, constantly “tinkering” with your …
Do You Trust Your Stroke? – Play Pool With Your Eyes Closed. Read More »
So What Is Really Important In A Pool Stroke? In my opinion the only things that matter are alignment and delivery. That’s it, just those two things will make the difference between success and failure for a serious player. Get these two aspects correct early on in your training and you will improve much faster. What …
The most popular tip size shaft for pool players today is 13mm. This was the standard size for many years that was delivered with a new cue either from a mass production factory such as Meucci or a custom cue maker like Mike Lambros. Some shaft manufacturers have moved to other sizes in recent years …
What Size Tip Do Pro Pool Players Use – What Is Best? Read More »
I was feeling a little facetious when I started to write this article. I changed my mind once or twice about publishing it but in the end here it is! These 5 tips are not the usual things that players think of but I wish that I had a dollar for every terrible story that …
Deciding to change to a low deflection shaft can have a major impact on your game. Some things will be good and some not so good. I just believe that it’s not something to take lightly especially if you have been paying pool for a few years and have grooved in your cue action. How …
Should You Change To A Low Deflection Shaft? LD Pool Cue Shafts. Read More »
I have always loved pool, there is something magical about striking that perfect shot and hearing that satisfying thump as your target ball clatters into the intended pocket. Unfortunately, it is a sound I don’t hear very often. Because, you see, despite being a lifelong enthusiast of the game, my skill level never quite catches …
What Size Room Do I Need For A Pool Table? – With Handy Chart. Read More »
Introduction. The Jump cue, some players love them, some think that using a jump cue is just the same as cheating. However, if you don’t get a jump cue and learn how to use it, you are at an extreme disadvantage in modern day pool. Watch players like Joshua Filler from Germany jump the ball …
What Is The Best Jump Cue For Beginner Pool Players? Read More »
Introduction. This is a record of my experience with my first predator pool cue which I have had for about a year. I bought a Predator Sport 2 ice with sports wrap used on Ebay last January 2020. I purchased the white (Ice) version, which probably wouldn’t have been my first choice but it was …
Predator Sport 2 Ice With Sport Wrap – Low Deflection Cue. Read More »
Introduction To Break Cues. So why are we looking into the best break cues for amateur players? Firstly because professionals already have a break cue from their sponsor in most cases. Because the break shot in pool is the arguably the most important shot of the game. Making a ball on the break gives you …
If you’ve just recently started playing the game of pool or billiards as some people call it – congratulations! Welcome to a sport that will bring you endless hours of fun and joy whether you’re practicing solo or playing in a social setting, like the local bar, the pool house or even a friend’s home. …
Best Cues for Beginner Pool Players – Do You Need Your Own Pool Cue? Read More »
What Is Playing The Ghost? Playing the ghost is a pool practice routine. The ghost is an amazing imaginary player who does not miss but “spots” you all the breaks and “ball in hand.” The ghost can play 8 ball, 9 ball and 10 ball. About Your Opponent The Ghost. The ghost is a world …
How To Practice Playing The Ghost – The 9 Ball Ghost. Read More »
So, you’ve planned an entertainment area in your home where you can have guests over and just kick back and enjoy a few games. And since you’ve pretty much watched every final of the world 9-ball championships, you’re probably thinking about putting a pool table as the grand centerpiece of your entertainment room. Pool is …
How Much Should I Expect to Pay for A Pool Table? Read More »
Introduction. Whether you are a keen amateur pool player or just starting out on this great billiards journey, it won’t be long before you hear the word deflection. The speaker could be talking about the cue ball movement, the deflection of the shaft or the latest low deflection high technology cue shaft to be brought …
What Is A Low Deflection Pool Cue Shaft – Do I need One? Read More »
Introduction to Cue Ball Control. Learning how to hit the white ball so that you not only make the object ball but get position on the next ball. I found this to be the most exciting phase of learning to play pool. I have given some basic help in the article below which will help …
How To Control the White Ball in Pool – Playing Position. Read More »
What is The Fractional Aiming System? The Fractional aiming system is a pool aiming system that divides the object ball into sections or fractions in order to judge the potting angle of the shot. For example, if the cue ball covers half of the object ball at impact from the shooter’s eye view, then that …
How to Use The Fractional Aiming System in Pool-The Quarters System. Read More »
What Is Aiming? When playing pool, aiming is where we line up the cue ball with the object ball in such a way that the object ball goes into the pocket when the two balls collide correctly. For those of you that enjoy shooting with a rifle, the back sight is lined up with the …
