Learning to get rid of ego is what has been helping me. Going in to a match and knowing or thinking in your head that you are definitely going to win because you are much better really messes with your own head. And you can't play near as good when you are practicing. Your opponent although not as as good as you might run several balls or play much better than you thought. And when it's your turn you aren't playing very well. This ends up really bad for you. Don't go in to a match thinking you know you are going to win, or lose. Just go in to the match wanting to play your best pool. Don't worry about your opponent. You can think about your opponent skill level when doing push shots or safeties.
Great video. Look up Zen Buddhism to continue your journey of letting go. I also started off with sports psychology. But most sports psychology is about having a positive outlook vs a negative outlook. What we really want to do is be neither negative nor positive. Just plan, execute, and accept the outcome. Learn from it if you can, and use the practice table to perfect it.
Sometimes playing a week or player get overconfident because you know you're the better player and you rely on the fact that they might miss so you relax. So when you're playing with a strong player you give it your best. Bottom line give it your best no matter who you play
In my opinion, more often than not, good players will preform near their best when they face weaker players. If they get a small lead, they'll cruise on autopilot. I see the same players choke a lot more when they face better players. The good thing about that is that for each percent you improve, you can bring down your opponents level one percent by putting pressure on them. So a 10 percent improvement can increase your chance by 20 percent.
@@PoolProblemsyes auto pilot with a little lead that’s fun. I remember when I used to play weaker players I didn’t feel I needed to concentrate as much and would try lower percentage shots giving the weaker player a better chance and it cost me a few times to learn not to do that.
I feel like the more confident a player is, the better they perform, almost without exception. As long as you don't make bad mental errors, confidence is always great for mechanics and such.. definitely better than not being confident.
When I miss, I leave the cue ball out in a clear spot with a line to my next ball. When lesser players play they inevitably leave me on a rail behind or in a cluster. 😅
The last one for me is not true I lose to weaker players because I do all the work and don't leave the table like I'm supposed to an give them a out. Only in a few times it was me and I know I played bad but the other two things you mentioned make a lot of sense and thank you for that
Good advice. One of the things I've learned is that the weaker player has a bit of an advantage, if not a big one. The stronger player is expected to win, the weaker is expected to do the best they possibly can. If the weaker player can keep that mind set, come out shooting with offense a bit then go to a good defense shot, it will throw the stronger off balance. As the stronger player, you should recognize your opponent and expect that pattern of play. Start looking for that safe that you know is coming. Start planning. Then, when you do get up you're prepared. Another thing it has taken me time to learn is this: You can either play to win or play not to lose. Let's say you're in a race to 7. You're up 4-0. You've been shooting offensively to win. But suddenly your opponent gets on table and catches a bit of a gear, comes up a couple and it's 4-2. It's easy to drop back to shooting timid and trying to hold onto your lead but it won't end well. You're opponent now has no reason to hold back, he's on full offense. And may very well win because you're trying to tread water! I've done it too many times....I just need to win one more!! Just hold on! Only to lose momentum to the other player. Mental preparation is the key to this.
Great video. Look up Zen Buddhism to continue your journey of letting go. I also started off with sports psychology. But most sports psychology is about having a positive outlook vs a negative outlook. What we really want to do is be neither negative nor positive. Just plan, execute, and accept the outcome. Learn from it if you can, and use the practice table to perfect it.
@@chrismcmanus313 look up “do nothing meditation” and do that for 10 minutes a day, increasing it one minute until 30 minutes a day, at least. This is the most important. The purpose is to detox your mind of needing something to cling to. This is the paradox of positivity vs negativity. Being positive is better than being negative, sure, but it still has its own limitations. Being totally empty minded is what allows you to break all limitations. Most people struggle with this the most because what happens is you develop a sense of not caring, which makes it difficult to enjoy your accomplishments. People WANT the recognition of their efforts. They want power, fame, fortune. The paradox is after truly letting this go (not by using your mind to decide to let it go, that’s the same as positive thinking, but by practicing meditation to let ALL things go), that’s when you’ll perform your best and have the best chance of achieving it. But then you don’t care and that scares people. To the untrained eye it can look like nihilism. But I assure you it is not. There are many resources but I like Alan Watts, The Power of Now, Three Pillars of Zen, and Michael Singer. It’s all the same message. Stick with what you like.
