Sound fundamentals in Billiards/A MUST

Many players overlook the importance of good fundamentals in Pool. In order to take your game to that next level, here are the key fundamentals every player must master.
Also; see bonus link below:
Improve your consistency
• How to improve your co...

[@tonyrobles9070]

As someone who's taught the game for 32 years, I've always told my students about the importance of mastering the fundamentals and building a solid foundation for consistency! Your video is very informative and will help a lot of players improve their game! Thanks for your contribution to the game and keep up the great work Ron! 👍 😊 🎱

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Thank you Tony, I really appreciate your kind words of support for sure. Helping others to improve will promote this awesome game and hopefully attract non players to it. Thanks again 👍🏻😊👍🏻

[@jimboo356]

great

[@ronthepoolstudent]

@@jimboo356 Thanks Jim 👍🏻

[@josephfleming7082]

Hay Ron, Boy when I ran across your channel you were talking to me. I have order a pool table in December 2 last year still waiting for it to arrived .Like you I have not played in 40 years but love the game. Plan to join the APA when I brush on all the new stuff that that I'm learning on KZbin. Thank for your learning advise. Hope to follow in your foot steps and get where you are today. Keep your video's coming I need the help.

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Thank you Joseph, welcome aboard. I had to wait for my table for several months also. During this wait, I watched tons of KZbin videos of Efren Reyes and others. I can honestly say I did learn a lot. Once my table arrived, it was then time to nail down the fundamentals and proceed from there. Good luck with your league play once you join. That will help your game for sure. Thanks again and if you ever have any questions, please feel free to ask. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@randallburns4946]

The Best Down to earth lesson I have ever heard, Ron! This will absolutely make a person a Better Pool player!!!!!Thanks Man!!!

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Well thank you Randall 👍🏻👍🏻

[@Mike01212]

Thx for another great video Ron, felt like a was watching a video from mark Wilson, he personally changed every aspect of my game, I would highly recommend everyone to to check out his 3 part clinic.,thx for the time and effort you put in to make us all better players!👍

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Thanks Michael. I 100% agree about Mark Wilson’s three part clinic. That single instruction by him really changed my game as well. I’ve shared that clinic with others in my area and they too agree. Thanks again Michael for watching bud 👍🏻❤️

[@DTHAEW]

Very useful video, thank you so much, I love your pool table as well 😊

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Thank you and thank you MH 👍🏻 Sound/repeatable fundamentals are a must. You have to stay disciplined and not get lazy with them however. I find I will get lazy on occasion when I’m in stroke. I get to moving too quickly and I’ll slide into the shot instead of stepping into the shot line. Thanks again for your comment MH 👍🏻😊👍🏻

[@DTHAEW]

@@ronthepoolstudent Thanks a lot, you are definitely right, I am still struggling with my stroke, not shooting straight always, these days I stopped playing with friends and focusing on practice and back to basics, I like the way you explain the game, I've learnt a lot from your videos, you are very good player 👍👍

[@ronthepoolstudent]

@@DTHAEW I don’t know if you have a way to video yourself but if you do, shoot video from the front, side that your shooting arm is on and from the back. You will learn a ton from that. From there, you can apply proper fundamentals as you see fit. I’m willing to say you may have stroke mechanics issues as I once did and many do. The stroke is where it’s at and it MUST be smooth and straight. The best stroke exercise is the mid table straight in shot. (I’ve shown this shot a lot in my vids) Shoot this shot with just center ball . You will begin to feel reasons why the shot missed due to your mechanics. Also, pay attention to the cue ball to see if there is any side spin. You’ll need a cue ball with dots or you can use a striped ball as your cue ball. If there is side spin, the cue ball is being struck to the side which causes squirt. This squirt will cause you to miss your ghost ball aiming point which in this case is center ball. You would also see your cue ball deflect to one side (not roll forward) which would indicate cue ball squirt as the object ball was actually cut on the opposite side from the direction the cue ball defected to. I could go on but this is the absolute best shot to shoot as you will be able to truly critique your issues within your stroke. Also, I’m assuming you see well as this is also important. I hope this was of help and I’m curious with your results. My channel is aimed towards helping my subscribers so please keep me informed and never feel you are bugging me with your questions. In fact, if you can video yourself shooting, I would really like to see the video myself. I have helped several players remedy a simple flaw that turned their game around. If you want to try that route, just copy and paste a link to our comment thread here, I’ll be happy to help even more from that. Thanks again MH👍🏻

[@markevenson987]

Ron, I wasn’t here when you made this video, in fact I had not yet started my reemergence as a pool player. At 72 yrs old, it is time. For the longest time my cue tip has been rising after contact with the cue ball. I have been trying to figure out why and thanks to this video, I now can see that my grip is too tight. Funny, I thought it was light, but recent videos of my hand show both a tighter grip than I need and a slight tension of my hand at the end of the stroke. I will work on it! As far as stance is concerned. I have been watching KZbin videos all year and have seen several that advocate stepping on the line with the ball of your foot. I did watch Mark Wilson’s 3 part lesson and have tried placing my right foot adjacent to the shot line as you show in this video. Feels a bit odd, but as Mark talks about, it will feel better in a week or so. With me , as usual, I make too many adjustments all at once instead of trying one or two at a time. I have done this when learning photography as well. Finally learned but always have to go back to the beginning and learn one thing at a time. Looking forward to your next lesson here in 2024. Thanks again.

