Concentration! How do the best do this?

[Bobkitty]

It seems the better I play, total concentration is my key. And when concentration is lacking, I play poorly. Pool takes a lot of it for 2-3 hours. But, in my life, I never have to do it except in pool play. Driving doesn't do it, TV doesn't do it, etc. I think it is more important than a great stroke. Has anyone found the secret way?

 

[Black-Balled]

It seems the better I play, total concentration is my key. And when concentration is lacking, I play poorly. Pool takes a lot of it for 2-3 hours. But, in my life, I never have to do it except in pool play. Driving doesn't do it, TV doesn't do it, etc. Has anyone found the secret way?

Bet more?!?!?!?

 

[WoodyMPW]

Adderall for some. Pot for others.

 

[evergruven]

It seems the better I play, total concentration is my key. And when concentration is lacking, I play poorly. Pool takes a lot of it for 2-3 hours. But, in my life, I never have to do it except in pool play. Driving doesn't do it, TV doesn't do it, etc. I think it is more important than a great stroke. Has anyone found the secret way?

excellent post- the mental aspect of pool, and honestly, a lot of other things, seems to be underrated.

there are definitely many ways to improve this, but ultimately I think it comes down to the old quote: "the more I practice, the luckier I get" :grin:

seriously, two or so years ago, I was doing my first bca league playing 8-ball, my opponent was vastly more experienced than I, and we engaged in a lengthy safety battle..I got through it, but remember feeling mentally drained afterward, because I'd never had to think so much about a pool game!
fast-forward to now, and not only is my safety-stamina much-improved, but I've found that I actually enjoy a long game! so what was challenging before, I now find to be a pleasurable experience.

and of course the same concentration is required to make balls, and get good position.
so, practice. in pool, in life- even if you're just reading a book, or watching the tube, try to really pay attention to what's going on, and you'll probably get more out of it.
a lot of folks think that meditation is some kooky hippie stuff, and it is, but it's also just living in the moment and not being so distracted. eliminating distractions is a great way to focus.

believe me, I know it's not an easy thing to do, but if you just do a little bit here and there, it'll add up! "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"-

good luck :thumbup:

 

[Bobkitty]

excellent post- the mental aspect of pool, and honestly, a lot of other things, seems to be underrated.

there are definitely many ways to improve this, but ultimately I think it comes down to the old quote: "the more I practice, the luckier I get" :grin:

seriously, two or so years ago, I was doing my first bca league playing 8-ball, my opponent was vastly more experienced than I, and we engaged in a lengthy safety battle..I got through it, but remember feeling mentally drained afterward, because I'd never had to think so much about a pool game!
fast-forward to now, and not only is my safety-stamina much-improved, but I've found that I actually enjoy a long game! so what was challenging before, I now find to be a pleasurable experience.

and of course the same concentration is required to make balls, and get good position.
so, practice. in pool, in life- even if you're just reading a book, or watching the tube, try to really pay attention to what's going on, and you'll probably get more out of it.
a lot of folks think that meditation is some kooky hippie stuff, and it is, but it's also just living in the moment and not being so distracted. eliminating distractions is a great way to focus.

believe me, I know it's not an easy thing to do, but if you just do a little bit here and there, it'll add up! "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"-

good luck :thumbup:

Great post. In my life, I just do not concentrate about anything any more since being retired, except for pool. Even in the chair, it requires concentration. And for 2,3,4 hours, it gets tougher. A pro golfer can let his mind relax between shots while he's walking or letting others play, but in pool it's constant.

 

[ShootingArts]

Shifting Gears

Great post. In my life, I just do not concentrate about anything any more since being retired, except for pool. Even in the chair, it requires concentration. And for 2,3,4 hours, it gets tougher. A pro golfer can let his mind relax between shots while he's walking or letting others play, but in pool it's constant.

I hadn't been playing too many years when I tangled with Old Joe on a challenge table. Joe was in his seventies or eighties and was s-l-o-w! Slow out of his chair, slow to shoot, he shot super slow. I think every ball he shot rolled down the bevel into the pocket. Joe could run out and if he did it might be ten minutes or more of slow torture!

When Joe would miss I would jump out of my chair I had been sitting on the edge of waiting to pounce! Overeager and overaggressive I would either miss or miss shape and the torture began all over. I was a better player than Joe, except when I was playing Joe! He owned me for two or three months. Finally I learned to lean back in the chair, physically relax, and watch Joe as a mildly interested observer instead of sitting there wired. All the difference in the world, Joe never beat me again. Learning to shift gears and rest in the chair made me thousands in the coming years I am sure.

