Regaining focus

C

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
One of my biggest problems with this game is my focus. Once I get it, I can play fairly well. But the problem is that I lose focus very easily. When playing pool with someone I'll break off, make a ball and precede to run the rack (or so I think). Sometimes the guy I'm playing will say, "your about run this one out". After they say that I always miss the next ball.

So my question to all of you veterans out there, is what do you do to regain focus? Take a walk around the table? Chalk up again? Punch the guy out? Any advice would be appreciated.

Regards
 
I have the opposite problem. When I play someone I focus more. And I overcompensate. When I'm just messing around or playing by myself I don't even look at the pocket when I shoot. And I usually make it.

You might consider getting a portable radio/cd/mp3 player so you can go into your own little world.

I wouldn't go with the punch the guy out method. You might end up hitting the wrong person and they are going to be Focusing a derringer right at your head.

And I'll do the same thing. I'll make a bunch of balls in and get to the 8ball right at the pocket. Then they'll say "Looks like the game". And I'll miss or scratch.
 
smittie1984 said:
I have the opposite problem. When I play someone I focus more. And I overcompensate. When I'm just messing around or playing by myself I don't even look at the pocket when I shoot. And I usually make it.

You might consider getting a portable radio/cd/mp3 player so you can go into your own little world.

I wouldn't go with the punch the guy out method. You might end up hitting the wrong person and they are going to be Focusing a derringer right at your head.

And I'll do the same thing. I'll make a bunch of balls in and get to the 8ball right at the pocket. Then they'll say "Looks like the game". And I'll miss or scratch.
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Thanks for the advice, but the cd play thing won't help during tournaments. Most of the tournaments I play in are the ones that require nice clothing and such. Besides I really like the image of a nicely dressed pool player, and I would look silly with the headphones. I generally play tournaments in dress shoes, dress pants, sometimes a sports coat and tie (and shirt as well but I always wear that).
 
Take a short break if you sense a significant drop in your mental game, but it's more likely to be a lack of commitment to your shots or a change in playing rhythm that is costing you.

Lack of Commitment to Your Shots
My favorite pool cliche is "make all your decisions standing up." In other words, don't get over the cue ball unless your hit on the object ball, your stroke, and your speed have already been selected. If all your decisions are behind you when you get over the cue ball, you'll be able to focus on your shot execution rather than on your shot conceptualization. If you are still planning your shot while your over the cue ball, you've lost some of your focus and won't be properly committed to your shot.

Change in Playing Rhythm
I've always believed that significant changes in playing rhythm can be both the cause and effect of a loss of focus. The best way to avoid this problem, as is noted so often on this forum, is to stick to your pre-shot routine.

Hope this helps.
 
This is easy to fix. Remember what things people say to you which throw you off. Write it down.

Then get a friend to say these things to you after every single shot you make.

Basically practice with someone trying to distract you at all times. After a lot of this, you will learn to block it out.

Same basic fix for anything which disrupts playing concentration. Be it pressure, noise from audience, people watching, whatever. Do it a lot and after awhile you will not notice it.
 
Cameron Smith said:
One of my biggest problems with this game is my focus. Once I get it, I can play fairly well. But the problem is that I lose focus very easily. When playing pool with someone I'll break off, make a ball and precede to run the rack (or so I think). Sometimes the guy I'm playing will say, "your about run this one out". After they say that I always miss the next ball.

So my question to all of you veterans out there, is what do you do to regain focus? Take a walk around the table? Chalk up again? Punch the guy out? Any advice would be appreciated.

Regards
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Sounds like you start thinking too much about the run-out and too little about your next shot. That's something I used to do every time I got close to running out, and now I do it less often. I think it can be as simple as just standing up if you catch yourself thinking too far ahead while you're over a shot. Think about the runout while making your decisions, but then when you get into your stance, try to force out everything but visualizing object ball going to the pocket and the cue ball going to the position you decided on. Even if it's the second-to-last ball.

-Andrew
 
Andrew Manning said:
Sounds like you start thinking too much about the run-out and too little about your next shot. That's something I used to do every time I got close to running out, and now I do it less often. I think it can be as simple as just standing up if you catch yourself thinking too far ahead while you're over a shot. Think about the runout while making your decisions, but then when you get into your stance, try to force out everything but visualizing object ball going to the pocket and the cue ball going to the position you decided on. Even if it's the second-to-last ball.

-Andrew
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Thanks everyone for your advice.

I think your right I do often get too far ahead of myself. Thay may be why I do better with snooker than with pool, because I don't even think about clearing up in snooker. So because of that I just run balls and have often found myself on the coloured run out before I miss.

Regards
 
im still working on this myself, but Ive found when im shooting really well, things kind of slow down, and also the cueball looks really big to me. Ive been working on a way to kind of put myself in a trance with the cueball......totally focusing on it as i slide down into my stance and it keeps me from thinking about anything other than making my shot (i did all the other thinking about shapes and shot speed before i got down into my stance). When i can be in that place it seems like i dont miss.
 
I seem to be echoing a familiar theme as the other posters, play the game one shot at a time and do all your thinking before you get down on your shot.

Once you learn to get all this thinking out of the way before you get down on your shot, you can clear your mind of all doubts and distraction and just focus on the pot. When I'm down and about to stroke the cueball, I'm pretty sure my brainwaves would read as dead, and my body is loose and relaxed. I'm 100% focused on hearing the sound of my cue, feeling the vibration and keeping my mechanics in check. You could light a fire on the table and I wouldn't even notice.

When a player starts thinking or worrying while shooting, they're denying themselves of full concentration. Whatever negative thoughts are running through their head while stroking the cue usually end up coming true.

Another thing is, get yourself an expression that you can repeat to help bring you back into focus when you feel yourself starting to slip. I stole mine from Johnny Archer, he said something to the tune of, "On a good day, the only person that can beat me is me". I repeat this as needed to remind myself that I am playing myself and the conditions only. It helps me take my opponent and any sharking techniques he's employing out of the game.

Also, I agree with SJM about playing rhythm and the need for a strong pre-shot routine. Watching the pros you'll realize how much they depend on this to set the pace.
 
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focus starts before I get to the pool room

One of the things to get my mind into the "focus" mode is play darts (501)keeping score in my head for about a half hour before I leave my house. I find this gets my brain into the groove of concentrating on specific body movements at the same time as making strategy decisions.
 
About 2 months ago I had lost focus, I mean I got to such a comfortable point that I thought I was the MAN, looking back now I was so foolish in thinking that, A friend/player of mine said I was "READY" for straight pool and I said how come I was not ready before, which in tune he said he has seen me run out 3-4 racks of nine ball but lose FOCUS.. straight helps with that concentration..... everey shot is THE shot that can make or break you. set up is all the key.

It has helped my overall game and I am now seeing nine ball as not being all that difficult and always have that drive to run out everything and when in doubt there is always the "duck and hide" safety. lol.
 
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