My #1 Problem - Open To Suggestions

[DrCue'sProtege]

i dont know if anyone else has this problem, but i would assume i am not alone here. i believe i have talked about this before, but perhaps not in a specific thread.

my biggest problem is i get those negative thoughts floating through my mind on a shot, instead of the positive ones. often times my train of thought is:

"Oh, geez, dont miss this one, you've practice this 10,000 times, if i miss i am going to be so depressed and frustrated, man i hope i dont screw this shot up"

happened to me last night on a shot that i have indeed practiced a ton. and, of course, i missed. i just kinda stood there and stared at the table and the balls, wondering why i cant get over these mental blocks.

so, i am open to suggestions here. what do i have to do to get over these negative thoughts when i stand over shots?

DCP

p.s. serious replies only, please. i dont need jokes at this point in time.

 

[Al-fahl Amir]

i dont know if anyone else has this problem, but i would assume i am not alone here. i believe i have talked about this before, but perhaps not in a specific thread.

my biggest problem is i get those negative thoughts floating through my mind on a shot, instead of the positive ones. often times my train of thought is:

"Oh, geez, dont miss this one, you've practice this 10,000 times, if i miss i am going to be so depressed and frustrated, man i hope i dont screw this shot up"

happened to me last night on a shot that i have indeed practiced a ton. and, of course, i missed. i just kinda stood there and stared at the table and the balls, wondering why i cant get over these mental blocks.

so, i am open to suggestions here. what do i have to do to get over these negative thoughts when i stand over shots?

DCP

p.s. serious replies only, please. i dont need jokes at this point in time.

If it's shots that you are missing that you have truely have practiced a 1000 times then get up and shoot them faster. The faster you shoot, the less time you have to think about the shot and your body and muscle memory will take over and due the work. The other thing it could be is your fundamentals. If your fundamentals are bad you could make this shot a bunch a times durning practice, but under the heat of a tournament or gambling you may miss.

 

[BRKNRUN]

i dont know if anyone else has this problem, but i would assume i am not alone here. i believe i have talked about this before, but perhaps not in a specific thread.

my biggest problem is i get those negative thoughts floating through my mind on a shot, instead of the positive ones. often times my train of thought is:

"Oh, geez, dont miss this one, you've practice this 10,000 times, if i miss i am going to be so depressed and frustrated, man i hope i dont screw this shot up"

happened to me last night on a shot that i have indeed practiced a ton. and, of course, i missed. i just kinda stood there and stared at the table and the balls, wondering why i cant get over these mental blocks.

so, i am open to suggestions here. what do i have to do to get over these negative thoughts when i stand over shots?

DCP

p.s. serious replies only, please. i dont need jokes at this point in time.

This is pretty easy to answer....Instead of "playing to win", your playing "not to miss"...its also called "playing scared"....It's impossible to ever be a winner that way....

You need to read the "Inner Game of Tennis" and "Mind for Pool"

 

[NewGuy]

Have you read Pleasures of Small Motions? I highly recommend it. Each time I read that book, I learn more and more about the mental aspect of pool. It teaches you how to deal with the negative emotions. Most people would say that you should just try to ignore the negative emotion and focus, but that's the wrong approach. You actually have to deal with it. Tell yourself that you won't miss the shot. You've practiced this shot a million times, you know it and you know you won't miss.

 

[RSB-Refugee]

Tell yourself that you won't miss the shot. You've practiced this shot a million times, you know it and you know you won't miss.

In self talk, "don't, no, won't, cant", do not register. Example; "I am not going to scratch, in the side pocket", is not a positive thought. The only thing that was registered from that thought is, "I am ... going to scratch, in the side pocket". You have to be proactive in filling your mind with truely positive thoughts. If you fill it with positives, then there is no room for the negative.

Tracy

 

[Matt_24]

Have you read Pleasures of Small Motions? I highly recommend it. Each time I read that book, I learn more and more about the mental aspect of pool. It teaches you how to deal with the negative emotions. Most people would say that you should just try to ignore the negative emotion and focus, but that's the wrong approach. You actually have to deal with it. Tell yourself that you won't miss the shot. You've practiced this shot a million times, you know it and you know you won't miss.

