what do you do when in a slump ?

jay helfert said:
Take two weeks off and then quit! :wink:

P.S. I have a quick solution for this problem that will be in my next book. It works too! The OP can PM for this information.
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i have read all the replies. some of you have suggested what i think are logical solutions, but..... i gotta say jay is the man !

before i get into jays and mine pm's i need to say this. in my op i left out what i thought was a minor detail i changed in my routine before going to this tourny in an effort to keep my post short.

i say minor detail because i attributted my performance that weekend to my change in how i approached each shot.

now back to jay. when i saw jays post i was definitely interested in what he had to say. i know jay has a preety extensive background in pool at the highest level and figured he might have some good advice.

imagine my suprise when he got back to me and suggested the very thing i had changed in my routine but failed to post on here or even recognize the significance of it at the time. kudos to you jay.

this man knows his stuff ! if you wanna know what the advice was you gotta buy the book.

jay since i come on here singing praise about your wealth of knowledge and promoting your book, does that mean i get a free copy ?

j/k jay. :wink:

i intend to buy the book when it comes out and see what else i can learn from him.
 
Slumps are nothing more than a huge gap between your physcial and mental games.

Example: (numbers are on a scale from 0-10)

When you're playing really good your physcial game is say a 6 and your mental game is a 8

When you're playing your best your physcial game is an 7 and your mental game is say a 8

When both your physcial and mental games spike at the same time (off the chart!!!) this is what we call dead stroke. When you can't and don't miss and that little white bastard does everything you will it to on the dime!! The top pros play close to this level majority of the time but most all players mental game with be spiking higher than the physcial game.

Slump:

Slumps by definition is when your two games are light years apart. Say your physcial game is in the shitter at a 2 or best 3 and your mental game is at an 7 or an 8!!

The further both side of play are apart the worse you play because even though they are seperate they both are part of your game that IS the table. When your mind is so messed up then its only natural that the physcial aspects of your game drop or suffer. The longer you stay in a slump the more your mental game will come down to meet your physcial skill level until you are broken!!

There is good news and bad news.... The bad news is you have to grind through these slumps you encounter. Yeah it really sucks but there is no other quick cure and every great player has been there. So in some sort of fashion its a right of passage or joining the club :)

The good news.... Other than making through the valley of death you will come out of your slumps as a smarter and stronger player. You will actually feel it happen (I know I did) and when it does your game has forever been lifted to a higher level. Your confidence and shot making abilities will grow. All because you grinded it out!!

We all have shit days but if you keep grinding through the slumps they will less often and then one day you'll miss them... Not the part of actually dogging everything but the rebirth or growth of you as a player.

Good luck to you and remember to keep plugging away to get to that next level.. :thumbup2:
 
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I emphasize the more basic stroke drills that I do when I am slumping to get my stroke more smooth and natural. That and some basic ball control shots often help me out. If not, I take a few days off.
 
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