Another reason for the shorter backstroke is table cloth is must faster than it was 30 years ago. For most shots you don't need that much power. Great video!
I honestly wish they never made wursted cloth and kept it to wool. The speed of cloth now is too insane to me. Woolen cloth makes the power and speed of your stroke actually “add up” to the speed it should be. I hate rolling in a ball where my next ball is like right in the vicinity of my current object ball just to travel 3x farther than necessary
Agreed , I am 62 and played on much slower tables that require a full long stroke to get around the table etc , simonis is ok but sketchy sometimes , the other brands of felt are even mire sketchy to me personally and that doesn't count yhe rails and new materials they put into certain sets of pool balls
Excellent video. People get so tied up with aiming, stroke, etc. they loose confidence and that causes them to make last minute changes which results in things like miscues, bad shots, etc. I think that the most important thing is table time and lots of practice of common shots. When you are going on muscle memory developed from years of playing, there is less doubts and over-thinking each shot.
I’m 23 and just started playing for a pool team, and what you said is bang on I spend that much time thinking about it and lining it up, then I miss, but if I just feel my shot and hit it with more faith I’m finding myself more auccesful
A big thank you! These tips did indeed INSTANTLY improve my game. I started playing less than 2 years ago. Have a 9’ table and play in three leagues a week. I’ve watched tons of YT vids and practice every day. My game seemed totally stuck and sucked. My thought was to slow down and be more careful - the opposite of your advice. Just watching the vid convinced me that I needed to do something drastic and SPEED UP my shooting - not to baby each shot even more. I can’t believe the TOTAL difference. You’ve saved me years of more frustration. Just after two days (and playing league last night) my game is ridiculously improved. You’re so right about the mindset change when it comes to home practice vs match play. Your tips make all the difference. Thank you again - subscribed of course.
the best learning video i ever seen since i start playing pool 3 years you talk about some realllllllly important staff i think i will repeat this video everyday
I agree with everything that you inputted in the video. Each one was the things that I had to improve in my 1yr and 2 months of playing pool. Especially the preshot routine. You must always be consistent and have that rhythm in you. My prestroke consist of chalking (sometimes), finding ob path to pocket, cue ball path, then my 2 practice stroke and back swing. Playing too slow and playing too fast are bad, stay consistent with your rhythm.
Very interesting. Stumbled on this video, haven’t played in a decade, gotta go find a table and check some of this out. If I use a golf analogy, I address the ball, backswing, and stroke. I don’t take several backswings before I let loose…several things to think about in this video. Lost my pool table and the house in the 2014 divorce, but I still got my stick….
I always wanted some video that gives tips to players who already know most of the basics. As a local tournament winner, this video points out to many mistakes I have been doing that caused me to miss easy shots. Please keep doing videos to our type of players.
Another amazing content from you. Make me wanna jump right back to the training table now :D You are talking about "not baby the stroke/shot" and I agree 💯 . Most pros use "drag shot" in many situation so they dont need to baby the ball. Can you talk about that in future video? I have been practising this shot long time and I'm not sure if I do it right :D 10/10 for video btw
They actually do it very often. I didnt know that until I watched some videos jo f Neils Feijen and Karl Boyes covering this topic. For long shots, stun-run-through is more risky shot than the drag-shot. Drag-shot makes the pocket play "bigger" as players dosent need to either force the cueball or baby it. However, drag-shot can be used to increse the angle of the cueball path because the cueball gets forward motion(like high ball/top spin) short after sliding. The stun-run-through will still follow the tangent line and it is used for stright shots mostley. czcams.com/video/ERImjxBGdl8/video.htmlsi=8j0umYwyw6qqhioj
I used to play and referee professionally in the US for the PBTA in the 90's. I have coached some of the best in the game. I agree with most of your conclusions. We used to play on Brunswick SuperSpeed rubber (K55 profile) and SImonis 860 speed cloth (which was very fast at the beginning of the tournament), so adjusting from a slow roll to faster stroke speed to reduce friction on the balls (the reason the object ball doesn't follow its intended path) affects position as well - so that needs adjusting in speed. Often times, when slow rolling cuts like that, we would counter the "friction" with heavy "english". Ex; If cutting to the left 75 degrees, we would use a soft stroll stroke with heavy right english to keep the balls from sticking to each other. But, that is a professional technique that requires a lifetime of practice to master. I would add that when you are reducing your backstroke, it also automatically reduces your follow through. The easiest and perhaps most widely needed reminder for players of all skill levels is to "stroke, don't poke". I agree that supper long, flamboyant strokes such as with Bustamonte and many other Asian players is detrimental to the masses, but it is their "flawed" fundamentals that gave them "personality" on tour. Good luck with your pool career!
That's true. You do on the other hand have slightly more deflection to deal with, but I still totally agree. Not only is the SIT a problem, but you have to deal with the swerve as well. Thanks for the comment!
For me , shooting everything at the correct speed is the key for accurate potting , any speed more than required or slower can ruin your accuracy and to know exactly what i mean you just have to try it on a chinese 8 ball pool table or snooker
You actually touched on things that are important (most YT channels do not as few people play decent). I'm glad you covered throw, but I disagree: I think it's less at higher speeds, but it's always present unless it's a straight shot. And if people stopped thinking about the "contact point" on the ball, or where to hit the pocket ... and instead, looked at where the object ball needs to be hit in order to make it go into the pocket (very subtle difference) it'd help reduce missed shots. Also, I think people should get really comfortable using as MUCH side spin + speed as they'll ever use when pocketing a ball at medium distances ... in a dead-straight-in shot. And causing the CB to just sit and spin after you make the ball. The inability to do that shows inadequate familiarity with the correct side picture for your cue's deflection. I suggested doing it at kinda firm speed to minimize the swerve that slower speed shots will get ... which is something that takes a lifetime of feel to learn to manage. But deflection is something you can really get up to speed on pretty quickly ... Lastly, you're spot on (again) about pressure. The thing is, I think people should make it a skill just like all the others they work on to train to relax under pressure. As important as the other things I mentioned are ... nothing is perhaps more important than pressure management. You have to deliberately believe in yourself (even if you're playing poorly -- perhaps especially if you are). Because nothing can do as much harm to you as the self-harm of doubt. Great job on this bro.
