Tightening up towards the end of a rack.

[BVal]

I have a couple of questions for you all. Anyone is welcome to answer though I would like to hear from some of the more experienced players.

I find myself tightening up towards the end of a rack and either missing shape and the shot or getting shape and missing the shot all together. I was wondering what things I could work on mentally or physically to help me out.

What types of things do you do that helps you stay loose until the end of the rack?

Are there any books I could read that would maybe help me with this?

Is there something you specifically do to help deal with the pressure?

Is this something that will just work itself out with time and experience?

Thanks in advance.

BVal

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

I have a couple of questions for you all. Anyone is welcome to answer though I would like to hear from some of the more experienced players.

I find myself tightening up towards the end of a rack and either missing shape and the shot or getting shape and missing the shot all together. I was wondering what things I could work on mentally or physically to help me out.

What types of things do you do that helps you stay loose until the end of the rack?

Are there any books I could read that would maybe help me with this?

Is there something you specifically do to help deal with the pressure?

Is this something that will just work itself out with time and experience?

Thanks in advance.

BVal

You know, I don't feel this way playing 9-ball but sometimes I'll feel it in 8-ball or straight pool. I think the reason for this has to do with the need to get precise position as you conclude the rack as opposed to 9-ball where things open up more and more as you get closer to the 9.

I think, for your case, the most important thing you must remember is that losing is part of the game. You're going to lose your share of games and there's nothing you can do about it. The best approach you can have is to remind yourself of the circumstances. These are some of the thoughts I'll have in certain situations:

1. Routine - Balls are near pockets, no problems.
Oh, just keep it simple and everything will be fine. Pocket, pocket, pocket.

2. Routine 2 - One or two trouble shots
Okay, bust out a little talent and if the balls drop, I'm outtie.

3. Unusual - Hard shot and/or hard position
Sigh. Let's see what happens here. Sucks to be here but I have the talent to make it happen

4. Unusual - Unlikely to win
Time to make the SportsCenter highlight reel! Everybody should stop what they're doing and watch this!


If I fail, I fail but I'm going to approach these scenarios upbeat, positive but with a twist of realism. I recognize when I'm SUPPOSED to get out but I'm also aware that it doesn't have to happen. I'm human but then again, so is my opponent and oftentimes, these things have a way of swinging back and forth.

 

[BVal]

Thanks Jude - One other thing I might add is that I know I will lose and I will win. It just seems like most of the time when I am losing I am beating myself. Leaving 2 or 3 ball outs to somebody. That is what I am trying to figure out how to stop. It very well could be my shot selection either on that particular shot or one of the shots preceding that gets me messed up.

BVal

 

[cigardave]

BVal... Sound to me like you're getting ahead of yourself... my simple advice is to firmly stay in the present. Pay attention to detail on every shot. Focus grasshopper. When you do that, your mind isn't allowed to drift towards the future. Give it a try. It may be what you're missin'.

 

[crawfish]

Straight from J. Archer himself. "You play the first five balls to get to a four ball run. You can run four balls, can't you?" Once you reach the six, it should be a sigh of relief. How many times out of 100 are you gonna run four balls? High percentage, right? ELATION to get to the six. Just look at it as a formality of finishing out the last four.

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

Thanks Jude - One other thing I might add is that I know I will lose and I will win. It just seems like most of the time when I am losing I am beating myself. Leaving 2 or 3 ball outs to somebody. That is what I am trying to figure out how to stop. It very well could be my shot selection either on that particular shot or one of the shots preceding that gets me messed up.

BVal

It could be or it could just be the numbers biting you in the butt right now. I recently played in a Joss event against a guy who was probably about B-speed. I jumped out to a 5-0 lead and proceeded to cough up the next 5 games. Every time I got to the 7-ball, I'd get screwed on position. I mean, bizarre stuff. The cue-ball could roll one more or one less inch and I'm fine and it stops at the one spot where I'm straight, hooked or whatever. Five games in a row and suddenly it's a race to 4.

I took a moment, laughed at myself (quietly) and proceeded to beat him 9-6. It was just a series of bad rolls and I wasn't going to get upset about it. There was plenty of pool left and there was no need to sound the alarm, get frustrated, or get angry. Sometimes it's best not to think too much about it.

 

[BRKNRUN]

This is going to sound stupid, but it has been working for me...

First of all...You are in the "I expect to screw up" mode....The reason I know this is becuase you are posting a thread about it.....So you are (aware) if the occurence.....You need to find a way to "destract" yourself from that thinking.

