Improving focus, concentration, and mental stamina.

Baxter

Baxter

Out To Win
Silver Member
How do you work on or practice the mental side of your game? Do you have any drills or exercises for improving focus, concentration, and mental stamina? I've read "The Pleasure Of Small Motions" and "The Inner Game Of Tennis", and both these books give some insight to this, but I'm also looking for some real world advice and insight. The main point I have realized is that "trying" to focus, doesn't work. Focus and concentration happens or not, you can't make it happen, but I am hoping there are exercises out there that can strengthen this ability, and lead to easier focus and concentration.
 
Baxter said:
I am hoping there are exercises out there that can strengthen this ability, and lead to easier focus and concentration.
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Meditation practice is about calming the mind and focused concentration.
 
As weird as this sounds I used to practice until I was completely sick of it then force myself to go one more hour and concentrate. It helped me toughen up mentally.
 
Focus

Just living a clean life will help with focus. Don't drink, eat right, and get enough sleep.

FWIW, I think that your Biorithyms affect the ability to focus or not.
 
One’s ability to concentrate can be improved. Concentration is about narrowing one’s mental awareness and becoming unaware of other stimuli.

Over time you have learned to use a special form of concentration when reading a book or watching a movie. In the middle of a good movie or perhaps a football game someone comes in the room and calls your name in a normal voice and you do not hear them. The other person repeats your name louder, and then louder yet.

When they finally get your attention you apologize and say something like, I did not hear you, or sorry I was lost in the show. In reality you were “concentrating” on the show to the exclusion of all else. We can improve our ability to do this.

You can only obtain this heightened form of concentration when you are comfortable and trust that you can ignore what is going on around you. This is an important aspect of heightened concentration because if you cannot trust your environment then part of your mind is continually monitoring for threats.

A second aspect of heightened concentration that you can use at will is the ability to trigger it and to return from it to your usual state. Your mind has to be able to trust in the idea that you can (and will) return to monitoring the environment when needed. This too is a learned process.

When playing pool it is necessary to have heightened concentration for a short period of time. It is also necessary to return to an analytic phase to determine what to do on the next shot or series of shots.

This is different than watching a show. When reading or watching we slowly become unaware of what is going on around us. When playing pool heightened concentration is needed "on demand."

You can practice going into and out of heightened concentration during your practice time. I suggest using a trigger. When you step into the shot and bend over to the table allow yourself to tune out everything around you and concentrate more and more on the contact point of the CB and OB and the lines of travel. Try to see the smallest dots possible and the thinnest lines of travel to the pocket and subsequent position of the cue ball. A slight hum (to yourself) will help to stop the thinking.

When the shot is completed and you stand up use another trigger such as placing the butt of the cue on the floor and stepping back. This tells you to “stop and think.”

You need to set aside specific times when all of your efforts are spent on concentrating and stopping concentration. If you go in and out of heightened concentration ten or 15 times in one session, take a break and do something else like practice bank shots and then return for another session of practicing concentration you will find that over five or more practice days your ability to concentrate when you bend over has improved.
 
Baxter said:
How do you work on or practice the mental side of your game? Do you have any drills or exercises for improving focus, concentration, and mental stamina? I've read "The Pleasure Of Small Motions" and "The Inner Game Of Tennis", and both these books give some insight to this, but I'm also looking for some real world advice and insight. The main point I have realized is that "trying" to focus, doesn't work. Focus and concentration happens or not, you can't make it happen, but I am hoping there are exercises out there that can strengthen this ability, and lead to easier focus and concentration.
Click to expand...

I thought the information in Pleasures of small motions was real world. The information on concentration and focus is so right on the money. I first read the entire book and was kind of confused. I then took a week off and read it again. The second time through it's really good. Because the information is so intertwined the author had a hard time organizing it in a good order it seems. Reading it the second time I found much of the early chapters made way more sense for having already read the later ones. Forward feeding the shot image is so key. This is also something I was told by a professional player but couldn't really wrap my mind around the concept until I read this book.....twice.

I like it and plan to read it again soon.

