Please help me get rid of the yips! (video included)

[hotpot]

Look like Andy Hicks , nice cue action , personally i would have a pre shot routine even if its chalking your cue on every shot , does help with consistency

[itsnoteasy]

Best of luck Agent, you have a very solid technique that you can repeat , so you should quickly get back to a reasonable standard.
I love the crucible idea, you will have to sort out some walk on music, and a couple of nicknames for yourselves

[MikeTheBigMonster]

reading this thread brings me a feeling that I'm was also suffering the same symptoms before... got to work hard.

[thelongbomber]

As mentioned, don't want to say too much about your game. Overall clearly you have skill. Would like to elaborate a little more on your speed and provide some insight.

The so called "yips" is nervous energy. It can come from many places like your food, diet, stimulants (tabacco/coffee/white sugar). Unless you are a yogi or a buddha master, you don't have as much control over your nervous system and autonomous responses to your environment as you might think you do. So looking at your food/diet as possible sources of the yips is a good start. When we are younger, we don't have as many toxins in our body (and mind), so we are more resilient to nerves and tension and can push through it. Our testosterone levels are also generally higher in youth. As you get into your 40's it drops and then you can't handle tension as easily (fight or flight response) and so may want to supplement with deep breathing training, diet changes, healthier lifestyle, dropping heart rate (like Ronnie does with long runs) etc. I don't recommend long runs though as some evidence is starting to show that ultra marathoners are dieing of heart attacks (sprints with long walks is better I think). Age gives you wisdom, and wisdom gives you safety and reduces risk, but wisdom can also give you courage, stamina, and fearlessness if you know where to look and how to develop it.

One other area where you get yips is the style of play. Very few players are aware that if they play fast when they are NOT nervous, the ACT of playing quickly can actually fertilize yips at exactly the wrong time - like the penultimate ball for total clearance. Yips can be nurtured at one visit to the table and you can set yourself on a path of creating them through a break. I pretty much figured out in the first 20 seconds of watching you, that this is a likely case for you. It was pretty clear to me that you were rushing through and then after making the blue, you got so excited that you were good on it, that you didn't take a moment to calm yourself down, and shot the blue in. You took your time on the brown (probably because its such a crucial point in a clearance) but then as you nearly "ran" around the table, and started assessing your angle on the pink, there may have been a moment of hesitation. You readjusted your body while getting down on the pink. Was it perhaps a rest shot, or maybe you needed the mini-butt extension? The final piece of clear evidence for me was the big "puff" of air you took in at the end of the video as you got up off the shot. Almost like a deep diver coming up for air.

I also noticed you tend to raise your head in some shots to see if you pot the object ball. Train yourself that once you have struck the cue ball, what happens is not your concern. Don't worry about potting the ball. Treat it like an after thought or like something that isn't important - even though it means everything in snooker. Instead just work on staying down, getting your aim, and completing your shot. What happens after is secondary - getting the pot or not.

I'm also guessing you did this break end of day? That probably didn't help with your energy levels either. Try it first thing in the morning and see what happens.

The simplest piece of advice is to simply stay down on the shot until the cue ball stops. Soak it all in. Get yourself into a "yogic" state of meditation and get yourself into the unconscious zone this way. Calm yourself between each shot. Slow your pace down as you walk around the table. Maybe even look down at your cue as you chalk and walk to give your mind a moment to clear your head. It's no coincidence that Stephen Hendry often did this in his youth - probably without knowing it helps. Keep telling yourself not to rush, that the balls aren't going anywhere. Take your time. Staying down as mentioned may solve it in the short term, but a long term fix is looking into a concept called "being present" or in the moment. Explore this concept in full so that you can actualize it when needed without just doing as I suggest. It has almost nothing to do with snooker specifically, but understanding presence and some of the teachings of buddhism and yoga actually come back to help you in the end. Eckhart Tolle and Sadhguru Vasudev are two teachers that come to mind - google them. Eckart wrote a wonderful book called The Power of Now which is absolutely brilliant. He distills theories on the subject from multiple cultures and religions. Highly recommend it.

Someone mentioned above about having a routine. It can create an artificial pause so certainly beneficial if you can incorporate it.

If you want more elaboration about presence and state of mind, let me know as it's a topic I often think about in relation to snooker.

[fredkite]

You do look a very natural player - a little like a rushed Ronnie o Sullivan - bet you kick some arse when flowing - type of guy I wanna ref for in my team if I must - overinnotimebacktodabar.com

I asked you to play for my team! beersgoneflat.com

[Byrom]

As mentioned, don't want to say too much about your game. Overall clearly you have skill. Would like to elaborate a little more on your speed and provide some insight.

