APA skill level 3: Identifying problems that prevent improvement. Part 2: Diagnosing Dale's game

American Poolplayer Association (APA) members often get stuck at different skill levels based in their amateur league and pool tournaments using the Equalizer handicap system or when looking at Fargorate. Players at a skill level of 3 in apa or a skill level of 250-350 in the FargoRate handicap system often have fundamental stroke flaws and make very common tactical errors. This video documents the play of two skill level 3 players in a 2-2 race at Jim's Place Billiards and Bar in Coldwater Michigan. PBIA Certified Instructor Jim Brauker follows the action to point out areas where the players need improvement. Pool players at various levels of skill in APA tend to have similar issues that they need to correct in order to improve their game. In this case, we are mainly looking at Stephanie Myers because she will be the subject of future instructional videos as we try to graduate her to a skill level 4 and higher. In this video, we observe both form issues and decision-making issues that are typical of skill-level 3 players attempting to make pool shots or win games. For example, Stephanie is not as careful as she should be at determining the path the cue ball needs to take to contact the object ball correctly. And she makes shot decisions that decrease her chances of winning the game. Please like, share and subscribe to this channel if you are interested in seeing what needs to be done to increase skill level in APA 8-ball. We will have teaching videos that go through stroke fundamentals, mistakes pool players make at various handicap levels, how to improve your game, and how to improve strategy, tactics, and your pool stroke. These suggestions often apply to 9-ball as well, especially regarding fundamental stroke dynamics or what we call an orthodox pool stroke.

[@JustJrTv]

The first Major step is for her to wanting to learn dont see that very often

[@jimsplacebilliards-5499]

I agree that wanting to do better is the first major step, but disagree with the idea it is rare for people to want to get better. There are many captains who encourage development and are pleased to see their players improve, which makes room for them to help develop new beginning players. Moreover, I would say MOST players would like to get better but do not know how. I have seen many, many APA players move up through the ranks and become skilled amateurs. While there are some who do not want to improve, or who want to cheat and take advantage of other teams by sandbagging, most people would like to improve and simply lack the resources to do so. Moreover, sandbagging is almost always disadvantageous to the player and team. While it sometimes works to get one moment of glory (while stealing it from others with subterfuge), it is a poor strategy to improve at such a difficult game because you are achieving dopamine rewards for missing shots or extending innings and then you expect your primitive brain, which is responsible for implementing the shot, all of a sudden to switch to being rewarded for achieving shots, when it has been practicing missing shots. It is a bad strategy. The human brain simply does not work like that.

[@wayneburba9457]

8 ball she aimed center, dropped to draw.