How to regain focus?

Bardtj

Bardtj

Registered
I started playing in february of this year in my first year of college. There's a pool room at my university that I play in while here. Over the summer my game improved substantially as I spent a lot of time playing great players and focusing on my fundamentals at a local pool hall. I could ordinarily run around 6-7 balls in nine ball consistently. Since I have come back to school, it seems my game has gone backwards. I think a lot of it is a loss of focus, as I play almost everyday for an hour or more, but I'm usually with friends and I feel I get distracted and careless. I want to know how I can regain my focus in this environment. I've thought about listening to music in my headphones, but I don't know if that's a good idea, seeing as how I usually play with people I know.

Any thoughts on how to focus would be greatly appreciated.

Also, any thoughts on how to amend my confidence would be great as well.

Thank you.
 
Sometimes when you're around friends you kind of go into "social mode" and the game takes a backseat.
If you're enjoying yourself, maybe that's OK.

Headphones... the first instinct might be to assume that would come across as a little antisocial.
But one of my buddies uses headphones when just playing around with our group of friends,
and nobody minds and he's still very fun to be around, he pulls one out when people talk to him.
It is a little funny though when he starts crying after a missed shot at double the normal volume
and doesn't realize the whole room can hear him.

I think just make a point of not skipping any steps when you shoot each ball. Whatever steps you normally take,
do them all. For me that means walking around to the shotline & laying my tip along that line, visualizing the cut,
walking back to shooting position+chalking, getting into it, tweaking my aim, firing.

Try to catch yourself skipping steps and make sure you don't. Just the act of paying attention to the steps
will help you focus.
 
If you are like me when you play the top players you know yo can't miss and try harder. Were as when I play my friends I tend to slack off cause i know 9 times out of 10 I will get back to the table. Try treating your friends as top players and always think that if you miss you lose. As for as confidence goes when you start to play your friends at your top player speed it will come back because you will win many more games.
 
Playing with friends is social activity...you can't be expected to focus, because you're not taking the game seriously. You have to play on your own or against someone else, and bear down. That takes work, and you're not working when your knocking them around with some buddies. Your best improvement will always come when playing better players...when you're playing someone weaker than you, you tend to take unsafe shots ("flyers") or lose your focus, especially since you know you'll get more chances.
 
Try to visualize a laser line from behind the cue ball through the front dead center of the cue ball. This line extends to the center of the object ball (1/16th inch dot). Then try to visualize a laser line from about 1" behind the object ball to the part of the pocket you are using. Try to visualize the object ball roll about nine inches toward the pocket. This all requires intense concentration and you will regain your focus.

Assumes that all your pre-shot fundamentals are sound.

Visualizing (imagining) the object ball rolling is probably the most difficult, but you can do it. It is similar to when you were a kid and could imagine all sorts of things.

I play with a friend who can't shut his mouth. It seems to run constantly and he often does things like "huh" right when I am going to shoot. He doesn't think of it as sharking, it is just him. I like playing with him because I have accepted his motor mouth and have taught myself to ignore him when I am shooting. It has done a lot for my game. Accept their foibles and use it to make your game better.
 
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Years and years ago there was a scientist on tv named carl sagon. (Forgive the spelling)

On episode he spoke of dimensions. Our 3 dimensional world, the imaging of a 4th dimension. Envisioning a 2 dimensional world.

In his imaginary 2 dimensional world, 2 dimensional people would walk right beside you and not be able to see you even though you were right there next to them because in their world there was only length and width..... they could not see the 3rd dimension of height, so it saw not visible to them.

Today most of you young players walk in the midst of the pool world and are unable to see the dimension right in front of your eyes.

You don't delve into it because you can't see it. It doesn't exist for you though it is in reality there for you.

You want improvement? You want better control, better focus, concentration, but can't see the answer to how.

I'll tell you how, but you most likely still not see it.

Forget trying to improve playing that carnival game 9 ball. Play straight pool.

Allow the extended periods of focus, planning, developing patterns, touch, speed control, and subtle use of english improve your game.

Once you have been to the mountain, experienced the true depth of the game, then go back and be a killer 9 ball player.

