When I concentrate I play poorly, when this frustrates me I play fast and can't miss

[focus]

I have the exact same thing .

What I found was there are natural habits in my stroke that are unorthodox (or not textbook ) but work for me . They are things I was not aware of .

When I'm trying to do everything right , I overrule my brain and these little habits are no longer there and I struggle

Example

Playing fast ..... My cue twists on backswing a little and then twists back to starting position as I deliver cue
Concentrating ,... No twist

When I'm concentrating my cue action is pretty much txt book . But I play better when I'm not concentrating

Bear in mind I'm not a good player though lol

I've spoken to a top coach about this on the phone and I'm going to go see him soon .

To correct your cue action, you need to keep doing the right thing for like 2 years minimum so you don't have to concentrate on it when you play. This is how long it took Methi to crack it. But even when it's great, faults can creep in so you still have to keep an eye on it. Hendry let bad habits in and he dropped like a stone. The old rule of thumb is do it 10000 times to make it good but I think in snooker a good cue action needs 100,000 repetitions.

[Catch 22]

To correct your cue action, you need to keep doing the right thing for like 2 years minimum so you don't have to concentrate on it when you play. This is how long it took Methi to crack it. But even when it's great, faults can creep in so you still have to keep an eye on it. Hendry let bad habits in and he dropped like a stone. The old rule of thumb is do it 10000 times to make it good but I think in snooker a good cue action needs 100,000 repetitions.

Yeah but it's these subconscious tweaks that allow me to cue straight . When I'm thinking about my cue action those subconscious things don't happen and u struggle

It's been over two years now tbh

The twisting of the cue was one of those things and when I thought about it and analysed it back my hand opens differently on the backswing when the cue twists. I now consciously open my hand like that on purpose and it helps

I always open the hand on backswing but it's different when I'm flowing


Spoke to the coach about it on the phone and he's gonna check me over to see if we can see what is different and what's good and what's bad

[vilkrang]

Well I went again today and pretty much the same thing happened. Couldn't string more than a few pots together for about an hour and a half, then after a while I decided I'd missed so many blacks off the spot that I'd just put in one pocket and pick them out and pot them again off the black spot, trying to not move the white with my hands and retain position each time which I managed most of the time.

And then was in the zone once more, was picking them out and potting them so quickly that I was barely thinking and they just flew in, felt like the easiest thing in the world despite almost every other black missing before then.

Then did the same thing but with potting balls on the pink spot in to the middle and then in to the corner. I missed about 4 or 5 out of maybe 50-60 shots in a row.

But then I started thinking again, tensed up a bit and was missing so I decided to call it quits.

I think it might just be tension in the arm maybe because when I'm just getting down fast and potting quickly it feels smooth and I can tell they are going in the second I've delivered the cue whereas when I'm slowing down I can tell I've missed the moment my cue touches the cue ball.

But it's not just playing fast because if I start to think "playing fast is the key" then I start to miss again. It's almost like if I empty my brain and don't think about anything then I'm a potting machine but it's easier said than done which is why it seems to come in fits and bursts. Maybe I won't be able to nail it down and sometimes I'll be in the zone and sometimes I won't.

Problem is as soon as I get a break above 20 or 30 then I start to become aware that I'm playing well which is why I've never got above 50, it's not usually difficult shots or badly running out of position that tends to end my breaks, it's thinking "I could get a few here" and as soon as that thought creeps in to my head I miss the next shot, even if it's one I'd usually pot were it the first pot of the break.

[markz]

Your best bet is to see a coach. It's all about becoming consistent in your game. A coach will spot your flaws and give you things to work on. If you don't feel like coaching is the right way to go for you try and chat to some good players if you know any, watching someone that gets high breaks all the time is an eye opener. Makes you realise how much there is to learn in this game before becoming a better player.

[blinker]

Here's a tip that works for a maxi breaker I know. Assess the situation, 3ft back from the table as usual, make your decision, then get down into the address position. As you begin to feather, concentrate on how you R knee feels, take the shot with this feeling in mind. Next shot, your R ankle, then your R hip, then the left side of you lower half. Then back to the R side joints. Try it, it stops you thinking about what you're not supposed to be thinking, which in your case is the monkey of DOUBT prodding you in the background.

If you can't empty your mind, then fill it with something that has no effect on the shot.

So interesting.... Gonna try this myself... My mind runs a zillion thought when i'm down on a shot and often that causes me to miss

[vmax4steve]

Do not see a coach unlesss you can replicate your subconscious free flowing game so he can maybe notice something definite that's missing from one but present in the other.

You obviously have a natural talent that is freed when you play without thinking, maybe you are similar to John McEnroe who had to get angry to play his best, maybe getting angry is the key to playing without thought, could be very wearing though

[Vitikka]

That kind of potting only happens when you don't care about the outcome at all, so it's pretty much impossible to replicate in matchplay. Doesn't mean you can't try to get as close as you can.