JC
 
JC said:
I thought the information in Pleasures of small motions was real world. The information on concentration and focus is so right on the money. I first read the entire book and was kind of confused. I then took a week off and read it again. The second time through it's really good. Because the information is so intertwined the author had a hard time organizing it in a good order it seems. Reading it the second time I found much of the early chapters made way more sense for having already read the later ones. Forward feeding the shot image is so key. This is also something I was told by a professional player but couldn't really wrap my mind around the concept until I read this book.....twice.

I like it and plan to read it again soon.

JC
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I agree that the book is real world, I guess what I said should have been more along the lines of first person insight, interactive advice if you will. I also agree with your assessment of the book. Visualization plays a key role in peak performance for a lot of sports.
 
Baxter said:
How do you work on or practice the mental side of your game? Do you have any drills or exercises for improving focus, concentration, and mental stamina? I've read "The Pleasure Of Small Motions" and "The Inner Game Of Tennis", and both these books give some insight to this, but I'm also looking for some real world advice and insight. The main point I have realized is that "trying" to focus, doesn't work. Focus and concentration happens or not, you can't make it happen, but I am hoping there are exercises out there that can strengthen this ability, and lead to easier focus and concentration.
Click to expand...

It depends, the younger you are and how much rested you are, the easier to focus, this is the most important aspect of pool so you pocket balls, concentration is needed when you read a book so you remember what you read, thinking is needed to decide how to run balls or how hard and how to hit them.
My advise to you is this, focus is most sharp when you just weak up from a good sleep, practice at that time if you can, you will be very surprised how easy to find sweet spot, that will build and train the ability to know how to focus as well as muscles memory.
For accurate pool you have to see that sweet imaginary spot on OB, mostly everyone can focus, but the only difference how long it takes, do not worry about how other players play. While you are down still no movement, no warm ups,stare at pocket, OB and CB until sweet spot found if you let go you will default to the contact point of which the tip is pointing to, like 3D puzzle, then do couple of warm ups, pause pull extremely slow, and follow through (this is ideal for long and hard cuts)
 
No easy task

I think all the things the op listed are attributes of the natural competitor. I don't think killer instinct is something you can forcefully develop, you either have it, or it comes to you as a natural development of your personality. If someone could bottle it, I'd be all in.:grin-square:
 
thefonz said:
I think all the things the op listed are attributes of the natural competitor. I don't think killer instinct is something you can forcefully develop, you either have it, or it comes to you as a natural development of your personality. If someone could bottle it, I'd be all in.:grin-square:
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While I believe this is true to a certain extent, I still believe that there are mental exercises that can be used to strengthen the abilities that you already have. Just as you can work out your physical body, you can give yourself a mental work out as well. I'm trying to find one that will relate to the specific mental skills necessary to play pool at upper skill levels.
 
thefonz said:
I think all the things the op listed are attributes of the natural competitor. I don't think killer instinct is something you can forcefully develop, you either have it, or it comes to you as a natural development of your personality. If someone could bottle it, I'd be all in.:grin-square:
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Dead wrong. It comes with knowledge of the game. There is a lot to learn in pool. Once mastered you will be a killer.
 
naji said:
Dead wrong. It comes with knowledge of the game. There is a lot to learn in pool. Once mastered you will be a killer.
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i don't know about that, i've known plenty of guys that have great talent, but they're separated from those with talent, plus killer instinct as well.

you can have all the knowledge and confidence in ability, but to some folks, putting their foot on the other guys neck and keeping it there, comes naturally. that's where the old saying comes from:

"...those who can't do......teach"
 
Back a lucky banger against them and the insult itself will bring out the killer instinct if they have any pride at all.

Also, JoeW's post was gold. Re-read it a few times.
 
thefonz said:
i don't know about that, i've known plenty of guys that have great talent, but they're separated from those with talent, plus killer instinct as well.

you can have all the knowledge and confidence in ability, but to some folks, putting their foot on the other guys neck and keeping it there, comes naturally. that's where the old saying comes from:

"...those who can't do......teach"
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Lets keep it focused, in a tournament, the one with most knowledge of the game and lucky will win.

