I have been in a slump, shooting horrible in local tourneys. Should i shoot through the slump or take a break?
Take a break?
- Thread starter skankhammer
- Start date
Ive been in a slump since I started playing, cant shoot my way out of it.
But really, Ive been playing bad lately and Ive been trying to shoot through it but I dont think its working. I'll try a break, you try shooting through it and then we'll switch if it doesnt work.
Take a break. I took a six year break and it did wonders for me.
Not a instructor but to take a shot.
Have you ever taken lessons formal or informal? Do you practice or just show up to play the tournament?
If you just play skip a week and practice instead of playing the tournament.
Tony Robles has a excellent article on Billiards digest that suggests play "stay down". The idea is scatter 15 balls and shoot balls if you get up before the object ball is pocketed or the cue ball stops rolling you lose.
Do you have a preshot routine? Hard to tell what causes a miss unless you have a "routine" for most shots. Jeanette Lee has an excellent one in her book):
1. Pick a shot, direction and speed of cue ball
2. Alignment
3. Focus on the object ball
4. Stay down
Mark Wilson had a article where he says be "process v result oriented". If making the ball or winning the game is how you judge success try the routine above and when you miss a ball or position try to remember if you followed the routine.
Have you ever taken lessons formal or informal? Do you practice or just show up to play the tournament?
If you just play skip a week and practice instead of playing the tournament.
Tony Robles has a excellent article on Billiards digest that suggests play "stay down". The idea is scatter 15 balls and shoot balls if you get up before the object ball is pocketed or the cue ball stops rolling you lose.
Do you have a preshot routine? Hard to tell what causes a miss unless you have a "routine" for most shots. Jeanette Lee has an excellent one in her book):
1. Pick a shot, direction and speed of cue ball
2. Alignment
3. Focus on the object ball
4. Stay down
Mark Wilson had a article where he says be "process v result oriented". If making the ball or winning the game is how you judge success try the routine above and when you miss a ball or position try to remember if you followed the routine.
I heard the best slump buster is to have sex with an ugly or fat chick... 
I heard the best slump buster is to have sex with an ugly or fat chick...
that's also known as the fast track to a shotgun wedding:grin-square:
Hi,
Shooting tournaments... I'm going to assume the question is more mental here.
I think you should take a (small) break and let your passion for the game rejuvenate. Time, time, and more time. After all time, who else will find your confidence? And where will you find it again? See you on the rail soon.
Be less critical. I know it's hard but dwell in the positive. To find optimism in the shot you haven't hit yet is the trick. You start requiring center and center - your brain will *****slap you. AND don't practice without being totally committed mentally. He made a good machine can you drive it? I bet you can!
P.S. I won a lot of money tonight.
:happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance:
I've never seen anyone get better by not practicing.
I heard a story once about Pete Rose : It went something like this...
While playing in the minors, Charlie Hustle botched a routine double play. One of his coaches made a remark about how Pete just wasn't good enough to ever play infield. This comment unleashed some kind of fury within the obsessive mind of Rose. For many nights afterward, he stayed in his room in front of a mirror practicing the double play turn. He broke down every step and every movement of his body. Rose practiced that turn until the footwork and timing became so second nature, he could do it in his sleep. By the end of his career, he was regarded as one of the best baseball player in the world and had played as an all-star in 5 different positions.
Anyway, the moral of story is that slumps hit us all from time to time. You can do one of two things. Either you ignore it and hope for the best, or you break it down and fix the problem.
I heard a story once about Pete Rose : It went something like this...
While playing in the minors, Charlie Hustle botched a routine double play. One of his coaches made a remark about how Pete just wasn't good enough to ever play infield. This comment unleashed some kind of fury within the obsessive mind of Rose. For many nights afterward, he stayed in his room in front of a mirror practicing the double play turn. He broke down every step and every movement of his body. Rose practiced that turn until the footwork and timing became so second nature, he could do it in his sleep. By the end of his career, he was regarded as one of the best baseball player in the world and had played as an all-star in 5 different positions.
Anyway, the moral of story is that slumps hit us all from time to time. You can do one of two things. Either you ignore it and hope for the best, or you break it down and fix the problem.
I heard the best slump buster is to have sex with an ugly or fat chick...
I have tied this method repeatedly with no results..
In all seriousness i think i will take a couple of weeks off from tournys and keep practicing.
Very nice post and rep to you sir. This is exactly how I tackle slumps for me. Start by generalizing your problem, is it postion play ,shotmaking, or bad desicon making. Lets say shotmaking. Next break down what you do when you shoot a shot. Is it your aim, your stroke, your stance, are moving during the shot. Lets say your stroke. Next break down your stroke and work on some drills that focus on getting you to stroke straight an smooth. By using this method, you will not only define the problem but also isolate it so you can correct it quickly and get out of your slump.
Works very efficiently for me.