Wednesday 1 September 2010

Perfect The Art Of Playing Billiards - Part I



Knowing your outcome will more often produce the results that you want in the competitive arena in billiards. Focus on playing to make a shot and most likely you will land the cue ball where you want it to land. When you play with this kind of clarity, the details will take care of themselves.

Basically, if you ever feel that your billiards game is going awry, try reviewing your fundamentals

Just treat all shots equally. What I mean by this is that regardless of how easy or how hard a shot is, the three key elements must always be respected, which are planning, body stance and lastly shot execution.

1. Planning

Stand up, look over the table, and plan the shot. All elements of planning must be completed before you get down into your shooting stance. The elements of good planning are;

• Thinking three shots ahead
• Seeing the ghost ball
• Evaluating how much draw or follow to use
• Evaluating if spin is needed, and
• Determining the correct speed.

2. Body Stance

Get into your shooting stance, and run through the following checklist;

• Feet shoulder width apart
• Back foot planted
• Front foot half a step forward
• Back leg straight
• Front leg bent
• Short bridge
• Level cue
• Nose over cue
• Back arm angle correct, and
• Check balance.

3. Shot Execution

At this point you’ve already determined the best plan of action. You’ve made a decision regarding the speed, angle, and spin needed for success. No more thinking about the shot; it’s now time to execute. The key elements of excellent shot execution are;

• Proper grip
• Three practice strokes
• Pause
• Eye movement
• Thinking about the finish
• Stroking to the finish, and
• The freeze.

With these items, I am certain you can perfect the art of playing billiards.