What I found out about myself (in pressure situations) is that I stopped breathing.......When I stopped breathing, I would get tight...(toward the end of the rack) and dog a ball.

I added an "exhale" to my shot routine. As I am standing up over the shot I will breath in. As I am in completion of getting into the shot position I will exhale through my nose...you won't even notice if your watching....... It is normally just routine and I don't even think about it...but...If I am playing bad I focus on that part of the routine and it will destract me from my thoughts of playing bad...so to speak.....(usually when I am playing bad...that part of the routine is missing anyway)

It serves two purposes.......You are forced to relaxe your upper body to exhale and it allows your body to settle over the shot.............It also forces you to "breath" during the run out...

Breathing is an important part of staying relaxed...

I warned you it would be stupid...

 

[BVal]

This is going to sound stupid, but it has been working for me...

First of all...You are in the "I expect to screw up" mode....The reason I know this is becuase you are posting a thread about it.....So you are (aware) if the occurence.....You need to find a way to "destract" yourself from that thinking.

What I found out about myself (in pressure situations) is that I stopped breathing.......When I stopped breathing, I would get tight...(toward the end of the rack) and dog a ball.

I added an "exhale" to my shot routine. As I am standing up over the shot I will breath in. As I am in completion of getting into the shot position I will exhale through my nose...you won't even notice if your watching....... It is normally just routine and I don't even think about it...but...If I am playing bad I focus on that part of the routine and it will destract me from my thoughts of playing bad...so to speak.....(usually when I am playing bad...that part of the routine is missing anyway)

It serves two purposes.......You are forced to relaxe your upper body to exhale and it allows your body to settle over the shot.............It also forces you to "breath" during the run out...

Breathing is an important part of staying relaxed...

I warned you it would be stupid...

It is not stupid at all. I appreciate your response and advice. I have never even really thought about my breathing in those situations.

Thanks,

BVal

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Think you need to learn to relax, stay relaxed, seek professional help..

 

[BigCat]

... my advice

I have a couple of questions for you all. Anyone is welcome to answer though I would like to hear from some of the more experienced players.

I find myself tightening up towards the end of a rack and either missing shape and the shot or getting shape and missing the shot all together. I was wondering what things I could work on mentally or physically to help me out.

What types of things do you do that helps you stay loose until the end of the rack?

Are there any books I could read that would maybe help me with this?

Is there something you specifically do to help deal with the pressure?

Is this something that will just work itself out with time and experience?

Thanks in advance.

BVal

Brady,

I believe a lot of pool players have dealt with this issue at one point or another in their lives... I know I have, and I have specifically addressed the issue in the past for myself.

IMO, when any pool player tenses up towards the end of a rack (regardless of the game), it is usually due to a few main reasons:

1 - Thinking too far ahead (layout, shape on last ball, etc...)
2 - Worried that they will miss, and eventually lose the game
3 - Worried that they will not get the needed shape
4 - Worried that they will not "win the game" like they should

My biggest issue was number 4. I always felt like I was "supposed to get out" regardless of the layout. My advice to you, and this may not work for everyone, is to create a super solid pre-shot routine and execute it on EVERY shot.

I know this sounds like it wouldn't really make a difference in how you play towards the end of a rack, but in all reality, I believe that nothing keeps you more focused.

A good pre-shot routine will allow you to keep focused on the moment and not look too far ahead (as you are about to shoot... of course, before shooting you should have things laid out).
A good pre-shot routine will put you in a comfort zone, even when you are playing in the most uncomfortable of situations.
A good pre-shot routine will force you to think about making the ball you are currently attempting to pocket.
A good-pre shot routine will not allow you to think about the result of the game, only the best way to execute the current shot... and therfore stay in the moment.

Adapting these ideas in to your mind and practicing and playing with a consistent pre-shot routine, will most definitely help your focus and alleviate most tension you feel when playing the end of a rack. I know it did with me. People always seem to be suprised when I offer this as advice for improving focus, but it truly works. If you are positioning your body and placing yourself correctly over a shot while focusing on your aiming line, you are less likely to be thinking about potential misses and other errors.

