I'm a newbie at playing pool. What is the best advice can you give me?

Imagine a line between the spot your going to hit the cue ball and the target ball if you concentrate for a few seconds on the angle that this line will hit the object ball you can be quite precise....

Also you should use top-spin and screw-back to your advantage, by placing the ball roughly where it would be easier for the next shot..

The legendary UK Snooker champ, Steve Davis said once that he thinks about 7 shots ahead! But you dont have to go that far in pool as the table is a bit smaller, just have a plan of what will play well after what etc etc

When you're lining up for a pot, put the tip of the cue at the pocket and have the cue tilted up so that it doesn't touch any of the balls. Rotate it round the table until it's over the ball you want to pot and then bring the cue down as far as it will go without touching any balls. Look from above to make sure that the cue is over the middle of the ball and see where the middle of the cue is. That is the point that you should aim for in order to pot the ball.

I have read all of the answers and seen some great advice. So I will add just one thing. Never allow the game to consume your emotions. many a great pool players you will notice never seem to lose their cool.

Don't make the 8-ball first!!

You already have good answers , my tip is just keep practicing . That's what I did when I was a kid and if you've got the talent it will come through.

Get your opponent drunk.

If you beat someone several times and they want to place a bet... decline the invitation

Learn to stroke the stick straight forward without any wiggle.

Learn to line up directly behind the cue ball.

If you can do those two things (and that ain't easy), you will be ahead of most players. Even pros are constantly working on the basics.

http://poolbilliardsinstruction.com

get a good stick, make sure it is weighted right

Never hit hard. If you hit too hard, you'll never make the shot. Try to just tap it firmly.

Think of your shots like geometry angles. If you don't want the white ball to follow the colored ball into the pocket, hit the cue a little below center when making a shot. There are more, but I hope this helps.

there are two things u must master b4 u can move on to anything else. the first is your stance u must find a stance that is comfortable for u. it depends on ur height. bent at the knees slightly one foot in front of the other not too low not too high. the other is a good solid stroke. in your stroke your upper body should not move at all. as u pull back with ur elbow u should come forward straight concentrating on not to twist or go side to side. if u can get those two things down ur well on ur well to becoming consistent. pool is a game of skill and it takes time to get better dont get frustrated. i also recommend joining the apa pool league u will meet tons of people and learn alot on the way. www.poolplayers.com

Be sure to have lots of space around the pool table. It's absolutely awful if you don't.

Learn all there is about angles, it'll help a lot.

The best advice I can give you is to have a stable bridge. If your bridge is wobbly, your shot will be wobbly as well. Apart from that, just line up your shots. Aim for the spot you want to hit on the ball and make it a nice, easy stroke.

good luck! i suck at pool. lol.

I used to be a very average player. Recently I purchased my own pool table, and received a great instructional DVD with the table. The DVD taught me how to determine which was my dominant eye, and how to use the dominant eye to sight down the cue stick. It also included a lot of basic information about how to shoot angle shots. I'm now one of the better players in my pool league. Based on my experience I'd recommend you get a similar instructional DVD. The one I've got is called Perfect Aim (http://www.perfectaimbilliards.com).

Try your best and keep practicing. You'll improve.

Practice Practice practise!!!!

patience is big too. don't rush anything

think, think. if you're good at math esp. angles, then pool would be easy for you..enjoy

The most important lesson you will ever learn in pool is cueing straight.
Get the cue moving back and forth straight and then you can concentrate on the more advanced aspects of the game.

Get the book called 'The Science of Pool'
Don't be put off by its size or 'complexity - as you get better, it keeps pace with you.
I wen't from barely winning a few drinks at the pub on saturday night to where I was making a living in Texas at it for a year or so before the lifestyle got to me.
I forget the authors name - he was selling it out of his basement in California back in the eighties. Definitely a labour of love - it was beautifully printed and bound, He was certainly not in it for the royalties...

I like LilJimmy and JustaGirls advice, I will add one more thing:

Strike just after you exhale. We have a natural, momentary pause just after exhaling, before the next inhale. You will be more steady and will have better aim.

The same goes for throwing darts and shooting firearms.

Once you know you definitely like the game and want to continue to improve, get your own cue stick. Different cues have different properties and every cue will play differently. If you keep using different cues, you will have to adjust every time you play. Cue selection can be difficult. There is no need to spend $500 on a cue; you can get a very good one for about $150. Even on your first cue, I wouldn't spend less than about $120 though. If you really want to improve you'll need a good cue, and more importantly, a good tip on that cue. The tip is the most important part of your cue. Just remember to go with something you like the feel of, make sure it's a real maple shaft, and experiment with different weights until you find what you like. Figuring out what type of tip you like is a much harder process as it's not easy to line up cues with many different tips and test all of them. Because of this, I’d probably start out with a medium hardness. Really you'll have to do your own research on what you like and don't, but your own cue is a necessity if you want to improve your game greatly. Eventually you might want to look into a break cue (generally lighter with a harder tip) as to improve your break and not deform the tip on your cue. But unless you have the money just lying around, that can wait. Best of luck

Relax, keep the cue chalked, relax, keep your eye on your target, relax and move smoothly...

Keep your swing arm straight up and down so the tip dosen't stray from your target on the cue ball.

Practice...Practice...Practice. Don't bet on your own skill either. Watch good players. Play better players and learn by getting your ass beat.

get ureself into a rythm and dont think too much

Try to form stance that places your dominant eye over the stick, with the wrist under the elbow, and the stick directly under your wrist, so that all moving parts are on the same plane of movement. Try to use only the elbow. Using additional joints only makes it more difficult to hit the cue ball where you want to. The cue ball is inanimate. It doesn't know what your wrist and shoulder or eyes are doing. The only thing that really matters is where you hit the cue, how hard you hit it, and what direction. If you can do all three correctly while doing the tango, you'll still win. Otherwise, I'd recommend moving as little as possible. Hone your technique to be repeatable. If every joint in your arm is moving, it will be more difficult to do those three things I said earlier. As for cue choice, try to find one with a relatively stiff shaft. The reason would take more space than I have, but physics supports it. Most better players use something between 18.5oz and 19.5oz. Different sticks feel different for lots of different reasons. Different people look for different feels. Once you get into $150 and up, they're all decent utensils. The cue ball doesn't care if you have a hard or soft tip. It is feel and maintenance. Soft tips hold chalk better but mushroom easily. Hard tips don't mushroom so much, but you have to tap them more often. There is no mathematical representation for hardness of tip in the equations that calculate spin on a ball, only the eccentricity (how far off center) of the hit. Balance point is also purely personal preference. There are excellent cues made with wood to wood joints and stainless collars as well. Most pros play with whatever their sponsor gives them anyway. It is NOT the stick. It is the player. A decent cue will help if you're currently playing with a broom, but not as much as just playing often and playing thoughtfully.

Play the table not your opponent.

try to watch the good players in the bar or pool hall your playing in. then its a case of practice...practice...practice

pool is about geometry.
so
take a geometry class.

Enjoy yourself. play lots if you enjoy it. If you really want to improve, the best thing I ever did was find a good coach.

no matter what pretend you know what your doing :) allways works for me :)