How to Practice Pool: Tips for Improving Your Game

Are you looking to get into playing pool? Or, perhaps you have already been playing for a little while, but you're finding that you're not improving, no matter how much you play. It can be frustrating when this happens, because you're looking to improve your skills, but you're not making any progress, which can be tough to deal with.

But, chances are that you're not doing the right things to practice and enhance your skills. Just playing the game over and over again isn't enough to see a real improvement, as chances are you're probably going to be making the same mistakes consistently, with no idea of how to fix it.

So, we're going to help. Down below, we're going to be taking a look at some of the ways that you should be practicing pool, giving you tips so that will help you improve your game overall, and make you a better pool player. As such, if you're interested, feel free to continue reading.

1. Setting Up Your Practice Area

One of the most important things that you're going to need to do is set up your practice area. This includes making sure the table is set up right, that you have all of the correct equipment, and that you're somewhere with enough space for you to practice properly.

So, first you're going to need to make sure that you are standing on flat, non-slip flooring. With all of the bending and walking you're going to need to do, the last thing that you want is to end up on your back because you've tripped over something.

When you're setting up the table, we strongly recommend using target spots to ensure that you know where the ball needs to be, making it easier for you to identify how well you're doing with any stroke. Many beginners also have a stroke trainer to help keep the cue aligned, and practice balls to make it a little easier.

Your setup is important, so don't skip this step thinking that it doesn't matter how the table looks and feels.

2. Essential Pool Drills for Beginners

Straight In Shot Drill

The point of this drill is to work in your aim, your stroke, and the follow through.

To do this, you need to place the cue ball and a normal ball in a straight line, lined up with a corner pocket. Aim to keep them fairly close as you're just starting out, so ideally start with one foot, then move to two feet as you become more confident.

It's important to keep your head still, and focus on a smooth, slow shot rather than aiming for speed.

Stop Shot Drill

One of the most important drills you're going to need to master is the stop shot drill. The aim here is to work on controlling the cue ball and the speed of the balls. You need to hit the cue ball dead in the center, and it should stop completely once contact has been made.

This is hugely important for beginners to master, so practice until you can consistently do this.

Line Drill

If your goal is to work on your aim, your consistency, and your shot alignment, then a line drill is needed. You need to place between 5 and 7 balls in a straight line, pocketing them one by one without missing, in the correct order.

During this, you want to make sure that you don't move too much, as the goal is to clear the line quickly and with ease.

Cue Ball Control Drill

In order to master cue ball control, you need to work on your position control. What you want to do here is place a ball near a pocket, and try to pocket the ball, while then bringing the cue ball back to the middle of the table.

3. Mastering Your Stroke in Pool Billiards

First, you need to think about your body and the stance that you're taking for the perfect stroke. You want to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your front foot slightly forward, with your body feeling completely balanced, and your head directly over the cue.

Now you've got the stance sorted, think about your grip. You don't want to be gripping the cue for dear life, you want to be gentle. It needs to be firm enough to keep a hold, and that's it.

For the stroke itself, it's essential that your elbow stays still, and only your forearm makes the swinging motion. You need to ensure that there is minimal body movement, that your elbow is stable, and that you're pushing through the cue ball. The end of your cue should stop where the cue ball was, with no need to go further.

4. Tips for Consistent Cue Ball Control

One of the most important tips that we can give you when it comes to cue ball control is mastering contact points. You can either hit the top, bottom, or sides, and it's imperative that you know which one yields which results.

You also need to focus on a smooth, controlled stroke in order to be able to control the cue ball, rather than having it flying off the table because you've hit too hard, and with too much power. Overall, you want to aim for a line, not just a singular spot on the table.

As well as this, you're going to need to master your technique which we've already talked about, but this helps massively when it comes to keeping control of the cue ball. Your stance, alignment, and grip will all be essential when it comes to control.

5. Advanced Techniques in Pool

Side Spin

When you're faced with a tricky layout, mastering the side spin helps to ensure you get the best possible shot. To do this, you hit the ball just off-center so that you can control the path after hitting a cushion. You need to make adjustments to your aim to make this happen.

This advanced technique is also known as 'English'

The Ghost Ball

Another advanced technique is called the ghost ball. This method involves visualizing an imaginary ball (the ghost ball) at the exact point that you want the ball to go. Usually, this is used to imagine exactly where the ball needs to strike in order to sink the ball in a pocket.

Jump Shots

Obstructing balls can be a pain in the behind for pool players, which is why getting the hang of a jump shot could be an absolute lifesaver. The goal is to get the cue ball over the obstructing balls, to hit the ball that you want to sink. Most who opt for this technique use a light, short jump cue to make this happen as it has a better chance of success.

To master this, you're going to need to angle the ball between 30 and 90 degrees depending on the shit, and strike down above the center of the cue ball. It takes practice, so don't be disheartened when if you don't get the hang of it right away.

Shot Planning

Generally, players take shots in order, but advanced players tend to forgo this and come up with a whole shot planning strategy instead. This includes coming up with a full run of what shots they're going to take and when, they identify cluster breakouts early on in the game, and they can use this method to use safety shots. Overall, this can increase the probability of seeing success.

6. Measuring Progress in Your Practice Sessions

There are actually a few different ways that you can measure your progress while you're practicing so that you don't have to guess. Guessing is not a reliable method, and instead you should be figuring out a system that works for you.

Some people prefer to opt for tracking numbers, which can be done with drill scores, runout data, or inning counting depending on which you find works for you. Sometimes a combination of all three can be useful.

You also want to consistently note down your speed and power control to see if you're getting better. Practice the long stop shots specifically, and note consistence of your stroke and your aim. This will tell you at which point through the process your technique breaks down, highlighting the areas in which you need to work going forward.

So, there you go then! These are some of the ways that you can practice pool, ensuring that you're improving your game. It will take time and consistency to see improvement, so don't be too disheartened if you're not making the progress you thought that you were going to make. The important thing is that you are getting better, and as long as this is true, you're doing something right.