The voice in your head

Gurnee_Steve

Gurnee_Steve

New member
Ever notice that sometimes when you miss a shot you feel like you 'knew' you'd miss, even before you shoot? I've tracked it back to the little man in my head putting doubts in my mind while I stroke. I used to use the approach of "Ignore him and he'll go away". Sometimes, he won't leave...like a drunken houseguest. I have a new method that is working well for me...I talk back to him. When he says, "This is a really tough shot for you, you missed it last time"; or, "Oh crap, you got to bank it"; etc. I tell him, "F*(K you, I'm all over this like white on rice. I'm stroking this in, and for you my good friend, shut the hell up". Getting pissed at him helps me focus on the shot at hand...wierd.
 
Gurnee_Steve...Developing a consistent eye pattern will help you with this problem (the "inner voice"). Once you train your eyes, for a consistent eye pattern, and then practice long enough for it to become a habit, the mind will notice when something is out of place, or missing, and allow you to "bail out" before committing the error. After developing an accurate, repeatable stroke, a consistent eye pattern is the next best thing to develop your game, and take it to the next level. Seek out a qualified instructor to help with this.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
When your down on a shot and the little voice says' "I'm going to miss this", get up and look at the shot again, then go through your routine again. If you don't, odds are that you will miss it. We all have those "your going to miss it" voices. If I have any negative thoughts come while I'm down on the QB I get back up and take a better look at everything from angle, speed, position, and to just clear my head. Johnnyt
 
Scott Lee said:
Gurnee_Steve...Developing a consistent eye pattern will help you with this problem (the "inner voice"). Once you train your eyes, for a consistent eye pattern, and then practice long enough for it to become a habit, the mind will notice when something is out of place, or missing, and allow you to "bail out" before committing the error. After developing an accurate, repeatable stroke, a consistent eye pattern is the next best thing to develop your game, and take it to the next level. Seek out a qualified instructor to help with this.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...
I think I know what you mean but correct me if I'm wrong...something like this:
While chalking the cue, look at the OB, look at the pocket, look at the CB, back to to OB and look at the edges, look at the edges of the CB, look at which side of the pocket you with the OB to go into, start your warm-up strokes, look at where the cue will be striking the CB, look at exactly where the CB will strike the OB, shoot the damn thing in.
 
I agree with Scott developing a consistant routine is key. But I try not to over think. While STANDING I say in my head .........."pocket the 5 and roll up easy for the 6 for perfect position."

Kinda funny how that works!! It is like you are reprogramming that little voice to the positive. He really can't deny what you said, because you are visualizing it while you are saying it.

I do it while practicing, and when it gets to the pressure situations. After a few games or so I don't even need to do anything, it is all positive thoights. No arguing with him.

Try it!

Mike
 
Steve forget all the good advice these people are giving you... I say give your inner voice a name... Tyler Durden sounds like a fine name... keep talking to him... run with it.
 
The "little guy in your head" is telling you that this is a very difficult shot and he is likely to miss so don't get angry if he does. The better way to deal with this is to accept what he says and that you will not get angry if you miss. However, you really want to make the shot and need him to make the extra effort that is needed to help you make the low percentage shot.

You have made a deal with him that you won't get angry and you have to follow through on your end of the deal. If you miss you need to recognize that it was a tough shot but that you gave it your best.

If you don't follow through, you will pay for it later. If you knew how to talk with that "little guy in your head," he would tell you that you lied, got angry anyway and now he doesn't trust you and could care less if you make the next several shots. You can always jam it but life is so much better, and we shoot better, when you try to get along with him.

Ever notice that after one of these types of events that all of a sudden you lose your stroke for awhile? That is him and he just doesn't give a darn. Make him angry, hurt his feelings and he will go and hide. Sure you can make some shots without him but you make many more with him.

Think about the last time you were in a funk and did not know why you were in a funk. I wonder why that happens? Ever notice that it is at these times that we act stupid and do things that we are later sorry for? He helps in many ways.

