Only the Lord knows where that stroke goes sometimes! Thankfully it usually doesn't happen too often, but for the last few weeks I was mired in such a slump that I didn't even want to post on the forum! In my case, I realized that due to a combination of other life issues, I wasn't putting in the necessary table time, the work, or the focus into the game, and after a while, the stroke decided to punish me by taking leave until I was deserving. After putting in a few days of intense training and practice, I was getting glimpses of it, but I still just couldn't get connected to the table. Then, two nights ago, all of a sudden, in the middle of a set, there it was! The feeling was back, and I was running racks, playing lockup safeties, kicking safe and thinking well at the table.
The point is, your stroke is an indication of what has been going on in your pool life and often in your outside life. It could be a change you're trying to make in your game, a loss of confidence after a bad defeat, the creeping in of the little bad habits that any player must combat against, simply a lack of quality table time, or a host of other factors. The key is to try and isolate the cause and to go to work on fixing it. Videotape yourself, and if you can obtain the services of a qualified instructor, have him/her work you and addressing any flaws in alignment or stroke production that may be affecting your game.
Remind yourself that you're still a good player, even if you're not playing well right now. With a lot of work and a little patience, the stroke will be back, and perhaps better than ever. Often, what we think of as slump is simply a period when your game is gathering itself in preparation for a Great Leap Forward (any fans of Mao out there?
) The only way out is the way through!
