I Would Like Some Advice

NewStroke

NewStroke

Screamin Monkey
Silver Member
When I am playing at home or screwing around with my friends, I play very well.

Recently I have been playing in tournaments and I have been missing shots and position that normally come easy for me. I know it's all in my head, but how do you get your head right? It gets so bad at certain points that my stroke goes to hell as well.

More practice?
More tournaments?

What do you all think? Everyone's opinion is valid.
 
A couple of things come to mind.....
1. Have a beer or two before you play.
2. Breathing. Take a few deep breaths and mentally relax. Then focus and play.

just a couple of thoughts / ideas.

I figure its just nerves. Keep playing!
 
The biggest problem most people have playing at home is that there isn't any pressure on them. You need to work pressure into your practice somehow. Some people do it with drills (10 in a row without missing), others do it gambling, and lots of other ways. Definately play more tournaments or individual matches with better players. Read "The Pleasure of Small Motions", a great small book for improving your mental game. Get used to or comfortable with pressure, it certainly changes things in your mind and your game.
:p
 
Yes and Yes!!!!!!!

More "SERIOUS" practice, not "screwing" around with friends.

And playing in more tournaments will help.

Maybe start playing some cheap sets with your freinds to make it a litle more competative.

Also, you really need to start playing with players who are better than you.

I stopped playing with guys who were way below my level and that helped alot.

Read books, watch videos and practice. Your game will improve.

Take practice time seriously......

Russ
 
I've had the same problem playing in tournaments all my life. I don't mean $10 and $15 dollar bar tournys, I mean $50 and up. That's one of the reasons I didn't play in many. Tournament play is just not for everybody IMO. In tournaments two maches lost and your out. When your in action as long as you have more money in your pocket you have a chance to come out ahead if you are really the favorite. In action you see the money leaving you right after each game or set. In a tournament you pay entry and money is forgoten until it's too late for some. JMO. Johnnyt
 
RELAX! is key. I do the same thing. Someone gave a good piece of advice to me, and it is to focus on the table and forget everyone else. Be confident and know you can do it. Shoot with confidence. Controlling your breathing is very important as well. Hope this helps, it helped me shoot better when I stop caring what people think and catch my own gear and shoot.

Happy shooting! :)

Chino
 
More tournaments, more matching up for $$$$

You relax at home and with friends because it is what you are used to.....well, you need to get used to tournies in the same way.....if you are playing in tournies or for the dough all the time, it becomes the norm, you get used to it, you relax, and your performance will improve IMHO....

Also, get used to playing on different equipment.....at home, you get used to a certain speed and banking all the time.....at tournies, every table in the room can be a bit different....hit a couple of quick shots, couple of quick banks, survey the speed and the rails.....

Also, keep your patterns and position simple....the less you move whitey, the more room you have for error....

Truth be told, it could be partially all these, as well as something else entirely....if you get a chance, have a good friend pay close attention to what you do at home, and then what you do at a tourney.....it's likely you are not playing in your comfort zone....
 
Definately play in more tournaments and more pressure situations. Play/practice with stronger players if possible. Maybe have a few tournaments with just your friends, give them weight if needed. Always breath deep in pressure it definately seems to help

Good Luck
 
Do you already run out semi-regularly? If you do, make it your mission to run out every rack (where possible), don't be satisfied with playing well against friends. Play as if failure to get out = you lose.

Maybe you don't play all that much better when playing with friends, you just don't notice your misses as much and care less if you don't win.

I don't have a lot of specifics because I think your tournament play and everyday play should match. Play serious every match, the fact that it's a tournament shouldn't alter how you hit a ball or your general gameplan.

A very good habit I learned is to pick a dime-sized spot for your position after every shot, even the routine shots with easy position. It only takes an extra second and you'll automatically learn to adjust the english and speed of your next shot to get perfect instead of 'good enough'.
 
NewStroke...As an instructor, here's my take...You have to first examine your "process". The most important thing is that you do 'your' process the exact same way, every time you shoot. You're probably not doing things the same, when you play in tournaments, that you do when you're 'goofing off'. This is likely the difference between when you feel like your stroke is "on" or not.

Here's how to fix it...Figure out just what you do...even if you have to write it down...("when my bridge hand hits the table..."), both before, and AFTER, you strike the cueball. Tension in your stroke is your enemy. Keep a light grip ALWAYS...even on the break! Develop your own rhythm, and implement it into your timing. When you start doing 'your thing', whatever that is, when you're not thinking about it, you'll start playing a lot more consistently, regardless of whether it's for fun, tournament, or gambling. Consistency in your process builds confidence in your stroke.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

NewStroke said:
When I am playing at home or screwing around with my friends, I play very well.

Recently I have been playing in tournaments and I have been missing shots and position that normally come easy for me. I know it's all in my head, but how do you get your head right? It gets so bad at certain points that my stroke goes to hell as well.

More practice?
More tournaments?

What do you all think? Everyone's opinion is valid.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Scott Lee said:
NewStroke...As an instructor, here's my take...You have to first examine your "process". The most important thing is that you do 'your' process the exact same way, every time you shoot. You're probably not doing things the same, when you play in tournaments, that you do when you're 'goofing off'. This is likely the difference between when you feel like your stroke is "on" or not.

Here's how to fix it...Figure out just what you do...even if you have to write it down...("when my bridge hand hits the table..."), both before, and AFTER, you strike the cueball. Tension in your stroke is your enemy. Keep a light grip ALWAYS...even on the break! Develop your own rhythm, and implement it into your timing. When you start doing 'your thing', whatever that is, when you're not thinking about it, you'll start playing a lot more consistently, regardless of whether it's for fun, tournament, or gambling. Consistency in your process builds confidence in your stroke.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

This is exactly what you need to do. There is no other answer when it comes to performance. You have to be able to successfully repeat the basics till it becomes a part of you. The two must blend together into one in order to 'play without playing'.
 
Newstroke said, “Recently I have been playing in tournaments and I have been missing shots and position that normally come easy for me. I know it's all in my head, but how do you get your head right? It gets so bad at certain points that my stroke goes to hell as well.”

You probably need to have someone who knows how to play well analyze your game during a tournament. This would be the best way to identify the problem. When the problem is identified the solution is usually at hand.

From what you describe my first guess would be that you are picking up your head or your eyes. When we get nervous one of the first things we do is pick up our eyes or our head to see if we made the shot and got that critical position. Miss a few shots in a high pressure situation and the problem gets worse as we begin to lunge at the shot rather than stroke it. One way to get your head right is to concentrate on hitting the OB exactly as you wanted to. To do this you must see the CB strike the OB before any part of your body (including your eyes) moves.

I realize that you already know how to play else you would not be in the tournaments. I suspect that what you are experiencing is the unconscious’ intent to help you get it perfect and unfortunately it is checking those results a little too soon.
 
My advice... practice! Obviously you have to practice well in order to gain from it. Once you've practiced well enough, it becomes natural. At that point, let auto-pilot work for you! :p

Just another thought... maybe you're not as good as you think you are! When you're playing with friends, maybe they make more mistakes than you realize and they give you more chances. Play someone better than you and you'll be able to see how few opportunities you really get to play well! Even pros sometimes get beat 9-0 or 9-1. It may not because they've played bad... it might be just because they've only had a few good chances to play!
 
Samiel said:
Just another thought... maybe you're not as good as you think you are!
Click to expand...

That would have been true a year ago, then I ran across RandyG and his school, that experience put me right in my place. Those delusions are long gone. ;)
 
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