That is if you still have any desire to play such a redundant shallow game any longer. ;)
 
Take the esteemed George Fels's advice and follow the cue ball with your eyes after contact. Don't move your head, just your eyes. Try it, you may be surprised.
That said, it can be very hard to focus seriously when playing with friends. Good luck!


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3andstop said:
Years and years ago there was a scientist on tv named carl sagon. (Forgive the spelling)

On episode he spoke of dimensions. Our 3 dimensional world, the imaging of a 4th dimension. Envisioning a 2 dimensional world.

In his imaginary 2 dimensional world, 2 dimensional people would walk right beside you and not be able to see you even though you were right there next to them because in their world there was only length and width..... they could not see the 3rd dimension of height, so it saw not visible to them.

Today most of you young players walk in the midst of the pool world and are unable to see the dimension right in front of your eyes.

You don't delve into it because you can't see it. It doesn't exist for you though it is in reality there for you.

You want improvement? You want better control, better focus, concentration, but can't see the answer to how.

I'll tell you how, but you most likely still not see it.

Forget trying to improve playing that carnival game 9 ball. Play straight pool.

Allow the extended periods of focus, planning, developing patterns, touch, speed control, and subtle use of english improve your game.

Once you have been to the mountain, experienced the true depth of the game, then go back and be a killer 9 ball player.

That is if you still have any desire to play such a redundant shallow game any longer. ;)
Click to expand...

This is actually very good advice. Unfortunately, if you're playing in a student recreational center on campus, you'll have to learn how to play this on your own...but that may not be the worse thing! :embarrassed2:
 
Bardtj said:
I started playing in february of this year in my first year of college. There's a pool room at my university that I play in while here. Over the summer my game improved substantially as I spent a lot of time playing great players and focusing on my fundamentals at a local pool hall. I could ordinarily run around 6-7 balls in nine ball consistently. Since I have come back to school, it seems my game has gone backwards. I think a lot of it is a loss of focus, as I play almost everyday for an hour or more, but I'm usually with friends and I feel I get distracted and careless. I want to know how I can regain my focus in this environment. I've thought about listening to music in my headphones, but I don't know if that's a good idea, seeing as how I usually play with people I know.

Any thoughts on how to focus would be greatly appreciated.

Also, any thoughts on how to amend my confidence would be great as well.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

Find some time to go to the poolroom by yourself. Shooting around with friends is great, but it doesn't do a lot for your focus or your game. When you're by yourself if you spend time doing progressive or competitive drills or even playing the ghost and keeping track of your scores I'll bet you get your focus back.
 
3andstop said:
Years and years ago there was a scientist on tv named carl sagon. (Forgive the spelling)

On episode he spoke of dimensions. Our 3 dimensional world, the imaging of a 4th dimension. Envisioning a 2 dimensional world.

In his imaginary 2 dimensional world, 2 dimensional people would walk right beside you and not be able to see you even though you were right there next to them because in their world there was only length and width..... they could not see the 3rd dimension of height, so it saw not visible to them.

Today most of you young players walk in the midst of the pool world and are unable to see the dimension right in front of your eyes.

You don't delve into it because you can't see it. It doesn't exist for you though it is in reality there for you.

You want improvement? You want better control, better focus, concentration, but can't see the answer to how.

I'll tell you how, but you most likely still not see it.

Forget trying to improve playing that carnival game 9 ball. Play straight pool.

Allow the extended periods of focus, planning, developing patterns, touch, speed control, and subtle use of english improve your game.

Once you have been to the mountain, experienced the true depth of the game, then go back and be a killer 9 ball player.

That is if you still have any desire to play such a redundant shallow game any longer. ;)
Click to expand...

Very well stated...
Thanks for reminding why straight pool still is my favorite.
I have been to the mountain.
 
3andstop said:
Years and years ago there was a scientist on tv named carl sagon. (Forgive the spelling)

On episode he spoke of dimensions. Our 3 dimensional world, the imaging of a 4th dimension. Envisioning a 2 dimensional world.

In his imaginary 2 dimensional world, 2 dimensional people would walk right beside you and not be able to see you even though you were right there next to them because in their world there was only length and width..... they could not see the 3rd dimension of height, so it saw not visible to them.

Today most of you young players walk in the midst of the pool world and are unable to see the dimension right in front of your eyes.

You don't delve into it because you can't see it. It doesn't exist for you though it is in reality there for you.

