Learning from your practice

[christopheradams]

Last night at work while pracicing I started to do something that really helped me stay focused and get a more quality practice session. Every time I encountered a position situation that I thought would give me trouble in a rack of 9ball, I would mark the ball locations with chalk on the table for three of the balls that were next in rotation and any balls that interferred or prevented a certain position route. I would then proceed to take the shot. If it gave me any sort of trouble or had other options I could have done, I would replay the shot. Good way to learn different routes to the same location. If I had trouble with the shot, I would diagram it on paper/table print out for the future so I coud use the shot as a drill. I found this kept me very focused and allowed me to work on my trouble areas instead of just trying to run out and whacking balls around. And since I could keep setting up the shot I could also pay attention to where the cue ball went after the shot and learn the position route through repetition.

I am definately going to incorporate this in to my future practice sessions. It can help you to pick out your weeknesses and tailor drills to improve them. On one straight in shot I did not draw back far enough to get position on a combo shot. I replayed the shot and still did not get to the exact spot I was trying for. I then set up some straight in shots and practiced drawing back to different locations on the table and am going to work on this some more. Just wanted to share this with everyone in case someone might be looking for a way to improve their game and they don't already mark shots and replay them. I know its not a new idea, just seems like a good one to me. Anyone else do simlair things like this or have other ideas from learning from your practice sessions?

[Wally_in_Cincy]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote christopheradams:</font><hr>

...If it gave me any sort of trouble or had other options I could have done, I would replay the shot. ...

Anyone else do simlair things like this ? <hr /></blockquote>

yes

definitely

I will shoot a shot 25 or 30 times sometimes. If I am still having trouble making it at that point I will choose to set it aside and practice it again at some future date.

[DickLeonard]

Chris get yourself some dimes/quarters it is easier on the table.####

[Billy_Bob]

What an excellent suggestion!

I always seem to have that "one shot" where I don't know what to do to get position on the next ball. I'm slowly learning, but I think your system will speed my learning up quite a bit.

I have the *best* instructors you can get! Thanks.

[JimS]

Or the stick on paper hole re-enforceers...I'm not saying it right..the notebook paper hole re-enforcers that stick on /ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[SpiderMan]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote JimS:</font><hr> Or the stick on paper hole re-enforceers...I'm not saying it right..the notebook paper hole re-enforcers that stick on /ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif <hr /></blockquote>

Ditto - I carry those in my case. Nothing works as well for marking shots to re-set them exactly, they don't interfere with the rolls, and they leave no trace after removal.

SpiderMan

[ceebee]

I use my camera in practice. It's easy to do &amp; easy to recall the layout.

After a good break, if the balls look runable, I'll take a quick snapshot, so I can replace the ball locations if I happen to err (miss, lay down, sin, foul up... )

When I practice, I do a couple of L drills, a Long String Drill, a few Mighty X's, some Diamond System 2 &amp; 3 railers &amp; then fire at 6 racks to check for consistancy.

Sometimes I'm hot &amp; sometimes I'm not.

[DickLeonard]

Jim the first time I saw the quartes being used was by Babe Cranfield and he was moving the quarters around like grease lighting. He shot fast and he was moving the quarters faster. ####