Mind of Steel

Island Drive

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
Dr. Stankovich said:

''Confidence also impacts perception – for example, say you took 10 shots and made 5 and missed 5. A confident player will stay focused and positive, whereas a player with less confidence will get angry, frustrated, and inevitably miss more future shots.''

Confidence is one thing, but only with a complete understanding of the game, will one be able to build that confidence/period.

Remembering your misses and adjusting to constantly changing conditions Builds Confidence during match play like nothing else....but you must be 100% into the shot at hand. The most important shots of all are MISSES, why? Because they give us answers about conditions and how ''we're'' doing in play and with our approach/walk up to the shot. Until each player understands all the nuances of ball collisions and play conditions and how they Effect Play, they will not be able to walk away from their errors EVERY time with a positive attitude, ESPECIALLY IF THEY MISSED A SHOT AND DID NOT KNOW WHY Or WORSE, if they make up a reason for their error, which is Not the real reason, it's lack of knowledge of the game. Even when I played great during some of my earlier years, I always knew ''something'' was missing, and the great players back then would not just ''help you out''.
 
Island Drive said:
Dr. Stankovich said:

''Confidence also impacts perception – for example, say you took 10 shots and made 5 and missed 5. A confident player will stay focused and positive, whereas a player with less confidence will get angry, frustrated, and inevitably miss more future shots.''

Confidence is one thing, but only with a complete understanding of the game, will one be able to build that confidence/period.

Remembering your misses and adjusting to constantly changing conditions Builds Confidence during match play like nothing else....but you must be 100% into the shot at hand. The most important shots of all are MISSES, why? Because they give us answers about conditions and how ''we're'' doing in play and with our approach/walk up to the shot. Until each player understands all the nuances of ball collisions and play conditions and how they Effect Play, they will not be able to walk away from their errors EVERY time with a positive attitude, ESPECIALLY IF THEY MISSED A SHOT AND DID NOT KNOW WHY Or WORSE, if they make up a reason for their error, which is Not the real reason, it's lack of knowledge of the game. Even when I played great during some of my earlier years, I always knew ''something'' was missing, and the great players back then would not just ''help you out''.
Click to expand...

I agree with you about the misses & especially the ones where one has not figured out the true why.

I can usually figure out the why within a minute sometimes two. But...sometimes it can take sleeping on it, or I should say barely sleeping until the true cause is figured out.

The misses are the shots from which we can learn the most, IMHO.

I don't 'go for' psycho-babble much. Sometimes there's a good tidbit here & there but many times to be honest, there's a lot of crap there because it's clinical & not specific to each individual, kind of like trying to put a Volkswagon carburetor on a Muscle Car & vise versa.

It's like you say, we have to learn in order to get better. Accepting 'failure' is not a good motivator to learning or getting better.

That positive attitude of which many psycho-babblers speak usually has a different goal in mind. It's that 'feel good' about myself thing.

Well, Like Captain Kirk said in 'The Last Frontier', 'I like my pain, I need my pain'. I don't really remember if he this or not but, 'My pain makes me who I am.'.

Overcoming adversity is a component that most 'Champions' have in spades.

Best 2 You & All,
Rick
 
I've been having this question on my mind for a little while and I can't figure out the exact answer. Whenever I miss a shot, or don't get the shape I want, or hook myself, I hem and haw, or shake my head, or tap my chalk against the rail. I can't figure out why I do it. Well I can figure out a couple of possible reasons:

-I'm embarrassed and want to acknowledge to both myself and my opponent how royally I messed up.

-I felt entitled to making that shot, and didn't.

-It's a habit I picked up from watching other players and I do it to be cool.


I'm not trying to be sarcastic, I'm just trying to figure out the root underlying cause to why I do these things when I get upset. I'd like to not do them, but I want to know how I would be perceived as a player who just gets up, dogs a shot, and sits down like nothing happened. Is that what I want? What message would that convey? I don't want to appear like I don't care, but I also can't see looking chipper when I go to sit down.

I'd really like other peoples perspectives on the ideal way to act when you miss a shot.

I know in my league, I've won a lot of games against better players because they know they're better. So when they miss, they get all bent out of shape. When I miss, I also get upset, but I focus all my energy on recovering a positive attitude before my opponent.
 
