By
eHow Sports & Fitness Editor
Difficulty: Moderately challenging
Things You’ll Need:
- Pool Cue
- Pool Table And Balls
Step1
Develop a consistent, smooth cue shot. Place your forward hand on the table so that it is as stable as possible. The cue stick needs to slide smoothly through this hand.
Step2
Use your cue stick as a sight by placing the tip of the cue stick in the target pocket. Align the stick across the middle of the ball you intend to sink. The stick now traces a line through the ball to the pocket. Where this line (your stick) crosses the outer edge of the ball is the point where you want to hit it with the cue ball.
Step3
After you are in position and have lined up the shot, don't look at the target ball, look at the cue ball. Strike the cue ball with your stick slightly below the center line.
Step4
Keep your shooting arm close to your body and your elbow bent at 90 degrees. The shooting movement should come from your shoulder. Use only enough force to make the shot. Additional power is not necessary and can disrupt your aim.
Comments
xyxy said
on 4/18/2008 You're supposed to have your eye on the object ball when you stroke the cue ball. This is what the pros teach and also do themselves. Watch their eyes go back and forth from cue to object ball during the pre-shot. Then, right when they finally take the shot, their eyes never leave the object ball. You have to keep your eye on the (object) ball!
Anonymous said
on 9/4/2006 I am 51 years old, and I have been playing pool almost all my life. I plan to go study under Buddy Hall in the near future. Trust me when I say a lot of what people tell you about pool is total BS. Your stroke has to be flawless. This is not something you can develop on your own. There are a lot of mechanics involved to a flawless stroke and it is something that requires a good teacher, not Bubba down at the local bar.
When I refer to stroke, I am including body positioning and mechanics as well. This, "it works for me stuff" will never make you a better player. You want to run racks? It all starts one ball at a time with proper basics.
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 As a serious league player with numerous amateur-tournament wins and a respectable third-place finish in a national 8-ball tournament in Las Vegas, here are the most important things I've learned about pool (from a woman's perspective):
1. All good pool players think they know what's best, but the only "best" way to make balls and win games is to do what works best for you. If you make more shots when looking at the object ball (instead of the cue ball), then do it. If you shoot better with zero warm-up strokes instead of 3 or 5; well, you get the idea. Every player's game is unique, so just worry about making your game the best it can be.
2. Don't hesitate to try any suggestions from anyone willing to give them, including lower-skilled players. They might just have the answer you're looking for. And of course, listen to the really good players. They tend to spill very valuable pool secrets during moments of weakness.
3. If you're losing an important game or match, relax and remember that your opponent will most likely make a mistake soon. Your job is to sit back and wait patiently for that to happen. If you allow yourself to get stressed you lessen your chances of winning.
4. Never, ever let your opponent know that you are upset about a shot. Just walk away, smile, act like you meant to do what you did ... do not show emotion. When I encounter an agitated opponent, I know (sometimes very early in the match) that I will win, because he has given me a psychological edge.
5. Remember that any English you put on the cue ball puts the opposite English on the object ball. If you're using English to make the cue ball end up in a certain spot, make sure you adjust your shot slightly to allow for the opposite English that will be transferred to the object ball. It takes years to understand all of the subtleties of English, so when practicing it don't worry about pocketing balls, just watch and learn how the balls roll.
6. Wear comfortable clothes and minimize accessories. Buttons, floppy sleeves, watches, bracelets ... anything that you can feel while shooting will distract you from your shot.
7. Never take a shot for granted - no matter how easy it appears to be, and especially after you've made that spectacular 3-rail bank! Treat every shot like a $100 shot. Admit it, you've missed plenty of 2-foot, straight-in shots, haven't you?
8. If you want to call your cue a stick, that's OK.
Anonymous said
on 6/30/2006 I've played pool for 37 years and taught for over 10 years, and the main basics for a good game of pool are...well, basic.
First, is a good solid base to play from. Your stance must be balanced and never have your feet in almost the same line as your cue stroke, as I see some rookie players stand. That causes you to twist your head and upper torso to look straight down the cue, and any twisting is an unbalanced stance. Your feet should be almost perpendicular to the stroke of your cue, with your weak-side foot slightly forward and bending primarily at the waist. If you're right handed your weak side is your left, and vice-versa if you're left handed.
Second, is the bridge hand position. Many pro's play different bridging styles, but the most common is by making a small "V" by pressing the thumb lightly against the middle knuckle of the first finger, with the tip of the thumb about 1/4" higher than the finger and placing the cue in this "V", with all four fingertips on the table. In some shots it's better to have the bridge hand flatter against the table, and in other cases it's better to raise it up on the fingertips somewhat, you'll figure this out as you get better.
Third, become a "Potter" first! Don't try to play English right away, first just learn the basic geometry of potting the object ball. There are various ways to line up a shot, but remember this if you're getting better and starting to play league or tournaments. In most cases it is illegal to physically use your cue to make a line into the pocket or leave any type of mark on the cloth, rail, or ball to sight with. Make sure you know the rules being played at whatever venue you're playing.
There are 2 basic sighting styles, the "Angles" style which simply states..hit exactly 1/2 of the object ball with the cue ball and the object ball will travel at a 45 degree angle from the stroke, 1/4 ball is 22 1/2 degrees, 3/4 ball is 67 1/2 degrees, and if you just barely skim the edge of the object ball, it will move 90 degrees from the stroke angle. Using this style you now make adjustments from these basic angles to match the angle you need the ball to travel. Of course, with this style you must be very good at "seeing" angles or practice it allot to learn them.
The other style is the "Straight line" style, where you try to strike the object ball at the spot where, when the cue ball strikes the object ball, if you were to draw a straight line through the center of both balls, it would point directly at your target pocket. Most good players use a combination of both of these aiming styles eventually.
As others have stated, after awhile you can actually "feel" the correct angle. This is very true once you've played for some time.
Arguably (to some anyway), the most important thing to remember is to keep your cue stroke straight! Use your forearm as a pendulum from the elbow and keep your grip hand straight down from the elbow. Practice keeping this stroking motion perfectly straight while using only the forearm to stroke and you'll be a much better player soon. Try to use as little "full arm" stroke as possible, but on some power strokes you have to use some full arm motion.
Many have stated here that you have to remember your next shot so you can place your cue ball properly for it. Yes, but you have to make this shot first in order to shoot again too. Another rookie mistake is to try to play "Perfect" shape or cue ball position when you play English shots. Instead of trying to play a perfect shape shot, play to a General area instead. It's much easier to make your initial shot and get decent position afterward, than to try to be too perfect and miss both. Try placing the cue ball in a 16"x16" area from where your next shot is makable first and then make the area smaller as you get better. Use only the power needed to get the cue ball to this spot while still pocketing the object ball. If you have to use more power to sink the ball and you can't stay within the wanted area, either play back up off a rail to the area or choose another shot for your next shot, in an area you can reach.
Patience, Practice, and try to play against players who are better than you are as much as possible, are keys for getting better. Learn from watching what a better player will do in certain situations, and how they choose what order to play the balls in. In 8 ball it's very important to identify what object ball of yours is going to be a good setup ball for shooting the 8, and play to shoot that ball last...well, before the 8 ball anyway ;)
Remember to have fun!
Anonymous said
on 4/3/2006 Pool is just about confidence. Once you have developed a good cue arm and a smooth follow-through, then confidence around the table will win you the game - putting a ball over a pocket and walking away looking like you meant to do it will strike fear and desperation into your opponents game - you will win (unless you are playing me) - and 2 or 3 beers definitely helps this!