Review of Mind Body / Pool - hypnosis CD

[ShootingRazbone]

I bought this CD after reading Joey A's intitial thread here and I have this to say. As Joey A stated it IS about as relaxing as a 3 hour nap. Also as stated before this 17 min. process starts out with a focus on relaxation then goes into focus on visualization. This is what I have seen with MY game after using this for 3 weeks.
Now mind you I am no champion but I do play pretty good. I have been playing for the better part of 20 years seriously and I am the best player in Central Virginia. (Charlottesvile, Lynchburg, Roanoke). Mind you this isn't saying much but just giving an idea of how I play. My name is Greg Taylor and I am 41. I feel at 41 my physical skills are as good as they are ever going to be so
I have decided to work on the mental side of the game. Why not ... can't hurt right? What I have seen in my game are improvements in what I see at the table. I now for some odd reason see lines on the table now.
I will say this with the upmost certainty that never before in my entire life have I ever seen lines on the table. I see the ball with a line straight to the pocket. I follow this line with my eyes from ball to pocket, get down, shoot, wala ball goes in. Now, I'm not saying I make everything because of these lines lol. Noone makes every ball but I feel compelled to say that these lines I see now have helped me tremendously in the
visual aspect of this game. For lack of better words "seeing the shot before it happens." Alot of top players put a huge emphasis on this aspect of the game and I for one agree.

I fully endorse this product! Look I am not saying this may change your pool life, everyone is different. But I have come to the conclusion after 20 years of tournaments and action that the mental game takes as much practice as your physical game. I guaruntee that most of us don't put 1/100 of the effort into the mental side as we should including myself. I am changing that now! Get the CD, I think it works!


Mind/Body Pool ©
website: www.lawrencekincade.com

 

[JoeyA]

I bought this CD after reading Joey A's intitial post here and I have this to say. As Joey A stated it IS about as relaxing as a 3 hour nap. Also as stated before this 17 min. process starts out with a focus on relaxation then goes into focus on visualization. This is what I have seen with MY game after using this for 3 weeks.
Now mind you I am no champion but I do play pretty good. I have been playing for the better part of 20 years seriously and I am the best player in Central Virginia. (Charlottesvile, Lynchburg, Roanoke). Mind you this isn't saying much but just giving an idea of how I play. My name is Greg Taylor and I am 41. I feel at 41 my physical skills are as good as they are ever going to be so
I have decided to work on the mental side of the game. Why not ... can't hurt right? What I have seen in my game are improvements in what I see at the table. I now for some odd reason see lines on the table now.
I will say this with the upmost certainty that never before in my entire life have I ever seen lines on the table. I see the ball with a line straight to the pocket. I follow this line with my eyes from ball to pocket, get down, shoot, wala ball goes in. Now, I'm not saying I make everything because of these lines lol. Noone makes every ball but I feel compelled to say that these lines I see now have helped me tremendously in the
visual aspect of this game. For lack of better words "seeing the shot before it happens." Alot of top players put a huge emphasis on this aspect of the game and I for one agree.

I fully endorse this product! Look I am not saying this may change your pool life, everyone is different. But I have come to the conclusion after 20 years of tournaments and action that the mental game takes as much practice as your physical game. I guaruntee that most of us don't put 1/100 of the effort into the mental side as we should including myself. I am changing that now! Get the CD, I think it works!


Mind/Body Pool ©
website: www.lawrencekincade.com

I'm glad your findings were similar to mine. Yesterday, I listened to it and went out and played a money match but the other player simply shot better. I still use the DVD at least a couple of times per week. The extra energy that I get from the relaxation is nice.

The Fitness Video by Falcon Eddie is another tool that can be utilized to have you in a good mental frame of mind. While some might think the fitness is strictly physical I can also say without a doubt that I receive a mental boost from the POOL EXERCISES.

I should get royalties or at least some type of monetary residuals on the sale of these products.

I try out a lot of products but if I don't receive some benefit or appreciation for the product, I keep my mouth shut. These two are economical and both are winners.

If you go to exercise TV on the INternet there are LOTS of cardio vascular workouts that you can use to get the heart pumping. That's FREE and lots of choices. I like Steve Maresca's 10 minute workout on www.exercisetv.tv which I combine with Falcon Eddie's pool exercises.

