Focus "Triggers"

Patrick Johnson

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
What's your go-to "trigger" to dial in your focus?

When I find myself just going through the motions (and playing like crap as a result), my most reliable "focus trigger" is to concentrate on tip/CB contact accuracy. I watch my tip approach the CB for a couple of practice strokes until my attention is narrowed onto the shot like tunnel vision.

How about you?

pj
chgo

P.S. I posted this in the Aiming Forum because the most noticable result is more precise aiming - but it also affects stance, stroke, etc.
 
Make sure you are "seeing" the shot

See the complete shot, pocketing and position. Find the line. Pick out a spot for the cue ball to stop. Rehearse the tempo of the preliminary strokes, a stop and final stroke. My final stroke is longer and slower. The key is an outward focus without technique thoughts. The rehearsal can be mental, physical or both.

A good mantra is "what does the successful shot look like?."
 
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Hey Patrick, good question.

It all starts from the standing position for me.

I see the shot and where I want the cue ball to go. during this time I'm shooting the shot while standing, using air strokes and grip pressure for the shot. Then bend down into the shooting position and repeat what I was feeling in the standing position. If something feels off then I have to get up and start over.

I maintain my focus by placing an imaginary dot (white for dark balls, black for light balls) on the OB contact point and intently stare at it while getting the feel for the shot. The reason for this is to keep my conscious mind out of the shot. This works for me.

If everything feels and looks right, my sub-conscious pulls the trigger.

John
 
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I focus on staying down, following through, feeling the thumb knuckle of my grip hand brush against my ribcage on that final stroke. If all of this is happening, I'm on.
 
When I was 13 and caddying, the Pro taught me to look at the ball. He wanted me to concentrate on the ball so closely that I could see it compress against the face of my irons. He didn't worry about the woods, just the irons. Making contact with microscopic , surgical precision was his goal. I have always tried, with these old failing eyes, to see a puff of chalk as my tip hits the cue ball. I'm looking for the exact moment and place where I make contact, because........that is the ONLY time on each and every one of my shots when I can have any actual effect on the outcome.
 
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Valiant Thor said:
Fixed cue ball/center cue ball
Click to expand...

That's a good focal point. In Mark Wilson's book, Play Great Pool, he mentions focusing on striking the cb accurately, within 1mm of where you intend to strike it.
 
Patrick Johnson said:
What's your go-to "trigger" to dial in your focus?

When I find myself just going through the motions (and playing like crap as a result), my most reliable "focus trigger" is to concentrate on tip/CB contact accuracy. I watch my tip approach the CB for a couple of practice strokes until my attention is narrowed onto the shot like tunnel vision.

How about you?

pj
chgo

P.S. I posted this in the Aiming Forum because the most noticable result is more precise aiming - but it also affects stance, stroke, etc.
Click to expand...


I do not have a focus trigger.

And when I start playing without paying attention, I quit playing because that can do damage that will take a while to overcome.

Lou Figueroa
 
Patrick Johnson said:
Are you fully focused from the beginning of your PSR?

An interesting trigger I've heard of is to use putting the chalk down as the moment to shift from thinking to doing.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...


I just don't use anything.

If I am focused on anything it's proper execution my PSR de jour. If you have a good PSR you don't really need anything else. The problemo (not too surprisingly) is finding that good PSR.

Lou Figueroa
 
Patrick Johnson said:
What's your go-to "trigger" to dial in your focus?

When I find myself just going through the motions (and playing like crap as a result), my most reliable "focus trigger" is to concentrate on tip/CB contact accuracy. I watch my tip approach the CB for a couple of practice strokes until my attention is narrowed onto the shot like tunnel vision.

How about you?

pj
chgo

P.S. I posted this in the Aiming Forum because the most noticeable result is more precise aiming - but it also affects stance, stroke, etc.
Click to expand...

I have tried a couple of concentration techniques with limited success. "The Monk" teaches a breathing exercise which is interesting. I don't find much else of his any great value and he personally has a horrible stroke but that aside here is a breathing focus kind of thing. You breathe in through the mouth and out through the mouth then in through the mouth and out through the nose then in through the nose then out through the mouth and finally before shooting it is in through the nose and out through the nose. The final step is supposed to engage the sub conscious. He is not clear on how many breaths to take, etc but what is interesting to me is how the process of focusing on ANYTHING you have to count and change and count again, etc seems to draw your focus to what you are doing. It is hard to count and not pay attention.

CJ Wiley does one where he focuses on 3 things he can see, then 3 he can feel, then 3 he can hear (I may not have the order right) then he repeats with 2 each then one 1 each. That too seems to do the same thing. It takes your mind off boredom, complacency or the worry over the match, league , shot, etc as you have to think and count.

More than anything I think all the thinking and counting does help. You could probably make up your own version of something to think about and a sequence to count and it would work to a greater or lesser extent. When I can't focus because I am completely NERVOUS the only thing I find that works is to lay off the all day coffee drinking, which I do to try to get focused to begin with. :wink:
 
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Patrick Johnson said:
Are you fully focused from the beginning of your PSR?

An interesting trigger I've heard of is to use putting the chalk down as the moment to shift from thinking to doing.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

I recently committed to a pre-shot addition to my routine where I carefully accurately focus on perfectly painting the chalk tip. This works good for me in that is makes me focus on shots I would normally take for granted. I am glad you mentioned this because that is a help.

There is a thing in golf called the "Birdie Curse" where you play a great hole then hit your next tee shot off into the crap. It happens in pool following successful execution of a difficult shot. You follow up by missing a simple shot. People comment "you made all the tough shots then miss that one?" I read that is because the sub conscious thinks its work is done and you lose focus. Focusing on perfectly chalking the tip for the next shot does help re-gain that focus.
 
skipbales said:
I recently committed to a pre-shot addition to my routine where I carefully accurately focus on perfectly painting the chalk tip. This works good for me in that is makes me focus on shots I would normally take for granted. I am glad you mentioned this because that is a help.

There is a thing in golf called the "Birdie Curse" where you play a great hole then hit your next tee shot off into the crap. It happens in pool following successful execution of a difficult shot. You follow up by missing a simple shot. People comment "you made all the tough shots then miss that one?" I read that is because the sub conscious thinks its work is done and you lose focus. Focusing on perfectly chalking the tip for the next shot does help re-gain that focus.
Click to expand...

Ah yes, the all too common Birdie Curse! Happens in pool also. I learned from a good friend an excellent way to handle this when playing pool. You make a great shot, a world-beater-game-winning shot, and understanding the potential to loose focus on the next shot because you're still celebrating the previous "shot of the match", you walk away, take a sip of water or whatever you're drinking, then approach the table as if your opponent just missed and left you the nuts.
 
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