Jitters or nerves

[Flakeandrun]

The more I look for the positives or places I did well. The easier it is to learn from the mistakes I made. I used to be a very negative mindset, but what's the point in playing if you don't appreciate the effort you made to show up, or the times you played well? I was having this same conversation with the young house pro at my hall. He's insanely good, but cannot stop from bottling it in tournaments. He took money from huge stars of the game that visited during the recent big tourneys here, but gets to the last 32 of the city monthly tournament and falters almost every time.
Look for what you did well and take those things away with you. It's only a game, and you don't rely on it to put food on your table. So enjoy it. Embrace the absurd, and add whatever meaning to things that you need to extract the relevant value and joy.

 

[Flakeandrun]

Play more and lose more. You will lose your fear of it.

Played against Xue Zheng Qi in a tournament. He throttled me 9-2. One of the best Chinese 9ball players. After the game, I told him that I was stoked to share a table with him, and that just seeing his name was enough to make me nervous. I asked him about how he stays so relaxed. He told me "I played for 10k every day of last week, play for 10k once and this tournament won't seem like such a big deal" I asked him to spot me 10k which got a decent laugh haha

 

[Johnny Rosato]

 

[garczar]

My recipe used to be thusly: one shot of cuervo, a Bud and a puff or two of some oklahoma homegrown skunk bud. i was good to go.

 

[u12armresl]

CJ is an idiot and that goes against any sports psychologist or Inner Game of Tennis type book.

I'll add that if you listen to his stories, he will tell you that it was his goal to lie and be deceitful for a huge portion of his life. Knowing him and seeing his attitude first hand, you realize that he may not know the line between BS and the truth.

 

[R2PQZ]

Do you guys get the jitters or nervous playing in tournaments? I can't seem to shake them and play like crap. Lately I've been playing good enough and when I get in a tournament I suck. How do you cope if you cope and how do you do it? I know it's not easy.

Breathing is very important! You can hypnotize yourself with a mantra. I used stay down and follow through. Repeat over and over to yourself. You know you can make any shot on the table if you stay down and follow through. After two or three games it won't be necessary. You won't be aware of anything but staying down and following through. A challenger came into the poolhall I worked in. Started for $20 a game nineball. I win almost every game. He raised it to $50. Still winning most games. Then $100 a game was the bet. Still winning. Next the bet became $200. All of a sudden I lost everything I was ahead and my whole bankroll. Went to the safe to get more ammunition. When I got back to the table I was faced with a $200 spot shot. This was years ago with different rules. Started the mantra and fired the spot shot in. In a few games I was completely focused. Won my money back plus $1500.