Jitters or nerves
- Thread starter George the Greek
- Start date
Breathing is a sign of the condition of your nerves. As several more people have already said, breathing can be the key to controlling your nerves. This is also something you can practice anytime anyplace. Shallow quick breaths will ramp up your nerves. Deep slow breathing can relax the nerves. Many of us including me can get in the habit of shallow breathing. My lower lungs had gotten in pretty bad shape just from lack of use. I rarely did anything strenuous so I had gotten in the habit of breathing shallow, bad for your health, bad for emotional control.
Sitting here on the computer, watching the other idiot box, practice breathing deep slow breaths, try to fully fill your lungs. This is good for you to do so practicing it for five minutes three or four times a day is good for you. It will also deepen your unconscious breathing pattern. I haven't thought about it but there is a little device the nurse sticks on your finger at the doctor's office. Gives you oxygen satuation or something like that. Less than a hundred bones, was forty when I bought one a few years back. Lets you check oxygen and pulse with no effort. Exercise control over both. Monitor the numbers, chart them, watch them improve.
There is also long term mindset. You came for pleasure. You have planned coming for days or weeks, prepared. Time to execute. Something that is an acquired skill is shutting your verbal brain down, the part that thinks in words. Grab you cue stick and get down on the kitchen table. How long can you go without thinking verbally? Probably a few seconds. Focus on a cue ball or a salt shaker or whatever pretty small, a cube of chalk works and as a training tool if you can't clear thoughts focus on your breathing. Later you can take it to the next level of no thought. This is something anyone can learn. It is an acquired skill, few do it automatically.
Plan your run. Either to and through the money ball or to a lock up safety if it is one shot or two or three. Have your full run clearly in mind then don't think when you are shooting or between shots. As long as your plan is working let it. A major thing is letting an entire inning at the table be one continuous action as long as nothing goes wrong. You planned the entire run. Why think about one, two, or three balls?
Aside from anything else, if you make your time at the table one continuous action it scares hell out of players until they get up to a pretty high level. Two different times in less than a month I had kids come up and want to practice with me. Sure, I was using the only big table in the place and using it at a discount, hard to say no. Each time the kid wanted to finish with a short race. They planned to use me as a whipping boy to finish on a high note. All of a sudden I have quit slouching up to the table and slumping over into my stance. I am gliding around the table with a little spring and impulse in my step. When I shoot I am already moving to my next shooting position before the cue ball stops on many shots. A few games quickly told the kid things weren't going to go their way, they quit midset!
The mental game and clearing the mind are both things that can be practiced many times a day. I loved my jobs in Design Engineering. I could be sitting in my office staring out the window, either working my ass off or daydreaming, both looked the same!
Get the mental game under control and there is no room for the zitters. I was recovering from a surgery and got started in pistol competition to kill time. There was an end of season championship for each division. Everyone that wasn't known started in "C" class and moved up through "B", "A" and into Master if they were good enough. With two months and all scores counting towards your ranking, I had made it to "A" class, sandbagger heaven. One really bad match would crash your average and there were about five sandbaggers in "A" class at the time. One season the top three scores overall in the season championships belonged to "A" class shooters.
Two or three weeks before the championship I decided I was winning "A" class, my division. I didn't say do the best I could or try to win it, I was going to the match intent on winning. I gave it a couple minutes thought six or eight times a day. I was going to shoot well enough to win "A" class. This was my one chance, next season I would be in Master Class. When I got to the match I was "up" slightly, where I needed to be to compete at my best. Far from self conscious zitters. I also was speaking positively, rarely neutrally and never pessimistically. I was there to win. I spent most of my time alone or with people that were unabashedly there to win. Hanging with people that thought they were dead meat wasn't the mindset I wanted to absorb.
While much of this post may seem like a deflection, being prepared mentally and physically is the best cure for the zitters. Even just mentally can be a big deal. For two seasons I shot once a season and won. I did basically no physical prep but the mental prep was strong. The second year in particular was funny. Very few knew me by then and the young guns were comparing each other's scores after every relay. After the match finishing positions were called out, "First place, Hu(gh)" A scramble to the score sheets to verify this! Who the crap was this Hu that had snuck in? I didn't have time for physical prep but I had spent a fair amount of time in mental prep in the weeks before each match.
First you have to win in your mind. Once you have decided to win there is only execution and you aren't thinking when you are executing. Zitters are caused by thoughts. No thoughts, no zitters. Y'all could have read this one short paragraph and saved reading the long ramble. Plan to win, execute, win. Simple enough, short enough to go on a t-shirt!
