An Article On This Site Many Don't Agree With

[LastTwo]

I read an article on this site in the columns section, it had to do with "keeping your vision". Here is the piece of it that I am going to discuss:

"If you stay in the game while your opponent is shooting, you will already have a lot of work completed when you get a shot. Not paying attention or letting your mind wander while you are in the chair takes you out of the game and forces you to make every necessary decision about the rack when you come to the table for your turn. Also, keeping your focus on the table and the balls helps prevent the importance of the game from taking over your mind and facilitates your ability to manage the balls instead of trying to manage the pressure."

I can name a few professional players who have told me doing this or something similar in fashion is one of the worst things you can do while in a match. Ernesto Dominguez once told me, that during a match, while you are sitting in the chair and your opponent is running out, you must try to get your mind off of the game, but not focused on anything else. He told me what he does is he zones out, and counts backwards from 100. Jose Parica once told me that if you concentrate on the table while your opponent is shooting, it creates anxiety, and throws off your rythm. I agree with this 100%. After all, to see what type of pattern you must play to clear the table shouldn't take long at all. It's not like you really need all the extra time to see it while sitting in your chair. Keep your mind off the game, but on nothing else, and when it is your turn to shoot again, come back to the table refreshed, and take all the time you need to find a pattern. I personally feel that what the author who wrote this article describes as making bad decisions, is something that happens when you are feeling pressure from perhaps an audience watching you play. I used to do this, when there would be people watching me play in a tournament, I didn't want to take long to study the table, because I wanted to show off, as if seeing the patterns and position play came automatically and naturally in the blink of an eye. What do you think?

 

[r0ttie1]

I read an article on this site in the columns section, it had to do with "keeping your vision". Here is the piece of it that I am going to discuss:

"If you stay in the game while your opponent is shooting, you will already have a lot of work completed when you get a shot. Not paying attention or letting your mind wander while you are in the chair takes you out of the game and forces you to make every necessary decision about the rack when you come to the table for your turn. Also, keeping your focus on the table and the balls helps prevent the importance of the game from taking over your mind and facilitates your ability to manage the balls instead of trying to manage the pressure."

I can name a few professional players who have told me doing this or something similar in fashion is one of the worst things you can do while in a match. Ernesto Dominguez once told me, that during a match, while you are sitting in the chair and your opponent is running out, you must try to get your mind off of the game, but not focused on anything else. He told me what he does is he zones out, and counts backwards from 100. Jose Parica once told me that if you concentrate on the table while your opponent is shooting, it creates anxiety, and throws off your rythm. I agree with this 100%. After all, to see what type of pattern you must play to clear the table shouldn't take long at all. It's not like you really need all the extra time to see it while sitting in your chair. Keep your mind off the game, but on nothing else, and when it is your turn to shoot again, come back to the table refreshed, and take all the time you need to find a pattern. I personally feel that what the author who wrote this article describes as making bad decisions, is something that happens when you are feeling pressure from perhaps an audience watching you play. I used to do this, when there would be people watching me play in a tournament, I didn't want to take long to study the table, because I wanted to show off, as if seeing the patterns and position play came automatically and naturally in the blink of an eye. What do you think?

I agree with you. I try to ignore the game when my opponent is shooting with the exception of watching for fouls or anything out of the ordinary. The game is out of my control for as long as he is at the table, so I see no benefit of sweating what he does. I use the time to calm myself and try to prepare mentally for my next inning.

 

[BackPocket9Ball]

It depends upon what game you're playing. In 9-ball, I don't see much value in focusing on your opponent's run-outs.

In one pocket, however, I think that this is excellent advice because a lot of times, the first shot that jumps out at you is not the best one. If you've been studying the table layout while your opponent is at the table, then you will be able to be more productive and possibly more creative in your shot selection. One pocket, however, is not generally a game of run-outs.

 

[tonyk]

I'm no expert player myself, but I'll normally pay attention to the table when my opponent is shooting unless they are a very slow player.

If they are a very slow player, then I won't even look until I notice he's about to hit the cueball (to watch for fouls and such).

Not saying I'll go have a conversation with my buddy, but I'll watch another match or other players, etc.

 

[Bluewolf]

I agree with Last Two 95%. I do look for the opponents weaknesses but just a look out of the corner of my eye once tells me a lot and sometimes you can see it in between turns. You can see in their eyes, the body language what is going on with them. But then i am looking more for emotional weaknesses than skill weaknesses. I already know their skill pretty much, it is how they do under pressure, how they react emotionally to what the other player does that wins and loses matches often. So the peek I take is to gauge the mental aspects.

Generally, during the other players turn, I take this as an opportunity to get my brain quiet and relaxed.

