70+ guys, pls describe the benchmarks of your breakthrough

[dao]

Every serious player sometimes makes breakthrough and his skills jumps to the new quality level. Breaks from 70+ to century is the level that allows to win the frame at one visit.
What aspects of technique or psychological aspects allowed you to transform from the previous level (30+, 50+) to this level?
I reached already 7 or 8 (don't remember exactly) centuries on practice (different exercises including also line up), but in the matches (even in friendly sparring) I never reached 50+. Perhaps, it’s a psychological matter, I don’t know. But I would like to experience this great feeling: winning the frame at one visit! How to turn into this kind of player?

[RocketRoy1983]

Firstly let me say if you are making centuries in practice then you are not far off making higher breaks in matchplay. Focus your mind. Tell yourself that every pot is going in. The problem, very similar to mine, is as Mark J Williams told me himself last night...pressure.

[noel]

Great question dao!
For any player determined to improve, raising the break bar seems to be a primary measurement.
Who wouldn't love to be able to come to the table run 70+ for a victory. Everytime.

But that's incredibly difficult. For anyone (especially me).
Practice practice practice. More practice. Helps.
I can see the progress I'm making but it's so so frustratingly slow sometimes I feel consistent
improvement to my personal best is almost impossible. It seems the higher the level you reach,
the larger the plateau and the longer the journey up to the next level.

And I wonder why that is.
If I have the capability to run 50 or 60, surely not making 100 isn't a failure in the form department.
It's something else.
The mental aspects like strategy and concentration are crucial to break-building and,
as Roy correctly pointed out, the emotional part, pressure, plays a big part too...
I used to think that a high break was a discrete sequence of individual shots that had to be made one-after-another to add up... and that my single-shot-at-hand concentration inevitably, at some point,
thanks to some kind of brain fart (the kind even Stephen Hendry gets too) would bring my break to a crashing halt.

Watching this video clip it occurs to me that it may be something else...a high break seen as whole unit.
A whole series of requirements that you have to keep going in a frame like a balancing act...
no, more like a juggler...
and the more balls you throw in, the more challenging and scary it becomes... and if you pause to think about what you're doing, rather than just do it, it's then that pressure and fear throw a spanner in the works.

ya... it's like this guy... Anthony Catto... the ROS of juggling...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RJhZfPwPe0



=o)

Noel

[RocketRoy1983]

Very true Noal and wonderfully explained. Although ive just watched that juggling video and I must admit I watched open eyed and said "**** OFF!!"

That is AMAZING

[dao]

Thanks a lot Noel and Rocket Roy for your answers.

It should be really interesting approach: to imagine break like whole unit, but not a sequence of different shots. Sometimes visualisation and imagination could bring some fresh wave in your game.

Interesting examlpe is trying to imagin a pockets on a short cushion when playng long safety shots. And trying to play cue ball directly into imaginary pockets when playng safety. This appoach allowes to play very precise safety shots in comparison with so called “regular way” of playing safety.

Of course, different kinds of mental stops obstructs possibilities of higher breaks. I also observed, when I count points in my memory and reached already 40+ I started to think: oh, it’s quite a lot already. And I lose a position with the next shot. When I don’t count, I could clear the practice table easy, but nobody knows what is the size of the break 

Now I work on the methods how to beat frustration when you have got a bit worse position that intended. Usually I used to play the next difficult shot too fast because of rushing frustration and I miss next shot or further position very often.

But what else? Sometimes I feel: my technique is close to brilliant, I guess that this is quite high level, decause I practicing 3-4 hours a day. My sparring partners are also really strong and don’t allow to be 100% sure in victory.
I don’t afraid to lose in tournament, this feeling is already in the past. My legs are not shaking when I play against the player who is really better. I am trying to avoid frustration, I really focused, I think, I am psychologically strong.
Where are my high breaks is sparring and tournements?

[noel]

Thanks a lot Noel and Rocket Roy for your answers.
Where are my high breaks is sparring and tournements?

dao... they are always there, just waiting for you.


=o)

Noel

[RocketRoy1983]

Its very much a mental stumbling block. I was stuck on 49 for 3 years then I made a 62 and within 6 weeks id had another 12 50+ breaks.

