One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that some students come in for one or two lessons, enjoy the experience, learn a lot, and then feel like they have enough information to level up on their own.
The truth is, information isn’t the hard part.
Repetition is.
There is no magic potion in pool.
You don’t take one lesson, two lessons, or even five lessons and suddenly transform your game. The transformation comes from doing the same things over and over again until they become part of who you are.
Bad habits form quickly.
Sometimes it has nothing to do with aiming. It might be as simple as striking the cue ball slightly off center. Maybe your shoulder is moving. Maybe your tempo changed. Maybe your pre-shot routine has gotten lazy.
That’s why I compare pool to guitar lessons, piano lessons, golf lessons, or any other skill worth mastering.
You have to give it time.
You have to give it repetition.
You have to give it attention.
Under careful supervision, and after 35+ years of watching mechanics, I can tell you that the players who improve the most aren’t always the most talented. They’re the ones willing to do the boring work.
When I first got into this game, I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
I couldn’t get enough of it.
In school, I hated reading books.
But if it had anything to do with pool, I’d read it cover to cover without putting it down.
There was a supply store two buildings down from the pool room where I learned. My buddy John Bernard ran the place. He had a little Gold Crown table in there where we could play for free. I’d spend hours reading every pool book I could get my hands on. And every now and then I may have pocketed a tip shaper or two without John noticing… LOL.
Some students don’t like repetition.
I understand that.
Some would rather just play pool.
But the drills are what get it done.
The drills are what build muscle memory.
The drills are what expose your weaknesses.
The drills are what eventually create confidence.
Here’s a clip from today’s practice session.
Just because I’ve been playing for decades doesn’t mean I don’t struggle with the same things everyone else does.
I was working on my straight-in shot and kept missing the third ball.
Over and over.
Then I switched to a 2 3/8″ training ball.
Immediately my attention sharpened.
I slowed down.
I took more time on my backstroke.
I became more aware.
When I switched back to the regulation balls, that same third ball still wanted to challenge me.
That’s what keeps bringing me back to practice.
No matter how many years you’ve played, there is always another level.
For me, the straight-in shot is still the foundation.
It’s the shot that develops perfect timing, perfect tempo, and perfect delivery.
I have students who come back a week later and struggle at first, but once they warm up and reconnect with that rhythm, everything starts falling back into place.
That’s why I continue to practice it every single day.
Not because it’s easy.
Because it’s important.
Billiards.Life 