I haven't practice your short back stroke before hitting the cue ball though. that's new to me so I'll practice that. thank you again. I subscribed to you. @@PoolProblems
1:23 in and i am already thinking this is great advice! i used to be good and gave up for years, now back into it and i am having to learn stuff i could once do that i just did without having to think what i was doing i could just do it lol i am trying not make excuses about my eyesight age ect awsome advice
I actually came back from a long break a couple of years ago myself, and I came with some new perspective on things. How's everything been for you since you came back?
the first one is so true! i was stunting my own growth by being a slow, methodical player for years. just last week in league i started speeding up my shots and won a match against a player rated higher than me! i was also listening to jazz music for good measure. :D
Thank you! I'm a fan of your channel as well. I actually have your book, and I'm gonna drop some of the knowledge there soon. I'll make sure to point people in your direction!
Excellent video there is one thing I do disagree with though and that's at the end about committing to a shot once you're down I think for a lot of people once they get down and there is doubt they need to pick themselves back up usually their brain is telling them get up stand up You're out of line your body is not a line The shot line is off your vision is off but they shoot it anyway because they've already committed to the shot
I actually also agree. The good thing with the last example is that it's more a practice strategy. It teaches you to really do the work before going down, so when you actually do allow yourself to stand up again, there will be fewer instances that it'll be nescassary. If you always allow yourself to stand up, you tend to get sloppy with the process before you go down. Thanks for the comment!
Shortening my backstroke is my #1 aha moment because it improved literally every type of shot that I made. I HIGHLY suggest this to anybody who wants to up their game. After realizing that I didn't need to pull back so much, I improved: 1. My stroke consistency because I was hitting the cue ball EXACTLY where I was trying to. 2. My draw shots because I focused more on hitting as low as possible instead of trying to add more power by having a longer backstroke. 3. My shots when the cue ball is frozen against/close to the rail, since I don't feel FORCED to use a shorter stroke anymore. 4. My power control, because I gained a much better understanding of how strong I can throw the cue ball around with just a short stroke. I've always had a great sense of the physics of the balls and how I can position properly in my head, but unfortunately, my execution was not catching up with my observation and knowledge. I also had a generally straight stroke but the minute differences in where exactly I was hitting the cue ball vs. where I needed to was the biggest improvement in shortening the backstroke.
It's a predator roadline butt with a predator revo 11.8. It's more of a sneaky pete, the butt is not black. That's why I asked 👍🏼 Thanks for the comments, my friend 🙏🏼
Before Efren the Magician played in the US, there were no spots on the cue ball, after playing there, they saw how good his control over the cue ball is, hence the spots on the cue ball to see how he hits it.
My friend a uk champion and European when younger said the same thing with out confidence and commitment you always buckle and miss black ball syndrome when it never happens at home practicing
I agree with you 90%. But I don't agree about standing up if in doubt. If you settle into your shot and realize you aren't aimed correctly, the only way to guarantee a successful outcome is to stand up and reset. If you try to adjust too much while down, your stroke will suffer. Otherwise, you are right on the money with everything else. Great clip. I'll subscribe !!
I agree. But if you temporary practice like that you learn to be more thorough with the process before you go down. You'll bring that skill with you to your normal shooting routine. Hope that makes sense. Thanks for the comment and sub 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
@@PoolProblems OK, I think I missed that you saying that during practice. in that case, Agreed! I've been playing for about 55 years, finally at a pretty high level, all your points are exactly what I have learned the hard way....where were you when I was 9? 😁
I decided to go play the 10-ball ghost while trying to stop babying shots and shortening my backstroke to only what the shots required. I won 9-3! Really useful tips
It's not necessary to play with more speed and power at all. Speed control is a big part of this game. Pocket speed is putting the ball into the pocket with just enough speed to make the shot and position the cue ball for the next shot. That might be a slow roll tap, or it may take a 3 cushion power stroke, depending on where the cue ball needs to be for the next shot. When I watch a pro player, 90% of the time it's 1 cushion cue ball rebound and rarely a 3 or 4 cushion cue ball power shot. For most , a medium/soft shot works best.
Your video and communications are of an excellent quality. However, all shots are to be aimed at pocket center and there are good reasons to use a longer backstroke--but with a shorter bridge.
"Aim, go down, shoot" I've been playing that way for many years and I'm not a bad player. My top tip would be this. Watch how people miss. 90% play thick shots too thin and thin shots too thick. ie: people play 3/4 ball as 2/3 ball and 1/4 ball as 1/3 ball. Even the pros normally miss this way. I also agree that dead weight is dangerous. even on a really top quality table you can get some roll off if you play shots too slowly.
Regarding long stroke vs short stroke. The most important thing is to have a "straight" stroke. Stroking the cue on a straight line is a skill. And it takes practice. If you don't back-stroke strait, your forward stroke isn't going to be straight either. A strait stroke is the most important part of the shot. If your stroke isn't straight, seek out a coach that can help you adjust your grip correctly and fix your stance and teach you what you need to do to develop a straight stroke. The benefit of using a short stroke is that it's easier to stroke straight for a short distance; but if you can't stroke straight with a long stroke, your accuracy is going to suffer, even with short strokes because you are probably not stroking the ball entirely on a straight trajectory... but because it was a short stroke, you just don't notice it and it's probably causing you to miss more balls than you should.
