When your down on a shot?

Yesturday night while playing in a tournament I'm down 2-0 in a race to four I have 1 ball plus the 8 left on the table and I'm down on my shot.

What am I thinking.....

My brain is screaming; stand up, stand up you fool, stand up. Another part of my brain is calmly saying don't worry, you're focused, you have a plan and you are properly aligned(or are you, nevermind just shoot).

I shot.

I missed. Insert expletive here ____________

Note to self, listen to first voice in head not second no matter how reasonable the second sounds, if you hear a third voice better get in with a shrink.
 
Sam Waltz said:
Mmmmm poooooool shoes.......like walkin' on a cloud!

If you wanna play pool, the only thing that better be on your mind is a clear view of your contact point on your object ball...if your thinkin' about anything else...well...your in big trouble! NOTHIN' should be on your mind, just a clear and beautiful view of a minute contact point.....

Mmmmm back to my poooooool shoes now... ;)

Yeah TOAST!
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This is text book, but how much focus you put on the contact point will depend on your understanding of the game. Any player with high skill will know the exact contact point without focusing on the contact point alone. Less skilled players will have to focus on the contact point and nothing else. I personally try to 'feel the entire shot' or path the cue ball's going to take.. It's a tip Buddy gave me once and it is probably one of the single most helpful tips I ever got from anyone.

If you're not focusing on the contact point, you are focusing on the wrong thing, as you are not playing pool.
 
I actually have to think while I'm down on a shot. When I'm shooting well the only thing I'm saying to myself is "smooth stroke"
 
If you're doing it right, then before you crouched down over the cue ball, you selected an aim, a stroke and a speed. In other words, you planned every aspect of your shot.

When you're over the cue ball, all your thoughts should center on executing the plan you made..
 
I practiced today and found visualizing everything that was going to happen really helped me a lot. I noticed it most when I would have to go a few rails and just miss a few balls in order to get shape. I would step back and just imagine what I wanted to happen and what spin I would need to use. I think it worked like that because I am a visual learner. Now I guess practice makes perfect.
 
when i am down on a shot i think what am i doing wasting my time playing, i stink
 
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crawfish said:
One of two things:

1. How great my a$$ looks to the girl on table 2.

2. How great her a$$ looks on table 2.

If you played where I play, this would all make sense. Put it this way, I would put our top 3 bartenders against most any 3 to ever work in a poolroom at one time. You'd have to see it to believe it. And they can play, too!
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Dude, post pics let us in on the fun.
 
The thought process goes on before you go in to shoot the shot. Once you go in to shoot it's all about the execution of your plan.
 
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