Another difference, many people try to play with narrow focus or concentration, blocking out everything but the shot. Some very knowledgeable people have recommended this in books. I found that when doing that sure as hell there would be one voice or one sound that would cut through my focus like a buzz saw! I learned instead to focus on what I was doing on the table while letting the noise and activity around me flow through me. Accepting the things around me and doing my thing anyway makes me almost shark proof, accidental or intentional.

I hope this helps or is at least food for thought. I also agree with an above post, concentration can be practiced. Mental exercises can be found or make up your own. Count down from bigger and bigger numbers by three, seven, or nine. See how many names or words you can think of that start or end with a particular letter. I am sure there are plenty of other ideas out there.

Good Luck,
Hu

 

[evergruven]

Great post. In my life, I just do not concentrate about anything any more since being retired, except for pool. Even in the chair, it requires concentration. And for 2,3,4 hours, it gets tougher. A pro golfer can let his mind relax between shots while he's walking or letting others play, but in pool it's constant.

well, you don't want to waste energy trying to be on point all the time, either- you can burn out that way! I hear ya tho. pool is pretty constant, but there is time in between shots- use it.

breathe- whatever your pre-shot routine is, let that also be a time where you can kind of reset, and get ready for the next shot.

and look at each shot not with too much pressure or dread of what could happen if you miss, etc.- if you miss, you miss, but you can even learn from that to do better next time.
but if you go into the shot with too much worry, negativity, etc., you're making it hard on yourself to succeed.
don't forget, every shot is a new opportunity, a chance to do something positive, and get closer to where you want to be.

we all go at our own pace. take your time, and you'll find out what works for you :thumbup:

 

[couldnthinkof01]

Iirc the inner game of tennis relates it to tying your shoes.
When your a child you have to think about every movement,
it’s hard and takes time. After 1,000,000 repetitions it takes no
thought or effort.
Maybe this is why Willie and co. Can run so many balls while I’m
burned out after 3 racks.
I will second your meditation idea it takes daily practice and does help me.

The secret? Time, reps, knowledge, repeat until automatic?
I wouldn’t know, I don’t work hard enough at it.

 

[Black-Balled]

And why do you play, anyway?

Likely for enjoyment, like the rest of us.

I'd guess approaching it with a hyper focus for long periods of time woul not be fun.

And on the topic of fun, why would you think you are gonna play for 4 hours at a clip?

 

[Doctor_J]

that's what the pros have most over the top-flight amateurs and so on down the line. The Snooker players in particular with their 4-hour matches and high stakes (no wins - no groceries) must have truly astounding powers of concentration. Our hall usually has godawful music blaring at 90 dB - the same songs every night, two nights a week for the 8 years I've been in the leagues - and I win when I can tune that out.

Here is what I do
1. Don't hold your cue while sitting. When opp misses, my first act to get into my inning is to take
4-5 seconds to fetch my cue from the counter and tune out the music.

2. Take up to 15 seconds or so (no more) to make a general plan for the entire inning. Plan on what
will come on the shots before dealing with the trouble spots (clusters and hidden balls)

3. When it's time to shoot, concentrate on what the table will look like two shots down the road,
maybe three, then get over the next shot.

that is pretty much it. I try to keep it simple. Good luck.

 

[Doctor_J]

[Adderall/Pot]

Funny you should mention that. I had some dental work done a couple years ago and was prescribed way more Oxy than I needed. I tried taking a small dose (1/2 tablet) an hr before shooting and found I was dialed in at a very high level in that condition.

"You take drugs, Danny?"
"Every Day"
"Good"

 

[ChrisinNC]

It seems the better I play, total concentration is my key. And when concentration is lacking, I play poorly. Pool takes a lot of it for 2-3 hours. But, in my life, I never have to do it except in pool play. Driving doesn't do it, TV doesn't do it, etc. I think it is more important than a great stroke. Has anyone found the secret way?

Having a rock solid pre-shot routine that puts you in that zone of 100% concentration before every shot is absolutely critical to get the most consistent performance out of your game.

 

[Bobkitty]

that's what the pros have most over the top-flight amateurs and so on down the line. The Snooker players in particular with their 4-hour matches and high stakes (no wins - no groceries) must have truly astounding powers of concentration. Our hall usually has godawful music blaring at 90 dB - the same songs every night, two nights a week for the 8 years I've been in the leagues - and I win when I can tune that out.

Here is what I do
1. Don't hold your cue while sitting. When opp misses, my first act to get into my inning is to take
4-5 seconds to fetch my cue from the counter and tune out the music.

