How to get out of a slump?

T

TheAggressor

Registered
Lately I have been in a slump. Basic shooting, banks, defensive shots, you name it and I have been messing it up. Basically I feel like I have the equivalence to writer's block but for a pool player, if that makes any sense. It's been going on for almost two months now and is becoming extremely frustrating.

Anyone else ever experience a long slump, and have recommendations on how to get out of it?
 
TheAggressor said:
Lately I have been in a slump. Basic shooting, banks, defensive shots, you name it and I have been messing it up. Basically I feel like I have the equivalence to writer's block but for a pool player, if that makes any sense. It's been going on for almost two months now and is becoming extremely frustrating.

Anyone else ever experience a long slump, and have recommendations on how to get out of it?
Click to expand...

Put your cue in your cue case and go do something else for a few days.
 
A long slump is

TheAggressor said:
Lately I have been in a slump. Basic shooting, banks, defensive shots, you name it and I have been messing it up. Basically I feel like I have the equivalence to writer's block but for a pool player, if that makes any sense. It's been going on for almost two months now and is becoming extremely frustrating.

Anyone else ever experience a long slump, and have recommendations on how to get out of it?
Click to expand...

A long slump is your fault. You are doing something, or not doing something to cause it. If you want out of it, you have to figure out what is causing it, then practice to make it go away.

Ive never had one I wasn't able to figure out eventually what caused it. Sounds like you haven't been playing all that long and don't know how to diagnose it.

More often that you might want to realize its just being in a hurry to complete the shot and not having a personal relationship with what you are doing.
 
336Robin said:
A long slump is your fault. You are doing something, or not doing something to cause it. If you want out of it, you have to figure out what is causing it, then practice to make it go away.
Ive never had one I wasn't able to figure out eventually what caused it. Sounds like you haven't been playing all that long and don't know how to diagnose it.
More often that you might want to realize its just being in a hurry to complete the shot and not having a personal relationship with what you are doing.
Click to expand...
A time proven way to get out of a slump.
#1 Stay out of action for about 5 days.
#2 Go to practice table and shoot anything you choose to shoot.
#3 DO AWAY WITH ALL PRACTICE STROKING.....like ZERO, NADA, NONE. (for 5 days)
#4 Just line the shots up and pull the trigger.
#5 You'll be out of that slump before you know it.
 
Last edited:
I think sometimes, just thinking "positive" gets you back in stroke.

I only play a few hours each Sunday, so I have to do something to make up for the long stretch between playing times.

I've played EXTREMELY well that last couple of Sundays and it came from something other than hitting balls. The only thing different I've done is put myself in a "positive" mood by consciously telling myself before I even got to the pool hall that I was going to play better.

When I started playing, I "forgot" about missing balls and my only thought when shooting was "making the shot (to include position)". I think if you get the "negative" thoughts out of your mind, it will let you concentrate on doing what you have to do.

Last week Sunday, I was getting out from everywhere and I thought I was doing good, but I played so well yesterday that I could have given myself a ball from last Sunday.

My usual playing partner is around my age and plays several days a week, but I was able to beat him at about a 4-5 to 1 game ratio yesterday and he spent most of his time watching.

I stayed "positive", stayed "inside" and stayed in line way more than I usually do. The only thing I can contribute it to is my "attitude". On every shot I just performed the basics and then delivered like I was thinking it in my "mind" before I ever got down on the ball.

Hope that keeps up.

Aloha.
 
I was in a slump and just started keeping records in a notebook of shots I missed and shape I did not play correctly. After that I found that my speed control on the cue ball was horrible, so I practiced speed control for a solid month, 2 hours a day. My slump has ended. Your needs may be different.

Video yourself shooting and look at the fundamentals. Stance, Stroke, and Bridge are usually a big issue. If you don't get those right, you will never be any good.
 
TheAggressor said:
Lately I have been in a slump. Basic shooting, banks, defensive shots, you name it and I have been messing it up. Basically I feel like I have the equivalence to writer's block but for a pool player, if that makes any sense. It's been going on for almost two months now and is becoming extremely frustrating.

Anyone else ever experience a long slump, and have recommendations on how to get out of it?
Click to expand...

You might start with getting one of your practice sessions on video. Just setup a tripod and recording device for about 30 minutes. Then take it home and see if you can spot anything mechanically that you're doing wrong. And/or show the video to someone else and see if they can spot it. If you're still stumped, seriously consider getting a lesson. A fresh set of quality eyes on your game is always a good thing.
 
DAVE_M said:
Put your cue in your cue case and go do something else for a few days.
Click to expand...

But don't stay too long away from the game.
Perhaps a couple weeks at most....

1) But make sure you clear/fix something in your personal life that could be
getting in the way of your concentration. (Think about what fast Eddie did in the
COM—he got new glasses, starting exercising, and realized that in order to
"get back in the game" he had to fix problems that were not related to the pool
game itself.

2) When you come back to playing. Respect the game. Be a student and appreciate
the fact that you have so much more to learn.

Take notes, learn from your mistakes, and you will have forgotten all about your
previous slump.

I truly believe that when a player starts playing pool at a young age,
they improve so quickly because their lives are often without things to worry about.

For those who take the game up at a later age (18-25yo) it takes a little longer to "get there" (whatever your "there" happens to be).

