Do you go out and practise Bar Billiards?

I want to know how many people actually practise, also do the great players practise?

I do a lot and if I had it my way every second of every lunchtime and evening! ::)

If you do practise who do you practise with?

I do with my dad and a guy called Peter from the White Swan B team :P and we set up little competitions: 3G's Cup (Between all 3) and Les Wildman Cup (Just me and my dad).
Sometimes I get to train with Phil Buckle which helps a lot!

If you don't practise why not? Could it be distance or no time?

I would especially love to know what SirKT does for practise!

[milhouse]

I practice when i can. If i am on my own, i will just play a normal game or more recently off the spot.
If i am with my Dad we will play the alternative rules as he can't play the game, so its a good leveller and good practice for playing the bottom end of the table.
If i am there with people like Ray Sturgess, we will play 2 games like in opens, or chase the red or something.
The other day, there was me, Ray, Ian Moss and Keith Sheard in the Tandem after the county ladies singles final and we had a game of chase the red (which Ian won on the last ball) then a game of just scoring in the 200 hole - which i won on the last ball, the red ball off 3 cushions ;D ;D

[Josie]

I used to practice as often as possible - but since I've moved to Essex I have no tables near me. >:(

I've been making more of an effort recently to get to Redhill to play a couple of practice games - but now the league has started it will just be matches again!

Years ago I used to play 7 days a week and was reasonably good - now I don't my game has definitely suffered.

Josie

[Ice Man]

I used to practice all the time until i was about 14, then i just played 3 or 4 games a week on my table at home just to keep my right arm goin.

Started playin in the league when i was 17 with a new team that was setup by my dad and one of his mates. As a team we always go out on a Sunday night for a practice on the table will be playin on for the following Wednesday.

Probably don't practice as much as i should but it doesn't seem to hamper my game at all. But in my opinion once you've got it you'll never lose it ;D

I can testify that Josie's form used to be awesome a few years back when she used to play at the Black Horse. Five figure scores each week, and a contender for the England team.

I don't think that playing on a crappy home table helps anyone's confidence, and the Prince of Wales table got to me last year as well. Playing in a team depleted of team members after Christmas didn't help either.

Now we've changed venues yet again the happy days will soon re-appear - you'll see, Josie. ;) And with John Turner joining our team, you will learn how to be 'jammy' (if you watch him closely enough !) ;D

I used to practice an awful lot when I played at Didcot Labour Club. I would again, now that I have a renewed appetite for the game.

Just need to find a side.

[Sparky]

tommo said:

And with John Turner joining our team, you will learn how to be 'jammy' (if you watch him closely enough !) ;D

This can't be the same John Turner that has been threatening to retire every year when we meet in the Senior Cup (I always seem to get the jammy old *** ), cos he assured me he was cutting back on his BB commitments......must have been a ploy to lull me into a false sense of security :)

There is no doubt in my mind that practice is essential to improve or maintain my game, but greater players than I may be able to 'keep it' without the effort :(

Oh that old chestnut.........he's been coming out with that one for the last ten years. ;D

Agree that some players never lose it. Remember going to the Victory with MrMike007 on a Saturday night a couple of years ago: at the time he hadn't picked up a cue for five years and the Victory table was very slow then. I could barely manage a thousand and Mick rattled in 10k - no problem !
I for one need a practise game on a regular basis. Not so long ago I used to go into a league match 'cold', put my coin in the slot and think "how do you play this game ?" I take a while to warm up - perhaps I should invest in a set of jump leads. ;D ;D

I think practise has a lot to do with form and confidence.

Practising allows you to put right what you did wrong on a match night. If you don't practise you could teach yourself to do the wrong shots. As when you are playing there is no second chance or coaching (usually).

Practise helps with form a lot, if you can get 10,000 without practise thats fine as you will win more games then you lose, however consistant score (in my mind) does require practise as you can learn bad habits!

What you say is true Johnny.
I have had to work at my game, not being a natural player, and if I didn't get at least one game a week I'd soon go rusty.

So the wife and I for the last 25 years have always gone out on a Saturday night to try and find a table to play all evening. But there's no tables left at all now in our area, the last one being the Apple Tree, Crawley, which threw their table out a year ago.

This coincided with our getting our own table at home, and now that I have the opportunity of a game every day, I feel my cue arm is going and I am constantly in 'warmed up' mode: - plus, I have a better repertoire of shots. I am trying frantically to teach the wife the 'split' shot before we start our mixed doubles campaign, and she's very nearly there.

Before, with me it was very hit and miss: some days I'd feel like there was magic in my fingertips and on other days I'd just feel 'wooden'.

Now, whenever I lose I can put it down to the opponent I played being better than me - without the need for soul searching into my own shortcomings.

Now, that I do not play regularly at all - I find that every game is like an away table (well, I suppose that is because it is). Therefore, I have no confidence at the start of a game and am spending ages trying to 'work out the table'.

This could cause a problem in Jersey!

