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40 Important Pool Tips to Become a Pro Player

One of the best things about the pool games is that there is always room for learning more and more.

Every new player faces all kind of difficulties in the starting while mid-level players are in constant search of new tips and methods and techniques. Whereas pro-leveled players can always use some adjustments in their gameplay or style. So it’s all about learning according to the level of skill you possess.

These pool tips must be kept in mind if you want to succeed in pool games. Learn the basics first like how to grip and hold the cue, how to set yourself for a shot. Your stance, body position, balance and focus, all these things makes you a great player. Learn different shots and build strategies to outfox your opponent. You should know all the rules so you are never behind the game. Take proper care of your pool game equipments and never stop learning.

Pool Tips Every Player Must Know

It is always best to learn the necessary steps before heading towards the more mature and stable game. For beginners, it is just like taking the first steps in life.

Holding a cue or balancing yourself can cause serious tensions to some players. If you have managed to master some pool skills before learning the basics, then you might face some problems in the future. Because the absence of a strong base can limit you game access.

Tips – One Should Know:

1. Familiarity with The Equipment:

First you should get yourself properly introduced to the equipment you will be using in the pool game before you start playing the first time.

Always keep in mind that the cue or the way you stand depends upon your height and your size. Take small cues if you have small hands or large cues if you are a large person.

2. Pool Table Size:

Choose a pool table according to your size. In the beginning, the players find themselves around the large size pool table. It is all about the attraction. But to learn the game, resist that attraction and work with the facts.

3. Proper Knowledge:

Get yourself familiar with the proper knowledge of the game of pool. Learn the words and basic language. Most importantly, memorize the basic rules and fouls. It will help a lot in recognizing your style and manner you play your game later in your life.

4. Dominant Hand:

You should recognize your dominant hand or comfortable hand. The hand which will move or not moves. It depends upon whether you are right handed or left handed.

In case you are right handed, you will place your right hand on the pool table and hold the cue in your right-hand fingers and thumb.

With the left hand on the bottom, always use that hand to move the cue. Never move the hand placed on the pool table.

5. Control on The Cue:

Always learn to control your cue. This is the basis of all the pool games, and your entire game revolves around this most important aspect.

If you cannot control your cue accurately, the strokes on the cue ball will not be according to your will and hence the game also in your favor.

In the beginning, a new player should practice his or her control over the cue stick more and more.

New players should practice the way they move the cue, the control over the cue and the placement of the cue over the fingers most.

When the placement of the cue is being determined, always try different ways. Like placement of cue between fingers and thumb or the placement of forefinger above the cue. Different styles yield different results.

It is also about confidence. The more experiments you do when you are in the learning phase, the more confidence you gain over the game.

6. Finalize Your Stance:

The way you stand and take a shot says a lot about your game. The more confidently you stand, the more pressure it puts on your opponent.

Learn the proper way to stand. Because it is about balance. Pool games are all about the balance and the discipline.

Always work on your knees and chin. How much you should bend does not mean that you should get in level with the pool table. But your cue should be parallel. It brings more force to the shot. Make sure that your stance is all natural and strong. You should not move or dis-balance yourself while taking a shot.

7. Always Be Ready to Change:

You must always be ready to change your strategy according to the situations of the game. Before going into the game, we always go prepared with different strategies and ideas. There should be room in your plans and strategies for new updates, and you must be more flexible regarding the game.

8. Take a Shot:

When you have learned how to balance yourself, and you have taken control of your cue, then it is time to take a shot. Remember, taking the shot does not mean that you have to hit hard and fast.

  • It means to understand the placements of the balls and then to make an angle from where you can get the balls in your favorable positions.
  • Just stay relaxed and get a good look at the pool table where all the balls are scattered and make a mental note of how you want to play a shot.
  • Then place your cue and practice your shot without hitting the balls. It gives you a clarification that either you were aiming right or not.
  • As a beginner, always hit in a straight line. Move around the pool table figuring your straight line. Hit hard and stay focused. You don’t want to miss how the balls behaved after being hit by the cue ball. Their rebound also changes their course.
  • As a mid-level player, one should always try to sense the course of the balls pre-hit. It is of their benefit that if they know how they hit can make the balls to falls.

9. Ghost Ball Method:

This is a prevalent technique which almost every level of players uses in determining their shots. In this, players usually imagine an invisible ball is imagined in the place where the players would have wanted their cue ball.

Players imagine the ball placement and an invisible line marked to the pocket to pot the object ball. This helps a lot in understanding the mechanism of the shot.

