How to avoid/minimise leg shaking under match pressurised situations?

[mchpddl1]

Hi,

I am wondering why my leg is shaking under match condition when many people are watching, and how to minimise it?

Thanks for sharing.

[Viktortheman]

Hi,

I am wondering why my leg is shaking under match condition when many people are watching, and how to minimise it?

Thanks for sharing.

Well the olny answer is that you are nervous (if that is the problem). That's good, because every player must feel some kind of nervousness before a match other wise you will perform bad. For example if you meet a good player and then a little lower quality player. Which player do you feel most nervous to meet? The good player of cource and when you feel little nervous you are very tendency to play better. When you compete with the low quality you the opposite. If the reason for the shaking of leg is nervousness for the crowd you have to pretend that the crowd are not there. If you could manage that I'm sure that your leg will stop shaking. But you have to know that this answer have only answered the question if your leg is shaking by nervousness due to the crowd.
I hope that this abswer will help you, but I'm not sure as a told you earlier.

[matt01]

ha ha ha

Hi,

I am wondering why my leg is shaking under match condition when many people are watching, and how to minimise it?

Thanks for sharing.

A stiff Brandy should do the trick.

[stegorjus]

Why not try hypnosis. There are all sorts of recordings available to help with stressful situations. But I would recommend Paul Mckenna's Sensational Snooker. It isn't specifically aimed at stress, but you can sort of tailor each session to your needs.

You'll have to be quick to get it. It's been out of print for many years, but a batch turned up on Amazon not long ago. And they're genuine. I know because I bought one to replace my cassette copy.

I can't explain how powerful it is. Most of it is based on stepping inside a good player and feeling how they feel. You repeatedly visualise the perfect shot. You could tailor this to include a feeling of perfect calm in front of a crowd. The results are incredible.

[Blondie]

Hey Mc/guys,

.....agree with all of the above, and I also think it probably is nerves as well, not easy sometimes, and I think being nervous sometimes stems from 'fear of the occasion', and worrying to an extent what others think of us, and our play.

A couple of things that may help:

'technically' - reminding yourself that you've put the practice in, and you know how to deliver well. You've got a good technique, and you can feel positive about the match because you've done the prep work.

'mentally' - kinda try to picture any shot going in correctly into the pocket, so visually try and picture the object ball going in before you take the pot on.

'collectively' - try and see the audience as a positive thing, and that people watching want you to be successful, as they are interested enough to stop by and watch.

And I also think feeling 'comfortable' around your opponent, and the audience, tends to make you feel more confident anyway, as you don't feel as if the whole world is against you.

Our opponents are usually as nervous as us too, I tend to be quite laid back about this, and you can always find a 'stupid grin' on my face, although not too 'freaky' to have me committed.., but it just kinda breaks the ice for both of you, and can keep the nerves at bay.

Mark Selby has got a nice easy style about him, and engages well with the audience, plus his opponents, and apart from his 'technical' ability, I sometimes think it's his ease with people that helps his confidence as well during match play, and may give him an added advantage, especially if he has to 'grind' his way back to win.

And like the guys earlier, hope this also helps a little Mc, and enjoy your snooker.

Lol....xx

[MikeWooldridge]

cocaine?

plus you've bot the bonus of being in the mood to party whether you win or lose....

[checkSide]

cocaine?

plus you've bot the bonus of being in the mood to party whether you win or lose....

Cocaine?

That's gonna make your @rse twitch like a rabbit's nose.

[dantuck_7]

'mentally' - kinda try to picture any shot going in correctly into the pocket, so visually try and picture the object ball going in before you take the pot on.
--
Some good advice Blonide. I have the problem that I can stay in a fairly confident frame of mind early on in a break but cannot keep the same mindset going when I start to do well. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can always keep concentration and not let the nerves creep in...

The other suggestion MC could be to make sure your stance is suited to how you play?

[mchpddl1]

thank you

Thanks very much for all your sharings; i shall bear them in my mind next time; i feel a great encouragement from you guys; good luck to you all as well.

chat you later.

[Viktortheman]

Thanks very much for all your sharings; i shall bear them in my mind next time; i feel a great encouragement from you guys; good luck to you all as well.

chat you later.

good luck with your shaking leg

[dannyd0g]

Hi,

I am wondering why my leg is shaking under match condition when many people are watching, and how to minimise it?

Thanks for sharing.

Shaking legs ?

I'm not sure i understand this one. I've sometimes had some tremors with shaking hands etc when nervous, but these are generally minimised by reducing/cutting out substances like caffeine or nicotine....

Look up some of the coaching guides online or in books about adopting a proper solid stance, so then even if you do shake a bit, it shouldnt affect you too much..

[bongo]

I think that the most important piece of advice in this question is make sure you have a steady stance, and well balanced. This is similar to what dantuck said.

So have a solid stance!!!

[Blondie]

'mentally' - kinda try to picture any shot going in correctly into the pocket, so visually try and picture the object ball going in before you take the pot on.
--
Some good advice Blonide. I have the problem that I can stay in a fairly confident frame of mind early on in a break but cannot keep the same mindset going when I start to do well. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can always keep concentration and not let the nerves creep in...

Hey Dan,

.......no worries, and I think it's the same for all of us, and I'm not the best at explaining, but for me concentration is something that you learn from your practice sessions. Playing with a partner at the club, or practicing on your own, you gradually learn to zone out any distractions around you, players, matches, people watching etc, which in turn allows your focus to become stronger, and as this grows stronger it allows your attention span to become higher, until you are so 'concentrated' that mentally you are 'in the zone'.

