Why You Choke Easy Shots Under Pressure

I miss easy shots all the time and
Well even Ronnie O'Sullivan misses easy shots. Well on occasion, there are a lot of makes between the missed. So my goal is to make more good ones between the "what the heck was that" shots. Sometimes it helps to giggle as I sit back down. Shrug 🤷‍♂️ I don't have to like it but know I must live with my uh dis ability. Striving for perfection knowing it is Unobtainium requires a proper mond set. So the time in the chair is available for meditation. 🤷‍♂️ Cleanse the mind. Analyze the miss, categorize it the put it in that box and back on the shelf. Then rest the body and mind, just in case I get another shot or better still a chance. 🤷‍♂️

Why You Choke Easy Shots Under Pressure

The simplest way to solve this is to just get up off the ball. Go get a sip of whatever you're drinking relax quiet your mind
I concur. I did exactly that on the occasion where I was shooting the game set match 8 ball against the Grand Master. The situation was kinda overwhelming. The mind was all over the place as the uh, ....thrill of Victor or agony of defeat was imminent.
The stepping away from the table for a sip before shooting the simple 8 ball had me nodding to my opponent almost apologies but I was feeling the nerves. He understood and was a gentleman and grandmaster at the handshake.
My only win in the Masters devision. But it was a Big One. 🤷‍♂️

Why You Choke Easy Shots Under Pressure

No matter how you look at it dogging a shot that you would normally make without hesitation is a mental issue. When your playing good you look at a ball and you see it going right in the pocket you don't even hesitate you barely thinking you're almost on muscle memory automatic pilot.

Then all of a sudden and it could be for a number of reasons you look at a ball and you totally hesitate you literally see every way you could miss this ball and imagine everything that could go wrong.

The simplest way to solve this is to just get up off the ball. Go get a sip of whatever you're drinking relax quiet your mind come back get down on the ball. You'll probably pocket it and it'll be like it never happened. You go on to continue the match instead of that one shot becoming the defining point of the match and maybe ultimately your demise.

Sometimes your mind can just go somewhere else. You could be sitting on the couch talking with your wife and she's talking and then she says why don't you answer me. And you look at her and realize you haven't heard a word she said even though she's three feet away talking in a normal voice.

Your mind just checks out sometimes maybe thinking about something else or whatever. Then you tell her I'm sorry what did you say and then you hear every word. Unfortunately your mind can be your worst enemy sometimes and sabotage you.

I know you can fall back on fundamentals and all of the cliches, but just quieting your mind and getting back to business is the best thing that solves the problem.

We've all seen the best players in the world do it. They all of a sudden just stop walk over wipe the cue do some activity while you're looking at them thinking what's going on why don't they just shoot. Then they come back and shoot the ball in with no problem.

I think Yapp is a pretty good example. He looks like he never shoots a shot if he's not 100% ready. Half the time he looks like he's meditating. I think you could fire a gun in the place and he wouldn't even hear it.
I miss easy shots all the time and never stop and reset. I attribute that to 50+ years of playing and never think of missing an easy potable ball. I shrug it off and call myself a dummy or idiot out loud hoping I hear myself lol. It's gotta be in my ears lol

Mosconi Cup 2025, Dec. 3-6, Alexandra Palace, London

Don't disagree at all - agree with everything you said - I guess my point was more along the lines of we need to take our preparation for the event (in general) much more seriously rather than have the US team show up and pick up what looks like a participation trophy most years. It's a little disheartening getting crushed consistently.

100% right..

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