So I was practicing some 14.1 in my home room and was on a run of about 23 balls when I receive an annoying call from work..nonetheless it ruined my afternoon and running balls was like pulling teeth:angry: I couldnt put more than a 3 ball run..anyway..it shows how much concentration is needed especailly in straight pool...I kept missing position..getting out of line...over running my mark for setting up on my break ball etc etc...all because of a stupid phone call...this happen to anyone else?...any advice on how to imrpove on this mental aspect of the game?
frustrating mental aspect
- Thread starter BigAL
- Start date
It Takes Time
The mental part of the game takes time to control. If you have family probles, money etc it will eat at you 24 hrs a day, not only will it kill your pool game but everything else that you do all day long.
As for the little things like phone calls, players who have to shark b/c they can't win on their own. Those are things that you need to learn to conquer. With playing in leagues or local tournaments, the more you do it, you will learn to settle down that mental aspect of the game. I hope this helps. Good Luck.
The mental part of the game takes time to control. If you have family probles, money etc it will eat at you 24 hrs a day, not only will it kill your pool game but everything else that you do all day long.
As for the little things like phone calls, players who have to shark b/c they can't win on their own. Those are things that you need to learn to conquer. With playing in leagues or local tournaments, the more you do it, you will learn to settle down that mental aspect of the game. I hope this helps. Good Luck.
Al,
How are your pre-shot routines? If they aren't solid you will be easily distracted. You may want to build in a mental switch that you use every shot to provide focus and give you the cue that it is time to execute the shot and stop thinking about it or anything else. I use the chalk as my switch.
Happy to discuss further if you'd like just PM me.
Kids, bills, family responsibility, work, health, age, home projects put on the back burner, and last but not least timing your true desire to play with the time you are able to play. That's a biggie for me, more often than not, those two times never fall together.
Some of us are never able to play without having at least a few of these things on our mind. Some people can put pool before these thoughts. Some folks don't have these things to clutter their minds. Some take drugs to alter their minds, and some don't even have minds. We're all different, there's no universal cure I'm afraid. :shrug:
Some of us are never able to play without having at least a few of these things on our mind. Some people can put pool before these thoughts. Some folks don't have these things to clutter their minds. Some take drugs to alter their minds, and some don't even have minds. We're all different, there's no universal cure I'm afraid. :shrug:
So I was practicing some 14.1 in my home room and was on a run of about 23 balls when I receive an annoying call from work..nonetheless it ruined my afternoon and running balls was like pulling teeth I couldnt put more than a 3 ball run..anyway..it shows how much concentration is needed especailly in straight pool...I kept missing position..getting out of line...over running my mark for setting up on my break ball etc etc...all because of a stupid phone call...this happen to anyone else?...
All the time I am afraid, welcome to the club. Not just 14.1 either. I was up 5-0 in a nine ball tourny and my wife sneaks in the side door hoping I don't see her, she knows better. Long story short, I lose 7-5. The little bit of wondering what she came in for was all it took.
I also believe it gets worse with age. Maybe it is one reason people say "I used to play better." Don't let it get you down, You can fight through it. and if you do please be sure to let us know how.
steven
edit:
seriously though,
One thing that has helped me with distractions is to focus only on the follow through. It is easy to do and can get your head back in the game. hope this helps
All the time I am afraid, welcome to the club. Not just 14.1 either. I was up 5-0 in a nine ball tourny and my wife sneaks in the side door hoping I don't see her, she knows better. Long story short, I lose 7-5. The little bit of wondering what she came in for was all it took.
I also believe it gets worse with age. Maybe it is one reason people say "I used to play better." Don't let it get you down, You can fight through it. and if you do please be sure to let us know how.
steven
edit:
seriously though,
One thing that has helped me with distractions is to focus only on the follow through. It is easy to do and can get your head back in the game. hope this helps
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I don't know. I have a good friend who's a decent player. When he had a job he was always b*tching that he didn't have enough time to practice. Then he lost his job, but then he complained that he couldn't play well because he was worried about money.
The point? It's easy to be a victim. Much easier than working and being an owner of your time and soul. Sometimes we accept these distractions as justifications to take the easy way out. We play bad and feel completely justified because we have an excuse so we play worse. It's a cycle that repeats over and over, each time getting worse. Eventually you won't be able to play with a clock ticking. Or a jukebox. Or people watching you.