Laura

 

[chefjeff]

I read an article on this site in the columns section, it had to do with "keeping your vision". Here is the piece of it that I am going to discuss:

"If you stay in the game while your opponent is shooting, you will already have a lot of work completed when you get a shot. Not paying attention or letting your mind wander while you are in the chair takes you out of the game and forces you to make every necessary decision about the rack when you come to the table for your turn. Also, keeping your focus on the table and the balls helps prevent the importance of the game from taking over your mind and facilitates your ability to manage the balls instead of trying to manage the pressure."

I can name a few professional players who have told me doing this or something similar in fashion is one of the worst things you can do while in a match. Ernesto Dominguez once told me, that during a match, while you are sitting in the chair and your opponent is running out, you must try to get your mind off of the game, but not focused on anything else. He told me what he does is he zones out, and counts backwards from 100. Jose Parica once told me that if you concentrate on the table while your opponent is shooting, it creates anxiety, and throws off your rythm. I agree with this 100%. After all, to see what type of pattern you must play to clear the table shouldn't take long at all. It's not like you really need all the extra time to see it while sitting in your chair. Keep your mind off the game, but on nothing else, and when it is your turn to shoot again, come back to the table refreshed, and take all the time you need to find a pattern. I personally feel that what the author who wrote this article describes as making bad decisions, is something that happens when you are feeling pressure from perhaps an audience watching you play. I used to do this, when there would be people watching me play in a tournament, I didn't want to take long to study the table, because I wanted to show off, as if seeing the patterns and position play came automatically and naturally in the blink of an eye. What do you think?

from Billiards Digest, October 1992, p. 78:

Willie Mosconi: "What did I think of sitting in the chair?--That I'd like to hit the other guy."

 

[JustPlay]

When I am playing well (full concentration and focus), I like to observe the other player at the table no matter what the game. By watching, I try to calculate where he might miss or play safe and them in my mind I try to calculate what I must do to run out or play safe. I am not really focused on him but I am focused on what I want to do when I get to the table.

 

[woody_968]

What works for some will not work for others, the trick is finding what works for you. Something similar was printed (I think in the Straight Pool Bible but I could be wrong) and it actually helped me. I dont really focus on the player, but I do focus on the table. When I do get a shot my mind is already in the game when I get to the table.

 

[Mike Templeton]

What works for some will not work for others, the trick is finding what works for you. Something similar was printed (I think in the Straight Pool Bible but I could be wrong) and it actually helped me. I dont really focus on the player, but I do focus on the table. When I do get a shot my mind is already in the game when I get to the table.

I agree that people hadle the situation differently. If you watch McCready or Alex, they seem to care less what is going on at the table. Other players seem to stare intently at the table like they are in a trance. I feel that whatever gets you through the other players inning at the table with the least anxiety is probably the best solution. Being able to focus when you get your turn back at the table seems ultimately what the main focus should be.

Mike

 

[Malice]

When I play against someone I don't know, I'll watch enough to judge how well they play. During APA matches, I'll watch other people playing on nearby tables. Or oftentimes, I ask a teammate to keep and eye on the game, and I'll wander around the bar/pool hall.

 

[know-nada]

I remember reading somewhere how Efrin loves (or used to love) watching amateur players because they often do unexpected things. Not that they know what they're doing or how they're doing it - but he likes recreating those shots and adds many different things into his pool playing arsenal. True lovers of the game are more driven by the overall interest to learn something and add to their own arsenal than worry about their opponent winning a match - there is a bigger picture. I would be willing to bet that someone like Ernesto Dominguez knows that he will win some and he will lose some - not always respective of one player playing better than the other. It is my opinion that when you are not at the table shooting, you are not in control of what happens at the table, but you are very much in control of your mental state. I think those who don't pay attention to the game that they have a significant investment in are really demonstrating that they cannot fully control their mental state sending a powerful message to their opponent that either they (the person who is at the table shooting) have the ability to have some influence on their opponent's game, or that the circumstances may weaken the mental state of the person sitting in the chair, etc... There are many good reasons to pay attention to your match while you're sitting in the chair - I can't think of many (other than the ones that hurt your ego) for not watching your match...

 

[Williebetmore]

I can't think of many (other than the ones that hurt your ego) for not watching your match...

I agree that if there is a shot clock, or if you are playing a complicated game like one pocket or 14.1 then it is usually desirable to study the table and maintain focus. I have found though that there are some situations where ignoring your opponent and the table can be quite valuable. In a long drawn out 9-ball tournament, where there is no shot clock, and your opponent is a slow playing, sharking SOB. It happens here every Sunday. I study the table, and when that is completed I start relaxing and looking elsewhere until it is my shot. Otherwise it is just too difficult to maintain intense concentration for 10-15 minutes while my opponent is making 3 or 4 easy balls. I find that it keeps me fresher mentally. It is good practice to learn how to get into focus quickly when it is your turn, and those 7 or 8 hour tournaments become much easier for me.

