More of this Series . Intro!uction . /.0 1hilosophy Of 1ool . 2.0 Learnin# To 1lay 1ool . 3.

0 O4ercomin# The 1hysical %arriers . 5.0 O4ercomin# The 6ental %arriers . 7.0 Why 1ool8 . 9.0 %ecomin# A Natural 1layer . :.0 &u!#in# The An#le ; Establishin# The ,i#ht Techni<ue . :e.0 Si#htin# The Shot . :f.0 The 1ractice Stro es . :#.0 1ausin# =or 1erfection . :h.0 =inal Cue (eli4ery

Technique By Nick Prinsloo Here we will have the sub-gradient of: a. Shot selection b. Judging the angle c. Approaching the shot

d. Taking up position and going down on the shot e. Sighting the shot f. The Practice Strokes

g. Pause # ! pause #" and the backstroke

h.

#ue deliver$ #o%pleting the stroke

i.

&nce $ou have %astered all these! $ou will have to go through this routine in this e'act order ever$ ti%e $ou pla$ a shot. (t %a$ sound co%plicated and involved! but once auto%atic it will %ake the shot easier than $ou thought. )or now! ( will take $ou up to *d+ taking up position and going down on the shot. A. SHOT SELECTION When you are about to play a shot you must first select the ball you want to poc et. It is all that nee!s to be sai! about shot selection for now " we will #et to e$actly how this is !one later. %. &'()IN) THE AN)LE &u!#in# the an#le is a term use! to !escribe where e$actly " from where you are stan!in# behin! the cue ball " to sen! the cue ball for it to ma e contact with the ob*ect ball so that the ob*ect ball will enter the poc et. There are !ifferent approaches to *u!#in# the pottin# an#le+ an! as lon# as they ,EALL- wor + the one

woul! not be more ri#ht than the other. If you alrea!y ha4e a sure"fire way of *u!#in# the an#le+ !o not try anythin# else> rather ten! to your techni<ue itself. There is always *ust one contact point between cue ball an! ob*ect ball+ re#ar!less of the an#le+ an! that is the point on the ob*ect ball which is furthest from the center of the poc et. If the cue ball ma es contact with that point the ob*ect ball will enter the poc et in <uestion e4ery time+ without fail ?pro4i!e!+ of course+ the table !oesn@t roll off or somethin#0. So+ to fin! the ri#ht way of *u!#in# the an#le+ we ha4e to

wor from that principle. We can+ of course+ memoriAe the an#les an! then *ust play from memory+ li e some boo s say+ but one@s memory can often let one !own. That is why we will establish one way to *u!#e e4ery an#le in!i4i!ually " to be sure that no human error enters into this. It !oesn@t mean that you will ha4e to stan! there mentally computin# before you can play the shot+ but it will be necessary at first while you are still learnin#+ until it becomes an automatic action. Now that we ha4e the point of contact+ we must 4isualiAe the cue ball in position of contact with the ob*ect ball. -ou must actually see an ima#inary white ball statically touchin# the ob*ect ball+ as in (ia#ram 2 abo4e. At first+ this will not seem 4ery easy for some people+ but persist an! this too will become automatic. To ma e this a little easier for yourself+ you can 4isualiAe a line runnin# from the center of the poc et throu#h the cue ball. A better way is to 4isualiAe a three"!imensional path the ob*ect ball will follow to the poc et> an ima#inary BtunnelB the siAe of the ball. E$ten! that BtunnelB to en! in that ima#inary cue ball. An! there you ha4e the e$act position the cue ball shoul! be in when it ma es contact. Now simply sen! the cue ball to fill the space of the ima#inary cue ball+ an! poc et the ball. I will now tell you how to sen! the cue ball to that position. . A11,OACHIN) THE SHOT Now that we ha4e establishe! the an#le+ we ha4e a line that the cue ball must follow to ma e contact with the ob*ect ball. This is the line of the shot. The ri#ht way to approach the shot is thisC stan! behin! the cue"ball+ facin# the ob*ect ball> loo at the poc et> loo from the poc et to the ob*ect ball+ seein# the path of the ob*ect ball to the poc et> fin! the position of the ima#inary cue"ball>

fin! the line of the shot between actual cue"ball an! ima#inary cue"ball+ not for#ettin# the position of the ima#inary cue"ball. Now you are rea!y to ta e up position behin! the cue ball.

