Anyway out of the slump? Good advise from all experienced pool players appreciate it
- Thread starter Zeus
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check out tor lowrys stroke straightener drill. do that for couple hours. go back to fundamentals. works every time!
Go back to basics... Good fundamentals rock solid pre-shot routines reliable eye pattern. Message one of the instructors in the ask the instructor area. Many many smart people in there.
But for me if I am in a slump its always a failure in my fundamentals or my lifestyle. Not enough sleep eating wrong or lazy arrogant mindless or non existent practice. The solution is always to go back to basics. Can't go wrong with a strong foundation.
Most balls are missed before you hit the ball and usually we can feel our error before we hit the ball too.
But for me if I am in a slump its always a failure in my fundamentals or my lifestyle. Not enough sleep eating wrong or lazy arrogant mindless or non existent practice. The solution is always to go back to basics. Can't go wrong with a strong foundation.
Most balls are missed before you hit the ball and usually we can feel our error before we hit the ball too.
It sounds like you need to improve your concentration. To fix this, you need to find out why you are lacking concentration. Burnout can be a major cause and for this the only real cure is taking a break from the game for a while. Stress at work or home can also affect concentration, so, if possible, try to solve those issues as well.
When I hit a slump I find it is usually shortly after a stretch of really playing great. I find myself trying to overplay. That is to say that I start to think too much about playing a rack perfect and my pre shot routine goes to crap. I also find that my ball speed is way off when in a slump. I poke at balls rather than stroking the shot. I can usually get myself out of a slump like that by just going back to basics. I go through my routine and focus on ball speed. If it lasts longer I will go practice and line shots up and fire them in. Usually gets me loosened up enough where I quit overthinking the table and I can just play.
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Take two weeks off........ Then quit........ Just kidding.
A refocus on the basics is always good advice.
Another confidence builder is to set up relatively easy shots and fire them in. Hit them with inside, hit them with outside, follow them, draw them etc. Then after youve let your stroke out a bit, three balls in rotation. Focus on tightening up your position play. If you normally try to land in a general area, try to land on a sheet of paper. If youre beyond that, try to land on a bar napkin. You might not be able to, but it gives you something exact that youre trying to do.
Wailing at balls not trying to do very specific things can be counter productive. When youre practicing, never shoot shots without a very specific outcome in mind. The better you get at achieving those outcomes, the more your confidence will grow. This game is so much mental vs physical, its not funny.
Probably the best advice I was ever given was this.... If youre having a bad day and grinding it out, pack up your cues and go home. Do something that makes you happy. Dont focus on the negative stuff. Dont reinforce the feeling that you cant. Start fresh the next day and see if things dont go better for you.
Chuck
A refocus on the basics is always good advice.
Another confidence builder is to set up relatively easy shots and fire them in. Hit them with inside, hit them with outside, follow them, draw them etc. Then after youve let your stroke out a bit, three balls in rotation. Focus on tightening up your position play. If you normally try to land in a general area, try to land on a sheet of paper. If youre beyond that, try to land on a bar napkin. You might not be able to, but it gives you something exact that youre trying to do.
Wailing at balls not trying to do very specific things can be counter productive. When youre practicing, never shoot shots without a very specific outcome in mind. The better you get at achieving those outcomes, the more your confidence will grow. This game is so much mental vs physical, its not funny.
Probably the best advice I was ever given was this.... If youre having a bad day and grinding it out, pack up your cues and go home. Do something that makes you happy. Dont focus on the negative stuff. Dont reinforce the feeling that you cant. Start fresh the next day and see if things dont go better for you.
Chuck
The way out of a slump depends on the way in.
For example...
Sometimes a slump is mechanical in which case repetitions on the table making adjustments as needed is the cure.
Sometimes a big loss can create confidence issues. Take some time to get your confidence back. Practice stuff you feel confident in and feel every shot. Play easy outs over and over and get a feel for running out again.
