Getting tournament ready, last 3 days?

[boogieman]

Any tips on getting tournament ready? Me and a buddy have been focusing on it for a month or so. Any things to do or focus on in the last 3 days? I think we're setting pretty solid right now, nothing glaring to hold us back. How does one transition from tournament practice into getting set for the event?

We're not looking for any magic pool pills or anything, just some tips on playing up to our abilities and what we should be focusing on in the home stretch.

 

[chefjeff]

Don't leave your game on the practice table.

Stop prepping at some point and just let it come.



Jeff Livingston

 

[Pin]

Following with interest! This is a great question for the instructors.

 

[bbb]

Play games and keep score
At this stage practice tourney play
Maybe 15-30 minutes of stroke practice and/ or trouble shots
Jmho
I am not an instructor

 

[mfinkelstein3]

Read the rules more than once, have your snacks/water that doesn’t bother your stomach (staying hydrated and energized is important), make sure your tip and all equipment is ready to go, if possible play at the venue, and check cue ball size at the tournament table.

Practice with the bridge, jacked up, off the rail, and opposite handed. These shots come up all the time. Also practice lagging and the break.

Taper your training from skills to competitive practice. You have to know what timeline works best for you to get you into a competitive state. I stop teaching for two or three weeks before a serious competition to get out of my head. Spend the first week working on skills, and then start with competitive practice for the second week. What I mean by this is that if things come up when I am playing, I work on them the next day.

So two weeks before, 2 hours in the morning on skills/drills, 2 hours in the afternoon on skills/drills, and then evenings for competition. The week before, depending on how I’m feeling it might be 2 hours skills/drills in the afternoon, and evenings compete. For me 3 days before I lighten up the skills stuff and compete just a little. The day before is a rest day watching videos.

Get to the venue/time zone early, get a good nights sleep and make sure to have fun.

I also work out and stretch every morning.

 

[Imac007]

Any tips on getting tournament ready? Me and a buddy have been focusing on it for a month or so. Any things to do or focus on in the last 3 days? I think we're setting pretty solid right now, nothing glaring to hold us back. How does one transition from tournament practice into getting set for the event?

We're not looking for any magic pool pills or anything, just some tips on playing up to our abilities and what we should be focusing on in the home stretch.

The mindset of planning for a tournament extends beyond the tournament itself to the difference at the practice table.
Skill development, areas of concern and physical game evolution no longer drive the decision making.
This is battle preparation.
As a famous Pogo cartoon stated “we have met the enemy, and they is us”.

Reality check.
During a regular league night anyone can beat anyone.
A tournament win has better odds.
Over 90% of players choke at some point as the importance of the game/shot/match increases.
Mentally sort through the field to pick the remainder, they are your true opponents.

I had a player practicing for a tournament once, tell me he could beat league opponents but always screwed up in tournaments.
I told him the above, as a rebuttal mindset.
Then I told him to shake hands to feel for the sign of nervousness, a sweaty palm.
Probably no longer possible with Covid.
I then took him through focusing on the other player, watching for errors, signs of nervousness, tactical mistakes
There is an element of stalking prey in this, but beware of the hungry predator mindset, leading to being overeager.
Opportunity wears many hats, find the clues, success lives there.
Let risk reward odds guide your choices.

Back to the practice table precompetition mindset.
Make list of your strengths.
Polish your skills, your shiniest weapons.
Find ways to bring those weapons into the game.

The game is about finishing.
Spend time with random ball placements, play ball in hand.
Getting out when you should.
Start with two balls.
Finish then add a third, then a fourth once you succeed.
Back up a step when you fail.

Have a plan for potential distractions, from the intercom, to whatever you can imagine.

Self management is easier if you limit conversation.
Answer if asked, only needed talk is the plan,
If you find yourself inside your head, talk yourself back onto the table.
Talking out loud forces your attention into the present and outwards.
Use it to direct your actions on the table.
Chalk up then “ok, so I need to play the …, the slide over here for this, and off two rails to …so first I need to smooth stroke this…”
Control the narrative and let it control your game.
Anybody see Earl in this?

 

[evergruven]

not an instructor
but what occurs to me is to do the best you can.
simple, but even at lower levels, most players don't
show up with the tools you've got, but shined up-
give yourself the best possible chance to succeed
sleep well, eat healthy, warm up right, and breathe
keep your cue in tune, be prepared for any weather
physically, and mentally. take your time, play smart
stand up straight, chalk. get down, and have fun!!

 

[Pin]

Over 90% of players choke at some point as the importance of the game/shot/match increases.

