From the article: A Training Billiards Game - "Play Catch"
In the accompanying article, I cite the fact that less than 1 in 100 pool players can shoot the cue ball on its own to roll from near a rail--to not pass the side pockets (cross more than half the table's length). Can you? How did you do on the first try? The second? The fifth? Hint: Choke up (hold closer to the tip of the cue stick) with both hands.
(You need not register on this page or About.com to share your reviews and opinions in this article.) Share Your Experiences
take it EASY
- This is a great exercise. True, most players (even seasoned vets) hit the balls W-A-Y T-O-O H-A-R-D! I read in a pool instruction book (can't remember which one, I've read so many!) to practice pocketing balls with "pocket speed". Shooting just hard enough for the balls to drop without hitting the back of the pocket. These kind of drills can really open your eyes to how little force it actually takes to play the game. Grasping that concept will open the door to the subtleties of the game. For example, not just playing the ball into the pocket, but to a certain part of the pocket- "cheating the pocket". If you shoot hard, you won't get it.
- —Guest mikemattice
