Oxygen delivery system for the pressure match

X Breaker

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Has anyone tried this oxygen delivery system?

http://www.oxia.com/

Because our brains need oxygen to function and players tend to hold their breath in a pressure match, someone introduced this to me saying it will help me to stay focus and think clearly under pressure.

Has anyone tried this?

Richard
 
I believe atheletes use this to recover more quickly, to bring fresh oxygen to the blood stream faster, from what I've heard you can recover very quickly without heavy breathing...

I don't know the downsides(health) though....

Of course, i've only heard of it being used for really active sports where your muscles were physically tired and needed to recover quickly, in pool this would seem to be more mental, and really a crutch.

I mean... I think just remembering to breathe might be better than buying some product...

I have no doubt that it might help some people just like a sugar pill would, but I think this is a crutch and could easily be taken care of with a clear head and breathing techiniques....
 
Try simple breathing exercises.

When I was an archer, I used to do the following exercise occasionaly between ends, especially in the later stages of a long day of competition or when the pressure began to build. As soon as I would open my eyes after completing this exercise, I always felt more calm, alert, mentally refreshed, and focused. I also noticed a significant improvement in visual acuity. The target would look both brighter and sharper.

Sit down with good posture, close your eyes, and take approx. ten slow, steady, even breaths. Focus on pulling the air in with your diaphragm: imagine you are filling your lungs from bottom to top. Inhale and exhale should be exactly the same duration with a short pause (maybe 1sec) in between. Fill and empty your lungs at a perfectly steady, even rate. Fill and empty your lungs as much as completely as you can with out upsetting the even rythm of your breathing. Each breath should be exactly the same in every way. Think of absolutely nothing except your breathing; feel the air passing through your nose, throat, and trachea, then filling your lungs from the bottom to the top and emptying them from the top to the bottom.

If you want to go a step further, continue breathing at this pace with your eyes closed, but now shift your attention to COMPLETELY relaxing every muscle in your body, from your head to your toes. This works better lying flat on a hard floor, with a firm cushion under your head, but you can do many of your muscles sitting down too (maintain good posture).
 
Richard,
I have covered this subject in most of my books - the more I learn about the subject, the more I write about it. Here is a link to a book excerpt, it is rather lengthy, but it covers the subject of breathing and playing pool...

The Art Of The Choke - Book Version
 
Blackjack said:
Richard,
I have covered this subject in most of my books - the more I learn about the subject, the more I write about it. Here is a link to a book excerpt, it is rather lengthy, but it covers the subject of breathing and playing pool...

The Art Of The Choke - Book Version
Dave,
Thank you. It is a great pleasure to have someone like you in this forum sharing your valuable knowledge so generously.
It took me a while to finish it, but I did. I will try to work on it.
Thank you once again.
Richard
 
nipponbilliards said:
Dave,
Thank you. It is a great pleasure to have someone like you in this forum sharing your valuable knowledge so generously.
It took me a while to finish it, but I did. I will try to work on it.
Thank you once again.
Richard

Richard,
I believe this is a topic that receives very little attention, but it is vital in any sport. Centering techniques are an excellent stress reducer, and over a period of time with regular practice with these methods, you should see a noticable improvement.Many players are willing to put in the physical practice, but they neglect to practice mentally. 99% of the time, players lose a set or a match due to mental errors, not physical errors. I've seen many guys show up with a sizzling stroke, only to crumble mentally midway through the match. The mental thunderstorms affect the physical output (it can actually interfere with it) and cause your stroke to tighten up, your breathing becomes shallow (lack of oxygen) etc; etc; and then you eventually choke or make a crazy mistake. Practicing mentally is just as important as physical practice. Many players realize this after the fact. That is why we must prepare mentally for a match. That way when these mental blocks show up, we can deal with them effectively instead of sitting there shaking our head in disgust and drowning in negativity.
 
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