What do you concentrate on?

BazookaJoe

BazookaJoe

Destroyer of stickers
Silver Member
I've always noticed an inconsistency in my stroke. One night good, one night bad.
From the beginning, I started out concentrating on the shot, the angle, and the speed. Too much to think about for me, thus I missed many shots I shouldn't have.
Just last night I remembered Ray Martin's book "99 critical...." stated that you should be able to line up, look away and still pocket the ball and get shape. Makes perfect sense to me. But what to concentrate on to help me acheive this? I found that if I stand correctly, bridge correctly, clear my head, and then focus solely on bringing my thumb toward my chin, my shots are dead on and my shape is much closer than before. And yes, I can look away too.(Had to try it a few times)

What are some of your "last thoughts" before stroking?
 
look, don't think about shit. it's like when people are out on a ledge of a building, and the other people say to them "don't look down" don't think about anything, CLEAR YOUR MIND kid. just look at the spot on the object ball that needs to be contacted, and shoot!
 
hi fast larry. i am thrilled with my playing in general. i play close to pro level, especially in 8-ball where i believe i could beat any pro on earth, here's my question, latley when i'm on the 8-ball if i'm not straight in and perfectly easily close, i usually miss, cause i believe i'm upset withmyself,in conjunction with left brain thinking, help me how can i say, so what? so i'm not perfect, and continue on? thanks.


__________________
BERNIE


Thinking of "nothing" isn't all that easy. Is it?
I just think I found it easier to concentrate on a simple arm movement than what the result of that movement will be.
 
Phil Capelle talks about the idea of stroke keys, or little thoughts you can use to assist in executing a good stroke. A few that he mentions are "Be smooth", "Move Only your arm", and "concentrate on being still". Also, stroke keys will change depending on what stage your stroke is in. Mine sure have, and they do tend to help. Sometimes when I am struggling I will do some drills and focus on the basics, and when my stroke clicks back in I will concentrate on what seemed to help, and try to remember what I am (or am not) doing physically. A few stroke keys I have used are move only your arm, don't move your shoulder, no sideways wrist-motion, and accelerate through the ball. I think that these stroke keys are personal matters and depend on your stroke, and what helps one person will not help another. If I tell myself to not move my wrist it helps my game, but I wouldn't ask Bustamante or Strickland to change anything they do with their wrist!
 
Everyone makes some good points. IMO, your whole concentration and focus should be on pocketing the shot or
executuing the proper shot. If u tell ur mind that u are 100% confident about ur stroke, stance, ie,, ur fundamentals u will
be more likely to get the best results .
Disecting ur fundamentals should be done doing practice where u have a chance to change ur stance or replay a shot so that mentally u can get it right. I know plenty of time, I will practice a certain shot over and over and whenever I encounter the same shot during competition mentally I'm ready.
 
henho said:
Phil Capelle talks about the idea of stroke keys, or little thoughts you can use to assist in executing a good stroke. A few that he mentions are "Be smooth", "Move Only your arm", and "concentrate on being still". Also, stroke keys will change depending on what stage your stroke is in. Mine sure have, and they do tend to help. Sometimes when I am struggling I will do some drills and focus on the basics, and when my stroke clicks back in I will concentrate on what seemed to help, and try to remember what I am (or am not) doing physically. A few stroke keys I have used are move only your arm, don't move your shoulder, no sideways wrist-motion, and accelerate through the ball. I think that these stroke keys are personal matters and depend on your stroke, and what helps one person will not help another. If I tell myself to not move my wrist it helps my game, but I wouldn't ask Bustamante or Strickland to change anything they do with their wrist!
Click to expand...

Thanks, these "little thoughts" sound like what I'm talking about. I normally shoot fairly well. It's the occasional slump that got me thinking. I always try to practice the same physical pre-shot routine and now use the same mental pre-shot routine. It has done wonders. Maybe, one day, I'll put it all together and keep it that way.

I fixed my wrist movement after watching Souquet. He seems to "shake it out" just before his practice strokes.
 
A few things...

1: You want to do your thinking while standing up. Figure out how to make the ball, what english to use, etc. while standing. When you get down to shoot, just do what you decided. If you start second guessing yourself while stroking, stand up again.

2: I know a lot of people who teach and they all say to hit 1 tip, 2 tips, aim at 1/4 ball, aim at 1/2 ball, etc. I don't use this method. Actually, now that I am doing trick shots exclusively, I do use this method, but when I was playing professional 9-ball, I never used this method. I used a method that I picked up from a great book called 'The Inner Game of Tennis'. I forget what the exact name it is called in the book. You already know how to make shots and aim the cue ball. Your brain gets in the way sometimes and that's the problem. When I shoot, I am trying to picture the ball rolling into the pocket. That's it. It sounds strange, but that is how I did it for my entire life. The next time you practice, try to figure out what to do while standing up, then when you get down, just picture in your mind the cue ball rolling towards the object ball and the object ball rolling into the pocket. Keep replaying this picture in your mind and just shoot. I'm not sure of your speed, but you do need to be able to make balls pretty well if this method will work for you.