Hu
Sitting here on the computer, watching the other idiot box, practice breathing deep slow breaths, try to fully fill your lungs. This is good for you to do so practicing it for five minutes three or four times a day is good for you. It will also deepen your unconscious breathing pattern. I haven't thought about it but there is a little device the nurse sticks on your finger at the doctor's office. Gives you oxygen satuation or something like that. Less than a hundred bones, was forty when I bought one a few years back. Lets you check oxygen and pulse with no effort. Exercise control over both. Monitor the numbers, chart them, watch them improve.
There is also long term mindset. You came for pleasure. You have planned coming for days or weeks, prepared. Time to execute. Something that is an acquired skill is shutting your verbal brain down, the part that thinks in words. Grab you cue stick and get down on the kitchen table. How long can you go without thinking verbally? Probably a few seconds. Focus on a cue ball or a salt shaker or whatever pretty small, a cube of chalk works and as a training tool if you can't clear thoughts focus on your breathing. Later you can take it to the next level of no thought. This is something anyone can learn. It is an acquired skill, few do it automatically.
Plan your run. Either to and through the money ball or to a lock up safety if it is one shot or two or three. Have your full run clearly in mind then don't think when you are shooting or between shots. As long as your plan is working let it. A major thing is letting an entire inning at the table be one continuous action as long as nothing goes wrong. You planned the entire run. Why think about one, two, or three balls?
Aside from anything else, if you make your time at the table one continuous action it scares hell out of players until they get up to a pretty high level. Two different times in less than a month I had kids come up and want to practice with me. Sure, I was using the only big table in the place and using it at a discount, hard to say no. Each time the kid wanted to finish with a short race. They planned to use me as a whipping boy to finish on a high note. All of a sudden I have quit slouching up to the table and slumping over into my stance. I am gliding around the table with a little spring and impulse in my step. When I shoot I am already moving to my next shooting position before the cue ball stops on many shots. A few games quickly told the kid things weren't going to go their way, they quit midset!
The mental game and clearing the mind are both things that can be practiced many times a day. I loved my jobs in Design Engineering. I could be sitting in my office staring out the window, either working my ass off or daydreaming, both looked the same!
Get the mental game under control and there is no room for the zitters. I was recovering from a surgery and got started in pistol competition to kill time. There was an end of season championship for each division. Everyone that wasn't known started in "C" class and moved up through "B", "A" and into Master if they were good enough. With two months and all scores counting towards your ranking, I had made it to "A" class, sandbagger heaven. One really bad match would crash your average and there were about five sandbaggers in "A" class at the time. One season the top three scores overall in the season championships belonged to "A" class shooters.
Two or three weeks before the championship I decided I was winning "A" class, my division. I didn't say do the best I could or try to win it, I was going to the match intent on winning. I gave it a couple minutes thought six or eight times a day. I was going to shoot well enough to win "A" class. This was my one chance, next season I would be in Master Class. When I got to the match I was "up" slightly, where I needed to be to compete at my best. Far from self conscious zitters. I also was speaking positively, rarely neutrally and never pessimistically. I was there to win. I spent most of my time alone or with people that were unabashedly there to win. Hanging with people that thought they were dead meat wasn't the mindset I wanted to absorb.
While much of this post may seem like a deflection, being prepared mentally and physically is the best cure for the zitters. Even just mentally can be a big deal. For two seasons I shot once a season and won. I did basically no physical prep but the mental prep was strong. The second year in particular was funny. Very few knew me by then and the young guns were comparing each other's scores after every relay. After the match finishing positions were called out, "First place, Hu(gh)" A scramble to the score sheets to verify this! Who the crap was this Hu that had snuck in? I didn't have time for physical prep but I had spent a fair amount of time in mental prep in the weeks before each match.
First you have to win in your mind. Once you have decided to win there is only execution and you aren't thinking when you are executing. Zitters are caused by thoughts. No thoughts, no zitters. Y'all could have read this one short paragraph and saved reading the long ramble. Plan to win, execute, win. Simple enough, short enough to go on a t-shirt!
Hu
I haven't read the rest of the post yet. This just triggered a memory of my calming Method. It was to purse my lips and gently blow on exhale. Kinda like a restricted opening that slows the breathing rhythm.