,. TA-(./ 0P P&S(T(&. A., /&(./ ,&1. &. TH2 SH&T &nce $ou have found the line between the actual cue ball and the i%aginar$ cue ball! $ou can e'tend that line onto the floor in front of $our feet. Step into that line with $our right foot *if $ou are right-handed+! pointing $our toes at an angle of about 34 degrees to that line. (deall$! the line should run through the bridge of $our foot! but the toes or heel are oka$ too. .ow step forward with the heel of $our left foot *right foot for lefties+! about shoulder-width to the left of the right heel! and about four inches ahead of the toes of $our right foot! with the left foot parallel to the e'tended i%aginar$ line. *See ,iagra% 5.+

(ia#ram % Straighten the back leg *right leg for right-handed pla$ers+! and lean forward! putting the weight of $our bod$ onto the front leg. The front leg will naturall$ bend to take the weight. Put $our left hand on the table about 6- " inches fro% the cue ball! in line with the shot. Straighten $our left ar%. 5end down as if $ou are about to stroke the ball. (f it feels like $ou are too close to! or too far fro% the table! get up! and start over again. (f it feels as if $our feet are too far apart! or too close together! get up and %ove $our feet apart or closer until it feels co%fortable. The stance %ust be stead$! but co%fortable! so pla$ around with it until $ou find a happ$ %ediu% between the two &nce $ou have found a co%fortable! balanced and stead$ stance! and can co%fortabl$ stretch the left ar% out straight towards the cue ball! having placed the bridge hand about 6- " inches fro% the cue ball! $ou can for% a bridge with $our bridge hand. So%e pla$ers prefer a looped bridge *looping the forefinger over the cue onto the %iddle finger and pressing the thu%b against the 7unction of forefinger and %iddle finger+! and others like the open bridge! used b$ snooker pla$ers. To for% an open bridge! place the bridge hand flat on the bed of the table! pal% facing down. Spread the fingers. Press the thu%b against the forefinger between knuckle and first 7oint. 8aise the knuckles of the

whole hand while keeping the thu%b against the forefinger. This should for% a 9:9 between thu%b and forefinger through which $ou will run the cue. .ow bend the bod$ down over the cue! bringing the head and chin directl$ over the cue. So%e pla$ers pla$ with the head about a foot or even %ore above the cue! but %odern cha%pions get down lower! so%e touching the cue with their chin! like snooker pla$ers. (t is %ore i%portant that $ou are co%fortable! than tr$ing to follow trends. As long as the head is directl$ over the cue! facing into the line of the shot! ever$thing should be fine.

. SI)HTIN) THE SHOT Si#htin# the shot is relati4ely easy but this part is ne4ertheless foule! up by so many of us. Often we !on@t realiAe how important it is to #et it absolutely ri#ht. The fact that our eyes sometimes !ecei4e us ?if we !on@t really LOOD0 is easily !emonstrate! here. How often ha4e you cau#ht yourself thin in# you are si#htin# !own the ri#ht line of aim when you are in fact not !oin# so8 Shots *ust off strai#ht"in are commonly si#hte! as strai#ht shots an! so misse!. The ey here is to LOOD an! really see what you are aimin# at. If the line you are si#htin# !own is not the one which is #oin# to let you poc et the ball+ you must #et up an! approach the shot a#ain " from scratch. %ut be carefulC the an#le of the shot loo s !ifferent when you are !own on the shot compare! to when you are stan!in# upri#ht behin! the cue ball. So+ !on@t chan#e the an#le if it !oesn@t loo ri#ht from !own there. If you are really unsure+ #et up an! start o4er. %ut+ whate4er you !o+ (O NOT CHAN)E THE AN)LE WHILE -O' A,E (OWN ON THE SHOTE -ou may fin! the ri#ht an#le from the tip of the cue+ but are you still si#htin# throu#h the point on the cue ball that you were ori#inally si#htin# throu#h8 No+ you are now applyin# unintentional en#lish to the cue ball+ which will ma e you miss the ball nine times out of ten. %ut enou#h of this ne#ati4e business. Let@s loo at what shoul! be !one. Let@s assume you want to poc et a ball at a sli#ht an#le usin# no en#lish+ i.e. stri in# the cue ball !ea! center. Assess the an#le+ approach the shot+ ta e up position an! #o !own on the shot. Aim the tip of the cue at the center of the cue ball+ pointin# at the center of the ima#inary cue ball ?remember the ima#inary cue ball80. This way you can@t #o wron# -ou ha4e loo e! at the cue tip a!!ressin# the center of the cue ball. Now loo at the ob*ect ball+ or rather the ima#inary cue ball Btouchin#B the ob*ect ball. Loo whether the line you are aimin# alon# is still perfectly aime! at that space you ha4e to play the cue ball into+ namely that of the ima#inary cue ball. Whether you actually see the ima#inary cue ball is irrele4ant. As lon# as you are sure that the cue ball is #oin# to ma e contact with the ob*ect ball at e$actly the ri#ht point in or!er to poc et it.

