Amateur players may experience times when their skills seem to dominate the pool table, but a couple of days later they are not able to pot a single ball with confidence. Consistency in performance is one of the hardest things to achieve in any sport, including pool. And it is what sets the professionals apart from amateurs and enthusiasts. The following tips will help you improve your consistency over the pool table.
It is all about the basics
Any inconsistency in performance occurs because you are not able to replicate the quality of your shot with confidence. The only way you can improve the quality of your strikes is educating yourself on the basics of hitting a clean shot and practising it so often that it should be ingrained in muscle memory. Every slight deviation in the cue stick and variation in your stance should be deliberate and calculated.
Use focus and effort in every shot of your game
Having the knowledge of a good shot will not be of much us unless you give your complete attention to every aspect of the shot, including your stance, footwork, follow-through and ball behaviour. Try to visualise your shot before you hit it so that you know how much your skill needs to improve to provide 100% accuracy.
Enjoyment of the game makes a difference
When you are giving the best of your skill towards your game, it is natural that you will begin enjoying every moment of it. It is easy to get lost in the technicalities of a shot as the approach needs to be serious, but finding a natural rhythm becomes very difficult when you are stressing about every detail on the pool table. Enjoyment makes a difference by fostering creativity and playing in rhythm, allowing you to improve your game, and in turn give yourself more reason to enjoy it!
