Losing my mind

[Drac]

Help........... How do i play without thinking technique ?

Someone said that they sing to themselves.... I would really appreciate your answears and thoughts on this.

I would like to enjoy the game more and move into unconscious competence instead of thinking theory all the time. I know I should groove my action in practise but I dont know how to LOSE MY MIND in a game...

Thanks in advance.

[cue1]

Given that you've done your homework in practice, just focus on potting & position while playing (or at least try to)

What I do is think about potting object ball A to get position X on object ball B (bearing in mind that position X would make it easier for me to get to position Y on ball C), once you get into that rhythm you'll hardly be distracted with technique. When you think about positional play, your mind will automatically pick the correct spot on the cue ball... :snooker: Just make sure you pot the ball.

[Drac]

Thanks Cue 1,

I do try this at times and i go alright esp if i think to myself " i'll play off this red and get the white in behind the yellow" safety etc... Im pretty good at visualizing and it works like a kinda magic in safety play. My trouble comes when im potting, I just cant seem to get away from theory !!

In practise I can pot balls with my eyes shut (once i've lined up) by just feeling the cue action. I dont know whats going on. I dont get nervous or worried when playing I just get too much going on in my head.

I just want some freedom.

[thelongbomber]

I read this somewhere ages ago: every sportsperson goes through 3 stages: awkward, mechanical, and then instinctual. Maybe you're just passing through a phase?

In most sports, players go through all 3 stages over time, never reverting to a previous stage. Snooker, being so complex, seems to have us going back to akward even after 10 years playing once we learn something new or improve our technique.

About the comment on positional focus, I can support that claim. I have tried over the last 6 months to put more focus on position myself, and less on potting- even going so far as to invent a potting technique that was easier on my attention span (see my signature below with links). It works. I don't worry at all about technique now and I'm breaking 30/40's in match play regularly.

I would add to the comment that always play 2 balls ahead. Before you pot a red, look for the next red. Before you pot a color, look for the next color. Doing so let's you position the cue ball accurately on the ball in between.

[cantpotforshíte]

Help........... How do i play without thinking technique ?

Someone said that they sing to themselves.... I would really appreciate your answears and thoughts on this.

I would like to enjoy the game more and move into unconscious competence instead of thinking theory all the time. I know I should groove my action in practise but I dont know how to LOSE MY MIND in a game...

Thanks in advance.

There is a book written about how to play without thinking about technique.

It's called 'The Inner Game of Golf' by W. Timothy Gallwey and it's written with this in mind and nothing else.

To cap it all, it's very well written, widely read and readily available second hand for peanuts (Ebay, Amazon etc.)

Don't worry about the title, the book applies equally well to snooker as golf, without any translation. If I could, I'd sum up the principles but it'd be easier and better if you just bought it. Good Luck!

[Drac]

Thanks for the advice guys it is all very interesting and i will follow t up

[Blanchon147]

Am struggling with the same problem it is so frustrating

[cue1]

It may also be worth going back to why you've started playing the game in the first place?!

My answer would be to have a good time & enjoy myself! Why not try to enjoy yourself without thinking about anything for a while (a few weeks maybe)? Just go down the club & play a few games with a mate just for the fun of it... Loser pays for the table & the drinks :snooker:

[Drac]

Cue 1, thanks mate, you are so right. I played today and was enjoying it by not thinking about it I just thought about position and didnt lose a game.

I will try my best to follow your advice

[cue1]

Cue 1, thanks mate, you are so right. I played today and was enjoying it by not thinking about it I just thought about position and didnt lose a game.

I will try my best to follow your advice

As long as you're enjoying yourself, that's all that matters :snooker:

When the time's right everything will come together, don't you worry

[Drac]

As long as you're enjoying yourself, that's all that matters :snooker:

When the time's right everything will come together, don't you worry

Thanks again mate

[themayorofflair]

'Inner Game of Golf' rocks.

It is an intelligent & insightful book, very well written indeed.

It is one of those books which appears to state the blindingly obvious, too obvious for mere mortals such as ourselves to figure out.

Buy it immediately, I promise it will make a difference.

Good luck with your quest dude.

[Drac]

'Inner Game of Golf' rocks.

It is an intelligent & insightful book, very well written indeed.

It is one of those books which appears to state the blindingly obvious, too obvious for mere mortals such as ourselves to figure out.

Buy it immediately, I promise it will make a difference.

Good luck with your quest dude.

Thanks mate, i will defo buy it.... ebay here i come

[snookeq]

Besides "The Inner Game of Golf", I would also suggest the classic book by the same author "Zen in the art of archery".

[cantpotforshíte]

Besides "The Inner Game of Golf", I would also suggest the classic book by the same author "Zen in the art of archery".

'Zen in the art of Archery' is actually written by Eugene Herrigel, not Tim Gallwey. I've thought about reading it, but someone told me that it's more of a story about one man's road to enlightenment.
Has anybody else read the book who reckons it'd be useful for snooker psychology?