2. Take up to 15 seconds or so (no more) to make a general plan for the entire inning. Plan on what
will come on the shots before dealing with the trouble spots (clusters and hidden balls)

3. When it's time to shoot, concentrate on what the table will look like two shots down the road,
maybe three, then get over the next shot.

that is pretty much it. I try to keep it simple. Good luck.

Great post. I'll try it.

 

[garczar]

It seems the better I play, total concentration is my key. And when concentration is lacking, I play poorly. Pool takes a lot of it for 2-3 hours. But, in my life, I never have to do it except in pool play. Driving doesn't do it, TV doesn't do it, etc. I think it is more important than a great stroke. Has anyone found the secret way?

Go buy this book, " Inner Tennis" by Timothy Galwey. Applies to ANY sport. Maybe the best book ever on mental aspects of sport.

 

[Bobkitty]

Go buy this book, " Inner Tennis" by Timothy Galwey. Applies to ANY sport. Maybe the best book ever on mental aspects of sport.

Just ordered it. I've read it 30 years ago but need it again.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

It seems the better I play, total concentration is my key. And when concentration is lacking, I play poorly. Pool takes a lot of it for 2-3 hours. But, in my life, I never have to do it except in pool play. Driving doesn't do it, TV doesn't do it, etc. I think it is more important than a great stroke. Has anyone found the secret way?

My "focus trigger" is to focus intently on where I want my tip to contact the CB - after I'm down but before I start any warmup strokes. That reliably narrows my attention to the shot at hand.

I also like a couple of tokes when practicing, but that's a double-edged sword: it helps me focus, but I don't want to depend on it for that.

pj <- not (yet) the best
chgo

 

[LowRight]

The Inner Game of Tennis is a good one and you'll get a lot out of it. But pool, like golf, is a very different game in that you are not reacting to something (like a ball in motion).

My favorite mental game book by far is Pleasures of Small Motions by Bob Fancher. I like the original, shorter book better than the follow up. It's available at Amazon.

Original: http://a.co/d/ctPDJ0X

Follow Up: http://a.co/d/8MlXWX8

 

[Patrick Johnson]

My favorite mental game book by far is Pleasures of Small Motions by Bob Fancher.

I like it too, especially its central message: focus on the process, not the outcome (this shot, not the game).

pj
chgo

 

[mikemosconi]

Having a rock solid pre-shot routine that puts you in that zone of 100% concentration before every shot is absolutely critical to get the most consistent performance out of your game.

I would agree 100% with the above statement- Concentration is achieved within the rock solid, repeatable, pre shot routine to 1. sight the shot, 2.decide on stroke to be used ( follow, draw,etc.) 3.english to be used and resulting aiming compensation if using right or left ( object ball throw and deflection). this should all become almost automatic, but every shot requires a thought process that can be reduced to seconds on the clock- BUT it MUST be fully completed and COMMITTED in the pre shot routine PRIOR to being in your shooting position - that is your CONCENTRATION methodology- NEXT comes FOCUS on the shot and that is also a repeatable process unique to YOU- may be as simple as ONE, TWO and stroke - but it should be close as possible to the same on EVERY shot.
Great play requires both concentration and focus that is consistent, repeatable and achieved with a consistent rhythmic approach - it will keep you in dead stroke more often and also keep you out of the pitfalls of over thinking and under achieving according to your highest ability level. Most players who get stuck at shortstop levels either do not understand these concepts or do not apply them consistently- you CAN and Should make these your primary goals in practice once you know how to pocket most makable shots.

 

[Bobkitty]

I would agree 100% with the above statement- Concentration is achieved within the rock solid, repeatable, pre shot routine to 1. sight the shot, 2.decide on stroke to be used ( follow, draw,etc.) 3.english to be used and resulting aiming compensation if using right or left ( object ball throw and deflection). this should all become almost automatic, but every shot requires a thought process that can be reduced to seconds on the clock- BUT it MUST be fully completed and COMMITTED in the pre shot routine PRIOR to being in your shooting position - that is your CONCENTRATION methodology- NEXT comes FOCUS on the shot and that is also a repeatable process unique to YOU- may be as simple as ONE, TWO and stroke - but it should be close as possible to the same on EVERY shot.
Great play requires both concentration and focus that is consistent, repeatable and achieved with a consistent rhythmic approach - it will keep you in dead stroke more often and also keep you out of the pitfalls of over thinking and under achieving according to your highest ability level. Most players who get stuck at shortstop levels either do not understand these concepts or do not apply them consistently- you CAN and Should make these your primary goals in practice once you know how to pocket most makable shots.

Great advice. Thanks