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Thank you Mark for watching and supporting my content, I very much appreciate you for it. Also, welcome back to the game. Understand that we can improve very fast if we practice with purpose. What this means is we should focus our practice sessions on our weaknesses then stick with them until they become our strengths. I call this taking a systematic approach. From there, we move to that next troubled area and repeat. This way of practice has made me a much stronger player in a very short period of time. (35 months) As for changing several things at one time, I would be careful there. You may discover you’ll be chasing your tail which will slow down your ability quickly to improve. Instead, assess your weakness, then tweak that weakness in small increments. Give this process time as our brain adapts through repetition, if the tweak helps, great, if not, work more on the issue with more subtle change. These are the methods that I’ve chosen and they have worked well for me. Ultimately, you’ll need to find a practice regime that works for your schedule and one that is suited best for those weak areas of your game. I hope that makes sense and lastly, always reach out with any questions you may have. We are all in this together and it is my sincere hope that I can help you get to the level you strive for…as I say, let’s get better together. Thanks again 👍🏻😊❤️🎱

[@markevenson987]

Ron, thanks for your thoughtful reply. Can you please address my comment about the different stance. The one you show vs the right foot , for right handers, across the shot line, extended to the floor. I know which one you prefer, what I would like to know is why it is chosen over the other foot placement. As a KZbin student of pool, I run across differing methods, from respectable teachers, and have to decide which method to follow? Seems like a waste to try too many ways when you don’t know which is “right”.

[@ronthepoolstudent]

@@markevenson987 thank you once again Mark for your question. Let me first say; every player will have their own preferred stance depending on their stature/body type. This said, I personally needed to create clearance for my shooting arm motion, thus the reason to stay short of the shot-line with my rear foot. The reason for this needed clearance, was for my grip hand as it would strike my body thus veering my cue during the forward stroke. I try hard to maintain a straight stroke through the entirety of my forward motion as I believe this helps our consistency. Any veering (even after contacting the cue ball), can creep in at actual contact I’ve found. This is not only due to physical contact against our body, it can also happen as subconscious anticipation. This is my reason for staying short of the shot-line with my rear foot. I hope that helps answer your question 👍🏻

[@ronthepoolstudent]

@@markevenson987 here’s another video Mark, that may be of more help. Please excuse the initial audio as I hadn’t upgraded to a wireless mic at time of recording. There will be better audio after the intro via a voiceover. See link below: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpzUfqSKg7N1gZYsi=bCrK4N_Rxg8UpT-n

[@fransescohansen]

Good job with the video :D

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Thanks 👍🏻

[@chriscarman6305]

Sweet Ron!! Expect if your right handed and Left eye dominant like myself … then my right foot is over that shot line …. Waiting on that video on teaching me how to make kick shots !! Cmon Ron ! P.S. I wish your videos were longer ! I love watching them !

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Right eye dominant here Chris. It would be a very different stance I’m thinking if it were the other. Thanks too.

[@chriscarman6305]

@@ronthepoolstudent yes sir Ron … my right foot is atleast 6” over the other side of the shot line … so you use CTE aiming ?? I’m having trouble with spot shots or similar shots to a spot shot … thanks I’m advance !

[@chriscarman6305]

@@ronthepoolstudent sorry to keep Bothering you … just trying to improve , I know your busy , thanks Ron

[@ronthepoolstudent]

@@chriscarman6305 spot shots are critical as they come up all the time as you know. Shoot my spot to spot drill and you’ll have them down in no time. 👍🏻

[@ronthepoolstudent]

@@chriscarman6305 I’m retired so never an issue Chris.

[@TruckPirate1]

Another tip for beginners is stay down on the shot. I had a friend who would jump up after every shot to see if he made it. This bugged me so much, I started slapping his head after every shot and eventually he stopped. I noticed friends do the same thing when they are learning to shoot a gun, I don't slap them but tell them to stop worrying about the target, we will look after they are done.

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Great point, many players do that I’ve seen at leagues. 👍🏻

[@geraldfischer1057]

hmm I feel like I step on the line sometimes, and I do notice my stick close to my body (not enough room). . Nice bridge overtop of the ball. Will have to try that one. always have good things to pick up from your videos. ty I've been like screw the bottle too, but I may need to take it on and fine tune my stroke.

