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Now, on to talking about pool. (Since that’s obviously why you’re here, right?) I got an e-mail asking how to stop a shot. Apparently this reader has had a problem with that. He says he’s run into trouble making a straight in side shot or close corner shot because the cue ball wants to roll. Well, I can tell you that everyone has had that problem from time to time, and it is arguably one of the hardest things to learn how to do. Part of that problem is the unneeded pressure you put on yourself when trying to make the shot, which will definitely mess you up. You might also be trying to hit lighter. A lighter shot makes every ball move a less amount, but after contact the cue ball will still want to move, just not as much.

I assume that you’re either hitting the cue ball really low, which solves nothing, or straight in the center. Most likely you’re hitting in the center, simply because that is how you learn to shoot. Here’s what you’re doing wrong: English is a beautiful thing… if used properly. (For those who don’t know, english is the act of striking the cue ball anywhere but into the center. I will detail that more at the end of this explanation.) In this case, you want slight English. Aim toward the center like you’re used to, but then aim the tip down slightly, just below center. Don’t be afraid to hit the shot normal speed, just hit it firmly. Don’t exaggerate your follow-through. The farther the object ball is from the cue ball, the farther low you need to hit the cue ball. If you are entirely across the table from the ball but still want to stop it, you have to hit total low english. Back spin is much harder that far from the table. Low english will just stop it.

This takes some practice, so try to get into a little corner bar on a Saturday afternoon or a weekday evening when not a lot of people are out and set up a few shots. The bar I go to has open (free) pool on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings. I like to go on those evenings to practice, when I will likely have one of those four tables to myself for at least an hour before someone I know wants a game. By then, my practicing is over.

When practicing this, first try something odd: Put the cue ball on the head space (the dot that creates the imaginary line you break from in a game) and another ball no more than two feet away from it going straight toward the breaking area. Hit the cue ball into that ball as straight as possible, firmly, not hard, with the slightly lower English I told you about. The cue ball should stop or roll back slightly after it hits. If you did it right, the object ball should come straight back and hit the cue ball again, bringing it back toward you. Don’t be disheartened if the cue ball moves backward or to the side slightly. You still basically did it. Even a professional can hit a stop shot 10 times and have the cue ball move somewhat twice. Your key here is to make sure the ball doesn’t contact and follow the object ball in the pocket.

As you have practiced that a few times, move your efforts to a side pocket or a corner pocket. Just make sure to move it to both at some point. I don’t care which one you use first, just make sure to use both before you leave. Set up an object ball about four inches away from the drop point of a pocket, just outside of the corners the rails create in the pocket’s vicinity. Line the cue ball up straight from it, and use the tips I gave you. Get to the point where you can hit the ball off the drop point and not drop the cue ball as well. If you can do this, congratulations, you’ve completed the task! If you or anyone else has any remaining questions, feel free to ask. I’ve found a video that illustrates this perfectly. I hope this helps for a good visual:

Here’s a quick english lesson. (By the way, click on the image to see it in normal size if it appears a bit too small.)

For more information on how english works, visit: http://www.squidoo.com/learnpoolshotsenglish and http://www.squidoo.com/topandbottomenglish.

If you have anything to add, please feel free to add it in the comments. I will add anything good to my post and credit you. I’d love to get the community working for us. Don’t miss my post tomorrow about pool sticks.

By the way, check out a couple things I found that can really help with someone’s pool game: Learn the best 8 Ball Secrets, Guide to Buying Pool Tables, and Develop Grip Strength.

Shooter

I went out to practice tonight, and I played nearly 30 games with several of my friends, some very good at pool, and some not so good. I decided after a couple of games that I would pay attention to the mistakes I noticed people making so I could make a mental note about them, and maybe write about them here. I figured I could not only improve my own game, but I could help to improve the way some of my readers play.

I figured out the ten biggest mistakes I’ve seen pool players make. Here they are, in the order I think they are most detrimental, starting with the least, ending with the worst:

10. Not Chalking the Stick – Never go more than two or three shots without chalking your stick. Have you ever totally “miscued,” creating a weird snap noise instead of the usual hearty “pop” sound a shot makes? Have you noticed how the ball goes all over the table and not where you expected? Chalk is free. Pick it up and rub that sucker all over the tip of your stick.

9. Breaking up clusters – The only cluster you should be in a hurry to break is the one in a triangle formation that starts the game. If you have two or three of your opponent’s balls tied up in a cluster with yours, try to prolong breaking that cluster up. Try to make your opponent break it up. There is a 95% chance that your opponent will not make anything from that shot, and it broke your balls out, very likely closer to pockets… leaving you the next shot.

