Samm Diep, “Cherry Bomb” House Pro at Rack ‘em Billiards and Mile Nine in Aurora,  Colorado. Author of You Might Be a D Player If… (101 Classic Moves That All Pool Players  Can Appreciate).  Visit www.sammspocket.com Fun & unique products for pool players. Also check out  pooltipjar.com Random smatterings of pool thoughts & articles.  It’s that time of the year again! As the leaves turn, the kids return to  school and the fall pool league season begins. Do you have any plans  for a better season this year? Enjoy this easy checklist and have a fun  pool season!  1. Set a Goal One great thing about league is that someone else is keeping the stats  for you. Now would be an ideal time to set some tangible, measurable  goals. Maybe you’d like to move up by one handicap. Maybe you want  a higher win percentage. Whatever your objective is, keep your eye on  the target and have a plan of attack.  Kids come home with progress reports that show their development.  These stats may indicate their areas for improvement. Granted, the  league stats won’t identify the shots you miss most often or how many  times you broke dry, but most will show ERO’s (Earned Run-Outs) and  win-loss percentages. Use these stats to track your progress throughout  the league season.  2. Keep it Simple Choose one new shot or exercise to focus on. This should be  something that allows you to target a specific weakness in your game.  Perhaps you’re struggling with safeties or you have a phobia of inside  english. If you have trouble identifying your weaknesses, ask a  teammate for help. Try to dedicate at least 10 hours to each new drill  before moving to the next one. Track your progress as you go along.   3. Continuing Education Pick up a book, watch some videos, surf the internet, or simply read  through the rest of this publication. There are so many great resources  out there to help you get started. Many of them won’t even cost you a  dime! If you need to be pointed in the right direction, let me know.  4. Review and Repeat Now remember, even though you’re using the league stats, your goals  should be performance based and not outcome based. When you do  your best and work to improve your weaknesses, the results will  follow. If all your opponents break and run out on you in league, the  outcome was negative but that was not a reflection of your  performance.  Take some time to review your stats from previous seasons and  periodically check on your standings in the current season. Have fun  with your new goals and enjoy going back to pool!  .