Agreed, whether you have a short or long stroke, it really comes down to a straight stroke. Neither is better, its just whatever is comfortable to you and achieves that goal.
Stance, bridge, grip, eyes sight positioning might make you think you are hitting the center of the cue ball, sometimes people covers 1 eye…and that last seconds decision, having doubts of your stroke, should you target here or there…
1. Stop slow rolling balls otherwise cue ball might deviate the target ball slightly 2. Stick to pre-shot routine even for easy shots. This makes you comfortable because you are doing something familiar. 3. Shorten the backstroke : it improves stability and accuracy while doing the shot 4. Aim for the pocket opening, most probably on the sides. It helps in potting in case of speed shots. Otherwise there's always a chance of not making the pot. 5. Don't allow yourself to doubt your shot after doing the pre-shot routine. You have to be confident with your pre-shot routine. Aim, Go Down, Shoot. Do not make any adjustments. Commit to the aim-point you found while you were standing.
A longer backstroke will anoludt some bad habits too! Such as poor arm swing discipline on a short back stroke a little bit of swing side to side may not affect how your tip strikes the cue ball that much, with the long backstroke your elbow could go all crazy Ivan, if you watch a so so player closely, it will be evident that they don't keep their elbow only moving parallel to the cue stick! The extra forces put into the shot by a longer backstroke will also affect the elbow in pretty much the same ways, speed control is king at the top levels of the sport! If a player can't break those bad habits or at least quit make those mistakes less often, they'll never be anything but a mediocre player, some of those issues are actually a good place to improve your game!
First a bit forward (the throw), and then to the direction it is cut. But the forward motion in the beginning can drive it off it's target line by several inches, depending on the distance to the pocket and conditions etc. Remember, running english can reduce/neutralize that throw. That's why most players put at least a touch of running spin on almost all shots.
Thanks, bro! And sorry for the subtitle thing, I didn't know it was a setting. I think I've enabled it now. I tried turkish and it seems to handle it. Would you mind checking for me?
Teşekkürler, kardeşim! Ve altyazı işi için özür dilerim, ayar olduğunu bilmiyordum. Şimdi etkinleştirdiğimi düşünüyorum. Türkçe'yi denedim ve işe yaradığını gördüm. Kontrol etmemi ister misiniz?"
Very good advice for most players BUT. Strickland and even the GOAT Reyes have no pre shot routines. They basically look at the layout once and hardly do the fedor gorst thing at looking at every next shot. Their skills and talents are way up there. Reyes not only has a somewhat long back stroke but also a long cue. LOL
I see where to hit the Objectball when i stand behind it, but as I go down for the shot i cant see it anymore. I hit the ball on the wrong point cause my mind calculated it wrong. I cant imagine it. In fact i dont know where to hit the ball when I am down. Anyone knows how to see a clear point on the Objectball? Or how to get better in knowing where to hit the balls? Thats my biggest Problem currently.
I'll deal with that in a future video. Hint: There's always some feel and guesswork involved. Visualizing is always something abstract and not absolute. It will never be clear-clear, but with practice you'll get better.
a handful of people use it, so you're saying that justifies it making a good a practice? Is there a more suffice reason how come long back strokes make for an ideal practice?
Just learn proper snooker techniques. Snooker table have nap even, and we learn how to roll the ball and compensate for that off rolling. Drag shot is another technique. Pace is something of high importance in snooker but I've never heard a pool player talk about it.., pace alone is very tough to learn; see how snooker player cannon a ball and put cueball snooker behind another ball while sticking close to it, tiny bit more extra strength would fail to snooker. Longer stroke is not the problem, smooth stroke and good follow through with good contact is. Problem is the bridge length is sometime ridiculous in pool for snooker players... The pre-shot routine is much more.... Hint: The aiming is already done the moment you lie down on the shot.
Well, there are certainly alot of snooker players with shorts strokes. Study Ding f.ex. and you'll see. Not everybody shoots like Shaun Murphy, you know :D Aiming should (mostly) be done standing up, yes, like I said in the video. But micro adjustments while down can be used. Michael Holt speaks about this, so this is done both in pool and snooker. And regarding rolling and throw, it certainly helps the snooker players to have a referee clean the balls between each shot, doesn't it? But overall, you are right in your premise. The demands for good cueing is a lot higher in snooker, so pool players can probably learn a lot from watching snooker lessons. I know I have. But it's not as easy as "learn snooker technique". If that was easy, you wouldn't have tons of bad snooker players, would you?
If you lost your focus on the shot... GET UP, redo your preshot routine. His advice to "not get up" exposes you to sharking. It only takes 1/2 second for you to lose your focus. Maybe they said something... asked a question about your shot, someone walked in front of you causing you to take your eyes off your aim point, someone coughed and it distracted you from your focus. Usually the person doing these things is your opponent. They hate to lose and will do anything to put the odds in their favor. These people tend to have bad attitudes towards others. They are also, usually impatient. If they want to play psychological games, play some back. Don't get mad, upset or irritated. Just stay calm. Get up, and start over. I call it punishing them by taking more time. It's their fault for not having good pool etiquette. Good pool ettiquette is allowing your opponent to focus and give you his or her best game. And it's the "honorable" thing to do. If you really want to be better, encourage people to play their best and force yourself to play your best. Be a good sport!
Is modern times the age of anti-science? Why don't they do experiments to see which advice really works? For me personally practicing body stillness, relaxation, and visualization helped me out...
That's not how improving in sports and games work. Even in big sports with long, methodical coaching traditions, you see different ways of coaching from place to place, team to team etc. Of course you have some general principles that can apply, but for smaller details, there will always be different approaches. Which I think is kind of cool, tbh.
