i have problems with my mental game

J

jweezy

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I need help I hate my mental game..... I can't seem to get my head straight ill get mad when I lose even if I'm playing somebody that I have almost no chance at beating...... ill get excited when I'm almost.out and miss..... of I miss something easy... my game just goes down hill. I have tried to not get mad but ive been playing horrible..... but when I'm practiceing and not mad I can runout or play safe .... basically do watever I want to do.... do. Sooooo do u guys no anything to help me


And I guess I should add that I'm young..... and just started to play in tournaments a lot in this past year
 
A lot will disagree with me on this but you need to learn how to lose before you can learn how to win, mentally speaking of coarse. I play better when I'm not to keyed up, I play better when I'm in a good mood. I know a guy who I have seen snap his cue in half at least 4 times in the past few years, he gets so mad he can't learn to win, he is stuck in the losing mentality. He isn't a bad player, he is a bad thinker. Even keel in losing or winning works for me.
 
Pracice in a specific way until things become second nature. Your technique has to be stable.
Study the shots don't just play them. That way you will be able to concentrate in a specific goal in each shot and won't be relying only on your feeling.
Concentrate on the elements required to execute each shot and nothing more, whatever the shot. Spending less energy on easier shots is also an option..
Before you know it you will have mastered yourself and you will be able to play the table and not the opponent, including top players.
That happens only when you have specific answer at the table in each situation, and does not exclude feeling or takes away negative thoughts when sitting at the chair.
The point is how you deal with stress, not trying to believe it is not there..
Controlling your breath and establishing a stable rhythm also helps.
Those are a few points, after that you are the only one who knows how to control yourself.
Patience, it will come if you keep working..
Good luck!
Petros
 
Learning to loose before learning to win is important, as long as it doesn't take away the competitive edge..
You feel better when you know you kept down your head and gave everything you got in each shot no matter the outcome.
I have always thought that there are no magic solutions in terms of the mental part of the game, thinking between the shots and not during execution is vital. I'd say it's more a matter of achieving concentration and nothing more.
This way you can get to the "zone" more frequently.
You have to educate yourself in doing that just like you tought yourself how to shoot straight.
You may have to think about your approach to a match even before it takes place, as I wrote stress will be there, you have to be ready how to deal with it.
Nice thread!
Petros
 
A thread came up recently in which I posted a link to a very good column from AZB Instructional section.

To improve your overall game, you need to practice, and by practice, I mean practice! You need to work on your fundamentals, ensuring that they are 100% right for you, practice your weaknesses (i.e. it may be positional errors that make you loose your cool, practice certain shots that you know you can do, but not consistently). Doing all the above whilst working on a Pre-Shot Routine to ensure consistency.

Mental side of the game is one I, and many others, struggle with. But to play well, you need to be confident what you have practiced is right, and just let the unconsious take over and play. Dont think on shots, think above them.

Only way to improve pressure situations is to play small tournaments/league or even play for small $. The more you play, the more experience you gain when in them situations...and the key is to get in as many pressure situations (i.e. the business end of tournaments) to gain experience.
 
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jweezy said:
I need help I hate my mental game..... I can't seem to get my head straight ill get mad when I lose even if I'm playing somebody that I have almost no chance at beating...... ill get excited when I'm almost.out and miss..... of I miss something easy... my game just goes down hill. I have tried to not get mad but ive been playing horrible..... but when I'm practiceing and not mad I can runout or play safe .... basically do watever I want to do.... do. Sooooo do u guys no anything to help me




And I guess I should add that I'm young..... and just started to play in tournaments a lot in this past year
Click to expand...

Feel free to IM me with any questions.
 
Play one ball at a time and don't dwell on your previous visits to the table. Each time you approach the table, completely zone into your shot and think of nothing more than where the object ball and cue ball are going. Mute everything else. That's it.

In snooker, we are taught to get up from the shot and restart it from square one if there's even the littlest distraction, lapse in concentration, or sense discomfort. Once we stand back and ease into the zone again, we can then get back down to continue the shot. It's absolutely fundamental to consistency.

I have a few disorders, including attention defecit and obsessive compulsive disorders(evidently a very harmful combination to playing snooker) so I always struggled immensely to play consistently. No matter how good I felt I was capable of, I could not deliver when required. Make it a habit to approach each shot in the same manner every time, move in a natural pace/rhythm, and get into the zone where you will feel the movement of the balls before you even shoot. You'll just have to try it yourself and find your own natural rhythm. Remember to play the balls and not play against yourself or your frustrations
 
Lux said:
Play one ball at a time and don't dwell on your previous visits to the table. Each time you approach the table, completely zone into your shot and think of nothing more than where the object ball and cue ball are going. Mute everything else. That's it.

In snooker, we are taught to get up from the shot and restart it from square one if there's even the littlest distraction, lapse in concentration, or sense discomfort. Once we stand back and ease into the zone again, we can then get back down to continue the shot. It's absolutely fundamental to consistency.

I have a few disorders, including attention defecit and obsessive compulsive disorders(evidently a very harmful combination to playing snooker) so I always struggled immensely to play consistently. No matter how good I felt I was capable of, I could not deliver when required. Make it a habit to approach each shot in the same manner every time, move in a natural pace/rhythm, and get into the zone where you will feel the movement of the balls before you even shoot. You'll just have to try it yourself and find your own natural rhythm. Remember to play the balls and not play against yourself or your frustrations
Click to expand...

Excellent advice, Lux.
 
