nerves when playing a match

[paulperks]

hi all when i play a match i get nerves . how can i stop this as in practice i am fine ?

[Chris Bedford]

nerves when playing a match

You need to relax and focus. It is hard but you can do it just need to learn to really concentrate in what your doing kind of get into a trance.

[warren132]

hi all when i play a match i get nerves . how can i stop this as in practice i am fine ?

I am afraid there is no cure for this...nerves can be good or bad just depends how you deal with them...if you are new to snooker/league snooker then nerves will be a big part of your match playing i am afraid.Only after you have been playing match snooker local comps for a good few years can you start to control your nerves a little. Some people can control them better than others so just try to relax and enjoy all you snooker and only with time will you learn to play to a decent level under pressure.

this is my own opinion of course others will have there's.

good luck !

[warren132]

Playing with nerves.

Sorry i posted this twice.

[sberry]

Do you feel any pressure from your team mates? Let them know you're nervous and ask for their advice, that's better than bottling it up and wondering if they're talking about you fluffing match games, they know you're a newbie and probably know you're good enough in practice - sometimes it helps to get it off your chest and they might be able to help, even if it's by sneakily putting pressure on your opponent or just telling you not to worry.

Experience helps and you have to learn that over time but generally you must approach match play differently and go in with the attitude you won't give any easy chances away, you'll choose safety over style rather than gift an opening and you'll begin the game accepting a win any which way rather than wanting and expecting to knock them in like you do in practice, when it doesn't matter. Better to play ugly and win rather than stylishly and lose.

All the easy stuff, try to remove outside unessential worries like how you're getting there, will you be there on time, what you're doing before and after, etc. Just get there early and focus on winning your game, sometimes it helps to watch closely your team mates matches and see how they play, concentrate on their game and you'll have less room in your head for worrying about other things.

Others will mention more but remember, the worst that can happen is you lose a snooker match, it's just a game, there are billions of people in the world who would trade places with you as the coin is flipped, and afterwards.

[alabadi]

Its easier said than done, i have started playing in the Sheffield winter league the first time in my life i have payed in a league situation.

and the first match i was very nervous, it wasn't because i was scared of losing however because of the importance, i didn't want to let down the team. i have now played in three matches, although i have lost all 3 i am getting less nervous each game. my last game i should have won but wasn't to be.

i was still a little nervous but felt much better, so i would say nerves will be always part of the game and rarely anyone can say they don't feel nervous before a match, its with experience we get better at controlling them, and the more confidence we get.

so i am hoping that with more games under my belt i can play my game without letting any nerves take over.

Alabbadi

[spike007]

nerves when playing a match

This is my first season of league play and I also get nervous. One thing I would like to add to the great advice already out there is do not get tempted out of playing your own game, for the time being if its a marginal chance pot I do not take it on I play safe. Boring I know but the league is about winning. It doesn't matter who your playing, you play the table so as long as you can recognise the low percentage shots and play safe from them your doing the best you can.

[poona]

nerves when playing a match

I was same when I started competing and now that I'm back competing after 4+ years off I'm getting them again. Still winning however but my game is totally different in a match. My game is tighter there is a lack of fluidity and I miss easy shots. Part and parcel and will go away after I get a season under my belt. Can only suggest when you practice that you line up lots of straight medium length shots and set a goal of 10 in a row or so. Make them longer as its these type of shots that tend to be missed with a tense arm.

[vmax4steve]

Everbody feels nerves in a match situation. It's the fight or flight directive, that is a part of our genetic makeup when in a contest of any kind, flooding the body with adrenalin. Don't confuse it with fear, this adrenalin floods our bodies to make us stronger and more alert. Embrace the feeling and use it safe in the knowledge that you aren't in any physical danger and that if you lose you simply pack your cue away and go home.
And remember that it's not a test of manhood, win or lose your dick will remain the same size

[gem]

I have played both well and poor because of nerves but you just can't beat the feeling you get when you perform well when you are crapping yourself.
I think you just have to gain experience from pressure matches and learn to almost go on auto pilot. Just take each shot on their own and try to cue smooth. Not always easy but the more you do well in these matches the more you will enjoy the feeling of butterflies before games.
Remember the other guy feels just the same.

