mental obstacle when potting?

[mr.fine]

not sure if anyone experienced this before. whenever I'm down on the shot, even though i've made sure the angle of the pot, and i've done my pre-shot routine, yet, my subconscious is still saying the ball wouldnt go in. if anyone knows how to get over this, please help.

[Cue crafty]

I'm pretty sure all of us have had these doubts at one point or another, and they tend to come and go with your form. If your technique seems sound and you pot well in solo practice, then it's probably only your confidence affecting you in matchplay. You can only really find confidence from good solo practice, that consistently proves to yourself that you can pot. Try getting back up off the shot and do your routine again when you feel this doubt, to reaffirm the shot in your mind. Try to see an image in your mind of the shot being played and rolling into the pocket, if you see the ball missing in your mind's eye you will miss more often than not.

If however you are struggling to pot balls under no pressure in solo then there is probably a technical issue.

[mr.fine]

I'm pretty sure all of us have had these doubts at one point or another, and they tend to come and go with your form. If your technique seems sound and you pot well in solo practice, then it's probably only your confidence affecting you in matchplay. You can only really find confidence from good solo practice, that consistently proves to yourself that you can pot. Try getting back up off the shot and do your routine again when you feel this doubt, to reaffirm the shot in your mind. Try to see an image in your mind of the shot being played and rolling into the pocket, if you see the ball missing in your mind's eye you will miss more often than not.

If however you are struggling to pot balls under no pressure in solo then there is probably a technical issue.

thank you for that info

[DeanH]

Moved to Coaching for possibly more applicable notice

[DeanH]

Now I am no coach but I recall a discussion some time ago where someone had a similar issue to you and someone suggested closing your eyes at point of draw back and delivery, to try and "re-sync" your mind with your eyes and potting - or something like that - I suggest you do this in practise

[mr.fine]

Now I am no coach but I recall a discussion some time ago where someone had a similar issue to you and someone suggested closing your eyes at point of draw back and delivery, to try and "re-sync" your mind with your eyes and potting - or something like that - I suggest you do this in practise

thank you, might worth a try

[itsnoteasy]

You have to force yourself to play the line you picked, even if it looks wrong. If you change your mind once down you will never learn anything as you won't know why you missed. Once down if you hit where you picked and missed you got down on the wrong line and you have learned how to correct it. If you don't hit where you picked its probably a cueing issue and you have learned that. If you get down then shuffle around and miss, you won't know the reason why.

[Giggity1984]

I know I'm a bit late to the party with this thread, but Nate Zinsser has a great book on Confidence. He has loads of interviews on YouTube about it, well worth a look. Helped me loads with my confidence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OryMI3S_dII

[Richard pincott]

not sure if anyone experienced this before. whenever I'm down on the shot, even though i've made sure the angle of the pot, and i've done my pre-shot routine, yet, my subconscious is still saying the ball wouldnt go in. if anyone knows how to get over this, please help.

It certainly sounds like it stems from being unsure about something. Or you are not picking up what you want to look at.
Or you are not trusting your eyes.
You could also be over trying.
Most effort should be put into being absolutely clear on what you want the white to do.
Then let your eyes tell you where to stand and look.
Then let your hand routine cue the white making sure you are striking it where you want.
play the pot without moving.
Position should follow automatically.