Mental game needs help...
- Thread starter JNUTZ
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Really just enjoy both the game and the competition regardless of the outcome on a given night. Appreciate and enjoy adrenaline. Play tournaments mainly but if you gamble manage risk and never go all in--act like a casino!
Man, I tried reading Pleasures, but just couldn't get through it. Maybe that speaks toward my game. 
I've heard other people recommend The Inner Game of Tennis. I guess it's very applicable to pool.
I've heard other people recommend The Inner Game of Tennis. I guess it's very applicable to pool.
Man, I tried reading Pleasures, but just couldn't get through it. Maybe that speaks toward my game.
I've heard other people recommend The Inner Game of Tennis. I guess it's very applicable to pool.
"Inner Game..." is a good book.
Just wanted to clarify there are two sides for the word mental, one is the ability to think, judge your aim, ability to run balls and most importantly know when to be offensive or defensive. The other side is the imaginary mental power that people would try to sell you books, and videos or try to convince you it is there, or in another word prevent choking at your shot.
The 1st mental is real like chess it will only come with experience and watch other players play. The second mental is really imaginary, and will only get better as you master pool knowledge from all technical aspects so your confidence level is boosted and not afraid to miss a shot. You have to be able to make shots with all kind of english and all speed or no english this will triple your position play and run by ten folds. I call it the 4000 shots rules to master pool.
Personally I find the most important mental part of the game is visualising the ball going in the pocket when you're attempting a pot. If you're aiming wrong, the time you notice is when you try to visualise and you see the ball going somewhere else.
When you see that and adjust, don't let yourself be pressured by the other guy watching you and waiting for you to shoot. Just take your time. Go through the visualisation again, and only when it feels like your aim point is right you should switch from that part of the thought process to actually cueing up and getting ready to judge pace on the shot.
Make sure that you've made a clear and confident decision about where you are hitting the ball. Everyone knows what it's like to slowly cue up two or three times on a ball, and then just as the cue is travelling forwards for the hit you find yourself making some last moment adjustment mid-stroke (fatal).
Be *really* sure of where you're hitting, so that there's a definite transition from judging aim to judging pace.
I don't know what your level is, so I might be giving you advice that you learnt or figured out for yourself years ago, but anyway, for what it's worth, when I started playing as I've described, it made a significant difference to my success.
Good luck!
When you see that and adjust, don't let yourself be pressured by the other guy watching you and waiting for you to shoot. Just take your time. Go through the visualisation again, and only when it feels like your aim point is right you should switch from that part of the thought process to actually cueing up and getting ready to judge pace on the shot.
Make sure that you've made a clear and confident decision about where you are hitting the ball. Everyone knows what it's like to slowly cue up two or three times on a ball, and then just as the cue is travelling forwards for the hit you find yourself making some last moment adjustment mid-stroke (fatal).
Be *really* sure of where you're hitting, so that there's a definite transition from judging aim to judging pace.
I don't know what your level is, so I might be giving you advice that you learnt or figured out for yourself years ago, but anyway, for what it's worth, when I started playing as I've described, it made a significant difference to my success.
Good luck!
Do what I did.
I to needed enlightenment to improve my One Pocket skills so I searched for the one person who could help me. The Maharishi Mayhesh Grabowski.
After weeks of diligent searching I found the Maharishi working in a pool room in Pocatello, Idaho, as the part-time assistant night manager.
I asked his holiness what I should do to improve my game.
He looked at me with his one good eye and said, "My son, what you seek will be found from within."
I said, "But, what does that mean?"
He only winked, with his one good eye, and walked away. All the way back home I was at a loss as to what the great man had told me.
As I pulled into my driveway I notice a package sitting on the porch. I took it inside and opened it. Inside the box was a book entitled Winning One-Pocket, by Eddie Robbins.
I opened it, and on the flyleaf was inscribed, "To Tramp. From within this book you shall learn. Your friend. M.M. Grabowski."
I have learned, and to this day I continue to learn. :smile:
I to needed enlightenment to improve my One Pocket skills so I searched for the one person who could help me. The Maharishi Mayhesh Grabowski.
After weeks of diligent searching I found the Maharishi working in a pool room in Pocatello, Idaho, as the part-time assistant night manager.
I asked his holiness what I should do to improve my game.
He looked at me with his one good eye and said, "My son, what you seek will be found from within."
I said, "But, what does that mean?"
He only winked, with his one good eye, and walked away. All the way back home I was at a loss as to what the great man had told me.
As I pulled into my driveway I notice a package sitting on the porch. I took it inside and opened it. Inside the box was a book entitled Winning One-Pocket, by Eddie Robbins.
I opened it, and on the flyleaf was inscribed, "To Tramp. From within this book you shall learn. Your friend. M.M. Grabowski."
I have learned, and to this day I continue to learn. :smile:
We summarized some ideas in another thread along with book recommendations for finding and staying in the zone:
Directions to the Zone?
If you're more interested in mental toughness, some of those techniques will definitely help. I'm also working on something for choking under pressure but it's not ready yet.
I know you said book, however, have you looked at Lee Bretts DVD? In my opinion it does cover alot of the mental aspect.
That said, I also have to say that I produced it, so I may be a little bias.
I liked "The inner game of tennis" also, but I really liked the way Lee coaches.
Here is a link to the promo incase you want to look further.
http://www.teachmepool.com/Videos.htm
Mark
That said, I also have to say that I produced it, so I may be a little bias.
I liked "The inner game of tennis" also, but I really liked the way Lee coaches.
Here is a link to the promo incase you want to look further.
http://www.teachmepool.com/Videos.htm
Mark
Thank you guys for all the responses. I just ordered The Inner Game of Tennis, and 99 Critical Shots in Pool both for under $1. on Amazon.
I'm gonna look into some of the DVDs too, since I'm working the late shift at work I have a lot of down time.
In the last week or so I've already started to see improvements on concentrating and visualizing the shots and the balls going in.
I think one of the biggest things was admitting I had a problem and starting from fixing it from there.
I'm gonna look into some of the DVDs too, since I'm working the late shift at work I have a lot of down time.
In the last week or so I've already started to see improvements on concentrating and visualizing the shots and the balls going in.
I think one of the biggest things was admitting I had a problem and starting from fixing it from there.
Here are a couple of articles you might enjoy. I wrote them awhile ago and they have received fairly good reviews. Best of all they are free!
http://billiards.colostate.edu/PBReview/Learning_Mental_Control.pdf
http://billiards.colostate.edu/PBReview/Competitive_Anxiety.htm
http://billiards.colostate.edu/PBReview/Learning_Mental_Control.pdf
http://billiards.colostate.edu/PBReview/Competitive_Anxiety.htm
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Pleasures of Small Motions and The Inner Game Of Tennis are both great books. A couple other ones are Zen Golf, and Psyched To Win. I'm in the middle of Psyched To Win right now, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. It goes beyond the other books by actually teaching you how to improve your mental skills through self-hypnosis and techniques to keep yourself centered and grounded. It doesn't just explain to you the link between your brain and your body, or your mind and your physical performance, it goes the extra step to teach you how to identify your problem and work to correct it.