-ou can now loo at the cue ball a#ain to see if the cue tip is still line! up with the center of the cue ball. Once you are sure of this+ loo at the ob*ect ball a#ain to chec whether you are still aimin# at the ri#ht spot. ,epeat this proce!ure until you are one hun!re! percent sure that the aim is ri#ht. ?Two to three times may be sufficient+ but on certain shots+ you may ha4e to repeat this a few times more.0 Then+ an! only then+ are you rea!y to e$ecute the shot. Howe4er+ !on@t #et stuc in loo in# from cue ball to ob*ect ball to cue ball to ob*ect ball an! so on. The shot shoul! be playe! when you are rea!y to play it. No sooner+ no later.

Some players will ta e lon#er an! #o throu#h the proce!ure more times than others. -ou will !isco4er for yourself what wor s for you an! what !oes not. The practice stro es ?preliminary cuein#0 are a fairly sub*ecti4e part of the techni<ue. It is not <uite so important that it will ma e or brea a player+ but yet it is worth mentionin#. The practice stro es are the forwar! an! bac war! mo4ements of the cue before the shot is e$ecute!. It ta es place !urin# si#htin# of the shot. The purpose of preliminary cuein#+ is mainly to chec that the cue is mo4in# in a strai#ht line an! will !o so on the final e$ecution of the shot. It also ser4es to buil! up a rhythm an! shoul! help with the timin# of the stro e. The practice stro es shoul! be fairly slow an! always rhythmical+ althou#h bein# slow shoul! not be the rule of thumb. I ha4e seen a few ?an! only a few0 #oo! players with li#htnin#"fast practice stro es+ but then the ten!ency normally is to *ab at the shot+ which is not #oo!. It is not easy to mo4e the cue to an! fro at a hun!re! miles an hour+ an! then !raw the cue bac slowly ?i!eally0 for the last bac swin# before the shot. This feels an! loo s aw war!. -ou will see that players usually !raw bac the cue at the same spee! as their preliminary cuein#. Howe4er+ it shoul! also not be too slow an!For mechanical. Deep it smooth+ fluent an! rhythmical. The len#th ?not the len#th of time0 of the of the practice stro es can 4ary. Some players ha4e lon#+ la4ish stro es+ others ha4e short+ stunte! stro es. Some players har!ly mo4e the cue+ but it is still !istin#uishable as preliminary cuein#. As far as the time ta en on the practice stro es+ you will fin! that when a player is in stro e ?in form0 it is the same on e4ery shot. An! that is ultimately the optimum+ an! what you shoul! stri4e for. The number of practice stro es shoul! also be the same on e4ery shot+ whether easy or !ifficult. =in! your perfect rhythm " two stro es+ three stro es+ four or ei#ht+ whate4er #i4es you the best results. To fin! out which feels the most natural+ try this on fairly easy shots. )o ahea! an! complete the stro e by actually playin# the shot for now+ but in the ne$t lesson+ we will loo at what shoul! happen *ust before the final !eli4ery of the cue. 1A'SE G/+ 1A'SE G2+ AN( THE %ACDSWIN) We@4e assesse! the an#le of the shot+ steppe! into the e$ten!e! line of the shot+ lowere! our bo!ies o4er the table an! the hea! o4er the cue+ si#hte! the shot+ an! !one a few warm"up stro es to #et the rhythm #oin# an! to ensure the cue is runnin# in a strai#ht line. We@re almost rea!y to brin# the cue throu#h for that final