"Stop slow-rolling balls" is the same as saying "Always shoot hard" which is not very good advice. All you have to do is adjust your aim a little when you need to slow roll a ball for position. Sometimes you have no choice other than slow rolling the ball for easy position. Slow rolling the ball to get easy position is way higher percentage than shooting hard and trying to control the speed to go back and forth or go around the table 3 rails. "Never say Never". If you are going to slow roll the ball, simply account for the throw and and the forward roll on the object ball. It's not hard. The secret is simply aiming to the pro-side of the pocket. (Don't aim center pocket for a long shot when slow rolling. And never aim at the sucker-side of the pocket.)
It's easier to slow roll for control on a slower worn out table. Pros typically have access to a new cloth year around. This would suggest they should use more stun-follow and extra rails for position than someone playing on worn out tables. It's still important skill to roll for position in 8 ball or 14.1 for example. Naturally you need to know how to get a good stroke with low speed and short back swing is a good place to start developing that with better speed control. Back swing length should in my opinion be longer only when needed (high speed or cue power). I know it's advanced stuff and maybe this video is for the general public that only plays 9 ball and couldn't dream of stringing runouts together or getting past 30 balls in 14.1.
Thanks for the comment(s) guys. You both present some important nuances, and I agree with most of what you're saying. Some of the nuances could've perhaps been included, and some are outside the scope of the video. And some are implied with words like "often" (not always), and "perhaps".
@@PoolProblems There's solid advice to be given for beginners, experienced, advanced and pro level players. This is a good set for experienced players that can clear a rack of 8 or 9 ball but lose to the ghost still almost every time. Neils Feijen is perhaps the only one focusing on the advanced level mostly. I'm around top 50 in Finland, but have been in national team in table tennis so I know there's one or two levels in pool I'll never know about. My previous comment was as you said challenging the black and white way of presenting things. Also suggesting that ghost ball aiming is the best way and works best with fast pace is a bit subjective. Might work for you and not for me. Appleton has said almost all the pros use some aiming tricks in some specific balls. I use my own reference line aiming in 1/2 ball and bigger cuts and some perhaps use CTE. Aiming for the cut and spin induced throw is important and you can only learn those by practising a long time or playing even longer time.
Yeah that's a bit more interesting @PoolProblems I saw some rare footage the other day of Ronnie O'Sullivan practicing an S shaped lineup. Unlike all the other snooker pros I'd seen doing the line-up before, he wasn't just trying to complete it. He was shooting a ball, potting it, but if the position wasn't _absolutely_ perfect, he was putting the ball back on the table and doing it again. Over and over. This was him practicing in front of a crowd too.
Just a tip - If you're trying to give people advice (and actually have anyone listen) - Don't use a shot a pro missed due to a kick and 0 to do with aiming 😂
Subscribed! 🤟🏻🎱
You’re gonna be big. I’m glad I subscribed early.
That jump video of yours is excellent too. 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Another reason for the shorter backstroke is table cloth is must faster than it was 30 years ago. For most shots you don't need that much power. Great video!
Snooker cloth is a lot faster and heated and they also have a beautiful backspin
I honestly wish they never made wursted cloth and kept it to wool. The speed of cloth now is too insane to me. Woolen cloth makes the power and speed of your stroke actually “add up” to the speed it should be. I hate rolling in a ball where my next ball is like right in the vicinity of my current object ball just to travel 3x farther than necessary
Agreed , I am 62 and played on much slower tables that require a full long stroke to get around the table etc , simonis is ok but sketchy sometimes , the other brands of felt are even mire sketchy to me personally and that doesn't count yhe rails and new materials they put into certain sets of pool balls
Excellent video. People get so tied up with aiming, stroke, etc. they loose confidence and that causes them to make last minute changes which results in things like miscues, bad shots, etc. I think that the most important thing is table time and lots of practice of common shots. When you are going on muscle memory developed from years of playing, there is less doubts and over-thinking each shot.
Yes, that's so true. Consistent and purposeful practice helps! Thanks for the comment!
I’m 23 and just started playing for a pool team, and what you said is bang on I spend that much time thinking about it and lining it up, then I miss, but if I just feel my shot and hit it with more faith I’m finding myself more auccesful
A big thank you! These tips did indeed INSTANTLY improve my game.
I started playing less than 2 years ago. Have a 9’ table and play in three leagues a week. I’ve watched tons of YT vids and practice every day.
My game seemed totally stuck and sucked. My thought was to slow down and be more careful - the opposite of your advice. Just watching the vid convinced me that I needed to do something drastic and SPEED UP my shooting - not to baby each shot even more. I can’t believe the TOTAL difference. You’ve saved me years of more frustration. Just after two days (and playing league last night) my game is ridiculously improved. You’re so right about the mindset change when it comes to home practice vs match play. Your tips make all the difference.
Thank you again - subscribed of course.
Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you found my tips helpful! Thanks for subscribing and supporting me.
the best learning video i ever seen since i start playing pool 3 years
you talk about some realllllllly important staff
i think i will repeat this video everyday
Thanks, bro! Glad you liked it! Hope you've checked out my other videos too! Keep it up, my friend.
This was excellent, succinct sections, no pandering or selling products. I'll be using these tips next time I practice. Thank you!
Glad you liked it, thanks for the comment! Let me know how it works out in practice, okay?
this video is truly helpful. train few hours today bout these mistakes but feel much more confidence. thank you❤❤❤
I agree with everything that you inputted in the video. Each one was the things that I had to improve in my 1yr and 2 months of playing pool. Especially the preshot routine. You must always be consistent and have that rhythm in you. My prestroke consist of chalking (sometimes), finding ob path to pocket, cue ball path, then my 2 practice stroke and back swing. Playing too slow and playing too fast are bad, stay consistent with your rhythm.
Excellent advice, and clean, short, well edited presentation.
Glad you liked it!
Awesome video and presentation! This information will do wonders for my game. A huge thank you for sharing!
Let me know how it works out! Glad you liked it!