This method is not for everyone. It worked for me and it may or may not work for you. Give it a try.

By the way, I would recommend reading 'The Inner Game of Tennis'. It is a great insight to the mental aspect of the game. It is written about tennis but you can apply it to all games. There is also 'The Inner Game of Golf' which is not as good, but it is still worth the read.

Good luck.

Andy Segal
 
Thanks Andy, this is what I'm talking about.
SOMETHING will pass though the mind. Even if it is "Man, I sure would like a peanut butter sandwich about now"
That one always messes me up.
I've gotten results from limiting the thought to a simple arm movement. I am leaving to practice at 4, so i will try to visualize the ball rolling in.

I've read zen in the art of archery. Good one also.

PS - Caught you on ESPN vs Massey. Good show man.
 
BazookaJoe said:
hi fast larry. i am thrilled with my playing in general. i play close to pro level, especially in 8-ball where i believe i could beat any pro on earth, here's my question, latley when i'm on the 8-ball if i'm not straight in and perfectly easily close, i usually miss, cause i believe i'm upset withmyself,in conjunction with left brain thinking, help me how can i say, so what? so i'm not perfect, and continue on? thanks.


__________________
BERNIE


Thinking of "nothing" isn't all that easy. Is it?
I just think I found it easier to concentrate on a simple arm movement than what the result of that movement will be.
Click to expand...

FL RESPONDS, OH NO, trying to play with a total empty brain is the hardest thing of all to do. First you must shut off all left brain, monkey brain chatter in your mind, give him a name, mine is Fred, I talk to Fred, Fred, I am now playing pool, turn your self off, do not talk to me, leave me alone, I require total silence, when you see me break my cue down you may return and help me then, until then, Good by Fred.
I teach in my pool school to trust your stroke, to line up over simple shots like you describe, take your strokes, once you get cpu green, your locked in and ready to fire, come to a stop, very brief pause, close your eyes and make the stroke, now open your eyes to see if you made the pot and the postional shape. If not keep doing it until you do both perfect. This is a great tool to train your self on in private. It teaches you the stroke is nothing but straight back, straight through the ball. Once you have that grooved and trust it to repeat, you can now play the game with total feel with a total empty brain.

This is a feel game, it cannot be played mechnically, which is what I see most of the ham and eggers female pros going nowhere now doing, they look like a bunch of damn robots, not humans, no flow, no real feel from shot to shot. I don't know who's teaching them that crap but I do not produce robot mechanical machines, I want slick moving athletic fast movements that glide from shot to shot with a rhythm and a flow to it. Mosconi would not stomp around the table looking like the Terminator robot in the movie, he would glide, dance from shot to shot. Play pool mechnically you go no where, play it by total feel, you can hit the heights.
Any time you dog any simple shot, especially the game ball and you are a better player like you describe, that is a cardinal sin dude and you must punish your self for this. The next day shoot that shot 100 times, 200, I've seen players shoot it 500 times, over and over, saying I will never ever miss you ever again on every stroke.
Missing the shot can also be mental. Fatty taught me a long time ago: Only a sucker puts heat on himself. Pressure is self induced, only you can put it on, only you can take it off.

Dont allow pressure to happen, learn to stay very calm and even keeled. Learn to play every ball in the run with the same rhythm, the first ball is just as important as the last ball, so give the same amount of time to each one and just run out past the last ball. You give the last ball the same amout of time and importance as you did the first ball. What sets up the choke is to stop the run, spend more time on the game ball, begin to walk around, light up a cig and begin to think about it, that is what sets up the choke. Do not even give you self time to think, glide right into it and knock it in fast.
:D:D
 
Andy Segal said:
A few things...

1: You want to do your thinking while standing up. Figure out how to make the ball, what english to use, etc. while standing. When you get down to shoot, just do what you decided. If you start second guessing yourself while stroking, stand up again.

2: I know a lot of people who teach and they all say to hit 1 tip, 2 tips, aim at 1/4 ball, aim at 1/2 ball, etc. I don't use this method. Actually, now that I am doing trick shots exclusively, I do use this method, but when I was playing professional 9-ball, I never used this method. I used a method that I picked up from a great book called 'The Inner Game of Tennis'. I forget what the exact name it is called in the book. You already know how to make shots and aim the cue ball. Your brain gets in the way sometimes and that's the problem. When I shoot, I am trying to picture the ball rolling into the pocket. That's it. It sounds strange, but that is how I did it for my entire life. The next time you practice, try to figure out what to do while standing up, then when you get down, just picture in your mind the cue ball rolling towards the object ball and the object ball rolling into the pocket. Keep replaying this picture in your mind and just shoot. I'm not sure of your speed, but you do need to be able to make balls pretty well if this method will work for you.

