How Many Players Here Focus on 1 or 2 Keys During Your Pre-Shot Routine??

I’m not a good player but I used to try and work on my setup for the shot. Nowadays I just play pool. I have sort of a PSR I guess but I don’t think about it.

I have made a notebook over the past 30 years of anything and everything related to the shooting sequence as I made discoveries about my game via competitive situations, professional instruction, in- person and video views of great players, my own practice sessions and videos, pool related books, and articles.

Over time I constantly consolidated this information; and through trial and error, found what I felt were the keys to my greatest success at the table.

Until I retired two years ago- I worked and traveled for work full time plus, so I never could play enough, even with a home table, to become completely automatic in the religious repetition to incorporate on EVERY shot situation what I had believed worked best for me.

Now, in retirement, and thankfully very healthy of mind and body, I have really focused on narrowing down the few MUST DO practices that make me the most consistent at my highest potential as a player.

For me, those must have practices all revolve around the final pre shot routine and the moments of final focus prior to letting the cue stick go through my bridge hand. Max Eberle wrote an article several years ago that has a few lines that became my biblical pool mantra - a direct quote:

" At the moment you cue tip is contacting the cue ball, you must still be present fundamentally ( secure bridge hand and loose grip hand) AND visually (focus on object ball) in order to pocket the ball while you deliver the chosen stroke. It is your INTERNAL SENSE that must be focused on controlling the cue ball. You must deliver your stroke every time just like you KNOW the object ball is going in the pocket"

That's it for me- no other thoughts or distractions in those final moments. I have my very own aiming "system" that I trust completely - and that gives me my final focus point - so it is timing and rhythm that orchestrate all of the above - and then the key is to repeat over and over until the table is cleared.

ChrisinNC said:

I think I can safely make the statement that most all of us on here who love the game and play regularly are constantly tinkering in our attempts to improve our games. Seems like I'm always working on some stroke thought or fundamental key that I have in mind when I'm preparing to play a shot - Hoping that key will get me in to more consistent shot execution. These keys come to me as revelations and they always vary. I often feel like I've found something, and sometimes it sticks to improve my game for a spell, but more often times it doesn't.

Just curious how many players on here who play / practice at least 2-3 times a week and who regularly compete in some level of competition - be it a heads up serious matchup with another player, a weekly pool room tournament or whatever, are constantly searching and experimenting with a stroke or fundamental key thought that they use during their play, in an attempt to improve their play?

I'm guessing for high level players, these thoughts and tweaks are worked out and drilled in to them during long regular practice sessions to the point that once in competition, they happen naturally / subconsciously for them, without them even having to think about it any more. That would be nice.

Is it possible to play really good pool - close to your full potential when you are still having these key thoughts on your mind during your pre-shot routine and have yet to ingrain them to the point that you don't have to think about them anymore? My hunch is it's possible to focus on one key change in your thought process during your PSR, but if you attempt to think of 2 or 3 things you're changing, then you most likely don't have a chance. I guess this last question is directed more at our instructor members who post and read here but all opinions are welcome. - Thanks

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Lou Figueroa

You can only play great when you really focus. Really good players understand that and so they do.
But you cannot mentally lockdown & concentrate if there’s too many thoughts circulating in your head.

The challenge is to play with nothing new in mind, to just pay attention to your stroke and how it feels.
At the most, you should only contemplate, judge or adjust one thing about your stroke while you play.

If you discover yourself thinking about your stroke in an important match, you just turned it into practice.
It’s during practice you can afford to analyze or change your stroke, stance, grip, etc.,, not when it counts.

I usually have 2-3 swing thoughts in my PSR. Things like "Enjoy", or "Deep breath", or "Trusting stroke".

The goal is to be in the moment and absorbed with the experience. It's not so important what you focus on, as long as you're focused. This happens naturally at times, but when it's not happening naturally it's nice to have something to meditate on.

This is not to be confused with trying to analytically control precise parts of your shot which are best left to your body. Repeating things like "follow through" as a command is disaster, whereas if you were just meditating on enjoying the "smooth swing" that could be ok.

Maybe as many as 8 - 12 elements depending on shot. Just what I do, may not be right for you.

FYI I most play One Pockets, so the game is slow anyway.

ChrisinNC said:

I think I can safely make the statement that most all of us on here who love the game and play regularly are constantly tinkering in our attempts to improve our games. Seems like I'm always working on some stroke thought or fundamental key that I have in mind when I'm preparing to play a shot - Hoping that key will get me in to more consistent shot execution. These keys come to me as revelations and they always vary. I often feel like I've found something, and sometimes it sticks to improve my game for a spell, but more often times it doesn't.

Just curious how many players on here who play / practice at least 2-3 times a week and who regularly compete in some level of competition - be it a heads up serious matchup with another player, a weekly pool room tournament or whatever, are constantly searching and experimenting with a stroke or fundamental key thought that they use during their play, in an attempt to improve their play?

I'm guessing for high level players, these thoughts and tweaks are worked out and drilled in to them during long regular practice sessions to the point that once in competition, they happen naturally / subconsciously for them, without them even having to think about it any more. That would be nice.

Is it possible to play really good pool - close to your full potential when you are still having these key thoughts on your mind during your pre-shot routine and have yet to ingrain them to the point that you don't have to think about them anymore? My hunch is it's possible to focus on one key change in your thought process during your PSR, but if you attempt to think of 2 or 3 things you're changing, then you most likely don't have a chance. I guess this last question is directed more at our instructor members who post and read here but all opinions are welcome. - Thanks

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Hi Chris

Hope all is well.

Remember that in Pool School we taught you 3 Routines, not just one.

THINK
SEE
DO

randyg

I don't play all that great but I have
simplified my process over the years.

