Handling a slump

Scott... I'm all for players getting instruction (and for you making a living at it) but... not all questions can be answered with "sign up for pool school" and "do drills to perfect your mechanics and shot routine". I'm firmly convinced slumps are psychological and have nothing to do with physical things... at least not the ones you're talking about.

A physical (stroke) flaw is the reason a guy spends a year being a C player. A mental flaw is the reason the C turns into a D every so often then goes back to being a C for a month or two.

We both agree having a rock-solid consistency in your stroke, even if it's a butt-ugly sidearm that took 20 years to perfect... will give you confidence and good results. But I don't think it makes you slump-proof.

I've had shooting buddies complain about slumps, and they always seem to be hitting the balls in a lackadaisical way. If I have any success encouraging them to play with full effort and care then it goes away, there are immediate results. Basically they just need to stop giving themselves permission to play halfassed.

Someday I hope we'll meet and see if we can figure out what makes me slump proof. Or at least makes me think I am, which maybe is the same thing?!
 
you have missed before you even hit the ball. Focus on one thing at a time and slowly PUSH yourself into your rhythm. If it don't come back, more than likely your getting bored, so take a couple-few weeks off, just watching. You'll go over everything in your head and come back strong as ever.
 
Scott Lee said:
Salamander...Now I know your response is "tongue-in-cheek", but it is amazing to me how many people think their cue is what needs to be "changed", to improve their game! LOL

Again...the real truth is that a slump only has to last ONE SHOT, if you know what you did wrong, and know how to fix it (the next time you go to the table).

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

I know. I've had so many cues trying to find the excalibur....it boils down to form and function and sound fundamentals.
 
Slumps! Everyone goes through them.

In sports a baseball player, a great shooter of the basketball, goes through.them. They are part of the process.

They usually come from one minor technicality that has gone wrong with your mechanics, in the beginning. Then if the slump turns into a long one. It becomes a mental problem. You start thinking, way too much.

I've gotten through mine by playing more and believing in myself and my ability to perform. If you did it before you should be able to do it again.
 
I have to agree with a lot of the responses posted. The last slump I went through I broke everything down from my preshot routine to my mechanics. I was so disappointed if not disgusted with myself. I couldn't even string two balls together. I came to realize that I was going through so much in my life that it was impacting my game. I am not sure exactly how much time I took off but I knew when I was ready to return.
 
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