Great instruction and explanation through the whole lesson :)
Dude, awesome video! Super well made and great content!
Glad you liked it!
This channel is very under rated! Keep it up man
Thanks! Fingers crossed it'll grow!
Agree. Very nice editing and engaging and direct with information
Thanks, keep ‘em coming
Great Video! I agree with all of it. Thx for the quick lesson!
Glad you liked it!
Very interesting. Stumbled on this video, haven’t played in a decade, gotta go find a table and check some of this out.
If I use a golf analogy, I address the ball, backswing, and stroke. I don’t take several backswings before I let loose…several things to think about in this video. Lost my pool table and the house in the 2014 divorce, but I still got my stick….
I always wanted some video that gives tips to players who already know most of the basics. As a local tournament winner, this video points out to many mistakes I have been doing that caused me to miss easy shots. Please keep doing videos to our type of players.
Glad to hear that, my friend. That kind of players are my main target, so feel free to check my other videos as well! I think you might like it :)
Another amazing content from you. Make me wanna jump right back to the training table now :D You are talking about "not baby the stroke/shot" and I agree 💯 . Most pros use "drag shot" in many situation so they dont need to baby the ball. Can you talk about that in future video? I have been practising this shot long time and I'm not sure if I do it right :D
10/10 for video btw
They don't use the drag stroke much. They use the stun-run-through shot.
They actually do it very often. I didnt know that until I watched some videos jo f Neils Feijen and Karl Boyes covering this topic. For long shots, stun-run-through is more risky shot than the drag-shot. Drag-shot makes the pocket play "bigger" as players dosent need to either force the cueball or baby it. However, drag-shot can be used to increse the angle of the cueball path because the cueball gets forward motion(like high ball/top spin) short after sliding. The stun-run-through will still follow the tangent line and it is used for stright shots mostley.
czcams.com/video/ERImjxBGdl8/video.htmlsi=8j0umYwyw6qqhioj
I used to play and referee professionally in the US for the PBTA in the 90's. I have coached some of the best in the game. I agree with most of your conclusions. We used to play on Brunswick SuperSpeed rubber (K55 profile) and SImonis 860 speed cloth (which was very fast at the beginning of the tournament), so adjusting from a slow roll to faster stroke speed to reduce friction on the balls (the reason the object ball doesn't follow its intended path) affects position as well - so that needs adjusting in speed. Often times, when slow rolling cuts like that, we would counter the "friction" with heavy "english". Ex; If cutting to the left 75 degrees, we would use a soft stroll stroke with heavy right english to keep the balls from sticking to each other. But, that is a professional technique that requires a lifetime of practice to master. I would add that when you are reducing your backstroke, it also automatically reduces your follow through. The easiest and perhaps most widely needed reminder for players of all skill levels is to "stroke, don't poke". I agree that supper long, flamboyant strokes such as with Bustamonte and many other Asian players is detrimental to the masses, but it is their "flawed" fundamentals that gave them "personality" on tour. Good luck with your pool career!
Great video and explanation. SIT is a lot stronger on soft shots so slightly faster shots helps.
That's true. You do on the other hand have slightly more deflection to deal with, but I still totally agree. Not only is the SIT a problem, but you have to deal with the swerve as well. Thanks for the comment!
@@PoolProblems subscribed
All 5 Tips are very good, but the advice to aim for the pocket opening was a game changer for me!
It really was for me to. You'll increase your ball pocketing by quite alot! Thanks for the comment!
the only video that we need to enhance our playing, thanks!
Thank you! Now let's get to practice!
For me , shooting everything at the correct speed is the key for accurate potting , any speed more than required or slower can ruin your accuracy and to know exactly what i mean you just have to try it on a chinese 8 ball pool table or snooker
You actually touched on things that are important (most YT channels do not as few people play decent).
I'm glad you covered throw, but I disagree: I think it's less at higher speeds, but it's always present unless it's a straight shot. And if people stopped thinking about the "contact point" on the ball, or where to hit the pocket ... and instead, looked at where the object ball needs to be hit in order to make it go into the pocket (very subtle difference) it'd help reduce missed shots.
Also, I think people should get really comfortable using as MUCH side spin + speed as they'll ever use when pocketing a ball at medium distances ... in a dead-straight-in shot. And causing the CB to just sit and spin after you make the ball. The inability to do that shows inadequate familiarity with the correct side picture for your cue's deflection. I suggested doing it at kinda firm speed to minimize the swerve that slower speed shots will get ... which is something that takes a lifetime of feel to learn to manage. But deflection is something you can really get up to speed on pretty quickly ...
Lastly, you're spot on (again) about pressure. The thing is, I think people should make it a skill just like all the others they work on to train to relax under pressure. As important as the other things I mentioned are ... nothing is perhaps more important than pressure management. You have to deliberately believe in yourself (even if you're playing poorly -- perhaps especially if you are). Because nothing can do as much harm to you as the self-harm of doubt.
Great job on this bro.
i don't do pre strokes now too and it greatly improves my accuracy. new sub
That's cool. Was it something you used to do, or did you try it after seeing this video?
I discovered it a few days ago but at least your video also confirms i'm not alone and doing it right. thank you.@@PoolProblems
I haven't practice your short back stroke before hitting the cue ball though. that's new to me so I'll practice that. thank you again. I subscribed to you. @@PoolProblems
I needed 15 years to know some of this tips. New generations are lucky to find material like this one.
Me too, man :( We had to learn the hard way. Glad you liked it, and thank you for your acknowledgement.
Wow! This is really nice video! Very fresh editing. All the best🙏
Thank you! Your videos are also great. Keep it up!
