Need Advice!!!!

beav99_4life

beav99_4life

BPT Champion
Silver Member
My game has completely disappeared. In the past two months my game has gone from a high level to that of an average league player. For the past year and a half or two I have been in the top five or ten players in my league and been respected (unfortunately not feared, lol) player in my pool hall. Within the past two months my game has consistently gotten worse each week. Its as if each time I step to the table, its my first time. I dont see table patterns well anymore and my shot making ability is almost non-existent. I've tried taking a break for more than a week, tried drills and everything else I can think of. I'm desperate, any ideas?!! Thanks for any advice.
 
beav99_4life said:
My game has completely disappeared. In the past two months my game has gone from a high level to that of an average league player. For the past year and a half or two I have been in the top five or ten players in my league and been respected (unfortunately not feared, lol) player in my pool hall. Within the past two months my game has consistently gotten worse each week. Its as if each time I step to the table, its my first time. I dont see table patterns well anymore and my shot making ability is almost non-existent. I've tried taking a break for more than a week, tried drills and everything else I can think of. I'm desperate, any ideas?!! Thanks for any advice.
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You know, I've been going through a bit of a slump myself and I realized something JUST NOW. Pool players are obsessed with how their game looks as opposed to just getting the job done. In other words, players are constantly thinking about how much they missed or how many racks they ran instead of just going out there and playing.

You're obsessing (as have I). Just go out there, have fun and try your best. Don't think about the past week, month, season. Just think about the game infront of you.
 
Jude,
I wish it was that, I couldn't care less if my game was ugly. If i was doing what i planned and worked out a table even remotely the way it should be, then i wouldnt complain. I mean I am missing shots that I shouldn't miss shooting with my non-dominant hand. I've had slumps before but NEVER anything like this, its like i forgot how to play. Depressing.
 
usually a slump is fundamentals. Somewhere along the line as you got better you started skipping over things you used to do. Think back to when you were shooting great, what was your preshot routine, are you staying down on your shots, etc etc. Get a small notebook and start keeping a log when you practice of what is working and what isnt.
 
When that happens to me, I look at my basics and try to see if there's a mechanical problem. If not, I look at my mental game and try to sharpen my sensory communication to the right brain for better muscle memory recall, i.e. more focused visualization to include feel and sound, and more focused concentration on each shot, trying to shoot each shot with the same focus and visualization, no matter how "easy" the shot appears. :p
 
This happened to a friend of mine a while back. His game went completely off and he couldn't figure out why. After a month or so he figured out that for some reason he had been gripping his cue about 4 inches higher than before. Couldn't even tell you why he started doing it, it was completely subconscious. Went back to his old grip and started playing great again.
 
This may not apply directly to you, but it is an example of just how simple these "slumps" can be explained.

A few months ago, for several weeks, my game fell about two levels. Felt as though I couldn't see the balls, or aim clearly. Turned out that I was playing with a three year old contact lens prescription that I had sitting around. I accidently opened, and was using them.:eek:

What a relief when I finally figured it out.:D

Jimmy
 
beav99_4life said:
Jude,
I wish it was that, I couldn't care less if my game was ugly. If i was doing what i planned and worked out a table even remotely the way it should be, then i wouldnt complain. I mean I am missing shots that I shouldn't miss shooting with my non-dominant hand. I've had slumps before but NEVER anything like this, its like i forgot how to play. Depressing.
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Ok, why are you even thinking about dominant eye stuff? Look, everything should always feel centered and don't worry about which eye is over your cue. If you feel centered, you're ok. Most people who talk about dominant eye stuff don't know what they're talking about (and that includes me). However, I know enough to say that if you're using your dominant eye and you don't feel centered, you're doing it wrong.

Take the most rudamentary approach. Concentrate on feel as opposed to results. You want to hit the cue-ball dead-center and you already know how that feels so use that to hone-in and then go from there.
 
beav99_4life said:
My game has completely disappeared. In the past two months my game has gone from a high level to that of an average league player. For the past year and a half or two I have been in the top five or ten players in my league and been respected (unfortunately not feared, lol) player in my pool hall. Within the past two months my game has consistently gotten worse each week. Its as if each time I step to the table, its my first time. I dont see table patterns well anymore and my shot making ability is almost non-existent. I've tried taking a break for more than a week, tried drills and everything else I can think of. I'm desperate, any ideas?!! Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...

The same thing happened to me once. What I think happened is my mother put a hex on me. She's gone now, but the curse isn't. Here's a suggestion: wear a string of garlic around your neck. Maybe, your opponents will wilt from the fumes. :)
 
beav99_4life said:
My game has completely disappeared. In the past two months my game has gone from a high level to that of an average league player. For the past year and a half or two I have been in the top five or ten players in my league and been respected (unfortunately not feared, lol) player in my pool hall. Within the past two months my game has consistently gotten worse each week. Its as if each time I step to the table, its my first time. I dont see table patterns well anymore and my shot making ability is almost non-existent. I've tried taking a break for more than a week, tried drills and everything else I can think of. I'm desperate, any ideas?!! Thanks for any advice.
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Steve: Call me and lets talk. Maybe I can help......SPF=randyg..1 800 707-0158
 
The thing I'd tell you do is, quit thinking "I'm in a slump", as all you're doing is reinforcing that feeling subconsciously.

I've been mountain biking for a good number of years. One of the things I learned years ago was this: if you're going down a trail, and there's a big rock in the middle of the trail, one you could easily steer around - but you STARE at that rock as you approach - no matter what you do, you're gonna hit that rock. It's because you're focused on it. The trick is to look where you want to go - left or right of the rock - and your body will make it happen.

I think the same applies to pool - if you tell yourself you're in a slump, you're gonna miss that ball, you're gonna scratch, etc. - oftimes, you make whatever it is happen. Forget the slump! Go into your next match with a clear head. Don't think about the past, keep your mind in the present.
 
Hmm....same thing happened to me a few months ago, but instead of putting in an old prescription I switched my left and right lenses. See that they had different strengths and varying amounts of astigmatism correct it kind of threw me off. I got so use to it that it took about a month after I realized the switch before my game returned to normal.

jimmyg said:
This may not apply directly to you, but it is an example of just how simple these "slumps" can be explained.

A few months ago, for several weeks, my game fell about two levels. Felt as though I couldn't see the balls, or aim clearly. Turned out that I was playing with a three year old contact lens prescription that I had sitting around. I accidently opened, and was using them.:eek:

What a relief when I finally figured it out.:D

Jimmy
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