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Thanks again Gerald. Give me a shout if you have anymore questions. I’ve been through a lot so I’m sure I’ll be able to help you out 👍🏻😊

[@richkaiser9453]

the water bottle trick something i was taught when i first stated playing pool, people think i am crazy when i tell them to try it, until they do try it

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Yes rich, most think it’s worthless I bet. I too was thinking who needs this but once I began stroking into it, in no time, I realized it’s value 👍🏻👍🏻

[@tmanchurek]

Top Notch Video once again. Almost like you are talking right to me. :) Chat soon. - Tom

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Thank you Tom 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@HillbillyIslandLife]

Keep it compact too

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Right on 👍🏻

[@JohnJohnson-zq9rg]

Good tips. But I can see, you Ron, need lots of practice still. To much body movement. And your arm wobbles when you stroke. I do daily 1 till 2 hours straight in long pots, object ball at 3rd diamond from pocket, cue ball on the 7th (1 diamond from end rail). Doing this for many years. I can do this 100 times perfect without a miss. So I have an absolute straight smooth stroke. Only way to get good is becoming an obsessive pool practice addict. My nine ball training I always do with 15 balls against ghost, ball in hand on the first and pot 15 balls in numbered order without trying to miss and run out. When i then play 9-ball, I can run many racks. Keep up the good work and keep practicing. And I totally agree: sound fundamentals is a must. First you need to learn them and then you need to maintain it. Always every shot even when playing for fun, always make sure the fundamentals are perfect and constant. When you are lazy or tired do not play and risk ruining your fundamentals. Always be 100% disciplined when taking a shot. Each shot should be a matter of life or death in your head.

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Great advice John. I do have a tendency to get lazy now and then. I’m beginning to understand the importance of pure focus so muscle memory consistency can be engrained. As for my body movement, yes, I am fully aware. It’s incredibly difficult to overcome this but I have overcome my jab stroke issue which was super hard too. I’m at somewhere around 3,000 hours of work at this point and as I grow, I find more work to do. There’s not many that are as committed as I am so I will get there guaranteed. I have come a long way in just over 420 days. (I was no good prior) having this channel has helped a ton. Players like you have pointed out several issues through the months and I’ve listened. It has been up to me to then put my nose to the grindstone and perfect things. One thing I have learned is how to tackle a specific issue. By focusing on one or two at a time and not several, I’ve been more successful at overcoming. I want to thank you for watching and taking your time to share your observations. I will take all you have said to heart for sure. It’s now time to begin my evening three hour session so thanks again 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@JohnJohnson-zq9rg]

@@ronthepoolstudent Great to hear. Your love for the game will bring you to new highs day after day year after year. Seems to me you are on the right fast track to improve. And making video's of yourself is also a great way to literately see where to improve. And by posting them you do, you inspire lots of others.

[@ronthepoolstudent]

@@JohnJohnson-zq9rg thanks John, I’m on a journey and believe once I reach 10,000 hours, I will have arrived. Btw, I’ve been playing in a weekly tournament and have split first place cash twice and won outright once three of the last five weeks. I’ve been practicing hard for this coming Sunday once again. I’ve been working on staying as still as possible and maintaining a smooth stroke. Love this game!!!

[@JohnJohnson-zq9rg]

@@ronthepoolstudent Awesome. Keep up the winning streak. You proved practice pays off, also literately. ;-)

[@georgea9959]

Hi Ron -you sent a subscriber an XO drill (I think its called) on helping him with a practice routine for makibg balls using english. I tried to access that video but it said "PRIVATE " and I coulnt see it. Could you please send me the link to that practice video. I have difficulty with bottom/top & inside/outside english & determining just where to hit the ball!!! Thanks for all your help. George

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Stay tuned George…

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Here ya go George. Start with this one and perfect it. I’ll then send you the more advanced version of this drill that comes after it. Let me know when you can run 15 balls straight. See link below: Best Pool drills for finding table speed part 1 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHetm2aXfsekgKM

[@ronthepoolstudent]

Btw, anyone reading this thread, I have opened up this older video to the public. This was from when I started getting a grasp on Pool. Thanks for watching Pool Player’s.

[@georgea9959]

Thanks for everything Ron!

[@ronthepoolstudent]

@@georgea9959 thank you George 👍🏻😊👍🏻

[@jamescathcart4762]

Ron, why do l have a sneaky suspicion that when you reach 600, your next goal will be 650. Your new channel should be Mr. 600! LoL

[@ronthepoolstudent]

I’ve come to realize in order to really reach these goals, a player needs to always be competing outside of their own little world. Not only do we need to always be practicing on our own table, additionally, we need to throw ourselves in the ring with those that are better than us. This is where I’m at right now. Deep down, I don’t feel the confidence that I know I’ll need in order to compete. I need to flip the switch soon 🤷🏻‍♂️