Fight or flight

[SSP]

This is something I’ve struggled with on and off through my 35 year playing life And I really am now. To give you an Idea in my first two session of apa masters I played every week. A session is 12 weeks and I lost 3 matches in both sessions combined. Right now I’m lost 4 of my last 5 . 3 of them went to the hill. This week I lost 7-4 to a guy that the opportunities he gave me he should have been lucky to get 4. Lol I’m on the struggle bus right now mentally.

So what I’m referring to with fight or flight Is when the stress or anxiety pops up suddenly I lose my rhythm. Where Im normally a slow player who stays down on the ball a little longer then others suddenly I’m shooting the ball quickly. you jerk your cue back quickly poke at it. A It’s like your body and brain our feeling the anxiety and wants to get it over with and thats exactly when you dog a silly shot or position. In the past I beat it with just taking my time and staying down on a balls a little longer but the last few weeks my brain goes blank and don’t realize I did it until afterwards. I guess I’m just wondering is this a normal thing you fight with and how did any of you handle it.

I’m sure I’ll play myself out of it and by vegas in 2 months I’ll be back to normal but man is it frustrating and almost embarrassing when everyone in the room knows your out of here and you dog it like a punk lol maybe I should take a day or two off but with that damn diamond in my house it just calls out to me

I am a league player as well, I play to win, when the game is on the line and I start to feel pressure I remember this , if I lose, I will still eat tomorrow, I will still have a place to live, I love this game, even the Pro's miss , I am lucky to be playing a game I love.......then take the shot

 

[Fitzz47]

I played in an eight ball tournament Sat.
Lost the first 4 out of 5. Recouped my head and never lost another game. Finished 3rd. It took some years not to get frustrated but I guess that comes with age. 78 years young. And this wasn’t a senior tournament. lol

 

[axejunkie]

Good thread. I'm in a similar place as you are. Have never been a quick player when down on the ball but started one-stroking certain shots out of nervousness last year. I could write a mini novel to speculate on my reasons why.

Specifically I've lost confidence on cueing certain shots with age and playing on lower height tables has caused my back and legs to stiffen up (a certain table brand beginning with letter 'G' shall go unnamed). And it's been eating my confidence.

Best of luck with overcoming it, you've got some good advice here...

 

[Biloxi Boy]

I am a league player as well, I play to win, when the game is on the line and I start to feel pressure I remember this , if I lose, I will still eat tomorrow, I will still have a place to live, I love this game, even the Pro's miss , I am lucky to be playing a game I love.......then take the shot

Facing a particularly challenging exploit, I would often remind myself, and others: "no one is going to end up in jail or the hospital today, so it can't get real bad". I never queried my co-horts, but I took comfort in this idea.

 

[trob]

Until you learn to embrace adrenaline for improved performance, it may lead you to overhit your shots. Simply telling yourself to play softer can create anxiety and increase adrenaline levels.

Instead, you can achieve a softer shot than usual by allowing adrenaline to carry the ball almost automatically; this can be done by shortening the length of your bridge. I suggest trying this in practice when you are not feeling adrenaline to understand what I mean.

So true.. I’ve heard golfers say that they know when the adrenaline is flowing that they will hit the ball 5 or 10 yards farther and they take that into consideration among the other million things a pro golfer is calculating in a shot lol

I am just coming off 3 weeks without touching a cue (and I have a diamond in my living room). I think it will be a good thing. Hit a few balls last night and shot straighter than I have in a while...and it was fun!

REcently, pool had started to feel like a chore. Guess I needed a few weeks to remember that it ain't a job, don't pay the bills, and I'm never going to be world champ . I personally just needed to find the right perspective again.

been there. I quit for some time in the past . Just hitting balls a couple times a month because it started feeling like work.

I am a league player as well, I play to win, when the game is on the line and I start to feel pressure I remember this , if I lose, I will still eat tomorrow, I will still have a place to live, I love this game, even the Pro's miss , I am lucky to be playing a game I love.......then take the shot

I watched a dude in New York easily beat mike Dechaine in the semi finals on a stream of a tournament that a friend was at. Dude looked totally relaxed. My friend went and talked to him and that was his exact mental state. He was like he needs this not me. I’m going to go home to my job . My bills are paid . This is just fun. The preassure is on him. He needs to win this to eat I don’t need this at all .

 

[dquarasr]

Great pool playing demand a very, very high and consistent form of simultaneous mind focus and body relaxation. Observing and playing against great players leads me to a few conclusions that seem to present themselves in almost every masterful performance in the game:

1. Their self developed PSR allows them to approach each shot in a manner that promotes maximum confidence in their ability to make the shot and move that CB to the next desired location - the key is the confidence part - once down on the shot- the mind is free of doubt allowing the body to execute the shot as planned in their PSR- this time period between table approach to actual CB contact varies by each individual's own time clock.

2. The very best players have step # 1 nailed down so solidly in their table DNA that superior results are much more consistent than the average player.

3. Find the PSR that works best for YOU, say " I CAN DO THIS" to yourself prior to each and every shot- and MEAN IT!

RELAX THAT GRIP HAND- hard to go forward stroke too fast if your grip hand is TRULY relaxed!

Finally, ACCEPT who you are PRIOR to every shot and AFTER your results and VOW to LEARN from every shot what is best for you going forward.

This is excellent. I was going to respond similarly a few things might help:

1) During practice, develop a cadence (stolen from "Pleasure of Small Motions"). You might count; you might sing in your head a few notes of a song; anything you can think of to take your mind off failing, while also being something that can keep each shot's execution duration very similar shot-to-shot. This might help you slow down your transition from backstroke to fore stroke. Also, a definite pause at CB address or a pause at the backstroke, or maybe even both, can help.

2) It's amazing how the simple thought "I'm gold. I'm going to make this shot and get perfect shape." can actually make your whole body relax. Sometimes I'll be in struggle mode and the thought that I'm good and confident can often make my whole body relax. My eyes stop squinting, my shoulders relax. It's kind of uncanny how this physiological change is palpable simply by the short thought that "I'm good."

3) Relax the grip. That can definitely improve and smooth out the transition phase between backstroke and fore stroke.

 

[maha]

what is wrong with most of you. its just a game win or lose, and if gambling and you lose you are not capable of making a good game.

and for the league players, geeeeze. what are you worrying about.

 

[lfigueroa]

It's kinda like walking a straight line.

If you have to walk across the room, no problemo. If you have to walk across a two foot wide beam, 20' up, problemo. It's anxiety and being more careful which changes your focus and cadence.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Fore Rail]

This is something I’ve struggled with on and off through my 35 year playing life And I really am now.

I guess I’m just wondering is this a normal thing you fight with and how did any of you handle it.

Not what I would consider normal.

Solve whatever is going on in your life & hopefully your pool game will go back to normal.