Performance (sports) Psychology Literature Suggestions

T

The_JV

'AZB_Combat Certified'
I've decided that my GenX methodology of mentally "sucking it up and dealing" isn't doing me any favours on the pool table anymore. Not sure if it's an age thing, but more and more I find myself actively attempting to push through doubt and just general mental noise during play. None of it has to do with specific shots, or opponents. Really just doubt in my ability to perform. Which is odd as I never had those issues before. I think I may just be heaping too much undue pressure on myself.

...So, I figured digging into some sports psychology may yield something of merit and help get my mental edge back. I'm sure this has been a topic on the forum before, and I did do a quick search before posting. Most of the hits were political NPR. Others seemed a tad outdated.

Does anyone have any suggestions on reading/audible material..? Personal reviews on their own experience falling down this rabbit hole..?

Thanks in advance.
 
'Inner Tennis'. Maybe the greatest sports psych. book ever written. Buy it. Applies to all games/sports. Another is a golf book by Bob Rotella called' Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect'. Great read on mental aspects.
 
The_JV said:
I've decided that my GenX methodology of mentally "sucking it up and dealing" isn't doing me any favours on the pool table anymore. Not sure if it's an age thing, but more and more I find myself actively attempting to push through doubt and just general mental noise during play. None of it has to do with specific shots, or opponents. Really just doubt in my ability to perform. Which is odd as I never had those issues before. I think I may just be heaping too much undue pressure on myself.

...So, I figured digging into some sports psychology may yield something of merit and help get my mental edge back. I'm sure this has been a topic on the forum before, and I did do a quick search before posting. Most of the hits were political NPR. Others seemed a tad outdated.

Does anyone have any suggestions on reading/audible material..? Personal reviews on their own experience falling down this rabbit hole..?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
With Winning in Mind by Lanny Basham
 
The_JV said:
I've decided that my GenX methodology of mentally "sucking it up and dealing" isn't doing me any favours on the pool table anymore. Not sure if it's an age thing, but more and more I find myself actively attempting to push through doubt and just general mental noise during play. None of it has to do with specific shots, or opponents. Really just doubt in my ability to perform. Which is odd as I never had those issues before. I think I may just be heaping too much undue pressure on myself.

...So, I figured digging into some sports psychology may yield something of merit and help get my mental edge back. I'm sure this has been a topic on the forum before, and I did do a quick search before posting. Most of the hits were political NPR. Others seemed a tad outdated.

Does anyone have any suggestions on reading/audible material..? Personal reviews on their own experience falling down this rabbit hole..?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Sports psyching. And a very old book called Psycho cybernetics
I should add, Sports psyching was indorced by snooker player Alex Higgins.


 
Last edited:
garczar said:
'Inner Tennis'. Maybe the greatest sports psych. book ever written. Buy it. Applies to all games/sports. Another is a golf book by Bob Rotella called' Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect'. Great read on mental aspects.
Click to expand...
Both GREAT recommendations. I'll add The Mental Game of Baseball to the mix.
 
middleofnowhere said:
Sports psyching. And a very old book called Psycho cybernetics

Click to expand...

This and 'The Inner Game of Tennis' are great starting points.

Stay away from 'The Pleasure of Small Motions'.

By the by, 'The Inner Game...' is used by a some pro sports coaches. It was recommended to me by the late Moya Tielens, world number one female foosball player, probably the best ever. Truly a once-in-a-generation talent.
 
I found The Inner Game of Tennis helpful. I also liked Pleasures of Small Motions.
 
Some call it hogwash, but I find the hypnosis audio helps me A LOT!
Try the free ones from Zen Billiards on YouTube. Listen to them with an open mind.
 
DeeDeeCues said:
This and 'The Inner Game of Tennis' are great starting points.

Stay away from 'The Pleasure of Small Motions'.

By the by, 'The Inner Game...' is used by a some pro sports coaches. It was recommended to me by the late Moya Tielens, world number one female foosball player, probably the best ever. Truly a once-in-a-generation talent.
Click to expand...
So what's wrong with Pleasure of Small Motions? Inquiring minds want to know...
 
garczar said:
'Inner Tennis'. Maybe the greatest sports psych. book ever written. Buy it. Applies to all games/sports. Another is a golf book by Bob Rotella called' Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect'. Great read on mental aspects.
Click to expand...
Both great books, Also Mark Wilson's " Play Great Pool" has the most practical guide to direct pool playing related sports psychology that you will find anywhere. A very recent addition is "Winning" by Tim Grover- you will peer right into the minds of the greatest in sports and understand how greats are made not just by physical abilities or skill levels, but as much if not more by how they think and act in competition.
 
