For those who have taken extended layoffs...how long to get your game back?

[150shot]

OK- this has become a very frustrating two months. I played pretty good (Solid A, 9-10 Wkly Tourney Rating) back when I played normally as a teenager. Pool stopped as I started a career....

Fast forward 10 years later- and have been trying to make a comeback. But wow , I never knew how hard it would be. I play 2-3 times a week, not nearly enough I know, but I should be placing regularly in the two or so weekly tourneys I usually play, and have done so just a few times. NOt taking anything away from the level of players but I know my former level of play I am capable of.

My confidence is so low at times, my judgement seems to be sooo WRONG, and I literally get scared of some shots now. When before I was fearless, I know it takes time, but for those who have taken these layoffs...it seems more of a mental block...any suggestions?

 

[StevenPWaldon]

Suggestion: tale up golf!

Kidding, of course. As a kid, I played a lot of golf and had a natural talent for it. After far too many years of not hitting a ball, one day I decide to hit the driving range. And well.... yeah. It wasn't a happy day. I almost wanted to quit golf (again!).

OK- this has become a very frustrating two months. I played pretty good (Solid A, 9-10 Wkly Tourney Rating) back when I played normally as a teenager. Pool stopped as I started a career....

Fast forward 10 years later- and have been trying to make a comeback. But wow , I never knew how hard it would be. I play 2-3 times a week, not nearly enough I know, but I should be placing regularly in the two or so weekly tourneys I usually play, and have done so just a few times. NOt taking anything away from the level of players but I know my former level of play I am capable of.

My confidence is so low at times, my judgement seems to be sooo WRONG, and I literally get scared of some shots now. When before I was fearless, I know it takes time, but for those who have taken these layoffs...it seems more of a mental block...any suggestions?

 

[dimes33]

i just started back after a 9 year lay off and i know exactly how you feel.nothing feels "right".easy shots look hard,my patterns are below standard,i dont move whitey like i used to,and my break,well its just pitiful.i have found that playing in tournaments helps me a lot and i will evaluate myself after each match.what i did wrong and what i did right in each and every game.i then make a mental note to work on those things afterwards.win or lose is 2nd to me seeing my mistakes and making the needed adjustments.works for me as i see my game improve week by week.

 

[sjm]

Try Using More Center Ball Until You Are, Once Again, Confident In Your Pocketing.

 

[mattman]

You might try getting back you the fundamentals of the game. I am not sure where you are located, but you might seek a professional instructor.

 

[AZE]

I have been playing as much as a fraction as the break times you guys are talking about... so I don't know what it's like with that much time off.... but I do know what it's like to not play for a while and feel like you've lost it.

I used to play pool a minimum of 5 hours a day, 7 days a week for a long time -- but when I went full-force on my business (check the sig) I had to put the stick aside.
I went cold turkey for about 2 1/2 months (only been playing 2+ years) and when I went back to hit balls I felt like I forgot everything.... the funny thing is, about a week later there was a big local tournament (1k added, once a year, calcutta) that I ended up finishing 2nd in (I was king of the hill and lost to a local short-stop who I knocked to the losers side earlier). It just came back that very day out of no where...

I only play about 2 - 4 times a month now, and I don't think I hit the balls all that bad for someone who plays that little -- but I do hit them bad, and it almost makes me want to quit running my business and just live in the pool halls again!... fortunately logical thinking comes into effect right around that time.

 

[Str8PoolPlayer]

It was a long road back ....

I laid off Pool for several years between the late 70's and early 90's and, believe me, it was a long road back to a reasonable facsimile of my best game ... My vision had diminished considerably and, even with a lot of help from a Retinal Surgeon, I will never regain the visual clarity required for serious tournament play ... None-the-less, I continue to have a lot of fun each time the balls go "click" ....... win, or lose ...

 

[sixpack]

OK- this has become a very frustrating two months. I played pretty good (Solid A, 9-10 Wkly Tourney Rating) back when I played normally as a teenager. Pool stopped as I started a career....

