How do they do it?

[Dknox1]

Hey,

How do the best players concentrate for such long periods of time and produce such consistency;such as John Higgins, Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis? Do they have exercises that they do in their heads or something, I remember Ronnie once counted the dots on a spoon when he was in his seat to try to stay focused...

Dan

[SouthPaw]

I'm sure practicing up to 8hrs a day is a struggle, so playing matchplay must be a relief however long a session, though a good question to ask...

[pottr]

I find the more I practice, the easier it becomes to concentrate.

Remember, the top pro you see on the telly doesn't have to put the stress of a 9-5 behind them before taking their cue out of their case.

I doubt they have any concern running through their head than mastering the art of their profession.

[Gerry Armstrong]

I find the more I practice, the easier it becomes to concentrate.

Remember, the top pro you see on the telly doesn't have to put the stress of a 9-5 behind them before taking their cue out of their case.

I doubt they have any concern running through their head than mastering the art of their profession.

Surely nothing could be further from the truth?

A large number of the MT pros are skint so I'm sure they have all the same worries re. bills etc. going on in their lives with the added pressure of having to win to pay the bills.

[pottr]

He quoted Davis, Higgins, Hendry... I feel my conclusion is apt.

He didn't mention the rest of the tour, just the top pros.

[Gerry Armstrong]

Hendry is retired and Davis is not a top pro any more.

However if it is just top pros, for example the top 8 then yes I doubt very much they have anything else on their mind other than today's match.

[Gerry Armstrong]

I'm sure practicing up to 8hrs a day is a struggle, so playing matchplay must be a relief however long a session, though a good question to ask...

There are very few main tour pros who put in that amount of daily practice. Don't believe everything the BBC commentary team tells you.

[pottr]

I also think the majority of pros would have an easier time concentrating than we do for exactly the same reason.

They can gear their day around being in the correct frame of mind for playing the game.

Many times, I arrange to play a game for 8pm in the evening. But when I finish work at 18:30 and my employees have wound me so tight I want to scream, snooker is the last thing on my mind.

The financial pressures and duties in my life do not impede my performance at work. It's quite the opposite, it invigorates it.

If you can't take that pressure to perform as an incentive to focus, then you're gonna struggle at whatever you do in life. Snooker players included.

[pottr]

Yes, the 8 hours a day practice belief makes me giggle too.

[luke-h]

i suffer with bad concentration especially when the balls go crap, i have rectified this somewhat, if i am in that kind of frame i make it my objective to clean up the frame by putting balls back on spots thats how i keep focus now, that and lots of sleep and water lol

[SouthPaw]

There are very few main tour pros who put in that amount of daily practice. Don't believe everything the BBC commentary team tells you.

Do you not believe John Higgins, Steve Davis/Hendry woud have...? lol

[nrage]

This all sounds like argument for the sake of argument guys

Of course the pro's all practiced some obscene number of hours a day, or week at some stage, if they hadn't they wouldn't be as good as they are now. They might not do that now, but who really cares. The point being made was practice, practice, practice.. there are no easy ways to the top. Concentration will come the more your practice it, just like everything else.

I am sure some of the pro's are still working to supplement their snooker income, the sport is not as well off as football that it can afford to pay all it's pro's a full wage when they're not achieving big wins, and there are not enough big wins to cover all the pros on the circuit. So, yeah, if they're practicing a lot they're doing it at the same time as regular work, maybe not regular full time work like most amateurs but hey work is work and it all takes it out of you.

[Dknox1]

Thanks for the replies, yeah I understand how they could learn to concentrate for longer with more practise, I thought they would have methods to focus in their head though. Also I picked Higgins, Davis and Hendry because they seem to be some of the most focused champions don't you think?