Practice · 3 min read
Run a Monthly Pool Fundamentals Checkup
A monthly checkup is a repeated measurement, not a warmup and not a verdict on ability. Use the same four short stations under comparable conditions, compare component scores with your own prior record and choose one practice priority. The twenty-minute tune-up prepares you to play now; this checkup measures what to train next.
Schedule a comparable monthly appointment
Use the same table size when practical, record cloth and ball conditions, and test before a long practice session. Inspect cue, tip and table, warm up with five comfortable shots, then begin. A different table is allowed, but note it rather than treating the scores as perfectly matched.
Run the checkup once per month or after a long break. More frequent testing can turn the check into practice and hide whether the underlying skill transferred.
Use the twenty-minute pre-play tune-up when a session starts immediately afterward.
Build a balanced training week after the checkup identifies a priority.
Complete four six-attempt stations
Each station has a maximum of twelve and the full checkup has forty-eight. Preserve the individual station totals. A combined score can stay flat while one component rises and another falls.
| Station | Exact task | Two points per attempt |
|---|---|---|
| Aim | Straight object ball one diamond from corner; cue ball three diamonds away | Pocket + cue ball crosses a center corridor |
| Delivery | Same marks with a two-count finish | Pocket + finish held without visible recovery step |
| Speed | Roll cue ball from head string into a one-diamond target zone | Named speed + finish inside zone |
| Decision | Six fixed three-ball layouts photographed or diagrammed | Route named before lowering + playable second shot |
Use the Check, Compare, Choose script
A low station is information, not a character judgment and not a mental-health diagnosis. If scores collapse because of pain, dizziness, visual change or unsafe fatigue, stop and seek appropriate professional guidance instead of prescribing more repetitions.
| Step | Say or write |
|---|---|
| Check | These are today's four component scores under these conditions |
| Compare | The largest meaningful change from my previous matched check is… |
| Choose | For the next month I will train one component with one registered drill |
Worked month and match scenario
A hypothetical player returns after a month with Aim 10/12, Delivery 9/12, Speed 5/12 and Decision 8/12. The prior record was 9, 9, 8 and 8. The Check statement notes the table was faster; Compare identifies speed as the only clear decline; Choose assigns two weekly six-roll speed blocks while leaving the stroke unchanged.
In the next match, the player repeatedly overruns position. Between turns the response is: ‘The monthly check already named speed. Calibrate this table on the next simple route; do not rebuild the stroke.’ The script converts the observation into one action without promising a result.
Keep a one-line monthly log
Review three or more comparable entries before claiming a trend. If two stations remain below their own usual range for two checkups, schedule a longer diagnostic session or work with a qualified instructor.
| Date and conditions | Aim | Delivery | Speed | Decision | Next priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 / table A / clean balls | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | Maintain |
| Month 2 / table B / faster cloth | 10 | 9 | 5 | 8 | Two speed blocks weekly |