What helps to improve tactics MOST (excluding the tactics trainer)

Is it the chess mentor? Or simply playing more live and correspondence games? I already know your going to say "BOTH" lol But seriously, if you wanted to choose what to focus on more due to let's say time in my case........It'd be nice hear some opinions. Thanks :)

And if your answer is tactics trainer, that's alright too. Perhaps I'm just not that bright? LOL Thanks :)

going over your own games and searching for them.

With tactics you have to know what you're looking for. Especially seeing patterns. It's something I've  been studying for a few years and it has helped my game tremendously. A two volume book set I have did the trick. It has simple explanations and practice diagrams and best of all is totally free online. In basic language, with tons of examples, you will improve your tactics. I did and before I was frustrated with chess. I was always wondering how other people managed to get up material on me. Anyway, here's the site: http://www.chesstactics.org/

Don't know who Ward Farnsworth is but he certainly helped me.

Back to my troll cave in off topics.

You learn to see "the patterns" Yeah that makes great sense Estragon. Thanks!

Just so everyone knows I posted my last comment after I read Estragon's note (other comments, including maybe even some comments I may see after I'm finished this comment, I'd just like to say thank you as well)

By patterns I mean. If your knight is on the same color square as your opponents peices, especially major peices, look for a fork because your knight can possibly move to a square attacking both. For bishops, you look for peices on the same color diagonal and look for double attacks. It's a triangle pattern. etc. I'm not gonna go through them all. But believe me, there are patterns and repetitions of moves within the realm of tactics.