playing pool can make u blind!!!

Solartje

Solartje

the Brunswick BUG bit me
Silver Member
very short post, but i cant find another word for it. Poolblindness is the best word to describe this tournament illness. Ive had it before, ive had it today again, when playing vs a greath player (actually my future coach i hope), i just got blind!!!!! not that i couldnt see anymore, but i coudnt see contact points, aiming lines, paterns, kicks, banks, even balls. hapened 2 times i didnt see i still had the 4 lying down (in 9b game) i went straight for the 5 and foult ofcourse, i couldnt see the contact points, i just got totally blind from stress. I didnt feel stressed at all (i thought) as my heart was beating at normal pace, i wasnt talking or being all hyperactive, i just got blind and lost


Anyway, has this happened to you before? what do u do to resolve this problem (fast solution that u can use in tournament stage or even in the middle of a match)? a friend of my sugested to go to the toilets, and put cold water on my eyes. it helps for 5min, but not enough to last a match.

just weird how sometimes i get totally blind.
 
Solartje said:
very short post, but i cant find another word for it. Poolblindness is the best word to describe this tournament illness. Ive had it before, ive had it today again, when playing vs a greath player (actually my future coach i hope), i just got blind!!!!! not that i couldnt see anymore, but i coudnt see contact points, aiming lines, paterns, kicks, banks, even balls. hapened 2 times i didnt see i still had the 4 lying down (in 9b game) i went straight for the 5 and foult ofcourse, i couldnt see the contact points, i just got totally blind from stress. I didnt feel stressed at all (i thought) as my heart was beating at normal pace, i wasnt talking or being all hyperactive, i just got blind and lost


Anyway, has this happened to you before? what do u do to resolve this problem (fast solution that u can use in tournament stage or even in the middle of a match)? a friend of my sugested to go to the toilets, and put cold water on my eyes. it helps for 5min, but not enough to last a match.

just weird how sometimes i get totally blind.
Click to expand...

Ya this happens every once in a while. I find it occurs when I am very tired or have had a string of misses and I just don't trust myself anymore. I guess in this case I try not to shoot until the angle looks right to me. There is no reason to force it. The only other thing I have ever done is to just go and wash my hands and face, get a drink of water and try and start fresh. I think this is a mental and not a physical problem. That is unless I misread your post.
 
Same here Sols.

Wash hands, face, and I try to eat a little something too. Fruit seems to do the best for me. Kind of like recharging everything. JMO
 
no u are right, it is something purely mental (in my case at least) and being tired, alcohol is mainly a reason why this happens, but exactly for this reason , i went to bed EARLY before todays tournament, i didnt drink yesterday or today, i trained before the tournament , i played on the tournament tables for an hour to get use to it. was cleaning racks like i should be, all going greath, i had to play the very first match , so between training and match there was maybe 1minut, and then bing, totally blind. i was like if the table sudenly was 3 times as big, the pockets 3 times as small, and it was like bing infront of a giant puzzle with 10.000 pieces , no foto on the puzzlebox to show u what it should look like, and no idea how to start.
i was shooting blindly. i tried to not shoot to fast, and whait till it felt comfortable before i shoot (like i always do) but didnt solve anything.

i know it is purely stress, (even if i felt TOTALLY relaxed) my gf convinced stuburn solly that u CAN be stressed without thinking u are, and well she'll always right, but its just amazing how powerfull the mental is over the physical. i think i just give tomuch thought of: i hope i dont imbarace myself in front of my future coach or he will never want to help me for free anymore, and like usual; when u think: dont happen dont happen dont happen, it DO happen. Wrong thinking again of me, even if i KNOW i dont have to think negative in anyway, i seem to stuburn to aply what i know. anyway, it was amazing to see how my mental had SO much influence.

i know practice pratice pratice, play play play is the only good solution to this, and its just my unexperience mind who plays tricks on me , my selfasteem, my confidence, etc and in a few years this wont happen anymore. but for the moment it IS happening, and its funny (how powerfull it is) and sad at the same time (as i came back feeling really .. well sad :s)

(sorry for spelling freaks, i know this post is awfull... but im to tired to go fish all of them out and write them correcly.)

silly solly signing off to bed. Beam me up scotty!
 
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i just posted sumthin very similar but much wordier.
glad to know it aint just me.
i do try the same. wash hands and face (miracle cure when gamblin a little)
get a little snack etc....
but pool blindness and the exact symptoms you listed is the best description i've seen re: that condition
thanks for putting it that way. i dont think much else could be said to actually help but i hope our posts generate some responses that really do.
tell me what ya think of my post (was probly being typed the same time yours was... haha)

ps i love typing with commas and parenthesis(,,)

: }-o o O
 
If I am thinking correctly its pocket pool that makes you go blind! ;)

Actually I have experienced this feeling, it helps just to take a seat, take a drink, and calm yourself. It helps me to slow down, not just with shots, but physically walk slower and just allow your body to remove the stress.
-Good Luck
 
Only a sugestion...

Your practice should be played just the same as your tournament play.

I hope what I'm about to say will help you Sol.