 

[ShootingArts]

a test

I bought this CD after reading Joey A's intitial thread here and I have this to say. As Joey A stated it IS about as relaxing as a 3 hour nap. Also as stated before this 17 min. process starts out with a focus on relaxation then goes into focus on visualization. This is what I have seen with MY game after using this for 3 weeks.
Now mind you I am no champion but I do play pretty good. I have been playing for the better part of 20 years seriously and I am the best player in Central Virginia. (Charlottesvile, Lynchburg, Roanoke). Mind you this isn't saying much but just giving an idea of how I play. My name is Greg Taylor and I am 41. I feel at 41 my physical skills are as good as they are ever going to be so
I have decided to work on the mental side of the game. Why not ... can't hurt right? What I have seen in my game are improvements in what I see at the table. I now for some odd reason see lines on the table now.
I will say this with the upmost certainty that never before in my entire life have I ever seen lines on the table. I see the ball with a line straight to the pocket. I follow this line with my eyes from ball to pocket, get down, shoot, wala ball goes in. Now, I'm not saying I make everything because of these lines lol. Noone makes every ball but I feel compelled to say that these lines I see now have helped me tremendously in the
visual aspect of this game. For lack of better words "seeing the shot before it happens." Alot of top players put a huge emphasis on this aspect of the game and I for one agree.

I fully endorse this product! Look I am not saying this may change your pool life, everyone is different. But I have come to the conclusion after 20 years of tournaments and action that the mental game takes as much practice as your physical game. I guaruntee that most of us don't put 1/100 of the effort into the mental side as we should including myself. I am changing that now! Get the CD, I think it works!


Mind/Body Pool ©
website: www.lawrencekincade.com

A world champion wanted to learn to juggle. His hand eye skill was certainly better than the average bear's but he also wanted to test the mental work outs and visualization. He practiced trying to juggle for 30 minutes a day. He spent much more time visualizing juggling. At the end of three days he could juggle.

When I can strongly visualize something happening it almost always happens even complex or extremely difficult things. When I try to visualize it and can't I am almost certainly doomed to fail in the real attempt also.

The better our visualization the more successful it should be but even just visualizing the ball falling into the hole with nothing before or after is a big help. Shooting pistols I just visualized the bullets tearing into the target where I wanted them to most of the time or the clank of a bullet hitting steel and the steel falling.

Hu

 

[ShootingRazbone]

A world champion wanted to learn to juggle. His hand eye skill was certainly better than the average bear's but he also wanted to test the mental work outs and visualization. He practiced trying to juggle for 30 minutes a day. He spent much more time visualizing juggling. At the end of three days he could juggle.

When I can strongly visualize something happening it almost always happens even complex or extremely difficult things. When I try to visualize it and can't I am almost certainly doomed to fail in the real attempt also.

The better our visualization the more successful it should be but even just visualizing the ball falling into the hole with nothing before or after is a big help. Shooting pistols I just visualized the bullets tearing into the target where I wanted them to most of the time or the clank of a bullet hitting steel and the steel falling.

Hu

I talked with a top player last week about his mental game. It really opened my eyes to the fact that how important this can be. I have always been kinda a negative thinker when it came to pool. I won't miss a ball for 2 hours practicing and then match time I may miss an easy shot and I find myself muttering to myself and then another miss and then another until I am completely enept. This top player self talks with positive thinking the whole time he is in the chair. He misses, I have seen it many times but the difference is he doesn't say a word, goes back to the chair , sits and self talks to himself everything positive. Now he is ready to run out the next chance he gets without any hinderence from negative feelings about the easy shot he just missed.

Maybe I am mental lol..... but I am going to work at this. I think there is something to it. Right now I am reading "The Pleasures of Small Motions / Mastering the Mental Game of Pool" by Bob Fancher.

 

[ShootingArts]

need to go further

I talked with a top player last week about his mental game. It really opened my eyes to the fact that how important this can be. I have always been kinda a negative thinker when it came to pool. I won't miss a ball for 2 hours practicing and then match time I may miss an easy shot and I find myself muttering to myself and then another miss and then another until I am completely enept. This top player self talks with positive thinking the whole time he is in the chair. He misses, I have seen it many times but the difference is he doesn't say a word, goes back to the chair , sits and self talks to himself everything positive. Now he is ready to run out the next chance he gets without any hinderence from negative feelings about the easy shot he just missed.

Maybe I am mental lol..... but I am going to work at this. I think there is something to it. Right now I am reading "The Pleasures of Small Motions / Mastering the Mental Game of Pool" by Bob Fancher.

The Pleasures of Small Motions was written and then rewritten in a later edition and roughly doubled in size. Somewhere along the way it came to focus on not losing instead of winning. Read it and gain from it, then read the books of champions, doesn't matter if they play golf, tennis, pool, are olympic athletes, any champion. I'm sure some of these books can be found at your local library. After awhile you start seeing the connecting things that all champions share. One is a very positive self-image.