The so called "yips" is nervous energy. It can come from many places like your food, diet, stimulants (tabacco/coffee/white sugar). Unless you are a yogi or a buddha master, you don't have as much control over your nervous system and autonomous responses to your environment as you might think you do. So looking at your food/diet as possible sources of the yips is a good start. When we are younger, we don't have as many toxins in our body (and mind), so we are more resilient to nerves and tension and can push through it. Our testosterone levels are also generally higher in youth. As you get into your 40's it drops and then you can't handle tension as easily (fight or flight response) and so may want to supplement with deep breathing training, diet changes, healthier lifestyle, dropping heart rate (like Ronnie does with long runs) etc. I don't recommend long runs though as some evidence is starting to show that ultra marathoners are dieing of heart attacks (sprints with long walks is better I think). Age gives you wisdom, and wisdom gives you safety and reduces risk, but wisdom can also give you courage, stamina, and fearlessness if you know where to look and how to develop it.

One other area where you get yips is the style of play. Very few players are aware that if they play fast when they are NOT nervous, the ACT of playing quickly can actually fertilize yips at exactly the wrong time - like the penultimate ball for total clearance. Yips can be nurtured at one visit to the table and you can set yourself on a path of creating them through a break. I pretty much figured out in the first 20 seconds of watching you, that this is a likely case for you. It was pretty clear to me that you were rushing through and then after making the blue, you got so excited that you were good on it, that you didn't take a moment to calm yourself down, and shot the blue in. You took your time on the brown (probably because its such a crucial point in a clearance) but then as you nearly "ran" around the table, and started assessing your angle on the pink, there may have been a moment of hesitation. You readjusted your body while getting down on the pink. Was it perhaps a rest shot, or maybe you needed the mini-butt extension? The final piece of clear evidence for me was the big "puff" of air you took in at the end of the video as you got up off the shot. Almost like a deep diver coming up for air.

I also noticed you tend to raise your head in some shots to see if you pot the object ball. Train yourself that once you have struck the cue ball, what happens is not your concern. Don't worry about potting the ball. Treat it like an after thought or like something that isn't important - even though it means everything in snooker. Instead just work on staying down, getting your aim, and completing your shot. What happens after is secondary - getting the pot or not.

I'm also guessing you did this break end of day? That probably didn't help with your energy levels either. Try it first thing in the morning and see what happens.

The simplest piece of advice is to simply stay down on the shot until the cue ball stops. Soak it all in. Get yourself into a "yogic" state of meditation and get yourself into the unconscious zone this way. Calm yourself between each shot. Slow your pace down as you walk around the table. Maybe even look down at your cue as you chalk and walk to give your mind a moment to clear your head. It's no coincidence that Stephen Hendry often did this in his youth - probably without knowing it helps. Keep telling yourself not to rush, that the balls aren't going anywhere. Take your time. Staying down as mentioned may solve it in the short term, but a long term fix is looking into a concept called "being present" or in the moment. Explore this concept in full so that you can actualize it when needed without just doing as I suggest. It has almost nothing to do with snooker specifically, but understanding presence and some of the teachings of buddhism and yoga actually come back to help you in the end. Eckhart Tolle and Sadhguru Vasudev are two teachers that come to mind - google them. Eckart wrote a wonderful book called The Power of Now which is absolutely brilliant. He distills theories on the subject from multiple cultures and religions. Highly recommend it.

Someone mentioned above about having a routine. It can create an artificial pause so certainly beneficial if you can incorporate it.

If you want more elaboration about presence and state of mind, let me know as it's a topic I often think about in relation to snooker.

I have played snooker in this unconscious zone before - what a night that was.

[thelongbomber]

I have played snooker in this unconscious zone before - what a night that was.

It only happened once? Surely not.

[Byrom]

It only happened once? Surely not.

yes drank too much that night -

[thelongbomber]

As for any further advice - You probably might do this already as that video was a demonstration just to show us - but if you don't do it already - one thing I would do is move on from the line up - you clearly mastered the mindless stun shot on the line up - this type of line up is ok for a warm up but can actually make you lazy and can be the thing that has quickened your game up.

I would try a few different routines that promote more of a challenge in terms of needing precise position or add that soft stun - or finesse and little positional bit of variety and offer transition between the type of shots - rather than just mindless stun and play for a variety of reds - set up some targets - map out the table a bit - set a few tougher challenges and targets and try and beat them.