During my best play my mind is empty.
Usually comes after playing several
hours or days in a row(with some sleep in between )

Under pressure when the thoughts try to creep
in, I say 2 things to myself.
Get on the line
Put a good stroke on it

That is all you can do.

I wish I could say I have a built in preshot routine but I don't. Oddly when I first started back after an absence I wasnt at easy with any shot. I decided to play a tournament anyway. In that tournament I rarely if ever looked at the cueball when getting down and never during 2 warm up strokes. On the third stroke I hit each ball.
I played way better than I would have ever guessed and beat 3 guys that are better then me for sure. After playing more it seemed I started getting lost in a PSR and it totally went away.

I just got a table at home and am going to try and work on a PSR for sure.

ChrisinNC said:

Is it possible to play really good pool - close to your full potential when you are still having these key thoughts on your mind during your pre-shot routine and have yet to ingrain them to the point that you don't have to think about them anymore? My hunch is it's possible to focus on one key change in your thought process during your PSR, but if you attempt to think of 2 or 3 things you're changing, then you most likely don't have a chance. I guess this last question is directed more at our instructor members who post and read here but all opinions are welcome. - Thanks

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I have used key thoughts successfully in competition. The scenario would be that I was not confident and or comfortable.

In the Nortwest BCAPL regionals I was playing on equipment (7 foot Diamonds) that I had very little time on. I used the thought “baby bird”, to relax my grip, calm me and remind me a delicate touch was required. I remember that particular thought because it carried me to 1st place in the Seniors 9 ball.

My current swing though is, my ring finger is the trigger finger and start the stroke pulling the trigger.

In practice I constantly monitor my form. I use many thoughts to remind me of my flaws.

In competition I only look for a key thought when things aren’t working. If I am in dead punch the solving of the rack gets my consciousness.

No.

I’ve played for 51 years. In normal times play pool twice a week and snooker once. Unaffiliated leagues and nobody has any type of ranking. We just enjoy ourselves.

My concentration is on my opponent and table strategy. I’m not a ‘great’ player but no issue potting balls. If a doubt about a shot, I play a safety or whatever. I rarely miss and, when I do, it’s likely not to do with some absence of concentration. I actually have learned ‘not’ to think or dwell on misses.

If you watch pro snooker players, They are almost robotic in their approach to be table, stroke, etc. I’’m like that for the most part whether playing pool or snooker. No technique thoughts ...more thinking like when I play chess. After decades of playing I win most of my games because of table wisdom and not always being the better technical player. I actually don’t see many players getting any better after playing 3 or 4 years...They get smarter. They win tournaments at age 25. If still winning at 45 thrn perhaps ‘marginally’ better at physical skills. After a few years of playing, especially on an an American table, one shouldn’t need to concentrate on making shots...the concentration should be on ‘what’ shot and what next, the psychology of your opponent, table conditions, etc.

I have found I play better when I don’t think and just do. I play one pocket so once I’ve decided on the shot it helps to just execute. When I think about it too much I usually screw up. Anyone else like that? It seems most around here try way harder than I do. I guess that’s why I never win.

i just try andget down in a way i dont feel awkward at all for zero distraction
but im not a good player

Geosnooker said:

My concentration is on my opponent and table strategy.

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I actually have learned ‘not’ to think or dwell on misses.

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After a few years of playing, especially on an an American table, one shouldn’t need to concentrate on making shots...the concentration should be on ‘what’ shot and what next, the psychology of your opponent, table conditions, etc.

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Bam, bam, and bam.... drop mic, end thread...

I play my best when I stop thinking once I address the shot. When I explain my playing mentality to people I describe it as the "General / Corporal" approach. When I'm standing up and running through my PSR, I wear the hat of the General. Once I address the ball, I'm simply following orders. No thought, just do...

However I also have only two gears... The 1st, is care free and indifferent. During which my wheels are always spinning during the shot in an effort to make things as entertaining as possible. The 2nd, is the competitive "step on your throat mode". Wherein everything is calculated, the General is fully in charge, and my goal is to shatter my opponents will.

When I returned to league play a couple of years ago. There were only a handful of regulars that knew me. The chatter from the masses, was how intense I would get when addressing the next shot regardless of the difficulty. Every shot for me while in 2nd gear is the last nine ball in the world championships.

Texas Carom Club said:

i just try andget down in a way i dont feel awkward at all for zero distraction
but im not a good player

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That ain't true. I know. You beat me.

Z-Nole said:

That ain't true. I know. You beat me.

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like 2 to 20
a broken clock is still right twice a day

a quiet mind

We perform our best physically with a quiet mind. Sometimes I have to give a shot with a tricky path to a leave a good bit of thought and I may take awhile to settle on just how I want to shoot. Once decided, it would be nice if the conscious just shut the hell up, it's job is done! Sometimes it isn't cooperating though and that is when I might take a dozen practice strokes. Not shooting until these verbal thoughts quieten down.

Focusing on one thing is better than focusing on multiple things or thinking about the light bill when you are down on a shot. It can be the gateway to thinking about nothing, which again, is the ideal. We can't always clear our minds but we can always narrow our focus. My most likely word when my mind won't shut up is smooth. Smooth down to the table, smooth backstroke, smooth transition, smooth forward acceleration. If I do these things I won't miss many balls.

Hu

Currently I am focusing on eye contact and movement. I found I was not spending enough time focusing on the contact point prior to looking at the CB then when I went back to the OB to shoot I wasn't 100% locked into the contact point. Now, I go back and forth a couple of times to ensure I have the contact point and then go from CB to OB focusing on stroke and follow through.

Seems to have helped as I'm not missing certain shots as much.