Is this based on any particular measures, or a general intuition?

It's not always clear whether mistakes are choking or just natural variance, but I would have put the number a lot lower, from my own experiences. But that's me playing in very minor tournaments (so pressure would be lower).

Man, I've just realized how much I miss competition!

I then took him through focusing on the other player, watching for errors, signs of nervousness, tactical mistakes
There is an element of stalking prey in this, but beware of the hungry predator mindset, leading to being overeager.

I really like this, turning the nerves on the other guy!

 

[FranCrimi]

Three things:

1.) Practice staying down and following through on every shot. That's the first thing that goes when the nerves kick in. Practice it, practice it and then when you think you've practiced it enough, practice it some more. I can't stress enough how important it is. Then make sure you remember to do it in competition. And if the nerves kick-in when you're competing, remind yourself to stay down and follow through.

2.) Prepare your expectations. Your reward for working hard is in knowing that you did everything you practiced. It should not be about the end result. This is very important, because a loss with some bad breaks shouldn't throw you. It happens sometimes. As long as you are bringing your best game to the table and are doing what you practiced, you should be happy. You can't always control the outcome, so don't be result-oriented.

3.) Be prepared for opponents with dysfunctional personalities. Don't let them get to you. Whatever crazy, wacky things they may do during your match is on them. It has nothing to do with you. Just keep to yourself and play your game. The calmer head will prevail. These types of things have to be thought about ahead of time. Then you won't be caught off guard when they happen. Have a conversation with your friend over a meal over the next day or two, and discuss of all the crazy things that can happen during a tournament --- and then decide what you would do in those cases.

 

[Imac007]

Is this based on any particular measures, or a general intuition?

I’m just trying to counter any mindset that elevates the difficulty of winning in a tournament.
The narrative came out of his assertion that he could beat players in league but choked in tournaments.
He just needed to know that his experience was normal and a high percentage number of others were experiencing the same thing, made it a shared context.
It’s likely fairly close, but each field would be different.
The player skill level and field strength are indeed a factor.
In this case I decided he was near the top of the field.
The key was giving him hope and motivate with possibilities and belief.

I really like this, turning the nerves on the other guy

Next was to keep him out of his head by directing his attention to the opponent and the table.
Telling him that just raises inner dialogue in importance, when dialogue focused on getting things right isn't bad, unless it interferes with execution.
I was choreographing his attention in a general sense.

BTW
About 6 weeks later I got a voicemail ”thought you’d like to know, I won. “

 

[Ratta]

1.) Knowing what rules will come up- break rules very important! Tapped? what kind of racks?
- then practicing ofc also the brea
2.) Not sure how *hard you re in the competition circus"- so if you enter big tournaments to end in the high rankings (win?), you also have to earn mental endurance as well as physical endurance. 4-5 days with long straight pool sessions for example ( race to 500)- good for mental and physical endurance
3.) last week just playing the game- the last day before a tournament i always recommend to just relax. You will usually not learn anything one day before what you haven t mastered at that point

Stuff like mental preparation has to be pesonalised- wouldn t make sense to give you here an advice, because i don t know you good enough/in person.

last but not least one clear order: "never let someone steal your fun"

 

[3kushn]

I know its late to give my thoughts but what the heck.
Fran covers the waterfront and I think she said what I'll say but differently.
3 days prior to competition is no time to discover and perfect anything new. This time should be for adding armor to fundamentals.
My advice is to strengthen what you already know. Practice the "simple" things. Truth is there is nothing simple under a microscope. The more you learn, the harder the game gets. That's why its such a great game.

Your opponent: I wouldn't watch them too closely. Not only what Fran mentions but they may be too slow, or too fast, or worse (for me) just incompatible rhythm. Paying attention to that can affect your beat. Find yours and stay there. Got a favorite song? If there's a referee, find something interesting to look at or watch, rather than your opponent. Sure a ref can not see something or make a mistake but sort of rare.

Lastly, establish where you're going to have all your stuff. Chair and hopefully a table. Always go back to the same place. It's Your Home. Sometimes a spectator will sit in your home. They don't belong there and you have every right to ask them to leave. You OWN your home for the next hour or so. This is all about consistency with everything.

End of rant

 

[Pin]

3.) Be prepared for opponents with dysfunctional personalities. Don't let them get to you. Whatever crazy, wacky things they may do during your match is on them. It has nothing to do with you. Just keep to yourself and play your game. The calmer head will prevail. These types of things have to be thought about ahead of time. Then you won't be caught off guard when they happen. Have a conversation with your friend over a meal over the next day or two, and discuss of all the crazy things that can happen during a tournament --- and then decide what you would do in those cases.

