Confidence/leaving the game alone for a while

[tinytim139]

hi all, i am a pool player to a good standard but seem to not be able to transfer it in a match. This is due to confidence affecting my ability now it's just a downward spiral i feel and can't get up from it. Would it do my game more harm than good say to leave the game for a set time?

I would much appreciate all help and advice and thanks again.

[calebk]

Personally a short break is good for me although I wouldn't advise a long break. For me too long a break means I'll take that much longer to get back to my usual standard. A few days without playing will do for me.

[trigger666]

take a break mate !!!
have a week or two off forget about pool and do something different,
the worst thing you can do is worry about it .if you play to a good standard then its like riding a bike you never forget and its probably only yourself putting the pressure on to play well and win , go for a swim instead ???
hope this helps

[poolqjunkie]

I was kind of stuck with snooker being practicing all the time, that I have found myself rushing shots, and expecting too much. So, I took a two eeks break. Taking a short break did do me some good.
However, I want to stress that in my case, going back to playing did take a bit of time for me to get back into the game.
For myself, I find this game one which I need to repeat what I know all the time, in order to be really comfortable. For me, this is a game of memory, and patterns. In order for me to recognize the potting angle and the pattern, I need to reinforce my memory and repeat the patterns through drills and such.
So, sometimes, I would still try to practice even when I am going through a slump. I try to still practice, but practice something different, to get my mind off the routine so I do not get myself into a coma.
For example, if I have been practicing a lot of positioning drills, I will take a break from that and practice my long potting such as potting the blue and so on. I will spend all my focus on my basis and not worry about positioning for a while. And I also practice things I do not practice as much such as shooting fromt he cushion, and the rest, when i feel like I am kind of bored with my practice.
I also would suggest isolating your weakness and work on them. For example, if you find that you are missing a lot of cuts, and are more comfortable with the thicker pots, then get some times to practice the thin cuts. This helps you to face a new challenge, so you will not get bored, and it is also good for you to become a better player.
In a nut shell, I would suggest taking a break from what you have been doing, but not taking a break from the game altogether, at least not for too long. Just my opinion.

[dannyd0g]

hi all, i am a pool player to a good standard but seem to not be able to transfer it in a match. This is due to confidence affecting my ability now it's just a downward spiral i feel and can't get up from it. Would it do my game more harm than good say to leave the game for a set time?

I would much appreciate all help and advice and thanks again.

From what you have said i think taking a break would be neither here nor there TBH. Its more than likely your confidence issue will still be there when you return.

Ive experienced the same thing myself, after being beaten many times by one player, i had started approaching mtaches against him with no confidence or expectation of winning. This of course became a 'self fulfilling prophecy', and i played worse than ever.

When i became aware of what i was doing I had to make a concious effort to get my confidence up. What worked for me was approaching the match acting and playing as if i was confident. Pretty soon i was confident.

I still lost, but felt much better about it...

[tinytim139]

well after a long think this morning i recon i'm going to give it a break till mid september for this new supreme league in nottingham hopefully feeling good about the game again as this does reflect on my game (feeling bad about the game usually ends up me playing bad). Lets hope this sorts me head out get them break dishes going again hehe. Thanks for the replys guys.

[bongo]

well after a long think this morning i recon i'm going to give it a break till mid september for this new supreme league in nottingham hopefully feeling good about the game again as this does reflect on my game (feeling bad about the game usually ends up me playing bad). Lets hope this sorts me head out get them break dishes going again hehe. Thanks for the replys guys.

Don't forget your fundamentals! On each shot, set at the cue ball, which is a pause, bring your cue back on last backswing, pause, and straight through the ball postively and driving through it and finish at the end of the stroke.

Set, Pause, Finish!

After a break (days or months, not 147s!) it can be easy to forget the basics, that is the danger of taking a break too long, but you should be refreshed when you come back to it.

[tinytim139]

Yes quite agree bongo fundamentals are essantial to the game. I now realise my problem is of mentality towards my game and hopefully the break will refresh my mind and rid these for a better game in the future.

[pottingpinks]

I always take a break from the game in the summer and come back refreshed for a new season. If you play league snooker for a team, it can also help to swap around a bit (i.e. play for a few different teams) to keep yourself motivated and on your toes rather than stagnating with your mates, depends how serious you are about the game of course.