Because I play pool so much and in my old age I am getting back problems but I still want to perform as best as I can in Pool and billiards. So along with my morning stretch routines and light work outs I have hired a Masseuse once a month to work on my neck and back, and once in a while on my shooting shoulder and elbow. I know this seems really extreme but a monthly massage can really put a difference back into your game. When you are taller, shooting pool becomes a little awkward by bending over the table your abs and back are already becoming strained and even though you should be resting on your stick holding arm going back and forth from the table after long periods of time can tighten up the muscles in your back. The neck is the most strained if you are shooting pool correctly, your head should be up and looking down the pool cue shaft of the pool cue aiming for the cue ball. When you are looking up your neck must arch upwards which will put tension along the back of your neck and stretch the front. Most massage therapists will tell you most people hold their stress in their shoulders, and putting too much tension on your neck for long periods of time can affect blood flow to the brain. By relieving this tension with a massage you give your full attention to your game and not the cranks that are involved with cramping or a battered neck.
The largest reason you should get a massage is full stress relief just like any sport if you have stress and are thinking about something else other than the pool game in front of you, this can affect the outcome of the game. Every little thing can affect the out come of any game but if you can relieve that stress even for once a month you can see an increase in your ability to focus and really give your self the best chances of winning in a league games or pool tournaments.
I know that the amount of money spent on a Massage Therapist can be expensive but a great idea is find out if there is a local massage therapy school or even a travel Masseuse if you can convince one of these people to come down to your pool hall when there is a maximum amount of people to validated a cheaper rate between you and the Masseuse then possibly everyone can win. I started working with a travel massage therapist and once a month she gives me a really great rate as well as all my friends by hosting a Massage Party where you get everyone together to socialize while people one by one gets a massage. She ends up charging us a fifty cents a minute and you always tip while she ends up making a good amount of money and every on at the party is happy.
Posted in Billiards & Pool Health, Billiards & pool tips | Tagged bililards massage, billiards Masseuse, pool massage, pool Masseuse | Leave a Comment »
If you are recreational player who plays from time to time or non-competitive then these billiards and pool health tips are really not for you. But if you are serious about billiards pool and want to increase your game then you must remember that your mind and body are one and if your health is bad your game will be just as bad. Even in pool leagues you may only play a few games at a time but usually in the end there is a huge tournament with usually double or triple amount of pool racks, and breaks. You must make sure you health is in good order. Younger pool players are flourishing in higher grade tournaments and one of the major factors is that they do not have to work on their health as much. And not everyone can be 18 again.
Eye sight is key and about half the battle so make sure you are getting your yearly check ups, eat some carrots once in a while and do not try to strain them too often. Wear good professional UV blocking sunglasses, and if you work on a computer or watch a lot of television give your eyes a break every 2 hours by going outside and looking at stationary objects to excercise your vision.
Obviously what comes hand in hand with Billiards and pool has always been bar locations where drinking and smoking surrounds the tables, some players even feel more confident if they have one drink or one shot to kill th nerves before the first game but then again one drink will not kill you but drinking and smoking heavily will affect your game instantly. Alcohol will twist your brain around and smoking will kill your lungs but what a lot of people don’t realize about smoking is that it will affect your eyes. Non-smokers eyes usually get puffy, irritated and red after an hour of being in small room with smokers, imagine the same effect on a regular smoker.
This one may throw a lot of pool players for a loop but balance and flexibility should be a regiment to work on. Most professional players know this and especially female pro pool players. Think about how you shoot, first you walk up to the table, get a good base on your feet, bend over, reach for your aim, and make sure your body stays completely still while your rock your forearm back and forth only without moving the rest of your body. Yoga may be the perfect supplement to a pool player trying to go to the next level in his or her game, which is the art of staying in positions without moving fo long periods of time. Flexibility is important when you have to compact or reach your body across a table to make long shots that are short enough to shoot but no long enough to use pool bridge stick.
Probably one of the most important things you should work on, even as a pool player is that you need to realize that pool is a sport like anything else. And in like every other sport stamina is key. An example of this is when I used to play in the APA league every once a week we would shoot against only one team and the sets are an average of 5 to 6 games per night in 8-ball or 9-ball depending on the matches. But once we made it to the regional you have to play about 4 teams just in one day and that could be anywhere from 20 to 30 games. Not to mention being up for long hours if you keep winning. This is where stamina is so important because your body is tired and your mind is not or vice versa you are out of sync completely. To be a champion you need to train like a champion, you probably do not need to become a marathon runner but 30 minutes to an hour a day you should have some type of physical activity to make sure that your stamina is up to par with your competition, if not more to be a winner. Even the great Jeanette Lee “The Black Widow” in many of her interviews professes the importance of eating healthy and making sure your body is in good shape for lang days of pool because most of the time if your body dies, you mind will quit with it.
To become a great pool player all of these requirements need to be met in some way or fashion. And if you want to go professional you have to put into your mind that no matter how much you practice or train someone out there is trying to practice and train longer and harder than you, to become a champion you have to strive to surpass even your own borders and walls. But it is just like everything else without training for pool and just trying to become a pro without thinking about these things is hard, but then again if becoming a professional pool or billiards player was easy, then everyone would be doing it.
