Inconsistency

madmiller

madmiller

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I started having this problem recently...
First off, let me tell you where I am standing pool wise.I started playing about 4 years ago, of which , my first 3 years I was just a bar room banger. Started practicing seriously about a year ago, reading pool books, watching videos, working on my fundamentals and all that. Got a lot better at my position play, even though my shot making dropped drastically. Mainly I play 8 or 9 ball, sometimes 14-1, and recently picked up artistic pool, got pretty good at jump and masse shots.
Usually if I make a ball on the break, I can run out 5 out of ten racks. My highest straight run was 45.
But lately I started experiencing this inconsistency issue. I could be running racks and having whitey obey me like a slave one night, but then the other night I cannot make a ball, even a straight in shot a few inches away from the pocket. Last tuesday I went to a tournament and took first place, went undefeated. Went to another one on friday and couldn't make a ball to save my life, played worse than a beginner, just donated my money.
Am I the only one who experiencing this? It's such a drastic change. I would understand if I shoot well one night and then not so well the next, but here it's like night and day. Sometimes shooting almost like a pro, and then, often within one night, playing worse than someone who just picked up a cue.
How to fight this problem?
 
Consistency = PSR Everytime You Shoot

I am one of those who like to play and watch others play. I've learned a lot watching other players from beginners to the top pros. What is really obvious to me with hot and cold players is the lack of a consistant pre-shot routine. Watching the top pro players can actually be kind of boring. They do the same thing over and over, and run rack after rack. Sometimes I get lazy and cut my pre-shot routine short, and this is when I usually miss. Lee Brett has an excellent video and book out, both called The Secret Art of Pool, that really covers the pre-shot routine in detail along with a lot of other information that can help improve your game. A lesson with an instructor is a good idea also. The best players are not always the best instructors. I had a small group lesson with Archer and Strickland one time. They were both nice guys, and it was nice to meet them in person. I would do a lot of research before deciding on an instructor.
 
My pre-shot routine is always the same. When I play great it's the same and it doesn't change when I play bad.
 
i have the same problem...one day shot the lights out, the next day play at the level of 3 or so....WTF?.........that's the day i cinsider contacting ebay and get rid of everything including my "nir" chalk! i really believe this problem is a result of attitude........you can't expect to play at a high level going into the game with stress or anger etc.....just knocks the game off......we got to be focused on the game not the problems associated with othe issues. whenever i have one of those bad days of shooting, the next day i always wonder what the hell happened and, for the most part, it is bad attitude of some sort. so, nothing goes to ebay, i only return to the pool hall and practice my fundamentals....think about the last time you shot badly, what in your life was going on, anything that would affect your focus on the game? that's all i can offer. if anone has a solution i need it asap!
 
Create a check list for yourself so when your game starts falling off, you can go down your list, item by item. If your list is a good one, you will eventually figure out the problem. It could be as simple as you're tired and you're jumping up just a hair on your shots. Put everything you can think of on your list.

The more you understand yourself and your game, the better your list will be and the quicker you can figure out the problem.
 
Your problem is most likely an alignment issue. Let's assume that your vision and sighting abilitiy is consistent and your fundamentals and muscle memory in executing the shot are also consistent. Then what's likely happening is that your alignment routine is inconsistent or non-existent.

If your fundamentals in delivering the stroke are well founded then alignment is the most likely reason you would be performing well one day and poorly the next.
 
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oldplayer said:
i really believe this problem is a result of attitude.
Click to expand...

I'm all too familiar with this problem, and it's not caused by some slight deviation in my PSR. When it's bad, I'm missing the pocket so badly it seems impossible, like the hand of God grabbed my arm and threw it off line at the last minute.

Yankee fans surely remember when top-fielding baseball player Chuck Knoblauch melted down shortly after going to the Yankees and couldn't stop blowing the throw to first. Seems the harder he tried, the worse the problem got. He even hit some lady in the stands once. He never did figure it out, but it was pretty obviously mental issues. He knew he couldn't make even a simple throw, so he didn't. Eventually, Torre put him out in left field and DH positions where he would do less harm.

This didn't happen to some Little Leaguer. Knoblauch was a top ML ball player until he fell apart at the seams. As rabid Yankee fans, my young sons were so embarrassed by his poor play that they actually made up a pitch-and-catch game called "Knoblauch", where you got one letter of his name for every blown throw, losing when you spelled out his entire name.