Fast forward 10 years later- and have been trying to make a comeback. But wow , I never knew how hard it would be. I play 2-3 times a week, not nearly enough I know, but I should be placing regularly in the two or so weekly tourneys I usually play, and have done so just a few times. NOt taking anything away from the level of players but I know my former level of play I am capable of.

My confidence is so low at times, my judgement seems to be sooo WRONG, and I literally get scared of some shots now. When before I was fearless, I know it takes time, but for those who have taken these layoffs...it seems more of a mental block...any suggestions?

I've taken several layoffs of more than a year and here's what works for me:

First get your mechanics close (stance bridge eyes etc...) then forget about the mechancis for a while.

I set up a few easy shots and hit with draw, top, side etc...just to get comfortable. Then I spend some time alternating between drills and just throwing the balls out and running them down. The focus for this is to blend mechanics and getting 'in the zone'.

Then after a little while (maybe first session) I'll try to get a marathon session in. 8-10 hours or more. I think it takes AT LEAST 5+ hours of constant hitting balls to get any feel at all. I think if you break this up into smaller segments (1 or 2 hours) you get almost zero benefit from the time you put in compared to how quickly it comes back in a marathon session.

During this session, I do a lot of the drill where you throw all the balls out, make sure nothing is on the rail or tied up, and try to run out without hitting a rail. (not in any particular order) This drill usually gets both my ball pocketing and slow speed down. I alternate this with 8-ball and 9-ball game situations and speed drills.

My favorite speed control drill is where you shoot a shot and play the CB to a path. You start with moving the CB as little as possible while still making the shot, mark that spot with a coin. The next shot you try to go barely past it. If you go further, you move the coin to the new spot and do it again. You get a point for each time you move the coin. Your run is over when you don't get past the coin or when you hit the far limit (Which I set depending on the shot, usually 1, 2 or 3 rails) This drill will dial in your speed control in a hurry. Especially if you used to play well.

While I'm doing the marathon session, I really try to just 'feel it' and get in the zone. I also watch to see if I'm repeating mistakes and will try to correct them by doing a corrective drill or practice a specific shot 10 times or so, then set it up in a game situation.

By the time the marathon session is over, you'll be tired, but next time you get to the table, you'll be much, much closer to your old self.

Cheers,
RC

 

[chilli66]

I started playing again about a year ago, after a 12 year layoff. Just once a week or less until March of this year, since then it's been 2 or 3 times a week (if I'm lucky!)

So really not a lot of pool. I was surprised to see myself get close to my old standard fairly quickly (at least it seemed that way) & I attribute that to confidence. I've never been one to boast about anything but where pool is concerned I always believe in myself. I took to it right away when I was younger & it all made sense to me. Now, I don't claim to be a great player or anything & I've had my ups & downs recently but when I'm at the table I always think "I can do this!" Sadly I'm not always right!

Have faith in your game. I think after a long time away we all remember the good shots more than the bad. 2 months is not very long, give it a few more & I think you'll be happier.

 

[Snap9]

Never be too hard on yourself. Remember that you will be lucky to ever get back to the speed that you once played.

I took some 4 years off from the game. When I first got back things came back easy since I was relying on memory retention with stance, stroke and table knowledge. However, consistency and the mental side have been a struggle for me. In fact I fealt my game diminsh cause I was being too hard on myself. Once I realized that I would never be where I once was my game began to become better. Mainly cause I quit being tough on myself and quit making excuses for bad shots/shape. Now I just choose to practice missed shots/shape at a later date to help better myself. Key thing was that when this realization happened I started having FUN again. Fun is why we picked up this game, why we wanted to get better and why we came to the level we did before taking time off.

So in a nutshell......Practice, play tournaments and JUST HAVE FUN.

 

[Snapshot9]

Well

it is a lot like 2nd marriages. Doesn't mean it can't be just as good, but it usually feels different, and you have a 'new' set of problems to deal with.

Because you are at a different place, mentally and emotionally, and maybe physically than you were the first time around.