What I do is study the shot first standing up. I then get in line with the shot (before getting down) at this point I "know" the contact point on the object ball. Once I know that I point I think...now I can make it. I then get down on the shot..do whatever practice strokes, and fire it in the hole. This should all take part in your pre-shot routine. If you are following your pre-shot routine consistently, this problem will go away. All thoughts (positive or negative) should be OUT of your head by the time you get down on the shot. All of your analysis should be done during the pre-shot routine (and this should be kept to a minimum on the offensive side of things, you don't want to over analyze the situation).

 

[Colin Colenso]

With some trepidation that I'll come of sounding like that spammer Ishimara or whatever his name is, I suggest you try some chanting.

Seriously...also known as positive affirmations, self-hypnosis, self-suggestion...but it works and can re-program your mind to make you more decisive...reduce the doubt which produces bad, hesitant shots.

I've forgotten the exact chant I used to use but it went something like this.

Observe the balls and select the shot,
Imagine the position and the pot,
See it clearly as I go down smoothly,
Feel the angle and slide into line,
See what I want and play it refined.

The main points are to decide the exact shot you want before taking the stance and then imagine this shot how it should be played and keep this focus throughout taking stance position, feathering the shot and executing the shot.

The chant works best if it has a smooth meter (rythym) and rhyming can help, but is not crucial.

I suggest you write your own little chant, and say it over and over again when you are practicing while thinking of what it really means.

You may alter the words and meanings as you become more clear about what thinking process you want to focus on with the shot.

After hundreds of times you won't need the chant anymore except for occaissional refreshment as your thinking process will have adapted to this self-hypnotic suggestion.

If your chant doesn't make sense, the process will not work. It may intefere with the processes of the mind which are most effective, so don't give yourself too much to think about. There is a fine line between useful self-suggestion and paralysis by analysis, but smart analysis can be very useful.

Warning: Do not, under any circumstances allow another to hypnotise you. It may help with control over a certain situation, but makes the person generally less self controlled and open to suggestion from others...this is the opposite of the path of self-discovery which is done through self-control and self-knowledge.

 

[hustler]

Before you shoot, envision/picture the ball going in the pocket and the cueball going to the area you want it. This image helps preoccupy your mind with what really matters.

 

[Matt_24]

Before you shoot, envision/picture the ball going in the pocket and the cueball going to the area you want it. This image helps preoccupy your mind with what really matters.

I've known a few pros and had this question answered (Jimmy Reid gave me the best answer), and the simple matter is...once they are down on the shot they aren't "thinking"...they are executing. They do all of their thinking while they're examining the layout, chalking up, and whatever else they do in their pre-shot routine. When you finally get DOWN on the shot, it should be somewhat automatic with a blank mind. Envisioning the ball going into the hole and the cueball path is also a great thing to think about during the "pre-shot" routine. When you are planning your next move/shot during the "pre-shot" routine (I know..I know..how many times can I say pre-shot routine) you won't have any time for negative thoughts to creep in. When you're down on the shot you should be thinking about nothing and just focusing with a blank mind of the object ball point of contact, etc, etc...I'm not going to get into aiming systems..LOL.
Oh yeah...pre-shot routine, pre-shot routine, pre-shot routine. Just had to get that out of my system.

 

[Colin Colenso]

When you're down on the shot you should be thinking about nothing and just focusing with a blank mind of the object ball point of contact, etc, etc...I'm not going to get into aiming systems..LOL.

I wouldn't describe it as a blank mind, but rather in a state of focused perception, open to the feeling that the mind and body has readied itself to execute the shot as perceived.

With your comment on aiming systems, your point highlights what is definitely a problem with these systems, in that they often require a new thinking process to begin after the pre-shot routine.

Everything works fine and accurately for me when I simply 'feel' that I have this shot lined / summed up. It is a feeling, not a set of lines I'm visualizing or thinking about, but the feeling is produced by the unconscious visual feedback from the balls, pockets, angles and distances.

