Tightening Up

hilla_hilla said:
When I practice by myself, I free wheel, shoot lose, and real relaxed. When I practice with people, play a tournament or a cheap set, I tighten up (I realize that this could be a mental problem) and can't make a ball.

The house pro told me that I should practice shooting tight since that is how I play against an opponent. I don't like my game when I tighten up and that is not the way I want to play or shoot. Any suggestions on how I can learn to play against opponents the way I practice?
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On the days when I play bad, I do the opposite of warming up. As I play longer and longer, I tighten up more and more, and my stroke gets less and less smooth. Vice versa on the days I play good. I don't know what causes it.

One thing I have noticed, which may help you, is that when I am "off", when I am down in my stance, alot of my muscles are very tense. If I conciously try to relax them, sometimes it pulls me out of playing bad, and I get in stroke. Doesn't work all the time, however.
 
cuetechasaurus said:
On the days when I play bad, I do the opposite of warming up. As I play longer and longer, I tighten up more and more, and my stroke gets less and less smooth. Vice versa on the days I play good. I don't know what causes it.

One thing I have noticed, which may help you, is that when I am "off", when I am down in my stance, alot of my muscles are very tense. If I conciously try to relax them, sometimes it pulls me out of playing bad, and I get in stroke. Doesn't work all the time, however.
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I agree with this. If I play a couple bads shots early in a match I really have to concentrate on keeping my muscles loose until I get my brain convinced that I'm not going to miss everything. At that point it either works or I am in for a bad day. Those same couple of bad shots well into a match after much better play do not have the same effect on me. Confidence and trust allow you to play "loose".
 
I didnt read the thread just the question, while i'm not a great player-I have alot of experience and play the same no matter what the circumstances are, 20 years ago I had the same problem and didnt have the internet to get answeres, just the rail-guys who would pick pocket me any chance they have(kinda like the guys I make side bets with.....just kidding) so to learn you had to play and lose and then maybe the guy who beat you would give you a little advice but that can get expensive back then, when I beat some one, I would give them a tip, it was the ediquette then. My story is over. Now the solution that worked for me, all the advice over the years did help but what helped the most is:

Awalys, I mean awalys play pool if its important meaning action, league, tournment, even with close friends play for $20, I have had friends I have gambled with for $250/game snooker and we would go eat dinner, afterwards-point is no "fun" play. When I practice I take every shot seriously like its hill/hill. It takes a strong mind to do that, it took me years to get it, Some guys have it right away I didnt, but it can be devloped over years, only if your aways in a pressure situation, you cant be a free wheeler and a tight player and become a player because you dont know who is gonna show up the tight guy or the free wheeler, A perfect examlpe is Keith-he didnt care if he was playing for $50 or $50,000 Keith is Keith. So instead of trying to figure out who is comming to play, kill the tight guy by awalys being under pressure, even if it means losing more than you win for a while, you'll adjust. Like being in prison, you gotta kickass and establish who you are.
 
hilla_hilla said:
When I practice by myself, I free wheel, shoot lose, and real relaxed. When I practice with people, play a tournament or a cheap set, I tighten up (I realize that this could be a mental problem) and can't make a ball.

The house pro told me that I should practice shooting tight since that is how I play against an opponent. I don't like my game when I tighten up and that is not the way I want to play or shoot. Any suggestions on how I can learn to play against opponents the way I practice?
Click to expand...
I always like to practice with someone and bet some to make you tight...if you bang 'em around by yourself you'll be used to that loose sloppy play when money is on the line....
 
Theres noone harder to play than yourself. If you can beat that you can beat anyone in any situation.
 
No matter if you're playing a match or just practicing you need to play every ball with all the concentration that you can muster up. In a match you must play each ball as if the whole match depended on it.

When one free wheels the only people he will beat are the ones that they are suppost to beat anyway. To win the tuff matchs you need to hard nose every ball, from the one to the nine.

I understand that in practice you want to press your capabilities, sometimes you may want to play fast and loose, but at some point in your practice you need to turn to the very serious mode and leave the table with that frame of mind.

When you get into a match you do not want to search for your rhythm. It will find you. You will find that when you take your time and concentrate things will fall into place and your tempo will speed up by itself allowing you to play more relaxed.

When you train yourself to play with delibiration, the time will come when your mind will not want to play at all if you don't want to press it as much as you can. It will enjoy being pressed and excecuting the shot precisely the way it saw it.
 
Three more things to add to this list of advice:

1. read the Inner Game of Tennis

2. Bring more feel into your game. Think about these things during practice when you're playing well and remember them each explicitly during competition to bring them back to your thoughts. Feel the wood in your bridge hand, the weight of the cue, the solid rhythm of your pre-shot routine and stroke, the sound of the tip on ball, the sound of ball on ball, and the sound of ball being pocketed.

3. If you feel you're going to miss the ball, bracket the pocket before you shoot. Aim to overcut it, then undercut it. Get a feel for the center of the pocket, not just one side of it before you shoot. Hit the center of the pocket...do not compromise that goal.
 
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