One thing that is huge is really believing that great play is your norm and the miss is the aberration. Watch Efren, no schooling to speak of, I doubt he has ever read a sports psychology book but his mental game is monstrous. If he shoots one shot poorly he grins, rubs the back of his head and forgets about it. I grin but I had to quit rubbing the back of my head every time I made a mistake, I was wearing a bald spot in my scalp!

Hu

 

[woody_968]

Somewhere along the way it came to focus on not losing instead of winning.

That is surprising to me. I tend to find that the mind doesnt hear not, and try to focus on what I want to do and not what I dont want to do. Its like the difference between shooting to make a ball and shooting not to miss, totally different mind sets.

I agree with reading and studying different sports, many things cross over on the mental side. Some of the books that have helped me the most are about golf by Bob Rotella (hope I spelled his name right). One of the main things I gained from his theory is to look at the future and not the past. In golf it does no good to beat yourself up over the bad shot you just hit. But if you focus on how do I play the hole from here you will have a much better chance of managing your score. It doesnt always mean trying to hit the miracle shot, like in pool sometimes you just have to play the percentages and make the right shot, even if it just means punching out.

To the original poster, thanks for taking the time to write your review.

 

[JoeyA]

That is surprising to me. I tend to find that the mind doesnt hear not, and try to focus on what I want to do and not what I dont want to do. Its like the difference between shooting to make a ball and shooting not to miss, totally different mind sets.

I agree with reading and studying different sports, many things cross over on the mental side. Some of the books that have helped me the most are about golf by Bob Rotella (hope I spelled his name right). One of the main things I gained from his theory is to look at the future and not the past. In golf it does no good to beat yourself up over the bad shot you just hit. But if you focus on how do I play the hole from here you will have a much better chance of managing your score. It doesnt always mean trying to hit the miracle shot, like in pool sometimes you just have to play the percentages and make the right shot, even if it just means punching out.

To the original poster, thanks for taking the time to write your review.

I'm a big fan of Bob Rotella and I don't play golf. :thumbup: ACtually it's his writing about "real talent" that I especially like because it agrees with my perspective.

 

[edd]

That is surprising to me. I tend to find that the mind doesnt hear not, and try to focus on what I want to do and not what I dont want to do. Its like the difference between shooting to make a ball and shooting not to miss, totally different mind sets.

I agree with reading and studying different sports, many things cross over on the mental side. Some of the books that have helped me the most are about golf by Bob Rotella (hope I spelled his name right). One of the main things I gained from his theory is to look at the future and not the past. In golf it does no good to beat yourself up over the bad shot you just hit. But if you focus on how do I play the hole from here you will have a much better chance of managing your score. It doesnt always mean trying to hit the miracle shot, like in pool sometimes you just have to play the percentages and make the right shot, even if it just means punching out.

To the original poster, thanks for taking the time to write your review.

Good point, Woody. It is important to realize that the unconscious mind does not understand a negative. Therefore, if you tell yourself NOT to do something, like "Don't raise-up on my next shot" then you are actually telling yourself to raise-up. Always phrase your self-talk as positive - that is, things to do vs not to do.

There are many parallels to pool and golf, by the way. Both are defined by the World Games as precision, non-reactive sports. What this translates to is the significant importance of visualization and focus. Additionally, anxiety and negative self-talk are death knells. When I work with golfers, I urge them to consider a wayward shot as an opportunity. Therefore, when they are walking to the shot they are engaged in positive self-talk about having the opportunity to practice this shot (e.g., choking down on a 5 iron to rifle the shot out from under a grove of trees). Similarly, when you overstroke a force follow shot and get out of position, approach it as an opportunity to practice a difficult cut shot, etc.

Please feel free to IM me with any questions. Greg, I'm pleased you've found the CD helpful.

 

[ShootingArts]

my impression

That is surprising to me. I tend to find that the mind doesnt hear not, and try to focus on what I want to do and not what I dont want to do. Its like the difference between shooting to make a ball and shooting not to miss, totally different mind sets.

I agree with reading and studying different sports, many things cross over on the mental side. Some of the books that have helped me the most are about golf by Bob Rotella (hope I spelled his name right). One of the main things I gained from his theory is to look at the future and not the past. In golf it does no good to beat yourself up over the bad shot you just hit. But if you focus on how do I play the hole from here you will have a much better chance of managing your score. It doesnt always mean trying to hit the miracle shot, like in pool sometimes you just have to play the percentages and make the right shot, even if it just means punching out.

