APA Skill Level 3 Lesson: Take the time to get the line
Dale White is on a journey up the APA handicap ladder from his current position as a skill level 3 in the Equalizer handicap system. How do you get advance from a 3? It takes a lot of work and a stepwise approach because each rank in this pool handicap system has certain barriers that need to be crossed. At this stage, we are concentrating on just a few things. First and foremost is pre-shot routine and the steps needed to perform a good pool stroke. We have been working on foot placement, grip, alignment, bridge, rhythm, aim, set pause and finish. However, Dale operates differently when he is practicing than when he is playing a game for league or with friends. In the former case, he goes through his entire preshot routine every time. But when playing a game, he tends to skip or shorten the most important part of the pre-shot routine, which is to stand back and visualize the line the cue ball needs to take to contact the object ball. In this video, Jim Brauker, PBIA/ACS certified pool instructor, confronts Dale on this problem, and emphasizes the importance of doing the entire reshot routine every single time he shoots, and not just in practice, but when playing the game.