How to handle competition play?

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I just started playing league 8ball pool. Very little money involved. Actually, yesterday was more like my 5th match. But still I can't seem to stop being nervous during the match. I play way way below my capabilities. This 5th match was actually the worst. I tried to stay positive even after terrible misses, but not once could I find any kind of composure. Completely lost confidence. All this against a player I should be able to beat easily. I felt so embarrased, completely let my team down.

When I play for fun I'm not all that bad. Run a rack of 9ball more and more often...high run of 29 in 14.1...that would put me somewhere in lower intermediate class.

And the players I'm facing...well lets just say that most of them poke at the cue ball, can't draw, usually can't run a rack. But when it comes to competition they play on exactly the same level as if they were playing just for fun, even better. Whereas I on the other hand, play much much worse.

The truth is that in competition, I'm having trouble running 3 friggin' balls as Larry would put it...:( That's my real skill level it seems...

I have Capelle's book and I did read all that stuff about mental game, but nothing worked...now I realize why pro's sometimes miss very easy balls.

Is anyone having the same problem? The book says to just continue playing...

Alex (no, not Pagulayan)
 
yes i used to have the same problem still sometimes do..but i solved it....i either just smoke(calms me down abit) or drink a beer or two...after the alchohol i was actually shootin good. Making balls and winning matches. Although alchohol isn't for everyone.
 
but if you play more tournaments you'll get use to it...of course the bigger the tournament you'll get them butterfly in your stomach again. but more tournaments you play the more it'll prepare you your state of mind
 
league play

amateur said:
I just started playing league 8ball pool. Very little money involved. Actually, yesterday was more like my 5th match. But still I can't seem to stop being nervous during the match. I play way way below my capabilities. This 5th match was actually the worst. I tried to stay positive even after terrible misses, but not once could I find any kind of composure. Completely lost confidence. All this against a player I should be able to beat easily. I felt so embarrased, completely let my team down.

When I play for fun I'm not all that bad. Run a rack of 9ball more and more often...high run of 29 in 14.1...that would put me somewhere in lower intermediate class.

And the players I'm facing...well lets just say that most of them poke at the cue ball, can't draw, usually can't run a rack. But when it comes to competition they play on exactly the same level as if they were playing just for fun, even better. Whereas I on the other hand, play much much worse.

The truth is that in competition, I'm having trouble running 3 friggin' balls as Larry would put it...:( That's my real skill level it seems...

I have Capelle's book and I did read all that stuff about mental game, but nothing worked...now I realize why pro's sometimes miss very easy balls.

Is anyone having the same problem? The book says to just continue playing...

Alex (no, not Pagulayan)
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Talk about deja vu. Your story sounds exactly like my league debut this year.
My high run in 14.1 is only 27 so far, but our skill levels sound similar.
While practicing, I was shooting so good one of my new teammates remarked to the guy who brought me to league, "This guy can shoot". When the games started, it was another story. 0-6 the first night, 2-4 the next, I think 0-6 the next week.It was f####ing terrible and embarrasing. I even hedged the truth a little when I told my non-league friends how I was doing.

We're a little past halfway through the season and I finally got to .500. I went 5-1 last week to be 51/51. I've had only one 6-0 week, but a lot of 5-1s and 4-2s. I had a big hole to crawl out of.

I'm not exactly sure how it changed. Part of it was reading things like "The pleasures of Small Motions" for the mental game. Part of it was practicing a preshot routine and trying to stick to it on all my shots. It's BCA rules, which I never played, so i had to learn a little more about Safety play, the kind of pool that gets called names in bars. Also, as I got to know the players, I just relaxed more, talked with them a little and didn't invest them with superpowers that made me nervous.

It's easy to say "just relax", but it's hard to do. Take a deep breath and calm down and eventually it will come to you. "pleasures" is a very good book for getting your mind right. Good luck. Dennis
 
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Cardinal_Syn said:
yes i used to have the same problem still sometimes do..but i solved it....i either just smoke(calms me down abit) or drink a beer or two...after the alchohol i was actually shootin good. Making balls and winning matches. Although alchohol isn't for everyone.
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I did this a couple times too. stopped at Hooters for 3 or 4 pints before a tournament. First time it settled me down and I shot pretty good. Next time, I shot pretty sloppy. The same thing if I'm out drinking and we stop at a bar and shoot. Sometimes in a groove. Sometimes a little off.

So now, especially on league night, if I have a beer, I'll wait until my last game, so it really doesn't affect my play.
 
Easier said than done, but you have to find a way to calm down. I really don't think anyting like alcohol and drugs are the answer though. You need to find the way inside yourself. I watched a player, Warren Costanza (Monk), play and he inspired me to calm down. His phyisical demeanor shouts out, "I'm just taking a stroll in the park". He almost looks like he's bored. If you try to emulate those physical characteristics, you may just help calm your nerves while your at it. What it tells the other players too is that you just couldn't give a sh-- if you win or lose. This will take some of the pressure off you that you get from others. When you look like you're desparate, guess what, you are!
 