I have a buddy who is a near famous chef (he has run restaurants for the people you see on TV) and he told me one time, in response to a conversation about consistency and single location restaurants:

Everytime I make something, it comes out exactly like I wanted.

Now that does 0 for a consistent product, but it does speak volumes to the point that no matter what you do, you can act like it is perfect...and usually make it work.
 
The only reason I miss or the cb doesn't go where it should is because of FOCUS. I have reached the point in my game that if I focus on the contact point the ball will go in. I have absolutely no doubt about that, and it's not an easy thing to say. It took many decades to reach that point, and it is the best confidence builder of them all! If I concentrate/focus on the contact point it WILL go in, speed control and proper english are pretty much automatic if I'm FOCUSED. NOW the big question...how do I stay focused? Haven't figured that one out yet!
 
tonythetiger583 said:
I've been having this question on my mind for a little while and I can't figure out the exact answer. Whenever I miss a shot, or don't get the shape I want, or hook myself, I hem and haw, or shake my head, or tap my chalk against the rail. I can't figure out why I do it. Well I can figure out a couple of possible reasons:

-I'm embarrassed and want to acknowledge to both myself and my opponent how royally I messed up.

-I felt entitled to making that shot, and didn't.

-It's a habit I picked up from watching other players and I do it to be cool.


I'm not trying to be sarcastic, I'm just trying to figure out the root underlying cause to why I do these things when I get upset. I'd like to not do them, but I want to know how I would be perceived as a player who just gets up, dogs a shot, and sits down like nothing happened. Is that what I want? What message would that convey? I don't want to appear like I don't care, but I also can't see looking chipper when I go to sit down.

I'd really like other peoples perspectives on the ideal way to act when you miss a shot.

I know in my league, I've won a lot of games against better players because they know they're better. So when they miss, they get all bent out of shape. When I miss, I also get upset, but I focus all my energy on recovering a positive attitude before my opponent.
Click to expand...

Hi Tony,

I just realised that I don't know how old you are or how long you have been playing.

Anyway, It's not an easy thing to do & in fact it may not even be real but you can't be worried about what anyone thinks of you or your playing ability, at least not when you're actually playing.

You'll show that you care when you focus & give each shot the care that it deserves & you miss less. Remember, everyone misses, even 'the best' miss. Earl misses, Efren misses. They just miss way less than most of us.

I don't think I have any consistent action like you tapping the chalk on the table. I may sometimes put the chalk down on the table a bit hard or I may take it back to the chair with me. But...the one thing that I know that I do do is that I leave the table slowly as I get out of the way & go to the chair. I'm not happy & I don't want to leave, I want to shoot again ASAP, but...I have to wait for my opponent to miss, IF they miss.

If I've missed position or hooked myself, I take my time & find the best option. That is where your focus needs to be & not on what anyone else may or may not be thinking about you or the shot that you just messed up on.

It's all about focus & the level of it that you put on the table & what is at hand. It should be 100% on the table at all times & your mind should never drift to anything else.

I've said it on here before that when I'm playing seriously, someone could be rapeing my wife or daughter on the next table & I would not even notice or hear them screaming for me to help them. I know that is an extreme example but that is what total focus is all about. I've been there very often whenever I felt that I needed to be there. Sometimes it's not that easy to get there. But...with experience it becomes easier & it can be turned off & on so as to not be so taxing to be totally focused for long stretches.

I hope something I said here helps you & naturally all of this are just my opinions & my take on your topics.

Best 2 You & All,
Rick
 
No one likes to miss a ball or shape or to not perform to the level they expect. What you really need to ask yourself is what do you really derive from the machinations you say you perform when you do miss? You wrote that perhaps it's to indicate to yourself or your opponent you're not happy with the result. If I'm your opponent I love this kind of display as it indicates you're wrapped up in thoughts you should not allow to occupy space in your head and all I have to do is apply heat and lean and you will fall. I think if you ask those that display no emotion at an error you'll find they aren't happy about it but they are seasoned enough competitors that they won't give their opponent the satisfaction of seeing it. If you truly want to excel you should be instantly analyzing the reason you did not achieve your desired result but most importantly be objective and honest with yourself about why you didn't. You'll never get the last shot back, it's done. You need to also understand that while you can't get it back you can prevent it from marring your next one, think about that
 
