How not to BREAK the BREAK

[Sidd]

I SHALL COME TO THE POINT AFTER THREE PARAGRAPHS OR SO after sharing my joy

So after my last posts in the recent two threads; I took serious note of advice put in by all of you guys out there as well as advice forwarded wonderfully by Terry (my exceptionally brilliant and worthy coach who would remain in my memory forever as the one who really taught me how to play this game; particularly in terms of technique) and Vmax (for whom I have developed sincere respect as a player because some of his advice has worked great for me; particularly in terms with confidence and psychology). So I am absolutely happy to have Terry as a coahc and Vmax as a game Psychologist

I am proud to share with you that I have been playing rather consistently for the last three consecutive evenings and this is an achievement for me believe it or not given that I have achieved my old confidence in my game back. In my country normally match play happens where looser has to pay and the winner doesn't pay anything. I have played 4-5 hours daily match play in last three days and my bill has been as under (new way of letting you know how i have been playing):

Day 1: 30p for a couple of cups of tea
Day 2: 50p for an energy drink
Day 3: 40p for a bottle of water and some tea

Undefeated for the last three days- Have had a few betting offers which I humbly and politely declined as I never bet. Never ever in life; that's my principle.
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Now to the point of concern:

I have been playing great and I know that. I kept Terry's advice in mind and finally after a long time got successful in not thinking about technique during match play and suddenly improved... my grip seemed comfortable and so did the stance sighting aiming and all other things... Whenever I missed I kept concentrating on what Vmax said; since I played great once so I am all Ok and can reproduce; its just concentration. The bad and funny part is that while playing well I had a comfortable grip but it felt comfortable only cuz I wasnt thinking about it and after playing you forget what grip was it that felt comfortable same goes with other things- this is a funny game.

My long pots have improved and I know the secret as well... Its only only and only this very thing- stay still and calm and relax and take some time on the shot and then very very slow backswing with a much defined backpause and then solid smooth delivery. With this I even took long reds with drag and check for the black

I was playing at my best however still no big breaks for me. Whenever i would get a chance I would take a couple of pinks then a black and a blue and then miss an easy red. My question here is that i would then again pot more colours in the frame and after potting two or three would again miss.. Although I kept potting and scored good cuz I wasnt missing much but then why would I not do so in a singular break. Like I potted 27 then 33 then maybe another 22 and this means I was playing great and potting well; then why not a break of even 50 for me in the last three days ? I kept potting in almost all frames but in pieces and not in a singular chance for a break. My shot selection wasnt that bad I was playing smooth my positioning was immaculate trust me and the white was obeying all my commands like a real pet.... Just wondering what do I need to focus on in order to carry on with breaks and beat my biggest break of a mere 67...!

Looking forward to the comments and counting on you all as usual.
Cheers

[sberry]

Just keep practising Sidd, seems like the advice and your interest is keeping your mind happy which also helps. Practice, practice, practice and avoid the gambling which regardless of who you are changes your game.

You can't expect to beat your high break every month, if you did you'd be hitting maximums in a year or so, you can't really expect to match or get close to your best break every week or two as if you did, you'd be beating it too.

Just keep going the way you are.

[Terry Davidson]

Sidd:

It sounds to me as if you are losing your concentration and getting sloppy during a break. If you really think about it if a player can run a 30 break then there's no reason why he can't run a 60 break with the one exception that usually to get a 60 break you will need to loosen up some reds, but if the balls are already open after an prolonged safety exchange then there really is no reason at all.

I've found what helps me the most (even though I don't run centuries every day but will manage usually 70+ every day) is to have just one thought in my mind to sort of focus my concentration which allows the rest of the technique to be controlled by my unconscious or natural mind.

It used to be 'keep my head still' but now I've found if at the front pause I really focus on the object ball and keep my eyes there it seems to focus everything for me and my potting has improved. This may not work for everyone but my recommendation to every player out there is to find that ONE swing thought that allows you to focus the concentration and just let everything else flow naturally.

If you are doing solo practice and working on your technique then you can think and feel and observe the different parts of the technique you are trying to improve, but when playing an opponent you must revert to the ONE though and forget about everything else. If you do enough solo practice those other parts will soon become natural.

Lately, using this technique I've found everything seems to flow much better and I find I'm hardly even thinking about the pot at all and I'm staying still and striking the cueball where I wanted to with the correct amount of power for position on the next ball.

I've also found with this increased concentration, when I'm standing behind the shot and deciding what I need to do I'm also now considering the 2 shots ahead as in 'where do I need to put the cueball on this red pot so I can pot the colour and get on the NEXT red. One of the secrets of break building is to try and thing a minimum of 2 shots ahead. A great exercise for this is the line-up where you try and take the reds in succession or else discipline yourself to think 2 shots ahead when you are getting ready for a pot. At first this will slow you down a bit, but then it will soon become an automatic part of your thinking.