Another good reason to look away is if you are nervous during a match (though I don't really get nervous anymore), just look away and relax for a while; then when it is your shot, focus again and you probably will not be as nervous as before - it sure worked for me when I was just starting. The first burst of adrenaline (that is causing those shakes and fine tremors) is always more intense than subsequent bursts if you can just calm down once (a medical phenomenon known as tachyphylaxis).

The golfer Lee Trevino has the ability to joke around continuously between shots, but when it is his turn to play he turns on that intense concentration. It is not a technique for everyone, but it keeps him fresh and he enjoys playing much more as a result - its not a 5 or 6 hour grind for him, its just a walk in the park with a few moments of concentration every few minutes.

 

[Rude Dog]

The next time I play Ernesto in a tournament, I'm gonna ask him what number he got to after I hit him with a 6-pack, LOL. What works for me is probably not the best for everyone. I like to take a nap between innings, maybe get something to eat or drink, or even go home and watch some T.V. When I get back, I'm sure my opponent will tell me if he fouled during his 37 rack run for $200 a game. Right?

 

[LastTwo]

The next time I play Ernesto in a tournament, I'm gonna ask him what number he got to after I hit him with a 6-pack, LOL. What works for me is probably not the best for everyone. I like to take a nap between innings, maybe get something to eat or drink, or even go home and watch some T.V. When I get back, I'm sure my opponent will tell me if he fouled during his 37 rack run for $200 a game. Right?

Maybe if Ernesto ever gives you a chance to shoot! He doesn't do that often. Of course pay attention to what the player is doing, to watch for fouls, etc. The impression I got was that if you pay attention to the layout that your opponent is running out, you start thinking the common "coulda shoulda woulda" pattern that many pool players think about while sitting in their chair and regretting the mistake they made that let their opponent take control of the table. I recently won a fair-sized tournament, and while playing in my matches against the top guns I would stare blankly at the table watching them shoot, but I wasn't really watching. I was focusing on my breathing, etc. It really helped me stay in stroke the entire tournament. For example, I recently played the $5000 added USPPA tournament at Hollywood Park Casino in CA. My first round match, I drilled a 70 speed 6-0, I missed 2 balls the entire match. I was in dead stroke. In my next match, I played a guy who played terribly slow, and this threw me outta whack. My concentration was shot, and I was struggling to see patterns for 4 or 5 ball runs. What caused this? Me thinking about how damn slow my opponent was playing! It felt like every practice stroke of his 20 or so was a dagger in my heart. If I could have taken my mind off of him and how the match was slipping away, I'm sure I could have stayed in stroke and won.

 

[mjantti]

I think you should play against the table in run-out games such as 9-ball and 8-ball, IMHO there is hardly any way to gain an advantage on watching your opponent and his manners, if he's nervous etc. If he misses, then it's your turn, it's that simple.

But, in 1-pocket and straight pool you may choose shots depending the mood your opponent is on. If he's shaking and nervous, you might leave him long shots, do-or-die shots or make him more anxious playing safe all the time. Or in straight pool you might leave a long tough shot with cueball tight on the head cushion. If he's shaking, he will likely miss, but on dead stroke he will likely make the ball.

Sometimes if I find my opponent flying around the table and making everything, I start playing safe in a way that I'll leave the ball on, but rather safe. If my opponent feels he can make everything, he might try some ridiculous shots and if he starts missing those, he will soon realize that is a human being after all and return to normal stroke or even below it...

 

[sjm]

I think you should play against the table in run-out games such as 9-ball and 8-ball, IMHO there is hardly any way to gain an advantage on watching your opponent and his manners, if he's nervous etc. If he misses, then it's your turn, it's that simple.

Strongly disagree, mjantti. Some examples from 9-ball -

Push Out Tactics
Do you not consider opponent's abilities when you push? Do you play the same push-out against a weak player as you do against a strong player? Do you give the same shots back to both?

Offense/Defense Judgment
When the choice between playing offense and defense is close, don't you think about who your opponent is? A common rule of nine ball tactics is that when the decision is close, favor offense against a strong kicker and defense over a weak kicker. There are many similar principles in offense, defense, and when/whether you should play shots two ways or not. Even at the professional level, you often see players shy away from starting a safety battle with Reyes, often with good reason.

Opponent's Specific Preferences
Wouldn't you agree that when you duck, it's often OK to leave a short bank against a weak player, but the same tactic might be inadvisable against a player who banks well?

In short, if you're not playing your opponent at all in nine-ball, you're not maximizing your chance to win. Remember, even at the game's highest levels, the specific skills of your opoonents will vary quite a bit. Accurately sizing up your opponents will help you avoid playing into their strengths and will help you to exploit their weaknesses.