@@PoolProblems Thank you very much 👊
1:23 in and i am already thinking this is great advice! i used to be good and gave up for years, now back into it and i am having to learn stuff i could once do that i just did without having to think what i was doing i could just do it lol i am trying not make excuses about my eyesight age ect awsome advice
I actually came back from a long break a couple of years ago myself, and I came with some new perspective on things. How's everything been for you since you came back?
the first one is so true! i was stunting my own growth by being a slow, methodical player for years. just last week in league i started speeding up my shots and won a match against a player rated higher than me! i was also listening to jazz music for good measure. :D
Well done, buddy. I used to play jazz trumpet btw :D
Great stuff!
Awesome video, so clear, easy to understand, keep on going man, you will be huge, you’ll see 💪🏼 Im Joaquin from Ask by the way 😁💪🏼
My man, nice hearing from you. Thanks for the comment, and I hope I'll see you soon!
Great video! You need more subscribers! Your content and presentation is excellent!
Thank you! I'm a fan of your channel as well. I actually have your book, and I'm gonna drop some of the knowledge there soon. I'll make sure to point people in your direction!
Really inspiring, educational and motivating video! Thanks! 🙏
Always a pleasure, my man!
Awesome video!
Thanks 🙏
Excellent! I think this is what is missing in my game- among other things! Lol!
We have to start somewhere, don't we! Good luck!
5:45 The practice routine you found is on Jimmy Reid's "No Time For Negative" Volume 2 from 1991. I have all three volumes and they are fantastic.
Oh, that's cool. Never heard of that one! What are his reasons behind the method?
Keep on the good work!
Woah this was really good. I hope you make more videos
This took me 1,5 months, so let's see! Thanks.
Excellent video there is one thing I do disagree with though and that's at the end about committing to a shot once you're down I think for a lot of people once they get down and there is doubt they need to pick themselves back up usually their brain is telling them get up stand up You're out of line your body is not a line The shot line is off your vision is off but they shoot it anyway because they've already committed to the shot
I actually also agree. The good thing with the last example is that it's more a practice strategy. It teaches you to really do the work before going down, so when you actually do allow yourself to stand up again, there will be fewer instances that it'll be nescassary. If you always allow yourself to stand up, you tend to get sloppy with the process before you go down. Thanks for the comment!
Shortening my backstroke is my #1 aha moment because it improved literally every type of shot that I made. I HIGHLY suggest this to anybody who wants to up their game.
After realizing that I didn't need to pull back so much, I improved:
1. My stroke consistency because I was hitting the cue ball EXACTLY where I was trying to.
2. My draw shots because I focused more on hitting as low as possible instead of trying to add more power by having a longer backstroke.
3. My shots when the cue ball is frozen against/close to the rail, since I don't feel FORCED to use a shorter stroke anymore.
4. My power control, because I gained a much better understanding of how strong I can throw the cue ball around with just a short stroke.
I've always had a great sense of the physics of the balls and how I can position properly in my head, but unfortunately, my execution was not catching up with my observation and knowledge. I also had a generally straight stroke but the minute differences in where exactly I was hitting the cue ball vs. where I needed to was the biggest improvement in shortening the backstroke.
Helpful video! Do you mind dropping the name of your all-black cue stick? I’ve been looking for sth like that for a while, thanks 🙏
Thanks. Do you mean my playing cue?
@@PoolProblems yes that’s exactly what I meant
It's a predator roadline butt with a predator revo 11.8. It's more of a sneaky pete, the butt is not black. That's why I asked 👍🏼 Thanks for the comments, my friend 🙏🏼
Really great tips
Before Efren the Magician played in the US, there were no spots on the cue ball, after playing there, they saw how good his control over the cue ball is, hence the spots on the cue ball to see how he hits it.
My friend a uk champion and European when younger said the same thing with out confidence and commitment you always buckle and miss black ball syndrome when it never happens at home practicing
I agree with you 90%. But I don't agree about standing up if in doubt. If you settle into your shot and realize you aren't aimed correctly, the only way to guarantee a successful outcome is to stand up and reset. If you try to adjust too much while down, your stroke will suffer. Otherwise, you are right on the money with everything else. Great clip. I'll subscribe !!
I agree. But if you temporary practice like that you learn to be more thorough with the process before you go down. You'll bring that skill with you to your normal shooting routine. Hope that makes sense. Thanks for the comment and sub 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
@@PoolProblems OK, I think I missed that you saying that during practice. in that case, Agreed! I've been playing for about 55 years, finally at a pretty high level, all your points are exactly what I have learned the hard way....where were you when I was 9? 😁
Really good quality video👍
Awesome, thanks!
I decided to go play the 10-ball ghost while trying to stop babying shots and shortening my backstroke to only what the shots required. I won 9-3! Really useful tips
Wow, that's amazing. Thanks for the feedback. Beating the 10-ball ghost 9-3 means you're at a very high level! Keep it, buddy!
@@PoolProblems thank you for the compliment! I wish I always played like that too but I lack consistency and confidence most of the time.
It's not necessary to play with more speed and power at all. Speed control is a big part of this game. Pocket speed is putting the ball into the pocket with just enough speed to make the shot and position the cue ball for the next shot. That might be a slow roll tap, or it may take a 3 cushion power stroke, depending on where the cue ball needs to be for the next shot. When I watch a pro player, 90% of the time it's 1 cushion cue ball rebound and rarely a 3 or 4 cushion cue ball power shot. For most , a medium/soft shot works best.
Very good video!!
Excellent tips, thanks for sharing! Subscribing. 🤟
Thank you! Hope to see you in future comment sections!
I actually play worse in practice. lol. I play better under pressure.
Like me😂
The shorter backstroke. Ive been studying that from Filler and Shaw alot 😂 Then when i watch Fedor Gorst, my doubt sky rockets😂
very good video, thanks
Good stuff. Subscribed
Thanks. And I can see from your picture that you know how to play. Solid stance!
Your video and communications are of an excellent quality. However, all shots are to be aimed at pocket center and there are good reasons to use a longer backstroke--but with a shorter bridge.
