How to keep your thoughts straight when in a high pressure game?

[Da Bank]

This isn't really about mechanics breaking down because of pressure and dogging relatively simple shots, it's more about continuing to make the right DECISIONS down the stretch and continue to think straight. What are some techniques and thoughts that you've implemented to keep your head on straight so that you make the right selection at the right time?

I've been good, lately, about not missing shots.. but the dog in my game has been making a poor decision at a key time in a game.. the wrong safety shot or choosing the wrong spin for a key position shot. And let me be clear, these aren't instances where I have a lack of knowledge... I can immediately know afterwards what my decision should have been and would in lower pressure situations generally make the right choice.. just in big games at key times I will convince myself of doing the wrong thing by either over or under thinking the shot.

Thoughts?

I've read "The Inner Game of Tennis"... anyone else have any good sports psychology youtube videos or books to read. I consider myself a smart guy and typically have an advantage in brain power if it turns into a real chess match... my brain just seems to go haywire for no apparent reason even if I believe myself to be relatively calm given the pressure level. I take my time, I walk around the table, I take deep breaths and visualize myself making the shot and my mechanics don't typically break down... it's the one poor choice that kills me.

This happened to me today at BCA state... I played teams and lost my last 4 games of 8-ball. I absolutely dominated the first game and played very well, and in the next 4 games I played at an equal level and dominated those games except for 4 really poor individual decisions that cost me each game.

This is as much a vent as it the hope of beginning a good conversation on the issue. A good local player gave me a good perspective when he said that Deuel told him that if he gets upset about getting out of position, he thinks to himself, "If my opponent missed and left me this shot, would I like it?" And the answer is usually yes, which means you should be happy and excited to tackle the next ball rather than pissed that you aren't in the exact position you wanted to be in.

p.s. Earl is here in Texas, and he didn't bring his beekeeper's outfit :wink:

 

[strokerace]

Its not about making the right decision..its about making the decision Right!!!

Been playing 50 years..when i crack a rack or my first shot..if i have a jam

somewhere i am going after it ASAP..i agree with corey..if you have a shot

smile..the mindset of position will faulter the task at hand..babe ruth..the

home run king..but he was also the greatest strike out king!!...i have won

more games then lost..arent you always fastinated about other peoples

decisions?..why did he do that you ask yourself..keep asking yourself why

you didnt...lol

 

[SPINDOKTOR]

if youd ask me id say....Practice...now let me explain....A routine is Key to playing your best in any situation, you can be inspired by fans or a coach, songs whatever, but having a routine you practice over and over is what you need to be the winner in a high stress situation...

 

[strokerace]

if youd ask me id say....Practice...now let me explain....A routine is Key to playing your best in any situation, you can be inspired by fans or a coach, songs whatever, but having a routine you practice over and over is what you need to be the winner in a high stress situation...

Like..don't let um see you sweat..and always play your best..cause only
perfect practice makes your game as perfect as it can be..lol..:thumbup:

 

[Realizm]

Like..don't let um see you sweat..and always play your best..cause only
perfect practice makes your game as perfect as it can be..lol..:thumbup:

When you start feeling the heat go to bathroom walk slowly clear your mind ,Wash your hands in cold water let it run on your wrist it will cool you down.Dry you hands slowly as you walk back to the table.
It will put you in the mind frame of playing the first game without the presser.
Good luck

 

[SPINDOKTOR]

lol yea and you know, when your relaxed playing your game having fun the other guy is going to be the one sweating, you cant make every ball, you cant win every game, so yea do your best and dont beat yourself up by over stressing yourself, rely on what youve practiced have confidence in that.

if you lose? this affords you the ability to see what needs to be worked on..and if you win it supports that your practice is working your on the right track NOW at this point in your game..That way you never change anything in your game until you see you need to...and in my mind that will make you a better player..

Like..don't let um see you sweat..and always play your best..cause only
perfect practice makes your game as perfect as it can be..lol..:thumbup:

 

[Da Bank]

k, well... no one really addressed the issue of making the right decisions and how to make sure you are making sound decisions 100% of the time assuming that you possess the knowledge. I'm not nervous, which is what you all are addressing. And strokerace, the first post you made... to me... made absolutely no sense whatsoever, I didn't really get one sound logical chain of thought... sorry man, not trying to be a dick but that made no sense at all.

 

[MinoInADixeCup]

2 keys for me are:

1. recognize a bad situation.
2. backing off and not trying to press a bad situation.

If I can keep both of those things firmly in my mind then I'm much more likely to make the right decision at a key point in the game.

 

[Ken_4fun]

Well -

I had a very very good player to hate the other player. After playing you be friends, but while you are playing someone, (go to the darkside) hate with no mercy.

Strange I know, but I have seen alot of players with no "killer" instinct.

Ken

 

[Falcon Eddie]

2 keys for me are:

1. recognize a bad situation.
2. backing off and not trying to press a bad situation.

If I can keep both of those things firmly in my mind then I'm much more likely to make the right decision at a key point in the game.

I think this is key to your question, not trying to press a bad situation can be just staying within your abilities.

 

[SPINDOKTOR]

thats where practice comes in, excluding the emotions, thats what you should do, not elevate the situation with I HATE YOU! lool you need to be in your own lil world doing what youve practiced, in your routine, playing your game, and the table, the guy or gal in the chair watching you has nothing to do with how you play your game, and your enemy can be you, by letting bs thoughts ruin your run...

so play your game, whoever your playing,keep thier ass stuck in that chair watching you play not self destruct by letting emotion get to you...

 

[JoeyA]

When things aren't going well, fill your mind with positive thoughts about pool so that you crowd out and beat back the negative ones.

