Fed Up with low game not improving

L

laser2507

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I love 9ball as we all do, but I am still facing issues with mental game, also particularly on cueing, as I have gone back to the old days of FHE where I used to use BHE for over 5 years... talk about mentally unstable at pool, lol, can it get any worse!?!

The last season I played in the UK tour, some games I would play great, win 9-0 or 9-2 againast good players then next match I cant run a rack, I miss after 3 balls, it really gets to me!

Any advice on what I can do, I mean obviously practise, but how cvan I rid of these mental blovckages.. should I just play and see what feels natural, or focus on using a particular cueing action,?
 
laser2507 said:
I love 9ball as we all do, but I am still facing issues with mental game, also particularly on cueing, as I have gone back to the old days of FHE where I used to use BHE for over 5 years... talk about mentally unstable at pool, lol, can it get any worse!?!

The last season I played in the UK tour, some games I would play great, win 9-0 or 9-2 againast good players then next match I cant run a rack, I miss after 3 balls, it really gets to me!

Any advice on what I can do, I mean obviously practise, but how cvan I rid of these mental blovckages.. should I just play and see what feels natural, or focus on using a particular cueing action,?
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Obviously, part of the answer is do what is comfortable to you, and part is do what you need to improve. Whenever you make changes to your stroke or aiming system, you are going to have to concentrate to use it for a while. But over time, you will find the new parts become natural and you don't have to think about them anymore, you can concentrate more on the shot itself.
 
Hey Soulcatcher

I know what you mean, I used to play a lot faster and "freely", but now I have slowed down, using BHE allowed me to be more feely, rather than robotic, now I think I am in the middle of the two.
 
laser2507 said:
I love 9ball as we all do, but I am still facing issues with mental game, also particularly on cueing, as I have gone back to the old days of FHE where I used to use BHE for over 5 years... talk about mentally unstable at pool, lol, can it get any worse!?!

The last season I played in the UK tour, some games I would play great, win 9-0 or 9-2 againast good players then next match I cant run a rack, I miss after 3 balls, it really gets to me!

Any advice on what I can do, I mean obviously practise, but how cvan I rid of these mental blovckages.. should I just play and see what feels natural, or focus on using a particular cueing action,?
Click to expand...


Tempo, tempo, tempo.

Just my best uneducated guess. :D
 
I started keeping track of my missed shots and found different patterns. One, I'm right handed, and there are certain shots that put me in a ackward stance position at the table. I practice those type of shots. Also, I practice just using the bridge instead of being a real man and reaching for a shot.

I suck at safetys. I've lost more games do to my poor performance at them. I've taken to setting up safeties that killed me and found ways to at least hit object ball.

Anything that gives me a issue during a tourney, I will practice that until I get it right.

Practice is good , but you have to practice your trouble points more than good points.
 
Nothing cures inconsistancy better than a solid stroke and a religeously followed pre-shot routine....

Now where did I leave mine?:grin-square:
 
laser2507 said:
I love 9ball as we all do, but I am still facing issues with mental game, also particularly on cueing, as I have gone back to the old days of FHE where I used to use BHE for over 5 years... talk about mentally unstable at pool, lol, can it get any worse!?!

The last season I played in the UK tour, some games I would play great, win 9-0 or 9-2 againast good players then next match I cant run a rack, I miss after 3 balls, it really gets to me!

Any advice on what I can do, I mean obviously practise, but how cvan I rid of these mental blovckages.. should I just play and see what feels natural, or focus on using a particular cueing action,?
Click to expand...

If it's a mental problem we're in a similar boat I think.

I've recently been sold on the benefits of proper breathing. I posted this in another thread but I'll repost anyways.

When we get frusterated or annoyed we tend to take shallow breathes. In fact this is common for many people, they don't breathe properly regardless. Shallow breathing does not allow enough oxygen to get to the brain which impedes us from achieving peak concentration.

So prior to playing I will take 11 deep breathes slowly exhaling after each one, after which I feel more alert and more relaxed. While I'm playing I am trying to break the habit of breathing shallowly (if that is a word).

Try it out, I used this for my exams last semester and it worked wonders. I was remembering discussions in detail from the very first class even though I never studied that aspect of the course in preperation for my exam.
 
duckie said:
Anything that gives me a issue during a tourney, I will practice that until I get it right.
Click to expand...

Finally I can use a quote Mika Immonen once used:

"amateurs practice till they do it right - champions practice till they can't do it wrong"
 
laser2507 said:
I love 9ball as we all do, but I am still facing issues with mental game, also particularly on cueing, as I have gone back to the old days of FHE where I used to use BHE for over 5 years... talk about mentally unstable at pool, lol, can it get any worse!?!

The last season I played in the UK tour, some games I would play great, win 9-0 or 9-2 againast good players then next match I cant run a rack, I miss after 3 balls, it really gets to me!

Any advice on what I can do, I mean obviously practise, but how cvan I rid of these mental blovckages.. should I just play and see what feels natural, or focus on using a particular cueing action,?
Click to expand...

Having such drastic swings in your play, only two things come to mind, yet I'd hire a good instructor to watch your good/bad match play. It could be physical but what I've found with my game has been this. I'll be going along just fine, I'm rested, eaten well, not too much caffene or sugar in my blood and I have no distractions', from belt too tight to whatever. Then a particular shot comes up, its usually one I make on a high percentage basis and I miss it BAD. Within that miss I've found, lies a foundational problem with my game. It festers, I change my game/tempo/rhythm/thinking or whaterver during this time frame, and as they say "I'm off the air" and lose.
 
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