Do you want to get better at pool, but don't have regular access to a table? Maybe you're traveling, the pool hall is closed, or you just can't get away from work or family. The good news is that some of the most effective practice doesn't require a table at all. This article reveals seven proven ways to improve your game when you can't get to the table. Number seven might surprise you—it has nothing to do with pool directly, but could be the difference between winning and losing when it matters most.
1. Mental Rehearsal (Visualization)
Research on elite athletes shows that mental practice activates similar neural pathways as physical practice. When you vividly imagine executing a shot, your brain is actually building the same connections it uses when you're at the table.
Here's how to do it right: Find a quiet place, close your eyes, and visualize yourself at the table in vivid detail. See the cloth, the balls, the pockets. Now imagine yourself executing a shot perfectly. Watch the cue ball's path, the spin, the speed. See it contact the object ball and watch that ball drop into the pocket. Then watch your cue ball roll to perfect position for the next shot.
The key is to visualize your entire shooting process, not just the ball going in. See yourself walking around the table, chalking up, getting down into your stance and taking your practice strokes. The more detailed and realistic, the more effective it is.
Pro tip: Don't just visualize success. When preparing for competition, visualize yourself facing difficult situations. Imagine being down in a match, feeling the pressure, then executing anyway. This builds mental toughness you can draw on when it counts.
2. Swing Practice Without a Table
You can build real muscle memory for a straight, smooth swing without balls or pockets. All you need is a flat surface at approximately table height. Tape a bright string down the center as an alignment guide. Your cue should travel directly along that line throughout your swing. An ironing board works perfectly for this.
You can also get a feel for straight alignment by standing next to a wall with your back foot, shooting arm, and bridge all resting against the wall in a line.
Focus on your fundamentals: Keep your elbow still, your grip hand relaxed, and swing like a pendulum. Go slowly and really sense what it feels like to swing straight. Try closing your eyes too.
3. Pool Apps and Simulations
Apps like Billiard Shot Studio and Virtual Pool let you practice shot selection, angles, and position play without a physical table. Let me be clear: these don't build physical muscle memory. You won't improve your fundamentals by playing a video game, but they're excellent for developing strategic thinking and visual pattern recognition.
Use these apps to work through pattern play scenarios. Given this layout, which ball do you shoot first? What's your position route to run the rack? Practice identifying the right speed and spin to get position, even if you can't physically execute it. The real value is understanding ball physics and how different aims, speed, and spins affect cue ball movement.
Pro tip: Slow down and think through each shot and plan ahead the way you would in a real game. Rushing through your planning in an app builds bad habits. Treat each situation as an opportunity to strengthen your decision-making process.
4. Study Videos and Books Actively
This one might seem obvious, but most players do it wrong. They watch videos passively, maybe while doing something else, and then wonder why nothing sticks.
The key is active learning: Take notes. Pause the video and think about what you just learned. Draw diagrams, quiz yourself, then crucially test the concepts at the table as soon as you can. Make note of specific things to try during your next practice session.
Books are especially valuable for understanding the mental side of pool: focus techniques, emotional control under pressure, decision-making frameworks. These are skills that separate good players from great players, and you can study them anywhere.
5. Watch Professional Matches (The Right Way)
Watching pros on YouTube or streaming matches is entertaining, but it's only training if you're watching the right things. Most people just watch the balls go into the pockets. That teaches you next to nothing.
Instead, focus on their entire shooting process from planning to swing:
• How do they walk around the table to evaluate angles?
• What's their bridge length on different shots?
• What's their head doing when they get down on the shot?
• Pay attention to the specific position paths they choose and why
• Notice their shot selection under pressure
• When do they choose a safety over going offense?
If you're watching a match with commentary, listen closely. Good commentators explain the reasoning behind strategic decisions and point out the challenges each shot presents.
Pro tip: Pick one professional whose game you admire and study them in depth. Watch multiple matches. You'll start to recognize their patterns, their tendencies, their decision-making process. Then you can consciously adopt those elements into your own game.
6. Engage in Online Pool Communities
Online forums like AZ Billiards and various pool groups on Facebook and Reddit let you engage with players at all skill levels. You can post videos of your mechanics for feedback, ask questions about specific situations, and learn perspectives you might never encounter at your local pool hall.
Teaching concepts to others in these discussions actually solidifies your own understanding. When you explain why you'd play a certain safety or how you'd approach a position problem, you're forced to think more deeply about the principles.
These communities also keep you connected to the game when you can't physically practice. Reading about other players' progress, celebrating their wins, discussing strategy—it keeps pool in your mind even when you're away from the table.
Pro tip: Don't just lurk. Engage actively. Ask questions. Answer questions. Share your experiences. The more you participate, the more you learn.
7. Take Care of Your Body and Mind
This last one might not seem like practice, but pool is a precision sport that demands sharp focus, steady hands, and mental clarity. All of those suffer when you're sleep deprived, poorly nourished, or out of shape.
Regular exercise improves your stamina for long sessions and tournaments. If you've ever felt your focus fade in the second half of a long match, you know what I'm talking about. Cardiovascular fitness and core strength both translate to better performance at the table.
What you eat matters too. Heavy meals make you sluggish. Too much caffeine gives you shaky hands. During tournaments, stick to lighter foods that give you steady energy without the crash. Save the celebratory burger and beer for after you've won.
Mindfulness meditation helps too. Even five minutes a day can improve your ability to stay present and control your emotions under pressure. Choking is largely a mental phenomenon. The stronger your mental foundation, the less likely you'll fall apart when it counts.
Pro tip: The night before a big match, prioritize sleep over extra practice. A well-rested mind makes better decisions and executes more consistently than an exhausted one that squeezed in an extra hour at the table.
The Real Payoff
There are many ways to get better at pool away from the table:
• Mental rehearsal builds neural pathways
• Swing practice builds muscle memory
• Apps and simulations build strategic thinking
• Active study builds knowledge and understanding
• Watching professionals reveals high-level decision-making
• Online communities provide feedback and keep you connected
• Taking care of yourself builds the foundation that makes everything else possible
The beauty of these methods is that they complement your table time rather than replace it. When you do get back to the table, you'll find that the mental work, strategic thinking, and physical conditioning you've developed away from the table translates into better performance.
Dr. Dave also has a great resource for ways to practice without a table