Tips to Improve Your Pool Game: Stance, Aim, Cue Ball Control, and More

You don’t need a surgeon’s hands or the eyes of a hawk to become a formidable pool player. With some basic techniques and a bit of practice, anyone can sharpen their skills on the pool table. 

This guide provides simple tips on how to improve your pool game, covering everything from your stance and grip to cue ball control. Master these simple techniques and you’ll be running the table in no time. 

Tips for Stance and Grip

How you stand against the pool table is very much a matter of personal preference. As long as your stance is stable, comfortable, and provides good clearance for the stroke, you’re golden. 

Here are a few things to consider for proper body alignment:

• You shouldn’t feel any tension or discomfort in any part of your legs, especially your hamstrings. 
  
  
• Your weight should be evenly distributed between your legs. Bearing too much weight on one leg will throw off your balance. 
  
  
• Your feet should be aligned in the direction of the shot and firmly planted on the ground, similar to a boxer’s stance. 
  
  
• If you feel like bending a knee, make sure to bend the front one rather than the back one. This will give you more stability. 
  
  
• Don’t move your body while making a shot. This can compromise your accuracy.

Next, you want to pay close attention to your grip. You should avoid gripping the cue too hard, as that can cause tension in your stroke, preventing smooth, pendulum-like movement. Instead, opt for a gentle, loose grip for optimal control. 

Additionally, make sure to grip the cue from a point at which your arm is vertical from wrist to elbow when making contact with the ball. You don’t want to hold the cue too far back or forward, as that will compromise your pull-back and follow-through. 

Finally, as you make the stroke, make sure that your bridge is completely still, whether it’s a closed or open bridge. Use a bridge length that’s appropriate for your stroke and the particular shot you’re trying to make:

• Longer bridge and stroke for a power shot;
  
  
• Shorter bridge and stroke for a finesse shot.

Summary: To make an effective shot, your stance should be stable and comfortable, your grip should be loose and gentle, and your bridge should be still and of a suitable length.. 

Tips for Aim and Proper Alignment

Now that you know how you should stand and handle your pool cue, it’s time to work on your pre-shot routine. Elements of a typical pre-shot routine include planning, chalking, aiming, and aligning, to name a few. 

Pre-shot routines vary from one player to the next, which is why you need to spend some time developing a routine that works for you. 

That being said, here are some generally recommended guidelines:

1. Determine the cue ball motion and final position that you want, then think about the tip position and speed needed to accomplish that. 
   
   
2. Always chalk your cue’s tip before each shot to ensure enough friction, especially if you’re looking to impart spin. 
   
   
3. Visualize the aim for the shot, moving your head and line of vision into alignment, then freely adjust your stance to refine your position. 
   
   
4. Take a few warm-up strokes, pause for a second to re-check your tip position, and then execute the final stroke. 

When it comes to the actual act of aiming, you can use the cue to line up your shot, or you can use one of the following visualization systems:

• Ghost-ball aiming (the easiest and most common; best for beginner pool players)
  
  
• Contact point to contact point (also known as “parallel lines”)
  
  
• Double the distance (also known as “double the overlap”)
  
  
• Bisect pivot and shift (also known as “midpoint parallel shift”)

Summary: All good pool players have a pre-shot routine, so make sure to develop one that works for you. You should also understand how different aiming systems work to maximize your accuracy. 

Tips for Cue Ball and Position Control

For straight shots where the pocket is directly in front of the cue ball and the object/target ball, you can control the cue ball in the following ways:

• Stop the cue ball completely with stun (no spin)
  
  
• Make the cue ball draw back with backspin
  
  
• Make the cue ball follow forward with topspin

For angled shots, there are a couple of rules that you need to understand and practice if you wish to master to control the cue ball, namely the 90-degree and 30-degree rules. 

The 90-degree rule is particularly important when performing stun shots. It states that if the cue ball has no top or bottom spin at impact with the object ball, the two balls will separate at 90 degrees regardless of the cut angle. 

The 30-degree rule, on the other hand, is important for rolling shots. It states that when the cue ball hits the object ball with a normal roll close to a half-ball hit, the cue ball will deflect away from its initial aiming line at around 30 degrees. 

Summary: Understanding how the cue ball reacts when you hit it at different spots and angles, and putting the 90-degree and 30-degree rules in action, is key to proper cue ball and position control. 

Tips for Speed Control

Simply put, if your speed control is out of whack, your chances of winning a pool game are very slim. So, here are a few simple tips to help you master speed control:

Avoid jabbing the cue ball. A smooth, fluid stroke will allow you to better control cue speed and power. 

Letting the cue follow through naturally is important, as it ensures that you cleanly hit the cue ball. So, avoid abruptly stopping your cue after contact.

Pay close attention to your stroke length—the further back you draw the cue, the more power and speed you generate. 

Generally, a heavier cue stick generates more cue ball speed for a given stroke effort. Experiment with different weight cues to see their effects.

Draw, follow, or accurate English shots help you control speed by imparting spin or reducing sliding action.

Check out this video tutorial by Dr. Dave Alciatore, PBIA master instructor and instructional author, for effective speed control drills. 

 

Summary: Practice is everything! Speed control takes feel and experience, so make sure you practice different strokes and speeds on the regular to hone your sense of speed control. 

General Tips to Improve Your Game

Here are a few more tips that all pool players, beginners and sharks alike, can benefit from:

Vary Your Bridges: Not only will this allow for more shot versatility and give you more control over tricky shots, but it will also make your shots less predictable for your opponent. 

Use the Right Cue: Are you using a pool cue that matches your playing style and personal preferences? If not, it might be time to invest in a new cue. 

Play With Better Competitors: Unless you’re doing it recreationally, limit playing pool with players who are less experienced than you. Playing with experienced players will teach you more. 

Don’t Overhit the Ball: Doing so will compromise your control and accuracy, increasing your chances of a missed shot. Besides, it can fatigue your stroke. 

Enjoy the Game: Don’t be afraid to miss a shot or lose a game. The more you’re enjoying yourself, the less stressed and tense you are, and your chances of winning will be higher. 

Watch the Pros: Spend some time studying professional matches online or on TV to observe next-level techniques and thinking patterns. Instructional DVDs are also a great help. 

Summary: Using the right equipment and techniques, playing competitively, analyzing the pros, and maintaining a positive attitude can take your pool game to the next level in no time. 

Eight Ball, Corner Pocket

While pool mastery takes time, the fundamental tips shared in this post will surely put you on the path to becoming a strong pool competitor. You just need to put in enough effort and practice. 

Adopting proper stance, alignment, aim, and cue ball control techniques will significantly improve your accuracy and strategy. Most important, however, is to enjoy the game and the journey of taking your pool skills to the next level.