How is your practice play different from your tournament/league/money game play?

Question

Do you tend to play more defensively in tournaments, etc.? Is it logic or nerves that changes your game? Do you play better or worse in tournaments, etc., versus practice?

Answer 1

Good answers here guys!

I generally practice form,  balance, leading foot position, being consistent on how I get down on the cue, forearm parallel to the floor, wrist pop, and shooting a straight stick.

It helps Tremendously to have someone video tape you while you are playing normally so you can see what you need to work on.

LOTS & LOTS of breaks along with Cueball Control. Does you absolutely No good to shatter the rack with a sledgehammer, make 3 balls on the the break, or spread All the balls all over the table if you foul or "snooker" yourself.

Goes for after the break too.

If you don`t leave yourself an angle to get shape on the 2nd ball after the one you`re shooting and so on (did that make sense?) you`ll wind up giving the shot to your opponent.

The key is Cueball Control.

Also important, is if you find yourself getting overly tired practicing or even playing a long run, your probably tensing your muscles when you shoot.

Shake it out and be as loose as possible.

If you work on these consistently there`s nothing to worry about.

You *Know* the ball is going in the pocket cause you instinctively are doing everything else right.

You`re going to have good days and bad days alright.

Mad at the boss, girlfriend, someone cut you off on the freeway, etc. etc.

When you feel yourself drifting because of any of this, look at the table, plan your shots and get up and Make them.

I *Know* you`ve seen guys that take what seems like an Enormous amount of time when they get to the table; stroking their cue stick in the air, sliding it through their bridge finger excessively, shrugging their shoulders, moving their necks from side to side etc.

They already know how they`re going to hit that ball and the next and the next.....

They`re blowing off the events of the day and mentally preparing themselves to run that table.

You had a long hard day muscles ache and you just want to sit down with a beer and a movie.

Keep yourself in what I call "pool shape". THE biggest excuse for not keeping in shape for pool is: "I get enough exercise at work." Work is not exercise. that`s why they call it Work.

You`ll be surprised what walking, jogging, and simple aerobics will do for your mental attitude and your pool average.

Here is a Great link for tips or even how to play from scratch , no pun intended (:>

http://easypooltutor.com/index.php

RT

Answer 2

Straight is dead on this one

Just rise to the occasion just dont disregard the simple shots aint to good if you can make a 4 rail combo then miss a straight in from 2ft

Answer 3

This is a very good question.  For me personally, it depends more on the conditions at the time.  I tend to do more drills and work on my troublesome shots when I practice, so it's hard to compare practicing to playing actual games.  A few different factors come into play.  The playing equipment definitely makes a difference.  I may play differently on a 7 ft. table with poor cloth, a heavy cue ball, questionable cushions, dirty balls, etc., than I would on a 9 footer with Simonis cloth, newly polished Super Aramith Pro Balls, fantastic cushions, etc.  Here's something that a lot of players ignore when choosing their style of play.  How I feel at the time makes a difference.  Am I well-rested, healthy, excited about playing, etc?  Or, am I dead tired, in a bad mood, and fighting a cold.  I don't want to be the kind of player who uses these things as an excuse for losing.  A smart player can be honest with themselves and knows their abilities and limitations.  They will adjust for less than ideal conditions and maybe play a more defensive game.  They might avoid certain shots that they would normally take.  My general rule of thumb is that if it is just as difficult to play defensively as it is to play offensively, go for the shot.  To answer your question more completely, I tend to play better in tournaments.  Competition against skilled opponents brings out my best game.  Now that doesn't mean I win more in competition.  I tend to be playing very good players, so my winning percentage may not necessarily go up even though I'm playing very well.  I really don't get all that nervous.  Maybe just a little to keep me sharp, but not enough to psych myself out.  M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.