BTW it makes no difference how well you shoot or how good your preshot routine is, some shots are just difficult no matter what your level of expertise. If you learn to get along with him he helps.

Some people may use a routine such as you describe. This is one way for the "little guy in your head" to avoid your anger before it happens. In a sense he says "I told you so, don't blame me." This may work for some people but notice that if you said, "OK -- I won't blame you but would you help anyway." You might get some help in stead of him standing back and saying "I didn't do it."

BTW giving him a name is not a good idea.
 
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I'll let you in on a secret . . .

Gurnee_Steve said:
Ever notice that sometimes when you miss a shot you feel like you 'knew' you'd miss, even before you shoot? I've tracked it back to the little man in my head putting doubts in my mind while I stroke. I used to use the approach of "Ignore him and he'll go away". Sometimes, he won't leave...like a drunken houseguest. I have a new method that is working well for me...I talk back to him. When he says, "This is a really tough shot for you, you missed it last time"; or, "Oh crap, you got to bank it"; etc. I tell him, "F*(K you, I'm all over this like white on rice. I'm stroking this in, and for you my good friend, shut the hell up". Getting pissed at him helps me focus on the shot at hand...wierd.
Click to expand...

When you are in a pissing contest with the little man in your head, argue out loud! Get mad, yell, cuss him for the sorry lil' sh!t he is, really let him have both barrels. I have found I almost always win the set I am playing when I do this and my opponent always decides he has had enough. Matter of fact I can pull a Keith and offer the whole room the eight afterwards with no takers!

I don't recommend getting physical with the little guy though. We had a guy literally beat himself up in the pool room one night. He found himself in the place with the nice young men in the nice white suits shortly afterwards.

Hu
 
I always took the position of "Oh yeah what do you know" he'd say your gonna overcut it, or the CB's gonna kiss the 4 and then the 7 and scratch. After a few years, he was right so often I began to listen and change my shots, things have worked out much better since.
 
Lack of committment to the shot.

That little voice is telling you that you aren't committed to the shot.

This happens when:
- you know you're taking a flyer and don't have a clue where the cb will end up.
- you know there maybe a better shot available
- you know you're painting yourself into a corner
- you haven't figured out the spin, speed and other details of the shot needed to make it and get shape prior to getting down on it.

In other words, you haven't committed yourself to making the shot and getting the right shape for the next ball and you know it. You haven't done the homework and now you're going to face the teacher empty handed.
 
It's more about this...think before shooting, and shoot without thinking. Getting in more detail about the actual eye pattern, it deals with strong focus on the two aim points you need visual information about...CB & OB. Once you're down in your shooting stance, you only have a few (8-10) seconds to get the shot off, before the 'little voice' starts kibbutzing. So, you have your 'routine', and when you stand down, you focus intently for TWO SECONDS on the aim point on the CB, and then TWO SECONDS on the aim point on the OB (your cue should be stopped, and close to the CB, aimed exactly where you plan to hit). Then go through your preshot routine warmup cycle, stop, and deliver the cue. The long focus allows your brain to take in the minimum amount of visual information necessary for it to process, and give feedback (in pool feedback often comes in the form of a muscle command...move your arm). If you don't focus long enough, the brain will force you to keep looking back and forth between the two points. This comes from the "quiet eye" study research. Hope this helps...

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Gurnee_Steve said:
I think I know what you mean but correct me if I'm wrong...something like this:
While chalking the cue, look at the OB, look at the pocket, look at the CB, back to to OB and look at the edges, look at the edges of the CB, look at which side of the pocket you with the OB to go into, start your warm-up strokes, look at where the cue will be striking the CB, look at exactly where the CB will strike the OB, shoot the damn thing in.
Click to expand...
 
Homunculus

The little guy in your head is some times called a Homunculus. Here is a picture of him where the body parts have been sized to match the number of nerve endings used to control the body.

Homunculus.jpg


There is no "little guy in your head" but it is often fun to think in this way and what is shown is simply an image of what the brain usues to control the body. Here is a link to the picture source where the author discusses thumb surgery

http://www.jludwick.com/Pics/Thumb/Thumb.html

In medieval times some people believed there really was a little man in the skull that controlled us. Oh the wonders of modern science and the idea that he doesn't really exist.
 
