Breathing is very important! You can hypnotize yourself with a mantra. I used stay down and follow through. Repeat over and over to yourself. You know you can make any shot on the table if you stay down and follow through. After two or three games it won't be necessary. You won't be aware of anything but staying down and following through. A challenger came into the poolhall I worked in. Started for $20 a game nineball. I win almost every game. He raised it to $50. Still winning most games. Then $100 a game was the bet. Still winning. Next the bet became $200. All of a sudden I lost everything I was ahead and my whole bankroll. Went to the safe to get more ammunition. When I got back to the table I was faced with a $200 spot shot. This was years ago with different rules. Started the mantra and fired the spot shot in. In a few games I was completely focused. Won my money back plus $1500.
I have found that "Smooth" works for about anything from pool to a two second and change run at steel plates. Driving a race car into a turn at 100 plus, all kinds of things. You can be quick and smooth, quick and jerky rarely worked. Still prefer the conscious mind pretty much shutting down but sometimes you can't get it to happen such as a new activity or one you haven't did in years. You want to micro-manage and you need to shut that down.
One thing to help calm nerves, Get off by yourself and do some mental practice trying to get all your senses involved. Mental practice is a lot like good dreams, you are always successful. I have smoothed out being a little jerky when being out of practice just by mental practice. The transition particularly on the last stroke should be with no sensation in your hand. One moment you are coasting to a stop going backwards, the next moment you are going forwards. It doesn't matter if you stop or not.
Hu