tim913 said:
The only reason I miss or the cb doesn't go where it should is because of FOCUS. I have reached the point in my game that if I focus on the contact point the ball will go in. I have absolutely no doubt about that, and it's not an easy thing to say. It took many decades to reach that point, and it is the best confidence builder of them all! If I concentrate/focus on the contact point it WILL go in, speed control and proper english are pretty much automatic if I'm FOCUSED. NOW the big question...how do I stay focused? Haven't figured that one out yet!
Click to expand...


Aye, there is the rub...it's so easy to lose focus. Reminds me of a vanity plate I saw..."OUT OF"...it was on a parked Ford Focus.
 
Good stuff

Thanks for the insight and I will try to apply it. Pool is like no other game. We are expected to keep our emotions in check with no displays of anger. If a wide receiver drops the ball and lands on the ground we think nothing of it when his head is down and he bangs his fists on the ground. I like the attitudes Efren and Alex display when they play. They should write a book on positive emotions and attitudes when playing pool. They have it right in my opinion.
 
Forget your last miss and/or your past mistakes.
JoeyA

tonythetiger583 said:
I've been having this question on my mind for a little while and I can't figure out the exact answer. Whenever I miss a shot, or don't get the shape I want, or hook myself, I hem and haw, or shake my head, or tap my chalk against the rail. I can't figure out why I do it. Well I can figure out a couple of possible reasons:

-I'm embarrassed and want to acknowledge to both myself and my opponent how royally I messed up.

-I felt entitled to making that shot, and didn't.

-It's a habit I picked up from watching other players and I do it to be cool.


I'm not trying to be sarcastic, I'm just trying to figure out the root underlying cause to why I do these things when I get upset. I'd like to not do them, but I want to know how I would be perceived as a player who just gets up, dogs a shot, and sits down like nothing happened. Is that what I want? What message would that convey? I don't want to appear like I don't care, but I also can't see looking chipper when I go to sit down.

I'd really like other peoples perspectives on the ideal way to act when you miss a shot.

I know in my league, I've won a lot of games against better players because they know they're better. So when they miss, they get all bent out of shape. When I miss, I also get upset, but I focus all my energy on recovering a positive attitude before my opponent.
Click to expand...
 
Island Drive said:
Dr. Stankovich said:

''Confidence also impacts perception – for example, say you took 10 shots and made 5 and missed 5. A confident player will stay focused and positive, whereas a player with less confidence will get angry, frustrated, and inevitably miss more future shots.''

Confidence is one thing, but only with a complete understanding of the game, will one be able to build that confidence/period.

Remembering your misses and adjusting to constantly changing conditions Builds Confidence during match play like nothing else....but you must be 100% into the shot at hand. The most important shots of all are MISSES, why? Because they give us answers about conditions and how ''we're'' doing in play and with our approach/walk up to the shot. Until each player understands all the nuances of ball collisions and play conditions and how they Effect Play, they will not be able to walk away from their errors EVERY time with a positive attitude, ESPECIALLY IF THEY MISSED A SHOT AND DID NOT KNOW WHY Or WORSE, if they make up a reason for their error, which is Not the real reason, it's lack of knowledge of the game. Even when I played great during some of my earlier years, I always knew ''something'' was missing, and the great players back then would not just ''help you out''.
Click to expand...

Didn't Mike Sigel write an incorrect article one time about the effects of throw? He obviously did not have a complete understanding of the game and he was pretty confident. He was real confident and of course played awesome but it's a good thing that he didnt have to play this game consciously. I use this example to show how you dont have to have correct knowledge to be confident.

Confidence is simply an ability to believe in yourself and imo the article from the Dr. was pretty good advice for BUILDING confidence. That doesnt mean that a player will have Mike Sigel confidence if they apply the techniques taught by the Dr. but I do believe that each technique is useful for adding more confidence to a players game if practiced.
 