Nothing in this game is easy until you make it easy. Just because a shot is easy doesn't mean it doesn't require full focus. Same is true when facing a weeker opponent. You still have to play as you are playing a strong player or it can slip away. And also symbolic to this is moving from a tight pocket table to a big pocket table. You will do well if you dont treat it differently.
I've never played a game that requires complete focus for every shot. Maybe because I'm not there yet with motor skills and techniques. But golf, shooting sports, soccer, and baseball, are sports I've played with proficiency without the demand of focus that billiards requires.
So, here is my problem. I get so nervous in certain situations I just cannot keep my emotions from sending me into freefall. There are times when I am better than others. For example: In last league action I played three players whose skill levels is quite a bit better than mine. I played my best pool against them and won in great style. This is a handicapped league and The first was spotting me 3 games. I shut him out 3-0. The second was a better player than me in a 7-4 race where I was the 4. In the third I played against a player who I had never beat and was calm through the match to the point where I knew I was going to win and I did. Then on the other side of the coin when I am playing against a weaker player an probably have to spot games I just go to pieces. Especially if I lose the first game in a 5-3 race or something similar. I start second guessing everything; Should I play safe, should I take a risky shot. You get the drift. I am working on some good sites I found on youtube on how to improve the mental game but I am telling you this is killing me. Any comments or suggests are definately appreciated.
Hancicap tournaments are something on their own. I don't take them too seriously, wins or losses. Because an early advantage too the supposed weaker player, and it's a steep hill for the one trailing. Nevertheless, you know what you are capable of. If you find yourself overthinking etc. I would recommend practicing focus, because you will train your mind too deal with all the incoming traffic. Recommended videos are Tor Lowrys mental game video. It's around an hour and goes through different player types and what they should do.
Yet another situation where gambling is better than a tournament or league.. When I played weaker players, especially any rotation game, I just let them run the balls knowing they were a big favorite to never run out.. The math worked even when they played well.. Once again, different goals.. My only goal was paying the rent..
My BCA league,I hate to sound cocky but the other players are beginning to mediocre. No one does defense on purpose except me. I do shots I wouldn't do against good players.
No. In fact it totally compliments it. #1 is to not try and fix things during the match, to let go and allow your body to do what you trained it for. #2 is to focus on the process by staying in the present moment, rather than letting your mind wander and thinking about how the completion of your task will affect your future. In his example, he’s already thinking that he’ll win the game if he just gets position on the 9 ball. Whereas he should just focus on his plan of how to achieve each next step. This doesn’t mean to actually think about how your arm moves to get position. It’s just putting your complete focus on the task at hand, and still letting your body do what it needs to do. But most average players are thinking about lots of other things. Be it winning the game, how they look to the cute girl on the next table over, the money they’ll receive when they win, etc. In the movie “The Last Samurai”, they said it best; “too many mind.” But you still need that laser focus. If you just think, “I need low left here to get position”, you could pull the ball back too far or even decelerate and get stuck near the rail. What you should be thinking is “ I need to get exactly right here”. Pinpoint position. Aim small, miss small. And then let your body do it for you. IF you haven’t trained that particular shot enough in practice, then your body might fail to execute it properly in that moment.
So, does anybody recognize the ball banger I'm losing to in the first clip?
no, but his shirt is funny :')
Learning to get rid of ego is what has been helping me. Going in to a match and knowing or thinking in your head that you are definitely going to win because you are much better really messes with your own head. And you can't play near as good when you are practicing. Your opponent although not as as good as you might run several balls or play much better than you thought. And when it's your turn you aren't playing very well. This ends up really bad for you. Don't go in to a match thinking you know you are going to win, or lose. Just go in to the match wanting to play your best pool. Don't worry about your opponent. You can think about your opponent skill level when doing push shots or safeties.
Great video. Look up Zen Buddhism to continue your journey of letting go. I also started off with sports psychology. But most sports psychology is about having a positive outlook vs a negative outlook. What we really want to do is be neither negative nor positive. Just plan, execute, and accept the outcome. Learn from it if you can, and use the practice table to perfect it.
