Getting ahead of yourself

[Flip_dat_Quarta]

If you're anything like me, you probably have a tendency to get ahead of yourself. Most of us know to plan 3 balls ahead and while we do that we tend to lose focus on the shot at hand.

It's very important to take each individually. Especially in high pressure situations. Let's say it's hill hill in a nine ball tourney match and your opponent scratches on the break. You now have to run 9 balls to get the cash.

You can't think about running all nine balls without feeling the pressure and losing hope. Instread, you should think one shot at a time and slow down. Make a decision where you will shoot the 1 ball and where you want the cue ball to land. That's the only two things that need to be on your mind.

Next think about where to shoot the 2 ball and where you want the cue ball to land. Of course in between shots you'll walk around the table and plan ahead a bit but you need to get all of that out of your system before you get down on the shot. Before you know it you'll be shooting the 9 for the cash.

Executing a 9-ball runout under pressure can be very overwhelming but breaking it down and just working through 9 simple shots, 1 by 1 really simplifies the game. Give it a try! Pool is a simple game, don't let your mind over complicate it!

 

[philly]

If you're anything like me, you probably have a tendency to get ahead of yourself. Most of us know to plan 3 balls ahead and while we do that we tend to lose focus on the shot at hand.

It's very important to take each individually. Especially in high pressure situations. Let's say it's hill hill in a nine ball tourney match and your opponent scratches on the break. You now have to run 9 balls to get the cash.

You can't think about running all nine balls without feeling the pressure and losing hope. Instread, you should think one shot at a time and slow down. Make a decision where you will shoot the 1 ball and where you want the cue ball to land. That's the only two things that need to be on your mind.

Next think about where to shoot the 2 ball and where you want the cue ball to land. Of course in between shots you'll walk around the table and plan ahead a bit but you need to get all of that out of your system before you get down on the shot. Before you know it you'll be shooting the 9 for the cash.

Executing a 9-ball runout under pressure can be very overwhelming but breaking it down and just working through 9 simple shots, 1 by 1 really simplifies the game. Give it a try! Pool is a simple game, don't let your mind over complicate it!

Good basic advice but I think it's a little more complicated than that since no two layouts are the same. It's very important to find trouble balls such as balls in clusters and plan to move them out as early as possible in the run out.

 

[HawaiianEye]

Good basic advice but I think it's a little more complicated than that since no two layouts are the same. It's very important to find trouble balls such as balls in clusters and plan to move them out as early as possible in the run out.

I plan the hardest shot first and work backwards. If getting to the correct position to make the hardest looks to be "too risky", I play to get to the ball that will give me the greatest percentage for a "lock tight" safety against my opponent that will give me ball in hand.

 

[Celophanewrap]

I plan the hardest shot first and work backwards. If getting to the correct position to make the hardest looks to be "too risky", I play to get to the ball that will give me the greatest percentage for a "lock tight" safety against my opponent that will give me ball in hand.

I always look at the table backwards too, though one time I heard a Minnesota Fats interview and he said something that I always remember, he said, " If you take all the easy shots first there won't be any hard ones left"
Of course you have to be ready to adjust, and if I need to play a defensive shot I always can

 

[erhino41]

That is good advice and is one of the most basic ideas of the game. It can also be one of the hardest to remember especially the closer you get to the cheese. He's not saying don't plan your run, when it comes time to execute you have to shut off the planning mechanism and focus only on the task at hand, and that is make the ball and hit your spot. I

 

[erhino41]

One method I use when I can't seem to separate the planning stage from the execution stage is to trick the part of the brain that wants to plan into thinking it is involved in the shot making process. As I am getting down on the shot I will actively narrate what i am about to do, usually in my head sometimes out loud. What this does is keep the brain from trying to think about anything else but what you want to execute and also solidifies the plan in your head. Then it's one two boom rinse and repeat.
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[Johnnyt]

Make sure you pocket the OB. When you get down to shoot, all the other stuff (position, Speed, spin) should be thought out so you can focus on making the shot. Johnnyt






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[Tramp Steamer]

I do get ahead of myself.
Yesterday, for example, I was playing like I was going to play a week from Wednesday. I couldn't make a ball.
I think it was because I didn't know what to expect. I could be catching a head cold on that day, for crissakes. Who knows.
I think the best strategy is to play like you did a couple of days ago. That way you only play like shit fifty percent of the time. :smile: