You can't help most people get better at pool.

CCCue · Nov 22, 2017

What I see is people who don’t practice. They think playing a few games before league is practice.

I realized that as was mentioned earlier that the mental game is important in improving. For me that requires two things. 1 practicing fundamentals and shots as perfectly as I can so I can go on auto pilot when playing and 2 playing against good players in tournaments/league to learn to manage the stress/nerves.

I see APA SL 6 players who hve plateaued and make no attempt to improve and it boggles my mind.

simco · Nov 22, 2017

I think some people are limited in pool and other things by a lack of spatial-temporal reasoning skills.I've known people like this.I was surprised the guy could operate a fork.
Intelligent guy just did not have that type of skill set.

Cameron Smith · Nov 22, 2017

Straightpool_99 said:
Yes, some truely have "it" and pool comes easy to them. These people have the potential to become pro players with hard work. But I'm not really talking about them...I'm talking about normal people, with average talent. Such a person can become really quite good at pool, with some work and perseverence. You don't have to settle for being a C player, when you can be a B player, maybe even an A player. Maybe you can learn to run out a couple of times a day, instead of once a month, just to name a simple goal. That's not impossible or out of reach for most people, but even such a modest ambition could could greatly increase a persons enjoyment of the game. You don't have to be a pro for improvement to be worthwhile or to feel an increased mastery of the game.

Some people are awful clutzes that shouldn't do anything with their hands without supervision. For those people it may be impossible to improve beyond a very low point. But for the large majority, saying that they are "not talented enough" is just a cop out, and an excuse not to work on their game.

One thing worth considering is that most people have never been truly good at anything. I mean, most people have something they do better than others, but when we are talking about being actually 'good' at something where you are as good or better than most other serious participants, they haven't been there so they don't know what they need to do get there. I don't mean this to be negative or put some people down, it's just a lot of people have never found something that they are truly passionate about along with the right mentor to help them develop. Without both of those things, it's challenging to become good at anything.

You can tell them what to do, but as many of us know there comes a point in your development where improvement is a very slow process. You have to go 1 step back and two steps forward or sometimes just 1.5 steps forward. That one step back is foreign to a lot of people because all they know is that they used to be able to make certain shots but this supposed fix in their stance makes them miss more than they used to. It takes trust, experience and perseverance to play through the process and belief that at the end, there will be an overall improvement. And if you've never experienced that, it's really hard to trust that the change will take hold and yield results.

But that plateau after you get through the initial quick improvement is really challenging to get past. Once new guitar players finally learn to transition between chords, many will just practice by learning more four chord rock songs, stagnating for eternity. That's what new pool players will do. Once they've learned the basics and can pot most balls, they just continue to do what they've had the most success with. I'm sure you've heard low level players say "it works for me". But that's a very relative statement.

I agree that the no talent thing is a bit of a myth. I think the most crucial elements to developing in anything is grit and opportunity. It's being able to work hard and push your limits every week for years, having the time and opportunity to pursue the activity and having access to mentors and competition to help you develop. Internet info is great, but not many great players (if any) learned completely on their own.

As a final note, there is a big difference between people who love the game and those who love the game. Both enjoy playing and playing a lot, but only one thinks about it all the time and physically can't wait to get back to the table and maintains that passion over many years. Both can become very good, but it's easier to convince the second player to practice hard.

lfigueroa · Nov 22, 2017

pab said:
Mr. Figueroa - i have a question for you regarding your post. I'm not a troll and don't want to get off topic or cause anyone heartburn, but I genuinely do not have the experience in the game to know the answer to this. Plus, I have seen several of your posts and you seem to know what you're talking about.

I have the time to devote to practice and am more than willing to expend the effort required to hone my fundamentals and do what is necessary to improve. I enjoy doing drills and just practicing alone. I don't have the urge to compete and have never really enjoyed it when I do. I don't have anything against anyone who likes to compete, I just feel that for me, I don't have to defeat someone else to give me confidence in my abilities. I can get that through my success rate at various drills.

I realize that doesn't necessarily introduce the pressure concept that come from competition or gambling, but is that really necessary to improve one's game?

Thank you.

Well, first off, thank you for your very cordial post.

