You Have Only One Thought...What?

sjm said:
It's compelling, but I don't like it.

If it looks wrong or feels wrong, begin your pre-shot routine all over again, because you'll be hard pressed to stay committed to your shot if you don't. Set up again, and don't pull the trigger until it looks right and feels right.

Just one man's opinion.
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You can probably kick my ass, SJM, but on this one, I don't agree with you.

I like your advice about beginning the pre-shot routine again, but not the part about it not feeling right.

I used to stop when it didnt' feel right. What I discovered was that I was stopping too often, because when in pain, for example, it rarely feels right. And pain happens more often as I age. I imagine Jeanette Lee overcomes her feelings often and just lets the shot go.

Another man's opinion,

Jeff Livingston
 
vapoolplayer said:
i tend to disagree here. i still think she knows whether or not the shot feels right.

consider that you're comparing what you think about at the table, to what a champion thinks about........theres a bit of a difference.

VAP
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My point is that sometimes the shot will NEVER feel right, so I have to just go on and do it, regardless of the feelings. I KNOW that I've done the right setup stuff, so the shot is scheduled to go in, regardless of my feelings.

If I waited for it to feel right all the time, I'd never shoot much pool.

Now if we're talking about feelings of doubt then I'm with ya sometimes; but if we're talking about physical feelings of having my body perfect, I'm not. Even with feelings of doubt, which are many times false, I tend to overcome them with knowledge that my routine is right and therefore, the shot will go.

I've never been inside Jeanette's head, but I am told she has back pain while she shoots, and she still shoots anyway.

Jeff Livingston
 
chefjeff said:
My point is that sometimes the shot will NEVER feel right, so I have to just go on and do it, regardless of the feelings. I KNOW that I've done the right setup stuff, so the shot is scheduled to go in, regardless of my feelings.

If I waited for it to feel right all the time, I'd never shoot much pool.

Now if we're talking about feelings of doubt then I'm with ya sometimes; but if we're talking about physical feelings of having my body perfect, I'm not. Even with feelings of doubt, which are many times false, I tend to overcome them with knowledge that my routine is right and therefore, the shot will go.

I've never been inside Jeanette's head, but I am told she has back pain while she shoots, and she still shoots anyway.

Jeff Livingston
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Since the thread is about being in the zone, I think the feeling "right" is absolutely necessary to maintain that zone. Notice that I said "feeling" right, not "looking" right.

In that zone, your subconscious uses all of your experience and memories (even ones you don't know you've retained) automatically. So, a shot that doesn't look right or that you are not quite consciously "completely sure" about how to shoot, can still feel right. And, your "zone" self can make it.

I think the key is what sjm and others say above; trust that feeling and stay 100% committed to the shot. I read a quote from Mosconi before, something to effect of "I never shot a shot that I didn't know I was going to make." Whether that is absolutely true or not, that is the attitude I have felt when I was truly in the zone and trusted myself and my game.

It's also important to watch the total results of that "trusted" shot with an open, non-judgemental mind so that your mind retains that experience for the future; whether the result was what you expected or not.

That makes $.04 from me . . . .
 
One thought ...

alternates between making the shot and where the cue ball has to
go after the shot and how to get it there.
 
ScottR said:
Since the thread is about being in the zone, I think the feeling "right" is absolutely necessary to maintain that zone. Notice that I said "feeling" right, not "looking" right.
.
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I do not know about anyone else, but here are my thoughts and feelings.

When in the zone, everything is fluid. I do not question a thing. I do not trust what I am doing nor do I distrust what I am doing, I am just doing with pure feel. My conscious mind stays away, with my subconscious mind in autopilot. My subconscious triggers an alert to my conscious mind for answers when in possible trouble, but it is short, to the point and then back to subconscious.
 
RichardCranium said:
I think Corey Duel said something to the effect of if that last thing I see/feel is the ball going into the pocket...I make the shot...If the last thing I see/feel is the ball hitting the rail...thats usually where it ends up....

Similar effect as in Golf...Some say that the last thing you should do before you swing is to glance at your final target...If the last thing you see is the flag stick...thats where the ball will go...If the last thing you see is the out of bounds or water....guess where the ball is going???

It may very well act as a "mental" trigger that puts your focus on the "target" and not the other million thoughts available to you at crunch time....
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The last thing I look at before pulling the trigger on a golf shot is the spot on the back of the ball I am aiming to hit with the dead-center of my clubface sweet spot.
 
ScottR said:
The last thing I look at before pulling the trigger on a golf shot is the spot on the back of the ball I am aiming to hit with the dead-center of my clubface sweet spot.
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Yes, and your mind sees the path and the flight of the ball.
 
whitewolf said:
I still think you are at least feeling the speed of the shot just before you shoot. But, just like in golf all the way up and through the final stroke you are feeling the speed. Or at least a good pool player and golfer should, IMHO. I am just questioning what you claim to be thinking :D

WW
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Well, I guess you and I are NOT thinking on the same lines about this speed thing. In golf, you can have a putt that's 1 inch to over 100 feet and everything in between along with slow greens, lightening fast greens, and hills and dales along the way. Therefore, speed control is imperative and ever changing from one hole to the next and one putt to the next.

