Should I just Quit Playing ?

gerard soriano

gerard soriano

HIGH RUN STILL TO COME !
Silver Member
I play pretty good I would say B+ or A . I have ran over 100 7 times so I can shoot.My problem is as soon as i get in any type of tournament I second guess myself so much I play like a D- .I know its all in my head . I dont know what I can do.
Any Advise Please Help
 
gerard soriano said:
I play pretty good I would say B+ or A . I have ran over 100 7 times so I can shoot.My problem is as soon as i get in any type of tournament I second guess myself so much I play like a D- .I know its all in my head . I dont know what I can do.
Any Advise Please Help
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Play some cheap sets right before the tourny. :) You have simply found pressure.

You will continuously find new pressures too. Embrace the pressure.

Ray
 
Before you quit you need to go into a tourney with a diffrent attitude instead of second guessing yourself say " i know this shot!!! Ive made this before" look at your shape not as off by 3 inches but " i can see the ball i still have a chance" stay posistive and over confident and youll eventually find your balence learning to win is just as important as learning to make a ball.
 
You're getting into your own head by thinking this in the first place.

Learn how to meditate, it's a must. You'll be absolutely calm after enough practice which is the main thing.

As for right now though, your main object is not to win the tournament, your object when you play from now on is to shoot the best you can. To make the most of your opportunities and to learn from your opponents.

Winning becomes a byproduct.
 
gerard soriano said:
I play pretty good I would say B+ or A . I have ran over 100 7 times so I can shoot.My problem is as soon as i get in any type of tournament I second guess myself so much I play like a D- .I know its all in my head . I dont know what I can do.
Any Advise Please Help
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If you can run 100 balls in 14.1, you're at least an A. That's no easy feat to do once, nevermind 7 times. I'm still trying to do it once.
 
Hi there,

It could just be the pressure but then again it really helps to know where your eyes need to be.

You can be as nervous as you want and still line up the sights on a rifle and hit the target successfully.

Once you learn where this natural Perfect sight is on every pool shot you have something to focus on instead of just guessing. When we get a little pressure we are not very good at guessing sometimes and then again all the time.

Give me a call and I will help you to understanding this and show you where this natural sight is for you. It will make a world of difference for you.

It's different for everyone depending how strong your dominant eye is.

Give me a call after 8:00. It will be fun working with you and opening your eyes to a whole new world.

Just want to help and believe me when I say I can. Don't quit. This will bring back a new excitement to the game for you. It's exciting when every shot actually looks good. Now you just need to coordinate the body with the correct info the eyes and brain are giving you.

Looking forward to working with you. geno 715-563-8712
 
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Contrary to what some may believe, some parts that make up a champion need to be learned and not just born with you. I think the part you are missing is the Killer Instinct. A Killer Instinct is what is needed to embrace confidence and get you out of your own head.

You have all the tools if you are running 100+ balls (I'm guessing your saftey play and breaking are atleast B level for other games too) you just need to focus on taking out your opponent.
 
Not being a smart ass, but go see a good sports psychologist or an APA recognized “clinical psychologist.” There are many possible reasons for the problem you describe and many possible solutions.

I think that people solve problems when they have problems to solve. If it bothers you enough there are ways do deal with it and each person’s solution is usually unique.

(APA: American Psychological Association. Many people have a license to practice but what you need here is a specialist in clinical or sports psych)
 
stuckart said:
Contrary to what some may believe, some parts that make up a champion need to be learned and not just born with you. I think the part you are missing is the Killer Instinct. A Killer Instinct is what is needed to embrace confidence and get you out of your own head.

You have all the tools if you are running 100+ balls (I'm guessing your saftey play and breaking are atleast B level for other games too) you just need to focus on taking out your opponent.
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Its funny you say that...

On Friday in an 8-ball tourney, I was down to a bank on a 9-ball, and my opponent had one solid on the top rail, with the 8-ball up there several inches away.

I was torn between trying to bank, or leaving him with a difficult bank, and a difficult return to get back on the 8-ball.

I went around in my mind for about 3 minutes UNTIL my confidence factor kicked in and said play to win on this shot, no matter the outcome.

I then banked in the 9, and had perfect leave for the 8 up top.

Taking that extra time to remove the doubt and grab that confidence even on a single shot can be everything.
 
Winston846 said:
If you can run 100 balls in 14.1, you're at least an A. That's no easy feat to do once, nevermind 7 times. I'm still trying to do it once.
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I was going to post the same thing. Running that many shows lots of focus and control of the game. If you can beat up on the table that bad, beating up on the player sitting watching you shoot should be easy.
 