You want improvement? You want better control, better focus, concentration, but can't see the answer to how.

I'll tell you how, but you most likely still not see it.

Forget trying to improve playing that carnival game 9 ball. Play straight pool.

Allow the extended periods of focus, planning, developing patterns, touch, speed control, and subtle use of english improve your game.

Once you have been to the mountain, experienced the true depth of the game, then go back and be a killer 9 ball player.

That is if you still have any desire to play such a redundant shallow game any longer. ;)
Click to expand...

I love tho post because anytime I play by myself, it is straight pool. In my eyes, it's the best game.
 
I don't know of any true beginners in this game that can ordinarily run 6 or 7 balls playing 9ball. Maybe you overestimate your abilities and thusly have too much expectations of yourself? I suggest you play the 9ball ghost and see how many balls you average over 10 racks or more. In case you are not familiar with the ghost, you break like in a normal game but take ball in hand right after the break and try to run-out. You only get one inning (not including the break shot) to try and run out. See where your game is really at then move forward from there.
 
JohnPT said:
I don't know of any true beginners in this game that can ordinarily run 6 or 7 balls playing 9ball. Maybe you overestimate your abilities and thusly have too much expectations of yourself? I suggest you play the 9ball ghost and see how many balls you average over 10 racks or more. In case you are not familiar with the ghost, you break like in a normal game but take ball in hand right after the break and try to run-out. You only get one inning (not including the break shot) to try and run out. See where your game is really at then move forward from there.
Click to expand...

If a true beginner to you is picking up a cue for the first time, then I'm not a true beginner. I considered myself a beginner, because I just started playing regularly and actually putting effort into the game this year. And as far as playing the ghost, that's what I did over the summer a good bit and that's where the 6 or 7 balls game from. Not to mention just playing sets with some players.
 
Bardtj said:
If a true beginner to you is picking up a cue for the first time, then I'm not a true beginner. I considered myself a beginner, because I just started playing regularly and actually putting effort into the game this year. And as far as playing the ghost, that's what I did over the summer a good bit and that's where the 6 or 7 balls game from. Not to mention just playing sets with some players.
Click to expand...

Wow, even then, that is something special. I played 9 year (1000+ hr per year) and couldn't beat the 6 ball ghost all the time or most of the time). If you're as good as you post, impressive. Keep doing what you do, and in a couple years you should be on the tour (if there was a tour that is), or at the US Open and DCC.

Best of luck and strokes to you...

ps People will ask to see video of you at soem point I'm sure...
 
Bardtj said:
If a true beginner to you is picking up a cue for the first time, then I'm not a true beginner. I considered myself a beginner, because I just started playing regularly and actually putting effort into the game this year. And as far as playing the ghost, that's what I did over the summer a good bit and that's where the 6 or 7 balls game from. Not to mention just playing sets with some players.
Click to expand...

If you score in the 60-70's playing the ghost then you are far from a beginner no matter how you cut it. You will just have to accept we never play our best playing socially. Even Efren needs somebody like Strickland to unleash his best game.
 
Pete said:
Wow, even then, that is something special. I played 9 year (1000+ hr per year) and couldn't beat the 6 ball ghost all the time or most of the time). If you're as good as you post, impressive. Keep doing what you do, and in a couple years you should be on the tour (if there was a tour that is), or at the US Open and DCC.

Best of luck and strokes to you...

ps People will ask to see video of you at soem point I'm sure...
Click to expand...

Thank you.
It'd nice at some point to be good enough to at least be able to play in a major tournament, even though at this time I have no interest in a major tournament. Hopefully I work through this and get back to usual form.
 
Scott Lee said:
Myron...Good to see you posting again. Several of us here thought you were MIA for a while! :grin: Hope you're doing well!

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

The game is still high on my list of enjoyment and I never left the game.
Took time over the summer to travel, work on Mother Drills, take lots of pictures, work on my stroke, visit my girls, and fine tune my SPFF.
Still a beginner after 10 years of play but I know I can focus better.
Thanks to both Randy G and You for the lessons and helping me with my focus issues.

I will see you at the next Billiard Show.
Myron & Daphne
 
I agree with 3andstop, by all means play Straight Pool. It's in that game that George Fels's advice about following the cue ball seems to work the best.


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