How to keep your concentration
- Thread starter Joeyb1979
- Start date
If you want to see good concentration, just watch a child play a computer. They are totally emersed in the experience.
When you are fully emersed, there's no mental chatter! You never find yourself in the moment, because once you realise you're in the moment, you're no longer in it.
I have a feeling that you are experiencing is fatigue. Yes, pool is not a physically demanding thing to do but the fact is that if you are cardiovascularly fit, it makes a huge difference in your mental abilities to maintain a performance level. Smoking, bad diet, inconsistent sleep pattern... etc can all be factors. Some types of energy drinks can also be used to help.
When you are fully emersed, there's no mental chatter! You never find yourself in the moment, because once you realise you're in the moment, you're no longer in it.
I have a feeling that you are experiencing is fatigue. Yes, pool is not a physically demanding thing to do but the fact is that if you are cardiovascularly fit, it makes a huge difference in your mental abilities to maintain a performance level. Smoking, bad diet, inconsistent sleep pattern... etc can all be factors. Some types of energy drinks can also be used to help.
Joey,
if you re training with a good and qualified instructor, he will show you how to create a *bulletproofed Pre-Shot-Routine*- this will even include automaticly working on your brain- and during your then following practice/and table-time more and more physical-mechanics will just be *buisness as usual*-at some point you ll have more and more things that are just in your subconcsious mind and you just have to *recall* them if needed.
Very short explanations-hope it makes sense for you.
lg and keep shooting,
Ingo
if you re training with a good and qualified instructor, he will show you how to create a *bulletproofed Pre-Shot-Routine*- this will even include automaticly working on your brain- and during your then following practice/and table-time more and more physical-mechanics will just be *buisness as usual*-at some point you ll have more and more things that are just in your subconcsious mind and you just have to *recall* them if needed.
Very short explanations-hope it makes sense for you.
lg and keep shooting,
Ingo
I look at concentration just like every other pool ability.. you start with a sound Idea.. and you slowly build upon it.. until you create something that the rest call "talent"
you are probably going to get a lot of replies in the "you shouldn't concentrate for more than an hour...your brain can't handle more than that..." camp
I'm going to disagree with that camp..
I believe you should start with reality ... this is what i can do.. create an achievable goal..
I will give my fundamental pool practice XX minutes every other day
even if XX=10 minutes..live up to that for a month...then go to 15 minutes..
soon it will be a half hour ... then an hour... then... 70 minutes... then 80
I have never seen a pro finals match go for more than 90 minutes... quality 14.1 guys can run 150 balls in 90 minutes..
see if over time you can train yourself to maintain your concentration up to 2 hours.. maybe more
if you can nail your PSR every shot for 2 hours.. that 90 minute finals match is going to be a cake walk..
people are not born with the concentration to run 200 balls any more than they are born with the stroke to run 200 balls..
they are each created the same way... one shot at a time..
you don't need to hold your concentration forever... just hold it for one shot longer than you did yesterday.. that's not to tough..right??.:thumbup:
you are probably going to get a lot of replies in the "you shouldn't concentrate for more than an hour...your brain can't handle more than that..." camp
I'm going to disagree with that camp..
I believe you should start with reality ... this is what i can do.. create an achievable goal..
I will give my fundamental pool practice XX minutes every other day
even if XX=10 minutes..live up to that for a month...then go to 15 minutes..
soon it will be a half hour ... then an hour... then... 70 minutes... then 80
I have never seen a pro finals match go for more than 90 minutes... quality 14.1 guys can run 150 balls in 90 minutes..
see if over time you can train yourself to maintain your concentration up to 2 hours.. maybe more
if you can nail your PSR every shot for 2 hours.. that 90 minute finals match is going to be a cake walk..
people are not born with the concentration to run 200 balls any more than they are born with the stroke to run 200 balls..
they are each created the same way... one shot at a time..
you don't need to hold your concentration forever... just hold it for one shot longer than you did yesterday.. that's not to tough..right??.:thumbup:
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Thanks for the feedback!
I find drinking caffeine makes my stroke jittery and I tend to shoot faster than I normally would....so I try to stay away from caffeine when shooting.
I recently quit smoking, and I am finding I have a lot more energy now at home, work, and when I practice....so I'm just going to keep at it!
I find drinking caffeine makes my stroke jittery and I tend to shoot faster than I normally would....so I try to stay away from caffeine when shooting.
I recently quit smoking, and I am finding I have a lot more energy now at home, work, and when I practice....so I'm just going to keep at it!
Concentration
Fatigue can destroy focus and concentration,
Lack of sleep,
Physical or mental fatigue,
Large meal before playing (or extra greasy or fried foods),
The game on and diverting your attention,
The waitress,
I agree that concentration is something to practice and build upon. When you go to practice you should decide right before you are going to start that you will focus completely on quality practice. Once you find yourself losing that focus take a break and walk away from the table, whether 5 minutes or 30 minutes, only come back and play more when you are ready to be completely focused.
Fatigue can destroy focus and concentration,
Lack of sleep,
Physical or mental fatigue,
Large meal before playing (or extra greasy or fried foods),
The game on and diverting your attention,
The waitress,
I agree that concentration is something to practice and build upon. When you go to practice you should decide right before you are going to start that you will focus completely on quality practice. Once you find yourself losing that focus take a break and walk away from the table, whether 5 minutes or 30 minutes, only come back and play more when you are ready to be completely focused.
You need to practice your concentration just like you would practice any other part of your game. The only time you can practice concentrating after an hour or two is when your at that point. You need to build it up.
Soon you will be to 3 hours and concentrating better, then 4, then 5 and so forth.
Kind of like playing in a tournament. All of a sudden your to 3 and forth place and this is the farthest you've ever been in a tourny. Now it's a challenge to keep your focus and concentration. After you've been there in a few tournys you get more comfortable and you can focus better and don't let the moment swallow you up.
Then you get to the final one day. First time ever and it's the same thing. Keeping your focus and concentration.
Playing for 5 to 6 hours and building up your concentration ability will help you in so many ways. Especially when your dead tired and still have to get it done.
Most players lose because they run out of gas mentally or physically or both.
You need to practice concentrating for longer periods of time.
Good luck geno............
Soon you will be to 3 hours and concentrating better, then 4, then 5 and so forth.
Kind of like playing in a tournament. All of a sudden your to 3 and forth place and this is the farthest you've ever been in a tourny. Now it's a challenge to keep your focus and concentration. After you've been there in a few tournys you get more comfortable and you can focus better and don't let the moment swallow you up.
Then you get to the final one day. First time ever and it's the same thing. Keeping your focus and concentration.
Playing for 5 to 6 hours and building up your concentration ability will help you in so many ways. Especially when your dead tired and still have to get it done.
Most players lose because they run out of gas mentally or physically or both.
You need to practice concentrating for longer periods of time.
Good luck geno............