Over confidence, nerves, anxiety...

[SonicWave]

Funny. I have the exact same feeling after I made a considerable break (which for me is 30 or more).
It's like the entire world around me has disappeared and it's just me and the table...

And indeed, very hard to get into, and never lasts long (enough).

Best regards,
GR.

Yeah, so maybe table works too..

[Colindon]

[Byrom]

I remember those days and miss that feeling, most experienced players would say the same thing, I think that's what gets you hooked in the first place.
To get more comfortable in amongst the reds is simply about 'hard graft'. My recipe is: untold hrs of sparing with like minded snookerheads, marinated with 'self motivated' undeterred practice.

I think this is bang on and well said - there is no substitute for practice and I would add that your confidence in any match will improve in the knowledge that you have done high breaks in practice on your own so in theory you know you can replicate it and so you end up doing it more often without over thinking it if your technique is solid enough.

[j6uk]

Yeah you gotta like the cooking metaphor

I think this is bang on and well said - there is no substitute for practice and I would add that your confidence in any match will improve in the knowledge that you have done high breaks in practice on your own so in theory you know you can replicate it and so you end up doing it more often without over thinking it if your technique is solid enough.