10. Chalking:

Always chalk your cue before every shot. This helps from miscuing your cue. One of the biggest mistakes in the pool games is miscuing your shot.

At the beginner level, miscuing can be a result of not enough knowledge or control, but as the level increases, the miscuing can cause you the game and let’s not talk about the frustration.

If you have learned all the above things and play by these tips mentioned above, it means you have now passed your beginner level and have entered a mid-level players league.

A mid-level player is that person who can compete in various pool competitions but is still not up to the match of a pro level player. They not only know all the basics but also possess some impressive moves and tricks related to the pool game.

11. Proper Tip:

Some shots are only workable when they are used with the proper tips. For that, you must first learn the basics of tips.

There are different cue tips. Some can cause low deflection while some have a sharp edge and they can cause errorful English. That is why it is always better to use the proper tip for any special shot like English.

12. Work Your Angle:

When taking a shot, you should always work your angles. There are usually 30 degrees, 60 degrees and 90 degrees. Now don’t get all worried about what these angles are how they are going to work.

These are the simple techniques which any player can learn and take benefit from. When you are working on your ghost ball technique, these angle variations can help in that aspect as well.

Any angle with which you want to hit the cue ball determines its effect on the object ball.

13. Work Your Line:

You must work on the lines of your shots before you hit. The lines are most important aspect when the hitting comes. Work on straight lines and make sure that you are in the correct position.

14. Eye the Ball:

One of the most useful can be this trick. Never take your eyes off while taking a shot. This helps in concentration and also in keeping the opponent in toes that you are not in a hurry and you are super focused.

15. Accuracy:

The accuracy of hitting the ball in the dead center can be achieved over the countless attempts during practice sessions. The hitting in the center of the cue ball is like a pro level thing, and it can only be achieved by practice.

16. Breakpoint:

Work hard on the breakpoint. How the course of the game will go on is usually determined by the opening shot which is called the break shot. You should be able to hit the break shot with such force that all the balls should be scattered all over the pool table and their positions must cause some serious tension to the opponent.

Practice your breakpoint a lot to master this art.

17. Break Problems:

Everyone we know has faced one or another brake problem.

What you can do is take your time for the shot, and before hitting, bring your cue back to the fullest and in an accelerated style hit the cue ball just like the arrow being pulled back before the final release.

18. Your Spot:

Your spot on the table while taking a shot says a lot about your maturity level regarding the game of pool.

There is always a safe spot for the break shot, and you can always see that because previous players leave a mark somewhere. Follow that stance and get in the safer zone. Whatever shot you are taking, remember that you spot will showcase your level of understanding and skill.

19. Move Around:

You should make it a habit of moving a lot around the table this helps a lot in analyzing your game and also in planning your next shot.

20. Stay Tension Free:

It is one of the most beneficial tips anyone can give to any player. Especially the pool players.

A pool game is all about the patience and control, and you don’t want to distress yourself to the point where the hands begin to shake out of frustrations. Stay calmed and continue to have a deep look into the game. Chalking your cue is also a point to help yourself to look at the mistakes and to work on it.

21. Learn Different Shots:

Make it a habit of yours to look into a different way to make shots. With different variety of shots, your game remains unpredictable, and this is a huge bonus for you.

22. Ball Speed:

Try to learn how to make your ball speed slower and faster. This is a master level trick where you can control your cue ball to its maximum. With the help of your shot, you can make your cue ball to respond fast or slow when it comes in contact with the other object balls.

23. Ball Routes:

You should always try to find the shortest routes to hit the ball. It will help you in many ways.

First of all, your time will not get wasted. Your energy level will remain high. You will be able to pot more balls if you can find the shortest way to hit them and follow them. This is the tip from pros. Be gentle and find the shortest and quickest routes for the balls to be pot.

Don’t aim for the far pocket if you can put in the nearest one with placement of the next ball as well.

24. Follow Through:

You must develop a habit of following your shot to the end. It will not only help you in understanding the way the balls behaved after being hit by the cue ball but also in making you realize if you have calculated your shot properly or not.

You can always plant your cue in the same direction the cue ball is hit. You will see how and where the balls went and how you were expecting them to behave.

25. Jump Shot:

Usually at the junior level or beginners, jump shot cannot be achieved easily. To gain control over this shot, usually, the players are of pro level. They have mastered the control over the cue and the hitting on the cue ball.

Usually, the cue is placed in such an elevated position that the cue is almost 60 degree of the cue ball or 90 degrees to make the cue ball jump. Pro level players suggest to use a jump cue to master this shot.

Noe certain game rules do not allow the jump balls. As the jump shot can make the cue ball fall out of the pool table causing a foul and a penalty in favor of the opponent.

