Mental Game

ftgokie

ftgokie

D player extraordinaire
Silver Member
I have been practicing maybe 2x a week for 2-3hrs each time for the last 2 weeks for an upcoming tournament in Tulsa. Before that I didnt get to shoot but maybe once every 2-3 weeks. I was at Magoos last night practicing 9 ball with a friend and was shooting pretty good. I ran the rack 4-5x over the course of 4hrs, and I ran 3 racks in a row once. So I know I can shoot half assed, I am guessing a strong C weak B, but my mental game just sucks..

When I am in a tournament, im not nervous or anything, I just seem to lose my basic fundamentals. I find I make silly mistakes like raising up just as I shoot, or some other silly crap like that and its just aggrivating.

What do you guys do to make your mental game better? I hope to do good in this tourney, but dont stand a snowballs chance in hell unless my mental game is there. Any ideas or suggestions on what little info I have provided?

Thanks
Shawn
 
Shawn, a lot of folks suffer, as you do.

A couple of things: In my head "playing pool with a friend" is NOT practicing. Practicing is drills, playing the ghost, time alone at a table. It is my experience that while practicing alone, you'll hit 2 to 3 times more balls per time period than when playing a game with someone.

Second: Try reading "The Pleasure of Small Motions". Very enlightening book on the mental aspects of ANY game.

Just my thoughts .....
 
8Ball48043 said:
Shawn, a lot of folks suffer, as you do.

A couple of things: In my head "playing pool with a friend" is NOT practicing. Practicing is drills, playing the ghost, time alone at a table. It is my experience that while practicing alone, you'll hit 2 to 3 times more balls per time period than when playing a game with someone.

Second: Try reading "The Pleasure of Small Motions". Very enlightening book on the mental aspects of ANY game.

Just my thoughts .....
Click to expand...

I agree that playing with a friend is not practicing..When I practice, I usually plat the ghost, and practice different shots and how to get shape on shots, practice my stroke, and breaks..

I will get the book you mentioned and read it....thanks for your help!

Shawn
 
Shawn,

I think that experience is a great teacher. Getting out and playing in more tournament type settings will help you improve your mindset.
 
dardusm said:
Shawn,

I think that experience is a great teacher. Getting out and playing in more tournament type settings will help you improve your mindset.
Click to expand...

I agree with that..I played in the tourney at Jamaica Joes last month, will play in the 9 ball tourney at Magoos next weekend...I played in a 8 and under tourney sunday night and played really well till my mental game took a nosedive...

I may try and use my IPOD and see if somehting is distracting me, hell, I dunno...something is going on where I shoot great and then I just crash..

I am gonna play this weekend and record myself on my camcorder and watch and see if I can see what is going on...i know its really aggrivating to me :mad:
 
ftgokie said:
I have been practicing maybe 2x a week for 2-3hrs each time for the last 2 weeks for an upcoming tournament in Tulsa. Before that I didnt get to shoot but maybe once every 2-3 weeks. I was at Magoos last night practicing 9 ball with a friend and was shooting pretty good. I ran the rack 4-5x over the course of 4hrs, and I ran 3 racks in a row once. So I know I can shoot half assed, I am guessing a strong C weak B, but my mental game just sucks..

When I am in a tournament, im not nervous or anything, I just seem to lose my basic fundamentals. I find I make silly mistakes like raising up just as I shoot, or some other silly crap like that and its just aggrivating.

What do you guys do to make your mental game better? I hope to do good in this tourney, but dont stand a snowballs chance in hell unless my mental game is there. Any ideas or suggestions on what little info I have provided?

Thanks
Shawn
Click to expand...
No matter how much you practice, as soon as you enter a tournament everything
changes in your head. I would suggest you to play in as many tournaments as possible
no matter how big they are. With time you will get more seasoned to play under those
conditions and you will see that you'll start to feel more comfortable and make less
mistakes. I think there is no other way to deal with these mental issues.
 
poolmaster said:
No matter how much you practice, as soon as you enter a tournament everything
changes in your head. I would suggest you to play in as many tournaments as possible
no matter how big they are. With time you will get more seasoned to play under those
conditions and you will see that you'll start to feel more comfortable and make less
mistakes. I think there is no other way to deal with these mental issues.
Click to expand...

I am starting to play in as many as I can with the limited time I have...starting in Jan, I will be going to alot more tournaments in state and out of state so hopefully I can get rid of this "FUNK" I get in.....

thanks for everyones advice
 
often letting negative in

ftgokie said:
I am starting to play in as many as I can with the limited time I have...starting in Jan, I will be going to alot more tournaments in state and out of state so hopefully I can get rid of this "FUNK" I get in.....

thanks for everyones advice
Click to expand...

Often the reason for mid event crashes is letting negative in. Are you starting to think "don't make this mistake?" or starting to dwell on missed shots or missed shape too after either happens? Using positive statements that you will hit here, here, and here, with the cue ball and stop right in here, is far better than saying, "I have to watch out for the scratch in the side pocket".

