Mental Lapses

[MGM Tony]

Warning: Long post, tl;dr at the bottom if you don't want to sift through this.

Hello everyone,

I started playing pool again about a month ago, I've been putting in at least forty hours every week. I had a championship Snooker table when I was a kid that I played on everyday but I took about three years off for personal reasons. I've gotten my play and abilities back to where I now play a little above and think far above where I used to be. I dedicate almost all my free time to pool and I recently developed a love for one pocket. It's a fantastic game.

I live in Michigan just a hairbreadth outside of Detroit, so there is no lack of pool around here. One of the pool halls near my condo has small tournaments throughout the week and I play every single one of them that I can. There is a lot of talent around here. Sometimes I go over to Ron Wiseman's stomping ground and watch him play some nights. There is always a big money one pocket game around here.

Back to the point, these little tournaments (start at 7ish end around 12 or 1 depending on the number of players) that I play in, I come to find out that I have terrible mental lapses. I am a certified choke artist. If you didn't know better you'd think I was throwing the game. I blow easy game winning shots, or I give up easy three ball run-outs. I don't have a problem with execution normally, I practice at every available opportunity. When I gamble, I don't miss these shots but for some reason, whenever I play these tournaments, something doesn't click. I don't know why.

Surprisingly there is a lot of talent that plays in these. I've played against Adam Smith on a couple of occasions and like I said before I watch Ronnie whenever I get a chance. I've been fortunate enough to chat with these fellas and I keep hearing the same thing, practice. But practice doesn't stop me from choking. I've started doing some meditation and zen focus exercises. That seems to help a little bit. I did better today than I have before (may also be because I didn't draw A+ players) but I felt better to. How do you guys combat mental lapses and over analysis? I know that I can't be the only one who goes through this so what are some things that I can do to get my head right?

tl;dr - I choke when shooting game deciding shots what do?

P.S. I was so happy to get my verification email today. Feels like Christmas.

 

[jrhendy]

Warning: Long post, tl;dr at the bottom if you don't want to sift through this.

Hello everyone,

I started playing pool again about a month ago, I've been putting in at least forty hours every week. I had a championship Snooker table when I was a kid that I played on everyday but I took about three years off for personal reasons. I've gotten my play and abilities back to where I now play a little above and think far above where I used to be. I dedicate almost all my free time to pool and I recently developed a love for one pocket. It's a fantastic game.

I live in Michigan just a hairbreadth outside of Detroit, so there is no lack of pool around here. One of the pool halls near my condo has small tournaments throughout the week and I play every single one of them that I can. There is a lot of talent around here. Sometimes I go over to Ron Wiseman's stomping ground and watch him play some nights. There is always a big money one pocket game around here.

Back to the point, these little tournaments (start at 7ish end around 12 or 1 depending on the number of players) that I play in, I come to find out that I have terrible mental lapses. I am a certified choke artist. If you didn't know better you'd think I was throwing the game. I blow easy game winning shots, or I give up easy three ball run-outs. I don't have a problem with execution normally, I practice at every available opportunity. When I gamble, I don't miss these shots but for some reason, whenever I play these tournaments, something doesn't click. I don't know why.

Surprisingly there is a lot of talent that plays in these. I've played against Adam Smith on a couple of occasions and like I said before I watch Ronnie whenever I get a chance. I've been fortunate enough to chat with these fellas and I keep hearing the same thing, practice. But practice doesn't stop me from choking. I've started doing some meditation and zen focus exercises. That seems to help a little bit. I did better today than I have before (may also be because I didn't draw A+ players) but I felt better to. How do you guys combat mental lapses and over analysis? I know that I can't be the only one who goes through this so what are some things that I can do to get my head right?

tl;dr - I choke when shooting game deciding shots what do?

P.S. I was so happy to get my verification email today. Feels like Christmas.

If anyone had a single answer to choking it would be worth a mint. Even the champions do it from time to time. The reason they are champions is they do not choke as often as the rest of us.

The thing that makes pool and especially one pocket such a wonderful game is there are so many things that have to come together to become a good player. For some it is natural and others have to work hard at it.

I have been a good player for over 50 years. Never became a great player but I am still working on it.

Welcome to the site. Lots of good stuff and good people here.

