I’m finally back at the practice table. Over the last four months, I’ve played only one day a week and have not practiced a single time. That all changed yesterday when I decided to practice one shot for two hours straight. Yes, that’s right, just one shot. It’s not a very tough shot, a short bank to the corner, but for some reason I’ve been unable to achieve any consistency with it.
After the first 30 minutes, I discovered a new aiming method which improved my success rate from ~20% to about ~50% instantly. Over the next 1.5 hours I continued to experiment with various combinations of speed, follow/draw, and spin to improve my percentages and figure out multiple ways to make the same shot. In all pool games, the ability to predict and control the final resting spot of the cue ball is a critical skill. Learning multiple methods for making the same shot gives you the opportunity to select the method which leaves the cue ball in the most advantageous position for yourself after the shot.
Ok, you may ask, but why did I chose to invest so much time learning this one bank shot? Why not practice running balls, practice my break shot, or practice hitting really hard cut shots? The reason is simple: I have a new “Pool Goal”, and this particular bank shot is going to be one of the corner stones upon which I will rebuild my pool skills in an effort to achieve my ultimate pool dream. More about that dream in my next post.
Angle of Reflection 