happiness is learning new things

Posted: November 16, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: idioms & phrases, pig out, pool & billiards, pool & billiards techniques, postaweek2011 | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments »

since i’m still a neophyte at pool, i’m not above experimenting with different techniques.  and for a long time, i’ve been pondering the stroke dilemma: how do i get humongous power from my stroke?  what are the mechanics behind a powerful stroke?  how do the pros achieve tremendous power, and how can i get that for myself?  a few weeks ago, i stumbled upon some stuff that transformed my game overnight.  (i know, snake oil, you’ll probably say.  but i’m not sharing my technique, so you don’t have to buy anything.)  i was beyond ecstatic, but at the same time cautiously optimistic.  to make sure this was not a fluke, i went back to the pool hall a few days later to try it again.  well, i have confirmation; it’s no fluke.  what i copied/finagled/stole/figured out/jacked works, and the results are repeatable, the hallmark of a viable technique.  but at the same time, this is taking my game in a new direction.  with my newfound technique, i now have to disregard all the stuff i figured out before.  also, i have to relearn the cueball speed due to an increase of power.  so i’m kind of taking several step back as i go forward, not an uncommon experience in my pursuit of better pool.

gaining power, at least for me, is a oxymoronic exercise.  come to think of it, whenever i read byrne’s books, a lot of shots are counterintuitive in nature: you’d think a shot is supposed to be hit on the right side, but then you learn you should hit it on the left side.  my experience with power is also the same: i thought i should be doing x, when in reality it is y.  i’m just really happy that i totally got lucky and figured out something that works for me.  will it work for others?  i can’t really say, and i have a hunch that i won’t be able to teach it to anybody.  there is a lot of feel involved, and i don’t describe feel very well with words.  i may be able to show it to people, but there’s no guarantee that a person will feel what i feel when he/she hits the shot.  if you’re also looking to increase the power in your stroke, i hope you will be fortunate in finding something that works for you.  as for me, i think i’m on the right track, but there is a lot of fine-tuning involved on my end.  who knows, maybe i’ll learn yet another new thing that’ll render my current techniques obsolete.  but that’s the joy of discovery––you learn something better to replace the merely good.  i can only imagine what efren is learning right this minute.  scary thought.

this is off the topic, but i totally suck at one pocket.  because i suck so much at it, i now kind of want to learn the game just so i won’t suck as much.  sometimes ineptitude is a great motivator.

anyway, my bomba~* friend took me to this cafe/diner-ish place for some grubs.  they have this totally killer breakfast deal that’s super affordable.  the special comes with two eggs, four strips of bacon or four sausage links, hash browns, and coffee.  between the two of us, we paid $6 each.  behold.


the food tasted as good as any other joint, but we paid a lot less than normal.  this is even cheaper than denny’s.  very happy.  :D

♦     ♦     ♦

this week we’ll look at the expression “easy as pie”.

easy as pie is a phrase that appeared around the mid-1800′s.  the phrase refers to the ease of eating a pie, not making a pie.  (making a pie can be tough.)  according to the phrase finder, mark twain frequently used the word “pie” to indicate something pleasant or accommodating.

a pie is a genuine piece of americana, especially the apple variety.  i could use a slice of pie right about now.

amusing tidbits from people’s searches for shortcuts

Posted: July 14, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: optical nerve feed, pool & billiards, pool & billiards accessories, pool & billiards techniques, random thoughts | Tags: , , , , | 4 Comments »

i was checking out the azb forum, and came across these little ditties.  yeah, i know.  i don’t really like pool forums, but i do occasionally read them for fun.



sigh.

i have to admit, it’s kind of amusing to watch people digging for shortcuts, in a sick look-at-that-dog-lick-its-b~*hole sort of way.  for example, a cursory search of “aiming system” on any pool-related forum will likely net you hundreds of tips and/or old wives tales.  trouble is, you don’t know which one is which.  and the deeper you read into a particular thread, the more confused you’ll become.

hey, what do you expect for free?

it is equally bad to search for “chalk” on pool forums.  from the kind of pigment used in a chalk to secret ingredients like dragon’s blood that’ll make a difference in your game, you will likely hear them all.  given enough time you’ll find folks marketing chalks made by hairy potter with the market price of 800 galleons and one knut.  what’s funny is that it’ll probably be sold out in two days.  in the interest of full disclosure, i’ve purchased blue diamond AND nir super professional chalks, and i have reviewed the nir chalks earlier in this blog.  (norditalia ricambi!  say it with an italian accent!!)  are they good chalks?  sure.  but pool, like many other hobbies, can be done on the cheap.  you can’t afford (or don’t want to afford) the bd chalks or that super spendy kamui powder?  ol’ tweeten makes fine products that will serve their purposes admirably, and most likely they’ll be free unless you play primarily in bars.  the price?  $3-$5 for a dozen, give or take.  as long as you chalk well before every shot, you will have no problems with master chalk, the old faithful in pool.  the point is, as long as you have no illusions that an expensive cube of jujube will give you special powers like an extra big stroke, sudden physical attractiveness, instantaneous acceptance by serious players, or a miracle source of conversation, feel free to purchase away.  a better cube of chalk (subjectively anyway) may give you a very slight edge because you may miscue a little less, but that’s it.  no chalk will let you hit 50 shots in a row without a miscue, or raise your game by four balls.  none.