To the original poster, thanks for taking the time to write your review.

You and Ed are both right according to current thinking and my own beliefs, the subconscious strips sentences down to subject, verb, and direct object. Rephrasing all of my thoughts is something I have been doing for decades, I really can't remember what I read that started me down that path. Focusing on what you will do seems many times more effective than focusing on what you are trying to avoid. More than one sports superstar has dreamed of making a horrible mistake before a big event and then went out and did exactly what was on their mind!

They didn't use the words focus on not losing in Small Motions, I just read over and over that we should be satisfied with our average performance. That is fine to keep you from getting down on yourself however our average performance isn't going to win many events. Depending on the size of the event or gambling match I expect to be able to lay down 90-95% of my best performance. Of course the goal of 100% is occasionally reached. I have shot perfect scores in competition and it just doesn't get any better than that. My average score would put me well down the list of also rans and out of serious competition.

Although it is harder to quantify how we play pool, if we win a tournament it is almost always because we had a very good day. Once in a blue moon we have a lousy day but the pool gods are feeling mischievous and everybody is stumbling and we stumble the least. However, I don't want wins to be mostly a matter of luck so I never accept my average performance at a time I needed to catch a gear.

Hu

 

[edd]

You and Ed are both right according to current thinking and my own beliefs, the subconscious strips sentences down to subject, verb, and direct object. Rephrasing all of my thoughts is something I have been doing for decades, I really can't remember what I read that started me down that path. Focusing on what you will do seems many times more effective than focusing on what you are trying to avoid. More than one sports superstar has dreamed of making a horrible mistake before a big event and then went out and did exactly what was on their mind!

They didn't use the words focus on not losing in Small Motions, I just read over and over that we should be satisfied with our average performance. That is fine to keep you from getting down on yourself however our average performance isn't going to win many events. Depending on the size of the event or gambling match I expect to be able to lay down 90-95% of my best performance. Of course the goal of 100% is occasionally reached. I have shot perfect scores in competition and it just doesn't get any better than that. My average score would put me well down the list of also rans and out of serious competition.

Although it is harder to quantify how we play pool, if we win a tournament it is almost always because we had a very good day. Once in a blue moon we have a lousy day but the pool gods are feeling mischievous and everybody is stumbling and we stumble the least. However, I don't want wins to be mostly a matter of luck so I never accept my average performance at a time I needed to catch a gear.

Hu

Feel free to IM me with any questions.

 

[edd]

Good point, Woody. It is important to realize that the unconscious mind does not understand a negative. Therefore, if you tell yourself NOT to do something, like "Don't raise-up on my next shot" then you are actually telling yourself to raise-up. Always phrase your self-talk as positive - that is, things to do vs not to do.

There are many parallels to pool and golf, by the way. Both are defined by the World Games as precision, non-reactive sports. What this translates to is the significant importance of visualization and focus. Additionally, anxiety and negative self-talk are death knells. When I work with golfers, I urge them to consider a wayward shot as an opportunity. Therefore, when they are walking to the shot they are engaged in positive self-talk about having the opportunity to practice this shot (e.g., choking down on a 5 iron to rifle the shot out from under a grove of trees). Similarly, when you overstroke a force follow shot and get out of position, approach it as an opportunity to practice a difficult cut shot, etc.

Please feel free to IM me with any questions. Greg, I'm pleased you've found the CD helpful.

Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions.

 

[catpool9]

Great Thread!

What a fascinating thread, it really opens ones mind, these are the kind of threads I like to read on AZB.


David Harcrow

 

[easy-e]

...I am the best player in Central Virginia. (Charlottesvile, Lynchburg, Roanoke). Mind you this isn't saying much...

I know this isn't the point of this thread, but that's a pretty bold statement you made. Let's not forget about Mike Painter and Ron Frank. Those guys can beat ANYBODY! So if you really do consider yourself the best player in central Virginia, this really IS saying alot.

 

[BigDaddyInc.]

Without a doubt i play my best when im seeing the shot before it happens. I've studied on this and they say the brain does'nt know the difference between a real and imagined experience. So if you can visualize a perfectly excecuted shot the brain will try to copy that visualization and make it a reality. You can actually get so good at it that you can visualize the runout pattern of the entire rack! I have done it but it takes practice like anything else. It's really a powerful feeling when it's working. I may purchase these cd's sometime im always willing to hear another point of view on the subject.

 

[ShootingArts]

pool, chess, patterns, visualization

I think that Efren loving chess is part of the key to his success. Not the key, just one of the many factors that make up the man.