By your description, I've felt that way also. Then I realized something. I'm thinking about stuff beyond my control, and dwelling on it.

I started noticing that I thought ahead so much, that when my cue ball was at the exact spot I wanted it for my last three, I didn't notice there was a 4th. Due to people yelling, "You're on the 4, NOT the 6!".

When you practice ,and you're having a good day at it, use that knowledge for future reference.

Whatever your preshot routine is, from a breathing rythem to Ho-Down (that's an old fashion square dance), if it works during practice, it'll work in tournament.

I hate to sound Zen'ish, but try clearing your mind of the "stuff" that's beyond your control, and focus on what you can. That's where your confidence is :)
 
Sounds like the Clergyman who was Preaching to a Group of Young Boys about Masturbation, and told the story of Kids going Blind from Masturbation.

A week later the Clergyman caught one of the Kids doing the Evil Deed, and ask his Parishioner if he had not heard the Clergyman Word of Advise against Masturbation.

The boy replied he was only going to do it until he need Glasses.
 
:cool: ....it happens. I go to play on instinct then. Whats happened is that its got too technical and mental so you have to loosen your body up.
Once a couple of balls go down then take a bit longer time to sight the ball. But you have to trust your raw ability first. My two cents.
If you worry too much about winning, its just worry so you have to come back to 'play'. :cool:
 
Solartje said:
very short post, but i cant find another word for it. Poolblindness is the best word to describe this tournament illness. Ive had it before, ive had it today again, when playing vs a greath player (actually my future coach i hope), i just got blind!!!!! not that i couldnt see anymore, but i coudnt see contact points, aiming lines, paterns, kicks, banks, even balls. hapened 2 times i didnt see i still had the 4 lying down (in 9b game) i went straight for the 5 and foult ofcourse, i couldnt see the contact points, i just got totally blind from stress. I didnt feel stressed at all (i thought) as my heart was beating at normal pace, i wasnt talking or being all hyperactive, i just got blind and lost


Anyway, has this happened to you before? what do u do to resolve this problem (fast solution that u can use in tournament stage or even in the middle of a match)? a friend of my sugested to go to the toilets, and put cold water on my eyes. it helps for 5min, but not enough to last a match.

just weird how sometimes i get totally blind.
Click to expand...

Two words. RED BULL

I swear by this stuff. I don't use it all the time, but if I'm tired or feeling distracted like this, Red Bull helps bring my focus to the table. Not only does it make you alert, it also has a nerve calming effect.
 
sounds like....

Sounds like the antithesis of the zone....

Don;t know what to tell you except to try and ignore who you are playing. Believe me that is easier said than done. I didn't do it when playing Santos even when my Buddy Vic gave me several hints to do just that before the match...

You just gotta work on it. One thing about pool compared to most sports is that it's all about you. It's similar to golf. It doesn't matter how the other guy plays, it only matters how YOU play. So just forget about everything but the table and you. and if you can manage to do that, tell me how....
 
some nice reply's, seems this wasnt a silly solly post after all. ok here we go:

jer-man, jups i do hope the same, but i think there is just not an easy way out. We should not try to find a solution, but try to find the problem. Ofcourse puting water onyour face helps for a moment, but why did we get blind in the first place? anyway, nice to see some inteligent post and some funny posts :D

bznsharkie: i tried that slowing down, i sit down, took me some paprika chips, smoked a cigaret, drink a ice cold coke, and tried to calm down in between the racking-b*ch roleplaying, but didnt help at all for me. GLad it helped for u.

ronoh: not sure what to answer. In my case at least i dont recognise some symptomes so not sure the help is helpfull for my case personally, but maybe it is for others. we are all individuals. When im blind, i dont even see paterns, and im not concentrating so hard on the long run that i miss a ball. when im blind i can only think 2 balls ahead. If i try to think of a cleanout patern i forget the shots i have to play before once im 2balls ahead, and because i play blind (not looking ahead , exept 1 ball) i forget some balls in between. I just cant SAFE the cleanout in my meory anymore. funny is, in practise i never never ever choke, i am 110% consistent, and i only see small differences in between. more like 0-10% difference, but in tournaments its... freaky how big 1minut breake can have an influence on my game.

poolsleuth:mmmm maybe i shoudnt have mast... the night before!!!! nah joking :D funny post.

BlackDrago: your post is what i did and has the best result, but not enough to make a comeback. I have changed my stroke some time ago, and i am 100% confident with it, but when in tournament it all goes wrong, i go back to my old stroke and it works like my old stroke did, but with all the negative results of a non perfect stroke (unintended spin, not perfect straight etc....) so my old bad stroke is better then my blind new one, but i shouldnt use this but when u go totally blind in a important match, what a man to do? ... u just try ANYTHING.

jaden; it is true, and i know it. but i cant put it into practice. short example, there is a guy i lose vs ALL the time, he's a worse player then me, but i just freaking lose any time. and i did again yesterday. On the other hand, last weke i had to play a dutch #1 international pro cup team player, WAY above my level, and my coath told me he was a newbie and i should win 6-0 or i would have played bad, and (ok i lost :D) but i played my usual game and lost with 3-6, where as i did lose vs the guy who was worse then me with 1-6. so i know its mental, i know i dont have to think about it, but what to do if the brean say: mmm... yeah whatever, u aint fooling me, he's better, u'll lose, get used to it.

and last.. redbull? .... only if i can get vodka to make the taste better. :cool:
 
After reading on this forum to drink orange juice while playing, I tried it. I now swear by it. I feel more alert and focused (maybe its the vitamins). Anyways I don't like anything with caffine or alcohol when I play. Caffine tends to give me the shakes after a while. Alcohol will make me tired in the long run.
 
