Inner Game of Tennis - Questions

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clovis

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Based on many recommendations in this forum over the years, I recently acquired a copy of this book. I am curious as to how others relate a couple of key concepts to shooting pool.
Firstly, do you think that when lining up a shot that would appear to require a fair amount of english, is Self1's presence in the moment actually somewhat of a necessity?
Secondly, as to the need to focus on something, ie; seams on the ball, what would be a likely focus point in pool? Thanks for your insights,

Mark
 
I recently read this book, I have mixed emotions on how I feel about it. Trying to ignore all of the tennis wording and replace it with billiards was not easy. It did have some good info about mental focus etc...

I'm just more of a hands on learner, don't know if anything really sank in...:confused:
 
clovis said:
Firstly, do you think that when lining up a shot that would appear to require a fair amount of english, is Self1's presence in the moment actually somewhat of a necessity?
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Only if the shot is not completely familiar to you. Once you know the shot you should not need self1. Of course this is pretty much the theme of the book and its methods.

clovis said:
Secondly, as to the need to focus on something, ie; seams on the ball, what would be a likely focus point in pool? Thanks for your insights,
Click to expand...

I settle on the contact point on the object ball for 98% of all shots, and on the tip-contact-point on the cue ball for the remaining 2% (CB very close to OB and a few others).

Dave
 
I think the most important correlation is to get the conscious mind out of the way so that the unconscious can take over. I think RandyG had a post a while back about preshot routines or something, and/or visioning
and he put it very succinctly IIRC ... think...see...shoot... or something to that effect.

When I was at the top of my tennis game physically and had better vision my way to accomplish the above (getting the conscious mind out of the way) was to see the letters on the ball...it forced me to focus intently on that, which allowed me to let my subconscious mind do what it knew it needed to do.

In pool I think your preshot routine should start with all the figuring, which leads into the visioning, and a good tool for me to get the conscious mind out of the way is to just focus on the spot you're trying to hit from there (whether it's a spot on the OB, or the rail). So for me (I AM just a lowly player).. you figure out the shot (thoughts, words, reasoning), envision the entire shot (with the last picture in your mind being the exact spot the CB should land), and then just focus on the spot you're aiming the cueball to hit (while eliminating all conscious thought at that moment). JUST SEE... no thought!

I hope that helps. It works for me.... although I've never made it officially past B status.

td
 
It's been years since I read this. Your first question, I can't help you with, I'm afraid.
As to the second, I've always like George Fels's advice about focusing on the cue ball after the shot is on it's way. Focus on the object ball point of aim first, then after the object ball is on it's way, focus on the cue ball. Improved my concentration and position play, both.
 
Thanks for the comments. I think that the this is where this book strays from pool in that Self1 is a much more integral than tennis simply due to the longer moments of the pre-shot routine, etc. Personally, any aid in maintaining focus will most likely result in greater consistency, as long as I just don't think about it......
 
clovis said:
Thanks for the comments. I think that the this is where this book strays from pool in that Self1 is a much more integral than tennis simply due to the longer moments of the pre-shot routine, etc. Personally, any aid in maintaining focus will most likely result in greater consistency, as long as I just don't think about it......
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I think you might benefit more from a book by Bob Fancher called Pleasures of Small Motions, which is about the mental game of pool.

http://www.amazon.com/Pleasures-Small-Motions-Mastering-Billiards/dp/1585745391

Terms like "intuition" and "instinct" and "subconscious" and "playing by feel" are useful but inaccurate, and they can be misleading if taken too literally. I find the same to be true of the terms "Self 1" and "Self 2". If you read Pleasures of Small Motions it will help put the lessons of Inner Game into context. Unless you have an interest in cognitive science you may find Pleasures of Small Motions a bit dry, as a friend of mine complained, but it's a relatively short book and worth a read.
 
From what I remember. It teaches u to get into DEEP focus. Focus on the seams of the tennis ball. Just like focus/feel the rotations of the cue ball. Seeing the shot going in and each rotation the cb makes as it rolls into your shape.

After u learn all the shots (how to aim) on the practice table. Then u just let your subconscious take over. And just do it! With each shot getting into a deeper focus then the last shot. This is called in the ZONE!

I get a bang out of players that jump up when they know they missed the shot or their position. And start bitc*ing about it. They blame there stroke the table or something. And they let self 1 get the best of them. To truly learn the game. U need to stay down on all shots and see/focus on what happened, good or bad. And learn from it. The more u focus the deeper u get into the zone.
 
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