Becoming a Clutch Player
- Thread starter mszelis
- Start date
Pleasures of Small Motions or Inner Game of Tennis.
Handling pressure is learned experience. Your body will want to reject foreign experiences with pressure and you have to be committed to subjecting yourself to the right level of pressure again and again (i.e. tournaments and gambling).
There are certainly many other elements that can help you better handle pressure. Good fundamentals would seem to be a no brainer. Solid fundamental players seem to not break down under pressure and dog their stance/bridge/stroke etc.
Establishing good rhythm and routine at the table also helps. Having a good grasp and execution of these two factors makes the body more comfortable with the process of shooting balls under pressure.
There are certainly many other elements that can help you better handle pressure. Good fundamentals would seem to be a no brainer. Solid fundamental players seem to not break down under pressure and dog their stance/bridge/stroke etc.
Establishing good rhythm and routine at the table also helps. Having a good grasp and execution of these two factors makes the body more comfortable with the process of shooting balls under pressure.
Practicing and shooting pool so much that all shots become second nature. I noticed that some of my opponents take a really long time shooting the 9-ball and they never miss it...take a little more time on the money ball, it's working for me too.
"Choking" is called "choking" because, like choking, it is the loss of conscious control over one's body. In competitive situations, choking is always caused by mental clutter. The mind is distracted from what the body is doing, and loses control over the body's actions.
Learn about kyudo, or Zen archery. Kyudo's principles are transferable, point by point, to pool. Practice pool as a means to polish your mind and eliminate mental clutter, not as a competitive activity. You will then ignore the score, the crowd, the TV cameras, the prize money, etc.; they are all illusions. Only one's mind, body, and spirit are real. The goal of one's life is their unification in satori.
Learn about kyudo, or Zen archery. Kyudo's principles are transferable, point by point, to pool. Practice pool as a means to polish your mind and eliminate mental clutter, not as a competitive activity. You will then ignore the score, the crowd, the TV cameras, the prize money, etc.; they are all illusions. Only one's mind, body, and spirit are real. The goal of one's life is their unification in satori.
When in a pressure situation, I look at every ball as the money ball. And tell myself I need to make this ball and get position to the next ball because, If i dont, i will loose.
The other thing is to practice, being able to run out from anywhere on the table with 3/4 or 5 balls on the table. If you can do that consistantly then that is another step.
Being able to make those last 3 or 4 balls on the table, all the time everytime, is a big deal. Most guys get to the last 3 or 4 balls and the table is wide open so they get sloppy with thier position and how they play the table.
The other thing is to practice, being able to run out from anywhere on the table with 3/4 or 5 balls on the table. If you can do that consistantly then that is another step.
Being able to make those last 3 or 4 balls on the table, all the time everytime, is a big deal. Most guys get to the last 3 or 4 balls and the table is wide open so they get sloppy with thier position and how they play the table.
Dhakala said:
To be a good pressure player, you must be able to have a deep focus only on the task at hand. This is extremely important. The body follows the mind. You must believe 100% that you will succeed. Success breeds success.
Developing solid fundamentals will be beneficial in times of stress and pressure. Your subconscience will take over.
The best way to avoid mental clutter is to fill your mind with positive focus.
This is a wonderful book dedicated to the mental aspects of the game. Bob Henning wrote the Pro Book (NOT THE ADVANCED PRO BOOK). Its a great way to work through this and gain the mental edge. The other half of the book has some great shots for improving your game. Good luck.
See my username, above.
Stop missing.
Stop missing.
This is where I really wish Efren spoke fluent English. Of course there's no guarantee he'd be willing to spill all the innermost details of his mental game, or that he'd be able to put it into words regardless of language, but I certainly wish I could have a mental game like his. He appears to respond to his own greatness with happiness but not complacency, his own mistakes with serenity and perspective, and every shot/game/match with determination and confidence. They are qualities that are so easy to describe and so extremely difficult to possess. Anyway, not missing the easy shots is about focus and concentration and mindset. See this thread for a lot of good input.