5 reasons why you should shoot softer when playing pool

The bar billiard player is used to shooting hard. Very strong. Maybe because he still thinks this is a game of luck and that, the bigger the shot, the more chances that things happen. But the truth is that the pros and general (good) players competing in tournaments, play soft. The other day I had a discussion with a billiard player about this subject. I tried to convince him of the importance of playing loose, he thought it was better to play strong. I was not convinced. Today I will try to convince you. There are 5 reasons why I am very fan of playing soft billiards:

1- Everything becomes easier

Is it true that a short pass (which requires much less power and precision) is easier to execute than a long pass (which requires a good dose of power and precision)? Well, with billiards, more of the same. When you get used to playing soft you get used to playing easy. Before each shot, my subconscious thinks of the Minimum Necessary Force (MNF) to enter the ball and put myself well for the next one. So you never waste energy and avoid many failures. Why do you think that the great midfielders have success percentages in the pass of more than 90%? Because they play easy.

2- Move the white to the minimum

We have already talked in previous occasions about the importance of moving the white the minimum. Playing soft is, in this sense, a good way to achieve it. It is easier to control the path it will take after striking with the target ball. But beware, do not confuse shooting hard with moving the white a lot. You can make a powerful shot without barely moving the white one, although it requires a lot more control.

3- Avoiding unwanted effects

Those who abuse the strong shot tend to apply unintentional effects or fail balls by having slightly moved the grip just before shooting. It is normal: faster execution can cause undesired movements in your technique. That's why I like to play softer and avoid unwanted effects.

4- Playing simpler is playing better

The billiard player I debated argued that he needed to see movement in the balls. That is very boring if the white just moves. And he is absolutely right, but only if we talk about artistic billiards. The problem is that we were playing 8 Ball. In this case, playing simpler is playing better. From time to time they tell me "your game is very bland, you should take more chances". But the truth is that making it easy, simple, is tremendously complicated.

5- Reduce the risk of failure

Play easy, move the white little, avoid unwanted effects and "play bland”. Basically, we are talking about minimizing the risk of failure. We can never completely eliminate mistakes, but playing soft will get rid of many of them.

PS: A strong shot is always necessary. It's not about always playing soft balls, but most. And when convenient, use a drier shot. For example, in the classic stun shot or a long chop or a run. Always with common sense.

Have I convinced you? Are you over playing hard or soft? Leave your opinion on the comments :)