[matt926_uk]

if you don't care about the outcome of a match then you can repeat it, i try to not think about anythng and just play each shot as best i can

[cantpotforshíte]

vilkrang:

Everything you've mentioned so far in this thread is covered by an excellent book called 'The inner game of Golf' by W. Timothy Gallwey. If you like reading, it's an excellent book, written in the Seventies and so well written. It's a widely read classic, widely available for peanuts second hand, and needs no translation for snooker.
I wouldn't see a coach if I were you because they mostly teach 'outer game' techniques, technical tweaks and more to think about, which will only make the precise problem that you mentioned worse.
It's an incredible book, took me quite a few reads to get enough of a grasp on it, and I'm still getting there now.
It's true that there are certain technical things in snooker that make the game easier if they are doneright, but once you understand a way to learn them naturally, you'll learn much quicker and it'll be more enjoyable. That is what Gallwey teaches: visualising the shot, emptying the mind of doubt, using dummy thoughts and letting yourself go without mental interference. Also relaxed awareness and how to learn any technical changes naturally so the mind isn't overloaded.
Nobody can teach you how to get in the zone at the drop of a hat, but if you get through the book and understand it, it'll happen more and more.
Good luck anyway.

[Ramon]

vilkrang:

Everything you've mentioned so far in this thread is covered by an excellent book called 'The inner game of Golf' by W. Timothy Gallwey. If you like reading, it's an excellent book, written in the Seventies and so well written. It's a widely read classic, widely available for peanuts second hand, and needs no translation for snooker.
I wouldn't see a coach if I were you because they mostly teach 'outer game' techniques, technical tweaks and more to think about, which will only make the precise problem that you mentioned worse.
It's an incredible book, took me quite a few reads to get enough of a grasp on it, and I'm still getting there now.
It's true that there are certain technical things in snooker that make the game easier if they are doneright, but once you understand a way to learn them naturally, you'll learn much quicker and it'll be more enjoyable. That is what Gallwey teaches: visualising the shot, emptying the mind of doubt, using dummy thoughts and letting yourself go without mental interference. Also relaxed awareness and how to learn any technical changes naturally so the mind isn't overloaded.
Nobody can teach you how to get in the zone at the drop of a hat, but if you get through the book and understand it, it'll happen more and more.
Good luck anyway.

+10 to this !!
Even if u have the most perfect teqnick in the world ,, as long as u re not able to do this u never gonna win a match .
And if u can'nt do it ( mentaly ) , than maybe snooker is not your game .

[Snookclops]

Exactly the same thing or realisation came to me recently.

I spent so much time obsessing over BOB, straight cueing etc etc I recently just tried a few shots on "auto pilot". That is, getting down and hitting instinctively.

Now, I do this and I immediately access my highest level of snooker and made pots and position consistently.

I first interpreted this as an improvement in aiming - your brain doesn't have time to get it wrong when you just settle in to what you think or sense is the line of the shot.

It's almost like the matrix - as soon as you start to think about the angle and cue path, you lose it. Just trust it. Your body knows how to get down on the angle but try to work it out and you'll get it wrong. Sometimes it looks wrong when down so getting up and walking back it will have to happen - but l am no longer questioning what my cue is doing, more the overall picture of the pot.

This instinctive angle (look at BOB and just instrinctively react) rather than visualising and drawing lines in a complex manner has helped me greatly BUT

There is another massive element to my new faster style which seems to have even greater benefit.

My time on shot has been cut in half. I would feather 4 times before, longer under pressure. What seems to happen in these feathers is I start trying to work Out the **** when down. I react to the picture when down. When playing fast, I do 2 little feathers and go straight to front pause and hit it. I don't have time to move offline, and the rythm feels brilliant. It takes me a massive leap of faith to just settle down and shoot - I feel as if to do a good job in must feather for ages to get it totally right, but I've found just firing as soon as you are down makes me x10 the player.

I have explained this to myself as "if you have rifle, you don't hold it on target for a bit before shooting - you pull the trigger as soon as its in the cross hairs". Similarly, you don't take a kick in rugby or football by working out what bit of your foot hits the ball, the trajectory of your leg. You look at the target and practice takes over.

I also find that not labouring your feathers means you aim from above more.

Now, I aim above, get down - doesn't look right - up - down looks good - fire.

Before I was

Aim above - get down - fret about Bob - is my cure on line - does the cue look straight - wait I think I need to hit slightly thicker - adjust - pause - hit

Also, some other things helps my game:

- coaches tell me to slow down but that is poor advice IMO - the backswing should be slow but you should not labour on shots.
- similarly, the ultra light grip that is encouraged made me grip too light. I find when I am hitting them well it's quite firm post strike. Again my trainers always emphasise light grip but transition from light to a tight grip on chest could be explained better.

Gone from the odd 15-20 to regular 15-20s every time I get on the table plus a new high in match play of 33.