People have been asking me for years, "Why do you hit them so hard?".
Now I know why. 😊
Thanks!
Thank you! Really apprectiate it!
"Aim, go down, shoot" I've been playing that way for many years and I'm not a bad player. My top tip would be this. Watch how people miss. 90% play thick shots too thin and thin shots too thick. ie: people play 3/4 ball as 2/3 ball and 1/4 ball as 1/3 ball. Even the pros normally miss this way. I also agree that dead weight is dangerous. even on a really top quality table you can get some roll off if you play shots too slowly.
Yeah my friend told me on straight in shots don't roll it. I found out this is because the cueball will roll off its path a bit
nice advices to save, although bit baiting :) any timestamps??
Someone commented with a tl;dr and timestamps here in the comment section.
Regarding long stroke vs short stroke. The most important thing is to have a "straight" stroke. Stroking the cue on a straight line is a skill. And it takes practice. If you don't back-stroke strait, your forward stroke isn't going to be straight either. A strait stroke is the most important part of the shot. If your stroke isn't straight, seek out a coach that can help you adjust your grip correctly and fix your stance and teach you what you need to do to develop a straight stroke. The benefit of using a short stroke is that it's easier to stroke straight for a short distance; but if you can't stroke straight with a long stroke, your accuracy is going to suffer, even with short strokes because you are probably not stroking the ball entirely on a straight trajectory... but because it was a short stroke, you just don't notice it and it's probably causing you to miss more balls than you should.
I agree. We should do what we can to hone our fundamentals.
Agreed, whether you have a short or long stroke, it really comes down to a straight stroke. Neither is better, its just whatever is comfortable to you and achieves that goal.
Stance, bridge, grip, eyes sight positioning might make you think you are hitting the center of the cue ball, sometimes people covers 1 eye…and that last seconds decision, having doubts of your stroke, should you target here or there…
1. Stop slow rolling balls otherwise cue ball might deviate the target ball slightly
2. Stick to pre-shot routine even for easy shots. This makes you comfortable because you are doing something familiar.
3. Shorten the backstroke : it improves stability and accuracy while doing the shot
4. Aim for the pocket opening, most probably on the sides. It helps in potting in case of speed shots. Otherwise there's always a chance of not making the pot.
5. Don't allow yourself to doubt your shot after doing the pre-shot routine. You have to be confident with your pre-shot routine. Aim, Go Down, Shoot. Do not make any adjustments. Commit to the aim-point you found while you were standing.
You're a legend. Now I don't have to watch the entire video. Thanks!!
A longer backstroke will anoludt some bad habits too!
Such as poor arm swing discipline on a short back stroke a little bit of swing side to side may not affect how your tip strikes the cue ball that much, with the long backstroke your elbow could go all crazy Ivan, if you watch a so so player closely, it will be evident that they don't keep their elbow only moving parallel to the cue stick!
The extra forces put into the shot by a longer backstroke will also affect the elbow in pretty much the same ways, speed control is king at the top levels of the sport!
If a player can't break those bad habits or at least quit make those mistakes less often, they'll never be anything but a mediocre player, some of those issues are actually a good place to improve your game!
I’m a slow roller for life!!! Baby!!!!!
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it!
Noted thank u
very nice
thanks
what’s the direction of object ball after heated with cue ball (throw)
First a bit forward (the throw), and then to the direction it is cut. But the forward motion in the beginning can drive it off it's target line by several inches, depending on the distance to the pocket and conditions etc. Remember, running english can reduce/neutralize that throw. That's why most players put at least a touch of running spin on almost all shots.
Not the spaghetti 💀
Why you gotta put our icon on blast man
You made a very nice video. But could you add the Turkish automatic translation option? I want to understand what you say. Thank you very much.
Thanks, bro! And sorry for the subtitle thing, I didn't know it was a setting. I think I've enabled it now. I tried turkish and it seems to handle it. Would you mind checking for me?
Teşekkürler, kardeşim! Ve altyazı işi için özür dilerim, ayar olduğunu bilmiyordum. Şimdi etkinleştirdiğimi düşünüyorum. Türkçe'yi denedim ve işe yaradığını gördüm. Kontrol etmemi ister misiniz?"
Thank you. not currently activated. But I think it will be activated after waiting a bit.
Do we have a little ocd ?
Very good advice for most players BUT. Strickland and even the GOAT Reyes have no pre shot routines. They basically look at the layout once and hardly do the fedor gorst thing at looking at every next shot. Their skills and talents are way up there. Reyes not only has a somewhat long back stroke but also a long cue. LOL
Can you straighten up that Harry Potter poster so I can focus on the video?😂
😂
I see where to hit the Objectball when i stand behind it, but as I go down for the shot i cant see it anymore. I hit the ball on the wrong point cause my mind calculated it wrong. I cant imagine it. In fact i dont know where to hit the ball when I am down. Anyone knows how to see a clear point on the Objectball? Or how to get better in knowing where to hit the balls? Thats my biggest Problem currently.
I'll deal with that in a future video. Hint: There's always some feel and guesswork involved. Visualizing is always something abstract and not absolute. It will never be clear-clear, but with practice you'll get better.
What cue do you have?
Predator roadline butt, revo 11.8 shaft. What about you, buddy?
Is gripping on side rails legal?
Gripping how?
Carlo Biado rarely strokes more than twice before shot ? I play well in this style…
👍🎱
gotta disagree with short backstroke because Ko Ping Chung and Fedor are great players
a handful of people use it, so you're saying that justifies it making a good a practice? Is there a more suffice reason how come long back strokes make for an ideal practice?
How can you be reached on messenger Facebook ect sir. I have a quick question
I'm sorry, but I do not use facebook and messenger. You can send me an e-mail, though! It's on my channel page.