Posted in Billiards & Pool Health, Billiards & pool tips | Tagged become a billiards pro, become a pool pro, billiards health, pool health | Leave a Comment »
When you or and opponent is racking the most important this is always, always, always, let the racker clear before breaking a rack. First of all the noise of the rack can scare or startle the person who just rack a nice set of ball for you. And the second best reason is that if it’s a wild break you do not want to hit your opponent, especially in the face, with the cue ball this may create a little aggression towards the breaker of the balls.
Personally if someone broke a rack while I was still barely leaving I might have to give them a warning asking them nicely to not do that again, the second time a chair may be thrown.
Posted in Billiards Pool Cue Sticks, Pool & Billiards Etiquette | Tagged billiards Etiquette, breaking Etiquette, pool Etiquette | Leave a Comment »
In recreational pool or billiards there is always a few select individuals who need to come up to me and tell me what I am doing wrong on my pool shot or my shot selection, this is ridiculous. There is a personal bubble space that I need to complete what I am doing whether it is just playing a game of pool for fun or practicing. I call these guys the “Yoda Effect” because most people who need to share their pool information to you, usually think in their head they are better than you right off the bat. If you are a female someone coming up and giving information you don’t need freely is more likely using this as a ploy to get your attention and the possibly sleazy “hit on” process.
The proper etiquette for helping someone in pool and billiards is first the contact of name, and then ask if they want help before spewing information. And if someone does need help unless you are a paid professional player or pool coach is to use words such as “it’s my opinion” and “I believe that” or “it may help if” because when it comes to pool not everyone is that same and not everyone is comfortable with your opinion on shot selection or how to stroke a cue. And to be as self-centered so much that you think you way is the only way is ignorance in itself. Here is an example of bad pool speaking etiquette:
“You should have taken the 2 ball instead of the 7 ball because now you have blocked yourself.”
Here is the same sentence using etiquette:
“Would you like some help? In my opinion if you would have taken the 2 ball instead of the 7 you might have lined up your next shot better.”
The first sentence was a blanketed I know what I am doing, and what you did was wrong. Versus the second sentence which was really trying to give an honest help tip, after asking if that pool player wanted help if they agreed then you could have honestly helped them, instead of a harsh fact statement that could possibly hurt another players feeling, or put them defensive. Me personally I play completely different in a recreational game of pool where I am only shooting for fun or practice versus a tournament or league play so to assume I would have made the same shot during league is pretty ignorant.
If you receive such advice from someone who give it in a brutal manner the best way to reply is “Thank you for your help, but I really don’t need it right now.” and go on your way, some people can not be changed and it’s best not to get defensive and to start friction. Just shake it off, and allow them to be douche bags some where away from you.
Posted in Billiards & pool tips, Pool & Billiards Etiquette | Tagged billiards Etiquette, pool Etiquette | Leave a Comment »
One of the most moronic things people have done to me intentionally and unintentionally is walk right next to the table in front of me while I am in mid stroke of a shot. A lot of pool players do that when they feel vulnerable during a game and they want to mess you up on purpose. They believe if they do this you will track them and not the ball you are shooting at. In some cases this may work on amateur player but an above average player will usually ignore it but this still does not make the situation any more fair or proper.
The correct pool etiquette is to be aware of your surroundings if you are in a pool hall, bar, or place that even has pool tables the best way to walk towards your objective but make sure the tables you walk past no one is shooting. If there is someone shooting and you need to walk in front of them pause and allow them to shoot, once they are done shooting quickly walk past and on the way back from your destination do the same tactic. If you need to walk behind someone shooting make sure you allow them enough room to pull back on their stroke. If there is not enough room please wait until they are done. If it is a player standing and looking at a table and blocking your path just use proper regular etiquette and use words such as “excuse me” and “pardon me” to get past, some people take non-manners to heart and it’s the basic thing most people should be doing anyways.
Posted in Billiards & pool tips, Pool & Billiards Etiquette | Tagged billiards Etiquette, pool Etiquette | Leave a Comment »
When shooting pool and especially against a player you do not know, it is proper to be quiet during your opponents shots. Many bad players use noise to their advantage to rattle your game so its best not to do the same to your opponent. In many cases people do not know they are being rude during a shot, obviously if the pool game is going on at a loud bar with music or some type of sports game is being played this can not be helped but it still does not give anyone an excuse to be loud during pool opponents shots.
The best pool etiquette when it comes to noise is not to speak to the player when they have bent over for their shot, keep quiet and still, and if you need to speak during your opponents shot then whisper to the person you wish to speak too.
The worst things to do is to talk to a player when they are bent over on the pool table about to shoot which may cause a break in concentration. Or in mid pool stroke to yell or make a loud noise before pool cue impact. Or the obviously talking loud while someone is shooting because again this may break the players concentration. All of these things usually are a sign of a player who is ignorant or purposely trying to rattle the opponent from shooting well either way its just dirty pool play.