Very good points. Even though completing the line up is a satisfying reward, it's crucial to keep pushing yourself.

[Nic Barrow]

As mentioned, don't want to say too much about your game. Overall clearly you have skill. Would like to elaborate a little more on your speed and provide some insight.

The so called "yips" is nervous energy. It can come from many places like your food, diet, stimulants (tabacco/coffee/white sugar). Unless you are a yogi or a buddha master, you don't have as much control over your nervous system and autonomous responses to your environment as you might think you do. So looking at your food/diet as possible sources of the yips is a good start. When we are younger, we don't have as many toxins in our body (and mind), so we are more resilient to nerves and tension and can push through it. Our testosterone levels are also generally higher in youth. As you get into your 40's it drops and then you can't handle tension as easily (fight or flight response) and so may want to supplement with deep breathing training, diet changes, healthier lifestyle, dropping heart rate (like Ronnie does with long runs) etc. I don't recommend long runs though as some evidence is starting to show that ultra marathoners are dieing of heart attacks (sprints with long walks is better I think). Age gives you wisdom, and wisdom gives you safety and reduces risk, but wisdom can also give you courage, stamina, and fearlessness if you know where to look and how to develop it.

One other area where you get yips is the style of play. Very few players are aware that if they play fast when they are NOT nervous, the ACT of playing quickly can actually fertilize yips at exactly the wrong time - like the penultimate ball for total clearance. Yips can be nurtured at one visit to the table and you can set yourself on a path of creating them through a break. I pretty much figured out in the first 20 seconds of watching you, that this is a likely case for you. It was pretty clear to me that you were rushing through and then after making the blue, you got so excited that you were good on it, that you didn't take a moment to calm yourself down, and shot the blue in. You took your time on the brown (probably because its such a crucial point in a clearance) but then as you nearly "ran" around the table, and started assessing your angle on the pink, there may have been a moment of hesitation. You readjusted your body while getting down on the pink. Was it perhaps a rest shot, or maybe you needed the mini-butt extension? The final piece of clear evidence for me was the big "puff" of air you took in at the end of the video as you got up off the shot. Almost like a deep diver coming up for air.

I also noticed you tend to raise your head in some shots to see if you pot the object ball. Train yourself that once you have struck the cue ball, what happens is not your concern. Don't worry about potting the ball. Treat it like an after thought or like something that isn't important - even though it means everything in snooker. Instead just work on staying down, getting your aim, and completing your shot. What happens after is secondary - getting the pot or not.

I'm also guessing you did this break end of day? That probably didn't help with your energy levels either. Try it first thing in the morning and see what happens.

The simplest piece of advice is to simply stay down on the shot until the cue ball stops. Soak it all in. Get yourself into a "yogic" state of meditation and get yourself into the unconscious zone this way. Calm yourself between each shot. Slow your pace down as you walk around the table. Maybe even look down at your cue as you chalk and walk to give your mind a moment to clear your head. It's no coincidence that Stephen Hendry often did this in his youth - probably without knowing it helps. Keep telling yourself not to rush, that the balls aren't going anywhere. Take your time. Staying down as mentioned may solve it in the short term, but a long term fix is looking into a concept called "being present" or in the moment. Explore this concept in full so that you can actualize it when needed without just doing as I suggest. It has almost nothing to do with snooker specifically, but understanding presence and some of the teachings of buddhism and yoga actually come back to help you in the end. Eckhart Tolle and Sadhguru Vasudev are two teachers that come to mind - google them. Eckart wrote a wonderful book called The Power of Now which is absolutely brilliant. He distills theories on the subject from multiple cultures and religions. Highly recommend it.

Someone mentioned above about having a routine. It can create an artificial pause so certainly beneficial if you can incorporate it.

If you want more elaboration about presence and state of mind, let me know as it's a topic I often think about in relation to snooker.

Nice reply Mayur

[jamesg19851]

Hi Nic,

I have a question. I experience neck pain which is making me think twice about practising. I have the motivation to practise a lot but it's painful. I was thinking of lifting my chin off the cue to allow me to practise regularly with no pain, what do you think?

[jonny66]

Nice reply Mayur

Another broken thread, nice to see Nic back to furnish us with his wares, I do wish you'd stop sending me emails in the middle of the night though.

[Muneebsarwar]

Nice Cue action BTW..looks like Barry Hawkins with different head is playing