Pressure Practicing

D

DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i believe this topic has been discussed before, so forgive me.

i am wondering what might be some good techniques for putting pressure on yourself when you are home alone and practicing in the privacy of your own place, on your own table?

suggestions?
perhaps putting some $$$ up?
and if you fail you have to put the $$$ into the pot to buy coffee at work?

perhaps if you miss a shot, or position, you have to run sprints after you are done practicing? or do some push-ups?

perhaps you dont get to have a bedtime snack, and have to go to bed hungry?

are these really stupid ideas?
i am just trying to put alot more pressure on myself when i play/practice. something that will make you feel the pressure you could possibly feel when you are playing someone. some way to put something on the line when you are practicing.

DCP
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
i am wondering what might be some good techniques for putting pressure on yourself when you are home alone and practicing in the privacy of your own place, on your own table?

are these really stupid ideas?
DCP
Click to expand...

DCP,
After 2 years of pondering this same question, my conclusion is that practice is for grooving your stroke and pre-shot routine, and for learning new shots. I don't believe that there is any good way to put pressure on yourself. Humans are ego-driven organisms, and there is no good substitute for having another person sitting there watching/competing to bring out the pressure. No one wants to look incompetent or foolish in front of someone else. Our self esteem is inextricably tied to how we perform in front of others (thus the absolute necessity of me coming up with good excuses when I lose).

I had a friend that would practice with me (before we played), and we would compete at drills. My performance and focus was MUCH better than when I practiced alone; and my subsequent performance in games was much better as a result. All excuses were met with extreme skepticism (if not downright ridicule), so you just had to shoot the very best you could. Unfortunately, my friend moved away, and I'm back to practicing alone. Now, my only way of learning to deal with pressure is to play in tournaments, or compete in private with the local professionals.

If focus is a problem for you under pressure, I would make absolutely sure that the practice time you have is GOOD quality practice - where every shot is taken with relentless dedication to following your usual routine, and delivering the absolute best stroke possible every single time. About 30 minutes of such practice should exhaust you - take a little break and do it again (at least until the wife complains).
 
Play the ghost.

Here's an example of a game I play while practising:

I'll rack the the 9,8,7,6,5 and break the pack as in a game of nine ball.I'll re spot(footspot and/or headspot) any balls potted on the break. I'll then take ball in hand and attempt to run all 5 balls.If I'm successful, I get a point. If I fail , the Ghost gets a point.I usually race the Ghost to five.When I beat him I then rack 6 balls and then 7 all the way up to a full rack of nine.

There is something pysycological about playing the ghost in ALL your practice drills.You learn to HATE the Ba$tard....LOL.You will feel the pressure especialy when your tied up 4-4 and you want to win.RJ

ps.Or you can get a big long sharp needle and poke yourself in the a$$ everytime you make a bonehead mistake.In the real games mistakes are a pain in the A$$, so this is good practice.
 
DCP,
Just another thought, punishment (negative reinforcement) usually just breeds neuroses in almost every animal studied (from rats to man). Positive reinforcement (reward for good behavior) is much more successful in improving behavior/performance.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
perhaps if you miss a shot, or position, you have to run sprints after you are done practicing? or do some push-ups?
Click to expand...

I need to incorporate that into my practice sessions! That would actually be funny as hell to play practice sets (I'm talking about with an opponent now) and the loser has to go run a mile! Hah! Any of you AZ players, I have a table at home, and I have a school yard with a track right outside of the house. Bet, sucka's!

Then again, I might not survive if I lost two sets in a row. :eek:
 
Practice

I'm not a straight pool player but sometimes I use it in practice and as the run gets higher it seems to add a little pressure.
Also, off the table, I try to practice being calm in pressure situations (like driving in L.A.), I have found I usually play my best pool when I have a sense of calm.
Something changed a few months ago where I stopped putting undue pressure on myself in pressure situations and it makes the game easier. Last night against the last 3 opponents in a 9 ball tournament I faced 11 games which would have eliminated me if I lost one and I won all 11. Previously, I would not have had the right frame of mind to be able to accomplish this.

Wayne
 
For the last several days I've been working on improving this area when I'm practicing on my table at home. I've just been trying keep a positive mindset at the table no matter what situation comes up. I have definately noticed an improvement in my consistency especially when it comes to making difficult shots. Another thing I've noticed is my position has improved because I'm hitting the cue ball with more accuracy.

One other point, I don't really set any goals or objectives for myself other than trying to stay positive and focused. I wouldn't call it putting pressure on myself or even think of it in terms of that because it could cause your arm to tense up and you might miss an easy shot. :eek:
 
I dont think it is that simple. Pressure playing and missing under the pressure is a mental problem, not physical and not anything to do with aiming. As such I dont believe fixing your pressure game is something that even needs to be done on the table. Most people who miss under pressure suffer from low self esteem and they tend to have alot of self doubt and bad thoughts when the pressure is on. They dont think about drilling their opponent and running lots of racks and getting all the cash, they instead think about "not" missing, "not" making mistakes, "not" making a fool out of themselves in front of people, and "not" playing under their potential.

You need to get your head in order and get your self confidence up to the point that you can perform the actions of pool with no negative thoughts, only positive thoughts and no fear of your opponent or situation. Nothing you mentioned will do that, except maybe the pushups because the added bonus of getting in shape can cause you to gain in confidence. People who play top level pool under pressure are confident in who they are and in their life.
 
I've been teaching two "new to pool" players one of which is a 6 year old kid and the other his mother.

When they are about to sink the 8-ball or their last shot before an easy in 8, I say "If you make this shot, you will be the winner, you will be the champion - the big cheese!"

The mom tells me to shut up and says I am putting pressure on her. The kid concentrates more on his shot and takes more time. FYI - The kid is getting to where he can beat his mom.
 
Celtic said:
I dont think it is that simple. Pressure playing and missing under the pressure is a mental problem, not physical and not anything to do with aiming. As such I dont believe fixing your pressure game is something that even needs to be done on the table. Most people who miss under pressure suffer from low self esteem and they tend to have alot of self doubt and bad thoughts when the pressure is on. They dont think about drilling their opponent and running lots of racks and getting all the cash, they instead think about "not" missing, "not" making mistakes, "not" making a fool out of themselves in front of people, and "not" playing under their potential.

You need to get your head in order and get your self confidence up to the point that you can perform the actions of pool with no negative thoughts, only positive thoughts and no fear of your opponent or situation. Nothing you mentioned will do that, except maybe the pushups because the added bonus of getting in shape can cause you to gain in confidence. People who play top level pool under pressure are confident in who they are and in their life.
Click to expand...
That makes alot of sense, I think you are on to something there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top