And for me, when you're 'in that zone', and so focussed, it's as if you don't have time to feel nervous as you:

- forget to an extent who you are playing [i.e. if they are a better/worse player than you], and you just tend to focus on your potting, and positioning.

You also find it easier to:

- replay your shot routine in your head before getting down to pot, and visualise the object ball's path to the pocket, together with the cueball after contact;

- keep amongst the balls as your rhythm develops;

- help you believe that the break will continue.

And as the break continues to build, and even those pressure pots start to go in, for me, that's when your confidence starts to grow a bit further, and if you continue to try to keep focussed throughout the frame from then onwards, your nerves should keep pretty stable.

And I always think as well that it helps to go along from a practice session straight on to a match, if possible, just to keep the concentration/focus/confidence high before play, rather than go along 'cold'.

And I hope this makes some sort of sense Dan, [and you haven't fallen asleep yet..], as I'm not the best at explaining, but I think really it's just a kind of 'mindset' that you adopt, and 'approach' to play.

Lol....xx

[dantuck_7]

No, not falling asleep - its really good advice for everyone. You sound a bit like a physcologist!

I've been there a few times - but its knowing how to get to that level and stay there that I'm searching for. I've been told recently that my stance isn't quite what it should be. I have found that I play with my right leg slightly bent - although as I've played this way for a good few years its maybe a bad habit that I can't really iron out and is just the way I play.

Thinking about a problem and trying to correct it in a short space of time is probably worse for your game than the potential improvement? Being relaxed on the shot and playing naturally is not going to possible if you're worrying about some techical aspect.

Have also had the problem of losing my cool in some recent frames - something I don't normally do. But then acknowledging that this needs working on has got to be good. One of the feature of snooker is having an all round game. If someone starts to play a certain style of play trying then to adapt is all part of snooker - something Selby does incredibly well.

[Blondie]

No, not falling asleep - its really good advice for everyone. You sound a bit like a physcologist!

I've been there a few times - but its knowing how to get to that level and stay there that I'm searching for. I've been told recently that my stance isn't quite what it should be. I have found that I play with my right leg slightly bent - although as I've played this way for a good few years its maybe a bad habit that I can't really iron out and is just the way I play.

Thinking about a problem and trying to correct it in a short space of time is probably worse for your game than the potential improvement? Being relaxed on the shot and playing naturally is not going to possible if you're worrying about some techical aspect.

Have also had the problem of losing my cool in some recent frames - something I don't normally do. But then acknowledging that this needs working on has got to be good. One of the feature of snooker is having an all round game. If someone starts to play a certain style of play trying then to adapt is all part of snooker - something Selby does incredibly well.

Hey Dan,

......no worries, and agree, if you're worried about a 'technical' aspect of the game, it is going to be harder to feel relaxed, and 'comfortable' with your potting throughout match play.

And I think finding the right stance can be a bit of a problem for many, interesting one really, and I must admit I always tend to think as long as I feel 'balanced', and I'm in a relatively comfortable position, i.e. not feeling restricted in any way, this helps me to pot well.

I just kinda tend to 'brace' my back leg [left], and then just lean forward and bend my front leg [right], as I move into the shot. And probably the main thing here is to have your weight distributed, so that your body is still, and does not move as you swing your cue arm. And when potting, I think as well some coaches would say that it is important that your body and feet are in a certain position at an 'angle' to the target, so the back foot, in my case, [left], is almost at right angles to the shot, interesting one. I think sometimes as well it can be quite an individual thing too, as you ''feel' your way around the shot, moving position with your feet, until you can get a comfortable angle on the pot.

Also, it's a funny one really, if your weight is not evenly distributed within the stance, you just feel 'imbalanced', strange feeling, shaky even, and you tend to either miscue, pot unevenly, or worst case scenario, topple to the side.

It maybe worth as well, the next time you go to practice, to try out your stance again and again, until it feels comfortable, and workable. And as you're trying out 'stance positioning', try to combine this with doing a couple of practice drills as well, maybe 'reds across the middle', 'cueing over a pocket', 'black off the spot', and 'the line up' etc as I find this sorts out in your own mind which stance position works for each type of shot. It could be you decide you have 'one' type of stance for all shots, or if you're like me, for some power type shots anyway, stun, masse, screw, I tend to have more of a 'rigid' stance, more 'firmer', as I find this allows me to have more control over my cue action, the cueball, and the speed of the pot. But for non-power shots, shorter pots, find having a 'looser' stance tends to work better.

I think with stancing as well, once you've found a position that works for you, and you've got the 'sighting' part of it sorted out, i.e. whether you use your left, or right eye, or if you are even-sighted in both, it should also allow for your eye/eyes to drop naturally over the cue. And when I get down to play a shot as well, I just tend to put my cue on a straight line to the shot, and kinda place my body to the cue, [so you can feel the cue just brushing your body], rather than putting my body in position, and putting cue to my body, if that makes sense.

And no worries about losing your cool occasionally, you seem pretty chilled anyway, and I think it's more frustration than anything, I think it's probably the same for everyone. [Me acting very 'oddly' here again.., as I tend to start laughing alot as well when practice, or a match, goes a bit 'pear shaped', although my practice partner tells me I mumble away to myself, like a mad person, also, a tendency towards greediness, and 'stealing' his crisps...]

And I hope this helps a little Dan, and good to know how you get on, good luck with it all...

Lol....xx