Tag Archives: pool player

(FAQ) How do you find a good pool instructor?

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It is surprising, but the vast majority of pool players have never taken any kind of lesson from a qualified pool instructor – not even a basic check on their fundamentals. They will spend hundreds (even thousands) of dollars on a cool cue stick. They aren’t willing to spend $20, $50, or $100 for lessons that will improve their game for the rest of their lives. They are perfectly happy to go on for years and years (and years) believing they are just too intelligent to need an instructor. Continue reading →

(FAQ) How can your shooting game go wrong?

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When your shooting game goes off into failure-land and your shooting results begin to significantly deviate from your intentions, something has gotten out of kilter – usually your fundamentals. The problem is – how long does it take before you notice that something is wrong and take corrective action? Generally, by the time you do wake up, the game count is tough. You might recover – but the struggle to win becomes a low probability proposition. Continue reading →

(FAQ) How to check your stroke for flaws

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This is the basic setup for this self-evaluation process:

  • Five (5) striped balls
  • Line up balls about 1 diamond from short rail.
  • All shots are done on the vertical center line:
    12:00 contact is one tip above center
    6:00 is one tip below center
  • All balls are shot into one of the far corner pockets Continue reading →

(FAQ) What are some good excuses for missing a pool shot?

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Many players need to have some handy excuses after missing a pool shot. Of course, your opponents don’t care – they’re just happy you screwed up and let them come to the table. For railbirds, player excuses for a missed pool shot can be quite entertaining. As an audience, they always appreciate the more outrageous explanations for screwing up. Continue reading →

(FAQ) What are some bad habits to avoid?

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The vast majority of pool players, both casual and regular, have one or more of their fundamentals out of whack to some degree. The problem mostly arises because the player never took the time to check with someone who could show him/her how and why to do things correctly. The closest most people come to correct fundamentals is a flawed imitation of the friend who introduced them to playing pool. And that example probably had many bad habits. Continue reading →

(FAQ) Can a guy mix family life with his pool passion?

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When a guy has decided to advance the human race by getting married and starting a family – there is a major lifestyle change. If he was a dedicated player before tying the knot, he may abandon pool passion for love (at least for a few years). Whether you are able to carry your pool nights forward into your new relationship or you wait a few years and decide to get back in the game, a lot depends on the expectations of your spouse. Continue reading →

(FAQ) How does age affect pool skills?

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When you love the Green Game as a young shooter full of vim and vigor, it will be almost impossible to get enough playing time. As you enter maturity, a few other things (such as family, kids, making a living, etc.) intrude on your pool playing time. These intrusions might even interfere enough to cause you to give up playing for a decade or two. Continue reading →

(FAQ) What happens when you apply English (side-spin) to the cue ball?

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English is side spin that the cue tip applies to the cue ball on contact. It can occur only if you hit the cue ball on the left or right side of the vertical center line. FYI, contacting the cue ball on the center vertical line is NOT English. And another FYI, English (British) players call this “side”. My preference is to call it “side spin”. The term is more accurate. If you are talking with any player influenced by the former British Empire (England, Canada, Ireland, India, Australia etc.) the use of “side spin” won’t cause confusion. (It also makes sense to any player anywhere on the planet.) Continue reading →

(FAQ) What is a good pool stroke?

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There are many sources for answers to this question. For some people, the search is no further than their reach as they develop a pool stroke early on. The reason might be because of good coaching or mentoring, or the result of a few dollars spent on effective instruction. Continue reading →