When someone on here said this game is an art not a science I couldn't agree more now.

[Catch 22]

Exactly the same thing or realisation came to me recently.

I spent so much time obsessing over BOB, straight cueing etc etc I recently just tried a few shots on "auto pilot". That is, getting down and hitting instinctively.

Now, I do this and I immediately access my highest level of snooker and made pots and position consistently.

I first interpreted this as an improvement in aiming - your brain doesn't have time to get it wrong when you just settle in to what you think or sense is the line of the shot.

It's almost like the matrix - as soon as you start to think about the angle and cue path, you lose it. Just trust it. Your body knows how to get down on the angle but try to work it out and you'll get it wrong. Sometimes it looks wrong when down so getting up and walking back it will have to happen - but l am no longer questioning what my cue is doing, more the overall picture of the pot.

This instinctive angle (look at BOB and just instrinctively react) rather than visualising and drawing lines in a complex manner has helped me greatly BUT

There is another massive element to my new faster style which seems to have even greater benefit.

My time on shot has been cut in half. I would feather 4 times before, longer under pressure. What seems to happen in these feathers is I start trying to work Out the **** when down. I react to the picture when down. When playing fast, I do 2 little feathers and go straight to front pause and hit it. I don't have time to move offline, and the rythm feels brilliant. It takes me a massive leap of faith to just settle down and shoot - I feel as if to do a good job in must feather for ages to get it totally right, but I've found just firing as soon as you are down makes me x10 the player.

I have explained this to myself as "if you have rifle, you don't hold it on target for a bit before shooting - you pull the trigger as soon as its in the cross hairs". Similarly, you don't take a kick in rugby or football by working out what bit of your foot hits the ball, the trajectory of your leg. You look at the target and practice takes over.

I also find that not labouring your feathers means you aim from above more.

Now, I aim above, get down - doesn't look right - up - down looks good - fire.

Before I was

Aim above - get down - fret about Bob - is my cure on line - does the cue look straight - wait I think I need to hit slightly thicker - adjust - pause - hit

Also, some other things helps my game:

- coaches tell me to slow down but that is poor advice IMO - the backswing should be slow but you should not labour on shots.
- similarly, the ultra light grip that is encouraged made me grip too light. I find when I am hitting them well it's quite firm post strike. Again my trainers always emphasise light grip but transition from light to a tight grip on chest could be explained better.

Gone from the odd 15-20 to regular 15-20s every time I get on the table plus a new high in match play of 33.

When someone on here said this game is an art not a science I couldn't agree more now.

This is me to a T .

[Zhuge]

Just to share:

Yesterday played best of 5 frames with a better player than myself. My opponent breaks and I hit a break of 32 (4blacks) at first go. Then, that feeling is back and I knew I was in the "zone". I can feel the cueball and pace of the table (Wiraka M1). I took 2 frames with the highest break of 51. Then at the start of 3rd frame, I lost the plot again. Thinking too much of the shot even when I'm feathering. Indecision on where to hit the cue ball. Start to overdoing shots to recover which make matter worse. Lost final 3 frames with my own palm-face expression. My opponent then told me that I was smooth at the first 2 frames but got over aggressive with my cue action and too much tindering with my cue timing.

My lesson learnt for that day was, I need to define my "smooth" and trust my instinctive positioning and stop all "stylish" cue action.
It's VERY IMPORTANT that we fully enjoy each and every stroke of the cue (potting or safety), else we will lost the plot of the game and lost the thrill which got us started in the very first place.

[throtts]

Its called keeping it natural and not becoming ""Bertie Big Bollocks"".........

[damienlch]

vilkrang:

Everything you've mentioned so far in this thread is covered by an excellent book called 'The inner game of Golf' by W. Timothy Gallwey. If you like reading, it's an excellent book, written in the Seventies and so well written. It's a widely read classic, widely available for peanuts second hand, and needs no translation for snooker.
I wouldn't see a coach if I were you because they mostly teach 'outer game' techniques, technical tweaks and more to think about, which will only make the precise problem that you mentioned worse.
It's an incredible book, took me quite a few reads to get enough of a grasp on it, and I'm still getting there now.
It's true that there are certain technical things in snooker that make the game easier if they are doneright, but once you understand a way to learn them naturally, you'll learn much quicker and it'll be more enjoyable. That is what Gallwey teaches: visualising the shot, emptying the mind of doubt, using dummy thoughts and letting yourself go without mental interference. Also relaxed awareness and how to learn any technical changes naturally so the mind isn't overloaded.
Nobody can teach you how to get in the zone at the drop of a hat, but if you get through the book and understand it, it'll happen more and more.
Good luck anyway.

I've heard of that book but yet to have gotten around to reading it.

Speaking of books, a fellow forum member once recommended me "The way of the bow" by Paulo Coelho. It's rather short but an interesting read nonetheless. Certainly helped me with the mental aspect of the game.