I've had this same feeling for awhile also.
I've started doing the "throw the 15 balls out, run out drill" alot. If I miss before the the end of the 15th ball, I start over.
This way I have a count of how many balls I run before I miss. Also, before I start over, I reflect on why I missed that last shot. I kinda keep a record of that.
I've notice several reason for missing and started working on those areas. At first, it was very humbling.....one, two balls, miss, repeat......one, two , three, miss,......sure was a eye opener on my true skill level.
From reflecting on the misses, I found five reasons......
Distraction, not focusing fully on the task at hand,
Just plain bad aiming
Poor speed control
Poor position play
Wrong pattern play/shot selection
Knowing these has helped me. Couple of nights ago.....I ran my first 15. I have also notice, I make more balls before I miss. I practice only on tight tables. By tight, I mean you can not place two balls in the jaws of the pocket.
Knowing that I can do 15 is a confidence builder. Since the first one, I have one another and I get down to fewer balls before I miss. It was the last few balls on the table that made be realize how important shot selection and position play is.
The other thing I have done is play more tournments, mostly 8 ball or straight pool. Not a big fan of 9 ball. Ive lost and won too many games based on luck.
Its a real commitment that is needed to move on. I recently quit a job cause it was cutting into my playing. Now, playing is the THING in my life.
