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BD House Pro
Tony Robles
A longtime teaching pro at Amsterdam Billiard Club in New York City, Tony has dozens of regional and national titles to his name, including the 2004 BCA Open Championships.


Instruction Articles:
• March 2024
Rail Birds


• February 2024
Fear Factor


• January 2024
Taking It on the Chin


• December 2023
A Matter of Degrees


• November 2023
Coming Back From Injury


• October 2023
Routine Shots


• September 2023
Take Out the Guesswork


• August 2023
Stay Present


• July 2023
English Class


• June 2023
Deflecting Blame


• May 2023
Safety First?


• April 2023
Basic Training


• February 2023
Incremental Growth


• January 2023
Getting Pushy


• December 2022
Follow Me Home


• November 2022
Playing Off the Rail


• October 2022
Hanging by a Thread


• September 2022
Off On A Tangent


• August 2022
Going Straight


• July 2022
Take A Break


• June 2022
A Cut Above


• May 2022
Keep Your Chin Up


• April 2022
Where’s the Fire?


• March 2022
Be A Soft Touch


• February 2022
Focus on Task


• January 2022
A Cut Above


• December 2021
Sit and Win


• November 2021
Ready or Not


• October 2021
A Most Important Time


• September 2021
Never Stop Learning


• July 2021
Stay the Course


• June 2021
Not As Easy As It Looks


• May 2021
Watch Your Speed


• April 2021
Speed Kills


• March 2021
Uncomfortable? Good


• February 2021
Watch and Learn


• January 2021
Angles Off The Rail


• December 2020
When You Slip


• November 2020
The Inside Track


• October 2020
The Inside Dope


• September 2020
Experimentation


• August 2020
Challenge Yourself


• July 2020
Drill Sergeants


• June 2020
No Table Required


• May 2020
Opening Eyes


• April 2020
Three birds, one stone


• March 2020
Red Alert


• February 2020
Endless Possibilities


• January 2020
Starting position


• December 2019
Advanced Safeties


• November 2019
Frozen Solid


• October 2019
It’s A Thin Line


• September 2019
Joy in Repetition


• August 2019
Soft Touch


• June 2019
Thin To Win


• May 2019
Perfection Not Required


• April 2019
Shake ’n’ Break


• March 2019
Hangers


• February 2019
Correct Easy Errors


• January 2019
Weight Problems


• December 2018
Position, Everyone!


• November 2018
Be a Chairman


• October 2018
Never Stop Learning


• September 2018
Carom Corner II


• August 2018
Carom Corner


• July 2018
Slump Dog


• June 2018
Stopping Is Power


• May 2018
Professional Help


• April 2018
Break Dance


• March 2018
A Safe Path


• February 2018
Stunning Results


• January 2018
Know Your Rails


• November 2017
The Straight Dope


• October 2017
Confidence Boosters


• September 2017
The One-Armed Man


• August 2017
Making a Check List


• July 2017
Trust Issues


• June 2017
Rails Away!


• May 2017
Weight Watchers


• April 2017
Opposites Attract


• March 2017
Reach For It!


• February 2017
Adapting to New Rules


• January 2017
Systems vs Feel


• December 2016
It Happens to the Best


• November 2016
Maintaining Focus


• October 2016
Riding the ‘L’


• September 2016
Tips on Tips


• August 2016
The Art of Deflection


• July 2016
Note To Self


• June 2016
Object of Safety Play


• May 2016
Speed Zone


• April 2016
Frozen Ball Shots


• March 2016
Hide and Go Seek


• February 2016
Two-Rail Kicks


• January 2016
Staying Down


• December 2015
One-Rail Kicks


• November 2015
Breaking Bad


• October 2015
Call Shot, Call Safety


• September 2015
Own the Shot


• August 2015
Patterns - Part II


• July 2015
I Notice A Pattern


• June 2015
Two-Way Prt. 2


• May 2015
Two-Way Shots


• April 2015
The Fine Line


• March 2015
Straight Break


• February 2015
The 'Walkaway'


• January 2015
Pushing Your Luck


• October 2014
Walk This Way


• August 2014
Attitude Adjustments


• May 2014
Adapt to the Equipment


• Mar 2014
Turn The Beat Around


• Feb 2014
Straight Is Great


• Sept 2013
Cover the Basics


• June 2013
Getting It Right


• April 2013
Rust Proof?


