Paralysis By Analysis

JimL

JimL

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I started playing again a couple of months ago after a 20+ year layoff. Way back when I was a decent player, not anywhere near the caliber on this forum but ok.
I was really rusty when I started out this time and had alot of questions about equipment and such so I started surfing the net and found lots of info, some contradictory!?!
Anyway, I just naturally started reading alot about the physical mechanics of a proper stroke. Now I'm at the point where I've changed so much and have all kinds of information running thru my head as I'm preparing to stroke ie grip, stance, where's my dominate eye in relation to the cue etc.
My game has gone to Hell!!
I realize now I was always a "feel" player, never thought about any mechanics of the stroke, just looked at the layout and shot with a clear head.
So I'm just curious how many players here really concentrate on mechanics and aimimg systems vs playing by feel?
 
I too am a feel player, always have been and always will be. When my game goes down hill the only adjustment I make is forcing my chin down on the cue. If I thought about all the advice about stance, alignment, grip etc I wouldn't make a single shot.

I also went through a 20+ year layoff, when I started playing again my only barrier was confidence. That came with time and success. My advice is to go back to your feel game and forget about the technicals until you feel a change will help you.

Just my opinion,

BK
 
ride. it. out.

it will take some time, but you will be better in the end. bad habits reinforce themselves.

-s
 
It takes me about two-three weeks working on ONE thing I want to change in my fundamentals before I don't have to think about it anymore. That's if I'm playing every day.

Just a suggestion: Try working on one thing at a time until it becomes second nature. It sounds like you are trying to do too much at one time.

After watching David Gutierrez win 3 tourneys in a row on the Fast Eddie's Tour, I noticed how still and relaxed he kept his head when he stroked the ball. I worked on that this last month and my game has jumped at least a ball.
 
Me too, good original post....same problem here....

I didn't have to think about English, or speed, or angle, or anything....I just got into my stance, the bridge pointed the tip in the right place, the shot dropped, the ball spun like it should, and the leave was there....

Trying to come back to the game, it's frustrating, the feel is not there, and the books help.....but, nothing beats the hours upon hours I used to play, and therein lies the problem - no 20 hours a week to play/practice...
 
When making big changes your game might be affected in a bad way before it gets better.

I know when I was experimenting with grip and bridge, everything felt unnatural and my game showed it, until it became second nature, and my game shot back up.

Just make sure that you are making the right changes, and you will benefit over time.
 
This is why I usually skip over all the aiming system and other types of threads. I have a way of doing things that works for me and I'd just as soon not **** it up with a lot of extra info.....some good...some really bad swimming around in my head.
 
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JimL said:
... Now I'm at the point where I've changed so much and have all kinds of information running thru my head as I'm preparing to stroke ie grip, stance, where's my dominate eye in relation to the cue etc.
My game has gone to Hell!!
I realize now I was always a "feel" player, never thought about any mechanics of the stroke, just looked at the layout and shot with a clear head.
...
Click to expand...
When you play, you have to play by feel. It's the only way that works. When you practice, you can work on specific aspects of your mechanics. Unfortunately, it sounds like you bit off the whole horse. Unless you have lots of time that you want to spend in practice, I think it would have been better to work on one aspect of your mechanics at a time. Like maybe you have a floppy bridge. As for the dominant eye, people see things in various ways. If you had no symptom of head placement error, it was a mistake to even think about where your head was.

The other issue is deciding as a long-time player how much you want to change. Maybe your stroke has a little left-to-right swerve, but it is consistent and you make long shots and run racks. Should you change that part of your game? If you do, expect to spend six months at it if it is ingrained into your mechanics by years of playing that way. Some players feel that they would rather just enjoy the game and not spend 6 months working on their mechanics.
 
Dead Money said:
This is why I usually skip over all the aiming system and other types of threads. I have a way of doing things that works for me and I'd just as soon not **** it up with a lot of extra info.....some good...some really bad swimming around in my head.
Click to expand...
Well, OK, but do you hold your breath just as you shoot?;)
 
Bob Jewett said:
Well, OK, but do you hold your breath just as you shoot?;)
Click to expand...

Only if I am playing pool under water:D

I like to take a deep breath and exhale once I am down and just before I pull the trigger. It is relaxing and empties out the nervous tension I may feel:)
 
I don't have aspirations to hit a pro tournament circuit lol. I really would just like to enjoy the game again. It's alot more fun when the ball are dropping!
As for as time to dedicate to the game I have an 8' table in a comfortalbly finished basement (the time is mine to spend).
 
It's important to have good fundamentals. But I would agree that you should really only practice one thing at a time. Otherwise, your brain will be in overload and the game will cease to be enjoyable. And when you play- play. Forget about all that stuff and just play the game. I'm a feel player, and I honestly believe a lot of players think too much when they're playing. That is to say, I think they make the game more complicated for themselves than it needs to be. My advice to you (and I'm certainly no pro) is to brush up on your fundamentals and then have fun playing. You've got all the time in the world to try to perfect your mechanics, but you'll quit playing if the game isn't fun.
 
Dead Money said:
This is why I usually skip over all the aiming system and other types of threads. I have a way of doing things that works for me and I'd just as soon not **** it up with a lot of extra info.....some good...some really bad swimming around in my head.
Click to expand...

I ignore about 75% of the threads on here, but I'm starting to think that's not nearly enough. Especially aiming system threads, they only piss me off. They all do the same thing, so obviously, the easiest one to explain is the one to show a beginner...other than beginners, nobody else should give a #*#*. :p
 
Dead Money said:
Only if I am playing pool under water:D

I like to take a deep breath and exhale once I am down and just before I pull the trigger. It is relaxing and empties out the nervous tension I may feel:)
Click to expand...

I don't even know, in my case. I'm guessing that I just breath like normal...either way, I have better things to focus on at the time. Now, when I'm in the chair, breathing is my top priority; that's where I do my relaxing.
 
I'm definitely a "feel" player & have found that trying to think of too many changes messes my game up. However, there are certain bad habits I had after a 13 year layoff that I managed to fix after reading these forums. The worst af all was simply not staying down on the shot long enough!

I'm happy to say my game is slowly getting back to where it used be & I'm enjoying it even more because of that!!:D
 
To be truthful this is the type of thread that I shouldn't answer but I will. I have a lot of friends I play with that are strictly feel players. If you ask them for example what siding do you shoot on this shot they can't tell you until they get over the shot. They don't think of mechanics, just rythme and feel. Imagine the exact opposite...that's me. I am a perfectionist. I am never satisfied with my stroke. Every time I can dedicate some practice time to stroke development I try to develop my stroke as close to "perfect" as I can. If you ask I would say I still have a long way to go but I have a fair "following" of people that for some reason try to emulate my stroke. I think all players wishing to elevate their game need to work on the basics. In pressure situations any small imperfection is magnified.

Essentially what I want to add to this thread is this....for some the game and how to play is absolutely natural. For them it can be a coin toss as to whether or not to improve their mechanics. It could help or hurt depending on the person. There are players out there, however, like me, that are extremely mechanical. I will not say one style is better than another. The only real comparison would be, IMHO, that natural players can be less consistant as that they require their rythme more than a mechanical player. The flip is that a natural player can adapt to a different playing surface faster.

If I could be more natural I would. Rarr. I got my background in snooker, thus the demand for mechanics. I am sure most snooker players who have been able to break 90's or centuries is in the same boat.
 
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