cues?  just make sure you get a chance to hit with it before you buy one; don’t buy it if you don’t like the hit.  consider the following scenario.

car salesman: welcome!  are you interested in a car today?
you: i’d like to purchase that white suv there.
salesman: great!  just step into my booth and we’ll draw up the contract.  i’ll have you outta here in 15 minutes.
you: don’t i need to test drive it first?
salesman: what for?  it’s right there.  you saw it.  she’s a beaut.  you’ll only waste time by test driving it.  it’s much quicker if you just sign the contract so you can take it home.
you: yeah, you have a point.  let’s do it.

yes, you too can purchase a cue this way.  satisfaction guaranteed!

as far as aiming systems go, as i discussed before in a previous post, there is no magical technique, including mythical aiming systems, that will suddenly make you better.  (do you detect a repeating theme here?)  before you go off in the wild blue yonder to search for “the best aiming system on the planet, period,” remember that visual images are interpreted.  the guy playing next to you won’t see the aim point like you do, meaning that his aiming system may be completely useless to you even if that guy is efren.  if you’re really confused, don’t be such a cheapa~* and spend some money on a good coach to work the problem out.  hey, if you skip that fancy chalk and the nifty deflection-free shaft, there’s your cash for lessons.  looking for a new system just because your old system didn’t work instantaneously?  good luck with that.  i hear pool forums have all the answers.

we all have choices.  be wise or be a fool.

lastly, in an effort to make things not so depressing, here’s a video of a kid dancing his a~* off.  he got moves.

maybe that’s not it

Posted: March 30, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: pig out, pool & billiards, pool & billiards techniques | Tags: , , | 6 Comments »

i’ve had some interesting discussions with people about aiming lately.  a couple of players told me of the uncertainties about their aim; during two separate discussions i came to a realization.

when i watched these players shoot, they both had kinks in their forms that prevented them from hitting the ball accurately.  the way i look at aiming is basically how you eyeball your shot.  once you get down to actually shoot, it’s no longer just the aim, it’s also your body alignment, your bridge hand position, your stance, the space between your head and the cue, and the way you stroke (and possibly more).  if any of these parts is out of line, it may cause you to miss where you want to hit the ball.  when that happens, cognitive dissonance occurs and your brain rushes to fill in an explanation.  i don’t have any scientific data to support this theory, but i think the most common explanation (or excuse) your brain creates for this scenario is “there is something wrong with my aim”.  it is possible your aim is off, but that may not be the case.

when we miss, it’s important to do a thorough system check and figure out which part, or parts, malfunctioned so we can pinpoint the problem. the way i do it is basically to close my eyes (mentally at least; you don’t have to physically shut your eyelids), and run through every part of my movements from sighting the shot to hitting the ball.  i try to remember everything i did on the shot and compare it to the routine i’ve developed.  did i stand funny?  feet too close together?  did i stand higher or lower than normal?  was my arm swing loose and effortless?  when i run these things through my head, i can usually find the problem, and i’ll pay more attention on the next shot.

a coach (or a second pair of eyes) is enormously helpful here, since your coach can spot the problem areas and correct them to make sure everything lines up, if you’re not seeing your mistake(s).  (if you’re not good at remembering what you did on your missed shots, you pretty much have to rely on your coach/teacher to find the mistakes.  :P )  of the two players i talked to, the first one was jumping up on shots and the second one had a hitch in his stroke.  since they were missing, they just attributed the miss to their aim and didn’t look elsewhere.  the really sad thing is that some players become convinced that their aim is the only thing wrong with their game, and spend the rest of their lives trying to find that magical aiming system that’ll make everything better.  unfortunately, it’s a mistake in thinking that no one can help them correct.

i’ve been very fortunate to have developed the habit of doing system checks on myself when i miss.  it may be helpful to analyze your entire form the next time you miss, or have your coach/teacher/friend watch you and give you feedback.  it could be the aim, but it may be something else entirely.

last but not least, the glorious sight from last week’s popeyes gorgefest.



worth every penny.  :D

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