Jekyll & Hyde problem!!

[nam1977]

HI all!!

Just want some advice really.
Basicaly I think I have a mind problem.

When I'm in practice by myself (Mr Jekyll) I can knock up sizeable breaks most of the times with some very nice long and hard pots in the breaks (not in lines, I have vids of how I practice on youtube under d8nam). Good-ish cueing, good-ish positioning etc not to much of a problem.

But when I play in match with opponents, I become Mr Hyde!
I miss easy pots, hit balls to hard or under hit by miles, hit far to thick or far to thin, cueing becomes jerky, and my mind clogs up when I'm down on my shot. Funny thing is, when its my opponents turn I can see exactly what to do on the table, but if it was my turn on the same shot my mind gets clouded and i end up missing easy pots and not get position.
Even when I manage to scatter the reds with a good safety, then my opponent misses I still can't get in the right frame of mind to make a decent break.
Which I know if it was on the practice table I would make a sizeable break from the same spread.

It wasn't like this when I used to play casualy.
Recently I've been wanting to get much better and started watching and reading about the game technicaly much more.
Now when I play in match my mind is whizzing away before, during and after my shots (I know the "do all the thinking before the shot" rule) which causes me to miss alot, but I don't get this problem on the practice table.

Can anyone come up with some good mind excercises to help me focus or to bring my Mr Jekyll game into my match games, and kill off Mr Hyde.

What, how should I be thinking, or what can I do to help make this transition so I can punish my opponents for their mistakes. Its become so bad I become my worse opponent, ie unintentional safety, pushing colours safe type of player which really grates me.
Do you think I have to try and un-learn all I've learnt

Please help as this problem is driving me ga ga,
and I'm going a bit doo-lardy getting beaten by opponents who can't even hold the cue properly....gggrrrrr.

Am I the only one with this problem or have some of you been there done that?

I hope what I am saying is clear enough for every to understand and help me

Sorry its bit long.

HELP!!!:snooker:

[ADR147]

ah spoken like a snooker player!

[thinsy]

Welcome to the world of...... PRESSURE

You won't realise that you are putting pressure on yourself but you will be, and then you start to think about your game and you will tend to over-exagerate your practice game....

You put all that practice in to play a match like you do when your practicing. What you need is: A positive attitude, confidence, belief, and neves of steel.

If you master all this............... Tell me how you did it

I used to spend most of my practice time making sure my cueing arm was straight, i found in matches i was putting it too far the other way just because i was over anxious to make sure i was doing what i thought was right

Hope i haven't confused anyone other than myself!!!!

[RocketRoy1983]

Im so sorry buddy this is one thing i cannot coach people on. All ideas welcome. Only thing I can think of is somehow try to incorparate practice into more matches. The more matches you play the more regularly the better chance you have of overcoming this problem.

PS i suffer from the same.

[nam1977]

Its nice in a way to know I'm not the only one (thought I might be retarded or sumfin).

OVER ANXIOUS!!!!!

Damn you hit the nail right on the head there thinsy!!
Thats it, when I play opponents I always want to show them what I am capable of, I know I think alot more about my shots when I play someone (stance, cueing, line etc) to try my best to avoid missing a shot, and you're right thats putting subconcious pressure on my self, which will affect the physical out come of my body movements.
When I'm by my self I just get down and play, relaxed and not worried (I do think but its not as hard, and clearer on my own).
I need to learn to play with someone as if I'm playing by myself (damn, sounds dirty :S but how else can I put it ),
"there is no one there, no one is watching me"
Need to find a way to learn to mentaly block out everyone, and everything around me and focus on the table in match.
But how?
My mind is over active when someone watchs, I can't help it. Need to immune my self from that.

Problem is RocketRoy1983 I only play a serious game once or twice every couple of weeks if I'm lucky with time (if even that), the rest is a quick half hour or so knock about during meal releif (where it becomes against time, then I run round the table literaly).

I believe now though that less is more, "think less, pot more" what do you guys think bout that? Am I seriously going wrong now!? Thats how I manage it on the practice table.

Look forward to seeing psychological excercises/solutions coming up. Man this is a great forum!!

Oh btw, what do you mean ADR147, I never see them speak lol (bad joke by me)

[Piston]

Your not the only one. I played in a 1 frame knockout competition last night and played awful. In the few frames I had before and after the competition, I was potting balls all over the place.

