Choking on the money ball a lot lately
- Thread starter Magyar19
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Some tips to get past it
If youre playing 9 ball, practice 10 ball. 10 ball practice 11 etc.
Play position off the money ball, just like it was any other shot.
If youre practicing a certain shot... Use the money ball as your object ball.
Its just a mental block, you have to tell yourself, that even though its the dreaded money ball.... Its just like any other shot, and deserves the same respect and effort. No less, and no more.
Chuck
If youre playing 9 ball, practice 10 ball. 10 ball practice 11 etc.
Play position off the money ball, just like it was any other shot.
If youre practicing a certain shot... Use the money ball as your object ball.
Its just a mental block, you have to tell yourself, that even though its the dreaded money ball.... Its just like any other shot, and deserves the same respect and effort. No less, and no more.
Chuck
That's great advice. I've been in a rut too. But I'm slowly coming out of it.
Sorry, I know your pain. In my case, it probably is due to the fact that I compete only 1 or 2 times per month, at most. I think that the more regularly you put yourself in competition, the more "routine" making the money ball will become and it won't have the same sense of pressure associated with it.
Also, I think it is very important [easier said than done] to treat the shot with the same attention as other shots leading up to it. This means that the preshot routine and stroke must be solid and consistent. I do think that you should take a little more time on this shot if for no other reason than to calm your heart rate down a little.
If your arm feels rubbery or you have any doubts creeping into your mind, just get up, take a breath, and start the process over. If the money shot is difficult, don't beat yourself up over it if you miss. Just aim for the middle of the pocket and give it the best chance to go in.
Good luck,
--Steve
I have the same problem but I do happen know what's causing it though.
It's a disease called "not-very-good-itis". I caught it from an apa 3 awhile back.
It's a disease called "not-very-good-itis". I caught it from an apa 3 awhile back.
Something that really helped me is always trying to play specific position with the cue ball. It was something that I read. Basically every shot you play you are trying to get the cue ball to a spot while making the object ball. You confuse your brain when you are not trying to play specific shape with the cue ball. Sure you still
miss the money ball sometimes as my team would attest from last week but it has made me more confident.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
miss the money ball sometimes as my team would attest from last week but it has made me more confident.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Choking on the money ball
I have a brother who played basketball and coached basketball. He love to have the ball in the final 2 minutes of the game since he know he could come thru in the clutch. I asked him how he could do this over and over again. He said:
I Focus on execution of the shot and don't worry about what may or may not happen.
Best advise I have heard in the last 10 years. If you focus on execution your mind won't wonder into negative thoughts.
I have a brother who played basketball and coached basketball. He love to have the ball in the final 2 minutes of the game since he know he could come thru in the clutch. I asked him how he could do this over and over again. He said:
I Focus on execution of the shot and don't worry about what may or may not happen.
Best advise I have heard in the last 10 years. If you focus on execution your mind won't wonder into negative thoughts.
I need the same routine on every shot, and that means both aiming for the pocket and planning the shape. I find just doing one or the other frees up my mind and lets other things creep in, like fear or anxiety about the shot.
Generally, I try to bring the cue ball somewhere close to the middle of the table, or another specific spot that's natural to get to.
Generally, I try to bring the cue ball somewhere close to the middle of the table, or another specific spot that's natural to get to.
This is the biggest benefit to learning how to play naturally.
First let's look at what is choking.
Choking is an elevation of anxiety under extreme pressure causing a decline in the performance that normally would occur.
Why does the decline in performance occur?
In a word... overthinking. In a high pressure situation some players will increase their focus on their own body’s movements. This can hinder the action because such movements are performed subconsciously by an athlete on a normal occasion, resulting in a breakdown of the normal movement performed.
This can be cured by either A) eliminating the anxiety... not realistic in a lot of situations or B) eliminating the overthinking.
My theory...
Let's look at the two ways players learn. Some learn naturally by hitting lots of balls and developing skills subconsciously. Others learn scientifically by learning every aspect of the shot and how it works. The scientific guys will eventually develop skills on a subconscious level and when they relax and fall into rather they play great but I believe that they will always have a tendency to overthink when the pressure is on. How much deflection should I account for? How much curve? I need to do this right... I need to do that right... etc.
The natural guys on the other hand just see and shoot because that is what they do. They still feel the pressure but there process doesn't change.
First let's look at what is choking.
Choking is an elevation of anxiety under extreme pressure causing a decline in the performance that normally would occur.
Why does the decline in performance occur?
In a word... overthinking. In a high pressure situation some players will increase their focus on their own body’s movements. This can hinder the action because such movements are performed subconsciously by an athlete on a normal occasion, resulting in a breakdown of the normal movement performed.
This can be cured by either A) eliminating the anxiety... not realistic in a lot of situations or B) eliminating the overthinking.
My theory...
Let's look at the two ways players learn. Some learn naturally by hitting lots of balls and developing skills subconsciously. Others learn scientifically by learning every aspect of the shot and how it works. The scientific guys will eventually develop skills on a subconscious level and when they relax and fall into rather they play great but I believe that they will always have a tendency to overthink when the pressure is on. How much deflection should I account for? How much curve? I need to do this right... I need to do that right... etc.
The natural guys on the other hand just see and shoot because that is what they do. They still feel the pressure but there process doesn't change.
