HOW DO WE LEARN ??

[straightline]

Something I should mention because it can be important in pool but is not covered in the material I linked to: While an internal focus generally negatively impacts performance and learning, this only applies when the focus is on what you are trying to do - on the stroke. For various reasons I won't go into, there is no problem in retaining some focus internally on something that is not, or should not be, involved in the shot.

So attention to keeping your head still when you deliver the shot is not hugely destructive, and may be helpful to someone who has a habit of moving on the shot (although an external focus, staying down to watch the cb bounce off the ob is probably to be preferred if it works for the individual).

Similarly paying some attention to keeping unwanted movement out of the wrist and shoulder can be useful.

Pool is relatively simple as far as technique goes. I think humans can deal with slightly more complexity than shooting a shot - without affecting the shot. I also think pedantics should be left in the PSR and probably only in the rehearsal PSR.
At <shoot time>, the tip of the stick is where the focus should uh, focus. Watch the Judd Trump clip Greg Cantrall posted. Lots of stroke related motion seriously - head, torso, legs; not Iron Willie by any means. The balls on the other hand show no such instability.

 

[gerard soriano]

I purchased a book that the Lion recommended on a podcast that deals with all this.
With Winning in Mind by Lanny Bassham great read

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Great book!

 

[alphadog]

By being told "Thats not it" ?

 

[bbb]

Sure. There is a lot published, but this paper is good, giving reviews and meta analyses of previously published research: Superiority of external attentional focus for motor performance and learning: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Highlights from the abstract below.

As you will see, the research shows that focusing what you want the balls to do ('External Focus' or 'EF') works better than focusing on what your body has to do to make it happen, how and where to hit the cue ball ('Internal Focus' or 'IF'). This is true both for experts wanting to play well ('performance' of those with high 'skill expertise') and for non-experts trying to learn the game ('retention learning' - reproducing what you were practicing yesterday - 'transfer learning' - practicing one type of shot improves the way you perform a different, but similar, shot).

From the Abstract:

"... We report the results of comprehensive meta-analyses that address the impact of an external focus (EF, on intended movement effects) versus internal focus (IF, on movements of body parts) of attention on the performance and learning of motor skills. ... The EF condition was more effective than the IF condition for performance... retention learning, ... and transfer learning

.... neither age group, health status, or skill level, nor their two-way interactions, moderated the ES differences between EF and IF in performance, retention, and transfer models...

... A secondary analysis ...that examined the effects of EF versus IF on electromyographic outcomes of motor performance also indicated that EF was associated with more efficient neuromuscular processing

... performance measured by behavioral outcomes was found to be more effective when a more distal, rather than proximal, EF was used

Overall, the meta-analytic results are consistent with prior narrative reviews and indicate that an external focus is superior to an internal focus whether considering tests of motor performance or learning, and regardless of age, health condition, and level of skill expertise."

thanks for the link
got me to do some research
reminds me of jeff galloways book inner game of tennis
teaching newbies "bounce- hit"