Re-starting...again
bk4...@hotmail.com
again. I don't have the time or money to "fart around" as usual and
will have specific goals where I will demand some high performance
from myself. I'll be starting again from a long-ish layoff and want
to set the correct "tone" right away.
Looking for advice, ideas.
- Is this realistic?
- How much quality play time per week is needed to maintain close to
top capability.
- Recommendations for keeping "lazy play" from happening.
Or should I just lighten up and have fun?
Bob
ernie
Since you have specific goals for yourself, Bob (always a good idea),
why not enumerate to us what those specific goals are? You’ll get
more pertinent advice that way, and it will make the thread far more
interesting and potentially instructive to less advanced players.
I’d be interested in the post-layoff goals of an occasional hundred-
ball runner like yourself. I’m stuck in the 50s and 60s range and
some of my 14.1 goals this year are to play closer to the center of
the CB as often as possible, be more accountable to myself when going
into *every* cluster (including precise CB path into the pack on break
shots) and when nudging out a key or key to the key (a la John
Schmidt), and keeping the CB off the rails with total speed control
accountability on *every* shot.
In general -- just cleaning up the lapsing into laziness or
carelessness that seems to creep in for me in the fourth or fifth
rack, when I start to take things for granted, inevitably leading to a
missed shot.
What are your specific goals at this time?
Ernie
bk4...@hotmail.com
Well, I have run over a hundred three times, but I would say that
right now I am a 50 to 60 ball runner also. I want to run a hundred
again, whether in practice or during our SP league, either way. I had
said the same about two years ago, but it wasn't a "focused" goal.
Meaning I didn't write it down and track progress and those types of
things like I've done with pool goals in the past.
So this time my plan is to once again write the goals down, track
progress in written form, mental practice away from the table and a
much more disciplined approach during practice and play (like I used
to do).
I think I'm reaching for former glories. Is that a mid-life crisis?
LOL
Back in the late 90's, I tracked my performance and I was in the
finals of 50% of entered tourneys (mostly local stuff), and won 50% of
those. So I wonder if I can achieve that again. We've got Bristol
Bob playing regularly and Shane VB dropping in once in a while so it
will be a challenge and a lot of fun.
So that and the straight pool are my goals. Honestly, I haven't
written anything down yet and so those goals are still pretty loosey-
goosey, I'll have to get more specific.
The one thing I want to work on most is discipline. I am a fast
player and impatient by nature. But I remember being known as NOT a
fast player when I was playing well back then. I know my approach was
much more disciplined and I made far fewer mistakes. I know what I
"think" helped me do that, but want to others' ideas first.
Bob Keller
Ed McCune
bk4...@hotmail.com wrote:
I think you know what to do Bob. You outline it above very clearly and
it is the same advice you've given me in the past.
Discipline is the word. It's not about how much you practice but how
disciplined you are when you do practice. Doing one shot 100% correctly
is better than any 10 done haphazardly. You set me on the right path
long ago by advocating practicing in the same manner, both mentally and
physically, as I would in a real game. That means NOT being lazy and
just wacking even one shot while practicing. Discipline.
These days I practice very very little yet am maintaining my game at a
decent level for the most part and discipline is the key. I have to have
a calm and disciplined "state-of-mind" to play my best. Of course more
practice (quality) would be better but with limited time/budget/interest
maintaining a decent game is to be had by using your mind (not intellect
by the way) and staying disciplined.
Ed
ernie
Can you elaborate what steps, procedures, or elements are involved for
you when you perform this, (as cited in your reply):
"mental practice away from the table"
Thanks. -- Ernie
bk4...@hotmail.com
Well, I'm not strict on procedures, it's the intent that is critical,
but I do two things.
1) Pool meditation - I'll pick a layout from my notes or from a match
I've seen recently and study it until I have a mental picture. Get
into whatever posture you usually use, or find comfortable for
meditation. Do whatever relaxation procedure works for you. Then
visualize yourself standing at a table, holding your cue, and running
out that pattern. Have the visualization happen in real time,
including all study, chalking, etc that you might normally do.
What is really interesting is that (at least for me) your subconscious
will want to make it real by having you MISS! Or miss position, or
drop the chalk or any number of things that happen to us in a real
match. It can take a lot of "practice" and even several meditation
sessions to train yourself to expect and realize PP (perfect
performance). But when you start expecting and easily achieving PP
during your meditations you'll find your composure different at the
table in real life.
2) The second one is a physical training that I think especially
helped me to keep a routine (slow down). Find a table or desk that is
close to the height of the pool table slate. Imagine a layout that
you want to run out. Using your cue screwed together, imagine you are
standing in front of the first shot. Approach the table, get down on
the shot, "look" at the object ball, and shoot. Basically, follow
your entire routine, imagining the balls and seeing them roll after
the shot and staying down on the shot. Step back from the table and
imagine that you have walked around the table to the next shot and
repeat. Again, it's takes practice to convince your subconscious that
you expect PP and to get it. But, at least for me, without having
music playing and people around and a shot clock and especially balls
and a table to look at - allows you to focus and each step in your
physical routine. You may find that some surprising foibles creep in
to your routine and this helps to train yourself to keep it always
consistent.