I would keep putting yourself in pressure situations. Experience can be the best teacher. Also, other parts of your life can affect your game as well and could compound the pressure. Here is a link to an audio program created by Dr. Stankovich, a sports psychologist. He has an audio program designed specifically for pool and is a columnist with AZ billiards.

http://www.drstankovich.com/
 
genomachino said:
Hi there,

It could just be the pressure but then again it really helps to know where your eyes need to be.

You can be as nervous as you want and still line up the sights on a rifle and hit the target successfully.

Once you learn where this natural Perfect sight is on every pool shot you have something to focus on instead of just guessing. When we get a little pressure we are not very good at guessing sometimes and then again all the time.

Give me a call and I will help you to understanding this and show you where this natural sight is for you. It will make a world of difference for you.

It's different for everyone depending how strong your dominant eye is.

Give me a call after 8:00. It will be fun working with you and opening your eyes to a whole new world.

Just want to help and believe me when I say I can. Don't quit. This will bring back a new excitement to the game for you. It's exciting when every shot actually looks good. Now you just need to coordinate the body with the correct info the eyes and brain are giving you.

Looking forward to working with you. geno 715-563-8712
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He has run a 100 balls 7 times. He does not need an aiming system. he knows how to pocket balls. he just needs to get his nerves under control.
 
measureman said:
He has run a 100 balls 7 times. He does not need an aiming system. he knows how to pocket balls. he just needs to get his nerves under control.
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"But-but-but, it's a fix-all!" :p

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoehorn
220px-Shoehorn-800.jpg

I think these things cast very far when attached to a Zebco reel...
 
gerard soriano said:
I play pretty good I would say B+ or A . I have ran over 100 7 times so I can shoot.My problem is as soon as i get in any type of tournament I second guess myself so much I play like a D- .I know its all in my head . I dont know what I can do.
Any Advise Please Help
Click to expand...




Everything is easier said than done , but i bet you ran those hundred 7 times in casual games with friends , then when it counts in tournaments you are becoming self conscious about yourself and worrying about what others think , or being second guessed or second guessing yourself for how you played.

Do you have somebody besides yourself criticizing your play ? A good way to take the edge off is if you drink beer , drink a couple before your first match to take the edge off . Get a me against them attitude but don't tense up like your angry , do a little self talk and remind yourself of your past success .

Don't listen to any witch doctors , you know what you can do , they only cloud your mind . I always use to ask myself what is the worst thing that could happen if i screw up , well you lose , but that can happen even if you play your best.
 
DoubleD said:
I like this. I'd also suggest 'Sports Psyching'.

I used to be the same way, never a 100 ball runner, but I would find ways to lose every tourney I ever entered.

I actually got over most of my performance anxiety by taking up a different sport--one which I got to play with and against world class players, while being a rank amateur.

It is funny, but when I knew I had no chance of winning if I played my best, it really allowed me to get out of my head and actually start playing my best without thinking of the final result, instead focusing on the process.

Good luck.

dld
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It is funny, but when I knew I had no chance of winning if I played my best, it really allowed me to get out of my head and actually start playing my best without thinking of the final result, instead focusing on the process.





Neat how that works , funny sometimes how we learn things , usually by experience . I had a blind spot , took me a while to figure it out . In 84 i bought a new pickup , put chrome wheels on it , washed it regularly. Lived in some apartments and could see where my truck was from my patio and everytime i would here a door slammed i would get up and see if somebody had dropped a door on my new truck .


If i went to bed and was lying there waiting to go to sleep and i heard a car door shut , yep , you guessed it , i got up a looked . You better not be knocking dents in my new pickup , bastards !!! I started not sleeping as good and i worked a lot of overtime and had to be at work at 5 , even 3 sometimes on 12 hour days .


I started getting irritable , stressed out . I realized that pickup had more or less become my master , then i developed the attitude that i didn't care if somebody blew the damn thing up , and life become much easier.

Wish i could have carried that lesson over into other areas of my life , but we have tunnel vision and it usually takes a crisis to get us to turn our heads
 
I would guess that since you play awful in a tournament setting that you generally avoid playing in tournaments. If this is the case I say that you should force yourself into those tournaments as much as you can play until the pressure that seems to be holding you back becomes what propels your game forward.

My guess is that it holds you back because it is a situation that you are not used to. The only way to get used to it is to keep forging ahead.

When I used to play league softball I just couldn't hit a home run to save my life. I could knock em out in baseball, but that slow lobbing meatball gave me fits. I got so fed up that I bought a soft toss pitching machine and I bet I hit well over a hundred homers using that machine before it became so normal to me that hitting a homer during a real game was as easy as swinging the bat.

I can apply the same to playing pool. When running a rack becomes so normal that the 7, 8 and 9 are no different than the 1, 2 and 3 you will run out a whole lot more.
 
Oh yea and to answer your question I would say absolutely do not quit playing. Don't let your nerves get the best of you.
 
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