7 Pool Practice Drills That Actually Make You Better (With Diagrams)
Hitting balls around without a plan feels like practice, but it rarely makes you better. These seven drills each train one skill, take 10 to 20 minutes, and give you a score you can try to beat next time. Do two or three in a session and keep a note of your scores.
Tip: Practice on the same size table you play tournaments on. If your weekly event is on a bar box, practice on a bar box.
1. The stop-shot ladder
Put an object ball one diamond from a corner pocket and the cue ball straight behind it, one diamond back. Shoot a stop shot: the cue ball should stop dead where it hit the object ball. Each time you make it with a clean stop, move the cue ball back half a diamond. Miss or let the cue ball roll, and you start again.
Score: how far back you get. Good players can stop the ball from three diamonds or more.
Then do the same thing with draw (bring the cue ball back a diamond) and follow (follow the object ball half a diamond). Clean, straight shots build the stroke everything else depends on.
2. The line-up drill
Place 15 balls in a straight line down the long string of the table (the middle of the table, from the head spot to the foot spot). Take ball in hand and run them in any order. You may not touch another ball with the cue ball. If you miss or bump a ball, count how many you made and start over.
Score: balls in a row. This is a classic drill because it makes you think two or three balls ahead and play gentle position. Beginners can start with 7 balls.
3. The circle drill
Set 8 to 10 balls in a circle about one diamond across around the center spot of the table, with the cue ball in the middle. Pocket every ball without the cue ball touching any other ball and without it leaving the circle area more than you need.
This drill teaches soft speed and short-range position, which is exactly what you need in crowded 8-Ball racks.
4. Position ladder: three balls
Throw three balls on the table at random and take ball in hand. Run the three in order (lowest number first). If you do it, add a fourth ball next time. If you miss, go back to three.
Score: the most balls you run in order. This is a mini 9-Ball rack and teaches you to plan the route, not just the next shot.
5. The kick drill
Place an object ball near a corner pocket, frozen on the rail. Put the cue ball where you cannot hit the ball directly (behind another ball or across the table). Kick at it off one rail. Count how many out of ten you hit, and how many you make.
Kicks decide a lot of tournament matches, and most players never practice them. Use the diamonds: shooting from a diamond to a diamond on the opposite rail gives you a starting point you can adjust. Warm up your eye first with the free kick shot trainer.
6. Long straight-in shots
Put an object ball one diamond off the foot rail in line with a corner pocket, and the cue ball on the opposite end, so the shot is the full length of the table. Shoot ten. Then try it with a stop and with draw.
Score: out of ten. If you make fewer than six, your stroke is going off line. Slow down, keep your head still, and finish the stroke.
7. Play the ghost
Rack 9 balls, break, take ball in hand, and try to run the rack. If you miss anywhere, the "ghost" wins that rack. Play a race to 5 against the ghost. When you can beat the ghost often, play it in 8-Ball or with no ball in hand after the break.
Playing the ghost is honest: it shows exactly how often you can run out. Keep your score from week to week.
A simple practice plan
- 10 minutes: stop-shot ladder (warm-up and stroke).
- 15 minutes: line-up or circle drill (position).
- 10 minutes: kick drill.
- 15 minutes: play the ghost.
Track your progress: log your scores after every session in the free practice log and watch your personal bests climb.
Then test it where it counts: find a tournament this weekend, or use the Fargo race calculator to set a fair race with a practice partner.