Players break and must make the balls in numerical order. Contact is required with the lowest numbered ball first on all shots. Legally making the 10 ball in numerical rotation or during any legal shot wins the game. In some strict games the 10 ball has to be the last ball on the table. It …
The Best Arm Position. In this article, we are talking about one of the two arm positions which drive and guide the movement of the pool cue. This can be left or right arm. The best arm position in pool is one where the forearm hangs down from the elbow at a 90 degree angle …
What is the Best Arm Position in Pool – Is It Right For You? Read More »
Introduction To Straight Stroking Method. Before you learn how to straighten a pool stroke using this method, please understand that this information is contrary to the advice that is often given by other coaches and most instruction books. If you are having problems with straight in shots try it out you might be surprised. We …
How To Straighten My Pool Stroke – Cue Action Drills. Read More »
Ok, so who cares about the pool stance, or how to stand when playing pool? It’s not exciting, it’s just another one of those boring “fundamentals” that I learned about years ago. Hopefully, that is not your opinion but even if it is read on, you could find something that will improve your game. I …
How To Stand When Playing Pool- Pool Stance Tutorial Read More »
Introduction to the Pool Stroke. So let’s learn together how to improve your pool stroke and take your game to the next level. The pool stroke is one of the most important aspects of playing successful pool. Without a great stroke, you can never produce the needed consistency and accuracy needed for top class play. …
How To Improve Your Pool Stroke – My Pool Stroke Analysis. Read More »
What Is The Stun Shot? The stun shot is a very exciting shot to learn. This shot gives another dimension to your position play. In its simplest form the shot is just the same as a stop shot but on an angle. When a stop shot is played on an angled shot, the the direction …
How To Play The Stun Shot – The Secret To Great Position Play. Read More »
Do you need to learn different strokes in pool? The pool stroke and how it affects your shots. Yes you do need at least two different strokes to be able to play all of the shots that will come up in pool games. Introduction. I don’t have a perfect pool stroke which is why I …
Different Strokes In Pool-One Stroke For All Shots? Read More »
Down the line shape means that your cue ball is moving towards the next shot close to or down the shot line. Playing down the line position gives you a greater margin of error without sacrificing accuracy. When playing down the line shape the direction of the cue ball travel is still very important but …
How To Play Down The Line Shape | Position The Easy Way. Read More »
I am talking about the reason for missing easy pool shots even when you thought that everything was lined up perfectly prior to the execution. I am not talking about missing in general terms or the efforts of inexperienced beginners banging balls around the table. Pool is a difficult game and some shots are more …
Why Do I Miss Easy Pool Shots – Is Your Stroke Getting in The Way? Read More »
How to make major stroke changes? Most pool players are always looking for a way to improve their game and move to the next level. It doesn’t matter how many years you have been playing it is a (delightful) lifetime struggle to get minor improvements in our game. Its a Big Job. Sometimes changes can …
You will notice from the title “When We Miss A Shot” that I used the word “when” and not “if”. That was for a very good reason as you will find out below. Amateur Versus Professional Attitude. One of the biggest differences between the amateur and professional player is the way in which they react …
I have spent some time watching and analyzing the videos in order to decide how to fix my pool stroke. I intended to analyze to video and fix each area that was a problem but this is not the ideal way to do this as I said in the last article. The alternative would be …
Find out what is an average Fargo rating is in pool. According to Fargorate the average Fargo Rating for pool players is somewhere in the region of 455 to 500. The more players that enter the system the more the average should move to the left ie. move lower. This is based on the assumption …
What is an Average Fargo Rating in Pool – Are You That Good? Read More »
What is a Performance Goal? Goal-setting restructures your brain to make it more effective according to this study. This Inc.com goal setting article simplifies that study as follows: 1. Goal-setting literally alters the structure of your brain so that you perceive and behave in ways that will cause you to achieve those goals; and 2. Challenging goals …
Pool Performance Goals and Expectations – Can Coaching Help You? Read More »
There are many aiming systems out the in the pool world some are good and others not so much. Some players and coaches can get very defensive about their chosen aiming system. Some players don’t use systems and some don’t dont even aim! But for those of you that need a little help sometimes I’m …
Amazing Ghost Ball Aiming System Explained-Should You Use it? Read More »
