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Dawg Training Edition (2/12/13)

Howdy PoolDawgians!

While trying to come up with a topic for this week's email, I stumbled across an interesting factoid. Apparently February is Dog Training Education Month. I know that Frank isn't a real dog and that there's not much of a connection between playing pool and obedience drills (and this is likely a completely made up observance), so I decided to go in a slightly different direction.

In honor of the month, this email is going to be all about education and training. Instead of pimping books, DVDs and training tools, we're giving all of our loyal PoolDawgians a one week reprieve from the gratuitous sales pitch.

This week we have a new training article from WPBA Pro Jennifer Barretta (who just wrapped up the WPBA Masters tournament where she finished in the Top 10), but that's not all. We're also going to feature classic articles from Samm and Liz as well as a new "Ask The Master" article from Tom Simpson. Enjoy the learning goodness and fear not, as we'll be back next week with all sorts of pitchy goodness. And away we go!
 

Jennifer Barretta - Special Delivery

There are so many pieces that go into being a great pool player that when things are going wrong, sometimes it's difficult to pinpoint where the problem is. When I am struggling at the pool table I will usually revert to a few simple drills to see if my problem is a mechanical one.

Regardless of how well you know the game or your skill level, how well you perform really comes down to one simple thing...delivering the cueball to the intended spot. If you're struggling with your delivery, here are a few drills that will get your arm back in the slot, and get your cueball back on its leash...keep reading
 

Samm Diep - Chalk It Up, The Proper Way

Many people do not realize that there is a proper way to chalk the pool cue. When we use this ideal chalking technique, it not only lengthens the life of the chalk, but keeps the cue tip and ferrule healthy as well by minimizing miscues. Besides, it really makes you look like you know what you're doing.

The art of maximizing a piece of chalk while keeping your cue stick in good shape is not difficult but requires some conscious effort.

1. Always remember to chalk before every single shot...keep reading 

Liz Ford - A Guide To Speed Control In Pool

No cop will write you a ticket for going the wrong speed on the pool table, but, oh, you'll pay a fine. Your cue ball might act out "Cannonball Run" or inch along a la "Up in Smoke" – either way, if your speed is off the cue will miss position and seemed possessed... like “Christine.” Bad movie-related analogies aside, speed control is among the most difficult skills to learn as a beginner and a seemingly intangible quality to manage as a competitive player. Fear not, drivers, here's some AAA help for ensuring that you keep your cue ball within the legal limits.

1. Get sensual. Your athletic skills don't respond to verbal commands. The best way to program an action is to imagine it in as much vivid detail as possible: what will it look like, sound like, feel like? For speed control, imagine the shot in real time – how long will it take for the cue ball to stop rolling...keep reading

 

Tom Simpson - Right Handed, Left Eye Dominant?

Many players and instructors believe that eye dominance is the Way, the Truth, and the Light about sighting your shots. That you must locate your dominant eye directly over the stick. Not true. Eye dominance gives a good clue as to where your eyes should be relative to the shot line, but not the final truth.

What is "dominant eye"? It's the eye you habitually use to see things that are distant. Your non-dominant eye works more on seeing things that are close. Your brain puts it together in your imagination to tell you where your stick is pointing. We call this your "vision center." 95% of the population is same-eye dominant, meaning their eye dominance is the same as their handedness...keep reading
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