!eli4eryC the stro e itself. We coul!+ at the en! of the last practice stro e ?when the tip of the cue is almost a#ainst the cue ball0+ let the cue continue its forwar! motion an! actually play throu#h the cue ball+ thereby finishin# the stro e. Chances are+ if you ha4e !one e4erythin# correctly up to now+ an! pro4i!e! the shot is not one that ma es professionals thin twice+ you will poc et the ball. Now as yourself the followin# <uestionsC will I ma e the ball ten times out of ten8 Will I ma e the ball if #ettin# on the ne$t one re<uires some in! of fancy positional maneu4er8 Will I then ma e it ten times out of ten8 Will I ma e that ball if it is the winnin# ball of an important #ame8 Of an important match8 Of the finals of an important tournament8 A#ainst Efren ,eyes in the finals of an important tournament+ broa!cast li4e on tele4ision with camaramen mo4in# aroun! you an! bri#ht li#hts in our eyes8 If you are serious about pool an! impro4in# your #ame+ an! you answere! NO to any of the pre4ious <uestions+ then simply lettin# #o at the en! of the final practice stro e is not #oo! enou#h. -ou nee! an important a!!itional element or two. Somethin# that will help you focus enou#h without brea in# your rhythm to ne4er miss that shot+ re#ar!less of the circumstances an! playin# con!itions. I ha4e foun! that element ?one of them+ at least0 to be a sli#ht pause before you !raw the cue bac for the final !eli4ery. A pause *ust lon# enou#h for your eyes to fi$ themsel4es on the ob*ect ball+ where they will stay throu#hout the completion of the stro e. -ou will be amaAe! at the power of this little techni<ue. E4ery time I slip out of form an! fin! I am missin# balls I shoul! normally ma e+ it is because I for#et to pause+ or #et laAy an! rush the stro e. Next Page >> This pause ?pause G/0 shoul! be no more than a secon! lon#+ at most /.7 secon!s. Anythin# lon#er than that will ma e your eyes want to wan!er bac to the cue ball. Similarly+ it shoul! not be too short+ althou#h for <uic players it will be no more than a sli#ht pause. As lon# as it #i4es your eyes the chance to #o to the ob*ect ball an! stay there lon# enou#h to 4erify that you are still in line an! aimin# ri#ht. Then+ when you are rea!y+ !raw the cue bac + fairly slowly ?not painfully slowly+ *ust smoothly0. Once a#ain+ this will 4ary from player to player+ !epen!in# on how <uic you are. The bac swin# affects the cue !eli4ery to an e$tent players har!ly e4er consi!er. It shoul! be concentrate! upon to eep the bac swin# as strai#ht as possible. If the cue has en!e! off line at the bac of the bac swin#+ it will not come throu#h in a strai#ht line. Slow+ smooth an! strai#ht are the eywor!s concernin# the bac swin#. The secon! pause ta es place now+ at the en! of the bac swin#+ *ust before the forwar! stro e. It is not <uite a stoppin# action+ or as lon# a pause as the first one when your tip is a!!ressin# the cue ball+ but merely a sli#ht+ split"secon! pause between the bac war! an! forwar! motion of the cue. In fact+ ma e sure you !on@t stop the flow of the cue> it will ma e the action too mechanical an! force!. The bac swin#"pause"forwar!"stro e action can be li ene! to ta in# a !eep breath an! e$halin#> ta in# the breath is <uite slow an! there is a !efinite pause before you e$hale. Try breathin# in <uic ly an! e$halin# without the BpauseB. =eels unnatural+