There are kernels of knowledge in several posts here. Basically you're over thinking it. Fear, anxiety, pressure only exist in the mind. Allowing it to affect you is a choice you make. Choosing to feel it or not to feel it is up to you.
Why am I the Colonel? Because I always get the chicken
Why am I the Colonel? Because I always get the chicken
A lot of players do strange things when they try too hard, try to get perfect shape, or are uncomfortable about a shot. Mostly, they move, they drop a knee, both feet leave the ground, they swing there arm in or out, or they forget to breathe. Stay down, nothing moves but the stroke, follow through, don't poke it, breathe and get the cash.:thumbup: All around great advise from others too.
I used to get nervous a lot in league matches and especially on the money ball. My nervousness has greatly reduced in the last 6-9 months. How did I do it? I'm not exactly sure but here are some contributors:
- I practiced a lot(!). I played league once a week and practiced drills 4-5 days a week on top of that. Sounds obvious, but as I've gotten better my confidence has gone up.
- Since mid-January I've played two league matches a week. More competition against unfamiliar players.
- I start every practice session by shooting 50 long distance stop shots, to get in stroke. I do it in 5 sets of 10-balls. I shoot the 10-ball first, then the 1 through 9 in order. It's just a little attempt to add some more pressure to my practice, building up to the 9. Then when I shoot other drills that involve running balls, I make the 9 the last ball.
- Last year I asked someone that's been around the game for decades how to combat nerves. He scoffed at books and such and said "You have to make a decision. You have to decide to focus on your shot and decide not to be nervous." This sounded silly, but there is something to it. Have you ever been cold and shivering and you made a decision to stop shivering? It works.
- I practiced a lot(!). I played league once a week and practiced drills 4-5 days a week on top of that. Sounds obvious, but as I've gotten better my confidence has gone up.
- Since mid-January I've played two league matches a week. More competition against unfamiliar players.
- I start every practice session by shooting 50 long distance stop shots, to get in stroke. I do it in 5 sets of 10-balls. I shoot the 10-ball first, then the 1 through 9 in order. It's just a little attempt to add some more pressure to my practice, building up to the 9. Then when I shoot other drills that involve running balls, I make the 9 the last ball.
- Last year I asked someone that's been around the game for decades how to combat nerves. He scoffed at books and such and said "You have to make a decision. You have to decide to focus on your shot and decide not to be nervous." This sounded silly, but there is something to it. Have you ever been cold and shivering and you made a decision to stop shivering? It works.
Invest in buying nine 9 balls. Rack em up and every shot will be at a nine. Practice playing like this for a couple of weeks and then when shooting the 9, it'll be a piece of cake. Seriously though, I think in our mind we tend to treat the 9 ball differently then the rest of the rack. It is the only ball that counts, so we tend to be too cautious. We take a little longer while down. As someone else said, you need to execute, don't study the shot and try and aim to carefully. See the ball and stroke through the shot. Don't punch the CB. Don't try and steer the CB. Keep your arm loose, stay in a rhythm. Concentration and believing in yourself will get the job done.
I can remember my Dad telling me at about 12 years old when I first started to play for money on our pool table to treat money balls just like any of the balls pocketed before it. Easier said than done for most. I could do that up to $20 a game or $200 a short set. More than that and I would start puckering up a bit. I almost always drank a bit when I played, so that took the edge off the money a bit too. You know, like the 5' 6" guy in the bar that after 3 drinks he thinks he's the second coming of "Rocky". Johnnyt
That's a pretty good idea, I think. I could see it helping. Johnnyt
Here are a few experiments I tried.
- Myself and my team mates like to drink on league night. I started experimenting with how many beers I drank. First I increased it for a few weeks, but it did not help. Then I tried not drinking at all before my match and sipping on a beer during my match. I could not detect any correlations one way or the other. A friend of mine says if he drinks 2 shots and a beer, he's ready to play. But for me if I drink a single shot my game drops significantly within seconds. So no shots for me.
- I heard about a study indicating that Tylenol reduces 'emotional pain' just as it does physical pain. I took a few Tylenol a few hours before my league match and that night did not feel nervous. I thought I was on to something but the next week I did not take Tylenol and still did not feel nervous. This was last November or December and it was around the time I started noticing I was less nervous anyway, so the Tylenol was inclusive and I dropped it. A reason I dropped it was all the warnings about liver damage from combining alcohol and analgesics. You can easily google to find articles on the Tylenol study. Here is one: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...-suffer-emotional-pain-or-anxiety-pop-tylenol
- Myself and my team mates like to drink on league night. I started experimenting with how many beers I drank. First I increased it for a few weeks, but it did not help. Then I tried not drinking at all before my match and sipping on a beer during my match. I could not detect any correlations one way or the other. A friend of mine says if he drinks 2 shots and a beer, he's ready to play. But for me if I drink a single shot my game drops significantly within seconds. So no shots for me.
- I heard about a study indicating that Tylenol reduces 'emotional pain' just as it does physical pain. I took a few Tylenol a few hours before my league match and that night did not feel nervous. I thought I was on to something but the next week I did not take Tylenol and still did not feel nervous. This was last November or December and it was around the time I started noticing I was less nervous anyway, so the Tylenol was inclusive and I dropped it. A reason I dropped it was all the warnings about liver damage from combining alcohol and analgesics. You can easily google to find articles on the Tylenol study. Here is one: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...-suffer-emotional-pain-or-anxiety-pop-tylenol