Sometimes the slump is due to issues totally unrelated to the game. Deal with the issue so that you can regain your focus.
Or sometimes you may simply get burnt out in which case practice will do you no good. Take some time off and promise not to touch a table for like a week or perhaps more. During that time you are not allowed to play but you are allowed to think about your game and some new goals to work on. Enjoy your time off and have fun and then when you come back you need to write down your new goals on paper and then get back to work newly motivated.
For example...
Sometimes a slump is mechanical in which case repetitions on the table making adjustments as needed is the cure.
Sometimes a big loss can create confidence issues. Take some time to get your confidence back. Practice stuff you feel confident in and feel every shot. Play easy outs over and over and get a feel for running out again.
Sometimes the slump is due to issues totally unrelated to the game. Deal with the issue so that you can regain your focus.
Or sometimes you may simply get burnt out in which case practice will do you no good. Take some time off and promise not to touch a table for like a week or perhaps more. During that time you are not allowed to play but you are allowed to think about your game and some new goals to work on. Enjoy your time off and have fun and then when you come back you need to write down your new goals on paper and then get back to work newly motivated.
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Start with simple straight in shots. Object ball on the spot, cue ball near the side pocket.
Shoot it at least twenty times, or forty times. Just a gentle stroke, draw back maybe six inches.
Settle for just making it at first, then concentrate on putting the ball in a certain part of the pocket.
You may have to experiment with head position so the shot goes where you are looking. That's the key. Your arm and your eyes have to point at the same thing.
Then move the object ball so you are shooting progressively longer straight ins.
I practice these for at least an hour, ending up shooting the cue ball from the kitchen, object ball one diamond beyond the side pocket.
Work on your stroke until you can draw the ball back to the end rail.
Then shoot it with follow. Set it up with just enough angle so you don't follow it in. With a nice easy stoke you should be able to pocket the ball and get the cue ball back into the kitchen. Do that for at least an hour.
Then I set up a row of five or six balls three diamonds from the end rail, cue ball in the kitchen. I shoot them all into the same pocket. Use a touch of outside to spin the cue ball out of the corner, trying for perfect two rail shape for the next ball. More hours, then switch sides and shoot into the other corner.
I don't get bored, I see it as a challenge, and it will really get you in stroke. If you can, do this for a few days by yourself, staying out of tournaments or challenge matches, then come back and smoke the competition.
Shoot it at least twenty times, or forty times. Just a gentle stroke, draw back maybe six inches.
Settle for just making it at first, then concentrate on putting the ball in a certain part of the pocket.
You may have to experiment with head position so the shot goes where you are looking. That's the key. Your arm and your eyes have to point at the same thing.
Then move the object ball so you are shooting progressively longer straight ins.
I practice these for at least an hour, ending up shooting the cue ball from the kitchen, object ball one diamond beyond the side pocket.
Work on your stroke until you can draw the ball back to the end rail.
Then shoot it with follow. Set it up with just enough angle so you don't follow it in. With a nice easy stoke you should be able to pocket the ball and get the cue ball back into the kitchen. Do that for at least an hour.
Then I set up a row of five or six balls three diamonds from the end rail, cue ball in the kitchen. I shoot them all into the same pocket. Use a touch of outside to spin the cue ball out of the corner, trying for perfect two rail shape for the next ball. More hours, then switch sides and shoot into the other corner.
I don't get bored, I see it as a challenge, and it will really get you in stroke. If you can, do this for a few days by yourself, staying out of tournaments or challenge matches, then come back and smoke the competition.
Draw a chalk line between the center of top rail to bottom rail splitting the table in half, or use steady construction laser beam. Stand behind the line, and go down as if the shot is 100% straight up table on that line, and stay still no warm ups. Note how the shaft is lined up, the ideal stance is the line is splitting the shaft and butt, now do warm ups, does the shaft move on the line or crosses the line?? If you are not aligned hire an instructor to help you. Best of luck.
Lee Brit's instructions / DVD help a lot with this issue.
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