Yes, You can be a Winner!
Few team captains have more tenure than I here in our East Dallas APA league. Right now I can only think of two or three who might have longer tenure than me. That is only to say I have watched a lot of pool, and played many games myself. I am coming up on the 500 mark soon. There is no telling how many I have watched. I have learned a bit along the way. The trick to winning is easier than you may think. With a couple good tips and good habits you will be winning right and left.
Don't Try to be Fancy
One of the most basic tips that can help you is to just keep it simple. We watch those really good pool players and we wish we could make the shots they do, and so we try to do what they do. They have a tendency to make it look easy, so we think we can do the same. But what looks easy for them can be difficult for us. When you have a choice, take the shot that is easy for you. Take the shot you are comfortable with. Save those hard shots until you have had more time to practice them. If you go ahead and try the hard shot, most of the time you will miss, and this can hurt your game by often leaving an easy shot for your opponent. Just keep it simple and don’t be trying to impress anyone. This will bring your odds of winning way up. Don’t line up to shoot a shot you have never made. Others may can make it and so you think you should try it. But don’t. Stay with what you know you can do.
Control the Table
Sometimes the best shot is not to try and make a ball. Sometimes you need to play defense. You should try to leave the cue ball somewhere that makes a really hard shot for your opponent. Ball in hand is always better than a difficult shot, so play defense, hide the cue ball, or somehow leave a hard shot for the opponent and put the burden on the opponent to come up with a brilliant shot. He misses and then you get ball in hand or an easy shot and suddenly you have the advantage. Then you can run a few balls and then try to hide it again. You control the table. And when you successfully control the table more often than not you will be a winner.
Watch Your Opponent
There is more to winning than just making balls. It is about knowing your opponent. Do you play chess? It is sometimes like a game of chess. Pay attention to their strengths and weaknesses. Take notice of their tendencies. When you see them miss side pocket shots, cut shots or miss long full length of the table shots or whatever it is you notice, then take advantage of that knowledge and use it against them. Make them play from their weakness. Your opponent gives away valuable clues and if you take notes it can help you. If they are short, for example, and have a hard time reaching a certain type of shot, keep that in the back of your mind and it just may come in handy for a strong defensive shot. Again, it is that kind of knowledge that gives you a winning advantage. Evaluate their style and then counter to make them struggle and shoot the shots they are most uncomfortable with. It is this kind of knowledge that can put a victory in your pocket. Brains vs. Brawn, as they say. Play smart and you can many times beat the better player.
Practice, Control, Strategy and Confidence
Pick any shot you want and practice it over and over. Then when that shot comes up in the game, you will approach it with confidence because you know you have practiced it over and over. Then pick another shot and practice it over and over. Same thing. Before long, most of the shots you routinely come across in a game are the same shots you have been practicing day after day. You will amaze yourself as you see your basic skills improving each week. You shoot with confidence and this makes all the difference. Practice, table control, strategy and confidence are the secret weapons you need to put a mark for you in the win column. Good luck and good shooting.
"Ric The Beautiful"
No comments:
Post a Comment