Cool Pool Sticks

The Institute of Billiard Sciences
Concord, New Hampshire
50 tips for playing pool
by Ken Tewksbury, Master Instructor

1. Keep your head straight. Many players tilt their heads to favor their dominant eye. If you tilt your head, you're looking at a side ways view of the shot.

2. Secure your bridge hand. When you're down on a shot, push your fingertips lightly into the cloth to assure that your bridge hand will not budge as your cue stick comes through to strike the cue ball.

3. Finish what you started. It is vitally important that you stay with each shot all the way to the bitter end! Stay firmly planted until the object ball is in the pocket.

4. Keep your back swing smooth and slow. Remember, your back stroke is your hand eye coordinator, picture a baseball pitch; if you bring your arm back to fast, you're cheating yourself out of precious time you need to focus on your target. If you can't see it, you'll probably miss it.

5. Keep your backhand loose and relaxed. In pool, tension is your worst enemy. The more tension you apply to your cue stick, the less chance there is for it to travel in a straight line.

6. Walk around the table and look. Always walk around and look at where you want to position the cueball for your next shot. If you want your cue ball to wind up in the right spot, you have to know where the right spot is!

7. Analyze your misses. After you miss and return to your chair, figure out what happened. Then make a mental correction. You'll play progressively better through your match instead of making the same mistakes over and over again.

8. Develop a shot making ritual. Make a list of all the things you want to include in your shot making process. Then practice performing each step until it becomes your ritual. This method works great under pressure and helps keep the bad stuff from creeping in.

9. Always keep your cool. No matter what happens, be determined not to let it get to you. Unlucky rolls and bad breaks are bound to happen; those who keep a positive attitude through the bad breaks will prevail in the end.

10. Commit to every shot. If you're ready to begin your shot-making process, you should be clear on how you want to position the cueball for the next shot. If you're still asking yourself questions when you're down in your shooting stance, you're not committed to the shot, and you'll most likely miss.

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