In gambling setting, it is different, perception of other players is important, yet again, confidence and knowledge is critical

Look at Brandon Shuff, he is not gifted or have special ability, i knew him from a while back he was good, and now he is beating most of American pros and that is mainly because pool is only thing in his life, determined to be the best.

Bottom line determination is the key point here.
 
naji said:
Lets keep it focused, in a tournament, the one with most knowledge of the game and lucky will win.

In gambling setting, it is different, perception of other players is important, yet again, confidence and knowledge is critical

Look at Brandon Shuff, he is not gifted or have special ability, i knew him from a while back he was good, and now he is beating most of American pros and that is mainly because pool is only thing in his life, determined to be the best.

Bottom line determination is the key point here.
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you make some interesting points. i unfortunately am not nearly as cerebral as you. i only know from what i see and what better players tell me.

thefonz<== only knows that we have a name for guys with determination, but lacking in talent and ability.....................Fish
 
Spot on !

JoeW said:
A second aspect of heightened concentration that you can use at will is the ability to trigger it and to return from it to your usual state. Your mind has to be able to trust in the idea that you can (and will) return to monitoring the environment when needed. This too is a learned process.

When playing pool it is necessary to have heightened concentration for a short period of time. It is also necessary to return to an analytic phase to determine what to do on the next shot or series of shots.

You can practice going into and out of heightened concentration during your practice time. I suggest using a trigger. When you step into the shot and bend over to the table allow yourself to tune out everything around you and concentrate more and more on the contact point of the CB and OB and the lines of travel. Try to see the smallest dots possible and the thinnest lines of travel to the pocket and subsequent position of the cue ball. A slight hum (to yourself) will help to stop the thinking.

You need to set aside specific times when all of your efforts are spent on concentrating and stopping concentration. If you go in and out of heightened concentration ten or 15 times in one session, take a break and do something else like practice bank shots and then return for another session of practicing concentration you will find that over five or more practice days your ability to concentrate when you bend over has improved.
Click to expand...

This is really good ! My Dad used to do this quite often. Once he was down on a shot, he didn't hear anything I said. Then, after he shot, he would be walking to the next position to line up again all the while talking like he just came in the back door. This was eerie to me, and I didn't understand it , till I fell in "the zone" myself one day.

I have tried to repeat that sequence , usually after I get down on a shot ,and take my 1st stroke to set up my aim. It takes a lot of practice initially, but then becomes 2nd nature as you don't even know you are doing it.
Aside from getting down on the shot, is also getting the right perspective of the shot before your approach.This has always helped me a lot. Knowing whether the game or match depends on your next shot gives it a degree of seriousness that can not be taken lightly if you intend to win the point.
 
Hi Baxter :)

As we usually (mostly :p) all now, pool-players know everything-including every single excuse for everything (kidding, ironic and sad but true^^).

The mental part is for sure a critical point in billiards and important, too. Back to your main *theme/question*. If we are talking about the mental stamina, we re talking about pyschologic. Mental training is a very huge field which includes many many parts.
Of course you may get some ideas or advices from friends, advanced players, instructors or professionals-- but it is really necessary that a person has some knowledge about this physchological things.

For example if you WOULD decide to work with a knowledged (professional?) mental coach, he would NEVER give you a single thing to work on, or to learn. Just if we would talk about meditation or relaxation techniques, we again jump into a field which is terrible big area. The knowledged mental coach would start with offering you several different relaxation/meditation methods, because there s no *one methods fits for all*.

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.

Mental stamina itself can be reached also by standing at the table- with several drills. but every human is individual- so it s for sure not that easy :)

lg
Ingo
 
naji said:
Dead wrong. It comes with knowledge of the game. There is a lot to learn in pool. Once mastered you will be a killer.
Click to expand...

Well,

imo both of you perhaps thinking about the same thing-just define it perhaps different.
It s all starting with the attitude and the willing. Without the absolute willing and the correct attitude you will master nothing at all.
 