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I'm sorry but I don't want to remember my misses during match play. I missed because I wasn't focused....I KNOW how to make the shot...I KNOW how to get the CB from A to B. I can do 90% of the things I want to do if I am FOCUSED...not arrogant, just confident..the other 10% I will deal with on the practice table...NOT while I am in a match! I think people think too much while they're in a match, and all this mind chatter causes them to lose confidence and second guess themselves. Sure you have to adjust for things you can't control...equipment issues, humidity, noise...etc. Hone your skills on the practice table...THEN take those skills to the match table....don't practice during the match!
 
Island Drive said:
Dr. Stankovich said:

''Confidence also impacts perception – for example, say you took 10 shots and made 5 and missed 5. A confident player will stay focused and positive, whereas a player with less confidence will get angry, frustrated, and inevitably miss more future shots.''.
Click to expand...

I thought Einstein quoted this.
 
The time for reflection is after the match not during. If you miss a shot, instead of reflecting on the shot, just accept it and move on. Sit down like it wasn't a big deal. I've seen even top players get angry/emotional and it affect their game, let alone amateurs.

Now it's easier said than done, but you can control your emotion, read Dr. Stephen Covey's 7 Successful Habits. The Top Asian and European players seem more in tune without playing with emotion. I don't think they are unemotional but try to control it in order to get their best game. I have seen emotional players play lights out and are more entertaining but would they even be better if they kept their emotions in check?
 
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dardusm said:
The time for reflection is after the match not during. If you miss a shot, instead of reflecting on the shot, just accept it and move on. Sit down like it wasn't a big deal. I've seen even top players get angry/emotional and it affect their game, let alone amateurs.

Now it's easier said than done, but you can control your emotion, read Dr. Stephen Covey's 7 Successful Habits. The Top Asian and European players seem more in tune without playing with emotion. I don't think they are unemotional but try to control it in order to get their best game. I have seem emotional players play lights out and are more entertaining but would they even be better if they kept their emotions in check?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily IMHO, as everyone is wired differently. One needs to learn themselves & know how to get the best out of themselves.

Probably the biggest reason Vince Lombardi was such a great coach is that he learned/knew what to do for each player to get the best performances out of them. Some need pats on the back while others need kicks in the A**.

Who was it that said, 'Know thyself & to thine own self be true.'?

Best 2 You & All,
Rick
 
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confidence and actions after missing

Not to get too deep into the confidence factor; I just know when I am shooting my best, it is when I am shooting with confidence.....even if I miss, I will continue to shoot with confidence if I'm on my game.........

As to one's actions or reactions after missing a shot; I remember watching a pretty high stakes gambling match at 9 ball once in the pool hall, and the staked player was being browbeaten by his stakehorse because he was so bummed after missing a shot.........his stakehorse said something like, "I don't know why you are carrying this forward; you shoot and make it, you keep shooting; you miss and he shoots until he misses; I don't know why you have to carry a missed shot into your next shot when you should be thinking and focusing on making your next shot....." In other words, when you miss, FORGETABOUTIT
 
wahcheck said:
Not to get too deep into the confidence factor; I just know when I am shooting my best, it is when I am shooting with confidence.....even if I miss, I will continue to shoot with confidence if I'm on my game.........

As to one's actions or reactions after missing a shot; I remember watching a pretty high stakes gambling match at 9 ball once in the pool hall, and the staked player was being browbeaten by his stakehorse because he was so bummed after missing a shot.........his stakehorse said something like, "I don't know why you are carrying this forward; you shoot and make it, you keep shooting; you miss and he shoots until he misses; I don't know why you have to carry a missed shot into your next shot when you should be thinking and focusing on making your next shot....." In other words, when you miss, FORGETABOUTIT
Click to expand...

Your story is very good for being in the moment & continuing to complete but...

That shot was missed for some reason & if the reason is one that can b fixed it should be fixed.

To me it's amazing what both short & long memories 'athletes' have. One might forget that shot while competing but have it come back to memory 2 weeks or 2 months later.

IMO, it's better to get a on table & either find the problem & fix it or...confirm that it was a freak occurance & then be done with it. That way it will not come to mind at a future date & even if does one knows that the problem was fixed or that it was a freak occurance & will not happen again,

That way one can truly forget it. That way one can maintain & even build confidence.

Just my 2 cent opinion.

Best 2 You & All,
Rick
 
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