As for mistakes, honestly review how many you made after an event. After awhile you know on most days that you are going to make about that many mistakes. Accept the mistakes as part of your performance and forget about them at least while you are playing.

The final thing to ask is are you performing to your expectations? When you get deep in the tourney are you starting to perhaps overestimate the game of your opponents not considering you have reached the same level they have? Many people come to an event and count off the people they think can beat them and figure that they are likely to only finish in say the top eight. When you reach your expectations you often set yourself up mentally to be beaten at that level because you have reached your expectations.

I focus on very positive self talk and talking to others I don't make any falsely modest statements. I know I am there to try to win but my unconscious is listening to everything I say and it doesn't know I am telling "white lies" to not sound egotistical. I much prefer to make neutral statements. Get away from people making a lot of negative statements too, bad for your game.

I set very high goals while have a little more realistic expectations. That way I am always focused on the goal but I'm not destroyed by any mistake or a lost match moving me to the losers side.

Any of this or none of this may apply to you. Hope it helps.

Hu
 
I agree that playing with a friend is not practicing. Practicing is something you do by yourself, with specific goals in mind for your practice session. If you need to work on your stroke, do stroke drills. If you need to work on your speed control, do speed control drills. Practice to evaluate and to build specific skills that will be needed in your game. If you practice properly, the things you practice will become a natural part of your game.

As others have pointed out, learning to deal with the pressure and atmosphere of tournament play will come with experience. But if you have practiced the fundamentals, you won't be doubting them, and you will be more relaxed and in the right frame of mind for competition.

Steve
 
I truely appreciate everyone for responding on here and in PM....I am a 90% disabled vet and 70% of that is from PTSD...I think there is more going on than just me losing my concentration. A good friend of mine on here, who I have never met, asked me a question and that made me think about the PTSD. I was hoping it might be something simple, but I feel there are other issues coming into play with me not having a mental game like I should have.

Again, I really appreciate everyone making suggestions and giving me advice, your words did not fall on deaf ears. I really appreciate everyone on this forum and the advice you give. You guys are truely a class act! I dont care what people think about pool players and the environment we play in, you guys are a gift to me and I appreciate each and every one of you!

Shawn
 
ftgokie said:
I truely appreciate everyone for responding on here and in PM....I am a 90% disabled vet and 70% of that is from PTSD...I think there is more going on than just me losing my concentration. A good friend of mine on here, who I have never met, asked me a question and that made me think about the PTSD. I was hoping it might be something simple, but I feel there are other issues coming into play with me not having a mental game like I should have.

Again, I really appreciate everyone making suggestions and giving me advice, your words did not fall on deaf ears. I really appreciate everyone on this forum and the advice you give. You guys are truely a class act! I dont care what people think about pool players and the environment we play in, you guys are a gift to me and I appreciate each and every one of you!

Shawn
Click to expand...

SHAWN: The Mental Game is held together with our three pre-shot routines. Without them we will wander aimlessly throughout the match....SPF=randyg
 
When playing in big tournaments get plenty of rest (no sex :() eat well and exercise. Also learn how to meditate to clear your mind. Dont think about ANYTHING for a solid ten minutes by focusing on your breathing alone.

There really is no cure or easy fix for your mental game. The only thing you can really do if focus on you and you alone. Dont worry about missed shots or lousy rolls. They happen and will continue to happen... FACT!!! Just try to minimize bad thoughts do to poor play or your opponent's stellar play.

Sounds easy doesnt it :lol: Again you just have to learn to maintain and the only way you can do that is put yourself in high pressure situations.

Good Luck :wink:
 
RunoutJJ said:
When playing in big tournaments get plenty of rest (no sex :() eat well and exercise. Also learn how to meditate to clear your mind. Dont think about ANYTHING for a solid ten minutes by focusing on your breathing alone.

There really is no cure or easy fix for your mental game. The only thing you can really do if focus on you and you alone. Dont worry about missed shots or lousy rolls. They happen and will continue to happen... FACT!!! Just try to minimize bad thoughts do to poor play or your opponent's stellar play.

Sounds easy doesnt it :lol: Again you just have to learn to maintain and the only way you can do that is put yourself in high pressure situations.

Good Luck :wink:
Click to expand...

Have you LOST your MIND?:grin:
 
sorry for the dbl post but i think when u miss a shot or they get lucky an crap in a ball or u get in a Argument with someone that day b4 the tournament is everything u don.t wanna do keep a happy thought in ur head an u should be fine when ur not shooting just clear ur mind an relax ur body like i posted on first post read that an u will be set on mental game hope this helps
 
I've been in a funk for about 6 months too, my mental toughness has left me. I think I'm going through a burn out phase and am not as passionate about the game. Probably has to do with running a local tournament every week for 28 weeks a year and putting up with the BS associated with doing that. :mad:
 
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