As to the issue of competition -- that is, IMO, at the root of the game. Over its history, there have been countless players who, left to their own devices, were absolutely insane players. Incredible players who could run balls like water. Yet, in a tournament or gambling situation, couldn't hit the end rail.

So, if playing alone satisfies you, so be it -- but I don't think that at any time pool was designed to be solitaire. It's always been about bellying up to the table and seeing what you can do against other players. Setting aside the issue of competition, I will also tell you this: what you can do alone -- by yourself -- means nothing. Nothing. Because when you step up against an opponent, things change.

This is from personal experience.

In the ring, the whole pace, rhythm, and your approach to the table in a competitive situation changes the way you will play. Call it pressure or what you will but it is not the same. And how you perform in a competitive situation is the true measure of your game. It's not what you can do alone, it's what you can do against an opponent. The rest is meaningless.

Lou Figueroa

pmata814 · Nov 22, 2017

Well 5 pages in and im still waiting for some guidance. So far i've just gotten that i need to go and compete.

If i have 60 minutes a day to practice, how would u suggest I invest that time to improve?

Aside from taking lessons what do u suggest? (I do have scott and randy's spf dvds and those are the fundamentals i try to emulate just fyi)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

strmanglr scott · Nov 22, 2017

pmata814 said:
Well 5 pages in and im still waiting for some guidance. So far i've just gotten that i need to go and compete.

If i have 60 minutes a day to practice, how would u suggest I invest that time to improve?

Aside from taking lessons what do u suggest? (I do have scott and randy's spf dvds and those are the fundamentals i try to emulate just fyi)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What does your game need?

Why do you feel you're missing shots.

Have you played several games and noted why you missed each shot you did?

How would any of us know what your game is lacking?

This isn't a "what's most commonly holding people back thread".

Neil · Nov 22, 2017

lfigueroa said:
Well, first off, thank you for your very cordial post.

As to the issue of competition -- that is, IMO, at the root of the game. Over its history, there have been countless players who, left to their own devices, were absolutely insane players. Incredible players who could run balls like water. Yet, in a tournament or gambling situation, couldn't hit the end rail.

So, if playing alone satisfies you, so be it -- but I don't think that at any time pool was designed to be solitaire. It's always been about bellying up to the table and seeing what you can do against other players. Setting aside the issue of competition, I will also tell you this: what you can do alone -- by yourself -- means nothing. Nothing. Because when you step up against an opponent, things change.

This is from personal experience.

In the ring, the whole pace, rhythm, and your approach to the table in a competitive situation changes the way you will play. Call it pressure or what you will but it is not the same. And how you perform in a competitive situation is the true measure of your game. It's not what you can do alone, it's what you can do against an opponent. The rest is meaningless.

Lou Figueroa

Lou, that may be true for you, but it isn't true for everyone. In fact, it can be a trap that retards one's growth. And, it does mean that you are not practicing correctly.

If one wants to see where they stack up against others, then competition against others is mandatory. But, for improvement, the best competition one can have is against themselves and the table.

No matter who is playing against you, your real competition is always just you vs. the table. I can't count how many times I have been waiting for someone to rack when I had to be told that it was over, I had won. Or how many times after I won, and went to shake my opponents hand, and then realized I had no idea who I was even playing.

One of the things I have always loved about pool, is that it is a very solitary game. All I need is the table and myself. Now, to make the game pay for itself, one does need someone else to play. Either gambling, or tournament. But, I believe the only time you should ever consider your opponent, is when deciding how to play a safety. The rest of the time, he is not an opponent, he is just someone sitting in a chair. He can't do anything until I let him. Either by accident or on purpose. Why waste any focus on him?

The real competition is always between your own ears.

Straightpool_99 · Nov 22, 2017

pmata814 said:
Well 5 pages in and im still waiting for some guidance. So far i've just gotten that i need to go and compete.

If i have 60 minutes a day to practice, how would u suggest I invest that time to improve?

Aside from taking lessons what do u suggest? (I do have scott and randy's spf dvds and those are the fundamentals i try to emulate just fyi)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok, we have an excellent opportunity for a social experiment here. I don't know you, don't know anything about your game at all. But from your post I'm guessing you are struggling and have done so for a while.