8. Unnecessary Kick Shots or Bank Shots – I’m not saying kick shots or bank shots are bad. (In case someone doesn’t know, a “bank” shot is a shot where a player hits the cue ball into another ball with the intention of hitting it off the rail into a pocket on the opposite side of the table. A kick shot is where a player hits the cue ball off of the rail with the intention of the cue ball hitting their ball into a pocket on the opposite side of the table. These shots are similar, but they differ as to which ball is intentionally shot dead into the rail. See yesterday’s videos for more on these.) I love kicks and banks. I have used them to win countless games. They have also come back to hurt me against opponents who have a killer bank or kick shot. There is a rule I learned a long time ago, “If you can cut it, don’t bank it.” (In case I have a reader that doesn’t understand what a “cut shot” is, it is simply a shot that is not a perfect straight in shot. If you have to hit it at any angle, you are essentially cutting it. Most players reserve the term “cut” for a more difficult angle.) There are so many times I’ve seen a shot someone could have just as easily cut into the pocket, but they attempted to bank or kick it. If you cut it instead, you have more of a chance of making the shot or at least sitting it closer to the pocket, if not inside the corners. A bank or kick shot has less control and can veer off, be hit too hard, or be into the opposing rail, causing a more difficult shot on that ball later in the game.

7. Talking – Talking is a wonderful thing. I love talking to more experienced players, or players that have a different view on how a shot should be executed. Two problems are wrong with that: 1. If you are playing a league game, most leagues give you a penalty for talking to your teammates unless you have called a “time out.” 2. Even if it is legal to talk to your teammates or other players wherever it is you’re shooting, you run the risk of distracting yourself. The best pool players rarely take their eyes off the table. You can tell they are having a good time, but you can see the serious look on their faces. They mean business, and as much fun as they’re having, they’re here to win. There’s plenty of time to talk. Right now you have a game to win.

6. Not Looking over the Whole Table – That speaks for itself. You may be emotionally attached to a shot you just watched line up when your opponent missed. Don’t be so quick to take that shot. It might not be your best option. Look over the table. Play a little of the game out in your head. Ask yourself, “If I make this shot, where is the cue ball likely to go, and do I have a decent shot on another ball from that location?” Don’t be afraid to walk around the table for a couple of minutes while rubbing your beard. (I don’t care if you have a beard or not. Rub it.) One thing I started doing to help me slow down and look at the table is simply chalking up the tip of my stick. While I’m sitting there methodically chalking the stick, I’m a good two feet or more in distance away from the table. I’m looking. I’m thinking. I’m not checking out the beautiful blonde playing at the next table… not right now anyway. She’ll still be there when your turn is over. Right now you want to pick the best shot you have on the table. Choose wisely. Once that cue stick makes contact with the cue ball, it’s too late.

5. Food – Try not to order any food until after you’ve shot your games, unless you know that you will be a while until it’s your turn to shoot. You pay less attention to the game, miss important calls, and frankly, people are less happy to tell you if you have high balls or low balls (stripes or solids) if it’s the fifth time they have told you in this game.

4. Extremely loud music – I know, I know. You’re in a bar. You’re trying to party. I also know that music relaxes you. That’s fine. You just have to remember that you need a little remaining concentration to shoot pool. Instead of playing your favorite Slipknot song or Down With the Sickness on the jukebox, try playing some Bob Dylan, ZZ Top, or even some Country. Save the Finger Eleven, Pantera, and Marilyn Manson for after the game when you’re just having a couple of drinks afterward, playing around.

3. Alcohol Consumption – Sure, I like a drink or two when I’m playing. Who doesn’t? That’s why almost every bar has a pool table. Alcohol and pool go hand in hand. I fully support that. I shoot with a few people on APA who swear they play better drunk than sober. Good for them. Most people don’t shoot better drunk. Even those who think they do play better drunk seem to eventually get worse after they keep drinking. There’s a reason for the DUI laws in the United States. Your perspective of a straight line is considerably different under the influence. (We could have the argument of whether or not the DUI laws are exactly reasonable or not all day long. I’m not going there.) Let’s put it this way: If you are seriously concerned about the quality of your driving due to alcohol, which prompts you to sleep in your car or find a driver, you should probably be seriously concerned about the quality of your game.

2. Shooting Hard – Don’t get me wrong. There is a time for shooting hard. Unfortunately, 90% of the shots I see people shoot are entirely too hard. Hard shots are harder to control and are more likely to veer off of the trajectory that would place it in the pocket. I’ve seen a lot of straight in shots hit the corners of the pocket and bounce right out. I’ve seen people hit the ball so hard it hits the back of the pocket where the brace is, and come flying back into the table. The worst I’ve seen is when people hit a shot so hard that a ball, especially the cue ball, goes flying off the table out of control. (At this point, I jokingly hold my arms up like goal posts, and yell, “It’s good!”) My point here is that a harder shot has less control and you will likely hit a ball off the table or veer off course. If you do make the shot, it’s likely you’ve messed up placement for your next one, because only the God you worship will know where that cue ball is headed and if you will have a decent second shot.

1. Using Damaged Sticks – I cannot tell you how many people I played just grabbed a house stick out of the rack to use in a game without checking the integrity of the tip or the structure of the stick itself. I saw damaged tips, tips that wouldn’t hold chalk, and very warped sticks. If you want the perfect control over the cue ball, and ultimately your shot, the stick you use must be in good repair. The more immaculate the stick, the more you eliminate stupid mistakes.

If you have any mistakes to list, please feel free to drop me a comment. I’ll probably address it in a later post, plus I’d love to see a conversation start here about it.

Also, everybody check out my Cool Sites list. If you want to be on my cool sites list, just let me know and I’ll take a look at your site. Take care everybody, and happy shooting!

Shooter