[JerseyLugs]

Practise is great but you've got to remember that most tables will play differently on the night of a match e.g. once they've been brushed and ironed (and in some cases had all the legs twisted just so the opposition can't play the break or had a heater under the table for three hours so it's like playing on ice!!)
In most instances you can't afford to make one mistake as it could very well cost you the game (as IceMan will testify to. three consecutive nights practise on an away table and you can still stuff up your break LOL Sorry James)
If you approach every shot the same way and don't try to be flash you won't go far wrong.

I will certainly take that on board.

[chocie]

I think i can answer your question on what SirKT does for practise,he has got his own table. Plus he also arranges practise nights down the Three Horse Shoes in Lancing for himself and his 2 teams :)

Hope this answers that one for ya !!

That is amazing how people have tables in there home. I suppose you can learn a lot about the game. However it doesn't teach you how to play the table you will play in the league.

I guess I shall be going in to overdrive as I have practise tonight, then Monday I have a league match, then Tuesday I am in the singles competition, then Sunday I have the AE Team Championships in reading to go to. Then the following day I have an away league match against SMB SSC.

I guess there isn't any excuses if I lose then ;)

But I wouldn't change that schedule for anything in the world, I wish I played more.


I have come to realise, playing here in Cambridgeshire you can only go so far in ability, no offense to my fellow players but we are not the best in England. I wonder if I went to Oxford or Sussex I could learn loads. Maybe push my ability to the next level. I learned LOADS at Berks and if I was playing with players of that ability on a regular basis I reckon I would be huge (in Bar Billiards).

I can't wait till the AE Team Championships on 22nd, I have learned how to slow down and pace myself. Concentration has gone up loads since Berks and now I reckon I can do some high breaks of my own ;)

Practise makes perfect in every way!

[chocie]

All i can say to the i wish i played more remark is i'll swop my games next week for yours,

1)Monday Interleague- Littlehampton Vs Brighton A
2)Wednesday- First match of the new Brighton League season
3)Thursday- Worthing League.

Missing from this is Tuesday which is Littlehampton League night but i'm lead to believe the match has been rearranged as KT,M.Spiers and Myself have a bit of a busy week. :)

I will be looking for a bit of practice prior to Jersey.

Anyone recommend a decent table to 'get my eye in' in the northants or cambridgeshire area?

The best table award in Cambridgeshire is usually handed to the White Horse Swavesey which is as North as you can hope for.

Or the White Swan, however iron the table or you will be disappointed!

Ok - thanks. I will probably pop down this week to start. What nights are these tables likely to be free?

This Tuesday we have the Singles Comp, and Mondays are the league.
Saturday don't bother going to the White Horse as it is too packed to play.
Best bet is Sunday or Wednesday.

Wednesday it is. Where is it exactly?

In swavesey you can't miss it on the main road through the village!
It is a nice pub, the landlord is nice there.

If you can't find that pub then go to the White Swan in Conington next to Hilton and Elsworth. Then again you should know where that is ::)

Thank you, I shall.

Plus if you would like to join the White Horse, you can do. Just ask the landlord as he himself is in the team!

If you want to wait and give it time, you have until Christmas to sign on for a team!

Thanks Johnny - lets see how I get on in practice on Wednesday. If all goes well I may be bold enough to ask him on the night!!

[Colemanator]

reformedcharacter said:

Thanks Johnny - lets see how I get on in practice on Wednesday. If all goes well I may be bold enough to ask him on the night!!

You were supposed to turn up at Burton Cons a couple of weeks ago, there were only 5 of us and you were drawn 5th, but i never heard no more from you :-/

[Ice Man]

jerseylugs said:

Practise is great but you've got to remember that most tables will play differently on the night of a match e.g. once they've been brushed and ironed (and in some cases had all the legs twisted just so the opposition can't play the break or had a heater under the table for three hours so it's like playing on ice!!)
In most instances you can't afford to make one mistake as it could very well cost you the game (as IceMan will testify to. three consecutive nights practise on an away table and you can still stuff up your break LOL Sorry James)

If you approach every shot the same way and don't try to be flash you won't go far wrong.

I totally agree with u Mick, you can spend hours practicing on a table and still stuff it by misssing somethn stupid like the one up, (Mick will know what i mean, lol) First time i've ever missed the one up in a match situation :-[ and then paid the price for it! :'(

It is good to practice but tables can and often do change before a match but it is always good to "TRY" and learn how a table is playin before playin on it on a match nite, lol

Well last night I proved that practise does make perfect!

A few months ago I was miss-hitting the one up shot. But with practise I have mastered it!

I got 12,580 in total which is my highest ever total score! I think I got the split (100 and 50 holes) 9 times in a row!

I am soo pleased, I seem to have a spring in my step today ;D

Well done, Johnny !
Was that in a competitive (league) game, or just in practice ?

I hope you don't turn out like me, got 12,560 once in the league in 1975 and then took another 25 years before I beat it ! ;D

It was a league game, however I am not going to accept that as a one off score, I shall be consistant and hopefully average the season with 6-8K!

I will be beating that score very soon, don't you worry!