Controlling breathing is almost unbelievably powerful. While it would seem breathing is a result rather than a cause, as I can tell you know, it is a closed loop. Control breathing, control emotion.
Hu
George the Greek
Well-known member
I hadn't played in 25 years and have health issues the past 3 years. The 1st tournament I was shaking like a nervous Nellie and managed to win my 1st 3 matches then had the guy 5-3 after playing a long bank combo on the 9 and then a BnR but couldn't get him out after that. I've really come along in the past year and maybe not pushing myself enough as I've only played in 5 or 6 events.
Iwishiwasrich
Well-known member
If I get like that I pick up my pace to try to get ahead of my thoughts. I don't mean running around the table but a noticeable change in pace.
I still do my normal pre shot stuff,and after a few balls everything is back to normal. Somebody mentioned playing more tournaments even small $10 dollar tournament matches are better than just practicing by yourself.
I still do my normal pre shot stuff,and after a few balls everything is back to normal. Somebody mentioned playing more tournaments even small $10 dollar tournament matches are better than just practicing by yourself.
Jerrymain and maegerjeister.
Enjoy that feeling. That's what you came for...use it.
Enjoy that feeling. That's what you came for...use it.
Last edited:
Well I have another triggered memory. I was on the second chance side in the A devision with 4 players left. My opponent got to The Hill first but when I caught up there, I knew if I got to shoot I was going to win. Well alternate break allowed him to snap the 9 for the win.
Our friendship was solidified when I good natured implied that he snapped it because he was afraid of me. 
. 4th place still got me kicked up to the Masters where I only posted one win next time around. It was however against a Grand Master.
RidgeRaider
Active member
You're nervous and anxious, because you care about the outcome. The problem is, you care too much.
You need to be content with already considering the match lost, and then you'll play your best without any nerves. It's easier said than done of course, but if you can teach yourself to not worry or not care about the outcome, it leaves a lot more mental power for creative shots and safetys.
You need to be content with already considering the match lost, and then you'll play your best without any nerves. It's easier said than done of course, but if you can teach yourself to not worry or not care about the outcome, it leaves a lot more mental power for creative shots and safetys.
George the Greek
Well-known member
I practice my break, kick shots, banks and hooking myself, cut shots and spinning the CB 2-3 and 4 rails at home then go out on Fridays and play sets with an old timer that plays good. There's not much action with the top players here that I've seen and barely any action than the same 2 guys every week
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
If you go in with the mindset that the match is lost, you will lose more often than not. Go into the match with no expectations except to play your best on each shot. That is an attainable goal that can lead to many good outcomes, which in turn can lead to one great outcome.
Never let your expectations completely off the hook, it sends the message that it is okay to quit. I know because I did that for many years, finding ways to lose matches because I had decided that I shouldn't win.
RidgeRaider
Active member
I knew I should have clarified haha.
Of course, don't ever think "I've already lost this match", but I meant really being okay with the outcome, and if that outcome is you getting your ass-beat and looking a fool, you need to be okay with that just as much as winning.
I found that almost all of my nerves and anxiety was because I was so damn worried about winning and not looking like I didn't know what I was doing. News flash, winning isn't everything, and we all look like we don't know what we're doing compared to the pros, so lighten up and just do what you can do have have fun.
I find myself more worked up in leagues than tournaments, because leagues there's a team effort involved to go to Vegas at the end. Tournaments I pay $25 to play and if I win I get a few hundo, if I lose, I played some really good folk, so no pressure for me.
Turn the nervous energy into focus and concentration.
the more you play serious pool the more comfortable you'll be, unless, the shakes are caused by a physical condition
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
Ahh-so. You are telling yourself that the match has begun and there is nothing more you can do to prepare, so there is no use worrying about anything.
As far as not looking like you know what you are doing, that reminds me of one of the lessons from the fantastic book, 'Sports Psyching'. They say, and I believe it is true, that one match or one tournament doesn't do a damn thing to alter how others perceive you. If you played SVB and won a race, a bunch of people would be amazed and excited for you, but they wouldn't expect to see you go on and win everything. I'd probably hope that it meant your game turned a corner and more results would follow, but an unknown player winning a match...isn't a big deal. Same thing if you lose a match to a one-eyed, one-armed octogenarian, doesn't mean that you suddenly suck, but dang, good for the codger!
Most people care more about themselves than they do about all the other subjects in the world combined. We just don't notice much because we are so wrapped up in ourselves. This isn't a bad thing, it is why people survive.