Solartje said:
some nice reply's, seems this wasnt a silly solly post after all. ok here we go:

and last.. redbull? .... only if i can get vodka to make the taste better. :cool:
Click to expand...

Vodka normally comes with red bull at the room I play out of. :D :D
 
BlackDragon said:
:cool: ....it happens. I go to play on instinct then. Whats happened is that its got too technical and mental so you have to loosen your body up.
Once a couple of balls go down then take a bit longer time to sight the ball. But you have to trust your raw ability first. My two cents.
If you worry too much about winning, its just worry so you have to come back to 'play'. :cool:
Click to expand...

Good point BD,
You just gotta trust yourself...don't let doubts creep in.

Easy to say, harder to do...even very good experienced players feel out of place sometimes, but the better they are, the more quickly they can recover and fall into their zone.

Few players rely absolutely on sighting mechanics / systems (at least not a system they know deeply and can fall back on), but it can be a handy way to check oneself when the pressure is on.
 
It happens

too when you are hill-to-hill playing the last game of a $1,000 set and you
are left with a long hard cut shot on the 9 because you got in a hurry ...lol
heart palpitations - go blind - can't breathe - leg keeps giving out on you -- tremors pop up - facial ticks - mouth dry as cotton - and your d*ck shrinks to nothing .... yep, that's what happens ...
seriously, I have a problem sometimes when I am under a lot of stress, not especially from Pool, but my vision clouds up on me (I only have 20-40 vision anyway), and I just can not see the ball especially if it is a long shot. It doesn't happen too often anymore, but when I worked at Learjet, and we
only had mainframe terminals with Green, it would strain my eyes by the time evening came. Heck, there were times when I bowled that I aim at the center of the one big pin at the end of the alley ... lol
 
hehe scott =:) funny post:) i liked the male thing schrinking alot. Says enough about how our body reacts to stress. hehehe.
ah well, guess i just need to play for some years competition and stress matches before it goes away. or maybe take some tai chi lessons or play in karatekid movies. Weird, because myself i didnt felt stressed, but my body was. maybe i was to stressed to feel i was stressed. Maybe i was so stressed, i was in the stresszone taking a mental nap... who knows.

now solly get ur *** back in tournaments, untill u learn!! *spanks himself*
 
Solartje said:
hehe scott =:) funny post:) i liked the male thing schrinking alot. Says enough about how our body reacts to stress. hehehe.
ah well, guess i just need to play for some years competition and stress matches before it goes away. or maybe take some tai chi lessons or play in karatekid movies. Weird, because myself i didnt felt stressed, but my body was. maybe i was to stressed to feel i was stressed. Maybe i was so stressed, i was in the stresszone taking a mental nap... who knows.

now solly get ur *** back in tournaments, untill u learn!! *spanks himself*
Click to expand...

Well Solly,

If you don't want to go blind stop spanking, stroke your stick slowly and stop playing around with your balls. Dang kids these days!:eek: :D

Terry
 
I feel the same way from time to time. My vision clouds up as well, and my mind just goes blank...

What's happening is obvious, we're inside of our heads when this stuff happens, and in pool you have to translate your thoughts into the physical reality of the table. You can't be trapped up there!

A lot of advice on this has already been given, in the Pro Book, Inner Game of Tennis, Pleasures in Small Motions, etc.

a) Pick stuff up off the table, look at your tip when chalking, walk around the table counting your step in a fixed rythm... in other words, do something PHYSICAL;

b) FREESTROKE, give yourself less conscious directions or time to worry about everything under the sun, try to reestablish a rythm;

c) Ask yourself questions pertaining to the game ONLY, simply observe and let thoughts pertaining to something non-pool related pass by you before getting down on the shot (don't try to stop your thoughts, that's ridiculous and it doesn't work);
 
I think the main cure for this is to put yourself in the situation as often as possible and gradiently work your way through it. Once you get through the current situation you will be better for it but the same thing will be waiting for you once again at a higher level.

It happens in all aspects of life, a normal heterosexual guy talking to a gorgeous woman will go braindead. However, if he has to talk to her all the time eventually he should be more comfortable. I see it happen a lot when people meet moviestars they get completely toungetied and say strange things but if they are around them all the time then they are normal.

I've matched up with some of the best players in the world and it was extremely difficult mentally early on but after awhile and doing it repeatedly it becomes a lot easier.

There is no complete cure, I am sure if you asked Efren if he feels the heat at times he will tell you he does and it causes him to miss shots that he would not normally miss, however, he has worked his way through it to the point it would probably only happen if he was playing someone world class.

Wayne
 
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