focus?

For starters, this is what works for me:

Minimize talking when you are playing (both when you're at the table and when your opponent is shooting). The left side of the brain is where the speech center is and also where you analyze things. Turn the speech center off and analyze what you are going to do in your preshot routine and also analyze what your opponent is doing while they are at the table.
 
You need to practice focusing...............

whats the best way to get my focus up

Hi there jcpoolgod,

One reason it helps to play for long periods of time is you need to practice focusing. The only time you can do this is when you play.

Then it seems like all the different situations that you run into you need to learn how to keep your focus in them also.

The only time you can practice being in a final match and try to keep you focus is when you are in a final match.

Being in a loud bar with loud music is another faze of concentration.

But when you practice go through your checklist and do all the things you need to do and focus on trying to do them all the time. A little lapse in your focus and your out of the tourny.

Have a great day Geno.............
 
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The way that I focus is that I think of nothing , that's right nothing at all . I see a pattern and I run it out .
 
Geno:
You need to practice focusing

Tap tap.

I find a useful technique to practice is to find one small aspect of my play to focus on, which acts like a starting point from which my focus can "expand" until it includes all aspects of play and displaces all distractions. For me it helps to begin by focusing intently on my tip placement on the CB, then expand my focus "outward" to include contact points, tangent line, etc., etc.

pj
chgo
 
whats the best way to get my focus up

I would like to hear from the instructors who post here.

Something (that works in short doses for me) you might like is pocketing balls without the object ball touching a cushion (unless its intentional).

Surprising how a small goal can get you "tuned in" whether its the above example or something else in your routine.

I've tried the concentration drill where you line up 9 balls between the side pockets and shoot 3 sets without a miss, but it didn't carry over to games.

I do like Mark Wilson's saying of focus on the process rather than the result.

I don't think the adage of gambling or pretending a shot costs you $5 is the way to go because it gets in the way of performance. Yes, you'll be serious, but I think that was thought up by somebody trying to get your money.
 
whats the best way to get my focus up

The first thing is to know when to focus. Humans can typically maintain very intense focus for about 12 seconds before the mind starts to wander. So a 9 ball game that lasts 5 minutes is too long to stay focused. The amount of time your bridge hand is actually on the table is usually around 8 to 12 seconds. So knowing when to focus allows you to do what you need to do when you are shooting. When you pick up your bridge hand, allow your mind to relax, and then start thinking about your next shot. Once you have made your decisions about the next shot, get down on the shot, and focus for another 8 to 12 seconds.

Short bursts of intense focus will allow you get the job done without wearing yourself out.

Steve
 
The first thing is to know when to focus. Humans can typically maintain very intense focus for about 12 seconds before the mind starts to wander. So a 9 ball game that lasts 5 minutes is too long to stay focused. The amount of time your bridge hand is actually on the table is usually around 8 to 12 seconds. So knowing when to focus allows you to do what you need to do when you are shooting. When you pick up your bridge hand, allow your mind to relax, and then start thinking about your next shot. Once you have made your decisions about the next shot, get down on the shot, and focus for another 8 to 12 seconds.

Short bursts of intense focus will allow you get the job done without wearing yourself out.

Steve


thanks Steve...that is excellent advice.
 
Tell me so I can go Pro PLEASE.:rolleyes:
Pick 2 or 3 of the most important things you want to improve on. Doesn't have to be pool related.

Practice focusing on one of them. Then add the second, then the third. The intensity of focusing on 2 or 3 things and trying to put them together will increase your capacity.

The champions I've met all had one thing in common. They're all Extremely Competitive. The strong desire to win is their "focus point." Some are simply crushed if they lose, particularly to a lesser player. That kind of desire is what lacks in most of us and why we're distracted/unfocused and why we never make it to the big show.

My wrestling coach in high school would scream "YOUUUU GOTTAAAAA, WHANT IT!!!" as he flailed his arms and legs jumping in the air.

I'm going to follow Pooltchr's advise.
 
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