W A R M - U P

Warm-up: All things being equal, the player that warms up will prevail over the one who doesn't. It is very import to practice for at least 10 - 15 minutes before any match. Pool is a finesse' game and it's important to get both mentally and physically attuned to the environment you are playing in. Stay focused and try to reduce the size of the room to the pool table. Don't let anything distract you externally or internally. Concentration is paramount in this game. Stand at the rack end of the table with a single striped ball. Place the ball on the rack spot and stroke it to the center diamond on the break (opposite) end of the table. Freeze your cue at the end of the stroke and see if the ball returns to the tip of your cue. A true straight stroke will cause this happen. Secondly, note how far the tip of your cue extends beyond the rack spot. This is a visual indicator of how much follow through you are getting on your shots. Work for a five to eight inch extension through you shot. Practice shooting a few draw, follow, and english shots from the same starting point. The striped ball will allow you to see how much spin is being applied. Strive for consistency.