• March 2013
Not So Fast


• February 2013
Two-Step Jump


• January 2013
Open Your Eyes


• December 2012
Feeling Good?


• November 2012
Hang In There


• October 2012
Back on Track


• September 2012
Straighten Up


• August 2012
On the Rail


• July 2012
Mental Checklists


• June 2012
Respect & Fear


• May 2012
Chin Music


• April 2012
On the Line


• March 2012
Balancing Act


• February 2012
Creative Drilling


• January 2012
Power Outage


• December 2011
Jumping In Line


• November 2011
Soft on Soft Breaking


• October 2011
Find Your Stroke


• September 2011
The Path Off the Rail


• August 2011
Short Position


• July 2011
Inch Along


• June 2011
Into the Unknown


• May 2011
Sharpened Focus


• April 2011
Never Flatline


• March 2011
Stop For A Review


• February 2011
One To Watch


• January 2011
The Straight Answer


• December 2010
Shoot The Lights Out


• November 2010
Never Overmatched


• October 2010
Drawing Conclusions


• September 2010
Through & Through


• August 2010
Along the Rail


• July 2010
The Small Stuff


• June 2010
Three in One


• May 2010
One Ball At a Time


• April 2010
Going Thin to Win


• March 2010
Know Your Game


• February 2010
14.1 For 8-Ballers


• January 2010
Setting It Straight


• December 2009
Hanging Out, Part II


• November 2009
Hanging Out


• October 2009
Control Your Speed


• September 2009
Busting Out of a Slump


• August 2009
Easy Errors, Part III


• July 2009
Easy Errors, Part II


• June 2009
Easy Errors, Part I


• May 2009
Body Language & Breaking


• April 2009
The Break: Body Language


• March 2009
Must-Reads from Robles


• February 2009
Position: Four Square


• January 2009
Romancing the Stance


• October 2008
Look Out for Boingy Rails


• September 2008
Build a Better Break


• August 2008
Q&A: Ask the Pro


• July 2008
'Buzz' Kill: Stay Down


• June 2008
Stop Shots Safeties III


• May 2008
Stop Shots Part II


• April 2008
STOP-SHOT Safeties


• March 2008
How to Keep Winning


• February 2008
The Dreaded Straight-In Shot


• January 2008
Trying the Soft Break


• December 2007
The Hard Way Makes It Easier


• November 2007
How to Sight the Cue


• October 2007
Win from Your Chair


 
Strength Training
May 2013

IT’S ALWAYS easy to practice certain shots or skills that you’ve mastered. If you’re particularly strong playing position with a ball on the rail, for example, it’s not much of a challenge to stay sharp in this area.

But one of the most important aspects to becoming a complete pool player is self-assessment. You have to be honest with yourself — and honestly approach your strengths and weaknesses. While it’s great to maintain the well-developed aspects of your game, it’s perhaps more important to improve on your weaknesses.

If you know there’s a certain skill — long, straight-in shots or drawing the cue ball, for example — that is especially challenging for you, work on it. Customize your practice schedule and drills to focus on problem areas.

A common problem I see in many players is when someone lets a particular shot screw up her stroke. Constantly struggling with something can start to erode your confidence — and at that point, the problem is bigger than it needs to be.

Luckily, there’s a simple way to take a great diagnostic check on your game. Shoot 10 racks of balls. In doing so, make note of specific shots that cause trouble. When you see certain things bothering you on a regular basis, you know it’s something that needs work.


For example, what if you notice problems when you have to send the cue ball across the table? Take a look at Diagram 1. Here, you have a long position play from the 8 ball to the 9. Set this shot up as shown, where you’re going off the bottom rail and into position for the 9 ball in the bottom right. Once you get a hang of this, experiment with other paths to position. Can you draw the cue ball back off the top rail for a makeable shot on the 9? With ball in hand, can you find a way to pocket the 8 ball in the bottom left and the 9 ball in the top right without hitting a rail?

Be creative when addressing your weaknesses. Sooner than later, you’ll see that those tricky shots aren’t bothering you all that much.

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