Question about what helps YOU feel in the zone

tjlmbklr

tjlmbklr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I will be playing in my first tourney of '08 tomorrow. Other then the obvious good nights sleep what are things that some of our AZers use as performance enhancers (if any). Ginseng I'd heard helps some. What about energy drinks? Any other advice is what i am looking for.

My issue is pool although if my most favorite activity is the last thing i have time to prepare for. Of course a good long term diet and exercise along with always being rested and practice practice practice, are the best things. But I need that edge right now to hep me find my center. I have good, great and horrible days on the table. Personal issues I have been battling for years.


What helps YOu get in the zone.
 
tjlmbklr said:
I will be playing in my first tourney of '08 tomorrow. Other then the obvious good nights sleep what are things that some of our AZers use as performance enhancers (if any). Ginseng I'd heard helps some. What about energy drinks? Any other advice is what i am looking for.

My issue is pool although if my most favorite activity is the last thing i have time to prepare for. Of course a good long term diet and exercise along with always being rested and practice practice practice, are the best things. But I need that edge right now to hep me find my center. I have good, great and horrible days on the table. Personal issues I have been battling for years.


What helps YOu get in the zone.
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Being in a calm zone, and make sure you are hydrated. I usually only drink water. And lots of it. Hope this helps:)
 
Jack Daniels..... hold the ice, hold the glass.
Seriously though, If I know Im going to play a tournament, or an important set. Mental preparation is needed. Focus your mindset on winning, and dont let negative thoughts or emotions enter the picture.
Chuck
 
Warming up. Just like any sporting or athletic or physical endeavor (for those of you who still insist that pool is all mental) warming up is absolultely essential to play your best. Sure, dead cold, any player can beat any other. But to play YOUR best, all of your muscles that are involved in your game have to be in a free flowing warmed up "normal state" mode.

Choosing and sticking to a good warm up routine (Kinister, Scott Lee, etc.) is a good way to start. For me, I just hit balls from medium speed up to fireball for about half an hour.

If you can't warm up, you're just going to have to hope things fall together. If you're a great player among bad players, then it might not matter if you warm up. If you're a great player among great players, you better warm up.

Do your really want to know about enhancers? I drink. But I drink cuz I like to drink. I eat chicken wings, too. But hamburgers and cheeseburgers do the trick too. I just don't want to be hungry.


Fred
 
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Milo said:
Being in a calm zone, and make sure you are hydrated. I usually only drink water. And lots of it. Hope this helps:)
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It does, thank you. although I do love beer and pool. But only when I have my bar fly shoes on and I am running the racks on the locals..:thumbup:
 
somewhat individual

If you want to do all you can eat a light meal of mostly something like rice or pasta, some slow release carbs that won't sit heavy on your stomach. Bring a snack or two if some aren't available where you are playing that aren't sugary. Avoid sugar and most energy drinks. They bring you up only to crash you harder. I have no unbiased reports concerning the five or six hour energy drinks so I can't comment on them. Drink plenty of water.

Getting ready for competition I like to be by myself and just relax and focus on positive thoughts. I won't stay around anyone talking negative and I won't say anything negative myself. On the ride over and if listening to headphones focus on music that helps you relax. I prefer no music at all while I am seeking my personal "temperature" to play at. I don't want to be so calm I am flat footed and really uptight is equally bad. Just a little keyed up is perfect for me. Perfect for you may be different.

Take all of this with a grain of salt. This works for me, however we are all different. If some or all of this seems wrong for you, ignore it. Some people want conversation before an event, I am trying to gather myself for a peak performance and can't focus to do that while carrying on a conversation.

Good luck and let us know how you do and your thoughts.

Hu



tjlmbklr said:
I will be playing in my first tourney of '08 tomorrow. Other then the obvious good nights sleep what are things that some of our AZers use as performance enhancers (if any). Ginseng I'd heard helps some. What about energy drinks? Any other advice is what i am looking for.

My issue is pool although if my most favorite activity is the last thing i have time to prepare for. Of course a good long term diet and exercise along with always being rested and practice practice practice, are the best things. But I need that edge right now to hep me find my center. I have good, great and horrible days on the table. Personal issues I have been battling for years.


What helps YOu get in the zone.
Click to expand...
 