[Ginger Freak]

I used to be nervous as hell when I first started playing league snooker, took me about a year to settle down. Even now, 10 years in, I still inexplicably get nerves during the odd match here and there. The only piece of advice I can give is if you ever feel that the nerves are interfering in a shot, either because you feel you are shaking a bit much, or over thinking things, get up. Chalk your cue for a bit, walk around the table, then get down and start again, sometimes the extra few seconds can calm you down a bit!

Could be worse, you could be playing Cricket! I had to quit playing because of nerves - when you are a batsman, you only ever get one chance!

[Csmith]

Embrace them. They can either help you focus or they can distract you. If you focus on the fact you're nervous then invariably mistakes will creep into your play. But I find if I just accept the fact that I'm nervous and turn my attention to the game I am even more focused. And as the game progresses you'll start to calm down a bit as your confidence builds.

[Sidd]

Indeed an important post this one! i used ot have the same thing when i used to play with players better than my standards. The thing that happens normally is that when I used to play with a higher standard player I would accept my defeat in heart and mind already that o he is so good i cant win from him i cant play well against him he is better than me. So when there were only 5 reds available and his score was like 50 i would loose heart and loose the game...

Then over time I developed the self confidence that is really neccessary for this game. the actual game goes inside the mind really and not on the table. so then when i got matured i sort of trained my brain to focus on the positive and now i keep talking to myself in my mind that i will win tis game no matter what and the change i have seen in me is that while playing with better players and having the last 5 reds and his score is 50 i would say to me; all right no issues at all no problem i can take 5 blacks which means 40 and then still have 27 on the table so the total score left is 67 i can still achieve that and hence my struggle goes on for that and i forget whom i m playing against and the situation i sort of try hard to achieve the challenge and target that i have setup for myself and never give up.....

at my club they have started calling my the Mean Fighter hahaha and i love this about me i have become a fighter who would just not give up unless scraped off the table a comment ronnie gave about selby once through this approach i have won frmaes requiring 2 snookers only with pink and black trust me once the brain is trined and focused on the target in hand the nerves go away try that from this day onwards and you will see what I mean.

yes i do feel pressure if my situation is bad that is normal but i will always fight back the pressure and not give up....!!!!!!

[ace man]

Handling the nerves can be frustrating at times. I have plenty of tournament experience, even some wins and trophies on a club level, but I have very rarely performed up to my potential. 99% of the time I leave my best game at the practice table. Unlike many others, I need quite a bit of competitive match time to relax and get into the groove. That adrenalin pumping fight of flight syndrome can really ruin you concentration and technique due to muscles stiffening, unsteady arm, too high heart rate...etc...it can be a shock...almost like you've never done any practice at all.
For years I have tried to battle it with various methods, none being truly successful of course. The only thing that sort of worked for me was to get to as many competitive situations as possible, and that usually meant playing pool tournaments since there are much more of those in my area.

As a child I was into tennis seriously practicing with coaches daily for many hours. I had excellent technique, but unfortunately mental side was pants. In fact, only one junior player from my tennis club was able to do anything at national championships. His physical side of the game was nothing special...average groundstrokes, average serve, poor volleys, ok runner...he was even a bit short in height which was a bit of a handicap. But my word at competitions he performed so much better than the rest of us it was unreal. Some people are level headed even as children.
I was so disgusted and bitterly disappointed with my performance in tennis tournaments...never happy at all while playing. As a 14 year old I smashed two rackets in one match lol...tears fell too at times lol. At 15 I gave up the game altogether. In the last 20 years I have played tennis maybe only a few times...
I will not allow the same to happen with my snooker. No matter how many times I lose, I will keep trying...

[Giggity1984]

In my experience the less arrogant a person you are, the more suseptable to nerves you will be. Strut around like you own the place, be arrogant, blame any misses on the roll of the table and be vocal about it. Sounds like silly advice, but worth a go.

I suffer from horrendous nerves, so much that my backswing arm shakes A LOT. So, I too am very interested in all the others good advice on here. :snooker: