How to Win the Mental Game?

murdoc23

murdoc23

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I had a tough night at league last night. In my three games I was first to the eight ball all three times, yet only won one. So I'm looking for any tips you might have to help me stop choking on the eight ball?

It seems every time I lined up on the eight I tried to slow down, get in a comfortable stance, get down on the table, and then boom, everything in the world goes through my mind. Winning, losing, but mostly just thinking about what if I miss, again....

Help!
 
Your answer is in your post;
1. Stop thinking, yes really, stop thinking.
2. You say you did all these things, slow down, try to get into a comfortable stance, etc, etc. you changed your pace, bad idea, you killed your own rhythm in doing that, gave yourself too much time to think & nothing good happened.

Develop a solid PSR for a lot of reasons but ultimately to keep an even pace & rhythm. Also a good habit to get into that a lot of players don't have is to have an idea where you want the cue ball to be after your final shot. All players play shots throughout the rack with intention of where their cue ball will be for position on the next shot but many don't do this on the final ball as it's the final ball & they reason they don't need shape on anything after that. Try playing for shape to a particular spot for the cueball on your $ ball shots. It will help your mental process remain consistent.
 
Colonel said:
Your answer is in your post;
1. Stop thinking, yes really, stop thinking.
2. You say you did all these things, slow down, try to get into a comfortable stance, etc, etc. you changed your pace, bad idea, you killed your own rhythm in doing that, gave yourself too much time to think & nothing good happened.

Develop a solid PSR for a lot of reasons but ultimately to keep an even pace & rhythm. Also a good habit to get into that a lot of players don't have is to have an idea where you want the cue ball to be after your final shot. All players play shots throughout the rack with intention of where their cue ball will be for position on the next shot but many don't do this on the final ball as it's the final ball & they reason they don't need shape on anything after that. Try playing for shape to a particular spot for the cueball on your $ ball shots. It will help your mental process remain consistent.
Click to expand...

Exactly this.
1. Don't change your routine on the money ball.
2. Play shape off the money ball.
 
I LOVE this tip from my friend Tom "Dr. Cue" Rossman. Pick an imaginary 9-ball to play shape on--then go further and walk to where the imagined 9-ball is to "see" a great angle on it--then shoot that 8-ball and even--get this--walk toward the cue ball to shoot the 9-ball! Your opponents may wonder what you're doing but the reason to do all this is to secure the mental processes of:

1. Make your mind do what it just did 7 times for an 8th time--play real shape to keep it going...

2. Take the mental pressure off "sink that eight!" to REALLY soften it down to "get shape yet again on another ball".

A GREAT exercise that seems to really work. He demonstrates on YouTube somewhere.
 
Colonel said:
Your answer is in your post;
1. Stop thinking, yes really, stop thinking.
2. You say you did all these things, slow down, try to get into a comfortable stance, etc, etc. you changed your pace, bad idea, you killed your own rhythm in doing that, gave yourself too much time to think & nothing good happened.

Develop a solid PSR for a lot of reasons but ultimately to keep an even pace & rhythm. Also a good habit to get into that a lot of players don't have is to have an idea where you want the cue ball to be after your final shot. All players play shots throughout the rack with intention of where their cue ball will be for position on the next shot but many don't do this on the final ball as it's the final ball & they reason they don't need shape on anything after that. Try playing for shape to a particular spot for the cueball on your $ ball shots. It will help your mental process remain consistent.
Click to expand...
great advice
how many times have you made great shot on the money ball and SCRATCHED....:eek:
once after complaining 'THATS NOT FAIR"
my house pro came over and said to me
"you didnt tell the cue ball where to go so it went where it wanted to .....in the pocket".......:D
 
Great tips. Thanks. I also found some good info in another post (http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=387409). I think I might haven been working against myself. I will definately get in a rhythm until I get to the money ball. Then I used to get excited and speed up. Then I told myself to slow way down. Maybe the trick to to just try and stay on the same pace.

I also really like the idea of playing shape on an imaginary ball after the eight. I have noticed that sometimes the only thought on the cue ball is "DON'T SCRATCH". And when I focus on that, it's true that I don't scratch, but I also don't pocket the eight!

Oh, can someone please explain the "counting" method I've read about in other posts?
Thanks

"shut up brain, or I'll stab you with a q-tip" -- Homer
 
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Another tip. The right brain sees visuals, the left gives instructions. When you see the scratch because you are shouting internally, "Don't scratch!", then you scratch and say, "I KNEW I was going to scratch..."

Visualize not only ball-to-hole but the smooth stroke and etc. before you bend to shoot.
 
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