This is a really interesting avenue. I'm tempted to ask for some examples, although perhaps it's better in a separate thread, where everyone can chip in with their stories.

 

[Pin]

I’m just trying to counter any mindset that elevates the difficulty of winning in a tournament.
....
The key was giving him hope and motivate with possibilities and belief.

Next was to keep him out of his head by directing his attention to the opponent and the table.
Telling him that just raises inner dialogue in importance, when dialogue focused on getting things right isn't bad, unless it interferes with execution.
I was choreographing his attention in a general sense.

This is interesting too - the separation between the message the student needs and the underlying reasoning for why they need it.

I suppose in self-teaching sports psychology I've always been in both roles - the car and the mechanic. With that background, it feels a little sad for the car that they might not fully see or understand the repair. But I suspect that's a naive point of view.

And in self-teaching, for the first several years, being conscious (while playing) of the intended mechanism of the fix messed up the whole scheme. (It's probably plainer to say: I was thinking about what my psychology should ideally have been doing, instead of actually doing it and concentrating on the table.)

But if I'd been in a situation where I didn't really understand why I had to do (or feel) what I was told, I think that would have thrown me too. So maybe I was just unteachable!

I wonder if there's any value in pondering how this can be resolved - how someone can understand the mechanics and still get the benefit.
That's the position I got to in the end, where I finally got self-taught sports psychology to benefit me, but my hunch is some of the fixes could be taught to help fast-track a player, whereas others may need the player to go through the process of trial and error.

Looking at different types of 'mechanics', like giving someone hope, perhaps you just can't be both car and mechanic without losing a lot of the benefit...

 

[Imac007]

in self-teaching sports psychology I've always been in both roles

This conundrum rears its head in other aspects of the game especially in the area of attentional focus.
Robert Nideffer, a sports scientist who specialized in controlling attention and the role of stress in that control had several insights.
First, he measured and conceptualized attention along two axis.
One axis had to do with the breadth, from narrow to broad.
The other axis examined whether awareness was internally generated or externally focused.

He created profiles of attentional styles.
First would be your default style, do you tend to be analytical, focused, laid back, or rules driven?
Next would be attentional demands of a task.
From that starting point he discovered that as stress increases, the first reaction is to retreat to their default style, a kind of attentional comfort zone.
As stress increases further, attention tends to narrow and internalize.

As a self taught sports psychology student this knowledge is a two edged sword.
Is the inner dialogue, stress induced?
If you are facing a narrower inner focus, what do you do to get it back on track?
Talk about paralysis by analysis, caused by the knowledge.

The flip side is, we can choreograph attention.
Depending on situational dynamics, the attentional steps in the dance of the balls, needs to cycle through their routine.

Knowledge without application is just data.
Proper use of knowledge, goes by other labels; invention, genius, wisdom……

Self taught may have its pitfalls, but seen as opportunities, understanding can become deeper and more significant than insights gained without the benefit of discovery.

 

[FranCrimi]

This is interesting too - the separation between the message the student needs and the underlying reasoning for why they need it.

I suppose in self-teaching sports psychology I've always been in both roles - the car and the mechanic. With that background, it feels a little sad for the car that they might not fully see or understand the repair. But I suspect that's a naive point of view.

And in self-teaching, for the first several years, being conscious (while playing) of the intended mechanism of the fix messed up the whole scheme. (It's probably plainer to say: I was thinking about what my psychology should ideally have been doing, instead of actually doing it and concentrating on the table.)

But if I'd been in a situation where I didn't really understand why I had to do (or feel) what I was told, I think that would have thrown me too. So maybe I was just unteachable!

I wonder if there's any value in pondering how this can be resolved - how someone can understand the mechanics and still get the benefit.
That's the position I got to in the end, where I finally got self-taught sports psychology to benefit me, but my hunch is some of the fixes could be taught to help fast-track a player, whereas others may need the player to go through the process of trial and error.

Looking at different types of 'mechanics', like giving someone hope, perhaps you just can't be both car and mechanic without losing a lot of the benefit...

You may find that you click better with one sports psychologist over another. Back when I was competing, I pretty much bought every book on various sports mental games that I could find. You'd think they'd be similar, but they're pretty much all different. Most did nothing for me, but then I found one guy's book that set off some light bulbs for me, so I decided to fly to Tampa and take a course with him. James Loehr. He mainly worked with tennis players, but everything he said made sense to me. I became such an enthusiastic student that at the end of the course, he offered me a job to train as his assistant in teaching his course. I would have loved that but I had different obligations in NY and couldn't do it at the time.

