Play any game you want, but try to play as quietly as you possibly can. Roll the balls so that they barely go in the pockets. Tap that cue ball like it’s an egg. Take off your shoes and be a ninja. Do not disturb the force.
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In accordance with the Sticks and Stones principle of keeping it simple, I want to talk about an overlooked aspect of executing a pool shot. Although it seems so basic, most players suffer negative consequences from time to time as a result of overlooking the fundamental question, “What do I want?”
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The One Stroke Drill was shown to me by a friend of mine who had uncanny sight in shotmaking — he had a very still head, focused, unblinking eyes, and was very adept at precision shots such as the extremely thin cut.

The drill can be used with any game, or as I recommend, just throw out five or ten balls and shoot any ball in any pocket. On each shot, take no practice strokes at all. Keep your stick completely still, with the tip pointed at your desired contact, until you are ready to execute the shot.
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One really fun way to practice cue ball control is by playing Scratch Pool. Scratch pool is not so much a game by itself, like Eight Ball or Nine Ball — It’s more a variation of a game that can be used in conjunction with any other game of pool.

Unlike traditional pool games, where the player strikes the cue ball and runs it into object balls to try to push them into the pocket, scratch pool requires you to hit the ball you want to pocket (say the four ball) with your cue. Read more »

A common problem you’ll hear among nine ball players is ‘dogging it’, or missing an easy shot. This drill helps build confidence in ‘finishing the game’ for rotational runout games. The example I will use is 9ball, but this works for 7-ball, 10-ball, and 15-ball as well.
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With Sticks and Stones, I take a simple approach to the game, but from time to time I’ll find an ‘out of the box’ technique that is well worth passing on. Employing the power of visualization is one of those techniques.

Here are a few examples in action:
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Strive to be a careful, focused, and quiet shooter.  Don’t bang the balls around, click them.  Learn to appreciate the soft roll of a ball into the pocket.  Use no more force than necessary to achieve your desired result, and minimize the distance your cue ball travels.
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Many times we will see inexperienced players practicing absurdly difficult trick shots that might never come up in a game. This is the opposite of what a player ought to be doing! The reason to learn a new shot is to make the game easier.
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