 

[hustler]

I've known a few pros and had this question answered (Jimmy Reid gave me the best answer), and the simple matter is...once they are down on the shot they aren't "thinking"...they are executing. They do all of their thinking while they're examining the layout, chalking up, and whatever else they do in their pre-shot routine. When you finally get DOWN on the shot, it should be somewhat automatic with a blank mind. Envisioning the ball going into the hole and the cueball path is also a great thing to think about during the "pre-shot" routine. When you are planning your next move/shot during the "pre-shot" routine (I know..I know..how many times can I say pre-shot routine) you won't have any time for negative thoughts to creep in. When you're down on the shot you should be thinking about nothing and just focusing with a blank mind of the object ball point of contact, etc, etc...I'm not going to get into aiming systems..LOL.
Oh yeah...pre-shot routine, pre-shot routine, pre-shot routine. Just had to get that out of my system.

True..point of contact I agree is one of the last things you are doing...I just dont lose that image when I go down for the shot. I dont separate it from the preshot routine. To each his own I guess.

 

[BRKNRUN]

Are you Breathing??

I wonder if because your "thinking about missing" that you getting yourself all tensed up right before you shoot....tense shoulders and lack of air can cause you to shoot totally different from the 1000 times you practiced the shot...

Also...I am not a big fan of shooting the same shot over and over in practice...The only one that really mattered was the "first" shot...

Unless your working on something specific in your "stroke" shooting the same shot more than about 4 or 5 times does nothing in my opinion....

You can make a shot 4 out of 5 times in practice, but if the first one is always a "miss"...then you lost control of the table during a match, If you make the shot 1 out of 5 times during practice but the first one is always "made"...you still have control during a match...(not sure if that made sense... )

 

[Colin Colenso]

I think good players, when they are really playing well are not trying to focus or allign to the point of contact. Even though many of them may claim they do.

Aiming at point of contact requires guestimation of the cue ball line depending on the angle. And the position of the contact point should vary according to the spin and speed applied to the shot. All these require guestimations / calculations / thinking, but actually top players may rest their eyes on this position but they are actually finding the line through a 'feeling' of what looks/feels like it will create the shot imagined, based on their years of experience.

Though I guess this is getting off topic.

 

[Colin Colenso]

Also...I am not a big fan of shooting the same shot over and over in practice...The only one that really mattered was the "first" shot...

Unless your working on something specific in your "stroke" shooting the same shot more than about 4 or 5 times does nothing in my opinion....

You can make a shot 4 out of 5 times in practice, but if the first one is always a "miss"...then you lost control of the table during a match, If you make the shot 1 out of 5 times during practice but the first one is always "made"...you still have control during a match...(not sure if that made sense... )

Good luck improving your weak shots

The point of repitition is to memorize a shot so that it becomes more consistent on that first try in an actual match.

But of course you need to mix things up a bit to get variation. Usually that what guys do when playing games.

Perhaps you just don't like the hard grind of playing the same tricky shot over and over until you've worked it out

 

[Matt_24]

I think good players, when they are really playing well are not trying to focus or allign to the point of contact. Even though many of them may claim they do.

Aiming at point of contact requires guestimation of the cue ball line depending on the angle. And the position of the contact point should vary according to the spin and speed applied to the shot. All these require guestimations / calculations / thinking, but actually top players may rest their eyes on this position but they are actually finding the line through a 'feeling' of what looks/feels like it will create the shot imagined, based on their years of experience.

Though I guess this is getting off topic.

I totally agree. When I'm playing well I'm not thinking of much more than what I want to do and then 'just do it'. When I haven't been playing, I try to think of some fundamental things that I do to get my game "back on track".

As far as the point of contact changing...well I guess you could get into an entire discussion about that..but for me (and this may only apply to me, and maybe I am adjusting subconsciously..somehow), I aim EVERY shot as if I'm applying center ball english (every shot) and when I'm playing consistently I think I'm a very strong shotmaker. I do NOT adjust for English. I don't even want to start discussing aiming systems though..I have what works well for me and I don't really like to think too much about it. Everyone has to find what works. Lets end that discussion now...LOL.

