Fatigue and its affects on play

[alabadi]

I have noticed during practice that my performance deteriorate the longer the session goes on. I didn’t really take much notice until the last few weeks I have been starting and finishing with very similar routines.
What I did notice is that at the start after I have warmed up with playing the spots and a few little exercises for centre ball striking. I can get very good success with routines that require cue ball control and concentration.
However when I play the same type of shots after 2 ½ - 3 hours I am terrible.

For instance yesterday I started one of my routines playing the colours of their spots, but just playing the baulk colours one at a time from different positions. So I play the yellow from different positions to get a good position on the green, then I do the same with the green to get on the brown and so forth.

After an hour of practice I nailed the yellow, I had the height power to a tee, I could position the cue ball to within an inch or two of where I need it to be for the green.Then I moved on to other routines. At the end of the session I always practice the colours off their spots to see if I can pot them all in sequence. So last night when I put the white on the same spot I was practicing earlier, for the life of me I couldn’t get it where I was earlier, the harder I tried the worse it became. All I can contribute this to is fatigue, Tiredness or a combination of both.

I do take breaks every hour or so, probably in a 4 hour solo session I will have 30- 40 minutes of rest.

I think I need to change my strategy a bit now. I think I will split my practice into 3 or 4 areas. To start my practice sessions I will chose exercises that require most concentration such as cue ball control, then probably technique exercises, tactics and so on. A good idea would be to have short sessions like 30-40 minutes per routine too, because I have found that anything more especially for me I get tired and more frustrated when I start missing.

I wonder has anyone noticed this happening to them or is it just me, It’s probably a sign I am getting old, has any of you young whipper snappers get fatigued after a certain amount of time. It would be good to know what everyone considers the optimum amount of time one should spend on solo practice routines.

Alabbadi

[tedisbill]

Sorry forum went mad.

[tedisbill]

Sorry forum went mental!!!!

[tedisbill]

I normally find I'll play better at the start of a session than towards the end, although it's not always the case.

I also think, the more bored of the routines you do, the less you're really trying. You think you're trying, but you're more just hoping all the colours go in so you can say you did it. If you were already on a break of say 40 odd, and you came to the colours, then you'd be in a proper zone of concentration and give it 100%.

Also, you said said that the harder you try, the worse it became. That's just because all your natural timing a feel on a shot is lost when you focus too much on, "what's my cue arm doing", "how hard shall I hit this". When you've timed the yellow nicely for example, you probably just got confident you could do it well, so everything is kind of just happening automatically.

I think sometimes expectation comes into it. At the start of the session, you're not expecting too much, it's the start of the day, you're just gonna give it a go. After you've done it well, as you say, playing prefect position off the yellow, in your own mind, you're expecting that you should do it well now, so you're adding pressure to yourself.

Just a few thoughts. I think confidence is massive in snooker. My game can be destroyed if my confidence goes. And also, when I expect too much of myself.

[pottr]

I think I need to change my strategy a bit now. I think I will split my practice into 3 or 4 areas.

I think your practice is way too structured.

I get the feeling you spend more time worrying about how you're practicing that just getting down and putting your cue through the white. When you're tired too, every thought becomes that little bit more difficult to form and focus on, but that's not just for snooker, that's life in general.

[alabadi]

I think your practice is way too structured.

I get the feeling you spend more time worrying about how you're practicing that just getting down and putting your cue through the white. l.

Not really, Although during solo practice I focus on issues such as technique cue ball control ...etc

I think this is what everyone does I'm no different. During play I don't because I would assume that what was practiced would be ingrained and come naturally.

I don't see that anyone can improve until they can practice expects of their game which effects them in real play. I have many faults and the solo practice is a time to try and correct them. My point here was that maybe I'm doing too much in one session therefore I suffer near the end of the session and need to cut down time wise.

Even professional players solo practice to perfect technique.

Alabbadi

[Siz]

Are you able to film yourself at the start and end of a session?

This might shine some light on what is happening. For example it might show that physical tiredness is having an effect on the postion of some part of your body (eg shoulders or upper arm); or it might show that you start to rush though your preparation due to mental tiredness.

You may need to do this more than once, however, since initially the novelty of being filmed can cause you to change what you are doing.

I think that tedisbill's point about expectation is a very good one. The higher your expectations are, the quicker you will fail to meet these expectations and the quicker frustration sets in. And frustration can mess up your game in a number of ways, for example by causing you to increase the tension in your back hand, or to rush the shot. There may be a couple of things that you can do in this area.

One is to understand that just because a shot that you have been practicing starts going it, it does not mean that you have 'nailed it'. Acquiring expertise in motor action skills just does not work that way. Accept the fact that you may well have to work on that shot again, and when you get back to it, you may have to take a step or two backwards before you can go forwards again.

It is best to remind yourself of this before each session - don't wait until you have started playing and the wheels look as if they are falling off.

The other thing is around mental goal shifting. Try to think of a number of goals that you would like to achieve during the session. Then, if you find that you are not achieving the one that you are targeting, and are starting to get frustrated because of it, just switch your target to another one.

Hope this helps

[alabadi]

Nicely said Siz

what i meant by nailing it, was on that particular night as mentioned i was able to take a dozen shots and pot the yellow and position the white where i expected it to go. so i had got the height power correct for the position i wa in.

you might be right that maybe when i get tired my body position or shoulder maybe different, and this is why when i came back to the same shot i was doing badly. i will have to keep an eye on that one.

i have practiced since then and i have improved, yesterday for the first time i was able to clear the colours off their spots 4/10 attempts. this is a big big improvement as before i was only able to get 1/10 or less.

Alabbadi