Unlocking your potential
- Thread starter benturner
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Same problem...
I think a certain amount of practice and what I do during practice helps give me that piece of mind. I also focus on the shots that go right in the match and that helps with the negativity as well...
Also, during practice I try to remember to shoot every shot with a confident, accelerating through the cueball, stroke. That helps me do it when it mattes.
Overall though, I just suck and will more then likely play like shit like I normally do.
You have to keep doing it. Over and over again. Then, you will get used to it. The only way to get used to the feeling (and overcoming it) of playing against better players that intimidate you is to keep playing them.
Just play your game. He can't beat you from the chair. Seriously, just relax and play what the table tells you to...THAT's your potential.
Unfortunately for the lesser player pool is like a contact sport. Unlike say golf or bowling where you preform independently of your opponent, in pool it is more like boxing or tennis. It may not be such that you can't play your true speed as good player can cause you to not play what you believe is your true speed. About all you can do is try your best and not worry about maybe embarrassing yourself.
No matter who you are playing though, they can not deny you your share of games unless you let them. You may not win the set but you should at least win the games that present themselves for you to win. As you play more players that are better then you you will discover this fact. Success breeds success. At a point it will just stop and you will play your game.
I have seen this in a lot of the local tours that often draw pro's. Pretty good local players will actually lose 9 to 0 against a pro in the beginning. But as they enter more tournaments they find the intimidation factor just fades away. They actually become completive players against the pro's. The big bonus come against equal players. After playing pros and finding you can be completive with them, not necessarily winning but at least holding your own, everyone else seems easy.
Here is the bottom line, if you are playing a much better player the chances are you will not win. "BUT" at least you can make them have to play their best speed to beat you and if they play anything less they will find themselves losing. If you are playing 9 ball how many times can any player let you get to the table before they will lose? Trust me, they probably can't give you even 1 extra inning a game with an open table and beat you I don't care who they are.
The ONLY way to beat players that you get tense while playing, is to play those types of players more often. After a while you will see them as just another tough game, and you will do your thing. If you shy away from the problem it will only grow.
Recently I started playing in the top dog division of pool league. At first I was very intimidated, and struggled. Now that I've been playing it for a couple months, I just view them like anyone else. I still get nervous because of the pressure I put on myself to do well, but I'm not dogging balls because I'm playing a certain person.
I'd also add that win you get to a certain point where you just don't give a rip who you're playing, you can beat ANYONE. And I do mean ANYONE. If you don't give a shit that you're playing SVB, and you can break and run, it's real tough for him to beat you from the chair.
There are a few things that get said here A LOT, so much so, that they lose their true value. Here they are again.
YOU PLAY THE TABLE, NOT THE OPPONENT.
PLAY ***YOUR*** GAME, NOT THEIRS.
KISS ---> KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID.
You know how to make the shots, and get shape. Just do it.
All the best,
Recently I started playing in the top dog division of pool league. At first I was very intimidated, and struggled. Now that I've been playing it for a couple months, I just view them like anyone else. I still get nervous because of the pressure I put on myself to do well, but I'm not dogging balls because I'm playing a certain person.
I'd also add that win you get to a certain point where you just don't give a rip who you're playing, you can beat ANYONE. And I do mean ANYONE. If you don't give a shit that you're playing SVB, and you can break and run, it's real tough for him to beat you from the chair.
There are a few things that get said here A LOT, so much so, that they lose their true value. Here they are again.
YOU PLAY THE TABLE, NOT THE OPPONENT.
PLAY ***YOUR*** GAME, NOT THEIRS.
KISS ---> KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID.
You know how to make the shots, and get shape. Just do it.
All the best,
We were around long before we had language to speak to one another, and your brain is organized around that; we think in pictures, not words. That's why visualization works so well for athletes. Self-doubt is very powerful because you know how it feels, recognize what it looks like and your mind does the best it can to give you what you're asking for.
When you don't have time to learn to relax through your own means or meditation you can just listen to a slow drum beat. It will calm you down very quickly. It's a form of bio-hacking.
As far as eliminating doubts, it's hard to keep that positive or detached view. One trick to quickly letting go is to pay attention to your body feels right then and there in the shot. What does the cue feel like in your hand, the touch of the wood. Are your shoes tight or loose? What does the table cloth feel like under your bridge hand? Pay attention to that and shoot your shot. If you can play pool, your body will make the shot as long as you keep your conscious mind out of it. So, give it something to do.
an old hustler once told me "winning solves everything." he was pretty much right too. once you've done all the things in the posts previously mentioned, then it's up to u. the only way to lose "the heebie-jeebies" is for you to win, and that is dependent on more things than practice and playing the table and such. nope, that has alot to do with heart, stamina, and strategy.
happy hunting.
happy hunting.
NYC cue dude
Banned
Let go of your ego
The reason you're scared to fail is your scared to lose. You can't let that be the case. If you're gambling too high, and are worried about the dough, bet less. If your playing for funsies, who cares if you lose? If you think about it as training, and aren't afraid that your ego will get bruised if you miss/lose, you'll be able to deliver that smooth stroke more often. And that is the key to the game.