Use the nerves to your advantage

I have played my best pool when extremely nervous. I think the nerves help me to better concentrate and focus on what needs to be done. I remember playing in a tournament at Hard Times in Bellfower about 10-11 years ago. This was a $200 entry tournament, which was a huge step up in competition for me. My first match I had drawn one of the local L.A. players who I had always considered to be much better than me. I had a lot of reasons to be nervous, for one this was the biggest tournament I had ever played in by far, second I was playing in the prime time session, I had Johnny Archer playing on the table next to me and Mark Tad playing right behind me, also when I looked into the stands where my dad was sitting I realized he was sweating my match with Kim Davenport ( they have been friends for years).
So I went into this match just hoping to not make a fool of myself, but surprisingly enough I played out of my mind and even though I lost 11-10 to the guy he was really impressed with the way I played as well. I then realized how good I was capable of playing and I feel the nerves are what helped me play that well.
My biggest suggestion for playing when nervous is to just take your time, once you start to pocket some balls you may find yourself entering "the zone", I know for me I wish I could get that nervous everytime I played.
 
There's nothing wrong with being nervous, it's only human. I don't think drinking before a match is the answer though. I guess if you were up for an important job interview and you were nervous, would you drink a beer or two before hand? Anyway, I've always tried to use a preshot routine everytime I play. If you're nervous beforehand don't sit there and stare at the tables thinking about your match. Talk to some of the players. Joke around and all that. Have some fun.
 
Some good advice, nerves are good or bad depending on what u do with them. The question that most people don't ask is where do these nerves come from? I think its from the fear of failure, missing a shot, choking etc., i prefer to play in front of as many people as possible, i want as much pressure on my opponent as i can possibly get. I think i have an edge over a lot of my opponents because of my success in other sports, I'm a good tennis player and the parrallels between tennis and pool are astounding. I used to surf pool sites nonstop a few years back when i first got online reading anything i could about pool, and ironically i came across a highly reccommended book for pool players that i actually already owned from years back "The Inner Game of Tennis". This is a really good book, this book deals mainly with the mental side of tennis which can be applied to anything, sports, u name it.
I don't recall the site but one pool site had an excellent article about choking, what it is, what are some causes, the things i remember was how u lose confidence and you're mind tells you're body that you are going to fail, so you're body will in effect fail, could be pulling you're head up, or not following through, or anything. One method it suggested to fool you're brain was in the middle of inhaling a breath while u are shooting, stop about half way through the breath, and it will confuse you're brain enough where u won't have these negative thoughts, i thought this was a good idea but never really used it. Me personally when im down on a shot and if im having negative thoughts about it, i tell myself "hey who gives a sh|t if i miss? big f***king deal it's a pool game".
In the book i mentioned he goes into depth about the different personas you have inside you're head, it's kinda funny cause i start making fun of my negative side when it tells me im going to fail. And also from the book he goes into depth about how to quiet all of you're thought processes to enter "the zone". The zone is just an almost blank mind state where u aren't thinking you are just doing.
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play the table, not the other player,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,oooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.............you are one with the table
 
Hey guys thanks for replies. I've just won my league match a few hours ago. And that against a much better player than the one I lost to earlier. It was a game of two chokers really. He practically handed me the win. However, my quality of play was still pretty bad despite the win.

After the match I stayed alone on that same table just shooting at the balls for some time. My stroke started feeling great and I virtually couldn't miss whatever shot I setup. It's funny how pressure can affect your cue action.

And oh, alcohol is out of the question for me. I consider pool to be a sport, so no booze and cigarettes please...:) At least not during play...
 
amateur said:
Hey guys thanks for replies. I've just won my league match a few hours ago. And that against a much better player than the one I lost to earlier. It was a game of two chokers really. He practically handed me the win. However, my quality of play was still pretty bad despite the win.

After the match I stayed alone on that same table just shooting at the balls for some time. My stroke started feeling great and I virtually couldn't miss whatever shot I setup. It's funny how pressure can affect your cue action.

And oh, alcohol is out of the question for me. I consider pool to be a sport, so no booze and cigarettes please...:) At least not during play...
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Congratulations. I'm sure you'll pull it together and play like a champion soon enough.
 
this is the very best advice i could give you, and the very best advice i could give you is the very best advice anyone can give you! LOL! listen, and remember this when your about to play your match. the brain can not think about two things at one time. impossible! scientists have proven this, hey do you want to challenge science? NO! so what does this mean? if your all nervous and sweating and looking at your team mates, and the room is spinning, and you feel dizzy and panicy, that's because your thinking about everything but the game. however, if your playing your match, and running the table, and feeling good and whistling, whilst doing it, your thinking about the game, and only the game. you can't think about the game if your looking around the room and you can't think about the room if your thinking about the game. as phil capele puts it in the greastest book ever on pool. play pool and nothing else! good luck.
 
I have played in so many tournaments for the past 10 years, I don't get nervous at all anymore, even when shooting the 9-ball in the finals. It took me about 2-3 years to stop getting nervous in every match I played, even a little bit. After that I would still get nervous in the finals or semi-finals, now-adays its like nothing. The only occasions where my nerves come into play are in big tournaments, like when there is around $1000 on the line or something. Otherwise, its just experience that keeps me from getting the shakes.

