This is part two of Darren Appleton’s article on practice and tournament preparation. Part one covers practice in general, and part two...

I am one who believes that the harder the practice routine is during practice time, the more likely one is to show extreme results and...

One of the things I’m most known for in teaching pool is fundamentals. I’ve been blessed to receive many compliments from many top...

A bad angle is any shot that is not within the shooter’s skills to pocket. It does not have to be impossible, but must be a low...

One of the most common questions I receive is, “What is the best low deflection, high performance shaft?” In the years I have worked at...

The art of decorating leather has probably been around as long as man has been making and using leather. Leather is simply the skin of an...

I was fortunate enough to attend the Derby City Classic 2015 for a day. Going on a five hour drive just to see some of the greatest...

The vast majority of pool players—both casual and regular—have one or more of their fundamentals out of whack to some degree. The problem...

When competing in a pool or billiards match, a “funk” or “coma” is when you just can’t seem to do anything right. Maybe you run several...

I don’t know many players who are happy with their game. We’re inconsistent, we make stupid mistakes, we lose focus, we take low...

While playing in the first Gotham City Classic 9 Ball tournament, I’ve noticed intense emotions running at high altitudes. Players...

Closed bridge After learning how to make an open bridge, it is easy to change and form a closed bridge using the idea that a closed...

One of the biggest problems new students of the game have in being able to draw the cue ball is that they are simply not hitting the cue...

If you are getting inconsistent results in your break, you have an inconsistent stroke. The key to developing a good break shot is to...

The three practice techniques I’m going to describe have helped everyone that has tried them. The first is a way to practice your setup,...

The arm with which we hold the upper part of the cue (shaft), is the arm which controls the spot where cue hits the ball. We call it the...

Many times if you missed the end of a pool match but saw the players walking away, you can tell who won or lost from their body language...

The arm with which we hold the back part of the cue is the arm that forms the catch or the grip of the cue. We should answer some...

How many times has this happened to you? You come to the table with a difficult shot. You are two balls away from winning—if you can make...

If you have followed my Cue Ball Control articles 1 and 2 you should have practiced playing position with stop shots, draw and follow....