 

[crystal cue]

Welcome to the site,if you you have a love for 1 pocket you are in the right place, you might want to take a look at a book ''the inner game of tennis'' it has a lot to do with pool,you can find it on Amazon.com,when you find it scroll down to 'product discription' and read that.Several years ago I was talking to George Middleditch at a tournament and I asked him if he had any advice on maintaining concentration,he told me to check out that book.
it was good advice,hope that helps

 

[wincardona]

Have fun with it.

Have fun with it.

Tony, How many times in your life have you had to prove to yourself that you could do something? Probably 100's of times, this is just another challenge that you are asking of yourself. You have managed to get over many hurdles in life, and you succeeded just as you will with this. You are doing the right thing by practicing and playing in as many tournaments as possible. The most effective way of proving to yourself that you can do something is to continue to put youself in situations where you ask youself to respond. You will become familar with the pressures of the challenge by doing that, and that is the best way for you to develop the confidence that you need in order to succeed.

By looking at a problem regularly, and familiarizing yourself with the problem you will learn to defeat the problem, or at least learn how to give yourself a better chance to defeat the problem.

Billy I.

 

[MGM Tony]

John you make a great point - champions are champions for a reason. When I spoke with Ronnie a few days ago, I found out that we share a common aspect; hand eye coordination and work ethic. I try to find traits that I have in common with excellent players and build upon those.

CrystalCue, thanks for the welcome I will check out that book when I get a chance. I am also trying to get my hands on the Zen Archer or whatever the name of that book is, I've been told that its lessons can be applied to pool as well.

Cardona, you make a terrific point as well. This is just one more roadblock that I have to smash through. I figure that playing against high level players for relatively cheap is invaluable experience. The more I put myself in a situation the better I am at getting out of it.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[CaliRed]

Warning: Long post, tl;dr at the bottom if you don't want to sift through this.

First off, MGM Tony, welcome to the site!

2nd, let me put your post in perspective
http://www.onepocket.org/forum/showpost.php?p=68224&postcount=25

3rd, Maybe you are suffering the additional pressure of tournament play, as opposed to gambling play. In gambling, you tend to get more opportunities to continue to play, whereas in tournaments, a small mistake can can be all she wrote, and you are done for the night.

Maybe try treating your gambling sessions like it is a tournament. See what happens.

(if preceding advice is taken, I am not responsible for any monetary losses)

 

[Cowboy Dennis]

When I gamble, I don't miss these shots but for some reason, whenever I play these tournaments, something doesn't click. Well at least you are having the "right" problem.

How do you guys combat mental lapses and over analysis?Haven't you been paying attention? We over-analyze everything . I know that I can't be the only one who goes through this so what are some things that I can do to get my head right?Your head is right, why play good in a tournament?

tl;dr - I choke when shooting game deciding shots what do?Unintelligible

P.S. I was so happy to get my verification email today. Feels like Christmas.Merry Christmas

Tony,

The way I always figured it in a tournament is this: you already lost when you paid your entry fee, now all you can do is win.

P.S. Welcome to the site .

Dennis

 

[androd]

The more you practice the more muscle memory you create. One day you'll just rely on that.You'll stand over the shot and your body'll know how to make
it. Negative thoughts lead to negative actions.
Rod.
PS, Welcome.

 

[One Pocket John]

Tony,

The way I always figured it in a tournament is this: you already lost when you paid your entry fee, now all you can do is win.

P.S. Welcome to the site .

Dennis

Good point Dennis, but I prefer to look at it this way.

Be it what ever the entry fee is, I'm betting (gambling) that I can beat whoever I play. This train of thought puts a positive spin, in your mind, on your performance.

Tournament play is gambling, it just takes longer and you have to play a lot more players.

One way to stay in the game is to watch other players in the tournament, how would you play that shot, what would you do. This type of thought process will keep your mind where it needs to be. In the game.

P.S. Welcome to the site.

John - St. Louis

 

[petie]

Stand up. If anything is wrong about the shot including but not limited to thinking about anything but aiming the ball into the pocket, stand up.

 

[MGM Tony]

First off, MGM Tony, welcome to the site!

2nd, let me put your post in perspective
http://www.onepocket.org/forum/showpost.php?p=68224&postcount=25

3rd, Maybe you are suffering the additional pressure of tournament play, as opposed to gambling play. In gambling, you tend to get more opportunities to continue to play, whereas in tournaments, a small mistake can can be all she wrote, and you are done for the night.