Peace

I forget about the end results. If you are thinking about winning or losing you will be full of fear.

Focus intensely to the point of not being aware of your surroundings. One shot at a time. Do not think about what your opponent is doing.

You are out of control when you are not at the table just accept this.

When your opponent is shooting just watch the table not him enjoy the sounds of the balls going in.
 
Maybe ridiculous, but, the idea of weightlessness.

Simple, slow breathing. Sipping water. Taking my time around a table. And remembering the "lightness" of my cue.

On a good day, I'm seeing my lines and finding the heart of the pocket without too much effort. Just listen to the balls drop and turn a smile on the bad rolls.
 
If you're new to tourneys you are bound to be nervous. EVERYONE is ! If you don't shoot well it's easy to be hard on yourself. Really, the absolute best prescription is to play in a lot of tournaments. As many as you can afford and have the time to participate in.

As far as getting in "The Zone" at will is concerned, if you find a method PLEASE let me know :D . Better still, let me know and then I'll help you write the book :cool: . I think that most players have a routine they follow to help them play their best game, however sometimes it eludes them. There are a few great books out there which may or may not help, to include "The Pleasures Of Small Motions", "The Inner Game Of Tennis", "Zen Pool:Awaken The Master Within", and "A Mind For Pool". I'm sorry to say that I've read all these and I got a few useful tips from them but no panacea. I keep hoping :rolleyes: .

Here's a few things that help me:

Be well rested.
Don't be hungry.
Don't play your opponent, play the table just like you practice.
I always focus on my fundamentals in a tough spot (my best method).
If something distracts you stop and stand up, even repeatedly.
Take enough time to plan your position routes and to plan to get on the correct side of the next ball (the fault line), then STAY DOWN AND FINISH YOUR SHOTS !
Drink water.

These ideas may not help you. They help me and some Pros. All things considered, be serious but have fun. Don't get too depressed if you play under your speed, and at the same time realize that you will have days when you are hot ! With experience you will find consistency.

Remember, if you figure out how to get in the zone at will, PM me PLEASEEEEEEEEE :D . Good luck and have fun...Tom
 
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The Zone

More than anything - A crystal clear mind, and warming up with bank shots.

The bank shots 'fine tune' me. Espeicially cross corner, and long bank shots.
 
Go to the gym.

If you don't work out, go join a gym and START.

Once you get into the routine of working out, and being sore the next day, when you finally get over that period, you can work out, and feel GREAT the next day.

Whenever i have a serious game, or a tournament, i find that if i go work out the day before at an early hour, and then eat right and relax following that work out, i sleep like a rock and wake up FEELING LIKE A CHAMP.
Stroke is straight. Touch and feel are top shelf. Juices are flowing and your body just feels good.
Your focus is better and your body just responds to what you demand of it.

Now I'm not saying to go and kill yourself at the gym, but if you do a decent cardiovascular workout, and then do some moderate lifting, you will eventually see good results.

I always find that if i do biceps and triceps in the same linear motion that i used while stroking the cue, (i have a pendulum stroke) it just strengthens it and makes it straighter.

I ALWAYS play better when i work out.
It's like night and day.
 
Enjoy each shot just for the pleasure of doing it well.

(After you've eaten well, rested, worked out and warmed up.)

pj
chgo
 
IMO , if anyone here could get "In the zone" at will , they would not be here posting. Nor would they let that secret out to anyone , anywhere anytime . . . :) unless maybe on a death bed.

Preparing for competition or more importantly , playing to win is a whole other question.

Once you get to a certain ability level , it's almost all mental. You have to train your mind to be in a winning state. It's not easy and only the 'great' seem to be able to do it all the time at will. That's why they are a great. ;)

For me , when I start to fall in doubt , I try and force myself to feel like I do when I am performing well. I imagine the feelings I have when everything is working and I can see the win like there is no other option. I try and put myself in that mental state , making everyshot like it's a hanger , staying in line and nothing or no one between me and running the set. It's a very calming state for me. I feel like there's no way this guy is going to beat me , no way possible. I breath deeply and stay relaxed and let it happen.

At least that's how I do it , when I can. :)
 
RRfireblade said:
IMO , if anyone here could get "In the zone" at will , they would not be here posting. Nor would they let that secret out to anyone , anywhere anytime . . . :) unless maybe on a death bed.