Terry

[vmax4steve]

I've found what helps me the most (even though I don't run centuries every day but will manage usually 70+ every day) is to have just one thought in my mind to sort of focus my concentration which allows the rest of the technique to be controlled by my unconscious or natural mind.

It used to be 'keep my head still' but now I've found if at the front pause I really focus on the object ball and keep my eyes there it seems to focus everything for me and my potting has improved.Terry

remember this Sidd, it is gold,
this is what you were doing when trying that new grip when it all came together for you. It wasn't the new grip that did it, it was focussing on that which allowed everything else to just unconsciously happen and fall into place that made you play so well.
If you can made a break of 67 then you are a decent potter, after potting comes cue ball control. Get the potting sorted out first so that you become confident when faced with any pot, then, after losing the anxiety in your potting prowess, your positional play will improve and the breaks will come.

[Sidd]

Dear Terry: Well pointed out, now that I think of it I am sure I am getting sloppy during the middle of a break or perhaps might take a hard ball and then take the next easy one for granted. I think this advice you once gave to me a year or more ago and you used to call it 'the sweet thought' well I will keep that in mind and try to know what works best for me. I think, I am not sure though, but I think the sweet thought that works for me is to hit the OB as if I was hitting it with my cue tip.. helps me follow through nicely... so that can be my sweet thought. I have noticed that with that in my mind not only do I FEEL the pot as clean but my positioning also improves and so does the control on the shot.

I do think a couple of shots in advance like if hitting a red I would think if I need the black quarter ball of half ball for the next red depending on where the red is placed. The most funny thing I have noticed is that during a break chance I would rarely miss a hard ball; I normally miss a baby sitter a real easy one. Am i right in stating that I take it for granted? I know I require as much focus on an easy ball as on a hard one.

Secondly, I am still recovering from my elbow drop (ROS effect) and still trying not to introduce the shoulder in the delivery which i was previously. Although I dont do that now but at times i might be who knows. i also tried to have the sweet thought as ending the grip hand in the chest but I have noticed it doesn't work as it takes my concentration off the pot and to the grip hand in the chest...

Vmax: exactly the sweet thought analogy is the greatest thing to have in mind. But what you mentioned is brilliantly put my dear friend; I think you have got to the centre of my problem's psychological aspect. Yes I did not know what it was but I do happen to have the anxiety while building a break however that would come to me or increase for me whenever I would cross 40 suddenly I have this feeling in mind after 40 which is like this "ok its 40 plus im on to something here this is a serious chance, i need to take it on and beat my 67 this time for sure and then at 48 im all trumbling (in mind only) oh goodness what to do now which one to place and take so i dont miss will i miss this one i hope not" and it goes on like that for me. I think you are right once I have enough confidence in my potting this anxiety of getting on to something big will go away, or so I hope. I think this may start slightly for me once 30 plus and becomes visible to me on 40 plus.

As to the other problem yes indeed that was something which happened with the new grip- the only issue here is that i dont remember what was it which helped my focus like that with the new grip but I am happy i know now it wasnt the girp but that sweet thought which was doing the magic.

[Sidd]

2 additional points requiring assistance. Came to my mind while drafting the response to Terry and Vmax:

1. When i am potting great and doing good; sometimes I would take a shot and suddenly miss it by miles and not even close to the pocket jaws. I would think wow hey wait a minutes where did this come from. I never have an idea what happened on that shot cuz I would normally do the visualisation, aiming, sighting, everything but then suddenly huh oops! Any ideas what may cause this at times.

2. A couple of my mate made the same comment in two different days and hence that makes me take them in to account. I wonder why that was happening. Then I took a shot myself and realised they were right. Even though I thought I am not doing that but there I was, doing so. My mate on one occasion said you are hitting the ball too hard. then the next day when I was playing i took two shots on different occassions and then another mate pointed out that i was hitting the ball rather hard. I knew I did on those two shots cuz I needed to move the cue ball... but then there was a pink that I placed pretty nicely not the pink was in the jaw of the corner pocket and CB was behind it and it was a three quarters pot and the next red was jusr above the middle pocket .. now i preapred myself for the shot and wanted to stun it nicely and off the side cushion go to the mid table area and be nicely on the red in the middle. When I played the shot I played it harder than required (or may have hit the CB lower than required) that I never even touch the side cushion and went in a straight line to the red in the middle and my CB was in the cushion. I suddenly realised that yes I was hitting em hard.... enev though I did not want to but yes there i was .... why does that happen? lack of confidence allowing for the harder contacts or the grip tightening before time ?

Looking forward.