The Key to a good practice is practice often.
Back to the basics. Sometimes we tend to forget what is important when practicing. We tend to concentrate on the toss and forget about setting the dice. The more we set the dice, the more we get use to where the numbers are on the dice. The more we set the dice in our practice sessions the more familiar we become with the dice. Never leave home without them.
It's when I try a new set or permutation that I slow down on setting. Once I get 72 to 108 tosses in, my memory banks start to function and the new set becomes second nature.
How long should we practice and what should we be practicing on? Good question and one with several answers. You will need something to throw the dice onto, such as a homemade practice rig or box, pool table or a real casino table. Space and ingenuity will determine your options.
Once you have a practice option in place, you should start your early practice sessions with the grip and toss. Two to three hours a day for two to three weeks would be an excellent beginning. Then move into setting the dice by picking out a set from the recommended list of basic sets.
When I started out, I used the hard-way set to help determined how well I was doing. Which means you should start recording every toss from now on. If you change sets, start your recordings over. When I started, we didn’t have “Bone Tracker.” I recorded everything by hand (45,000+) throws. Bone Tracker has made things easier now.
Tossing, setting and recording went on for four or five months. I fell into a routine of practicing at least one hour a day after the first year. The second year I went down to a half hour a day. Now I try to get twenty minutes in when I can. I practice with variety of sets that I feel I will use at the Boat. I throw fifteen to twenty tosses just before leaving for the Boat.
A good way to practice is incorporate betting in with your grip, set and toss practice. Practice your betting strategies along with your tosses. If you practice on a felt layout, place a chip on each number you throw, including the sevens. This will give you an idea of what each set is doing for you.
The key to practice is to practice. How much you practice will be determined by how good you want to be. Make practicing fun. Invite a friend over to practice with you. Have contests to see who can throw the least amount of sevens etc.
Happy practicing and good luck shooting.
Charlie009
Copyright 2008