On a pool table, it's always 7', 8' or 9' at most or somewhere in between and it's usually on lightening fast cloth. In my case, it's always a 9 footer. It doesn't take very much to get a CB to go long distances. For me, because I do play so much and just have a feel, speed is almost automatic. I don't have to focus on it because I'm hitting damn near EVERY shot at the same speed...which I would say is medium soft.

My stroke stays the same and the speed is somewhat similar, the only thing is what KIND of STROKE I'm putting on it and where I'm hitting the CB for spin, stun, draw or follow. So the amount of force I use doesn't vary much like it will on a golf putt. Many people in aiming threads have said "aiming is automatic". Well, I disagree and say bullshit to that and when push comes to shove as what recently came up with a couple of posters, they did admit to using an aiming system but just didn't know what it was called.

But with speed, when you play a lot...whether you're not using a rail, or working the CB 1,2,3, or 4 rails for position on your next shot, it's just something that can be assessed and felt automatically before you even set up. Honestly, I don't have to go haywire about speed, since it's almost always the same speed anyway.
Do you see where I'm coming from, or not?
 
Williebetmore said:
DaveK,
Was that a "Bogey Man" George Plimpton reference???? If so, far out; kudos.
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Yes, see post #38 in this thread ... I can't help but throw that one out in a discussion of pre-shot thoughts ...

Dave
 
drivermaker said:
Well, I guess you and I are NOT thinking on the same lines about this speed thing. In golf, you can have a putt that's 1 inch to over 100 feet and everything in between along with slow greens, lightening fast greens, and hills and dales along the way. Therefore, speed control is imperative and ever changing from one hole to the next and one putt to the next.

On a pool table, it's always 7', 8' or 9' at most or somewhere in between and it's usually on lightening fast cloth. In my case, it's always a 9 footer. It doesn't take very much to get a CB to go long distances. For me, because I do play so much and just have a feel, speed is almost automatic. I don't have to focus on it because I'm hitting damn near EVERY shot at the same speed...which I would say is medium soft.

My stroke stays the same and the speed is somewhat similar, the only thing is what KIND of STROKE I'm putting on it and where I'm hitting the CB for spin, stun, draw or follow. So the amount of force I use doesn't vary much like it will on a golf putt. Many people in aiming threads have said "aiming is automatic". Well, I disagree and say bullshit to that and when push comes to shove as what recently came up with a couple of posters, they did admit to using an aiming system but just didn't know what it was called.

But with speed, when you play a lot...whether you're not using a rail, or working the CB 1,2,3, or 4 rails for position on your next shot, it's just something that can be assessed and felt automatically before you even set up. Honestly, I don't have to go haywire about speed, since it's almost always the same speed anyway.
Do you see where I'm coming from, or not?
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I think you need to play more 8-ball.

Jeff Livingston
 
drivermaker said:
Screw 8 ball...I need to get back to playing straight pool...the ultimate game.
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Whatever. The comments you 9-ballers make seem so bizarre to me sometimes. I wonder if we're even playing the same sport.

Btw, I ran into Don McCaughey at Home Depot the other day and he told me he thinks 8-ball is the toughest game of all. He didn't compare it to 14.1, but he did say 1-pocket is easier than 8-ball. That surprised me a lot.

So there...nyah! :p

Jeff Livingston
 
chefjeff said:
You can probably kick my ass, SJM, but on this one, I don't agree with you.

I like your advice about beginning the pre-shot routine again, but not the part about it not feeling right.

I used to stop when it didnt' feel right. What I discovered was that I was stopping too often, because when in pain, for example, it rarely feels right. And pain happens more often as I age. I imagine Jeanette Lee overcomes her feelings often and just lets the shot go.

Another man's opinion,

Jeff Livingston
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Jeff, our relative strength as players is not relevant here. Each of us has an educated opinion based on our experience that we've offered, hopefully enhancing the thread. That's what this forum is all about.
 
When I'm in "the zone" the only thing I consciously remind myself of is NOT to shift my eyes.
 
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sjm said:
Jeff, our relative strength as players is not relevant here. Each of us has an educated opinion based on our experience that we've offered, hopefully enhancing the thread. That's what this forum is all about.
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[stunned] What?...I don't have to defend my personhood?...I just have to have an educated opinion to post here? wow, who'd thunk it?

Hey sjm, I'm gonna for sure be in Peoria...are you still going? How about Willie and Zim?

Jeff Livingston
 
chefjeff said:
[stunned] What?...I don't have to defend my personhood?...I just have to have an educated opinion to post here? wow, who'd thunk it?

Hey sjm, I'm gonna for sure be in Peoria...are you still going? How about Willie and Zim?

Jeff Livingston
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I'm arriving Thursday afternoon and will stay until a champion has been crowned on Sunday. Look forward to meeting you.
 
christyd said:
When I'm in "the zone" the only thing I consciously remind myself of is NOT to shift my eyes.
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How can a "shifty eyed" person like yourself possibly go against her natural grain? (you can always tell when christy is lying her ass off)
(not to worry...only funin') :D :p
 
drivermaker said:
How can a "shifty eyed" person like yourself possibly go against her natural grain? (you can always tell when christy is lying her ass off)
(not to worry...only funin') :D :p
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Whooo Drivermaker......you had me worried there for a second :D
Although this is a bit off topic, it's amazing to me when people discuss things they must remind themselves of (no jumping up, pause, pre-shot routine, etc) but it's very rare that anyone ever mentions "shifting of the eyes". Doesn't anyone else have that problem?????

Christyd
 
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