Maybe try treating your gambling sessions like it is a tournament. See what happens.

(if preceding advice is taken, I am not responsible for any monetary losses)

I have been told the reciprocal of that, treat tournament like gambling and it doesn't work. I suppose it's worth a try right? Also, I will take note of the fine print. It's not that losing money bothers me, I play to win. I play to play the best that I can. When I gamble I can clear my mind with ease, take what the table gives me and for the most part execute with ruthless efficiency for the level that I play at.

I think that another factor that plays into the tournaments is that when I play people who are levels above me, I try to rise to that level. My shot making and safety play get better. When I play someone that I am "supposed to beat" that is when I start to choke. I think it's because I know that I am supposed to beat them so I tense up and try too much. Whereas I play someone like Adam Smith knowing that there is almost no chance to beat him so I play with a nothing-to-lose mentality. I know that 99 out of 100 times (maybe more) he should beat me in match play. So when I get up to the table, I still know this and start firing away.


All of that sort of ties into what Dennis said, you already lost your entry fee. I look at it like donating. When you having nothing to lose you have everything to gain. John, I personally don't look at that in a negative light, maybe others do, however, you cannot take something from one who has nothing. If I am handicapped (for arguements sake) to be 1000-1 to win, and I make it past the first round, it may mean nothing to the player A+ player who goes on to destroy the losers bracket, but to me I no longer care that I have lost my entry fee, I just defied the odds and proven something to myself. It's when I lose to players that I probably shouldn't lose to that irritates me. I'll be the first one to say that I beat myself because most of the time, I do.

Androd, this is why I practice so much. I will shoot the shot that I missed yesterday literally 50 times this afternoon just so that it becomes impacted in my brain that this is how you shoot this shot. You know Petie, don't tell me that too quickly because I have trouble popping up from a shot too fast sometimes! All joking aside, you are spot on with that assessment.

To recap, I think that I started to find a solution as soon as I finished that first paragraph. I need to play with a nothing to lose mentality, because the shots are just as hard against John Doe as they are against the pros. I play better against the pros even though I lose because of my mindset. Thanks again for the input everyone. If you're ever in Detroit let me know, I'd like to play with you guys even just for the love of the game.

 

[wincardona]

First off, MGM Tony, welcome to the site!

2nd, let me put your post in perspective
http://www.onepocket.org/forum/showpost.php?p=68224&postcount=25

3rd, Maybe you are suffering the additional pressure of tournament play, as opposed to gambling play. In gambling, you tend to get more opportunities to continue to play, whereas in tournaments, a small mistake can can be all she wrote, and you are done for the night.

Maybe try treating your gambling sessions like it is a tournament. See what happens.

(if preceding advice is taken, I am not responsible for any monetary losses)

Excellent suggestion Greg, it will make him feel more comfortable with the pressures that that format carries, regardless of the price of admission. It's a process, why not?

Billy I.

 

[Scrzbill]

There are a lot of aspects to one pocket that require a new thought in playing. It's not nine ball. Trying to keep fifteen balls from being shot into the other hole is the challenge. People talk about the right shot. The right shot is the one you can make without selling out the game. For you it may be pocketing a tough cut. Or a bank. Or a safe. Mentally, why don't you take tournaments so seriously? Is it your not the center of attention in a tournament but just someone in the pack? Only you know what shot is best for you. That's the one you take and after you develop some one pocket skills, you can use your mental game to beat stronger shooters. Good luck. Winning makes every food taste better.

 

[MGM Tony]

Actually Bill I am impartial to the being the center of the attention or just another player. My center of attention is what counts to me, not someone elses perception of me at the table. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be known as some outsider or some loner, I want to be that guy who everyone gets along with and has good things to say about my character even if they don't particularly care for me. Today, I going downriver for a Nine-Ball tourney (no A players allowed, awesome) so maybe the change of pace and scenery will help when I get back home.

Shoot well everyone.

 

[SactownTom]

Practice with a purpose is always a good routine. Especially those shots you know you have had trouble. There is at least 3 maybe closer to 5 that you can shoot over and over until you are more comfortable with seeing them.

Mental toughness is a difficult skill to improve. During practice you can reward yourself with the elimnation of a problem shot. But how do you improve your mental toughness. How do you keep from losing that necessary concentration?