Thanks for asking, I haven't done this in years and forgot how great
it was. Added to my list.....
Bob Keller
ernie
> it was. Added to my list.....
>
> Bob Keller
Many thanks for the excellent elaboration, Bob. It is being well
studied and definitely will be added to my list of specific goal
adjuncts as well.
I've long been interested in experimenting with a proven performance-
enhancing mental conditioning approach as yours clearly seems to be.
We will no doubt soon mutually either go beyond the present 50 to 60
threshold or end up committed to one of George Carlin's figurative
"Homes for the happy." :-)
Ernie
JakartaDean
> 2) The second one is a physical training that I think especially
> helped me to keep a routine (slow down). Find a table or desk that is
> close to the height of the pool table slate. Imagine a layout that
> you want to run out. Using your cue screwed together, imagine you are
> standing in front of the first shot. Approach the table, get down on
> the shot, "look" at the object ball, and shoot. Basically, follow
> your entire routine, imagining the balls and seeing them roll after
> the shot and staying down on the shot. Step back from the table and
> imagine that you have walked around the table to the next shot and
> repeat. Again, it's takes practice to convince your subconscious that
> you expect PP and to get it. But, at least for me, without having
> music playing and people around and a shot clock and especially balls
> and a table to look at - allows you to focus and each step in your
> physical routine. You may find that some surprising foibles creep in
> to your routine and this helps to train yourself to keep it always
> consistent.
>
pool table again. It takes away the pressure to "just hit the ball now"
and establishes a good mental rhythm (had to try three times to spell
that word). To the extent this carries over to when you get to the
table, I could see how it might help lock in the PSR, as well as a good
attitude.
> Thanks for asking, I haven't done this in years and forgot how great
> it was. Added to my list.....
>
> Bob Keller
Thanks for posting.
Dean
lfigueroa
concentrate on. I think I would have a different approach depending on
whether I wanted to get back on my feet at 9ball, 14.1, or 1pocket.
Just speaking generallly, I think I would try and recall what it feels
like to be in dead stroke -- not that everything went, but more like
what the hallmarks are. Ferinstance, I know that when I'm playing well,
there are a few things that are different, like the cue sounds different
(more thunk than tink). The cue ball seems more alive. And here's
strange one: when I'm playing really well, I can see my cue shaft
vibrate on off center stroke shots. I think I would try and recreate
some/all of that.
The other thing I would do, to kinda get there, is to concentrate on a
couple of shots that feel good, when I'm playing good. As an example,
when I'm playing well, the shots where I have to cleanly hit a ball, at
speed, that is sitting maybe an inch off the rail, mid-table, with the
CB a couple of diamonds away and just maybe three inches off the rail,
to bounce the CB off the rail to the center of the table. When I'm
hitting them well, and all else is right with the world, I feel really
good about that shot. When I'm not playing my best, not so much.
Hope some of that helps.
Lou Figueroa
bk4...@hotmail.com
> This is a tough one. I guess I would have to first decide what game to
> concentrate on. I think I would have a different approach depending on
> whether I wanted to get back on my feet at 9ball, 14.1, or 1pocket.
>
> Just speaking generallly, I think I would try and recall what it feels
> like to be in dead stroke -- not that everything went, but more like
> what the hallmarks are. Ferinstance, I know that when I'm playing well,
> there are a few things that are different, like the cue sounds different
> (more thunk than tink). The cue ball seems more alive. And here's
> strange one: when I'm playing really well, I can see my cue shaft
> vibrate on off center stroke shots. I think I would try and recreate
> some/all of that.
>
> The other thing I would do, to kinda get there, is to concentrate on a
> couple of shots that feel good, when I'm playing good. As an example,
> when I'm playing well, the shots where I have to cleanly hit a ball, at
> speed, that is sitting maybe an inch off the rail, mid-table, with the
> CB a couple of diamonds away and just maybe three inches off the rail,
> to bounce the CB off the rail to the center of the table. When I'm
> hitting them well, and all else is right with the world, I feel really
> good about that shot. When I'm not playing my best, not so much.
>
> Hope some of that helps.
>
> Lou Figueroa
>
> > Well, it's after the new year and my plan was to start playing pool
> > again. I don't have the time or money to "fart around" as usual and
> > will have specific goals where I will demand some high performance
> > from myself. I'll be starting again from a long-ish layoff and want
> > to set the correct "tone" right away.
>
> > Looking for advice, ideas.
> > - Is this realistic?
> > - How much quality play time per week is needed to maintain close to
> > top capability.
> > - Recommendations for keeping "lazy play" from happening.
> > Or should I just lighten up and have fun?
>
> > Bob
Thanks Lou, that does help.
And the just-off-the-rail shot you describe is one I used to do a lot,
thanks for the remind-ery. ;-)
You must have a dead straight delivery for it, and so it's a great
warm-up just before a match starts too.
Bob