I'm going to make 3 suggestions on how you can improve your game, however how you use these suggestion will be entirely up to you. Choose one and do it for a week at least, then come back to this thread and tell us if it helped at all. Wether you do or don't, it will prove a point.

1. Shoot with your eyes closed. Set up a long straight in shots. Do everything the way you normally would, but when you start your final backswing, close your eyes and keep them closed until your shot is completed. Use a firm or hard speed and try drawing, stunning and following the ball. Use video for best results to check what, if anything went wrong. Personally I think this is the most helpful exercise I ever did. You need to do it a lot of times for best results. The more the better. You will either fail completely or learn a lot about your stroke, but again...it depends on the individual. If the straight-ins are too easy for you, try playing the ghost this way.

2. Shoot all your shots without practise strokes for a week. Go down on the shot as usual, slowly pull the cue back and watch the shaft line carefully. If it comes back at an angle, instead of straight, stand right back up and start over. If it comes back straight, shoot your shot. Could be a backup if exercise nr.1 fails.

3. For one full week focus ONLY on keeping your bridgearm and hand completely still throughout the stroke. It should be rock solid and motionless. This is a mental exercise that will show if you actually can commit to a thing and follow through on it. Don't let your mind drift.

lfigueroa · Nov 22, 2017

Neil said:
Lou, that may be true for you, but it isn't true for everyone. In fact, it can be a trap that retards one's growth. And, it does mean that you are not practicing correctly.

If one wants to see where they stack up against others, then competition against others is mandatory. But, for improvement, the best competition one can have is against themselves and the table.

No matter who is playing against you, your real competition is always just you vs. the table. I can't count how many times I have been waiting for someone to rack when I had to be told that it was over, I had won. Or how many times after I won, and went to shake my opponents hand, and then realized I had no idea who I was even playing.

One of the things I have always loved about pool, is that it is a very solitary game. All I need is the table and myself. Now, to make the game pay for itself, one does need someone else to play. Either gambling, or tournament. But, I believe the only time you should ever consider your opponent, is when deciding how to play a safety. The rest of the time, he is not an opponent, he is just someone sitting in a chair. He can't do anything until I let him. Either by accident or on purpose. Why waste any focus on him?

The real competition is always between your own ears.

Neil, in the history of the game there are countless tales of players who could run hundreds playing alone but couldn’t run squadousch playing another human being. And anyone who has played at all knows there can be a significant disconnect between playing solo and playing competitively.

It’s the difference between masturbation and actual sex with another person. If that’s the guy you want to be, so be it.

Lou Figueroa

336Robin · Nov 22, 2017

Sometimes though...

For the most part what you are saying is true unless of course you have the answers that the player is looking for and that's provided he's searching.

I had an really interesting thing happen last night. I was in the right place and someone needed some questions answered and I had the answers for him. I got to see a guys game go up in front of my eyes. That was awesome. He went from timid to playing pool.

Straightpool_99 said:
I know I've ranted about this before, but I swear I'm not really bitter or angry about it at all. Mostly I'm puzzled by it. I see tons of people doing the same things for YEARS on end. They only improve marginally, and some not at all. They keep making the same stupid mistakes, playing with the same shoddy technique. And when you finally crack from watching them do the same thing 5 times and blaming everything but the true cause, and try to give them a hint, they ignore it. Most of these people have been ignoring the same obvious flaws for years before that. Many of them even paid for instructors and then ignored them when they pointed out what would be obvious for even the most poorly trained observer. Then you have the guy who's constantly trying new things, and one small hint can improve his game greatly.

The point is not really to whine about this fact of life, but rather to give my theory about why this is so. I believe that you cannot get better at this game, unless you are willing to make changes, major ones at that. You have to be able to gamble once in a while on doing something that may set your game back for a short while, to get long term gains as long as it is based on sound technique. It's rare to see someone do this and not have it pay off in the long run. But you need discipline, self belief and a strong motivation to do so. That is what many people lack. It's strange to see people who are barely playing the game at a 1year level (after playing for 10 times that amount of time), being so afraid to do anything new for fear of ruining their game (lol). If you've played for 10 years and can't run a rack more than once a week, you truely have nothing to lose. Might as well go for it.

