E-mail from a Reader

Hi, everyone! I hope you have all been doing well and that you are excited about the winter being over, and all of the spring tournaments getting under way. I hope everyone has been doing well and having fun. After all, having fun is our ultimate goal, right?

I got an e-mail from a reader by the name of Jason. He had a great addition to my post about stop shots. In fact, his addition adds a little to the topic besides just stopping the cue ball. His addition also brings to the discussion both draw and follow, not just stop shots. He wrote:

“Great site. I want to thank you for the top 10 things that most people do wrong. I think I do 8 or 9 of those. Your stop shot blog was good in that it mentioned practicing, but I like more details. I really like what Dr. "Dave" Alciatore shows. In particular he has a speed control drill which makes the point for all types of follow, stop, or draw shots. In particular, most experienced players know that the longer the shot, the faster you need to hit the shot in order to avoid normal rolling. Most beginner’s don’t know this. So this drill will work for beginners and help hone the more advanced player’s skills. I have a printout in my cue case. It has helped my cue ball control, in particular the stop shot. Hope you find it helpful.”

The link Jason provided is: http://billiards.colostate.edu/resources/stop_follow_draw_drill.pdf. It is a wonderful printout from David G. Alciatore, PhD (“Dr. Dave”) at Colorado State University, and I suggest that you do as Jason does and carry it in your cue case if you need help with draw, follow, or stop shots.

Jason, thanks a million for the e-mail. Not only are you one heck of a man for admitting you are guilty of several of the top mistakes people make, but you are definitely smart for carrying that printout in your cue case. In my bag, you will find annotated versions of several rule books, all sorts of printouts (conspicuously missing stop, draw, and follow, so I will be adding that), enough blue chalk that I could remake Avatar, tips, tip glue, tip shapers, tip punchers, etc. You don’t have to act all fanatic like me, but I do recommend having a few things that would best serve you.

Jason also recommended a printout for speed control, obtained from the same site, that I will share with you in the coming weeks when I do my speed control post. That is a big one as well, because a lot of people, not just beginners, are really good at hitting too hard or too soft. I have seen people hit balls too hard, knocking them off the table, in essence, scratching. I have also seen people hit balls too soft, causing them to miss the shot entirely, or watching the ball veer off course, creating a harder shot later. Speed control is even more important when you are doing something more sensitive like playing a safety. Keep an eye out for that post, featuring another addition from Jason.

Good luck out there, everyone! Good luck to all the APA members who are mid-way through their season and all the people participating in countless tournaments in the US! I know some people got back from Valley Forge recently, and some other places. Valley Forge is one of my favorites. It’s a haul, and I don’t get there much anymore, but it’s nice. I’ve sort of got a bucket list of places to go, even if I just feel like watching. Like I said, good luck everyone, keep practicing, and most importantly, have fun!

Cheers,

Shooter

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