Last weekend, I had the honor and pleasure of competing in a small pro-am tournament with five WPBA stars and only three invited amateurs. My early exit from the tournament was disappointing but watching the rest of the tournament gave me great inspiration. As I studied the final matches, it brought to mind a list of ten things that separate the professionals from the amateurs. Here are my observations:
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Holding the cue ball for shape. A pro will not miss a shot when they need to hold the cue ball for position. Many times, amateurs will shoot a shot tentatively when they’re thinking about where the cue ball needs to be, particularly on shots where you need to hold the cue ball for shape. Often times, an amateur player will just barely under cut a ball and end up with “perfect” position.
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Tougher opening shots. Pros are not afraid to take the tougher opening shot to get the better run out. In this case, the easier opening shot may be a solid, but stripes may have the ideal layout. They will choose the “correct” opening shot regardless of the difficulty.
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Overcoming a miss or loss. Pros can break and run the first two games of a match after missing an easy shot to lose the previous match. I watched Laura Smith miss the second-to-last ball to lose the match just before mine, only to break and run the first two games of our match. She wasn’t beating herself up over the miss. If she was, it didn’t show at all. She played flawlessly.
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Getting back in line. When they get out of line, pros will make the tough shot in front of them and get back in line. Often times, instead of focusing on how to get out of a jam, amateurs are still dwelling on how they got themselves into it. Therefore, their energy is not on making the shot and getting back in line. It’s wasted on the previous bad shot. Perfect example, pointing to the table at where you intended to leave the cue ball.
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Strength to run a rack after being down. After being down 3-0 against her own friend, Monica Webb flew out of her seat after a dry break by Helena Thornfeldt. She would run that rack and the following one. A professional does not let the score distract or defeat them.
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Takes the break on a miscue. I watched Helena take the break from Monica, her own friend and traveling partner, after she miscued on her attempt. The term “professional” does not only refer to their occupation in this case. They’re all business.
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Table run after a miscue. On the flip side, in the same rack, after miscuing and losing the break, Helena broke dry and Monica maintained her composure and ran that rack out. A professional is simply that. They have a job to get done and it doesn’t matter if they are playing their friend of their enemy. It will not stop them from doing their job.
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A pro gets closer. Generally speaking, professionals get closer to their next object ball. Instead of just deciding what general area or what line the cue ball needs to be in, a professional will pinpoint a spot on the table and it is usually within a couple diamonds of their next shot. Amateurs may be left with a long, tester because they were more concerned with making the last ball. That’s how pros make it look so easy; they just don’t leave themselves tough shots.
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Consistent pre-shot routine and ball address. Most professionals are very religious about their pre-shot routine, sometimes down to the number of warm-up strokes before firing in the ball. If you pay close attention, professionals address the ball in the same manner and go through the same series of motions prior to each shot, regardless of difficulty.
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Fire in the last ball. If you watch enough ESPN, you’ll notice that most of the time, the last ball on the table is fired in. Unless it’s necessary, rarely is it babied or rolled into the pocket. A professional player is not tentative about shooting the last ball on the table. They stroke it in with confidence. They don’t take any chances with the ball rolling off or skidding on them. Fire in the hole!
I know there are many more things that separate a professional from an amateur than this, but these are some points I noticed last weekend. If you already find yourself doing many of these things then you’re just one step closer to playing like a pro.
