This book is the most amazing book ever written about the mental aspect of playing pool.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1585745391/ref=rdr_ext_uan
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1585745391/ref=rdr_ext_uan
Improving focus, concentration, and mental stamina.
- Thread starter Baxter
- Start date
Drills,Drills,and more Drills.
Most guys I ever see in the poolroom,practice all the shots
they CAN do well and usually bang balls around.I will set
up shots that I hate and if I don't get 10\10,I start over till
I do.Granted after 45min I want to put my head through the wall
but my temper is another thing I have to work on:smile:
I come to realize that you have to put in a lot of hours to become consistent
and if you have a job and kids like I do,then the one day I do play a week
isn't going to cut it even though I still fair off well in big events.
I know realistically I'm not going to be the best but I'll try my best.
Just getting away from the kids for awhile and playing any pool
at all is a win -win for me:grin:
The best players I've ever spoke to about focus and concentration
were able to put any life or wife distractions aside and concentrate
fully at the task at hand.
Most shots players miss is because there not thinking totally
on the shot but may be thinking more about the shape for there next
shot.
"I've never thought the game of pool was hard but found after all
these year,the game will play with your emotions and that's what
makes it so tough''.
Most guys I ever see in the poolroom,practice all the shots
they CAN do well and usually bang balls around.I will set
up shots that I hate and if I don't get 10\10,I start over till
I do.Granted after 45min I want to put my head through the wall
but my temper is another thing I have to work on:smile:
I come to realize that you have to put in a lot of hours to become consistent
and if you have a job and kids like I do,then the one day I do play a week
isn't going to cut it even though I still fair off well in big events.
I know realistically I'm not going to be the best but I'll try my best.
Just getting away from the kids for awhile and playing any pool
at all is a win -win for me:grin:
The best players I've ever spoke to about focus and concentration
were able to put any life or wife distractions aside and concentrate
fully at the task at hand.
Most shots players miss is because there not thinking totally
on the shot but may be thinking more about the shape for there next
shot.
"I've never thought the game of pool was hard but found after all
these year,the game will play with your emotions and that's what
makes it so tough''.
Bona
Registered
There is much truth in this thread. Several have mentioned key components of focus. The one element I have found I need is the confidence I can execute the shot/plan. When I have doubts in my mind, my mind wanders to those doubts and I lose my concentration on the positive. I don't pretend this is true for everyone but it is true for me.
Good post, i add to the red highlights (or miss judge the aim)
So when my wife tells me that I have selective hearing it is because I am focusing on something?:grin: I think most of my problem happens at the table when I too am so concerned about posistion that it affects my shot, sometimes to point of missing. I had this happen just last week during league, a fairly easy shot that I blew because I was concerned about the very small window to fit the cue ball to get good posistion on the 8.
One "trigger" I use is getting up from my stance only after I hear the sound of the OB hitting the back of the pocket . The Inner Game of Tennis suggests that a tennis player should focus on the tennis ball seams to help him concentrate. I do something similar. After the OB is pocketed, I get up and freeze my eyes on the CB as it travels around the table and concentrate on its red dots. I watch them as they slow down and rotate slower and slower, as the CB decelerates and comes to a stop. Then when the CB stops and the red dots have stopped moving, I do my pre shot routine again.
Maybe just the act of practicing anything improves mental stamina... if you do a drill where you repeat the same thing over and over, your brain wants to get bored and quit.
If you don't let it, and you continue to apply full care and concentration to every shot in the drill, you are working out your mental stamina, forcing yourself to pay attention even though you want to tune out.
If you can spend two hours doing the L drill or something with full focus, I bet in-game situations will seem easy because every shot will be fascinating.
If you don't let it, and you continue to apply full care and concentration to every shot in the drill, you are working out your mental stamina, forcing yourself to pay attention even though you want to tune out.
If you can spend two hours doing the L drill or something with full focus, I bet in-game situations will seem easy because every shot will be fascinating.
Hi Baxter
If you re really interested in stuff like that, and also want to *dive a bit deeper* into these things i recommend for example books from Nideffer- a book which is great is called *psyched to win*. You can find a lot of stuff about nideffer also via google.
lg
Ingo
I recently purchased "Psyched to Win" via Amazon.com. I am awaiting its arrival. Once I receive and read it, I will post my thoughts and criticism.
Thank you for all the insight from everyone that has posted in this thread. There are a lot of good thoughts and opinions on the subject posted here.
It is all these things.
I've read the books, watched the videos, listened to the champions, do meditation, created my own positive affirmations audio file, and they all work to some degree.
Strangely enough, my journey although not quite over just yet, finds me reminiscing about where I've been and what helped me get there (wherever that happens to be) and I genuinely find that it is my unquenchable thirst for improvement that has helped me to improve my game. The learning and mastering of different aiming systems, the desire to test different equipment to find out what works best FOR ME, and most importantly, the willingness to give my all before better opponents than myself, day after day, despite the constant drumming that I receive, are some of the things that have helped me to develop increased focus and concentration.
Focus and concentration are just like all of the other skills involved with pool. You can increase your ability to use them by trying to do them on each and every shot, in private practice, in private competition, or on the public stage.
Unfortunately as one great player once told me, "There is no such thing as a silver bullet.
It is all these things.............
I've read the books, watched the videos, listened to the champions, do meditation, created my own positive affirmations audio file, and they all work to some degree.
Strangely enough, my journey although not quite over just yet, finds me reminiscing about where I've been and what helped me get there (wherever that happens to be) and I genuinely find that it is my unquenchable thirst for improvement that has helped me to improve my game. The learning and mastering of different aiming systems, the desire to test different equipment to find out what works best FOR ME, and most importantly, the willingness to give my all before better opponents than myself, day after day, despite the constant drumming that I receive, are some of the things that have helped me to develop increased focus and concentration.
Focus and concentration are just like all of the other skills involved with pool. You can increase your ability to use them by trying to do them on each and every shot, in private practice, in private competition, or on the public stage.
Unfortunately as one great player once told me, "There is no such thing as a silver bullet.
It is all these things.............
While at university I developed somewhat of an interest in G.I. Gurdjieff. His "self remembering" exercise seems to help with pool.
I think of playing One Pocket while having sex.
I find it does absolutely nothing for my focus or concentration, but improves the hell out of my stamina. I want to keep playing One Pocket for as long as I can. :smile:
I find it does absolutely nothing for my focus or concentration, but improves the hell out of my stamina. I want to keep playing One Pocket for as long as I can. :smile:
If you can't make her happy before some gets their first 2 points you're not doing it right...
One pocket takes time, patience, imagination and a lot of skill.
i apologize i did not read any replies, but my answer that i have came up with after more than 30 years questioning why i miss, boils down to, supremacy in pool knowledge is the key to stay focus, and mentally ready for anything, confidence in your shooting, off course it takes lots of practice until you are able to make the 4000 shots possibilities on the table, not only practice by yourself, but with others with money games, shoot aggressively and take notes if you miss and practice. Good luck.