 

[Big Perm]

I basically quit for 7-8 years.....been playing at least twice a week for over 7 months, it still isn't back yet......granted, seeing things a lot better and much more consistently than 7 months ago, but still not back to form....

Have gotten value from weekly tournies (humbling but learning opportunity), lessons, and instructional videos... long sessions on big tables with tight pockets seem to help a lot too....

 

[whitewolf]

OK- this has become a very frustrating two months. I played pretty good (Solid A, 9-10 Wkly Tourney Rating) back when I played normally as a teenager. Pool stopped as I started a career....

Fast forward 10 years later- and have been trying to make a comeback. But wow , I never knew how hard it would be. I play 2-3 times a week, not nearly enough I know, but I should be placing regularly in the two or so weekly tourneys I usually play, and have done so just a few times. NOt taking anything away from the level of players but I know my former level of play I am capable of.

My confidence is so low at times, my judgement seems to be sooo WRONG, and I literally get scared of some shots now. When before I was fearless, I know it takes time, but for those who have taken these layoffs...it seems more of a mental block...any suggestions?

Although Fran Crimi is not one of my favorite persons , I do respect a lot of things she has to say about pool.

I remember her saying that when she has laid off for a while and is trying to get back in stroke, for the first twenty hours she does nothing but pocket balls, without worring if they are going in or not.

I completely agree as I have quit a few times or so for long periods up time, up to a year.

Like another poster just said, make sure your fundamentals are sound before starting your sojourn to get back into the zone.

IMHO, the very FIRST thing you should do is to make sure your eyes are locking onto the object ball before you set down and afterwards. There is a tendency after a lay-off to not focus on the object ball because you are so worried about your stroke, your line of sight, etc. If you have good fundamentals, your whole stroke will pick up a rhythm as you just relax and hit balls.

I like to shoot soft, then medium, then hard. I like to hit the first 15 balls with center, then with top right for the next 15 balls, etc. This gets you used to seeing the shot before you get down and gets rid of any wishy-washy nonsense, like changing your mind in the middle of the practice strokes. Shooting mindlessly will actually help you groove a stroke again.

Put in a good 14 hour day if you can and try to get some kind of rhythm. Everyone discounts rhythm too much .

Cheers.

 

[150shot]

Thanks for the help everyone, it all comes together when I read everyones posts....I know I need more table time..

Actually I started thinking when I did play , it was every day pretty much and gambling/tournaments on a daily or normal basis. NOw when I play its just not the same "pressure" as I welcome knocking balls around with whoever, and just to get back in the groove..

when the "pressure" does come even in small weekly tourneys, I'm just not used to it anymore ,and know my game overall isnt "seasoned". Hopefully I will accept this easier, but we all want to play to our best capabilities

 

[acedotcom]

OK- this has become a very frustrating two months. I played pretty good (Solid A, 9-10 Wkly Tourney Rating) back when I played normally as a teenager. Pool stopped as I started a career....

Fast forward 10 years later- and have been trying to make a comeback. But wow , I never knew how hard it would be. I play 2-3 times a week, not nearly enough I know, but I should be placing regularly in the two or so weekly tourneys I usually play, and have done so just a few times. NOt taking anything away from the level of players but I know my former level of play I am capable of.

My confidence is so low at times, my judgement seems to be sooo WRONG, and I literally get scared of some shots now. When before I was fearless, I know it takes time, but for those who have taken these layoffs...it seems more of a mental block...any suggestions?

Everybody's different. I know guys who could go without playing for 5 years and hardly lose a step. Unfortunately, that's not me. I quit playing back in 1964 when I was 17. Before then, I had been shooting pretty good for a kid - running 40 and 50 balls as easy as rolling out of bed. 38 years later, when I discovered I didn't enjoy golf Florida style, my quest for something to do took me back to the poolroom. Gone was my stroke, my stance, and my eye. During the next 5 or 6 years, I've shown a lot of improvement, but I'm still not back to shooting nearly as well as I could when I was a kid. But as long as I keep getting better, I'm going to keep on trying.