Steve Farmer In the game of pocket billiards, player skill is commonly measured using the FargoRate system. This system assigns a number to a player’s ability, usually ranging from about 200 for beginners to over 800 for top professionals. Knowing where you fall on this scale helps you better understand your game and set realistic…
Tag: Pool
Sports, November 2025
Play Your Best Pool: Understanding Lapse of Focus
Johnny Henson, Professor Pool I feel one of the main reasons players never reach their full playing ability is lapse of focus while playing. Every time you miss a shot when you are playing, think about the reason why you missed. Why did you fail to leave your cue ball where it needed to be…
Sports, October 2025
Play Your Best Pool: Practicing and Playing Speed Pool Can Help Improve Your Game in Many Ways
Johnny Henson, Professor Pool There is a new 8–ball tournament format that is being played by both professional and amateur players. It is called the Ultimate Pool League. The match has a time limit of 30 minutes with a 30 second shot limit. At 10 minutes left in the match the shot clock goes to…
Sports, August 2025
Play Your Best Pool: Improving a Few Parts of Your Game in a Short Time
Johnny Henson, Professor Pool When most players try to improve their games they sometimes work on too many changes all at once. It makes me think of the old quote: “Jack of all trades and master of none.” With this thought in mind, I want you to focus on just the shots that you miss…
July 2025, Sports
Play Your Best Pool: Things to Consider When Buying a New Cue Stick or Shaft
Johnny Henson, Professor Pool Over the years cue sticks have evolved a lot. In 1978 I was playing with house sticks in the local pool hall in Big Spring, Texas, when the owner encouraged me to order a cue from a friend of his in Colorado Springs, Colo. His name was Bill Stroud, the owner…
May 2025, Sports
Play Your Best Pool: We All Need to Focus More on Sportsmanship While Competing
Johnny Henson, Professor Pool I am a very competitive person, and because of this I am very serious and intense when I am competing. Over the years I have been told by people that I am one of the most competitive people they have ever met. Because I am aware of this, I have always…
Sports, April 2025
Play Your Best Pool: You Can Learn a Lot by Watching Professional Matches from the Past
Johnny Henson, Professor Pool For the last few years most professional matches are played fast because of the use of the shot clock. At this increased speed it does not allow the watcher to really think out what they would do before the player shoots the next shot. Recently I have found that I learn…
Sports, March 2025
Play Your Best Pool: How Closing Your Eyes Can Really Improve Your Game
Johnny Henson, Professor Pool This article was written by my partner and fellow Professional Billiard Instruction Association (PBIA) and American Cue Sports (ACS) instructor Steve Farmer. Players are always looking for simple ways to improve their games, and we use this technique in class to help our students progress. If I told you that your…
Sports, January 2025
Play Your Best Pool: Playing with the Flow of the Game or Match
Johnny Henson, Professor Pool Most players would benefit from playing within the rhythm or flow of the game or match they are in. Millions of competitive billiard players wanting to improve their winning percentage should consider the flow of the game or match. Let us first talk about the flow of a game. When I…
November 2024, Sports
Play Your Best Pool: Practice with a Purpose
Johnny Henson, Professor Pool Are you a player struggling to improve your billiards game? If so, do you find it hard to differentiate between practicing and playing? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then you’re not alone. As a coach and mentor to many students, I feel the lack of true focus…