[joe.l]

70+

the better my cue ball control got , the more the game seemed to open up , I could see what was needed to make a table break , I really started to consintrate on memorizing cue ball control off all the contact points on the oject ball , committing them to memory ,if you get to a 50 + break and feel a little nervous , step back , take a deep breath , and appoach the next shot as if it were the first shot , consintrate on ONE BALL at a time , the ball you are shooting at is the only ball on the table ...good luck ....Joe

[Nat5guns]

I think that it's mainly psychological. If you can make frame winning breaks and tons in practice, there is no reason why you can't do it in a frame. I have made many many 100 breaks in practice matches, but when it comes to tournaments, it's a different game. When the pressure is on you have to perform, and i think that is always niggling you subconsciously. If you can disregard other peoples opinion of you if you play bad in a match, and purely play like you would do on your own, then that's 90% of the battle won.

[1lawyer]

The benchmark for scoring 70+ is to get past 69...

Seriously though, it is planing. Being able to assess the table helps you. I would pick off the harder balls (nearest to the cushion possibly) or the balls that are blocking off other balls to the pocket first chance I get and try and free the spots and potting line for the black pink if possible.

Learning to try and leave 3 quarter angles for position purposes helps and playing for options ...ie a general area of the table where if you go too far with the white you could do something else (a favorite quote of Willie Thorn).

I think learning to play soft stuns around the pink is good for practice. Try a cross formation around the pink with the reds playing for pink in any pocket each time. A Simple but effective practice routine good for developing consistent touch and control of the white.

[dao]

I think learning to play soft stuns around the pink is good for practice. Try a cross formation around the pink with the reds playing for pink in any pocket each time. A Simple but effective practice routine good for developing consistent touch and control of the white.

Thanks for the advice. Usually I feel quite comfortable with "cross formation around the pink" On this kind of routine I achieved a few 70+ 80+ quite easy. But this kind of routine:
http://fergalobrien.ie/practice4.html
is still quite difficult for me. It requires really fine and precise positional play...

[dao]

the better my cue ball control got , the more the game seemed to open up , I could see what was needed to make a table break , I really started to consintrate on memorizing cue ball control off all the contact points on the oject ball , committing them to memory ,if you get to a 50 + break and feel a little nervous , step back , take a deep breath , and appoach the next shot as if it were the first shot , consintrate on ONE BALL at a time , the ball you are shooting at is the only ball on the table ...good luck ....Joe

That is always happens: as soon as I understand that way to a sizeable break is now free, I lose myself somehow. For example, few days ago I starded with brilliant 36 break in the beginning of the frame, when just couple of very difficult reds were initially available. Than my cannon the cluster from the blue suddenly opened reds absolutely perfect, I did not even expect this result. I was so surprised with this peftect cannon... as a result I lost position on the easy black after next easy red.

[the legend]

The main reason players struggle to inprove their breaks is mental.The secret is to play the same shot on 60 or 70 or whenever your approaching a personal milestone as you would do on 8 .
It comes down to the old cliche of 1 shot at a time,this also applys in any inportant match your playing.
The right shot is the shot no matter what the score is or what break your on..

[jonplayer]

I like Joe.l 's answer. The first breakthrough (for break building) came for me when I had a 100 break on the line up, this gave me loads of confidence to transfer those skills in to a typical frame situaltion.
The main breakthrough I had was when I stopped trying to "pot the balls". I got a tip that I'm sure everyone knows, but it worked for me.
What I do now is asess each shot from standing behind it only for a second, get down on the shot and only think about my technique, staying still and pushing the cue through. I know that if my technique holds up then the shot will come off as I want it to. This system is now a natural part of my game. I'm not saying you'l always play well doing this, but my game did move up a level after playing like this.
Also its a cliche but if you can make high breaks in practice then you can make high breaks in matches. In a match its normal to feel that there is tension in the cue arm when playing shots. This is why its very important to find a rhythm and relax into it.

[joe.l]

70+ breaks

70+ breaks are usally game winners in one visit , and that's great , however a new player who is thinking along these lines is to me putting the cart before the horse , or wanting to run before learning how to walk . think about going after the loose reds ( open ones ) first , then once you've gotten them , on the last open red try to get position on a color that will allow you to open the pack ( or at least a couple of reds ) in some cases it's better to open a couple of reds then trying to plastter all of them open . never subtitute power or effect over control or accuracy. practice a good techique , during practice , but during a match consintrate on the balls . As far as psycholgical games --don't play them ---all you have to do is say to yourself that you are going to put 100% effort into your next match and give every shot the committment that it deserves ,( you are responsable for effort , not results ) if the effort is good the results will be there sooner or later .be wholehearted about your decisionsto go for a ball , don't dwell on what you may leave , don't panick, 1. what do I have to do to play good ? 2. what is the contact point on the oject ball ,3. where do I have to hit white , and how hard ,..there is nothing else to think about ...good luck ...Joe