Exactly, you slow down, shorten stroke take it easy get confident stroke, and slowly back up to speed again.
What to do to get out of a slump?
- Thread starter tashworth19191
- Start date
Exactly, you slow down, shorten stroke take it easy get confident stroke, and slowly back up to speed again.
:smile:
You can shoot almost every shot firm on a slow table.
The trick is, to know where to hit the cueball to follow, back up, or stop.
Every shot...same stroke, same speed, but just know where to hit
the cueball as long as you are straight or just a little angle.
Just make the balls and worry less about perfect position.
The center of the cueball and the center of the table is your friend.
.
Stop thinking. I am finally coming out of a slump as I was thinking way to much.
(What I did) Get on a table by yourself, start hitting balls without thinking. Don't play like speed pool, but look at the shot, look where you want the cue ball, and get down and shoot. Even if it's a difficult shot or positional play, look and shoot. Of course you should have a preshot routine in there, but basically shoot the ball and let the thinking part of your brain get out of the way of the execution part of the brain. I did this for 2 off days for 3 hours each day. I was surprised how many times I got out by the end of the second day. I'm not quite back to my old form, but I'm much closer than I was last week.
(What I did) Get on a table by yourself, start hitting balls without thinking. Don't play like speed pool, but look at the shot, look where you want the cue ball, and get down and shoot. Even if it's a difficult shot or positional play, look and shoot. Of course you should have a preshot routine in there, but basically shoot the ball and let the thinking part of your brain get out of the way of the execution part of the brain. I did this for 2 off days for 3 hours each day. I was surprised how many times I got out by the end of the second day. I'm not quite back to my old form, but I'm much closer than I was last week.
I had a captain once that could see when I was slumping and would just tell me "Just play pool". Now whenever I feel even one iota of a slump coming on I remind myself to just play pool. It is a simple game where you hit a ball in a hole. Stop trying to be perfect and just hit the ball in the hole.
Fun?
I think taking a break for a couple of weeks to a month is not a bad idea. If you really love pool you will be chomping at the bit to get back to the table and run some racks. It will also give you time to reflect on when you think you last had your A game and when you noticed it was gone, what shots were kicking your butt, and is pool still fun. It has to be fun, I mean why else play? Winning is fun and most of us have a bit of an ego that needs feeding , but it can't be the only reason we have fun playing pool,it just can't be. If it is then we would only play some one we know we will beat.
I think taking a break for a couple of weeks to a month is not a bad idea. If you really love pool you will be chomping at the bit to get back to the table and run some racks. It will also give you time to reflect on when you think you last had your A game and when you noticed it was gone, what shots were kicking your butt, and is pool still fun. It has to be fun, I mean why else play? Winning is fun and most of us have a bit of an ego that needs feeding , but it can't be the only reason we have fun playing pool,it just can't be. If it is then we would only play some one we know we will beat.
I seriously took a 15 year break becuase my eyes were so bad. I had Lasik surgery just so I could play pool again. Not going to take time off, I would rather understand where my head is and fix the problem...
Shoot the balls with confidence whether you really think you are going to make it or not... just shoot it like you know it's going in.
Also, analyze what you are doing wrong. Recently I was hitting most shots to fast and they were contacting rails on the way to the pocket causing them to rattle. I started aiming a little thinner and the balls started falling in... then after a few days of this, this new look at the balls started to look true...
Also, analyze what you are doing wrong. Recently I was hitting most shots to fast and they were contacting rails on the way to the pocket causing them to rattle. I started aiming a little thinner and the balls started falling in... then after a few days of this, this new look at the balls started to look true...
Interesting. I make sure I am doing my preshot routine in a precise order and that my my take back is slow. I have a habit of kicking my arm out at the end of my back stroke and the slower take back lets me know if I am doing that. If I am, I stroke until the back stroke is strait. This usually gets me on track to making balls as I expect to. BTW - I also make sure my head is in my correct position but this is part of my preshot routine.
The other aspect of slumping concerns making mistakes. I have had periods of time where I am pocketing balls as I expect too but make mistakes and get out of line or on the wrong side. Some of this is due not feeling the shot and the other is just poor decision making or I am ultra aggressive and try for some hero position. I hate making mental errors as these are avoidable but I have days where I just make these types of errors. Being human (I think) we are not the same each day nor are the tables. Also, judging the speed of a table can vary depending on how we feel.
Al
The other aspect of slumping concerns making mistakes. I have had periods of time where I am pocketing balls as I expect too but make mistakes and get out of line or on the wrong side. Some of this is due not feeling the shot and the other is just poor decision making or I am ultra aggressive and try for some hero position. I hate making mental errors as these are avoidable but I have days where I just make these types of errors. Being human (I think) we are not the same each day nor are the tables. Also, judging the speed of a table can vary depending on how we feel.
Al