!oesn@t it8 Another analo#y is that of !ri4in# a car in re4erse+ an! then chan#in# into a forwar! #ear. -ou woul!n@t su!!enly *am the car into (ri4e while it is still mo4in# bac war!s+ woul! you8 It is a smooth chan#e of !irection. Here is a brea !own of a typical stro e+ from start to finishC ST,ODE+ ST,ODE+ ST,ODE+ ST,ODE+ 1A'SE ?E-ES TO O%&ECT %ALL0......+ %ACDSWIN)+ 1A'SE+ SHOOTE This facet of the techni<ue+ when mastere!+ coul! separate you from your peers in no time. 6a e it a fun!amental part of your techni<ue by practicin# it until it becomes natural. -ou shoul! use a practice routine consistin# of easy shots " preferably strai#ht ones o4er a short !istance+ an! *ust practice #ettin# the timin# ri#ht+ without ha4in# to worry too much about #ettin# the an#le ri#ht. That way you can focus entirely on the pause"bac swin#"pause"shoot techni<ue+ #et that ri#ht+ an! only then mo4e on to more !eman!in# shots. Whate4er you !o+ !o not mo4e on to a more a!4ance! practicin# routine until you ha4e this techni<ue in#raine! in your 4ery bein#. Once you are sure that you will ne4er *ab+ *er or snatch at a shot a#ain+ you will ne4er ha4e to loo bac a#ain. Cue !eli4ery+ or the final stro e+ in4ol4es brin#in# the cue throu#h in a strai#ht line ?the line of the shot0 so that the tip of the cue ma es clean+ crisp contact with the cue"ball an! follows throu#h some !istance past the point of contact. After the final pause+ as !iscusse! in the pre4ious lesson+ the final stro e is playe! by simply closin# the elbow. If the ali#nment of the arm+ shoul!er an! elbow has been correct+ i.e. in line with the line of the shot+ the cue has no choice but to come forwar! in a strai#ht line. There is nothin# more to it. %y closin# the elbow the cue follows throu#h naturally. As with many other sports+ the follow"throu#h+ after contact has been ma!e+ assists in eepin# the cue ball on line an! on tar#et. This has somethin# to !o with the anticipation of the follow"throu#h+ which ma es the cue stop only after the cue ball has left the tip of the cue. It pro4i!es a 4ery !esirable punch effect an! a!!s to the crispness of the shot. It is important to note that the lon#er the follow"throu#h ?within reason0+ the better the stro e+ unless+ of course+ you are unable to follow"throu#h without playin# a push stro e ?when the cue ball an! ob*ect ball are close to#ether0. E4en on soft+ !elicate shots you shoul! still ha4e a #oo! follow"throu#h. The pace at which the shot is playe! is 4arie! by 4aryin# the stren#th an! spee! Bbehin!B the shot+ an! not by 4aryin# the len#th of the follow"throu#h. Ine4itably+ the follow"throu#h of a soft+ rollin# shot will not <uite be as lon# as that of a power stro e+ but that will ta e a natural course without you ha4in# to consciously thin about it at any sta#e of your pro#ress. If I ha! to thin of the perfect follow"throu#h+ Ste4e 6iAera imme!iately sprin#s to min!+ an! loo in# at the mo!ern stars of the #ame+ so !oes Corey (euel. They both stro e the ball smoothly at all times+ with a consistent+ well"time! follow"throu#h. E4en when playin# firm an! power shots+ they seem to put no effort into the shot at allC the stro e is sheer poetry in motion. This is accomplishe! by eepin# the follow" throu#h !eep an! smooth.

More of this Series . Intro!uction . /.0 1hilosophy Of 1ool . 2.0 Learnin# To 1lay 1ool . 3.0 O4ercomin# The 1hysical %arriers . 5.0 O4ercomin# The 6ental %arriers . 7.0 Why 1ool8 . 9.0 %ecomin# A Natural 1layer . :.0 &u!#in# The An#le ; Establishin# The ,i#ht Techni<ue . :e.0 Si#htin# The Shot . :f.0 The 1ractice Stro es . :#.0 1ausin# =or 1erfection . :h.0 =inal Cue (eli4ery

Lesson 3: Overco By Nick Prinsloo

ing The Physical Barriers

To e'cel at pool - or an$ other sport for that %atter - one needs to overco%e the ph$sical barriers b$ using the power of the %ind. .ow! $ou %ight ask! what are the ph$sical barriers of pool; (n order to pocket a ball! $ou need to strike a perfectl$ spherical white ball with a long! straight *preferabl$+! wooden stick that has a do%e-shaped leather tip stuck to its front end! sending it in a specific direction so so as to %ake contact with a perfectl$ spherical colored ball. The idea is for that colored ball to then find its wa$ into a pocket with an entrance a little narrower than two of these spherical balls placed side b$ side. Prett$ obvious! $ou %ight sa$. 5ut have $ou ever had a closer look at what a feat this is; Take two pool balls and %ake the% touch one another. <ook at the area of contact. =ou have a contact point of less than one fiftieth of an inch in dia%eter. >See diagra% below.? Prett$ s%all! huh; (n order to %ake a perfect shot! at the %o%ent of contact! that sa%e contact point has to be perfectl$ aligned with the point on the white ball furthest fro% the pocket and the center of the pocket itself. >See diagra% " below.?

!iagra

"