Why i always miss ball when i tell myself to be more careful before a shot taken?

[mchpddl1]

My opponent missed a ball and leave me an easy shot with several reds nicely spread. I tell myself be careful on each shot and a big break is on. Immediateky i miss that easy ball. It happens so many times i cannot understan dat all and its absolutely frustrating. Its seems the more i care the worse i get.

Anyone got any good mental appraoches to my problem? Thanks a lot.

[Quackers]

Although it is good to think ahead it is not good to think too far ahead because you tend to forget the first bit - potting the ball on. You can only make breaks by potting one ball at a time. It is the first priority - not the last! Every player does what you do from time to time. Just kick yourself and do better next time :-)

[Terry Davidson]

Also, try and get a coach or a knowledgeable friend to see what is happening to your technique during these situations as obviously you are not delivering the cue straight and that is due to something happening. Maybe you're moving your head a bit because you're not concentrating on staying still but rather concentrating on the big break you can see.

Another very common mistake is a player will end up playing the cueball position rather than the pot. I've found my self doing this from time to time and you have to be disciplined enough to stay absolutely still with no change in aiming from the tip you are standing up behind the shot. Too many players will change their aim while they are down on the shot and that is a disaster

Terry

[AndyG]

I have the same problem and it can happen even when you're a long way in to a break. Basically any time you say "don't miss" to yourself, you risk tightening up. Best advice is to stay positive and keep loose. Have a breather and look round the table at all your options. It's your table so keep your opponent off it!

[bongo]

You need to focus on what you are doing at the time. By thinking to yourself that you can make a big break, you are not staying in the moment, in the present. By thinking that a big break is on you are thinking that you COULD make a big break, that uncertainty could cause you to lose concentration. Of course you need to look ahead to plan your shots but stay in the present, live in the present moment. You shouldn't be thinking to yourself that a big break is on, all you should be thinking is about the pot you are playing, where you are going to strike the cue-ball, and where you will position the cue-ball for the next shot. If you are a good player and experienced then you won't even need to think about the next shot, because your brain works it out without you actually thinking about it, your brain works subconsciously and that is also the case with striking the cue-ball, the angle of the pot and positional play. If you asked some of the top pros about how they aim their shots or how they plan ahead, they probably couldn't tell you, because everything happens subconsciously. So that means that you can stay in the present moment and your mind doesn't interfere, and they play naturally, which is EXACTLY what you want. If you do that, the break will take care of itself. It is simply a matter of concentration, not just how much you are concentrating but what you are concentrating on.

That is much easier said than done, of course!

bongo

[Csmith]

Visualization can be a useful tool. From a mental standpoint, if your telling yourself "don't miss this ball" or "Don't screw this up" you end up visualizing yourself missing and you execute what's in your head. The brain doesn't know the word 'don't'. If you say "don't think of an apple", I'm betting an apple popped into your head for a brief moment.

If your going to say anything to yourself, just say what you want to do. "Pot the red in the corner and draw back a foot for the pink".

[damienlch]

Visualization can be a useful tool. From a mental standpoint, if your telling yourself "don't miss this ball" or "Don't screw this up" you end up visualizing yourself missing and you execute what's in your head. The brain doesn't know the word 'don't'. If you say "don't think of an apple", I'm betting an apple popped into your head for a brief moment.

If your going to say anything to yourself, just say what you want to do. "Pot the red in the corner and draw back a foot for the pink".

yup, you won the bet, Csmith... an apple did pop into my head when i tried not to think of it... good stuff... i'm gonna keep that in mind the next time i play... i mean the positive thinking / visualisation part.