From the desk of Max Eberle:
Hello my friend,
Consistency in playing pool is a combination of many factors... work on mastering them one at a time and
before long, the combination of all of them will help you become a powerful force!
TEN KEYS TO PLAYING CONSISTENT POOL!
#1. Stay in the present moment.... It is easy to get distracted by
thoughts of the past and future, the score, the crowd and what they may be thinking of
you... bring yourself back to the task at hand in the moment and stay there. No lead
that your opponent may have is insurmountable when you stay focused on the task at
hand in the here and now.
#2. Play with rhythm.... This is certainly one of the master keys to
consistency once your fundamentals are more refined. Find your routine, your
stroking/eye pattern, your ideal pace... and stick to it. Focus on playing with this tempo
and stroke pattern in competition and you will find yourself winning a lot more matches.
#3. Have an attitude of constant improvement.... Resting on
your laurels will insure one thing, that you will slowly lose your edge and lose
consistency. Keep improving. Even if you can't stop thinking and talking about the
glory days when you "never missed a ball and always ran out from everywhere," tell
yourself that your best playing is ahead of you no matter what, and you are simply going
to prove it by improving your game.
#4. Turn weaknesses into strengths with work....
How
consistent can you really be if you keep getting stopped by a weakness that you are just
too lazy to fix? Turning it into a strength will also increase your general confidence
which will be a side effect of even more consistency in your game.
#5. Keep your body still during your actual stroke through
the cue ball.... Give yourself a chance for success by not being sloppy with
unnecessary body movement . You will instantly be a better player if you can start
keeping your body still. No complaining. Just stop moving your body during your
delivery stroke.
#6. Master the fine tuned art of body positioning.... This is one
of the real big secret (keys) to consistency. Control how your body lands into each shot
so that when you arrive in your stance you are right where you need to be to make the
shot.
#7. Practice the long straight in shot.... This will give you some
reality and the opportunity to master reality. Use it much to your advantage. Stop,
draw, follow, stun follow, drag draw, soft, medium, hard... you will only become a better
player and much more consistent as well.
#8. Always have a goal... What I'm referring to here is have a goal
on each shot. Decide where you want the cue ball to go, ideally a specific spot (for a
specific positional reason). Just doing this will now put you in the big league of mental
planning and focus. All of your body/mind/stroke efforts will be guided by this goal that
you decide on each and every shot. Be disciplined. Have a goal for control!
#9. Practice by yourself whenever possible... So often I hear
players tell me that they can't practice. These usually are not the players anyone has to
worry about. Put the time in consistently. Learn to love the game for the
game. Practice should not be boring if you have a lot to master and learn.
#10. Master all the bridges... 99.9% of all the players who come to
me for lessons have issues with their bridge, and usually they had no idea. Practice,
perfect, and solidify your many bridges. Your game will take an immediate and lasting
jump upwards. No joke.
There you are my friend, use these to achieve personal breakthroughs and success on
the pool table!
See you soon...
Max Eberle
For more in depth training for your pool game, visit:
http://www.propoolacademy.com
Feel free to send this document to pool playing friends who could use the help.
© Max Eberle Enterprises 2012