Cluttered mind and shooting pool

mthornto

mthornto

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Each time I practice, I start with long straight in stop, draw, and follow shots. In 25 diagonal head string to foot string shots I will miss an average of just over 2 balls. It drives me crazy when I miss one.

What I am starting to notice is that when I miss I either 1) I realized my alignment was off and I was simply to bull headed to stand up or 2) my mind was “busy.” For number 1, not much I can do except wise up and stand up – just a bad habit to break. Number two I have been thinking about for a while. On most shots, I do my thinking before getting down on the shot. When I do get in to position to shoot I am really not thinking about much, just executing. However, sometimes my mind is running and talking. It can be something as me simple and positive as thinking “I am shooting well, everything feels great” or negative “damn, I better not miss this shot.” What I am thinking does not seem to matter as much as the fact that I am thinking when I shoot. When my mind is running, my shot making seems to go way down.

This whole revelation (if it is one) is really just starting to jell, so I have not had a good change to see if this happens in actual competition yet. I expect it does.

Anyhow, what are you thinking about when you are down and ready to pull the trigger? If you do need a clear head, any advise for turning off the chatter?
 
Make a movie in your head. Picture the pattern you want to play and let it play out in your head.

I think you would benefit from "Pleasure of Small Motions"
 
Bishop said:
Make a movie in your head. Picture the pattern you want to play and let it play out in your head.

I think you would benefit from "Pleasure of Small Motions"
Click to expand...

Yes! If you are seeing the shot, every shot, in your head.. making a movie, then you will not be thinking about anything but the shot.

I think it's 95% concentration. I find that when I REALLY concentrate on every aspect of a shot, every minute detail of getting squared up and seeing the ob into the hole and see the cb roll into position for the next shot, every detail of my practice strokes, pause, stroke and follow through, every detail of the entire process, when I do that I usually am successful with the shot. If not then I just didn't know how to pull it off or jsut don't have the requisite skills.

See Mark Wilson's quote below. ............ just prior to that he says something like.. make no distinction between easy and difficult shots but complete....
 
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mthornto said:
Anyhow, what are you thinking about when you are down and ready to pull the trigger? If you do need a clear head, any advise for turning off the chatter?
Click to expand...
I try to think only about what my body is doing at time. In my words... I try to keep my mind inside of my body. I think about my alignment with the shot... my practice strokes... fine-tuning my aim... my intended speed of stroke... that's about it. When that is complete, I'm ready to stroke the shot. My total focus is on what I am doing that is necessary to make the shot. When I am doing this, there is no room for outside thoughts to enter my mind.
 
You knew it was wrong, and you shot it anyway...that is a very hard habit to break. You have to recognize that you HAVE to execute this shot, for every shot, and do just that. Do not let up, stand up if you have to, do not miss that ball! If you find yourself playing a game where you are doing this here and there and you aren't losing you need to be giving weight; do not just bang the balls around with someone, that only helps to strengthen that bad habit..
 
theres another book thats really about all sports that involve a ball but its called the inner game of tennis thats good for this. I cant remember if i read it or came up with it on my own but if i want to quiet my mind down i picture a tv screen like when the cable goes out and its just white noise.
 
Bishop said:
Make a movie in your head. Picture the pattern you want to play and let it play out in your head.

I think you would benefit from "Pleasure of Small Motions"
Click to expand...


I have read the book, it was probably from reading those types of sports psychology books that ultimately lead me to realizing the problem. Another book I am reading that deals with this is "Every Shot Must Have a Purpose."

I will have to try to movie idea to see if that keeps my mind clear and focused on execution. Will probably take a little time to make it a habit and give the idea a chance.
 
Here's another one that I like...

Rule #1 is... make the ball. Rule #2 is... don't forget rule #1. :) ;)
 
visualize and then shoot

I agree with the need to visualize the shot in it's entirety, including the cue ball's path after contact, and then shoot. Don't clutter your mind with other thoughts, even positive ones, or thoughts about your body. Ideally your conscious mind has done it's work and is at rest before you shoot. One tiny bit of it that you aren't even aware of should be monitoring for problems but you should be shooting from the subconscious; based on many, many, grooved in repetitions so that your body knows what needs to be done to execute your will without needing direction for the details.

For example, you want to make the object ball and come around two rails for shape. That is all you should think and visualize before bending over the shot. Your subconscious should direct that you need so much low left english and how hard you need to hit the cue ball to achieve the result.

Compare shooting pool to driving. You were all over the road and your speed was erratic when you were first learning to drive. Too, you were exhausted after driving ten or fifteen minutes because your conscious was controlling every tiny detail. After driving a few years the bulk of your driving is carried out by your subconscious, with the conscious only monitoring and taking action when needed. This is where a person needs to be to perform well, be it at pool or any other activity that requires coordination. There is too much time lost during and between various little steps and it is very often impossible to synchronize all of the activities of your mind and body when the conscious is trying to manage every detail.

Hu
 
Find a swing thought or mantra

Personally I believe the use of a swing thought or mantra would greatly help.
I don't remember which golfer I read about that uses the word "oily" during his swing and several tennis books recommend using the terminology "back - hit" on their swings.

The way the coach who taught this to me described it to me, is that the conscious mind tries to control the stroke and shot process and if you try to block it out it will jump up and bite you when you least expect it. But if you give it a job to do (swing thought or mantra) it can be lulled to sleep because it believes that it is controlling the situation.

You start out repeating your swing thought on every shot and the more you shoot your conscious mind relaxes and you fall easily into dead stroke (the swing thought fades away naturally). Every time you emerge from dead stroke you have a reliable way to put yourself back into the zone, whether you are coming from your chair to the table cold or are faced with a tough shot you simply repeat your mantra allowing you to feel comfortable and confident in the situation.

Two last thoughts, one, players spend alot of time and focus aligning their bodies to the shot the same consistent way every time, a swing thought or mantra aligns the mind to the shot the same way every time.

And secondly ever since we were children we have had swing thought engrained in us. when you were a child running a foot race it was started with the mantra 1, 2, 3, GO!, this allowed you to align your body and mind with the task at hand, you had a mental picture of what was required to run the race and at GO! you executed your mental imagery.

Think of how many whistles, buzzers, bells and other sounds we have been conditioned to react to in our lives and create your own pool swing thought or mantra. Control your own mind.

Bern
 
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scottycoyote said:
theres another book thats really about all sports that involve a ball but its called the inner game of tennis thats good for this. I cant remember if i read it or came up with it on my own but if i want to quiet my mind down i picture a tv screen like when the cable goes out and its just white noise.
Click to expand...

I am reading "The inner game of Golf" right now. It covers this very subject being discussed.
 
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