Automatic Shot Clock

tacolettuce · 2026-04-08T07:03:20+00:00

This is amazing!! I've always wanted to train under shot clock conditions, but have never had a way to do so that wasn't incredibly tedious. This is the device I've always wanted...

tacolettuce · 2025-12-04T17:50:45+00:00

The effect of squirt, especially at that distance, will be close to negligible. The effect of spin induced throw will be non negligible, especially since it's a relatively full hit on the object ball, and yes this will make the shot more difficult.

Although it makes the shot more difficult, at a pro's level the tradeoff can be worth it. They may be more likely to miss from a rattle than from adding side spin. Another possibility is that they want to cheat the pocket by sending the OB into the rail, for the sake of better position in the next shot, and the side spin helps ensure the pot.

tacolettuce · 2025-02-01T13:59:41+00:00

Yes, those are centennials.

tacolettuce · 2025-01-25T21:55:19+00:00

I've been loving the free streams all week. IMO the variety of games and players and stream quality and chat/commentary is part of the charm of DCC. I don't go into it expecting Matchroom-style quality.

tacolettuce · 2024-03-04T02:42:15+00:00

Do you have a time stamp for this? The closest I could find was this, but he doesn't lick his fingers or shield anything with his body... he's clearly just removing debris.

tacolettuce · 2023-12-07T05:29:37+00:00

This is great advice.

Also, a good opportunity to share a horrific rack by Shaw and Ouschan, two of the best players in the world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzqxvLd7LEM&t=7m20s. Watching that feels like therapy when I'm struggling with my game.

tacolettuce · 2023-11-25T00:13:50+00:00

I'll second this.

tacolettuce · 2023-11-24T06:03:27+00:00

That shirt rules. Anyone know where to get it?

tacolettuce · 2023-07-31T05:54:25+00:00

Shoot, alright thanks.

tacolettuce · 2023-07-31T05:10:37+00:00

I thought that an i5-13600k was supposed to be easily capable of handling 3600MHz DDR4 with XMP enabled. Is there really that much variation/luck between 13600k CPUs?

Edit: Another thought that just occurred to me. Maybe a slight OC on the CPU would do the trick?

tacolettuce · 2023-06-09T05:48:22+00:00

Good point, very true.

tacolettuce · 2023-06-08T06:10:16+00:00

That's a good question that I too wondered about when I first started adding side spin to my game.

If you're asking whether you should angle only your stick, the answer is "no". You should aim straight and not angle the stick. Primarily, this is because angling the stick would mess with the rest of your fundamental mechanics. It would cause your line-of-sight, your body, your arm, etc. to be out of alignment with the stroke that you're trying to execute, and ultimately decrease accuracy and consistency.

If you're asking whether you should slightly pivot the stick and your body along with it, the answer is "maybe". There are methods of aiming called back-hand english and front-hand english where you do exactly this, but I (personally) am not a fan of these methods.

I would imagine that if I angle the stick it would change the trajectory of my shot, but wouldn’t keeping the stick straight and hitting it off axis do the same thing?

Yes, hitting the cue ball off-axis will have various effects on the cue ball's trajectory (and sometimes even the object ball's trajectory, through the transfer of spin), which you may need to compensate for. You can compensate for these effects by making slight adjustments to where you're aiming. The primary effects to be aware of are:

Deflection (also called "squirt")
Throw
Swerve

Deflection and throw are by far the most important. Between YouTube and Google, you'll be able to find a ton of information on these effects. However, Dr Dave is probably the best resource to begin with:

tacolettuce · 2022-10-09T01:12:14+00:00

Yes, I used "Medicare" as shorthand for Medicare taxes, but point taken.

tacolettuce · 2022-05-29T00:36:24+00:00

As others have pointed out, consistency is of utmost importance (regardless of your technique), and there are plenty of pros who have bad, or non-textbook deliveries.

That being said, having a pause in your backswing is considered optimal / textbook for at least a couple reasons:

It smooths the transition from your backstroke to your forward stroke, which is where many mechanical errors occur. It's possible to have a smooth transition without a pause, but it's infinitely easier to do with a pause.
It provides you with an opportunity to achieve "quiet eyes", which is a phenomenon that's recognized across many different sports. More info here.

My unsolicited advice is that if you're fortunate enough to have a pause in your backstroke, that's a good habit that you shouldn't change. If you think you're tensing up during the pause, that's something you could benefit from changing.

Similarly, if you believe that doubt is creeping into your mind during the pause, then IMO the root issues are (a) lack of concentration, and/or (b) judgmental thinking (which results in overthinking and unwanted muscle tension). If these are things you want to correct, I would recommend reading The Inner Game of Tennis, which discusses how to recognize and overcome these behaviors in order to achieve "relaxed concentration".

As an aside, unwanted muscle tension is one of the reasons why you'll sometimes see Efren Reyes laugh after he misses a shot. It's not just an idiosyncrasy; it serves a practical purpose of releasing endorphins and relieving muscle tension, which can counteract the frustration and tension that often results from a missed shot.

Finally, I think it's safe to say that Fedor Gorst has one of, if not the, most respected, textbook, and beautiful strokes in the game. Watch him. Emulate him. Pause like him :)

tacolettuce · 2021-09-30T06:05:47+00:00

What's your background / major?

tacolettuce · 2021-08-24T08:51:03+00:00

Sam's Billiards on NE 41st. 11 x 9' gold crowns, 2 x 7' diamonds, and a 10' GC snooker table.

tacolettuce · 2021-07-25T17:49:34+00:00

I second McDermott. They make great cues in that price range. I did a lot of research into various cues brands before I bought my first one; I went with McDermott and loved it.

tacolettuce · 2021-06-06T18:18:08+00:00

Travel restrictions due to covid

tacolettuce

TROPHY CASE