I wish I could get a bit of consistency to my game as it would make such a difference.

[burwatchampion]

I have two pints of guinness before hand usually helps me.

[Gimme Danger]

I have two pints of guinness before hand usually helps me.

Sounds like my kind of answer!

[steveflanuk]

when getting down to a shot, try and clear your mind - just think about a big wall of whitespace and nothing else.

You are correct when you say that your brain is whizzing about, etc and you can't pot anything - basically your brain is trying to calculate hundreds of thousands of things at once and something has to give.

You've shown yourself in practice how good you can be, so your body must be doing it right - so in a match, don't think about technique or where you want to place the cue ball - your brain is powerful and intelligent enough to do that on it's own - so let it!!

When you play a shot don't think about the machanics of technique or even try and work out how hard you have to hit the ball - let your subconscious do it for you.

Basically, don't think, just play!!

[cueman]

What you need most of all is composure. I think when players get into that mode when they are in a match its very important to have a drill, no not a black & decker but a set routine that you use for each and every shot. If you can work on getting down on the shot and keeping a simple and effective routine for each shot it will help you when under pressure in a match environment.

[nam1977]

Some very sound advice given!

Thank you very much guys.

Can't do the pints though, I get drunk necking a bottle of Bud

Hey piston, can't kick yourself for losing a 1 frame knock out match.
That is very hard and very pressurising by anyones standard. If it was first to 3 it could've been a very different story.

So far these are the points I have to work on highlighted by you guys,

Avoid being over anxious,
Finding a way to let my subconcious take over,
Having faith in my technique to free my mind,
Try and achieve a blank canvas during every shot,
Compsure torwards each and every shot,
Sticking to one routine for every shot,

Had a serious couple of hours practice last night, and established that my right eyes is more dominate and accurate (sure I established it before but forgot).
Now have to get used to lineing the cue under my right eye, feels awkward at the moment because
1: I'm used to lineing the cue under center of my chin,
2: I'm left handed.
Worked on a shot routine for every shot, just a matter of remembering it during matchs.

Also I pot alot better hold my cue short, and its only 56". Gonna/need to get a 55"

Once again, thank you very much everyone :cheers: . If anyone can think of more solutions to add to my wish list, please post it up. The more the bette!! I'll ask Santa it for christmas, I should get it as I've been a goodboy all year

Anyone going to Camberwell tonight? Might pop down there for more practice as I'm off today. If yes give me a shout, and we can go halves on the lights.

[thinsy]

What you need most of all is composure. I think when players get into that mode when they are in a match its very important to have a drill, no not a black & decker but a set routine that you use for each and every shot. If you can work on getting down on the shot and keeping a simple and effective routine for each shot it will help you when under pressure in a match environment.

Good point here cueman......

Reading all the comments i have come to the conclusion that most of us do have a problem with match play, but the solution is in the practice.....

what we all seem to be doing is using our practice time to run round the table and pot balls, then in a match spend the time trying to figure out what the hell it was we were doing right in practice.

what we should be doing in practice is creating a good routine and making mental notes of what we are doing, so that when we enter a match we can just concentrate on our tried and tested routine and believe

[nam1977]

Good point here cueman......

Reading all the comments i have come to the conclusion that most of us do have a problem with match play, but the solution is in the practice.....

what we all seem to be doing is using our practice time to run round the table and pot balls, then in a match spend the time trying to figure out what the hell it was we were doing right in practice.

what we should be doing in practice is creating a good routine and making mental notes of what we are doing, so that when we enter a match we can just concentrate on our tried and tested routine and believe

Very good point you made yourself thinsy!!

Just got back from playing, and all I can say is...............

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!

No matter how I try I can't stop thinking about my shots during my shots.
Its so ironic that, when you don't want to think, you think like crazy...
When you do want to think, your mind goes blank.
What can I do to stop this.
I am now soley relying on my straight leg and foot, with a bent/twisted buttock (it actualy works) for shot accuracy.
Need a way to get over this mental block!
I ca nooo dooo eet cap'n!!!
Someone needs to come up with a good mind training regime soon, before everyone gets fed up like in other similar threads/situation.

[MikeWooldridge]

have you tried having it off before?

[nam1977]

have you tried having it off before?

Whats that Mike? My thoughts or my clothes

I Tried to switch off my thoughts, but I can't.
Its so hard. Need a good mind coach.