This method is not for everyone. It worked for me and it may or may not work for you. Give it a try.

By the way, I would recommend reading 'The Inner Game of Tennis'. It is a great insight to the mental aspect of the game. It is written about tennis but you can apply it to all games. There is also 'The Inner Game of Golf' which is not as good, but it is still worth the read.

Good luck.

Andy Segal
Click to expand...

I agree with Andy here, especially on point 1.

For years I tried to stare at lines to fine correct alignment and aiming but I gave up these methods. Now I just imagine the right path of cue and object ball as a picture/video before going down on the shot, then go down into position with this image clearly in mind and being reinforced by the feedback provided by vision (which should include cue, cueball, object ball and line to pocket.

Before shooting small adjustments are usually necessary, for this I rely on (for use of no better word)) 'feel'. I mean you should have a feeling that you are alligned to make the shot. Actually, you are more likely to 'feel' the opposite, that you don't 'feel' the shot is ready to be made. When you 'don't feel it is right' then readjust or step back and start again until you have a good feeling for the shot. Then play the shot with commitment and observe so that you can learn which feelings to trust.

The more you practice, the easier it is to get the feel of making the shot.

As for aiming at the part of the object ball you want to strike, this will lead to confusion. Other than on straight shots, the line of the cue (if a centre strike) or the line through the middle of the cueball along its path of travel is NOT in line with the contact point. Consider a fine nick and this point is obvious.

Trying to allign to shadow balls (an imaginary ball placed at the point of contact with the object ball) is more reasonable but also troublesome. Easier just to 'feel' the line, and if your feeling is wrong, keep practicing until you get the feel of shots.

Use the information that comes through your eyes. This is all you brain knows how to process. Be aware of the image of the shot, carefully go down onto the shot, and when it feels right, bash away:)

Colin
www.hamcorp.com
 
Colin Colenso said:
I agree with Andy here, especially on point 1.

For years I tried to stare at lines to fine correct alignment and aiming but I gave up these methods. Now I just imagine the right path of cue and object ball as a picture/video before going down on the shot, then go down into position with this image clearly in mind and being reinforced by the feedback provided by vision (which should include cue, cueball, object ball and line to pocket.

Before shooting small adjustments are usually necessary, for this I rely on (for use of no better word)) 'feel'. I mean you should have a feeling that you are alligned to make the shot. Actually, you are more likely to 'feel' the opposite, that you don't 'feel' the shot is ready to be made. When you 'don't feel it is right' then readjust or step back and start again until you have a good feeling for the shot. Then play the shot with commitment and observe so that you can learn which feelings to trust.

The more you practice, the easier it is to get the feel of making the shot.

As for aiming at the part of the object ball you want to strike, this will lead to confusion. Other than on straight shots, the line of the cue (if a centre strike) or the line through the middle of the cueball along its path of travel is NOT in line with the contact point. Consider a fine nick and this point is obvious.

Trying to allign to shadow balls (an imaginary ball placed at the point of contact with the object ball) is more reasonable but also troublesome. Easier just to 'feel' the line, and if your feeling is wrong, keep practicing until you get the feel of shots.

Use the information that comes through your eyes. This is all you brain knows how to process. Be aware of the image of the shot, carefully go down onto the shot, and when it feels right, bash away:)

Colin
www.hamcorp.com
Click to expand...



FL RESPONDS, Yes colin, in Golf, talk to any pro and he will tell you how they are all trained is to learn to groove their basics solid and perfect so they are totally trusted and repeat. Then all one must do is have confidence in this and let it flow and happen using a total empty brain. The game now becomes total visualization, you stand up, see the shot, drop into it and it's nothing but a bloomin leap of faith, the cpu in your mind will make the pot and shape for you automatically. I teach this system, it's the core of all of my methods. :D
 
fast larry said:
FL RESPONDS, Yes colin, in Golf, talk to any pro and he will tell you how they are all trained is to learn to groove their basics solid and perfect so they are totally trusted and repeat. Then all one must do is have confidence in this and let it flow and happen using a total empty brain. The game now becomes total visualization, you stand up, see the shot, drop into it and it's nothing but a bloomin leap of faith, the cpu in your mind will make the pot and shape for you automatically. I teach this system, it's the core of all of my methods. :D
Click to expand...

Thanks Larry, I believe your coaching is on the right track.

It took me 10 years of practice to finally work out that 'feel' was really the key to consistant high level play. My active thinking was continually stepping in to confuse me, especially under tenser moments, throughout this learning phase.

Now all I need to play well is a few hours, a few days in a row to get back a 'feeling' for the angles and speeds and then I'm not far away from my best. More practice than that and it's a constant battle to keep Fred* out of the game;)

Fred refering to Larry's mention of left brain chatter, which I refer to as the active mind.
 
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