How to spend practice time

[cain29]

Fergal O'brien's are pretty good imo. Pretty challenging, for me at least.

http://fergalobrien.ie/practice.html

[kheops]

thanks a lot nrage for the precisions
it seems my road map is huge, i've succeeded 3 or 4 times of something like 20 attempts, my table is 8ft
the pleasure of beeing here isn't smaller because of my weakness

[Inoffthered]

My technique is sound, I ocasionally see my coach who I have been with since the first time I picked up a cue. I once played 100 long blues about 6months ago and got 89, I used to be a good player but I kind of ruined it with lots of unmotivated solo practice

Oh wow. This sounds familar LOL

[thelongbomber]

I'm not a fan of doing "trick shots" like screwing the white into one corner, and potting the blue in the other. All of these "cueing perfection" shots only aim to show you where some primary issues might be (sighting, bridge, hand, etc.). They serve a specific purpose but they don't ever come up for all practical discussion in a match. Same with the lineup. Reds are never in line like that in a match. The various lineups are built for specific purposes (like perfecting the stun shot for example). Various lineup routines are good in their own right, but they offer a complex set of different cueing challenges all combined.

One thing practice is supposed to be is to build up artillery for areas you are weak: If you consistenly miss the blue off angle, or the back cut black, or pink in the side, or yellow off the spot, etc, those are all areas you should be spending time on. Recently, I spent a month on the side pocket coming up with different sighting techniques until I full understood how to pot side pocket balls. Before I spent time on it, friends used to have a laugh leaving me balls into the side because I would miss the most remarkably easy shots. I have the last laugh now and make side pocket shots better than they do.

John Higgins pots the colors off their spot as a daily routine. That comes up a lot in match play too and one you should be practicing. Nevermind potting the colors without a cushion. That's just a silly money challenge game and never would you do that in match play (unless you are playing a table with aweful cushion bounces).

Here is one really useful piece of advice that has definitely helped me: do all of the things you mentioned in your first post but spend more time on a single key area until you master it. For example, if you are clearing the colors as a practice routine and consistenly get off shape on the brown or are on the cushion for the blue, that should be an indicator of some inherent problem or weakness and you should work hard to explore that particular shot or scenario further.

For example, I was recently in practice and noticed an issue with the yellow. I would either be on the cushion for the green, or end up over hitting and playing the green with a rest (I'm right handed) or end up missing thin, or some other combination. I explored that single shot (1/4 ball) for the next two days and it uncovered a whole series of glaring issues primarily being the result of a poor soft stun shots. That single scenario forced me to review cueing, grip, and helped me to refine about 10 other areas I hadn't considered. That single missed shot probably helped me advance my game another 5-10% overall as I got to work on new areas.

Practice should be there to uncover issues as well as brush up on perfecting your strengths further. Take time, don't rush, pay very close and keen attention, concentrate, and work hard. It's there as a tool.

[magicman]

The exercise of potting colours without using a cushion is to gain precise cue-ball control, not in order to be able to clear the colours without using a cush. It's not a "silly money challenge game", it's an exercise devised by a 6 times world champion in order to increase awareness of accurate cue-ball control.

[thelongbomber]

The exercise of potting colours without using a cushion is to gain precise cue-ball control, not in order to be able to clear the colours without using a cush. It's not a "silly money challenge game", it's an exercise devised by a 6 times world champion in order to increase awareness of accurate cue-ball control.

Fair enough. I'm sure it has a purpose.

I'm just suggesting that whatever the practice, avoid any routines that are non-specific in what it's meant to teach. Potting all the colors without a cushion uses at least a dozen different cue ball striking methods and doesn't let you zone in on any single weakness. Maybe for a more advanced player that understands cueing it's a reasonable teaching tool.