Great points in keeping your focus sharp. "The Inner Game of Tennis" addresses a lot of these mental mistakes and how to perform at your best.
Sometimes playing a week or player get overconfident because you know you're the better player and you rely on the fact that they might miss so you relax. So when you're playing with a strong player you give it your best. Bottom line give it your best no matter who you play
You nailed it on the head brother You are so right, Thank you!
Exactly, if I’m playing a better player than I am, I’ll never know how much I need to improve if they’re taking it easy on me.
In my opinion, more often than not, good players will preform near their best when they face weaker players. If they get a small lead, they'll cruise on autopilot. I see the same players choke a lot more when they face better players. The good thing about that is that for each percent you improve, you can bring down your opponents level one percent by putting pressure on them. So a 10 percent improvement can increase your chance by 20 percent.
@@PoolProblemsyes auto pilot with a little lead that’s fun. I remember when I used to play weaker players I didn’t feel I needed to concentrate as much and would try lower percentage shots giving the weaker player a better chance and it cost me a few times to learn not to do that.
I feel like the more confident a player is, the better they perform, almost without exception. As long as you don't make bad mental errors, confidence is always great for mechanics and such.. definitely better than not being confident.
Last tournament i played was the same, i won 2 matches and lost against the weakest in my group was a big hit for me.. needed this video
All 3 mistakes are 100% spot-on. Nice job.
When I miss, I leave the cue ball out in a clear spot with a line to my next ball. When lesser players play they inevitably leave me on a rail behind or in a cluster. 😅
"I lost, but I am a stronger player." I hear that on the tennis court a lot too! LOL
The last one for me is not true I lose to weaker players because I do all the work and don't leave the table like I'm supposed to an give them a out. Only in a few times it was me and I know I played bad but the other two things you mentioned make a lot of sense and thank you for that
Good advice. One of the things I've learned is that the weaker player has a bit of an advantage, if not a big one. The stronger player is expected to win, the weaker is expected to do the best they possibly can. If the weaker player can keep that mind set, come out shooting with offense a bit then go to a good defense shot, it will throw the stronger off balance.
As the stronger player, you should recognize your opponent and expect that pattern of play. Start looking for that safe that you know is coming. Start planning. Then, when you do get up you're prepared.
Another thing it has taken me time to learn is this: You can either play to win or play not to lose.
Let's say you're in a race to 7. You're up 4-0. You've been shooting offensively to win. But suddenly your opponent gets on table and catches a bit of a gear, comes up a couple and it's 4-2. It's easy to drop back to shooting timid and trying to hold onto your lead but it won't end well. You're opponent now has no reason to hold back, he's on full offense. And may very well win because you're trying to tread water!
I've done it too many times....I just need to win one more!! Just hold on!
Only to lose momentum to the other player.
Mental preparation is the key to this.
Great video - short and concise but very useful advice. I was nodding my head the whole way through!
Thank you! Glad you liked it 🤩
Mistake #3 is spot on for most players!
Great video. Look up Zen Buddhism to continue your journey of letting go. I also started off with sports psychology. But most sports psychology is about having a positive outlook vs a negative outlook. What we really want to do is be neither negative nor positive. Just plan, execute, and accept the outcome. Learn from it if you can, and use the practice table to perfect it.
Do you have any specific source you'd recommend?
@@chrismcmanus313 look up “do nothing meditation” and do that for 10 minutes a day, increasing it one minute until 30 minutes a day, at least. This is the most important.
The purpose is to detox your mind of needing something to cling to. This is the paradox of positivity vs negativity. Being positive is better than being negative, sure, but it still has its own limitations. Being totally empty minded is what allows you to break all limitations. Most people struggle with this the most because what happens is you develop a sense of not caring, which makes it difficult to enjoy your accomplishments.
People WANT the recognition of their efforts. They want power, fame, fortune. The paradox is after truly letting this go (not by using your mind to decide to let it go, that’s the same as positive thinking, but by practicing meditation to let ALL things go), that’s when you’ll perform your best and have the best chance of achieving it. But then you don’t care and that scares people. To the untrained eye it can look like nihilism. But I assure you it is not.
