Inconsistencies - What causes it?

[Patrick Johnson]

Obviously I need some sort of pre-shot routine or list of things to check when my playing goes bad.

This doesn't have to be either/or - you can incorporate your "list of things to check" into your pre-shot routine. That way you don't forget and it becomes a natural, second nature thing like "remembering" to align your stick with the shot. I have a fairly long "checklist", but I've practiced using it so much that it all happens during the normal time it takes to settle into my stance and take a few practice strokes (a lot of the checklist things are stance- and stroke-related). Since I've been doing this the number and duration of my "slumps" have decreased dramatically.

pj
chgo

 

[Neil]

.............

 

[CreeDo]

I think a better question is, what causes consistency? Inconsistency is the natural a normal thing, and consistency is something you have to force or manufacture through time and effort and training.

What I think causes consistency is familiarity and repetition. You want to have a familiar stroke that you've used 1,000 times before if you expect to hit the next ball correctly. You want a familiar shot in front of you if you want to sink the ball (that's why we bother to play shape) not some weird angle and distance you've hardly ever had to deal with before.

So to build consistency you just put yourself in a familiar situation and do the same stuff the same way over and over. Having good equipment, a familiar playing environment, and a regular routine for your warmups and stroke mechanics helps a lot. That's not to say you only play on certain tables and certain venues, or only stick to one game. Your goal is to make everything seem like something you've done 1,000 times before. For example if you're inconsistent at tournaments, you need to have 1,000 tournaments under your belt.

Even then, there's a law of averages thing going that says you will have a bad night no matter what sort of consistency you work for. If you flip a coin enough times you will eventually have a run of 10 heads in a row or something. You just got 10 tails in a row, and I guess you were 'due'. If you literally have only one horrible night out of 140-150 good nights, then you're super consistent and don't really have a problem.

You might figure the TV players never have nights where they can't make 4 balls in a row, and maybe they don't, but the rest of us all know what you're talking about =)

 

[cubc]

"Even then, there's a law of averages thing going that says you will have a bad night no matter what sort of consistency you work for. If you flip a coin enough times you will eventually have a run of 10 heads in a row or something. You just got 10 tails in a row, and I guess you were 'due'. If you literally have only one horrible night out of 140-150 good nights, then you're super consistent and don't really have a problem. "

I still dislike a bad night just creeping in. I do know all Pros have bad moments too because if they didnt they would place in every tournament.. there are many tournaments that even the best dont last long in. That could be due to something similar.

I think 4.5 months straight of 6+ days a week playing pool very well is really good and I'm happy about that.. but it really sucks when out of the blue one night you cant make a ball to save your life.

I played at home last night only for a little bit and everything was fine again. Just weird imo. I took most of the night off of playing though so I could go buy a new camera and learn to use it so I can take and post better pics for my blog. Now back to the pool table tonight

 

[Fatboy]

i have the good/bad day disease too, sometimes my body and mind wont connect and i cant play at all other times they connect and I play lights out. usually i'm in the middle. i have never been able to figure out why it is like this for me, i cant tie it down to anything I do I can be sleepy and not miss or alert and cant play. when my mind cant connect with my body there is no hope of it happening I have played 5 hours to see if it will connect and never run 5 balls in a row. I can come in cold the next day and spot myself from the day before the 5 and the break. dont know why,

 

[cubc]

Strange isnt it. I'm just glad it doesnt happen that much. It's a real shocker when it does though haha.

Usually in tournament play I can safe the opponent for a long time until I can catch a gear and start playing well or in gambling I can know before I start. League you get 1 match and if you suck then thats that

 

[Mark Avlon]

Without knowing you, or watching you play, it will be difficult for anyone in this forum to diagnose your problem. You might try asking friends you play with, or a good local instructor, if they can see anything in your mechanics or have noticed any changes in you, or your game. You might for the cause or a clue.

I often see abrupt changes in friend?s body language that coincide with changes in their success on the table. When I mention it to them, they usually are not aware that it happened, nor why. After talking to them about it, they usually realize that it is something in their lives, the match, or some event that happened that night. Talk to your friends. It might not be as mysterious as you think.

 

[asbani]

cubc,

I might know why this is. alot of my friends are like that, even ME. some days I feel that I can pocket anything in the table with an awesome control in the cueball..

some other days I come and play, and I feel like that every single shot is so hard... and I'm missing alot of them..

I'll tell you the reason for this in my point of view ofcourse, and It might be true, or maybe not. but firstable tell me this :

are you married? and how old are you?

 

[3kushn]

CUBC,

In your posts (which are excellent, btw), you keep referring to objects and activities outside of yourself. You mention diet, a lack of bad habits, lots of practice time, but then when consistency is the subject, you seem to go into a fog. Another poster said that if you figure out the consistency angle, you would be the first. That's in jest, but it's pretty close to the truth.

The Woim is going to say something here that may be taken as an insult or some form of snobbery so please don't read it that way. You, (CUBC) and all of us, must learn to know ourselves and our game as it really is.

When you're playing good and you're feeling good and that cue just sings in your hand - you literally love everything about pool at those precious moments and, from reading your post, it seems like you're in that zone regularly. But, when you're not in that zone, you can't seem to put it together.

This see-saw motion of up and down in the feelings and emotion department actually has only a small effect on your true pool game. I don't know your game but I'd guess you play at a consistently high level - strong B or B+, but when you're in the zone and hitting it, you feel like a AA+. Your emotions are playing tricks on you. It happens to all of us.

So, what's The Woim's solution? It's too easy actually. Assign game improvement to the hours of practice, and assign game assignment to your game playing time. Game assignment is to win, or place or lose with dignity. If you're feeling down, you know you're feeling down (don't fight that feeling or you'll be fighting yourself emotionally and trying to concentrate on pool at the same time) so adjust your goals and strategies to how you're feeling.

From my own perspective, The Woim has won many tough matches and games in a hard fought defensive struggle because I couldn't get into dead stroke to run racks.

When you know you're feeling down (and you need to focus on that) then be able to change your game plan. If you're feeling down, then you're probably not going to get the shape you want, or the speed control (notice when you're down you still pocket balls) so change the focal point of your game.

One last little comment, keep the game fun always.

Hope what I said helps...

Yours Truly,
The Woim

Woim
One of the best mental posts and advice I've ever read.

The key is to recognize where you are mentally and emotionally. This is real power for us in every area of our lives.

 

[BlackDragon]

"The key is to recognize where you are mentally and emotionally"....3kushn
thats ok for staying in the race sometimes but not knowing what youre capable of, is better. The key is believing youre better than you think you are. You can play better than you think you can. Then it happens and shots go in and you're not left wondering what went wrong but winning.
If youre behind the 8ball, the key is changing gears, imo and that takes confidence in the yet unreleashed ability. I'm slow to warm up and am behind in the beginning but after several games, if I keep going for it and not settling for mediocre plays and positions, I'll win.

 

[JoeyA]

i think this says it all, eye fatigue of looking at pc screens.

when i play league matches during the week after sitting 8 hours in front of a screen, the eyes get tired and arent as focused as normally...

What lightning did u have in the hours before u played? bad lightning, direct lightning? it can all cause trouble in seeing contrasts and focuspoints.

maybe that's just it, nothing more, nothing less.

I'm going to give up AZ the day before and the day of tournament play and gambling action.
JoeyA

 

[cubc]

cubc,
are you married? and how old are you?

Nope I'm not married. Btw I've not had a bad day since. Just once in 4.5 months and not again since which is good