Why We Miss Easy Straight Shots in Pool. Have you ever wondered why straight in shots cause so many problems for so many good players? Perhaps you are one of them and are wondering why this happens? I had this problem myself, but now I’ve learned to deal with this situation. So much so that …
In order for me to discuss the Center to edge or CTE aiming method I would like you to bear the following in mind: Center to edge aiming is one of the most contentious aiming systems spoken about in chat rooms and forums. On the one hand it seems that people either love or they …
Center to Edge Aiming System For Pool – Why CTE is Different. Read More »
What Is A Nine-Ball Run-Out? A 9-ball runout occurs when a player breaks the balls and continues to shoot until all of the balls have been pocketed. Each of the 9 numbered balls need to be made in numerical order. The lowest numbered ball must be contacted 1st. Any ball can be made in any …
What Is The Vision Center? The vision center is your personal, preferred alignment position that your eyes take up above the pool cue that: a. Gives you an accurate picture of the shot line and b. Agrees with reality. In a nutshell, your vision center is the position between or under your eyes where a …
How To Find Your Vision Center – Finding Your Best Aiming Position? Read More »
What Is The Pool Stroke? The pool stroke is the backward and forward mechanical movement of your cueing arm. Your cueing arm consists of your elbow, forearm, wrist and hand. The hand and in particular the grip require a section on their own and will be discussed in more detail in another post. Sometimes the …
How To Improve My Pool Stroke-Develop A Great Cue Action. Read More »
HOW TO HOLD A POOL CUE – POOL CUE GRIP TECHNIQUE. Introduction To The Cue Grip. Learning how to hold a pool cue the correct way from day one will save you a massive amount of time and move you on to the next level. The pool cue grip determines the way the cue is …
How to Hold A Pool Cue – Pool Cue Grip Technique. Read More »
What is a Pre-Shot Routine? The Pre-shot routine or pre-shot ritual is quite simply a set of actions that all great players make in preparation for every shot. If the great players are doing it then we probably should also take a good look at the pre-shot routine (PSR). The PSR is unique to each …
How To Develop A Pre Shot Routine In Pool – Pool Shot Preparation. Read More »
Secret Pool Tip to Improve Your Shots – Introduction. I was going to say that this Secret Pool Tip isn’t really a secret but it is. The reason that it is a secret and can vastly improve your game it’s that nobody actually talks about it. When it comes to aiming most people are talking …
How to Improve Your Shot Making in Pool – Secret Pool Aiming Tip. Read More »
If you find out how to play the stop shot in pool you will quickly move your game on to the next level. Knowing the stop shot will make using the tangent line easier and lead to better position shot all around. If you were hoping for this to be some kind of fantastic trick …
The Stop Shot – Use It To Improve Your Game Dramatically! Read More »
Yes, the same tangent line that your geometry teacher at school was talking about years ago. However, your teacher probably failed to give you a practical use for this line. So let’s look at the tangent line and its practical applications in billiards. Pay close attention: this could be the one piece of information that …
What is the Tangent Line and How to use it to Improve You Game? Read More »
What is 9 ball pool? 9 ball pool or just 9 ball as it is known in the USA, is a variation of pool or billiards. Nine ball has apparently been around since the 1920’s and appears to have originated in the USA. 9 ball pool was primarily a gambling game played between 2 players. Played on a …
What is 8 ball Pool? 8 ball pool has been played since the early 1900’s and probably originated in the USA. It is played on a felt covered table with six pockets and rubber cushions. Eight ball is played with 15 object balls and one white cue ball. There are 7 plain balls and 7 …
In this video you will learn how to play inside English, left and side, off 3 rails to get position in the middle of the table. Just as a quick note, being from the UK I find it strange that Americans refer to side spin as “English.” Snooker players usually refer to it as side …
Easy Inside English Three Rails Pool Practice Drill – Cue Shaft Deflection Read More »
How to handle pressure, “having bottle,” “playing under the cosh”. This is a basic introduction to the mental side of pool. The way we think affects the way we play pool. The emphasis on the role of our mind becomes greater as we improve our game and move up the rankings. It has been said …
Playing Pool Under Pressure – The Mental Side of Pool. Read More »
Pool Player Bridge Length. The length of your bridge is the distance between your bridge hand and the cue ball when you take a shot. This distance has an effect on many aspects of your cue action and can in fact affect the accuracy and the smoothness of your stroke. Here are some examples of …
Does Your Bridge Length Matter When Playing Pool? Read More »
This Video is a Practice Drill This is a pool practice drill that my snooker coach demonstrated to me during an hour session in Nottingham. The idea is to play all of the shots from the same cue ball and object ball location and achieve different track lines by changing your stroke. Changing the Stroke …