There are many resources but I like Alan Watts, The Power of Now, Three Pillars of Zen, and Michael Singer.
It’s all the same message. Stick with what you like.
Nothing in this game is easy until you make it easy. Just because a shot is easy doesn't mean it doesn't require full focus. Same is true when facing a weeker opponent. You still have to play as you are playing a strong player or it can slip away. And also symbolic to this is moving from a tight pocket table to a big pocket table. You will do well if you dont treat it differently.
Keep working my friend 😀 amazing progressive 👌
Good guidelines! Thanks for sharing. I think I like practicing more than playing. Way less stressful. 😂
these videos are great, when are you gonna start uploading again?
Great Video This!
You make a lot of Sense, Excellent Advice! 😃👍👍💯
bro...another great one!
Focusing on result❌
Focusing on process ✅
It's absolutely truth😅which is happened to me always
I've never played a game that requires complete focus for every shot. Maybe because I'm not there yet with motor skills and techniques. But golf, shooting sports, soccer, and baseball, are sports I've played with proficiency without the demand of focus that billiards requires.
I feel like I play way better in competition than in practice... it's just hard to play real serious during practice -- I think that's a flaw tho...
Well said!
Never underestimate your opponent
So, here is my problem. I get so nervous in certain situations I just cannot keep my emotions from sending me into freefall. There are times when I am better than others. For example: In last league action I played three players whose skill levels is quite a bit better than mine. I played my best pool against them and won in great style. This is a handicapped league and The first was spotting me 3 games. I shut him out 3-0. The second was a better player than me in a 7-4 race where I was the 4. In the third I played against a player who I had never beat and was calm through the match to the point where I knew I was going to win and I did.
Then on the other side of the coin when I am playing against a weaker player an probably have to spot games I just go to pieces. Especially if I lose the first game in a 5-3 race or something similar. I start second guessing everything; Should I play safe, should I take a risky shot. You get the drift.
I am working on some good sites I found on youtube on how to improve the mental game but I am telling you this is killing me.
Any comments or suggests are definately appreciated.
Hancicap tournaments are something on their own. I don't take them too seriously, wins or losses. Because an early advantage too the supposed weaker player, and it's a steep hill for the one trailing.
Nevertheless, you know what you are capable of. If you find yourself overthinking etc. I would recommend practicing focus, because you will train your mind too deal with all the incoming traffic. Recommended videos are Tor Lowrys mental game video. It's around an hour and goes through different player types and what they should do.
Yet another situation where gambling is better than a tournament or league.. When I played weaker players, especially any rotation game, I just let them run the balls knowing they were a big favorite to never run out.. The math worked even when they played well..
Once again, different goals.. My only goal was paying the rent..
Awsome video
The exact same thing applies to golf. Crazy.
Never an elbow drop
My BCA league,I hate to sound cocky but the other players are beginning to mediocre. No one does defense on purpose except me. I do shots I wouldn't do against good players.
Doesn't 2 contradict 1 in a way?
No. In fact it totally compliments it.
#1 is to not try and fix things during the match, to let go and allow your body to do what you trained it for.
#2 is to focus on the process by staying in the present moment, rather than letting your mind wander and thinking about how the completion of your task will affect your future. In his example, he’s already thinking that he’ll win the game if he just gets position on the 9 ball. Whereas he should just focus on his plan of how to achieve each next step.
This doesn’t mean to actually think about how your arm moves to get position. It’s just putting your complete focus on the task at hand, and still letting your body do what it needs to do. But most average players are thinking about lots of other things. Be it winning the game, how they look to the cute girl on the next table over, the money they’ll receive when they win, etc. In the movie “The Last Samurai”, they said it best; “too many mind.”
But you still need that laser focus. If you just think, “I need low left here to get position”, you could pull the ball back too far or even decelerate and get stuck near the rail. What you should be thinking is “ I need to get exactly right here”. Pinpoint position. Aim small, miss small. And then let your body do it for you.
IF you haven’t trained that particular shot enough in practice, then your body might fail to execute it properly in that moment.
"Don't drop ur elbow" 😁 Jasmine Oushan has FULL elbow drop...just saying 😂