The best advice I can give you to help you stop dogging so many shots when you get nervous is to have a pause at the cueball before you execute the shot. When I gamble, I use this quite often, because although I don't really get nervous in tournaments, gambling on my own money sometimes messes with my head. It kind of helps me focus and relax before I shoot, the end result is fewer missed shots.
 
LastTwo said:
I have played in so many tournaments for the past 10 years, I don't get nervous at all anymore, even when shooting the 9-ball in the finals. It took me about 2-3 years to stop getting nervous in every match I played, even a little bit. After that I would still get nervous in the finals or semi-finals, now-adays its like nothing. The only occasions where my nerves come into play are in big tournaments, like when there is around $1000 on the line or something. Otherwise, its just experience that keeps me from getting the shakes.

The best advice I can give you to help you stop dogging so many shots when you get nervous is to have a pause at the cueball before you execute the shot. When I gamble, I use this quite often, because although I don't really get nervous in tournaments, gambling on my own money sometimes messes with my head. It kind of helps me focus and relax before I shoot, the end result is fewer missed shots.
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Very good advice. The pause has helped me as well, because it doesn't involve complicated thinking but still lets your mind concentrate on something that does only good things to your stroke & game. It might not help some other players but they need to find the "thing" that helps them to concentrate. But it shouldn't be multiple things in your stance, grip, arms etc. Competitive play should go by "instinct", you should not think about your technique at all, but let the muscle memory to guide your cue. Try more to "feel" the table and the balls on it instead of rationalizing what went wrong with your previous shot and "is there a flaw in my stroke?". On practice table you should think about your technique and how does different shots feel to you and is there a way to improve your stroke. The famous line "try to imagine that you are just practising" in competition is IMHO bulls**t.
 
Check out the book 'The Inner Game of Tennis'. It is about the mind game and it uses tennis as the theme, but you can apply it to pool, or anything for that matter. This is a great book and it will help you improve your game, concentrate better, and make you an all around better player. You have to read it and apply it correctly. Don't just read the words.

I haven't read it for a while, but if I remember correctly, I think something that was said in there was about helping you focus your concentration. Try to concentrate on just one thing - anything. Concentrate on the rythym of your breathing. Concentrate on the sound the air conditioning is making. Whatever. Block out everything else and pour all of your focus into that one thing. This will help you block out the crowd, the pressure, the score, everything. It helps me relax when I'm playing. Of course you do this while sitting, not shooting. It is an exercise. You are practicing focusing on one thing and one thing only. It isn't easy to do, believe me. Once you practicei it enough, you will get the hang of it and you can apply it to your shooting. Concentrate on the shot at hand. Forget about the score, the last ball you missed, the crowd, the TV camera, everything.

Another thing this book said was, if you were nervous while playing, try to think of a relaxing time. Maybe think about a few weeks ago when you were relaxing in your back yard or something. Anything to take your mind off feeling nervous at the current situation, or any pressure at being down in score in the set (or sometimes there is more pressure when you are up and it is close). The key here is to not just think about it, but to pour all of your focus into it. Don't think about anything else but that. It should help you relax.

All of the above works for me. I hope it helps some of you.

Good Luck.

Andy Segal
 
I have been playing in leagues for several years and I had the same problem with being nervous and not playing to my "real" skill level. After so many years, someone who knows me finally pointed out that I played differently when I was playing a league match. After some discussion about this, I agreed. I was thinking too much and not playing MY GAME.

Now, I try to just play the table (like someone said), listen to the music playing - like normal, and just play. Most of all - ENJOY myself.

Phyllis
 
Yeah you just have to get some seasoning. When I first started playing in local tourneys I would get loose knee'd and start sweating. Now after hundreds of tourneys I don't get bothered by any of it. It doesn't matter who you are playing, it is you against the table. I beat players now that used to intimidate me in tourneys. I find good breathing and having something cool to drink (ice water so i can chomp the ice) helps me out. Just relax and play your game, don't get frustrated or down if you miss one shot.
 
All sorts of good (and some sketchy :) advice in here. Thought I'd add my own two cents.

I worked for a long time on getting my nerves under control. Wanted to be the ice man. Well, I finally achieved that...and started losing more matches. Turns out that I play best when I'm just nervous enough to get into a very focussed state. Not so nervous that I can't think, or I get a jittery arm. I've turned nervousness, into something good. I now see it as a passionate desire to win. It keeps me sharp. Get too comfortable, and I let matches slip away. Sometimes I find that I don't respect someones game...so I get casual...and I wind up losing to someone I think I shouldn't. Well, I deserved it.

Next time you watch pros play in a tournament, check out what they're drinking. Mostly high quality H2O.

Also watch the pro's demeanor around the table. Of course, they vary, but pick a couple that you admire and pay close attention. The best players I've seen are neither scared looking, nor overly casual. (well, except for Reyes...but he's a different cat) They're focussed.

Anyway, that's my opinion.

cheers,
jer9ball
 
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