Best game or practice technique by yourself?

Question

what is the best thing you can do by yourself to help on your skills? also is there a game that you could play for the same purpose?

Answer 1

Pretty much any standard pool game can be helpful to play by yourself.  Just be aware that you shouldn't spend the majority or your "practice" time playing actual "games".  Games are to win, period.  Games are not the time to learn new things and work on problem areas.  That's what practice is for.  Without being there with you, I can't really evaluate your stroke mechanics.  This is the area that top players tend to work on when they are in a slump.  If I could recommend two main things to work on assuming your stroke is in order, I would suggest you work on speed control and stop shots.  Stop shots are so important to master when learning to play position.  Practice stop shots from various distances between the cue and object balls, using different speeds and tip positions.  Once you can confidently shoot a straight-in stop shot, from there you can make the necessary adjustments for draw, follow, etc.  A lot of people refer to "stun shots".  That is riding the tangent line.  All a stun shot is is a stop shot on an angle.  If you think of stun shots like this, you can learn how to ride the tangent line and then make the necessary adjustments to make the cue bend forward or backward from the tangent line.  Speed control is more than 1/3 of your pool game.  I have a great method for working on speed, but that's kind of a trade secret.  For the time being, practice by placing the cue ball on the headstring and work on your lag speed.  Try to get the cue ball to go down table and come back to the head cushion and rest between the head cushion and the first diamond.  This is a good lag speed.  When you can do this consistently, hit a little harder and try to make the cue ball rest within a diamond distance from the headstring.  Then make the cue ball rest within a diamond distance from the side pocket and so on.  In my experience after proper fundamentals, these two areas are extrememly beneficial for you to work on.  M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.

Answer 2

I love playing 9 ball......I have a routine that I "fine tune" my game before a match (man that sounds like I am a pro of some kind).....I shoot several shots straight in from corner to corner.....I shoot dead center cue ball....then try to follow it in to corner pocket and then try to draw it back to my corner pocket....then I cut several balls from corner to right corner pocket(object ball 2 diamonds out from side pocket....then walk several balls to corner pockets with side and inside English.....then I cut several balls into corner pocket trying to make the cue ball travel to other end rail and then back to same rail where object ball was at......no match playing.....will then throw all 15 balls and instead of 9 ball I play 15 ball (shoot them in sequence).....for 9 ball I would recommend this game....more balls to get in the way and makes the 9 seem a little easier when I go to that game.....hope this helps some.

Answer 3

You could read the old answers to kill some time -But i practice 8 ball racks run the stripes with shape on the 8 then run the solids and bank the 8-Thats just what I do but practice what you play - you can make a game out of anything bet who can do the best at it ??? or whatever .My record is 11 racks then assed up the bank on the 8.

                                                         Later Johnny