Every time the local house league plays, you’ll spot the same thing: frustrated players, shaking their heads, cursing under their breath, expecting more from themselves than they deliver—yet doing very little to actually get better.
Here’s the truth: becoming a better pool player isn’t complicated. But it does require something most players avoid—real practice.
What’s Really Holding You Back?
If you’ve subscribed to my newsletter, you probably got my welcome message asking:
“What’s the biggest thing holding you back from improving your game?”
And I get some great, thoughtful answers:
- “My pre-shot routine isn’t reliable.”
- “I don’t see the angles well.”
- “My aiming system just doesn’t work.”
- “I’m always ahead… until I lose at the end.”
These are real problems. But when I follow up with the obvious next question—“How often do you actually practice this?”—the replies stop.
Crickets.
You Want to Improve? Practice.
Let’s be blunt: if you want to get better at something, you need to practice it.
Most pool players think they’re practicing when they play a few games with a buddy once or twice a week. No drills. No goals. Just casual play. Sometimes they keep score, sometimes they don’t. And they do this… for years.
That’s not practice. That’s just playing.
If you went to a piano lesson and your teacher told you to “just play something” while they made a phone call, would you call that learning? Of course not.
Real practice means focused repetition of the skill you want to improve.
It means:
- Repeating a skill over and over
- Staying mentally present
- Being okay with failing
- Pushing the edge of your comfort zone
- Observing, adjusting, trying again
It’s not always fun. Sometimes you’ll feel like you’re getting worse. That’s normal. Growth isn’t a straight line—it’s messy, frustrating, and 100% worth it.
What Babies Can Teach You About Learning
How does a baby learn to walk?
Do they read books? Watch YouTube videos? Lurk in Facebook groups about toddler biomechanics?
No. They crawl. They grab a table leg. They wobble, fall, and get up again. Then they try again. And again. Until they can walk—and eventually, run.
They don’t need talent. Just repetition. Just time.
Forget Talent. It’s a Myth.
Here’s the truth: you don’t need talent to be great at pool. Talent is just a comforting excuse we use to avoid putting in the work. But if walking—something as complex as balancing and coordinating every muscle in your body—can be learned by everyone, then guess what?
You can learn to run 100 balls. You can learn to break with power. You can learn to jump like the pros.
All it takes is focused, consistent practice.
You Already Have What It Takes
The good news: Everything you need to become the player you want to be—you already have.
The not-so-good-but-totally-worth-it news: It’s going to take work.
But if you care about improving, then stop making excuses, stop hoping talent will magically kick in, and start practicing with purpose. You’ll be surprised what happens next.