 

[hustler]

I think good players, when they are really playing well are not trying to focus or allign to the point of contact. Even though many of them may claim they do.

Aiming at point of contact requires guestimation of the cue ball line depending on the angle. And the position of the contact point should vary according to the spin and speed applied to the shot. All these require guestimations / calculations / thinking, but actually top players may rest their eyes on this position but they are actually finding the line through a 'feeling' of what looks/feels like it will create the shot imagined, based on their years of experience.

Though I guess this is getting off topic.

I couldnt agree more.

 

[BRKNRUN]

Perhaps you just don't like the hard grind of playing the same tricky shot over and over until you've worked it out

I don't mind that at all....But when you are playing a match and that tricky shot comes up...Do you get a chance to work it out before you get to shoot it???

By all means if you are "learning" a new shot, yes hit it over and over until you learn it...but once you know it, it never changes...hitting it 50 times in a row is sensless....I think (once you know a shot) practice making it the "first" time...then hit it 3 or 4 more times to keep that muscle memory...and move on....JMO

 

[cigardave]

I remind myself with this periodically and it helps...

Don't think in the shooting position... and don't shoot in the thinking position. The real work is done in the thinking position before taking your stance.

When you find yourself starting to think in the shooting position, stand up, re-chalk and re-focus your attention to the shot at hand. Follow your normal pre-shot routine without thinking.

If your attention starts to drift away from the shot (to think about anything)... stand up again... and repeat the above.

 

[Colin Colenso]

I totally agree. When I'm playing well I'm not thinking of much more than what I want to do and then 'just do it'. When I haven't been playing, I try to think of some fundamental things that I do to get my game "back on track".

As far as the point of contact changing...well I guess you could get into an entire discussion about that..but for me (and this may only apply to me, and maybe I am adjusting subconsciously..somehow), I aim EVERY shot as if I'm applying center ball english (every shot) and when I'm playing consistently I think I'm a very strong shotmaker. I do NOT adjust for English. I don't even want to start discussing aiming systems though..I have what works well for me and I don't really like to think too much about it. Everyone has to find what works. Lets end that discussion now...LOL.

Yes, I see your point with that aiming method. It can work quite well, but I'll say my opinions of pros and cons for another suitable thread sometime

 

[Snapshot9]

Good players ...

count on players like you having thoughts like that,
which cause people to 'choke'. Some players can
never get past it because of their emotional makeup
inside.

It is a learned process to get past those type of things,
and even as much as I have played, every now and then,
not often, a negative thought will creep into my mind
about a shot, and sure enough I will miss the shot
when I have made it countless times before. Usually
it occurs under pressure situations.

Learn to play the table, not your opponent. That doesn't
mean to just go for every shot either, if a safety is best
rather than a shot, shoot the safety. You must ask yourself
whether you are maintaining the 'advantage' on the table
after each shot. As long as you are running balls, yes of course
you are, but in the decision turns, would a good safety
insure me to win this game rather than a low percentage
shot or out. Learning how to win is not the same as just
shooting well. Those that have learned how to win have
mastered the psychology involved of exploiting your opponents
weaknesses to regain the advantage in a game, and thereby
keeping control of the table, whether offensively or defensively.

That is why players like Efren always rise to the top of a field,
other players may shoot about as good, but he as good defensively
as he is offensively.

When you play someone better than you are, you beat them with
defense, not offense, by outthinking them, and thereby restricting
their offensive skills. That is one reason this sport is so great,
irregardless of skill, you still have a chance if you are smart enough
to play the game by using your brain and outthinking your opponent.
As you get better and better, you learn that their is so much more
to Pool than just making balls.

When you do have a small victory, and are able to make that pressure
ball in a hill to hill set for the win, then think about how you were
thinking prior to the shot. What helped you to get over the top?
Use that as a building block for future situations, and gradually you
will become more confident.