You only have control over the present so stay in the moment- ALWAYS. (Avoid thinking about the past or the future).


JoeyA

 

[paksat]

Make every single movement as smooth and flawlessly as possible.

But only in a 100% all out game.. playing like that all the time will wear you out mentally imo.

 

[12310bch]

Be smooth

I have no advice that seems to work. If the switch goes on in my head, for whatever reason, I'm a zombie. I just try to play through it and get my focus and stroke back. Here's some ideas though:

1. shut yourself of from anything outside the GAME.
2. go to bathroom and wash your hands
3. change your shaft( I have 3 shafts for my cue, all slightly different)
4. pop another Xanax.
5. fake a heart attack and after the medics leave bravely get up
to finish the match
6. Make a change in something that might turn off the Dog Switch.
Anything!
7. What did Fats do when he was down to Fast Eddie? (First Match)

Who the Fuch knows what evil dwells in the hearts of men?:help:

These kinds of threads drive me crazier!:banghead:

 

[CreeDo]

On the subject of decisionmaking -

The right shot is the right shot, even if you miss it... and the wrong shot is the wrong shot even if you make it.

This helps me both before I pull the trigger on an iffy decision, and after it all goes to hell =)

A lot of people beat themselves up when a decision doesn't work out, or when they gamble on a tougher shot (with a larger reward) and miss it. But they made the decision with good intentions and some sort of plan. As long as real thought went into it, you didn't do anything wrong. The only way to truly fck up is by just whacking 'em on autopilot.

If your choices don't work out, don't automatically assume they were wrong. Sometimes your choices boil down to the crappy 5%-chance-of-winning and the lousy 9%-chance-of-winning shot. And if someone shows you after that your choice was clearly wrong, then ask yourself... "did I know the right option?"

If you didn't, you can't be mad about what you didn't know. If you knew it and ignored it, ask yourself why. The right shot was more missable and you were scared of it? You didn't foresee the problems with your choice? You were cocky and assumed that you could play the wrong shot but still be guaranteed another chance? Once you figure out those answers... you won't need any special trick to keep your head straight next time; you'll just see at a glance what's right and what's not.

 

[Da Bank]

thanks for all the great replies guys, alot of really good advice. I have tried to think about playing within my own abilities and sometimes I do forget it. This weekend was tough for me because the bonehead mistakes that I made were not cases where I was trying to force a situation and make something happen. I tend to play my odds pretty well... i lean towards aggressive, but if I have to make the choice between leaving my opponent a 25% shot to win or taking a 10% chance to win myself, I'm going to leave the shot for my opponent usually. But ya, I need to be more deliberate and build that so that it lasts the duration of a game or a match, I think I need to focus on improving my 100% focus level every time I go out to a match. It's never going to be 100% all the time during a match or tournament but I'm going to be satisfied if I see improvement in my focus longevity.

 

[strokerace]

Its not about making the right decision..its about making the decision Right!!!

Been playing 50 years..when i crack a rack or my first shot..if i have a jam

somewhere i am going after it ASAP..i agree with corey..if you have a shot

smile..the mindset of position will faulter the task at hand..babe ruth..the

home run king..but he was also the greatest strike out king!!...i have won

more games then lost..arent you always fastinated about other peoples

decisions?..why did he do that you ask yourself..keep asking yourself why

you didnt...lol

The sense of this is the matter of past tense..you have to foresee min 3 shots ahead..you for example..had the opportunity to free up a shot earlier but on second thought you fiqured you could get it later..but now on your third shot you cant get at that ball..hes got so many balls on the table now
that its hard to even play a safe..so you now decide to pocket one of his balls that would have allowed him a break out shot on some ball(s) that was
snookered..now with ball in hand he can't get to the trapped ball and you get another shot..it was the right decision..if you would have played safe..he would have done it back to you and still had ball in hand and that break out ball!!..point being in this game..stick with your first decision most of the time..
and play your ass off to make that decision Right!!!!

 

[8Ball48043]

I've read "The Inner Game of Tennis"... anyone else have any good sports psychology youtube videos or books to read. I consider myself a smart guy and typically have an advantage in brain power if it turns into a real chess match... my brain just seems to go haywire for no apparent reason even if I believe myself to be relatively calm given the pressure level. I take my time, I walk around the table, I take deep breaths and visualize myself making the shot and my mechanics don't typically break down... it's the one poor choice that kills me.

If/When you get a chance, give "The Pleasure of Small Motions" a read. Best book on sports psychology I have ever read.

 

[sarahrousey]

Chase, something that I do (definitely not 100% of the time) is make a decision and stick with it. Even if it seems like the wrong decision to everyone in the room. If it feels right in your mind, do it. Commit 100% to that decision, right or wrong. Try to not shoot until you are sure of what you are doing.

The only other thing is to go with your first instinct. A lot of the time someone will be trying to make a decision to play safe or go for it. Their first instinct may have been to go for it but then they started thinking about it. If you can't decide, go with your gut and again commit 100%.

We have all seen the ugly outcome of being 50/50 on a shot. You get just that result, 50/50 which usually turns into a sell out.

Anyway, that is just the way that I try to think. Keep working on it and you'll get there. You have talent and I know from meeting you that you have the ability to learn.

Sarah

 

[coolcue]

It happens all the time. A fighter moves the wrong way, a quarterback makes the wrong pass, pitcher throws a fast ball instead of what his mind was thinking and so on and so on. Even the best is not perfect, it is human nature. There is only one perfect entity and I 'm not even sure about him.

Chalk it up to the learning curve and move on. The next mistake may not be that bad.


Read the tennis book also. pretty good stuff but not a cure all.