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🎱 Progress Makes Perfect

🎱 Progress Makes Perfect

Stroke timing, progressive drills, and the World Pool Championships

Madison Gazda
July 17, 2025

Hey everyone! We’ve just hit the 10th edition of Stroke of Confidence! I want to say a huge thank you to all of you for reading and supporting this newsletter. I’m really excited to keep bringing you helpful tips, videos, and inspiration to take your game to the next level.

If you’ve got a sec, just hit reply and tell me what you like about the newsletter or what you want more of. I’m all ears and love hearing from our readers. Your feedback means a lot!

This week’s topics:

Stroke timing
Progressive drills
World Pool Championships

Let’s dive in:

Timing is everything

A smooth, well-timed stroke can make even tough shots feel easy. But when your tempo is off—too fast, too jabby, too hesitant—you’ll feel it in your cue ball control, accuracy, and overall consistency.

Stroke timing isn’t about being slow or fast—it’s about being even. Your warm-up strokes, pause, and final delivery should feel like they’re all part of the same rhythm. When you rush or get jumpy at the end, it breaks the flow. And when that happens, the cue ball rarely behaves the way you want.

One thing that trips up a lot of players? Decelerating at the point of contact. Your stroke should be smooth through the ball—not slowing down as you hit it. A decelerating stroke can lead to mis-hits, poor spin, and missed position. Think of it like a golf or baseball swing: the motion continues through the point of contact, not to it.

A few other things to keep in mind:

Check your elbow angle – When you get down on the shot, your back elbow should be close to a 90° angle and your tip close to the cue ball. This gives you the full range of motion for both your backswing and follow-through.
Follow through naturally – A clean follow-through is easier when your backswing and forward motion stay connected.
Match tempo to the shot – Softer shots often benefit from a slightly slower, more deliberate tempo. Power shots can have more speed—but still need control.
Avoid the jab – A jerky, punchy stroke often leads to poor cue ball control or not getting the desired spin. Smooth and steady wins.
Don’t let pressure change your tempo – Stay true to your rhythm, no matter what the score or situation.

The video below breaks down stroke tempo in detail, along with key points on elbow height, smooth follow-through, and how to avoid decelerating at impact. It’s a solid watch if you want to build a more consistent and confident stroke. Follow Draw Shot TV for more helpful videos.

Trust the progress

When practicing tough shots, it’s easy to get discouraged if you start right away with the hardest version and miss repeatedly. Instead, try breaking the shot down into smaller, more manageable steps.

For example, if you want to master a long cut, begin with shorter cuts at a comfortable angle. Once those feel solid, move a bit farther back or increase the angle slowly. This way, each success builds momentum and belief in your ability to handle the full shot.

Taking this step-by-step approach keeps your practice sessions positive and productive. It’s normal to want to jump straight to the hardest shots, especially when you feel motivated or competitive. But rushing in without building a foundation often leads to frustration, missed shots, and even burnout. By focusing on gradual progress, you make each practice feel like a win—setting you up for steady improvement over time.

Confidence on the table isn’t just about making every shot—it’s about trusting your stroke and decisions, even when the shots get tough. Progressive drills train not only your muscle memory but also your mental game, helping you develop patience, focus, and belief in your ability to handle pressure.

Another benefit is that breaking down shots helps you identify where your technique or alignment might need work. Maybe your cue ball control is solid at shorter distances, but the stroke changes subtly when you step back. Progressive practice highlights these details so you can address them early, instead of struggling blindly with a difficult shot.

So next time you’re working on a challenging shot or skill, remember: start simple, build confidence, and trust the process. Those small steps add up, and before long, what once felt impossible will become part of your regular game.

See our favorite books on mental strength for pool here.

World Pool Championships: July 21-26

The World Pool Championship is back in Jeddah this July 21–26, and it’s shaping up to be the biggest event in nine-ball history. With 128 players, including last year’s champion Fedor Gorst, former titleholders, and top-ranked pros, the lineup is as stacked as it gets.

But the headline? A record-breaking $1,000,000 prize fund, including $250,000 for the winner. That makes this the richest prize purse ever on the World Nineball Tour.

Can’t make it to Jeddah? You can still catch all the action live on WNT.TV—perfect for streaming from anywhere. Before this year’s championship begins, check out this highlight reel from the 2023 event:

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That’s it for this week’s Stroke of Confidence.

Hope something in here helps you feel a little more locked in next time you’re at the table. Keep showing up, keep working at it—and we’ll see you back here next week on Thursday.