I want to know what some of you are/should be thinking in the moments when you are down on the shot and performing practice strokes. Should you try to have a completely clear mind where all decisions/visualizations have been resolved before getting down? Should you try and visualize what you are trying to do all the way up until you pull the trigger? Should you just focus on breathing? Should you do something else entirely? Hopefully this generates some valuable and meaningful discussion. Thanks!
What are you thinking?
- Thread starter Prince H
- Start date
Mostly just how the stroke should feel and visualisation. If anything else is going on up there, I'm probably not playing terribly well.
if I am thinking anything all when I am down on the shot, it's just simply how nice it is to be shooting.
When I am in the chair waiting on my inning, I try to study my opponent and see their weakness/strengths if I have never played one pocket with them before. If I know them already I am thinking about the last time I washed my car, why my big toe is hurting, wondering if this time the chicken fingers will be cooked all the way, who knows what.
When I am at the table, I am only thinking about one thing, how to do the most damage to my opponent. Once I have decided how that's done, My mind is also done. I get down and shoot. Sometimes it doesn't work out.
When I am in the chair waiting on my inning, I try to study my opponent and see their weakness/strengths if I have never played one pocket with them before. If I know them already I am thinking about the last time I washed my car, why my big toe is hurting, wondering if this time the chicken fingers will be cooked all the way, who knows what.
When I am at the table, I am only thinking about one thing, how to do the most damage to my opponent. Once I have decided how that's done, My mind is also done. I get down and shoot. Sometimes it doesn't work out.
Honestly when I'm " in the zone " or " freestrokin" I'm thinking of absolutely nothing at all. I don't have to think about what I'm doing / what I need to do, it all kinda just happens naturally without thought. Possibly muscle memory has something to do with it from shooting the same shot thousands of times in the past???? I do know you get yourself into trouble when you start to over think things - every time. Unfortunately, this can not be turned on like a light switch ( at least I can't ), it comes and goes and on its own terms.
Funny you should mention that.
Yesterday, while playing One Pocket with the boys, I bent down to have a go at a pesky little three-railer, when all of a sudden I remembered that I had forgot to let the cat out, at home.
Then I remembered I didn't have a cat.
What a relief. :smile:
Yesterday, while playing One Pocket with the boys, I bent down to have a go at a pesky little three-railer, when all of a sudden I remembered that I had forgot to let the cat out, at home.
Then I remembered I didn't have a cat.
What a relief. :smile:
I know I shouldn't, but I am usually giving myself a brief pep-talk about just following my routine and visualizing it going in / position...
Once I am down, I am visualizing the cue ball's path to my desired position for the next ball. No more aiming or stroke thoughts.
Sometimes after I am down. I realize my chosen stroke is going to give me some squirt, throw or swerve that I hadn't planned on and I have to stand up and adjust. And sometimes I don't notice that I am about to screw it up. That's when I am left scratching my head wondering where I went wrong.
Sometimes after I am down. I realize my chosen stroke is going to give me some squirt, throw or swerve that I hadn't planned on and I have to stand up and adjust. And sometimes I don't notice that I am about to screw it up. That's when I am left scratching my head wondering where I went wrong.
Before getting down on a tough shot, I think positive thoughts, like, I've made this shot 1000's of times. When I'm down I have to just trust my stroke and try to just focus on making the shot and CB position after the shot. Most of us make this game much harder than it is...thinking too much. Johnnyt
I'm thinking about he cheers from the barflies.
Freddie <~~~ oohs and aahs from the crowd
It all depends...
If i remember what i was thinking is because i was not focused on the game.
If i don't remember the game is because i was in the zone.
Mainly i focus to make the shot and sometimes life get in between
Similar to my game. If I am feeling de Ent and shooting good I am not thinking at all and like you say....sometimes I can't remember anything about that particular rack.
Other times I have things on my mind or think negative crap like....if I miss he is out....and i always miss when that thought pops in my head...dint matter if its the easiest shot iof the entire match lol.
Nothing, all thinking comes before I get down on the shot.
You need to take your conscious mind out of it. Shooting is a physical act & problems generally occur when your mind tries to tell your body how to do something it already knows how to do. Think on that for a couple of tics.
You need to take your conscious mind out of it. Shooting is a physical act & problems generally occur when your mind tries to tell your body how to do something it already knows how to do. Think on that for a couple of tics.
Optimist Prime...
Wondering what excuse I am going to use after I miss this shot.
Wondering what excuse I am going to use after I miss this shot.