Just enjoy the journey, be patient, and understand it will take longer when you have a "life" other than pool.
 
TheAggressor said:
Lately I have been in a slump. Basic shooting, banks, defensive shots, you name it and I have been messing it up. Basically I feel like I have the equivalence to writer's block but for a pool player, if that makes any sense. It's been going on for almost two months now and is becoming extremely frustrating.

Anyone else ever experience a long slump, and have recommendations on how to get out of it?
Click to expand...
It happens to us all. You need one one of these:
 
HawaiianEye said:
I think sometimes, just thinking "positive" gets you back in stroke.
I only play a few hours each Sunday, so I have to do something to make up for the long stretch between playing times.
I've played EXTREMELY well that last couple of Sundays and it came from something other than hitting balls. The only thing different I've done is put myself in a "positive" mood by consciously telling myself before I even got to the pool hall that I was going to play better.
When I started playing, I "forgot" about missing balls and my only thought when shooting was "making the shot (to include position)". I think if you get the "negative" thoughts out of your mind, it will let you concentrate on doing what you have to do.
Last week Sunday, I was getting out from everywhere and I thought I was doing good, but I played so well yesterday that I could have given myself a ball from last Sunday.
My usual playing partner is around my age and plays several days a week, but I was able to beat him at about a 4-5 to 1 game ratio yesterday and he spent most of his time watching.
I stayed "positive", stayed "inside" and stayed in line way more than I usually do. The only thing I can contribute it to is my "attitude". On every shot I just performed the basics and then delivered like I was thinking it in my "mind" before I ever got down on the ball.
Hope that keeps up.
Aloha.
Click to expand...
I'm not trying to start a war here or a big back and forth deal....BUT
I've never believed in that positive or negative thinking stuff whatsoever.
The balls do not know or care how positive or negative you are. They're dumb inanimate objects and cannot think. The pool cue doesn't either and neither does the table.
The only thing that matters is lining up the shot correctly, knowing the angle the cue ball will travel after the hit, and then pulling the trigger. Merely doing the same things that have worked before over and over again.
That is the reason I like some kind of aiming system to line up the shot. If the stroke is adequate, the ball goes in the pocket.
I call it being cold blooded ruthless and relying on the mechanics instead of some voo-doo about positive thinking.
Just my opinion...:)
 
GoldenFlash said:
I'm not trying to start a war here or a big back and forth deal....BUT
I've never believed in that positive or negative thinking stuff whatsoever.
The balls do not know or care how positive or negative you are. They're dumb inanimate objects and cannot think. The pool cue doesn't either and neither does the table.
The only thing that matters is lining up the shot correctly, knowing the angle the cue ball will travel after the hit, and then pulling the trigger. Merely doing the same things that have worked before over and over again.
That is the reason I like some kind of aiming system to line up the shot. If the stroke is adequate, the ball goes in the pocket.
I call it being cold blooded ruthless and relying on the mechanics instead of some voo-doo about positive thinking.
Just my opinion...:)
Click to expand...

To each, their own.

I happen to believe that once you learn the fundamentals and know how to shoot, then how you play is more mental than physical.

I've played for a half a century and I think I have more than adequate knowledge of how a shot should be executed...whether I do it or not, is incumbent upon me.

I've made almost every ball on the table at one time or another and I know I have the physical skills to still do it, but sometimes I don't . I've made many shots thousands upon thousands of times. So why don't I do it all the time? The majority of my errors are mental...it isn't due to not knowing which is the correct shot and executing it.

If you don't "think you can do it" in your mind, then I think your subconscious can take over and actually "do it", if you can suppress the "negative" thoughts.

I remember something that I think was attributed to Luther Lassiter when someone asked him if he wanted to practice before a match. He responded with something like, "No, why? I already know how to play".

Other than being totally screwed up as far as stance, stroke, lining up incorrectly, etc., you aren't going to fix that with your "mind"...you need to fix that with your physical being.

Lots of times, I go into the pool hall and run a rack or two of 9-ball right off the bat without ever hitting a ball beforehand.

I don't want to debate the mental game, because everyone has different beliefs. My belief is to do whatever makes "ME" play the best. If that helps anyone else, it is upon them to try it to find out.

Aloha
 
I agree with HawaiianEye. It doesn't take a lot to slide into a bad habit. One minute, you are shooting your best, the next minute...

I always thought for myself, it was two things; the balance between modest/cocky and being accurately self aware. then use that as feedback to gain confidence and improve
 
Play some One Pocket

TheAggressor said:
Lately I have been in a slump. Basic shooting, banks, defensive shots, you name it and I have been messing it up. Basically I feel like I have the equivalence to writer's block but for a pool player, if that makes any sense. It's been going on for almost two months now and is becoming extremely frustrating.

Anyone else ever experience a long slump, and have recommendations on how to get out of it?
Click to expand...

Play some One Pocket, that will shake things loose.
 
Pool, like any other endeavor does not progress in a straight line. Our level of play can more accurately be viewed as progressing from plateau to plateau. Simply put, you are currently stuck on a plateau. The only successful way to move from one plateau to the next is to play, and practice, but bear in mind that as we get better the plateaus become larger and moving from one to another becomes increasingly more difficult.
Note the accompanying chart for clarification. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top