As a young man I played hours of chess a day against a very good player. I actually won more than I lost against him although he was by any standards a far better player. I knew he was considering any reasonable move either one of us could make five to seven moves in advance so I typically made an unreasonable move every three to five moves! My best at seeing chess patterns was three to five moves in advance, any possible play, from before the first pawn was moved.

Seeing these patterns on the chess board made it duck soup to see the pattern in a nine ball game or both patterns in an eight ball game just walking up to the table.(I hadn't discovered One Pocket yet.) Somewhere along the line looking at these patterns I made a natural progression to visualizing the run out.

As I think everyone in this thread realizes strong visualization can equal, perhaps even surpass practice. I can't remember a name but I remember reading about a player that took an enforced vacation from pool. When he came back to pool he was stronger than ever. He had spent months mentally playing pool when he didn't have access to a table.

I shot local pistol competition pretty well for a few years and then quit. However a year later I came back one time and shot one point shy of a perfect score winning the open division. Another year later I shot a perfect score again winning the open division. The man putting on the matches was upset, he felt I shouldn't be able to do that. "These matches are supposed to be hard!" I'm not overly modest so I pointed out it was hard, not everyone was shooting my scores.

I had practiced live fire for maybe thirty minutes in that period and only had a few hours total practice time in drawing and dry firing my pistol. However in dry firing I had also put on my belt and holster and went through the motions of shooting a match facing a blank wall. I not only saw the bullets tearing into the center of targets, I felt the pistol bucking in my hands and I caught the remembered whiff of powder in the air. The more real we can make visualization and the more of our five senses we can engage the better it is.

Hu

 

[rburgoyne]

However in dry firing I had also put on my belt and holster and went through the motions of shooting a match facing a blank wall.

Hu

The Marines use to do a similar thing. The week before going to the rifle range you would sit around a white 55 gallon barrel, that had small targets painted on it. You would sit out there a few hours a day that week "snapping in", which was basically going through all the motions. Getting into your different positions, getting your natural point of aim, trigger control, etc.

I can honestly say I still snap in from time to time with my rifles and pistols. I have been out for about 10 years now so I don't want to forget everything I once knew and its a good way to keep up with it. Not to mention muscle memory is pretty important with shooting.

 

[ShootingArts]

very valuable

The Marines use to do a similar thing. The week before going to the rifle range you would sit around a white 55 gallon barrel, that had small targets painted on it. You would sit out there a few hours a day that week "snapping in", which was basically going through all the motions. Getting into your different positions, getting your natural point of aim, trigger control, etc.

I can honestly say I still snap in from time to time with my rifles and pistols. I have been out for about 10 years now so I don't want to forget everything I once knew and its a good way to keep up with it. Not to mention muscle memory is pretty important with shooting.

Dry firing is very valuable. I set up windflags and a bench and spent many hours in my backyard dry firing at a regulation target when the flags were right or I though my hold was right when I shot benchrest. I also set up a silhouette back there and spent a lot of time dry firing an AR-15 free hand. Seemed to make for mellow relationships with the neighbors!

With it being a long drive to the nearest decent pool hall and not having room for a table at home right now I have been trying to figure out how to best "dry fire" with a pool cue for several years. Still working on a few ideas.

Hu

 

[TimmyB80]

Good point, Woody. It is important to realize that the unconscious mind does not understand a negative. Therefore, if you tell yourself NOT to do something, like "Don't raise-up on my next shot" then you are actually telling yourself to raise-up. Always phrase your self-talk as positive - that is, things to do vs not to do.

What do you base that on? It sounds like a great philosophy, but to pass it off as a scientific truth.... sheesh!! I don't suppose it matters, if it helps your game

 

[JesseAllred]

What do you base that on? It sounds like a great philosophy, but to pass it off as a scientific truth.... sheesh!! I don't suppose it matters, if it helps your game

if your personal experience shows that something works repeatedly I don't believe a scientific fact is needed.

by experience I mean; years of having the thought "just don't scratch in the side" and it laser tracks to the side and times of clear headedness where a spot is picked and scratching never happens

 

[edd]

Without a doubt i play my best when im seeing the shot before it happens. I've studied on this and they say the brain does'nt know the difference between a real and imagined experience. So if you can visualize a perfectly excecuted shot the brain will try to copy that visualization and make it a reality. You can actually get so good at it that you can visualize the runout pattern of the entire rack! I have done it but it takes practice like anything else. It's really a powerful feeling when it's working. I may purchase these cd's sometime im always willing to hear another point of view on the subject.

You are correct! University research shows that the actual mindful visualization of an event builds muscle memory. Thanks for your interest and contact me with any questions