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Thanks

I read all the responses...thanks guys. I'll work on my preshot routine and as for the little man, I'll reason with him instead of cussing him out.
 
Gurnee_Steve said:
Ever notice that sometimes when you miss a shot you feel like you 'knew' you'd miss, even before you shoot? I've tracked it back to the little man in my head putting doubts in my mind while I stroke.
Click to expand...

The little guy in my head annoys me, too. When I play, I have learned to make the shot I KNOW I can make and leave all the others alone.

Once in a while, that little man screams at me..... "Look!!! Look!!! Do you see that BEEEE-YOU-TIFUL carom shot over here???? You could make that!! It would be so impressive!! See how easy it is? It's a sure thing!! You know it is and you'd love to claim it, too!!"

That's when I calmly stand up, turn around once or twice and lean back over the table to make the shot I KNOW I can make. If I take the little man's advice, I'm screwed every time!
 
Gurnee_Steve said:
Ever notice that sometimes when you miss a shot you feel like you 'knew' you'd miss, even before you shoot? I've tracked it back to the little man in my head putting doubts in my mind while I stroke. I used to use the approach of "Ignore him and he'll go away". Sometimes, he won't leave...like a drunken houseguest. I have a new method that is working well for me...I talk back to him. When he says, "This is a really tough shot for you, you missed it last time"; or, "Oh crap, you got to bank it"; etc. I tell him, "F*(K you, I'm all over this like white on rice. I'm stroking this in, and for you my good friend, shut the hell up". Getting pissed at him helps me focus on the shot at hand...wierd.
Click to expand...
I to have heard the voice of that dirty little coward that hides in the shadows of my mind. Since he is an unnerving little bastard that hides in darkness I just shine the light on him and he scurries off. Now you can look at it from this stand point also when he talks to you most of the time there is something wrong with your pre-shot routine something that you have skipped or in my case my body is not in position ( My stick is rubbing a part of me and I am to lazy to get up out of that bad position ) just standing up an making the correction is a cure for me. I always feel that I have an angel or 2 that watches over me and wants me to be successful when I am playing so when I hear that creeps voice I know that it is time to correct something. Now if I get up reposition and still miss the shot I know that I gave it my best and just need to practice that miss shot more.
 
Scott Lee said:
It's more about this...think before shooting, and shoot without thinking. Getting in more detail about the actual eye pattern, it deals with strong focus on the two aim points you need visual information about...CB & OB. Once you're down in your shooting stance, you only have a few (8-10) seconds to get the shot off, before the 'little voice' starts kibbutzing. So, you have your 'routine', and when you stand down, you focus intently for TWO SECONDS on the aim point on the CB, and then TWO SECONDS on the aim point on the OB (your cue should be stopped, and close to the CB, aimed exactly where you plan to hit). Then go through your preshot routine warmup cycle, stop, and deliver the cue. The long focus allows your brain to take in the minimum amount of visual information necessary for it to process, and give feedback (in pool feedback often comes in the form of a muscle command...move your arm). If you don't focus long enough, the brain will force you to keep looking back and forth between the two points. This comes from the "quiet eye" study research. Hope this helps...

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

I had to pay good money for this info from you Scott, and now your just going to go and give it away!@#

Why you....
 
androd said:
I always took the position of "Oh yeah what do you know" he'd say your gonna overcut it, or the CB's gonna kiss the 4 and then the 7 and scratch. After a few years, he was right so often I began to listen and change my shots, things have worked out much better since.
Click to expand...
:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
Can't improve on this!
 
androd said:
I always took the position of "Oh yeah what do you know" he'd say your gonna overcut it, or the CB's gonna kiss the 4 and then the 7 and scratch. After a few years, he was right so often I began to listen and change my shots, things have worked out much better since.
Click to expand...

This guy knows what he's talking about.....that little voice does have some basis in reality.
 
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