My pre-shot routine is very simple, but I execute it on every shot, regardless of how simple or hard the shot is:

- After deciding on shape for next 2, 3, or 4 balls....
- Grab chalk with left hand
- Walk up behind the shot and look at angle of hit
- Walk over behind object ball and look at its path to pocket
- Identify the path
- Walk back over to behind the object ball to see the angle with the path
- <all the while, chalking my cue with my left hand>
- Put chalk down
- Check my shaft
- Walk into stance and position my feet
- Start lowering my body
- <all the while, never taking my eye off the angle>
- I usually do 1 or 2 practice strokes as I'm going down to maintain looseness
- Set my bridge hand
- Take practice strokes
- Find my line of aim (I use the HH system, or how much of the object ball to hit)
- Take a few more practice strokes
- Execute and STAY DOWN

I know this seems mundane, but you would be surprised how hard this is to do on every single shot you take in a tournament. It will probably be exhausting at first, but will eventually become second nature with practice. But I would definitely suggest finding your own pre-shot routine (what I listed is what works for me and how I identify angles - you should definitely find the combination that works best for you). If you have access to Accu-Stats tapes or DVDs, watch a match with Gabe Owen, and you will see a pre-shot routine at the highest level. He studies his shots for quite a while before shooting. If you do not have one, PM me and I can lend you a copy.

I hope this helps. Again, this is JMHO, but I believe it may help you.

Ray

 

[BigCat]

This is going to sound stupid, but it has been working for me...

First of all...You are in the "I expect to screw up" mode....The reason I know this is becuase you are posting a thread about it.....So you are (aware) if the occurence.....You need to find a way to "destract" yourself from that thinking.

What I found out about myself (in pressure situations) is that I stopped breathing.......When I stopped breathing, I would get tight...(toward the end of the rack) and dog a ball.

I added an "exhale" to my shot routine. As I am standing up over the shot I will breath in. As I am in completion of getting into the shot position I will exhale through my nose...you won't even notice if your watching....... It is normally just routine and I don't even think about it...but...If I am playing bad I focus on that part of the routine and it will destract me from my thoughts of playing bad...so to speak.....(usually when I am playing bad...that part of the routine is missing anyway)

It serves two purposes.......You are forced to relaxe your upper body to exhale and it allows your body to settle over the shot.............It also forces you to "breath" during the run out...

Breathing is an important part of staying relaxed...

I warned you it would be stupid...

I second Ken's advice here. I've caught myself many times breathing "tight" during crucial matches. And it is amazing how focused breathing can relax your body.

Good advice.

Ray

 

[BVal]

Brady,

I believe a lot of pool players have dealt with this issue at one point or another in their lives... I know I have, and I have specifically addressed the issue in the past for myself.

IMO, when any pool player tenses up towards the end of a rack (regardless of the game), it is usually due to a few main reasons:

1 - Thinking too far ahead (layout, shape on last ball, etc...)
2 - Worried that they will miss, and eventually lose the game
3 - Worried that they will not get the needed shape
4 - Worried that they will not "win the game" like they should

My biggest issue was number 4. I always felt like I was "supposed to get out" regardless of the layout. My advice to you, and this may not work for everyone, is to create a super solid pre-shot routine and execute it on EVERY shot.

I know this sounds like it wouldn't really make a difference in how you play towards the end of a rack, but in all reality, I believe that nothing keeps you more focused.

A good pre-shot routine will allow you to keep focused on the moment and not look too far ahead (as you are about to shoot... of course, before shooting you should have things laid out).
A good pre-shot routine will put you in a comfort zone, even when you are playing in the most uncomfortable of situations.
A good pre-shot routine will force you to think about making the ball you are currently attempting to pocket.
A good-pre shot routine will not allow you to think about the result of the game, only the best way to execute the current shot... and therfore stay in the moment.

Adapting these ideas in to your mind and practicing and playing with a consistent pre-shot routine, will most definitely help your focus and alleviate most tension you feel when playing the end of a rack. I know it did with me. People always seem to be suprised when I offer this as advice for improving focus, but it truly works. If you are positioning your body and placing yourself correctly over a shot while focusing on your aiming line, you are less likely to be thinking about potential misses and other errors.

My pre-shot routine is very simple, but I execute it on every shot, regardless of how simple or hard the shot is:

- After deciding on shape for next 2, 3, or 4 balls....
- Grab chalk with left hand
- Walk up behind the shot and look at angle of hit
- Walk over behind object ball and look at its path to pocket
- Identify the path
- Walk back over to behind the object ball to see the angle with the path
- <all the while, chalking my cue with my left hand>
- Put chalk down
- Check my shaft
- Walk into stance and position my feet
- Start lowering my body
- <all the while, never taking my eye off the angle>
- I usually do 1 or 2 practice strokes as I'm going down to maintain looseness
- Set my bridge hand
- Take practice strokes
- Find my line of aim (I use the HH system, or how much of the object ball to hit)
- Take a few more practice strokes
- Execute and STAY DOWN

I know this seems mundane, but you would be surprised how hard this is to do on every single shot you take in a tournament. It will probably be exhausting at first, but will eventually become second nature with practice. But I would definitely suggest finding your own pre-shot routine (what I listed is what works for me and how I identify angles - you should definitely find the combination that works best for you). If you have access to Accu-Stats tapes or DVDs, watch a match with Gabe Owen, and you will see a pre-shot routine at the highest level. He studies his shots for quite a while before shooting. If you do not have one, PM me and I can lend you a copy.

