The Difference Between Practice and Warm-up

What is the difference?

Practice is to improve, maintain or calibrate a technique. Few players improve unless they do lots of this. However, the focus of this tip is on warming up.

Warm-up is to groove your shots immediately before a match (or practice session, but that could be thought of as part of the practice session), whether it be a tournament match or a match at a club. Few players get adequate warm-up before either. How can you improve your warm-up?

Whether for a tournament or a club night, arrange in advance to warm up with someone you are used to practicing with. The partner you choose should be a relatively steady player – you can’t groove your shots against someone who hits each shot erratically. Your partner should also be reliable – it doesn’t help if he doesn’t show up, or shows up late when all the tables are taken.

You might say why bother – you’ll get warmed up as the night goes on. But do you really want to waste half the night in the often wishful hope that you’ll get your shots grooved in matches against opponents who presumably are trying not to let you get grooved?

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