How do you turn the tide when you just don't "have it"

Shooting From Within by J Michael Plaxco. Several time world champion best I recall. He has a section in the book about the mental game and more mental game advice scattered here and there in the book.

At fifteen or twenty dollars I recommended it to anyone, gave away a handful of copies. At $150 I would only recommend it to pistol competitors and I don't push it at them.

Mike's was the first really good book I read about competing although I had read a handful before. Hard for those after to measure up.

Hu
You can get it for $50 but you can also pay $1000 on the used market. I'm surprised he hasn't reprinted it. Self-publishing is easy now if you have the original files.
 
files?

You can get it for $50 but you can also pay $1000 on the used market. I'm surprised he hasn't reprinted it. Self-publishing is easy now if you have the original files.


Bob,

I first got it in the early nineties and am almost certain there haven't been any reprints since then. There may not be any files in any language that could be read. If I owned the rights I would reprint even if I had to retype the text and scan the images. If things went like they did for other similar books, he probably got about a dollar a copy profit. These days he could as you say self publish and do far better. Of course with the demand once it was gone he could sell some direct before he considered dealers again.

The most common asking price used seemed to be $150 for the last few years, even before the book was quite sold out if you knew where to look. I was a dealer for his dealer, how is that for a tongue twister, so I could have bought them out for fifteen dollars each. Cover price was only twenty bucks.

A good book in my opinion. If you notice it for around the original price you might pick it up. Of course the focus is on pistol shooting which may be tough slogging for some and there are some good tidbits outside of the mental section which is fairly large itself.

Hu
 
First post. Been a lurker for a while but only in fall of 2019 have I started playing in league.

Probably been covered many times but please, be gentle on a noob.

Tonight I played my absolute worst. I knew after I lost the first two racks (8-ball) that I was in trouble.

So, how do you turn the tide? I could not "see" shots. There are only so many times you can stand back up when you know you can't see the shot. I stood up so many friggin' times tonight because I could not see a shot it was embarrassing, and was close to being called for slow play.

What do you do to turn it around? I lost EVERY RACK tonight. I missed straight shots. I made difficult cut shots. I missed easy shots left. I missed easy shots right. I was a total hot mess.

I tried going back to fundamentals: contact point; stance; stroking through the cue ball; stroking through to the contact point. NOTHING worked. I tried relaxing. I tried being analytical. I tried saying "f-it" and just trusting my line up. NOTHING WORKED.

When faced with a couple of bad racks, what do you do to get yourself back in the game?!?

Please note I have recently been practicing and have a new mantra for me that worked very well: contact point; foot position; stance; get down on the shot; confirm contact point; align shoulder; ensure follow through to the CB to the perceived contact point. I have practiced and have been very happy with the results. But in league play tonight I couldn't make a shot to save my life.

Mental tips MOST welcome!!
A mental tip and life lesson:
Italian driving and pool have much in common..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjGXn249Fc0
 
I don't know what the rules are for your league but if you can take a break for a minute. Splash some cold water on your face in the bathroom and let it air dry.

Whether you can or can't do that, before you go back to the table, breathe in through your nose, hold it for 4 seconds, and exhale for at least 4 more. When you step into your shot, don't think about it. Think about how the cloth feels, or what you can smell in the room. Anything but the shot.

Your subconscious already knows how to make the ball, don't get in its way.
 
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