Posted in Billiards & pool tips, Pool & Billiards Etiquette | Tagged annoying pool players, billiards Etiquette, noisy pool, pool Etiquette | Leave a Comment »
February 25, 2010 by Official Pro Sports
One of the greatest common mistakes in pool is breaking power and how a break stick will sometimes not destroy and separate a rack well. The real destruction in separating a rack is accuracy and speed if you feel your self tensing up and trying to muscle a cue ball into the rack then you need to step back relax and give aq full stroke. Most people who sue power will tense up and not follow through with a cue shot into the rack. This is why nothing get separated.
A great excercise to just relax and when you fire your shot into the rack is to see where you cue stick extends to. After the break if your cue is not fully extended it probably from your tense cue shot. Relax and think flexible and we guarantee if you have a full stroke you will end up with a separated rack after the break assuming the rack is tight. Not to mention a good Break cue sticks can help incredible a most break cues are also combo jump cues.
Posted in Billiards & pool tips, Billiards Pool Cue Sticks | Tagged break cue, breaking a rack, breaking cue rack | Leave a Comment »
February 25, 2010 by Official Pro Sports
Predator pool cues are still top in the market with high-end pool cues. The new pool cue line has not changed much in style but in performance the Predator pool sticks are still the top of the line featuring elite professional players sponsored by Predator such as Charlie Williams, Dennis Orcollo Gerda Hofstatter Jennifer Baretta, Ralf Souquet, and Chia-Ching Wu every one of these player represent predator cue sticks.
The predator Pool cues are custom made with highly pressed Irish linen and with a sure shot with every pool cues stick.
You can now get the full 2010 Predator pool cue line at Official PRO Sports everything from the predator pool cues, Predator Jump and break pool cues as well as the Predator cue shafts to replace on any stick.
Posted in Billiards Pool Cue Sticks | Tagged Predator, Predator cue information, Predator Pool Cues | Leave a Comment »
February 23, 2010 by Official Pro Sports
3D2 Pool cue sticks are different from anything else in the Billiards and pool market today. These new cues have an insane pewter painted model incased in pure acrylic plastic and are different than any other cue on the market. Truth be told the original 3D cue sticks were built for looks but were destroyed in played. But the company that produces the Hampton Billiards have perfected the cue and are now called 3D2 pool cues. The original cue would warp and fall apart which would make consumers extremely unhappy. But the new 3D2 pool cues are constructed for looks and playability.
Hampton Ridge has now made a pool cues that is gorgeous to look at and with all the ability of a really playing pool cue. Each one has a hand painted pewter item incase in a pure acrylic plastic pool cue butt. And incredible reliable hit and sweet spot for extreme pool shot control. High impact XTR ferrules for maximum feel with a premium maple timber butt to insure straight gran and reliability. Cover in a UV gloss finish for higher protection against the weather elements and an Irish linen wrap for grip and stroke control.
Posted in Billiards Pool Cue Sticks | Tagged 3d cue sticks, 3d2 cue sticks, pewter cue sticks | Leave a Comment »
February 19, 2010 by Official Pro Sports
Adrenaline Pool Cues are perfect for pool players on a budget made from Grade “A” North American Hard Rock maple for the shafts and the Butt of the stick is made of Premium Maple wood timber. Not to mention extra or replacement Adrenaline pool shafts are even more affordable if anything goes wrong. For the most part you get what you pay for with these cues they will last you at least 3 to 5 years of hard play but they are built to last and as straight as any other high-end cue stick. Each one also is covered in high gloss with a UV finish for protection with high impact XTR Fiber Ferrules and triangle tips.
These pool cues are prefect if you are just starting to play pool and not sure if you want to spend 200 dollars plus on a stick that may only be used once in a blue moon.
You can now view the complete Adrenaline Pool Cue line everything from pool cues, Adrenaline Pool Cases, Adrenaline Pool Shafts, Adrenaline Junior Cues, and more at Official PRO Sports who carry only the top pool cues in the market today.
Posted in Billiard & Pool Equipment, Billiards Pool Cue Sticks | Tagged Adrenaline, Adrenaline Pool Cases, Adrenaline Pool Cues | Leave a Comment »
Because I play pool so much and in my old age I am getting back problems but I still want to perform as best as I can in Pool and billiards. So along with my morning stretch routines and light work outs I have hired a Masseuse once a month to work on my neck and back, and once in a while on my shooting shoulder and elbow. I know this seems really extreme but a monthly massage can really put a difference back into your game. When you are taller, shooting pool becomes a little awkward by bending over the table your abs and back are already becoming strained and even though you should be resting on your stick holding arm going back and forth from the table after long periods of time can tighten up the muscles in your back. The neck is the most strained if you are shooting pool correctly, your head should be up and looking down the pool cue shaft of the pool cue aiming for the cue ball. When you are looking up your neck must arch upwards which will put tension along the back of your neck and stretch the front. Most massage therapists will tell you most people hold their stress in their shoulders, and putting too much tension on your neck for long periods of time can affect blood flow to the brain. By relieving this tension with a massage you give your full attention to your game and not the cranks that are involved with cramping or a battered neck.