Preparing for competition or more importantly , playing to win is a whole other question.

Once you get to a certain ability level , it's almost all mental. You have to train your mind to be in a winning state. It's not easy and only the 'great' seem to be able to do it all the time at will. That's why they are a great. ;)
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That's very true, however some great players can do it more frequently than others. My question is, are they willing to share, and is it something they can teach, even with limitations ?

The best instructors are currently teaching perfect fundamentals and a repeatable stroke. Would anyone with good credentials be interested in teaching classes or a seminar on the mental aspects of winning at pool ?
It could be hypnosis, the power of positive thinking, Zen, or whatever would work for the above average player. IMHO, the person would have to have a proven successful track record themselves at competitive pool. No Psychologists who are not A+ players themselves.

Are you listening BCA Master and Advanced Instructors ? As far as I know, this is an untapped market in the training niche...Tom
 
You may not think much of psychologists who are not A+ players but you might want to try the techniques listed in this article.

http://www.sunburstselect.com/PBReview/PaArticles.htm

Skip 3/4 of the way through the article to the part that begins with:

"In this article the techniques used to learn how to relax on command are presented."

This is a standard presentation used by many people in different sports. When combined with focused concentration it will place you in a zone at will.

It is probably not appreciated because it is presented here for free. If you played on a professional team it would cost several thousand dollars to hire a sports psychologist who teaches these techniques. Like all good things in life, it requires effort and time.
 
good article!

Joe,

Nice article but I did have to dig a bit. Your link goes to the list of articles instead of the individual article.

Hu






JoeW said:
You may not think much of psychologists who are not A+ players but you might want to try the techniques listed in this article.

http://www.sunburstselect.com/PBReview/PaArticles.htm

Skip 3/4 of the way through the article to the part that begins with:

"In this article the techniques used to learn how to relax on command are presented."

This is a standard presentation used by many people in different sports. When combined with focused concentration it will place you in a zone at will.

It is probably not appreciated because it is presented here for free. If you played on a professional team it would cost several thousand dollars to hire a sports psychologist who teaches these techniques. Like all good things in life, it requires effort and time.
Click to expand...
 
tjlmbklr said:
...What helps YOu get in the zone.
Click to expand...

This is probably a little late for your needs, but here it is, anyway.

I agree with Milo.... Water. Drink water. It is healthy for you and doesn't mess with your head or body in any way, unless you are badly addicted to caffeine, which will mess with your game, even when you don't realize it.

Other than that, B vitamins are good for your mental enhancement/stamina. Be sure to take B vitamins with a meal, but don't eat right before you play.

When I am shooting my absolute best....

Before I make almost every shot, I stand up straight and take a very slow, deep breath in my nose and exhale through my mouth. It helps send fresh oxygen to my lungs, which then helps send more oxygen to my brain for thinking. While I'm taking that breath, I look at the table and focus on where the balls are, what my strategy will be, etc.. When I'm through with the exhale, I lean over the table and take my time lining up my shot, before I aim and follow through. When I stand back up, my brain wants that next shot of oxygen (it's very addicting!), so I keep my eyes on the table, stand up straight, and give it that extra boost of oxygen, lean over, aim, follow through...

When I am playing my worst, it's because I'm not taking that breath, not taking my time to aim, nor am I focusing on following through on my shot. Also, when I'm not playing my best, it can be when I am punching the cue ball, which doesn't usually work in my favor.

Whether you're addicted to caffeine, or not, try oxygen with a shot of calm, relaxed thought about your strategy. Your brain and lungs will love you for it and your game will usually profit, too.

Good luck!
 
For me it's talking to myself in a positive way. What I mean is while I'm shooting I try to keep all the self talk REALLY upbeat...like this...

> ok, you know this shot, keep your head down, and play it a little full...

> this feels wrong...get up and take a walk around the table...

> Your playing great, go for the shot, and see the outcome BEFORE you pull the trigger!

as opposed to....

> who is that looking at me?....I wonder what they think of my game?

> is everyone at AZB gonna hear about this?

> this shot is a flyer....what the hell are you doing?! :)

> even thought this is the wrong shot...I"m gonna shoot it so they all can see my stroke!...

when I control my self talk...I play real good!

G.
 
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