How can I improve at pool?

Question

How can I improve at pool?

Answer 1

practice alot, like play games against yourself too...i used to practice with a pool instructor at my work on occaision and try talking to all the older guys that hung around the snooker table all day...i was a bartender/cook at a pool hall for  a while

Answer 2

Practice makes perfect.

Answer 3

Straight's answer is great! the only thing I could add is not everyone can afford lessons from a certified instructor. I hit a wall in my game a few years back when I was living in Ohio and wanted help after asking around I found out about a local guy George Rude. I payed this guy like twenty bucks and he was amazing! He, if still alive is pushing a hundred years old. My point is don't over look the older guys with a reputation. they can be very help full without the high cost. And the stories they tell are priceless!

Answer 4

Well practice makes perfect!  Try just playing alone sometimes, tell yourself the shot you want to make and go for it.  If you do not have a pool table, save up, and make some room in the house!

Answer 5

1.  have a real determination to get better

2.  research the matter - there are tons of sites that explain in detail the fundamentals of shooting good pool

3.  play a lot of pool.  If you have access to some alone time on a table, do repetitions of shots, always using proper form and technique.  If your only chance to shoot is against an opponent, you don't have to win every game.  Try shots that aren't your strength, b/c eventually you'll start making them, too.

4.  have fun, a good attitude goes a long way

When I first started I wanted to be good, i.e. beat the guys that I looked up to.  Now that I'm viewed as a good player, I try to help less experienced players learn the game.  My idea of improvement no longer has to do with winning and losing, but whether I am becoming more consistent and successfully executing more shots.  In other words I try to measure up against my own standards even more than beating my opponent.

Answer 6

Maybe I will get shot down in flames here but I think playing snooker a lot helped my pool. Snooker requires much more accuracy therefore my potting and position had to improve vastly for me to get decent breaks. Admittedly there are different tactics in pool depending on the size of table and the rules etc.. but thats just my tuppenceworth...oh and play as many good players as you can.. and try to get your stance right

Answer 7

only one way keep practising

Answer 8

Know how much velocity it takes to make a shot and set you up with another good shot.  Practice.  Hand-eye coordination.  Knowing where the ball(s) will go after you take your shot.

Answer 9

I'm simply going to copy and paste one of my prior answers to a similar question.

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If you are serious about learning to play pool, then there is no substitute for a quality, certified instructor. A good instructor most definitely can teach you the physical mechanics of pool. An instructor can also show you how to practice. You need to work smarter, not harder. Half an hour of quality practice is far better than 6 hours of trial and error. If you're just out there banging balls around until something works for you, then you are wasting a huge amount of time and energy and you have no real understanding of what you are doing at the pool table. Books and videos are fine, but only as a supplement to formal instruction. Furthermore, don't confuse online pool with the real thing. They have almost nothing in common. Don't create a mental link between the two. Check out the BCA website to find an instructor in your area. M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee

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Answer 10

practice harder shot over and over again also try different weighted sticks

Answer 11

Practice!  It took me three years to get good enough to beat the hall hustler!

Answer 12

Have someone that is capable teach you and then practice, practice, practice.