Meltdown

Toncam

Toncam

Another Bum !
Silver Member
Hey Guys
Sorry to start another thread on a personal problem but i figured if there was an answer to be found, this is the place.
Anyway, the last 2 days my game just totally disintegrated, i mean BAD. I was doing everything i could think of to throw myself back on track and nothing was helping. It was like the snowball effect, it started small and as i couldnt figure it out i was getting madder and madder and that was compounding things.
I couldnt make a ball that was over 3 feet away to save my life, i was staying down, i was focusing on the impact point, i was slowing down my stroke, i was checking and re checking my stance.
Finally, my wife came with me tonight and she spotted it. I was steering the cue, just slightly but as with anything, a slight deviance at the beginning turns into a big one at the end. Now that i was aware of it, i started to come around a bit but not enough to suit ,me. I was still going off stride on the stroke and couldnt figure out for the life of me why ? Why the meltdown ? This used to happen to me years ago, it would start in and last a week or so then i would revert back to my normal game, WHICH STILL SUCKS, BUT ITS ALL I GOT !! :)
Can anyone explain what causes this or what gets into someones head to do this and continue to do it ?
Im probably not giving enough information for anyone to make a good evaluation but i cant think of what else to add.
If anyone has any thoughts, suggestions (Besides me seeing a shrink), or anything that might help, i would be grateful.
Sorry for being a pain in the ass with this post, im sure you guys have seen numerous ones like this before and i promise i wont make it a habit.
Till the next time, that is. :grin:
 
Wen my game starts to slip, there is usually a hot chick playing at the next table.

I know, as you do, what level is fairly normal. When I go down hill in a hurry, I just go thru the check list. Stance, holding the cue properly, stroking, follow thru, not popping up.

You know, just the general Pre shot routine. And when I hit the ball, does it feel comfortable like it should or does it feel just a tad off.

Beyond that, I can't get much deeper only to say, don't feel like the Lone Ranger.

Even the Pros have bad days, I am sure.
 
Mad man

Blue Hog ridr said:
Wen my game starts to slip, there is usually a hot chick playing at the next table.

I know, as you do, what level is fairly normal. When I go down hill in a hurry, I just go thru the check list. Stance, holding the cue properly, stroking, follow thru, not popping up.

You know, just the general Pre shot routine. And when I hit the ball, does it feel comfortable like it should or does it feel just a tad off.

Beyond that, I can't get much deeper only to say, don't feel like the Lone Ranger.

Even the Pros have bad days, I am sure.
Click to expand...

Good points for the OP. If all else fails, take a week or two off and try to come back rejuvenated. One thing is for sure, when you get made it will work against you 99% of the time. A mad man can't focus on nothing but his anger, so chill out for whatever length of time you need and start back fresh.

It probably wouldn't hurt to have the best players in your room to help diagnose your problem(s).
 
Well said, Badbeat. My #1 rule above all else is: No matter what happens, dont get pissed off! You do that, and you cant properly address all that other good stuff Blue Hog mentioned.
 
shoot some video and go back and review, you'll be amazed at what you can find.
 
I don't know if anyone else has had this happen, but it seems like for a short time when I am about to move up a notch, it seems like I get worse for a short time. Every time I've moved up a notch in my ability, this has happened to me. This may be what is happening to you.
 
When I get off that badly, it's almost always alignment and the eyes (which seem to go hand in hand). You think your aligned and aimed properly but you're not. Before long, it gets in your head and you start trying to steer the cue. In other words, steering the cue likely originates from an alignment/visual problem.
 
Manoman, similar for myself.

I find that I will hit a higher level of playing and be thinking, great, all the practise and hard work have paid off, I will hit that plateau and then many times, not all, actually regress to a lower level than before.

One day I will be riding the wave and hitting them like a pro, so to speak and the next time I pick up a cue, it looks and feels like Its the first time I have picked up a cue.

Fortunately, it doesn't happen often but when it does, it's surely frustrating beyond compare.
 
Blue Hog ridr said:
Manoman, similar for myself.

I find that I will hit a higher level of playing and be thinking, great, all the practise and hard work have paid off, I will hit that plateau and then many times, not all, actually regress to a lower level than before.

One day I will be riding the wave and hitting them like a pro, so to speak and the next time I pick up a cue, it looks and feels like Its the first time I have picked up a cue.

Fortunately, it doesn't happen often but when it does, it's surely frustrating beyond compare.
Click to expand...

Yep, me too, but when I come back, I am usually a little better that I was.
 
Mark...Too tight of a grip is another culprit in steering the cue. :D If I were the OP, I'd go get a lesson from Max Eberle at Best Billiards...since he's right there in Vegas.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

nobcitypool said:
When I get off that badly, it's almost always alignment and the eyes (which seem to go hand in hand). You think your aligned and aimed properly but you're not. Before long, it gets in your head and you start trying to steer the cue. In other words, steering the cue likely originates from an alignment/visual problem.
Click to expand...
 
If you're steering, that's probably the issue and it's probably happening from a false sense in your mind that you need to steer the shot for some reason (See Double D's post).
You do not, and you need to understand this, you need to convince yourself of this: You can tell the cue ball everything you need to tell it with a straight stroke. Little good, if any, can come from steering.
 
Do like Miyagi: "When lose focus always return to basic"
I think when you (the collective you... and me) reach a certain level or take steps its' common to become a bit complacent, so you over correct and frequently things become worse, frustration mounts and all you want to do is get to the next shot which you are likely to execute poorly because you no longer have natural reflexive movements, its' in your head, so you miss. Return to basics, simple stroke, center ball, let whitey follow it's natural path, don't forget to breathe. Soon enough the movement becomes natural and your stroke returns.
Anyhow, this has worked out nicely for me.
 
I have been having issues for the couple of weeks or so. Shoot lights out one day, then terrible the next. Found the problem after going back to the basics. My issue was not keeping my arm under my shoulder, which was causing, in most cases, the cue ball to go just slightly left. When I realized what was going on, I tucked that arm under my shoulder, viola, perfectly straight. Shot around a little today, consistent as could be.

How did I find this out, back to the basics. I set up some really simple, easy shots, and focussed on nothing but the mechanical part of my stroke. Stop shots, draws, follows, and even some middle diamond to middle diamond lags going long rail. paying attention to what the cue ball was doing, and where the tip of my cue ended.

With me, I don't know about anyone else, usually when my game falls off, it's almost always related to mechanics. Yes, after a while I get "mind fu#ked" if allowed to go too long without finding the cause, but it's always something I'm doing wrong mechanically.
 
Well i played tonight and it came back as good as it was before, not that i was any good, but it beat what i was going through, lol.
I knew that my stroke was going off so i went over Max,s dvd and i remembered what he told me about the stroking line. Basically its watch where your cue winds up after the shot and you will know if youre steering. So what i did was just lined up the shot, focused on the aim point and made sure i was stroking straight from beginning to end, more or less.
Ok, im glad i got through it, but how the hell do you wind up like that ? Its something up in the head i know, but its recognizing it in time before you start losing your temper and everything goes south. Maybe its just a lack of focus and concentration ?

I started playing close to 40 years ago more or less and never took a lesson till two months ago and im 53 now, and im wondering if its too late for me to ever rise above the level im at now. I still probably have terrible habits that are ingrained in me that will be tough to break, but im working at it.

But i do want to thank everyone who contibuted here as theres some positive stuff i can print out and look back on. :thumbup:
 
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