Latest posts
Mental Game Improvement
For over 100 years it has been said that pool is a mental game. Grady Mathews told us long ago that the pool is at least 80% mental. Indeed, most of today’s professional players embrace sound mental game strategies. So if most players have already acknowledged the impact of the mental side of pool on […]
Five Practice Mistakes Pool Players Make
If you want to become the best pool player possible, it goes without saying that you need to practice effectively so that you increase your “offensive and defensive skills” which will lead to more consistency and better match play. Unfortunately, very few pool players do this successfully, which means they remain stuck at their current […]
I’d Bet my Nickel on Jack
One of the most colorful pool playing characters I have ever come across was a gentleman named “Nickel” Jack Goode of Liberty, Kentucky. Coined the nickname, “Nickel Jack” because he wore nickels in the crevices of his ears during play, Jack was a player from the “old school,” he played little defense and was perhaps […]
No Aim, No Game!
As a Master Instructor, I work with numerous students each year. One of the most popular topics in pool of late has been the discussion of how professional players aim. Many pros use the old ghost ball system, or aim through the aid of their memory from of thousands of shots they have struck during […]
Who Is Your Pool Alter Ego?
Who are you when you play your best pool? Do you imagine that you are Efren Reyes or Shane Van Boening? What traits or attributes do you have? Do you possess a big break? I’m 99% sure one trait is self-confidence. But what if there was a way to capture your alter ego and play […]
You Better Think Of Something Good
Is mental rehearsal just as important as physical rehearsal? Here is a question for you to ponder: What do you intend to happen during your next match? Do you have positive aspirations, or are you thinking about something you don’t want to happen? The images you put into your mind can have a big influence […]
8 Ways To Benefit From The Covid-19 Shutdown
In the age of COVID-19, we are all having to deal with the challenges of very uncertain times. Most pool tournaments have been cancelled. No one knows when normal life will resume. This month, I’ve spent a lot of time speaking with students and learning about how COVID-19 has affected their life. I’ve also thought […]
Alignment: The Most Important Part Of Your Pre-Shot Routine
It’s hard to say that any single pool fundamental is more important than another. All mechanics must be perfected, but if there’s one that causes more missed shots than anything else, then alignment stands out. Once you’ve learned the correct grip, bridge, stance, and stroke it’s not that hard to execute them and during most […]
Seven Steps To A Tournament Victory
1.BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT I still remember my first big tournament, the 1992 9-Ball championship in Lancaster, KY. There were over 100 players. Back then I didn’t play a lot of pool and I certainly didn’t understand the game like I do now, but I wanted to see how good the players were. After […]
Think Positive!
The best pool players in the world are happier than the rest, right? But is it winning that leads to happiness or could it be happiness leads to winning? Our society tells us that by work- ing harder, we’ll achieve more success and as a result, be happier. However, I believe we need to reverse engineer […]