I aim at what I can see. If I don’t see the back of the pocket, I don’t aim there
5:24 line to shot
What does that mean?
Just learn proper snooker techniques. Snooker table have nap even, and we learn how to roll the ball and compensate for that off rolling. Drag shot is another technique. Pace is something of high importance in snooker but I've never heard a pool player talk about it.., pace alone is very tough to learn; see how snooker player cannon a ball and put cueball snooker behind another ball while sticking close to it, tiny bit more extra strength would fail to snooker. Longer stroke is not the problem, smooth stroke and good follow through with good contact is. Problem is the bridge length is sometime ridiculous in pool for snooker players... The pre-shot routine is much more.... Hint: The aiming is already done the moment you lie down on the shot.
Well, there are certainly alot of snooker players with shorts strokes. Study Ding f.ex. and you'll see. Not everybody shoots like Shaun Murphy, you know :D Aiming should (mostly) be done standing up, yes, like I said in the video. But micro adjustments while down can be used. Michael Holt speaks about this, so this is done both in pool and snooker. And regarding rolling and throw, it certainly helps the snooker players to have a referee clean the balls between each shot, doesn't it? But overall, you are right in your premise. The demands for good cueing is a lot higher in snooker, so pool players can probably learn a lot from watching snooker lessons. I know I have. But it's not as easy as "learn snooker technique". If that was easy, you wouldn't have tons of bad snooker players, would you?
If you lost your focus on the shot... GET UP, redo your preshot routine. His advice to "not get up" exposes you to sharking. It only takes 1/2 second for you to lose your focus. Maybe they said something... asked a question about your shot, someone walked in front of you causing you to take your eyes off your aim point, someone coughed and it distracted you from your focus. Usually the person doing these things is your opponent. They hate to lose and will do anything to put the odds in their favor. These people tend to have bad attitudes towards others. They are also, usually impatient. If they want to play psychological games, play some back. Don't get mad, upset or irritated. Just stay calm. Get up, and start over. I call it punishing them by taking more time. It's their fault for not having good pool etiquette. Good pool ettiquette is allowing your opponent to focus and give you his or her best game. And it's the "honorable" thing to do. If you really want to be better, encourage people to play their best and force yourself to play your best. Be a good sport!
Quote: "use it as a PRACTICE STRATEGY to work on the entire thinking process before you go down on the shot".
Are you Norwegian?
99% norsk
@@PoolProblems I heard it on the accent ;)
@@Eurotrash330066 I'm impressed. There are even more Norwegian details there if you look closely, though.
Aha
Is modern times the age of anti-science? Why don't they do experiments to see which advice really works? For me personally practicing body stillness, relaxation, and visualization helped me out...
That's not how improving in sports and games work. Even in big sports with long, methodical coaching traditions, you see different ways of coaching from place to place, team to team etc. Of course you have some general principles that can apply, but for smaller details, there will always be different approaches. Which I think is kind of cool, tbh.
I literally got better
"Stop slow-rolling balls" is the same as saying "Always shoot hard" which is not very good advice. All you have to do is adjust your aim a little when you need to slow roll a ball for position. Sometimes you have no choice other than slow rolling the ball for easy position. Slow rolling the ball to get easy position is way higher percentage than shooting hard and trying to control the speed to go back and forth or go around the table 3 rails. "Never say Never". If you are going to slow roll the ball, simply account for the throw and and the forward roll on the object ball. It's not hard. The secret is simply aiming to the pro-side of the pocket. (Don't aim center pocket for a long shot when slow rolling. And never aim at the sucker-side of the pocket.)
It's easier to slow roll for control on a slower worn out table. Pros typically have access to a new cloth year around. This would suggest they should use more stun-follow and extra rails for position than someone playing on worn out tables. It's still important skill to roll for position in 8 ball or 14.1 for example. Naturally you need to know how to get a good stroke with low speed and short back swing is a good place to start developing that with better speed control. Back swing length should in my opinion be longer only when needed (high speed or cue power). I know it's advanced stuff and maybe this video is for the general public that only plays 9 ball and couldn't dream of stringing runouts together or getting past 30 balls in 14.1.
Thanks for the comment(s) guys. You both present some important nuances, and I agree with most of what you're saying. Some of the nuances could've perhaps been included, and some are outside the scope of the video. And some are implied with words like "often" (not always), and "perhaps".
@@PoolProblems There's solid advice to be given for beginners, experienced, advanced and pro level players. This is a good set for experienced players that can clear a rack of 8 or 9 ball but lose to the ghost still almost every time. Neils Feijen is perhaps the only one focusing on the advanced level mostly. I'm around top 50 in Finland, but have been in national team in table tennis so I know there's one or two levels in pool I'll never know about. My previous comment was as you said challenging the black and white way of presenting things.
Also suggesting that ghost ball aiming is the best way and works best with fast pace is a bit subjective. Might work for you and not for me. Appleton has said almost all the pros use some aiming tricks in some specific balls. I use my own reference line aiming in 1/2 ball and bigger cuts and some perhaps use CTE. Aiming for the cut and spin induced throw is important and you can only learn those by practising a long time or playing even longer time.
I got my hopes up that this wouldn't just be the stock standard advice taught in 10000 coaching videos on youtube. :\
Noboby's talked about this, though:
czcams.com/video/4sdu3O567Vc/video.html
Yeah that's a bit more interesting @PoolProblems I saw some rare footage the other day of Ronnie O'Sullivan practicing an S shaped lineup. Unlike all the other snooker pros I'd seen doing the line-up before, he wasn't just trying to complete it. He was shooting a ball, potting it, but if the position wasn't _absolutely_ perfect, he was putting the ball back on the table and doing it again. Over and over. This was him practicing in front of a crowd too.
Just a tip - If you're trying to give people advice (and actually have anyone listen) - Don't use a shot a pro missed due to a kick and 0 to do with aiming 😂