Ratta said:
Well,

imo both of you perhaps thinking about the same thing-just define it perhaps different.
It s all starting with the attitude and the willing. Without the absolute willing and the correct attitude you will master nothing at all.
Click to expand...

Yes, I believe a lot of it comes from attitude... I have wondered how sometimes I could focus on one subject for so much longer than others, provided the same environment. As obvious as it sounds, I could focus much better and longer on a subject I liked. It did not feel like work and out me at ease. Just recently, when I was practicing my stroke, I asked why can I not hit straight. A friend told me I looked so nervous even for practice. He said I looked so scared to hit. He said it made my hand trembled sometimes and before I hit I would tense up. So that day I spent the majority of the time trying to just relax. I found it to be very helpful. I was scared of missing. So he told me perhaps I should just try shooting a few times with my eyes closed. It was really helpful. Then later, even with my eyes open, I felt a little more at ease, for some reason. I never knew I was so nervous all the time. My stroke improved and so did my focus. Of course, I wasn't and am still not completely "cured" but I have improved a lot.

Also, at first I was scared of people that would watch me practice. I was not a very good people-person. I would feel ashamed of having such poor fundamentals and being so bad at the game. So I would try to convince myself they are not watching, but then came the thoughts like "what makes you think you're worth watching anyway". That affected my focus as well. Some people would stare and once when I was practicing something that was simply shooting the cue ball across the table (I could not even shoot straight and have it return straight), someone asked what I intended to accomplish by doing that. Such comments and looks always kind of lingered in my head. I felt like I was disappointing the people that were teaching me and I felt so ridiculously dumb. It distracted me...But after I got to know more people that regularly play there and the people have meet me, the people I once saw as a tough crowd I now see as friends. I learned to ignore the stares and if they ask, not to feel so bad to answer. And even when there are strangers around me, I don't feel so self-conscious when I practice amymore. Just meeting a couple of people that regularly come removed that intimidated feeling, and I could focus better on what I am doing rather than what others say or think about me.

And of course, sleep is essential to good concentration..
 
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Ratta said:
Hi Baxter :)

As we usually (mostly :p) all now, pool-players know everything-including every single excuse for everything (kidding, ironic and sad but true^^).

The mental part is for sure a critical point in billiards and important, too. Back to your main *theme/question*. If we are talking about the mental stamina, we re talking about pyschologic. Mental training is a very huge field which includes many many parts.
Of course you may get some ideas or advices from friends, advanced players, instructors or professionals-- but it is really necessary that a person has some knowledge about this physchological things.

For example if you WOULD decide to work with a knowledged (professional?) mental coach, he would NEVER give you a single thing to work on, or to learn. Just if we would talk about meditation or relaxation techniques, we again jump into a field which is terrible big area. The knowledged mental coach would start with offering you several different relaxation/meditation methods, because there s no *one methods fits for all*.

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.

Mental stamina itself can be reached also by standing at the table- with several drills. but every human is individual- so it s for sure not that easy :)

lg
Ingo
Click to expand...

With all due respect to the info you are presenting, i must say the only mental activity that is needed in pool is the ability to focus on imaginary point in space, accounting for CB diameter, if it is golf, archery, gun..that would be easy just shoot the target. Finding sweet spot in pool is somewhat similar to finding 3D image on scrambled picture, where if you loose focus 3D image disappears, similarly in pool, you focus your vision to find that sweet spot. I have been playing for over 30 years, i played people when they just start giving spots to them in one pocket like 20-6, 12-5...and get spots from good players etc, years past, and now i am playing them even, this is not just mental and yoga or anything like this, it is hard work, practice, knowledge, and advance knowledge. Eventually confidence level becomes so huge you will have no fear playing anyone

My point is, to all that say mental and sych, and killer instinct and born with it and stuff, please do not say it again. Efren is not a magician, he has been playing since he was 9 he lived and slept on pool tables when he was young, yes he has made killer shots, but all players have their moments and played killer shots. What confirms what i am saying is he is no longer on top of the chart, and that is mainly because he thinks he is still young and play at same rate as he used too, but with age one need to spend more time to focus, and he should start taking his time, similarly Earl S.
 
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