Straight stroke

I watch a lot players play pool and I can always tell if someone plays a lot of pool just by the way they hold their cue. Their stance is off balance and they seem to miss the shot. when people ask me why I keep missing those shots. I alway tell them that you have to stick with the fundamentals first. Good bridge, stance, balance ect. Then comes pocketing ability. I believe that you have to have a solid bridge. Open faced or closed bridge. There are different stances but mine is hips pretty square to the table and my right foot forward because I'm left handed. So right handers left foot forward. I like to slightly bend my knees and get comfortable. I like to line my dominate eye over the cue shaft. So my eye lines up with the shot. Some people stand to high over he cue when shooting. I like to get lower on the shot so I can see where I'm shooting. I think if you really evaluate your fundamentals. You can really improve your shot making abilities. I really like helping people with pool because I look at it like I'm helping billiards grow. Please don't hesitate to ask here's my email address. Johnfergy106@yahoo.com


- Posted by John ferguson

Negative thinking

Last night I was playing a match and I found my self playing really well. I was making lots of great shots and I had a lot of confidence in my game. Towards the end of the match my opponent started to catch up and I found myself saying things to myself that seem to kill my confidence. Negative thinking entered my mind for some reason. Most players don't even think about how much of an impact the way you think when you play pool can effect your game. I practice everyday positive affirmations and saying things to myself that make me feel good. Even during a match I remind myself that I am a great player and say positive things. Human nature is to doubt ourselves sometimes in life. But we also have the ability to over come doubt by being confident in ourselves and believing in our abilities.
If your playing pool competitively and you want to improve your game you need have fun playing and don't doubt yourself in certain situations. You might a long shot next and think to yourself "man thats a long shot" instead of saying that say " I can make this one" and shoot with confidence. Commit to the shot and don't be scared to miss. If you think positive about your game you'll find that your game will elevate to the next level. You'll be mentally strong. I hope in writing about what I'm going through with my pool playing experiences can help you and others become better pool players. I also am constantly learning about this game.

- Posted by John Ferguson

Practice Time

It seems to me there is a great debate about how long should you practice playing pool. Doing drills and practicing shots that are hard for you. Practicing definitely can impact your play for the better. But how long should you practice for? Well I think in my opinion you should practice as long as you can stand it. But I think the best practice is actually playing against an opponent and not by yourself. Practicing by yourself can eventually get a little boring for me so I like to practice against someone and getting the interaction. I can also challenge myself mentally where playing by yourself is kinda hard to do sometimes. When your having fun playing pool with someone time flies. I've been known to practice for 10 to 12 hours. I heard some pros say they practice for 4 to 6 hours on their game. Practicing the shots that they are having problems with. I've heard Shane Van Boening practicing his breaks shots alone for 4 hours straight. Pro player Rodney Morris says he really never did drills and doesn't really like them. So I think each individual is different. The best type of practice is to jump in and play,play,play. Get into tournaments,join a pool league like the APA or BCAPL leagues and have fun. Personally I practice everyday at least 2 to 3 hours a day and I jump into as many tournaments as I can. Challenging yourself and playing against the pros can only elevate your game. Believe in your self and be confident when playing. Don't be afraid to miss shots everyone does even the pros. So I hope to see you on the tournament floor.

- Posted by John ferguson

Happy New Year pool players

Hi fellow pool players it's now a new year and time to brush up on all the skills you have learned in the past. I feel like there are a lot of players out there that are so called stuck in a rut with their game. In other words their game hasn't improved any. I think the first question is that you have to ask yourself is "how good do I want to be?" and if you answer it by saying I just want to play good. Then you'll just be a good player. If you you answer it, I want to play like a pro then you can play like a pro. I believe you have to make your mind up first. Then you have to be a great student of the game. Play lots of tournaments and practice a lot. You need to have motivation in your game. You can't just play one tournament and sit on the couch for 2 weeks and expect to play your next tournament very well. You need to stay in stroke by playing all the time. Here's a few tips for the new year to improve your game. 1. Have a firm bridge 2. Hold your swing arm loose 3. Keep your balance and bend the knees in your stance. 4. After hitting the ball keep your head down and don't pop up after a shot. 5. The most important, confidence is key! I hope everyone has a great new year of playing pool. - Posted by John ferguson

Instructional videos

Here are a few videos I picked out to help improve your game.
Hope you enjoy them.

The Break Shot


Angles / Cut Shots


Bank Shots


I hope you enjoy these videos!


- Posted by John Ferguson