Concentration

L

lewdo26

Registered User will do
Silver Member
What separates the men from the boys?

1)consistency under pressure
2)rising to the occasion in clutch shots and other critical situations
3)being a good finisher
4)a good front-runner
5)a good come-from-behind player
6)adapting to conditions rapidly
7)recovering from errors

What makes top pros so good at all this? I know a grooved routine & stroke, plus lots of experience help...

But what else? What is the mental skill that allows you to concentrate in the most adverse of circumstances?

P.S. I like Varner in all of the above categories. Not all pros seem to possess them all...
 
Cameron Smith said:
Puberty?

sorry....
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Thanks, Cameron!!! I knew the thread might not fly anyways... let us know when you run your next century in snooker. We're waiting to hear the news.
 
lewdo26 said:
Thanks, Cameron!!! I knew the thread might not fly anyways... let us know when you run your next century in snooker. We're waiting to hear the news.
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Workin on it:D. I haven't been playing much snooker recently but with the world championships coming up I'll certainly be inspired to play more. I've had some pretty lackluster showings in match play. The last game I played my best break was a 20, :(. But I've been working on more difficult positions and breaking up the reds better so that I can hit the 50's and 70's more often. Hopefully this will lead to more centuries.
 
Cameron Smith said:
Workin on it:D. I haven't been playing much snooker recently but with the world championships coming up I'll certainly be inspired to play more. I've had some pretty lackluster showings in match play. The last game I played my best break was a 20, :(. But I've been working on more difficult positions and breaking up the reds better so that I can hit the 50's and 70's more often. Hopefully this will lead to more centuries.
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Cool. Hey, did you get to see the worlds of snooker online? I missed every goddam thing, and I'm pissed.:mad: :D
 
lewdo26 said:
What separates the men from the boys?

1)consistency under pressure
2)rising to the occasion in clutch shots and other critical situations
3)being a good finisher
4)a good front-runner
5)a good come-from-behind player
6)adapting to conditions rapidly
7)recovering from errors

What makes top pros so good at all this? I know a grooved routine & stroke, plus lots of experience help...

But what else? What is the mental skill that allows you to concentrate in the most adverse of circumstances?

P.S. I like Varner in all of the above categories. Not all pros seem to possess them all...
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For me, it's composure. The things you list are by-products of composure, which is part of why champions always look unflappable.

Those lacking enough composure may a) experience a change in breathing pattern during a match, b) expereince a change in heartbeat during a match, c) make the mistake of showing an opponent, through gesture, facial expressions, or comments, when one's confidence is wavering, and good opoonents feed off of it, d) lose self-control. Nick Varner has as much playing composure of anyone of this era.

It's also discipline. Nick Varner has always professed that you don't play the score, you just play the current rack, because no matter what the score is, maxmizing your chance to win the current rack is your best path to victory. This kind of discipline might better be termed "sticking with your game plan" or "staying with the percentages." The best have it.

Avoidance of momentary lapses in composure and discipline is a fundamental aspect of greatness over the glorious green felt, and is one of the things that separates the men from the boys.
 
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If you mean what separates the shortstops from the pros, I think overall it's consistency. When a shortstop gets into dead punch he shoots like a pro, but how often does that happen?
 
I think your list is fine, but I'd wrap it all up together and call it seasoning. We all have strong and weak points.....work on the strong to keep them that way, and work on the weak to make them strong. Sounds simple, but sometimes admitting to yourself that you have weaknesses is the hardest part....

G.
 
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