I had the same problem about 6 months ago! When I was playing and every time the opponents missed I was hooked, I would kick and make a good hit and leave them straight in and a run out to win the games every time. I got frustrated and down own my self to the point I was questioning my own ability to pocket balls. When I finally woke up and quit getting mad at my self and the rolls, I told myself to keep focused and when I get to the table show them I'm the better player and let them sweat get back to the table.

Good luck, just stay focused and believe in your ability!:thumbup:
 
This is something a lot of people overlook but needs to be said. Try getting more sleep.

This year (well since September) I've made a concious effort to go to bed early on a regular basis. (when I'm not out playing pool)

It has made a huge difference in my confidence levels and focus.
 
this is exactly what's happening to me right now!:mad:
When I first joined the team I had no pressure at all and could always put my A games on. Now everyone is expecting more of me and when I was set to play key matches, I messed up. I lose my confidence, played a lot of bad safeties, and lose to other lower level players:angry:
What can I do to improve my mental games?
 
Very good answers have been provided and the books will definately help you understand. I wanted to also provide a different POV. The frustration of colapsing mentaly in clutch situation is something every pool player in history has faced. Most champions used this as motivation to get better. Of course there will be a point to play at the top level where you will need to accept things as they are to perform. In the meantime the best way to deal with this (more than practice, more than books) is to put yourself in this situation as often as possible. If you compete once a week, better players compete 3, 4, 5 times per week and thus have the advantage. If it cost you every time you quit on the hit, it would not take long for you to learn or you would quit because you are broke. Try to play small money games that put you under enough pressure (not enough so you can't make the car payment if you lose) and do that more often than once a week and see how your tournament key ball shot improve. Until then let the fire in your belly be your motivation to practice concentration and consistency until it subsides. Good luck. By the way when I think my child like tendencies of getting mad because of poor performance or bad rolls or bad luck etc... are gone - they come back!!! It takes time to accept your game for what it is, be patient with yourself.
 
What works for me in this situation, is I look at the shot and think ok, I got it, then I look at where I want the cue ball to be, and pinpoint an exact spot, sometimes I even lay my hand on the table where I want the cue ball to end up. I go through my pre shot routine, get over the cue ball, and aim to make the shot, then my mind shifts to english and speed or what ever is needed to get the cueball to the predetermined spot. What I am saying is, I intentionally put more thought into the cueball control than pocketing the ball, because in my mind, pocketing the ball is a done deal. You may not end up exactly on the spot you picked, but in most cases, you will still have a good shot to keep shooting, plus you take alot of pressure off of yourself about making the shot.

So many times, I see average players run all their balls out, and then dog an easy shot on the eight or nine ball. They just do not get it, that when you are shooting that last ball, you have to think position, just like all the previous shots you have made, or the feel will be different. Plan something simple, maybe just a stop shot, or maybe just bring the cueball off two rails toward the center of the table ( which most pros do ). Never get down on the cue ball to pocket that last ball and shoot it without having a destination for the cue ball to end up, play it the same way you did the others.
 
Roll with it!!

BillyKoda said:
A lot will disagree with me on this but you need to learn how to lose before you can learn how to win, mentally speaking of coarse. I play better when I'm not to keyed up, I play better when I'm in a good mood. I know a guy who I have seen snap his cue in half at least 4 times in the past few years, he gets so mad he can't learn to win, he is stuck in the losing mentality. He isn't a bad player, he is a bad thinker. Even keel in losing or winning works for me.
Click to expand...

I think you said it perfectly Billy! When I figured out that I was NEVER going to win all the time, accepted bad rolls and good ones for my opponent and learned to relax, I started winning a lot more.

I've been going through the worst league slump of my life the past month even though I feel great at the table. Nothing is going my way but I'm ok with it, this too shall pass, it's part of the game! Sure it hurts my pride a bit but nothing that will keep me up at night!
 
Don't get mad about the game, just learn to laugh at yourself. If you miss a shot go practice that shot until you don't miss it. Never shoot scared, it's better to miss because you weren't lined up right or aiming right then to miss because you shot the ball with fear in you.

Personally my biggest problem is when I'm down on a shot and I have other things going on in my head besides the shot and I'm telling myself to get up, get up, get up, and then I shoot and I miss and I say "I knew I should have gotten up!"

About the getting excited about the money ball and missing it, sometimes what I will do if I'm having the same emotion of being over excited, I will just sit down take a drink of my tea a few deep breaths and try to calm down and then go to the table to shoot.
 
I just ordered that book too! because i have some mental problems playing pool, Not a fear problem, its the type of problem where I think my opponent is sharking me, where I start missing easy balls, or miss position. even if he's not intentionally trying to shark me, I still get annoyed then start playing bad.

i'll give an example that happened to me yesterday and it really killed my game, and please help me or tell me what I should do to fix it.

I was playing a friend of mine, he's really a nice guy, but he have a habbit of not sitting down when playing, and if its my turn at the table, he remain standing somewhere close to the table, you can tell me (Well, just ask him to sit down) but see he is really a nice guy and as I said, he didn't mean to shark me with it or anything, its just being him, and I didn't want to sound like "Serious business" and all, just playing for fun, but thing is I started playing like crap, because well he's huge guy, and remain standing near the table, and also we were playing nine balls, and when I'm on the nine ball he ley his cue on the wall and starts walking his way to the racking area, I miss the nine cause of this, then he go back take his cue.

I sure can ask him not to do this, but then I thought to myself and said, its me the problem, the mental part of my game thinking of all these stuff, and I post this to ask, how can I ignore all these and play my game even if my opponent do these stuff?
 
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