The lack of flexibility and discipline is holding so many people back and is a purely mental block. Nothing stops these people from getting better other than their minds. This game is played 90% in the mind, once you get past the C level, IMO.

Even good fundamentals are mostly mental. Once you learn how to do stuff, you need to remember the exact methods and apply it in a disciplined way. That has very little to do with strength, or hand to eye coordination (if it is anywhere near a reasonable, non-challenged level). Pool is an awesome game. You don't need power, speed or even great intelligence to be decent at it, yet extremely few people can even get to a respectable level where they run racks reliably. It's a mystery that is deeply fascinating.

Low500 · Nov 22, 2017

-------------------

Neil · Nov 22, 2017

lfigueroa said:
Neil, in the history of the game there are countless tales of players who could run hundreds playing alone but couldn’t run squadousch playing another human being. And anyone who has played at all knows there can be a significant disconnect between playing solo and playing competitively.

It’s the difference between masturbation and actual sex with another person. If that’s the guy you want to be, so be it.

Lou Figueroa

Of course many players are like you mentioned. But, you feeling you needed to point that out only shows that you totally missed the point. And you probably won't understand it until you get past the mentality that competition is supposed to be a my dick is bigger than yours contest.

WildWing · Nov 22, 2017

pmata814 said:
Well 5 pages in and im still waiting for some guidance. So far i've just gotten that i need to go and compete.

If i have 60 minutes a day to practice, how would u suggest I invest that time to improve?

I'll make it quick and easy on you. 60 minutes a day is not enough to get good at anything. Do you understand why a job takes at least 8 hours a day?

For 60 minutes, just practice fundamentals, but don't expect to get very good. Sorry to be negative, but you don't have the dedication to the game that you have to this thread.

Ummmm, you're not related to Justin, are you?

But, just the facts. Sorry they disappoint you. Play much more than 60 minutes.

All the best,
WW

pmata814 · Nov 22, 2017

Straightpool_99 said:
Ok, we have an excellent opportunity for a social experiment here. I don't know you, don't know anything about your game at all. But from your post I'm guessing you are struggling and have done so for a while.

I'm going to make 3 suggestions on how you can improve your game, however how you use these suggestion will be entirely up to you. Choose one and do it for a week at least, then come back to this thread and tell us if it helped at all. Wether you do or don't, it will prove a point.

1. Shoot with your eyes closed. Set up a long straight in shots. Do everything the way you normally would, but when you start your final backswing, close your eyes and keep them closed until your shot is completed. Use a firm or hard speed and try drawing, stunning and following the ball. Use video for best results to check what, if anything went wrong. Personally I think this is the most helpful exercise I ever did. You need to do it a lot of times for best results. The more the better. You will either fail completely or learn a lot about your stroke, but again...it depends on the individual. If the straight-ins are too easy for you, try playing the ghost this way.

2. Shoot all your shots without practise strokes for a week. Go down on the shot as usual, slowly pull the cue back and watch the shaft line carefully. If it comes back at an angle, instead of straight, stand right back up and start over. If it comes back straight, shoot your shot. Could be a backup if exercise nr.1 fails.

3. For one full week focus ONLY on keeping your bridgearm and hand completely still throughout the stroke. It should be rock solid and motionless. This is a mental exercise that will show if you actually can commit to a thing and follow through on it. Don't let your mind drift.

Thanks. I start all my practice sessions with 20-30 long straight-ins. I actually made it a point of keeping track of the count last month to see how long it takes me to get to 3,000. So for the next week i will do them as u described in #1. I tried 30 right now and made 9/10 stop shots 9/10 draws and 5/10 follows (3 diamonds apart). (Really struggled with follow for some reason). It was an interesting exercise.

I passed the 900 mark today.

I will report back next week.

Thanks again for ur suggestions. I appreciate it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

chefjeff · Nov 23, 2017

And easy way to keep count of the long straight in shots is to shoot them in rotation. The 'mades' go down the hole, the 'misses' can be moved to the side of the table.

When you're done you can see, not only how many, but where in the sequence you tend to go wrong.

