Faces people make right before they shoot

sfleinen said:
Andrew:

First, I'm sorry I missed you at SBE. I spent most of my time in the 14.1 Challenge booth, but was occasionally hanging with the good folks at the Fury booth.

Second, I'm assuming when you ask "how I can achieve this," you mean the "letting your subconscious take over" thing?

I'm probably going to get roasted for this, but I think a lot of those folks obsessed with aiming systems here on these boards have it all wrong. One is in the wrong state of mind to be "thinking" about aiming when down on the shot. And IMHO, I think folks need to work this out of their shooting routine. While standing, sure, look at the table layout, decide what's going to be your shot, what speed/spin you need after you pocket the ball (and *know* you're going to pocket the ball -- this is key) to get to the next shot. But as soon as you step into your stance and get down on the shot -- <click!> turn OFF that conscious mind! It will only get you into trouble. The old "paralysis through analysis" applies here.

IMHO, that state is a practiced state. If "telling" your mind to switch off is required, then so be it -- practice that. The hope is that after practicing this a while, the need for the "command" to the conscious mind to go to sleep will become an unnecessary step, as the mere physical process of stepping into the shot is all that's needed -- the catalyst, if you will -- to tell your conscious mind to step out of the way.

It's not "becoming stupid" for a moment, as one might think. Rather, look at it as "removing the governor" or "opening the conduit" to pure execution.

-Sean
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Agreed 100%
 
I've always noticed Shawn Putnam looks like he is trying to pinch a loaf when he is down on the ball. It looks like he is focusing his vision but kind of funny nonetheless....
 
We have a local player who seems to be a very kind, friendly, intelligent guy- but if you watch his face when he shoots, this super crazy expression flashes over his face on big stroke shots- it's an evil, frenzied grimace, like a psycho slasher who has finally let himself attack a schoolyard of small children with a rusty butcher knife and is totally enjoying it.

Pretty descriptive, I know- but once I noticed this face, I found I have trouble playing him anymore. That look is so completely different from his "normal" social face that it really bothers me.

Bucktooth does a crazy face, too. Saw it when he was doing an exhibition, so I don't know if it was part of his show or part of his game...
 
cleary said:
When I'm playing someone, I like to watch their "shot face". Some people make very funny faces right before they shoot.. I wonder why?

It seems to me, a lot of good players do this. It's almost as if their mind goes totally dumb for a moment. Making them dog proof. Mind totally blank for a moment. Anyone have any insight to this?
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I think this is what you're looking for. Pause the video on 0:12 and again on 2:22. Shannon Daulton makes some real funny faces on his break shots (0:12) and right before he shoots (2:22) (the owl face)
Derby City Classic Efren Reyes v Shannon Daulton Highlights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nToxcZh4ILI
 
cleary said:
When I'm playing someone, I like to watch their "shot face". Some people make very funny faces right before they shoot.. I wonder why?

It seems to me, a lot of good players do this. It's almost as if their mind goes totally dumb for a moment. Making them dog proof. Mind totally blank for a moment. Anyone have any insight to this?
Click to expand...

Hey Cleary,
The people you are playing are afraid you are going to beat them like a drum! So they make a face to try to make you take pity on them!!! Aha, the Lock has this all figured out.
Many Regards,
Lock N Load.
 
Are you saying we can tell which players are constipated by their facial expression? :-)

henho said:
I've always noticed Shawn Putnam looks like he is trying to pinch a loaf when he is down on the ball. It looks like he is focusing his vision but kind of funny nonetheless....
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mosconiac said:
Nevermind, I did it.

Scott_Frost_Carolinas.jpg


ScottFrost527.jpg


scott-freezer-frost.jpg


775872737_vzxvh-L.jpg
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I don't know, to me it looks like the proctologist getting carried away face, like he can't find his watch or something.
 
Their focus is just elsewhere. At some point, making this current ball is far more important than how you look doing it. The pool table cares not how you contort your face.
 
incognito said:
I think this is what you're looking for. Pause the video on 0:12 and again on 2:22. Shannon Daulton makes some real funny faces on his break shots (0:12) and right before he shoots (2:22) (the owl face)
Derby City Classic Efren Reyes v Shannon Daulton Highlights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nToxcZh4ILI
Click to expand...

-
I think I know why Shannon makes those funny faces... He racks his nuts on the corner of the pool table every time on the opening break!!! Ouch! Am I the only one seeing this?
 
A few years ago I learned that I turn my head about an inch right as I'm about to shoot the ball. It's strange because I don't feel my head moving at all. Sideways head movement by the way.
 
donny mills said:
A few years ago I learned that I turn my head about an inch right as I'm about to shoot the ball. It's strange because I don't feel my head moving at all. Sideways head movement by the way.
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You also make a strange face on your final stroke.

Frost moves his head sideways on his finals stroke as well. He does it more than anyone I've seen.
 
JMW said:
Have you ever noticed pool players whose ring finger on the bridge hand twitch up and down real fast? I think it is the same kind of thing.
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Really recently I've become conscious of myself doing this...but only on my break shot!!! I have no idea why I started doing it! Mine will twitch up and down several times then stop midair...as if I'm trying to figure out how to "flip-off" the cueball, but I'm too mentally impaired to even do that right! :o

Jason

p.s. Now I'm real conscious about it and make sure I put my ring finger down before I fire the cueball...either way, finger up or down, it doesn't "help" my breakshot!

p.p.s I'm too afraid to tape myself shooting for fear of the faces I'm making! I'm sure my "confused" facial expression would likely look something like:

confused-chimp-chimpanzee-monkey.jpg
 
donny mills said:
A few years ago I learned that I turn my head about an inch right as I'm about to shoot the ball. It's strange because I don't feel my head moving at all. Sideways head movement by the way.
Click to expand...

donnie-mills-thin.jpg


The mouth open seems to be a popular mid shot face.
 
whitewolf said:
how about them? They are not so odd at all. Except for the neils face, which is hardly out of the ordinary, the other faces are very very ordinary.
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the name of the thread is
"faces people make right before they shoot"

thought i would share a few.

SLIM
 
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