The_JV said:
I've decided that my GenX methodology of mentally "sucking it up and dealing" isn't doing me any favours on the pool table anymore. Not sure if it's an age thing, but more and more I find myself actively attempting to push through doubt and just general mental noise during play. None of it has to do with specific shots, or opponents. Really just doubt in my ability to perform. Which is odd as I never had those issues before. I think I may just be heaping too much undue pressure on myself.

...So, I figured digging into some sports psychology may yield something of merit and help get my mental edge back. I'm sure this has been a topic on the forum before, and I did do a quick search before posting. Most of the hits were political NPR. Others seemed a tad outdated.

Does anyone have any suggestions on reading/audible material..? Personal reviews on their own experience falling down this rabbit hole..?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
"the Mental edge" by Kenneth Baum
 
The_JV said:
I've decided that my GenX methodology of mentally "sucking it up and dealing" isn't doing me any favours on the pool table anymore. Not sure if it's an age thing...
Click to expand...
There is zero doubt that older people have more nerves, less inherent confidence, and less need to compete and dominate, and there is almost nothing that can be done about it. If I recall correctly my perception of your age is that you are around that age where things change (for the worse of course) much more rapidly in all those departments so pretty good chance it is at least in part if not fully age related.

There are likely things you can do to improve your competitive psychology a bit, but you aren't going to change biology so it is only a question of how much better can you make those things than they currently are (and it may or may not be much), but you will never be able to get them as good as you could have when you were say 25 and at say age 40's you have to accept and deal with the fact that you have significantly changed/declined in more ways than the physical, it's just the way it is.
 
Concerns get more diffuse too. Sleep suffers. I think the missing zeal might be in the preparation. No matter the age, prep meets opportunity is still the rule.

I never put much stock in the mind books. They offer help in realms that have little to do with performance but soften the mindset to include stupid games. Get what you got going, going - and just run with it.

Now if the books start covering active "psychology" I could get interested but that would be a matter of curiosity and not anything performance related. lol...
 
rexus31 said:
Both GREAT recommendations. I'll add The Mental Game of Baseball to the mix.
Click to expand...
The Mental Game of Baseball is by far the best book I have read on the mental game. In addition to covering mental aspects such as visualization, concentration, relaxation and mental discipline, it also explains how you build a foundation for your mental game by building confidence through learning and preparation (all separate chapters in the book). Plus there are many interesting stories about pro baseball players who struggled with those issues.
 
Poolplaya9 said:
There is zero doubt that older people have more nerves, less inherent confidence, and less need to compete and dominate, and there is almost nothing that can be done about it. If I recall correctly my perception of your age is that you are around that age where things change (for the worse of course) much more rapidly in all those departments so pretty good chance it is at least in part if not fully age related.

There are likely things you can do to improve your competitive psychology a bit, but you aren't going to change biology so it is only a question of how much better can you make those things than they currently are (and it may or may not be much), but you will never be able to get them as good as you could have when you were say 25 and at say age 40's you have to accept and deal with the fact that you have significantly changed/declined in more ways than the physical, it's just the way it is.
Click to expand...
Interesting perspective. In your view at exactly what age does all this degradation start to happen? :unsure::ROFLMAO:
 
phreaticus said:
Interesting perspective. In your view at exactly what age does all this degradation start to happen? :unsure::ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
It's not a view, it is undisputed fact (this is basic psychology stuff), although as with everything else every individual is affected a little differently. I'm not sure on the precise age it starts on average but somewhere in the ballpark of very late 20's or 30 or so. In your 40's it is typical to notice much bigger changes in these things. Around that time either the cumulative affects have added up enough to make the changes more noticeable, the rate at which the changes are happening increases substantially, or most likely both.
 
phreaticus said:
So what's wrong with Pleasure of Small Motions? Inquiring minds want to know...
Click to expand...


Not the one you were asking but I will put my two-bits in since I too was less than overwhelmed by the pleasure of small motions. The first edition was about half the size of the second and any future editions and this section, called part one now I believe, is pretty strong as a stand alone tome. When a second edition was decided to print the writers decided they needed to offer more, more text if nothing else! Part two is largely a repeat of part one the best I recall. More importantly, it is focused on how to not lose rather than on how to win. There is a subtle difference between the two but I think a major difference for a competitor. How to not lose is a focus on how not to beat yourself, how to win is a focus on beating the other player.

I wasn't impressed by the book. However, I think I would have liked the first edition at the same price. To me, the second part smacks of fluff when they didn't really have much if anything left to say. My opinion, there should have been a stronger focus on winning, particularly in the second part. The first part should have taught us how to not beat ourselves, time to move on!

Hu
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top