Jeff Livingston

Bobkitty · Nov 23, 2017

pmata814 said:
Thanks. I start all my practice sessions with 20-30 long straight-ins. I actually made it a point of keeping track of the count last month to see how long it takes me to get to 3,000. So for the next week i will do them as u described in #1. I tried 30 right now and made 9/10 stop shots 9/10 draws and 5/10 follows (3 diamonds apart). (Really struggled with follow for some reason). It was an interesting exercise.

I passed the 900 mark today.

I will report back next week.

Thanks again for ur suggestions. I appreciate it.

I use this same drill but I follow the CB into the hole after the OB. My record is 48 of 50 shots into my 4.5" holes. I use a measles ball so that the spots turn or not turn on its way. NOW, if you all agree that the stroke is the most important thing in a pool game, how about this device; The CAT from thesnookergym.com. Nic Barrow is the one of the best instructors in Europe. Mine will be here in a day or so. I'll practice on this with my right hand but also want to practice with my left side to get better.

lfigueroa · Nov 23, 2017

Neil said:
Of course many players are like you mentioned. But, you feeling you needed to point that out only shows that you totally missed the point. And you probably won't understand it until you get past the mentality that competition is supposed to be a my dick is bigger than yours contest.

Neil, this isn't the aiming form, so you can shelve your usual "...you probably won't understand..." stuff.

What I'm saying is not about dicks or who can beat up who or who is smarter. It's about the absolute fact that a competitive situation is different than solitary play. Only someone who never competes (or is frightened of competing) would say something like that and/or fail to understand. Even in sports where the contestant performs alone, say gymnasts at the Olympics, competitors must enter the arena and perform. Or maybe you'd prefer they just mail in a video of them doing their routines at their private club?

Lou Figueroa

ShortBusRuss · Nov 23, 2017

lfigueroa said:
Neil, this isn't the aiming form, so you can shelve your usual "...you probably won't understand..." stuff.

What I'm saying is not about dicks or who can beat up who or who is smarter. It's about the absolute fact that a competitive situation is different than solitary play. Only someone who never competes (or is frightened of competing) would say something like that and/or fail to understand.

Lou Figueroa

Meh. I don't compete all that much, but if I get in practice ahead of time, I do just fine.

I think it's all about attention to detail when watching pro matches, and what's going on in your head when you are practicing.

When watching pro matches, you need to be looking for the common shots that come up, and know enough about your stroke/knowledge to know whether you have them down cold, or not. If not, practice them. Set up drills surrounding that specific shot. Write down/diagram them so you won't forget.

And when practicing, I feel you DO need to have a certain amount of aggression in your mindset whilst practicing. The practicing has to be PREPARATION for something. It has to be about what you are gonna do to the other guy when you finally face him. Depending on the game, this will take many forms. For example:

9-Ball - Practicing thousands of 9-ball breaks where you squat the CB perfectly and drive the 1 ball down table hard enough to bounce back off the end rail for an easy start. Playing safe off a 1 ball on the end rail over and over in case you come up slightly short on the proper break speed.

One Pocket... Practice getting EVERY possible ball you can, even going past 8. If you prove to yourself you can run 14 (my high run) or 15 balls in One Pocket, you're not so worried about giving up a ball or two to keep your opponent off a shot. Practice two railers at all distances back to your pocket... Practice thin cut behind-the-stack banks over to your hole when it's a definite sellout if you miss, but a definite win if you make. (You have to intentionally think of it as a sellout shot if you miss, even if you are practicing, to help you find the best "make" speed)

8-Ball... Practicing last pocket 8 ball as a means of pushing your performance in what is a relatively easy game if your break is on point. This additionally trains your thinking to really bear down on finding the right pattern and managing the 2-3 balls before the 8 correctly.

Then again, before playing any big tourney, I also do general focus exercises like picking a very small point on the wall 20-30 feet away and intently focusing on it for as long as possible, attempting to prevent my eyes from drifting. I have found that when at the table, if I focus as intently as possible on the most minute contact point I can imagine on the OB, and keep my focus there throughout the whole shot process, not only do I make the ball more often, but this prolonged intense focus has a zen-like effect that drops me into dead stroke at will.. It takes a LOT of focus exercise to be consistently usable, though.