Bottom line for me is that when I'm "feeling" the angles (sorry, I don't even know a single aiming system), they just drop in the hole. When I start to have doubts, I choke like a *****.
 
madmiller said:
My pre-shot routine is always the same. When I play great it's the same and it doesn't change when I play bad.
Click to expand...

That in itself might be a problem. We need Three pre-shot routines to carry us through our pool game.

I am an Instructor and I endorse this post!

randyg
 
madmiller said:
My pre-shot routine is always the same. When I play great it's the same and it doesn't change when I play bad.
Click to expand...

What is your pre-shot routine? Really; this is probably your problem I can not tell you how often people come to me with this exact problem.
 
FranCrimi said:
Create a check list for yourself so when your game starts falling off, you can go down your list, item by item. If your list is a good one, you will eventually figure out the problem. It could be as simple as you're tired and you're jumping up just a hair on your shots. Put everything you can think of on your list.

The more you understand yourself and your game, the better your list will be and the quicker you can figure out the problem.
Click to expand...

Thanks. That's good advice. I'm a gonna do it.
 
madmiller said:
My pre-shot routine is always the same. When I play great it's the same and it doesn't change when I play bad.
Click to expand...

It depends on what you mean by pre shot routine, but generally speaking, I would say that it can't be true. You may not realize it but you are doing something different. The key is in figuring out what it is as quickly as possible. It happens to all of us and the better you know yourself and your tendencies, the quicker you'll be able to figure it out.
 
monk says it best....master concentration and u will master consistency ...... read point the way
 
In my observation, some older (consistently playing pool for years) players are have the ability to recover from what I may say "error" pretty fast. The "error" maybe come to them for a rack or two, but it vanished quickly and the got their rhytm back. Some advice I took from them never worked for me, even I did practice before a match, and the worst thing the "error" thing show up in the middle of a match. I found in my experience that my condition very affect my game itself, even just a little of problem at home or office may distract my concentration. If the the "error" showed up at the match, I try not to rush to make a perfect one, just back to basic, pocketing the ball, an simpler cue ball movement not too flashy. If I'm a rack or two behind, then I came with two thing, first is back to basic, and then I settled in my mind that if win or not I already lose, so the big truck hanging on my mind slowly disappear. Some of my friend including me, found it by "accident", but the reference from older player or the good one, should make the "accident" more fast to happen. It's the mind (concentration) that make me inconsistent, not my basic shooting skill. :)

Just my opinion, and I'm just a rookie. :)
 
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madmiller said:
I started having this problem recently...
First off, let me tell you where I am standing pool wise.I started playing about 4 years ago, of which , my first 3 years I was just a bar room banger. Started practicing seriously about a year ago, reading pool books, watching videos, working on my fundamentals and all that. Got a lot better at my position play, even though my shot making dropped drastically. Mainly I play 8 or 9 ball, sometimes 14-1, and recently picked up artistic pool, got pretty good at jump and masse shots.
Usually if I make a ball on the break, I can run out 5 out of ten racks. My highest straight run was 45.
But lately I started experiencing this inconsistency issue. I could be running racks and having whitey obey me like a slave one night, but then the other night I cannot make a ball, even a straight in shot a few inches away from the pocket. Last tuesday I went to a tournament and took first place, went undefeated. Went to another one on friday and couldn't make a ball to save my life, played worse than a beginner, just donated my money.
Am I the only one who experiencing this? It's such a drastic change. I would understand if I shoot well one night and then not so well the next, but here it's like night and day. Sometimes shooting almost like a pro, and then, often within one night, playing worse than someone who just picked up a cue.
How to fight this problem?
Click to expand...

I teach that the three foundations of a good pool game are SIMPLICITY, CONSISTENCY and IMAGINATION.

SIMPLICITY means things like developing a simple, effective style and sticking with it. And using things like spin and force only when needed.

CONSISTENCY means using the same stances, strokes, routines and strategies.

IMAGINATION is what you use to expand your knowledge of shot selection and strategy.