The reason you're scared to fail is your scared to lose. You can't let that be the case. If you're gambling too high, and are worried about the dough, bet less. If your playing for funsies, who cares if you lose? If you think about it as training, and aren't afraid that your ego will get bruised if you miss/lose, you'll be able to deliver that smooth stroke more often. And that is the key to the game.
Pathetic Shark
Banned
What do you mean?
Pathetic Shark
Banned
Although there are techniques that will help with this, I'd say a player's temperament and how they deal with pressure is mainly innate. Broadly, if you ain't got it, you ain't getting it.
I'd bet the top pros would feel no nerves (or not care about) doing ANYTHING that would cause lessor mortals to lose sleep over, such as a best man's speech, presentation, TV appearance etc.
For you, or anyone else interested in this, here is an article from Harvard University on the subject of music therapy.
There are a wide range of uses for this, however, I'm focusing here on ways of reducing anxiety for the OP.
One thing that helps me in these situations is an honest acceptance of my real playing ability. I know what I can realistically execute. I believe that many players view their best performances as what they should be capable of, then feel like crap when they don't play at that level every day. Our real expectations of our ability should probably lie somewhere around 75% of our top gear. (lesson learned from "Pleasures of small motions: Mastering the Mental game of billiards)
This doesn't mean that I will win the games, just that I will come up with strategies that I can expect to execute. Then when I leave the table, it is much less likely to be after a wild miss or something that will hand the game to my opponent.
Just my 2 cents,
Carl
This doesn't mean that I will win the games, just that I will come up with strategies that I can expect to execute. Then when I leave the table, it is much less likely to be after a wild miss or something that will hand the game to my opponent.
Just my 2 cents,
Carl
One way to remove all doubt is to KNOW what you are doing.
A pre-shot routine is invaluable. Make it 90% of your shot-making process (from approaching the table/all the way to making the ball).
Allison Fisher is one of the best players in the world for this IMO.
Watch her; she is absolutely consistent in her routine.
Knowledge begets confidence—confidence, as we well know, is an integral part of cue sports.
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For me the trick to overcome nerves is to remember the phrase "full care and attention".
I think those 4 little words best describe the attitude you need to win and play your best.
I know some players say "don't get bogged down and overthink it", and maybe that works for them.
But for me, what works best is to think of EVERYthing. What am I trying to do, where
is the cue ball gonna go, how hard am I gonna hit it, is there any danger if I hit too hard?
What about too soft? Can I over or underspin it? And so on.
Once I have my gameplan I then get down and take my best guess on aim,
and best guess on speed, and let 'er rip.
You have to do this for every ball in the rack. Not just the first shot or two.
Not just the game ball. Not just the tough ones. Every single shot.
It can be exhausting but often the guy who wins is the one willing to work harder.
If I miss I'm not mad at myself because I know I gave it my best effort.
This keeps my attitude from getting too negative.
Full care and attention. Every shot. If you fail, then at least nobody can say you were
lazy or careless or didn't try.
I think those 4 little words best describe the attitude you need to win and play your best.
I know some players say "don't get bogged down and overthink it", and maybe that works for them.
But for me, what works best is to think of EVERYthing. What am I trying to do, where
is the cue ball gonna go, how hard am I gonna hit it, is there any danger if I hit too hard?
What about too soft? Can I over or underspin it? And so on.
Once I have my gameplan I then get down and take my best guess on aim,
and best guess on speed, and let 'er rip.
You have to do this for every ball in the rack. Not just the first shot or two.
Not just the game ball. Not just the tough ones. Every single shot.
It can be exhausting but often the guy who wins is the one willing to work harder.
If I miss I'm not mad at myself because I know I gave it my best effort.
This keeps my attitude from getting too negative.
Full care and attention. Every shot. If you fail, then at least nobody can say you were
lazy or careless or didn't try.
Playing in tense situations will improve your ability to deal with pressure.
That being said I tend to run the table when I focus on making balls. I just wanna make balls, the wins will come. I keep it simple. I do focus on what I am doing and work on the things I can control. I believe it was Cael Sanderson the Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestler who said that he would not focus on winning and losing but merely scoring points.
With all of the focus on the balls I lose thought of what round in the tourney it is or who my opponent is, or who is watching.
That being said I tend to run the table when I focus on making balls. I just wanna make balls, the wins will come. I keep it simple. I do focus on what I am doing and work on the things I can control. I believe it was Cael Sanderson the Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestler who said that he would not focus on winning and losing but merely scoring points.
With all of the focus on the balls I lose thought of what round in the tourney it is or who my opponent is, or who is watching.
There is a lot of stuff in this thread that you can use but, seriously, the best thing you can do is to play these players that are tough over and over and over again. Pay particular attention to your fundamentals and play the game you learned to play. There is, absolutely, no substitute for experience.
This is a normal phenomenon we like to call "The Faint Factor"..
This is a normal phenomenon we like to call "The Faint Factor".....there's a solution, and it does take some effort, time and action..... the first step is being "willing to believe" that you can over come this issue, many players stay in denial (about the core issue) and this is a serious "mental road-block"
This is a normal phenomenon we like to call "The Faint Factor".....there's a solution, and it does take some effort, time and action..... the first step is being "willing to believe" that you can over come this issue, many players stay in denial (about the core issue) and this is a serious "mental road-block"