I hope this helps. Again, this is JMHO, but I believe it may help you.

Ray

Hi Ray,

Excellent post. This is the kind of stuff I am looking for. I have somewhat of a preshot routine but not one that I do before EVERY shot. I am also seriously thinking about starting a pool journal to keep track of things as well. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this post and I look forward to talking to you at some of the future tourney's around town. I will PM you about the Accu-Stats

 

[NINEBALLART]

Ray.......That's a really nice picture for your avatar...As a small child my favorite animal was the black Panther... and to this day I still think it's the most beautiful of all animals...They are truly beautiful cats....

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

Ray.......That's a really nice picture for your avatar...As a small child my favorite animal was the black Panther... and to this day I still think it's the most beautiful of all animals...They are truly beautiful cats....

I feel sorry for the guy behind the camera, though.

 

[Dead Money]

I've been dealing with this some too. I like the bit about playing in "fear of ****ing up mode" posted by Breaknrun. I've even got a lame mantra that has been helping me out some with this lol:

"one ball at a time have fun see what happens"

Besides that pool is fun, those are just balls on the table nothing to fear

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

I've been dealing with this some too. I like the bit about playing in "fear of ****ing up mode" posted by Breaknrun. I've even got a lame mantra that has been helping me out some with this lol:

"one ball at a time have fun see what happens"

Besides that pool is fun, those are just balls on the table nothing to fear

I mean, we all do to a certain extent but I also think it's important to let go a little. Become detached from the outcome. You can't really control winning and losing. You can only influence it. I mean, if you flip the coin and your opponent proceeds to break and run out the set, you didn't get a chance to control anything. On the other hand, if every time your opponent breaks, he leaves you a 1-9 combination, you equally haven't controlled anything either.

A lot of competitive thought revolves around mantras like, "Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing," but that isn't really applicable in a game like pool. Losing is CONSTANT and can come from anywhere at any time. This is a fact that you should be mindful of when you're the favorite and something that should ease you're thoughts when you're the underdog.

If you're slumping, next time you're faced with a difficult shot, say to whomever is watching (in your head, that is), "You are about to witness the greatest shot of all time!" and give it your best effort. If you don't make it, feel good you gave it a good try. I always like watching Efren scratch his head and laugh after a miss. I think that's part of the reason he's so great.

 

[Dead Money]

That is some good insite. Thank you for that

 

[CrownCityCorey]

I have a couple of questions for you all. Anyone is welcome to answer though I would like to hear from some of the more experienced players.

I find myself tightening up towards the end of a rack and either missing shape and the shot or getting shape and missing the shot all together. I was wondering what things I could work on mentally or physically to help me out.

What types of things do you do that helps you stay loose until the end of the rack?

Are there any books I could read that would maybe help me with this?

Is there something you specifically do to help deal with the pressure?

Is this something that will just work itself out with time and experience?

Thanks in advance.

BVal

Breathe! Under pressure/stress, most people forget to actually breathe. Instead of taking nice steady deep breaths, they start taking short shallow breaths which makes your heart start racing faster. You are not running for you life here, so slow down and breathe.

You will make more of those supposed pressure shots.

 

[BRKNRUN]

Hi Ray,

Excellent post. This is the kind of stuff I am looking for. I have somewhat of a preshot routine but not one that I do before EVERY shot. I am also seriously thinking about starting a pool journal to keep track of things as well. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this post and I look forward to talking to you at some of the future tourney's around town. I will PM you about the Accu-Stats

LOL...I have done this...

I created a word document that had all the areas of the game. (Grip / Stance / Aiming / Mental etc. I wrote down tips that I picked up in various pool rooms and also cut and past verbiage from MANY posts and online articles and even some discussions I had with Hal Houle.

 

[BigCat]

Ray.......That's a really nice picture for your avatar...As a small child my favorite animal was the black Panther... and to this day I still think it's the most beautiful of all animals...They are truly beautiful cats....

Thanks. I too have an affinity for black panthars/jaguars (as evidenced by the tatoo on my upper left arm). I fell in love with this picture as soon as I saw it. They are elegant and beautiful, yet so very dangerous.