Ear plugs for concentrating

Texas Carom Club

Texas Carom Club

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Im getting better at pool, playing a few hrs almost daily
Seeing alot of improvement
But my focus will drift and just do stupid stuff
I get nervous alot when people are watching
Guy suggested ear pluga but i dont like them

I dont know if i can improve my focus
 
Last edited:
Texas Carom Club said:
Im getting better at pool, playing a few hrs almost daily
Seeing alot of improvement
But my focus will drift and just do stupid stuff
I get nervous alot when people are watching
Guy suggested ear pluga but i dont like them

I dont know if i can improve my focus
Click to expand...
Here's my take: most tournaments don't allow them. So you might as well just get used to the noise/distraction of what's going on around you. If you practice with them on and then have to play without them it can/may/will throw you off. As for people watching, ear-plugs/headphones ain't don' jack for that. You just gotta ignore that stuff. My $.02 here, nothing more.
 
It's weird not hearing the balls, and takes some getting used to.

I used to wear them for running because it was relaxing to listen to my heart beat and it helped me catch my stride... Didn't work for me with pool, though.
 
I agree its weird and i just prefer to always be aware of my surroundings

Actually ive seen them used in photos from the space city open or some tournament here at bogies
 
Texas Carom Club said:
Im getting better at pool, playing a few hrs almost daily
Seeing alot of improvement
But my focus will drift and just do stupid stuff
I get nervous alot when people are watching
Guy suggested ear pluga but i dont like them

I dont know if i can improve my focus
Click to expand...

You gotta pay your dues to get better at any competition.
Getting nervous is a good thing (you care), if you weren't that would be a bigger concern.
I always get that way in any competition when I first begin match play. Once I settle in, my nervousness diminishes.
 
Concentration is a personal internal concern...you can’t get it from your environment.
...a losing attitude can find a million reasons to miss.
 
Alcohol, try alcohol.
But seriously....
I see these people that play, and everyone does what they have to to play their best, but
I never understood the glove, the headphones, the Earl Strictland designer billiard wear,
I need to hear the sound of the balls colliding, the feel of the shaft in my hands, the
railbirds. I don't know if you are playing at home or in the hall, but I might suggest you
try to adjust your PSR a little. Take an extra second or two to look things over, another
practice stroke or two before you pull the trigger. A fist fight at the next table or something
like that will surely cause you to lose focus, but I think the other stuff is avoidable.
 
I wear ear buds and listen to music.

I would prefer to play and only hear the sound of the balls, but the music and people are too load.

Do what you think will help, experiment...
 
Texas Carom Club said:
Im getting better at pool, playing a few hrs almost daily
Seeing alot of improvement
But my focus will drift and just do stupid stuff
I get nervous alot when people are watching
Guy suggested ear pluga but i dont like them

I dont know if i can improve my focus
Click to expand...


I tried ear plugs. They suck. I want to hear the tip strike the ball.
 
pt109 said:
Concentration is a personal internal concern...you can’t get it from your environment.
...a losing attitude can find a million reasons to miss.
Click to expand...

Good post.

Simple yet complicated.

True, everyone's reason fro "x" is different and the things that fix "x" are different for each individual.....especially with mental situations.

Thing is, when we do find a fix for something while at the practice table, all is great again...... then...lol.... we get under the gun and find that the fix doesn't work anymore.

Like I said, simple ....yet complicated.
 
My opponent was about to shoot a triple combo and the second ball in the combo would go and I actually think was the easier shot, but as he got down to shoot I asked him if he was shooting the 12 or the 14. He said the 14 (triple combo)

If he was wearing earplugs or headphones he never would have heard me. I assume this is one of the main reasons they are not allowed.
 
At the end of last year I finally got custom molded sleep plugs from an audiologist and they are fantastic. They match skin color and you can't see them unless a photo is taken on the side of your head, so most folks don't realize you're wearing them.

I haven't had a problem communicating with an opponent yet. You can still hear fine even better than others as far as communicating if the external music and such is really loud. Sure if you have a really tricky shot that pointing won't suffice then indeed engage the OP and notify; be proactive!

Another huge benefit of having ear plugs on hand while traveling is getting good uninterrupted sleep. I've stayed at several places where I would not get good sleep otherwise during a tournament from building / house creaking to other incidental noises. One place had a smoke alarm low battery going off every 2 minutes which I didn't find / ask to be fixed until the next day.

From a tournament perspective the majority I've been to allow them; haven't been to one yet that hasn't. One would like to think that the tournaments that don't are really high level pro events which won't have blaring music and such. It's just one extra thing that can help. It's not so much a regressive situation without them.
 
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