SIMPLICITY is achieved with lessons, books, DVDs and observation. It's a way to describe the basics or fundamentals.
Once you have learned the basics, you develop CONSISTENCY with a conscious effort until it becomes automatic. You can't have consistency without a SIMPLE solid foundation.
When you have simplicity and consistency, you can then effectively make use of your IMAGINATION to expand your game.

Far too many players are in a hurry to get to the IMAGINATION part, which is rather difficult without the other two first. Learning in the proper sequence is essential in all endeavors...

Donny L
PBIA/ACS Instructor
 
there are a few things i've definitely noticed about my own inconsistency that may or may not be helpful

  • How good the other player is - I'm way more consistent shooting against better players than weaker ones
  • What i've had to eat and drink, and sleep previous night - pool is a sport, has some physical endurance elements and plenty of central nervous system activity. I play better with 2 or 3 drinks in me, and having eaten 1-2 hours before playing.
  • Time of day - not like you can do tons about this but related to rest and all, my peak shooting is from maybe 3 in the afternoon till 11pm it turns out
  • Momentum - when I find that i'm starting to miss easier shots, I purposefully change short term to just knocking out one ball. forget about even thinking about cue placement for next. alternatively if playing 9 ball, I look for combos/carroms to sink the 9 ball. Another possibility on this is to stop shooting your balls at all, and just shoot safeties till you get a ball in hand, then sink that.
  • Shoes - seems silly, but wearing a different pair of shoes can have a moderate effect on your posture so then your pose + stroke as well
  • Sound - most of the places we play in have music playing and i'll go through the effort if they aren't playing things I like to get music I like on

The momentum mentioned above seems to be the easiest one I can use to turn around a match after its started. All the rest are hard to change once you realize it - not like you carry a separate set of pool shooting shoes in your car, and you can't get a nap in beforehand usually :) But the momentum idea does work, if you've been having failure, it continues to breed failure. But getting a bit of success tends to breed more success
 
You are likely letting your eyes lead you instead of leading the eyes into a consistent position...

Many of us have slight visual fluctuations from fatigue, stress, smoke, aging, or actual physiological reasons...

Since we are on the inside looking out it is very hard to detect the slight changes in head position, vision center or dominance.

In your PSR you will need to find a way to benchmark where your eyes go after making a determination of the most effective positioning...

1) Check out vision center info on Dr. Dave's site

2) Call Geno or buy his DVD and establish check points and visual cues to ensure you are where you think you are...

3) Build your own references and get everything on camera... When you break down being able to film yourself and compare videos is a great shortcut to slump busting.....

Good luck and shoot well......
 
I literally just went thru this.

I just went thru this, and I've been trying hard to identify the problem.

one word: STRESS !!

I didn't think of it at the time, but it is part of my PSR. It is actually the 3rd part of "SARJE" my PSR. The "R" stands for rest. not necessarily sleep, but relaxing and easing into a shot. I exhale on my last draw and subsequent follow-through.

I was playing my old team, with less (on purpose as I didn't want to overdo it),practice time. I have 2 players on medical leave. and only have 7 players on the team to start with. Up against my veteran (old team) captain, I felt short on the strategy side due to this. One player showed up 90 mins into the match,....... I asked him if he practiced; he said "I just got here!" :banghead:
My "heavy" lost, so I felt like it was all on my shoulders. I had more rattles and hangers than the entire session to date combined! :eek:

I was concious there wassa problem, but in the middle of a match is not where you wanna be figuring that stuff out. :bash: Made a good effort, but I lost a big 1 by 1 stinkin' ball. :shakehead:

Thing is I was not relaxed playing from the stress.
 
addendum

Ok. it would not let me edit the prior post so I will add here. I wrote that mess to show that it isn't always easy to see what is happening present tense. I knew something was wrong, but I did not know what. When playing stressed out like that, you tend to tighten your muscles. This will make you pull a shot to the side, or shoot more forcefully than the shot required. (I did both). in hindsight, my breathing was shallow and tight,.... not relaxed and controlled.

I'm not saying this is what happened to you, but it may very well be.

AN EXAMPLE: you missed your last two shots. Your opponent is piling it on by putting some nice strings together before they miss. How much pressure is on you to make the 3rd no matter how difficult it may be?

I feel kinda silly here as I should state I'm NOTan instructor. I did a search for Inconsistentcy and wound up here,... thought I was in main forum, go figure. Hope this helped anyway.
 
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