A small jump shot can be made if the cue ball remains on the pool table.

26. Side Spin:

Usually called English, it can make a huge difference in the game if applied correctly. Whenever the players feel that the game is getting stuck or the opponent is trying to make the object balls placement difficult for you to play, English comes in handy.

One of the most common mistakes made by the players while using the English is in choosing the wrong ball. It cannot be applied to every ball as every ball has its position as they react according to that.

Most of the professional players don’t use English very often because it is a risky shot. But if you are to use English, then use the proper way to apply speed and maintain the proper distance.

27. Bankshot:

Mastering a Bankshot is more of a pro level game. Bankshot is all about angles and your perceptions.

How closely you are watching the game and how much can you control your cue and cue ball determines this shot. It is more like a carom shot, but instead of hands, we are using cue sticks.

28. Strategy:

Always work with strategy. Usually, juniors are not working with strategies. They should, but they are still in the process of learning, so they don’t know much about this field.

But mid-level players are always heading towards a pro level, and they want to understand more and more. How to play the break shot shows your strategy and then the rest of the game.

29. Average Shot:

Sometimes the opponent is expecting you to hit an extraordinary kind of shot. Surprise him or her with an average shot, and the result will surprise you. The opponent will quickly have to think of a new strategy. Play with a cool mind and stay smart.

By average shot I never mean that you should give your opponent a chance to take over the game. Sometimes don’t go for that extra effort or special shot to pot the ball. You can play a safe shot which your opponent may don’t like.

30. Rail Shots:

Rails shot which is also referred as a trick shot offer so many different positions. Though many professionals refer this shot as not so helpful, but this entirely depends upon your use of such opportunity. In rail shots, the cue ball is placed so close to the rail or almost dead at the rail.

A little bit of sidespin on cue ball can put the object balls near the pockets. A rather difficult but manageable shot if practiced thoroughly.

If you are not comfortable or sure about sidespin to tackle the rail shot then try the rail bridge technique.

31. Cue ball Pocketed:

If the cue ball gets pot, it is a clear foul. Never try to make such shot in which you can pot the cue ball that is the white ball. Opponent gets beneficial shot out of it.

32. Position Control:

Always have such positions which make you feel relax and easy. In position control your stance; your way of playing a shot; everything counts. The more professionally you position yourself, the more good game you play.

33. Basic Etiquettes:

You never want to disturb the other player. This is against the rules of the game. Stay in your position when you hit the shot and after that go back to your place.

Never try to create any non-sense situations by passing remarks against other player’s shot. It is very childish, and an advanced level player should never do such a thing.

34. Respect the Game:

You are playing this game because you love it. Respect the game to its fullest. You want to create a name in it, and you cannot do it without respect. Respect the other players, their teams, their supporters, their good shots. It is about sportsmanship.

35. Follow the Rules:

Following the rules of the game is a very vital part in any game. If you go by the book, there is a very minimal chance that you make blunders which can cost you your game.

When you don’t give away penalty points to your opponent, the common impression gets that you are very serious about your game and that there is no space for any misconduct with you.

36. Avoid Arguing with the Referee:

You must not argue with the referee. It is not good for your reputation. At the beginner’s level, if any player gets a bad reputation related to not following the word of the referee, it stays with you for your whole game career. Let your game speak instead of your words. Powerful action is through your shots.

37. Avoid Touching the Balls:

You must never touch the cue ball. It is against the rules, and you cannot place the cue ball according to your will. You should play according to the placements.

38. Outside Interference:

When the outside interference causes any change in the outcome of any shot, the referee places the balls in their previous positions. Don’t create a disturbance or your opponent will have a benefit out of it.

39. Your Equipment:

Take full responsibility for your cues. They are your price possession. The way you take care of your cue explains a lot about you as a player. Keep them safe, restore them accordingly and chalk them properly.

40. Anxiety:

One of the most challenging things is competitive anxiety. Many players use this anxiety for their benefit and produce an outstanding game while most of the players undergo such anxiety and lose their focus and concentration. This usually cost them their games.

Learn to have control over your anxiety and try to convert that pressure into your benefit rather than the opponents’.

Conclusion:

Pool game is such a simple yet fun game that everyone wants to play. With a few common tips, any person can reach up to any level they desire.

Hopefully, with the help of the tips mentioned above, the game of pool can be leveled up for some while beginners can learn a lot from it. No matter how good we are at the game of pool, there is always something new to learn about it.

About Maryam Shaw

Hello Everyone! I am Maryam, the reason behind creating this website is to help people with the detailed information and reviews about sports products