So... I think the aggression/dick measuring to a certain extent must be there in practice, and if it is, then it can be almost as effective as competition. I think a lot of people practice just for the pure joy of hitting ball and pushing their capabilities, but they are missing the war-like nature of practice.

Practice, to be most effective, should be akin to a soldier practicing disemboweling their opponent with a bayonet. It has to be forceful, attempting to push the bayonet completely out the other side of the practice bag. That visual/mental imagery MUST be there to get the most out of the practice. If done with correct mental imagery, the real thing will just be a matter of muscle memory.

Short Bus Russ

Neil · Nov 23, 2017

ShortBusRuss said:
Meh. I don't compete all that much, but if I get in practice ahead of time, I do just fine.

I think it's all about attention to detail when watching pro matches, and what's going on in your head when you are practicing.

When watching pro matches, you need to be looking for the common shots that come up, and know enough about your stroke/knowledge to know whether you have them down cold, or not. If not, practice them. Set up drills surrounding that specific shot. Write down/diagram them so you won't forget.

And when practicing, I feel you DO need to have a certain amount of aggression in your mindset whilst practicing. The practicing has to be PREPARATION for something. It has to be about what you are gonna do to the other guy when you finally face him. Depending on the game, this will take many forms. For example:

9-Ball - Practicing thousands of 9-ball breaks where you squat the CB perfectly and drive the 1 ball down table hard enough to bounce back off the end rail for an easy start. Playing safe off a 1 ball on the end rail over and over in case you come up slightly short on the proper break speed.

One Pocket... Practice getting EVERY possible ball you can, even going past 8. If you prove to yourself you can run 14 (my high run) or 15 balls in One Pocket, you're not so worried about giving up a ball or two to keep your opponent off a shot. Practice two railers at all distances back to your pocket... Practice thin cut behind-the-stack banks over to your hole when it's a definite sellout if you miss, but a definite win if you make. (You have to intentionally think of it as a sellout shot if you miss, even if you are practicing, to help you find the best "make" speed)

8-Ball... Practicing last pocket 8 ball as a means of pushing your performance in what is a relatively easy game if your break is on point. This additionally trains your thinking to really bear down on finding the right pattern and managing the 2-3 balls before the 8 correctly.

Then again, before playing any big tourney, I also do general focus exercises like picking a very small point on the wall 20-30 feet away and intently focusing on it for as long as possible, attempting to prevent my eyes from drifting. I have found that when at the table, if I focus as intently as possible on the most minute contact point I can imagine on the OB, and keep my focus there throughout the whole shot process, not only do I make the ball more often, but this prolonged intense focus has a zen-like effect that drops me into dead stroke at will.. It takes a LOT of focus exercise to be consistently usable, though.

So... I think the aggression/dick measuring to a certain extent must be there in practice, and if it is, then it can be almost as effective as competition. I think a lot of people practice just for the pure joy of hitting ball and pushing their capabilities, but they are missing the war-like nature of practice.

Practice, to be most effective, should be akin to a soldier practicing disemboweling their opponent with a bayonet. It has to be forceful, attempting to push the bayonet completely out the other side of the practice bag. That visual/mental imagery MUST be there to get the most out of the practice. If done with correct mental imagery, the real thing will just be a matter of muscle memory.

Short Bus Russ

Lou just doesn't know that he doesn't know. And for him to say that I must never have been in competition is just laughable. You, on the other hand, are very much on the right path. You are correct that practice is preparation for play. It is not just getting through a drill, it is about intense focus throughout the drill so as to learn and perfect what is necessary to be able to shoot any shot on demand.

You are also correct about practicing with focus. One must learn to never shoot any shot without proper focus. The more one practices intense focus, the longer one can do it. Eventually being able to attain what is called "in the zone" almost at will.

Where you start to veer down the wrong path is in how you go about achieving that intense focus. Wanting to destroy your opponent is one way. The problem with that though, is that it does so through an adrenaline rush. While it works for a short time, it is not sustainable in the long haul, and it will actually wear you out mentally quicker.