Nip this in the bud. A good pre-shot routine is key as Dr9ball says. It will help you get grounded and focus on the task at hand. Also, don't shirk the work you have to do to make a shot. That includes your pre-shot routine and thinking about what you're trying to accomplish with each shot.
I would bet that while you were playing worse and worse you were not taking the time and effort to think about each shot, settle into it, go through your pre-shot, feel it on your practice strokes and shoot the shot like you mean it.
Most often I see people, once they have an excuse to be distracted, one-stroking, standing up in the middle of the shot, shooting too hard, looking around while they should be focusing on the shot and shooting WAY before they are mentally ready to pull the trigger. It's just laziness and worse, they feel like it's justified because something happened outside of their control. They have a scapegoat so they are fine. This is a symptom that you are playing for other people's perception of you rather than your own joy and pleasure of playing.
~rc
The point? It's easy to be a victim. Much easier than working and being an owner of your time and soul. Sometimes we accept these distractions as justifications to take the easy way out. We play bad and feel completely justified because we have an excuse so we play worse. It's a cycle that repeats over and over, each time getting worse. Eventually you won't be able to play with a clock ticking. Or a jukebox. Or people watching you.
Nip this in the bud. A good pre-shot routine is key as Dr9ball says. It will help you get grounded and focus on the task at hand. Also, don't shirk the work you have to do to make a shot. That includes your pre-shot routine and thinking about what you're trying to accomplish with each shot.
I would bet that while you were playing worse and worse you were not taking the time and effort to think about each shot, settle into it, go through your pre-shot, feel it on your practice strokes and shoot the shot like you mean it.
Most often I see people, once they have an excuse to be distracted, one-stroking, standing up in the middle of the shot, shooting too hard, looking around while they should be focusing on the shot and shooting WAY before they are mentally ready to pull the trigger. It's just laziness and worse, they feel like it's justified because something happened outside of their control. They have a scapegoat so they are fine. This is a symptom that you are playing for other people's perception of you rather than your own joy and pleasure of playing.
~rc
I Am gonna sit back and learn from this one, since my game is in the crapper right now.
i agree on alot of the statements that have been made already, but being the current state of my game i really dont suggest you follow my lead on this !! LOL :shrug:
-Steve
i agree on alot of the statements that have been made already, but being the current state of my game i really dont suggest you follow my lead on this !! LOL :shrug:
-Steve
This may be the best post I have ever seen on AZ. It is often times difficult to look at these things. I am going to copy this and read it everyday. Thank you. Rep to you.
. Annoying phone calls can definately throw a monkey wrench into your fun and concentration.
All distractions need to be recognized as they happen... eveyone has distractions.. everything can be a distraction... no one is protected from distractions.
You can distract yourself (even shark yourself)... when you are down on the ball and start thinking 'this is the same shot I dogged in the last game'.... where did that come from?
A preshot routine is a very strong tool to handle these distractions or sharking moves. First you have to recognized you've been distracted, then you have to start your pre-shot routine. Do all your thinking about the current shot while you are standing up. DON'T get down on the shot until you are ready to 'Pull the trigger' EXECUTE. Normally (for most players) after you go through your pre-shot routine, you are now focused on the shot. All your distractions and/or shark moves have been acknowleged and pushed to the side for the time it takes to EXECUTE the Shot.
Takes time to learn the process, and even more time to develop the Dicipline to perform the routine.
You can distract yourself (even shark yourself)... when you are down on the ball and start thinking 'this is the same shot I dogged in the last game'.... where did that come from?
A preshot routine is a very strong tool to handle these distractions or sharking moves. First you have to recognized you've been distracted, then you have to start your pre-shot routine. Do all your thinking about the current shot while you are standing up. DON'T get down on the shot until you are ready to 'Pull the trigger' EXECUTE. Normally (for most players) after you go through your pre-shot routine, you are now focused on the shot. All your distractions and/or shark moves have been acknowleged and pushed to the side for the time it takes to EXECUTE the Shot.
Takes time to learn the process, and even more time to develop the Dicipline to perform the routine.
