match play thoughts / mindset

[GD73]

folks,

when you are playing a playing a match... what are u thinking about?

Are you just concentrating on the pot + position?

Do you use your pre shot routine before getting into the address position..

How do you keep those nasty " i am going to miss this or i am uncomfortable" thoughts out of your head

Do you just trust your setup and just go for it...

[Shockerz]

folks,

when you are playing a playing a match... what are u thinking about?

Are you just concentrating on the pot + position?

Do you use your pre shot routine before getting into the address position..

How do you keep those nasty " i am going to miss this or i am uncomfortable" thoughts out of your head

Do you just trust your setup and just go for it...

I've always like the Terry Griffiths advice to see the shot in your mind and then go and do what you just saw.

[golferson123]

folks,

when you are playing a playing a match... what are u thinking about?

Are you just concentrating on the pot + position?

Do you use your pre shot routine before getting into the address position..

How do you keep those nasty " i am going to miss this or i am uncomfortable" thoughts out of your head

Do you just trust your setup and just go for it...

dont take this the wrong way, but are you seriously asking others how YOU should think?. do you ask others how you should think when driving or working ect, just get good at whatever and see if the other person is better

[Cue crafty]

folks,

when you are playing a playing a match... what are u thinking about?

Are you just concentrating on the pot + position?

Do you use your pre shot routine before getting into the address position..

How do you keep those nasty " i am going to miss this or i am uncomfortable" thoughts out of your head

Do you just trust your setup and just go for it...

Keeping positive is essential, so is regular practice. When you play well remember it and take confidence from it. Draw on these memories when you play a match.

All points you ask about are good to do, but don't try and be a robot, you may tense up too much. I try to start off slightly slower and surer and work up my rhymn and pace as my confidence grows.

Has to be positive thoughts all the way though, no matter what. If it's not your night then so be it. Back to practice and find it again ; )

[GeordieDS]

I'm generally thinking why the **** am i playing so bad when I've been playing well all week

[tomwalker147]

my thoughts at the moment now i'm playing well are "this is going in, where do I need the cue ball".

[Byrom]

I don't really think of anything - I just play the shot I need.

If I were to really break it down - I first asses my options - I look where I need the white next then imagine potting the ball and the line the white will take after contact. I visualise the line of the shot and the angle of deflection the line the white takes after impact pops up - though experience - (stun 90 degrees) and a slow follow through roughly 30. Players do a lot through experience gained from the hours of practice and routines they have slaved over to get them to were they are - they just know how to keep the white in the centre of the table in open play - when to play for an area or be more precise with the line of the white in order to leave an angle for the shot after the next one. Provisionally good players map ahead quicker through experience to play in or close to any particular area or when and how to leave an angle to make a cannon free up the reds blocking the colours they might need to take later or taking out a harder shot first to make a better break - by practice. They know what part of the cushion to hit at with the white what angle it will deflect at - including when to widen the angle straighten it up or use a little side at times to achieve desired position. The pace and timing is muscle memory.

A lot goes into snooker - not just potting the ball - there is no one single magic cure but a number of little things you pick up along the way.

At my best I think of nothing - just keep my eye on the line of the shot stay still and down on delivery try and keep a nice consistent rhythm around the table. Stepping away from the table and into the shot helps you asses the angle better. Snooker at my best is akin to driving a car an experienced driver gets in the car and gets to his destination mainly on auto - forgetting a lot of the journey in between he knows by experience to check before moving off or stop at certain points but most of it is lovely and flowing (excluding the occasional road rage).

A experienced snooker player makes breaks a similar way -

Learner drivers crunch through the gears and panic or go too slow trying to be perfect. They learn a basic technique to drive they think about too much ... Eventually they progress it becomes second nature and they develop there own style.

Great drivers are the ones obsessed with perfection and improvements in key areas - they are good at working on technique - addicted to the buzz of it whilst appearing calm under pressure and they enjoy and are driven by success and a will to win.

[Byrom]

I am a terrible driver - rather careless at times but if I focus properly I can do it well occasionally....

[vmax4steve]

dont take this the wrong way, but are you seriously asking others how YOU should think?. do you ask others how you should think when driving or working ect, just get good at whatever and see if the other person is better

Agree totally, if you get to be good at something then you are confident and thoughts don't enter into it at all, you just look and see and do it. You don't need a running monologue going on in your head when you're doing something, you're aware yes! you react yes! you need to control your emotions yes! but someone else's words aren't going to help, it has to come from within.

[GD73]

the question was what are other people thinking... not necessarily getting people to think for me.

the intention was to get other players thoughts on how they approach a match..there mindset/approach

i have my own ideas on this... so i wanted to see if i was in the ballpark with my thinking..

and so judging from the responses.. i am!

[Cue crafty]

I am a terrible driver - rather careless at times but if I focus properly I can do it well occasionally....

Nice analogy, like that a lot. Not letting ny wife any where near a snooker table tho now! ; )

[Byrom]

Nice analogy, like that a lot. Not letting ny wife any where near a snooker table tho now! ; )

I would not go that far - teach her how to clean it at least

[Cue crafty]

I would not go that far - teach her how to clean it at least

Still sceptical - involves talking to her......