You used destruction and adrenaline for your "trigger". Which is great for fighting or arm wrestling. In the movie "Over the Top" Stallone would turn his hat backwards for his trigger for that adrenaline rush. It was great for arm wrestling. I don't know if he still does it, but Efren used to keep one hand touching the table as he walked around it. That mentally kept him in focus with just the table and his task at hand. No adrenaline required. Without the adrenaline, one is able to learn to focus for longer periods of time and feel like they are one with the table.

Done properly, there is only you and the table, and the task at hand. There is no crowd watching, no score, no opponent. You become one with the table. There no longer is any pressure to perform. As each shot is done the same way you practiced, with intense focus. You clearly see what will happen before you even shoot. The shot shoots itself.

ShortBusRuss · Nov 23, 2017

Neil said:
Where you start to veer down the wrong path is in how you go about achieving that intense focus. Wanting to destroy your opponent is one way. The problem with that though, is that it does so through an adrenaline rush. While it works for a short time, it is not sustainable in the long haul, and it will actually wear you out mentally quicker.

You used destruction and adrenaline for your "trigger". Which is great for fighting or arm wrestling. In the movie "Over the Top" Stallone would turn his hat backwards for his trigger for that adrenaline rush. It was great for arm wrestling. I don't know if he still does it, but Efren used to keep one hand touching the table as he walked around it. That mentally kept him in focus with just the table and his task at hand. No adrenaline required. Without the adrenaline, one is able to learn to focus for longer periods of time and feel like they are one with the table.

Ahhhhhh... Very astute observation... I do find that channeling aggression does wear me out mentally over a full day of tournament play, and at the end of some days, I just run out of gas, and start making mistakes.

From one of my own experiences.... I was at Derby City Classic a few years ago, and like a moron, I went all obsessive compulsive and ended up playing/practicing all night, and had been up for about 20 hours when I drew John Morra first round of the One Pocket....

I.e... The first match he played after winning the Banks tournament.. Yeah.. THAT year.

I had seen his Finals the night before, and knew what a holy terror he was gonna be if I gave him ANY free banks, because he was hitting a lot of his banks at closer to One Pocket speed than Banks speed. He would just smooth them in.

So, as tired as I was, adrenaline just wasn't even in the cards. My body just didn't have any to give me, no matter what happened.

As luck would have it, I shot REAL straight in that match, and somehow got to be up on him 2-1. I was so tired that I had slowed my practice strokes way down, and was focusing hard on each decision, as I had a little brain fog... Aggression wasn't even a part of the equation.

Of course, at this point, Shane Van Boening and Brandon Shuff started sweating my match hard (they were 2nd and 3rd, respectively, to John Morra in the points), and the pressure overwhelmed me a little, and I ended up dropping the next two games, although he really played well and I didn't commit any obvious sellouts.

I was smart enough to know that Shane and Brandon were very much pulling for me to defeat John, as it would improve their chances at the All-Around title and money, and that kind of pressure was a little too much to bear. There was also the idea that I had unknowingly been practicing on a Red Label Diamond Pro/Am that banked EXTREMELY short. I did not adjust well, and banked all my cross corners long against Morra.

Those Red Labels were really awful to play on, and I didn't even realize how bad it was until realkingcobra showed me methodically how short they banked when he came to swap it out for a 7 footer a few years later. He literally said it was close to the worst playing Diamond he had ever played on.

I often think about how much better I would have done at Derby that year with a properly setup table to practice on that year. I did force a few cross corners out of Morra in the final two games of that match, but just couldn't put them down when I needed them. I was practicing a lot that year, and was shooting any open shot very well. I got out in one inning both the games I won against Morra. At least this year I have another chance.. I am practicing on properly setup Gold Crowns, which play loads closer to Diamonds as far as banks are concerned. My son is coming with, and I am training him for the next 7 weeks to prepare for Derby. I am also lifting weights at least 4X a week, plus strenuous cardio.. I am gonna make sure that I am in a lot better shape this time for Derby.

Short Bus Russ

You can't help most people get better at pool.

Registered

AzB Silver Member

is kind of hungry...

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All about Focus

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I see dead balls

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Multiverse Operative

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Super Gun Mod

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If not now...

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.

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Short Bus Russ - C Player

AzB Silver Member

Short Bus Russ - C Player