I think it is partially improved when you develope your pre-shot routine. You acknowledge all your distractions, including the loss of focus or concentration, and then set up your shot. Stand away from the shadow of the table on the floor. While standing, chalk your cue, walk around the table and see the layout and where troube spots are. Look at the shot you want to execute, see the cue stick line to the the cueball, the line of the cueball to the object ball and finally the line of the OB to the intended pocket. Also see the path of the cue ball coming off the OB and becoming shape fot the next ball. Never get down on the shot until you have fully locked into the decision and ready for the execution.

All of this routine takes your mind off the distractions and puts you, your cue and the table into the present state and ready for play.

This is very difficult to do without practice.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[SJDinPHX]

"Dumping and dogging look 'sactly the same"...Buddy Hall.

"Dumping and dogging look 'sactly the same"...Buddy Hall.

As Tom said "mental toughness can be elusive...Anyone who says they have never choked, has probably never had very much on the line... (that also includes people who have boasted about firing air barrels) There are a multitude of resaons to dog it, most often it is financial, but it can be a number of things...Like BillyI. said, the better players usually have their emotions under control more consistently, and are better able to focus on the task at hand.

Consistency in focusing can be the hardest thing to do...Whatever your skill level, overcoming that one thing, will make you play up to your speed more often.

Good luck, and welcome to the site.

 

[Artie Bodendorfer]

As Tom said "mental toughness can be elusive...Anyone who says they have never choked, has probably never had very much on the line... (that also includes people who have boasted about firing air barrels) There are a multitude of resaons to dog it, most often it is financial, but it can be a number of things...Like BillyI. said, the better players usually have their emotions under control more consistently, and are better able to focus on the task at hand.

Consistency in focusing can be the hardest thing to do...Whatever your skill level, overcoming that one thing, will make you play up to your speed more often.

Good luck, and welcome to the site.

I will get back latter. BUt I would like to ask one qouistion. Is it better too dump someone . Or is it better too starvie too death?


THe time has come for my favorite player too join in and speck his peace. . Buddy is everything a pool player wants too be.

He has all the tools you need too be they greatyest.

Follow in his foot stweps and you will be a winner. I love that name. Buddy. It says so much.

Hay Buddyyyyyy Whats up. You joined the senior citizens club.

But you play like your twent years and a half old.

And you still play lthe hell out off all the games.

You are truly a real champion too me. Necer seen a more foucuset player or harder player in my whole life.

Thanks for being real.

 

[wincardona]

I will get back latter. BUt I would like to ask one qouistion. Is it better too dump someone . Or is it better too starvie too death?


THe time has come for my favorite player too join in and speck his peace. . Buddy is everything a pool player wants too be.

He has all the tools you need too be they greatyest.

Follow in his foot stweps and you will be a winner. I love that name. Buddy. It says so much.

Hay Buddyyyyyy Whats up. You joined the senior citizens club.

But you play like your twent years and a half old.

And you still play lthe hell out off all the games.

You are truly a real champion too me. Necer seen a more foucuset player or harder player in my whole life.

Thanks for being real.

Are you sure you mean starve to death? Or miss a few meals?
There's a little difference. If anyone says they rather starve to death, I wouldn't trust that person. Just sayin.

Billy I.

 

[Cowboy Dennis]

I will get back latter. BUt I would like to ask one qouistion. Is it better too dump someone . Or is it better too starvie too death?

Artie,

It's better to get a job at McDonalds than be a poolplayer who has to dump someone in order to eat. Some players, including some who post on this site, have a well-deserved reputation as "dumpers", they did it as a matter of normal practice, not just to prevent starving to death.

Dennis

 

[jrhendy]

I will get back latter. BUt I would like to ask one qouistion. Is it better too dump someone . Or is it better too starvie too death?


THe time has come for my favorite player too join in and speck his peace. . Buddy is everything a pool player wants too be.

He has all the tools you need too be they greatyest.

I jumped on Philadelphia Joe Veasey once for dumping one of the regulars at Five Points Bowl. This was his reply: "John, get busted 3,000 miles away from home and see what you would do".
I would not and did not ever dump anyone. I never got 3,000 miles away from home either. When I saw I could not make it playing pool, I got a job.