So don't think it's you. You're just not clicking with that person's information. Keep looking for one that you click with.

 

[Pin]

Robert Nideffer's 'Psyched to Win' was the first sports psychology book I ever read, back when I was a high school basketball benchwarmer!
(Although I found it after a tape cybernetics program that a basketball coach recommended to me. Back in the days of cassettes!)

From that starting point he discovered that as stress increases, the first reaction is to retreat to their default style, a kind of attentional comfort zone.
As stress increases further, attention tends to narrow and internalize.

Interesting. I remember the internal/external, wide/narrow model very clearly, but this is either new to me, or long forgotten! (Your knowledge of the detail is impressive!)

I do remember him talking about moderate stress increasing performance-focus, high stress decreasing it, and the optimal level being a personal thing. (That stuck with me, but I also think the psychology is more nuanced. Gallwey teaches relaxed concentration, you could say he uses alternatives to mild stress to keep someone engaged in the task at a low stress level.)

As a self taught sports psychology student this knowledge is a two edged sword.
Is the inner dialogue, stress induced?
If you are facing a narrower inner focus, what do you do to get it back on track?
Talk about paralysis by analysis, caused by the knowledge.

Hahaha, that about sums up my first ten years trying to use sports psychology!

Knowledge without application is just data.
Proper use of knowledge, goes by other labels; invention, genius, wisdom……

Self taught may have its pitfalls, but seen as opportunities, understanding can become deeper and more significant than insights gained without the benefit of discovery.

Honestly, I think Nideffer's internal/external, wide/narrow model is accurate and important as theory and perhaps for a coach/psychologist, but I don't see how it helps the performer to know it.
I am glad I do know it. But I'm not sure it's given me anything in application. Except perhaps that I better understand why what I use does work.

 

[Pin]

You may find that you click better with one sports psychologist over another. Back when I was competing, I pretty much bought every book on various sports mental games that I could find. You'd think they'd be similar, but they're pretty much all different. Most did nothing for me, but then I found one guy's book that set off some light bulbs for me, so I decided to fly to Tampa and take a course with him. James Loehr. He mainly worked with tennis players, but everything he said made sense to me. I became such an enthusiastic student that at the end of the course, he offered me a job to train as his assistant in teaching his course. I would have loved that but I had different obligations in NY and couldn't do it at the time.

So don't think it's you. You're just not clicking with that person's information. Keep looking for one that you click with.

I think I've seen you mention Loehr before. I'll add him to my Amazon wish list. You must have made quite an impression to get a job offer!

I think I've found what I click with now (a patchwork of techniques, but something from the Inner Game has been the biggest). I'd like to think that there's a theoretically perfect structure to it all, but in reality it's probably muchly what I've clicked with. Kind of sad because it suggests it's not necessarily reproducible for someone else.

 

[Imac007]

Honestly, I think Nideffer's internal/external, wide/narrow model is accurate and important as theory and perhaps for a coach/psychologist, but I don't see how it helps the performer to know it.
I am glad I do know it. But I'm not sure it's given me anything in application. Except perhaps that I better understand why what I use does work.

Once I know that my stress level has gone up I know that behaviors such a fight or flight or freeze kick in.
Flight manifests itself in getting up and weight back in the stance, losing bridge arm anchoring.
Attention is constantly pulled inward and narrows and the player needs to fight to maintain an external present based meaningful focus.
My personal strategy is to use my voice to direct my action by talking out loud about my thought process.
I may even talk about my choices and reasons for choosing a shot.
Then direct the action I should take based on the decision.
All of this and how I plan to hit the ball, and where helps me immerse myself in what needs doing.
This is how I use the awareness inherent in Nideffers work.

 

[Imac007]

Robert Nideffer's 'Psyched to Win' was the first sports psychology book I ever read,

His book A.C.T. Attention Control Training along with the TAIS 144 point questionnaire were my first introduction to his work.
https://nideffer.com/optimal-performance-states/

These benchmark symptoms can be countered in order to recapture a peak performance state, but only if you plan measures to get back on track.
It often involves reducing your activation state first.
With practice a step back, gather your thoughts, take a deep breath and calm the f#*k down, will work as a reset.
Each noted change at the physical and mental level can be countered with an appropriate pre-competition plan, of the players own design.