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Help required urgently

Postby Witz78

John ? Sickpotter? Randam? anyone?

Just lost 3-0 in the snooker league following on from a 7-3 trouncing to a mate on Saturday. These results were 2 of my worst performances ever and coming off the back of a spell in the last month to 6 weeks where i havent played well at all.

Confidence is at an all time low, im barely able to string more than 2 or 3 pots together now. Bizarrely the easier the pot the harder it is for me now. Im still knocking in longer and harder pots frequently but the amount of straightish medium to close pots im missing is becoming a mental block for me. Negative thoughts are continually entering my head and im cueing across the cueball and missing these by an alarming distance.

My other achillies heel which has struck lately is in so many frames ive let decent leads slip, its like im pressing the self destruct button. Tonight yet again i was 25 up with the colours on, instead of playing a simple safety which was on, i took on a virtually impossible long yellow and it ended up being stuck up leaving my opponent in to clear the colours.

After this i basically did a Hann or Ding and just gave up, lost morale, belief and interest and just slogged my way through the rest of the match playing all or nothing pots or just getting straight down and hitting my shot with no thought etc.

I was once again just glad for the match to be done and get out of there. A shocking attitude as im normally mix up an attacking approach with an element of grinding but always give every shot 100% focus. Its hard to know what to do to arrest this slump in form and poor attitude. :huh2:

Re: Help required urgently

Postby Bourne

My advice, see a shrink.

And then get help for the snooker problem <ok>

Re: Help required urgently

Postby gallantrabbit

I think we've all had these spells Witz and sometimes you just have to accept that your cueing arm will feel like a chicken wing hanging out the side, BUT there is shope...
I'm no coach but there are 3 things I would normally do:
1. Accept that the pots won't go in and adapt my game for the night. Sit and wait for chances and enjoy the safety a little more. Accept only 70% pots and over and surprise your oppo with your safety imagination.
2. Stay on the shot longer until you can actually see the pot and feel like it might go down. Practice this on your safety strokes where you imagine the whole shot before you release the cue.
3. Just think about the cue going through straight and the follow through. Keep your grip loose to lower the chances of twisting your wrist to the left and just play the cue through.
Oh and drink halves instead of pints. Does wonders for yer game so I've heard.
Good luck <ok> ck

Re: Help required urgently

Postby randam05

Yh well said on point 1. there gallantrabbit.

What I would say, from personal experience is take the easiest pots the same as long pots, imagine theyre not easier. So try extra hard on every pot, dont take nothing for granted. Snooker is one of the toughest sports, if not the toughest, so even the easiest shots are not easy! take time. Walk onto the ball from a distance and cue smooth with a nice pause and positive follow through.

I know its hard and we all get like this, maybe he had the run of the balls? But yh enjoy too, but I like to imagine im playing the world final and try as hard as I would on there.

Re: Help required urgently

Postby PLtheRef

Now I only play socially, not in leagues etc but I do see a fair bit of competitive snooker when i've got the gloves on so if you're interested here's my two penneth.

John ? Sickpotter? Randam? anyone?
Just lost 3-0 in the snooker league following on from a 7-3 trouncing to a mate on Saturday. These results were 2 of my worst performances ever and coming off the back of a spell in the last month to 6 weeks where i havent played well at all.


It is two matches, which are coming in a bad patch, everyone gets them? And its a cliche but results do pick up in time. I've lost against my mate, heavily sometimes but if you can win a frame against someone, you can definitely win enough against them.

Confidence is at an all time low, im barely able to string more than 2 or 3 pots together now. Bizarrely the easier the pot the harder it is for me now. Im still knocking in longer and harder pots frequently but the amount of straightish medium to close pots im missing is becoming a mental block for me. Negative thoughts are continually entering my head and im cueing across the cueball and missing these by an alarming distance.


Thats the important thing - snooker is the easiest game in the world to play when you feel confident - which in itself comes when you get the frames on the board? Out of interest in the bo13 was it even keel or did he race in front? - When I've played my mate 0ver bo13 I've been 4-0 or 5-1 down and when i've got it to 6-3 then I fancy me chances at it - when I played a bo35 match over a couple of days in the holidays - I started off crap, falling 12-1 down early on and 15-3, but when it gets to 16-5 and 16-6 etc you feel like you are more confident and though I still lost, it was 18-11.

As JV said, you soon feel confident when you start winning a few frames.

We've all had days when we cant pot anything and when you slip a few frames behind you dont expect anything - perhaps the 7-3 loss can be ascribed to that and the match tonight following on?

Out of interest, what role does the money play on your mind? I mean I dont play for cash but 200 quid seems a lot to gamble with - and then that brings its own pressure? Would it be easier for a game played without the money on the table, regardless of the edge it gives to the contest?

My other achillies heel which has struck lately is in so many frames ive let decent leads slip, its like im pressing the self destruct button. Tonight yet again i was 25 up with the colours on, instead of playing a simple safety which was on, i took on a virtually impossible long yellow and it ended up being stuck up leaving my opponent in to clear the colours.


People miss balls - doesnt mean that they're losing sight of the game? - obvs the yellow was frame ball in this situation, but any frame can be turned around - your opponent next week could do just the same thing.

After this i basically did a Hann or Ding and just gave up, lost morale, belief and interest and just slogged my way through the rest of the match playing all or nothing pots or just getting straight down and hitting my shot with no thought etc.


Now thats not the way to do it. I remember the Ding match when at the start of the 11th he simply opened the pack up for Ronnie saying thats it, Ronnie's won this 10-3. And as it turned out Ronnie did win 10-3. Now with Quinten, its a different scenario as it wasnt done in loss of interest, Quinten did it as a shot to nothing - he fluked a red in 1 frame, and left the cueball safe in another, the result obviously 13-3 wasnt great though.

In your league, each frame is worth 1 point am I right? - If so that means each frame even if your 2-0 down then you have a point to play for - with the way your league operates with the (SPL style) split its a real way of earning the points for the top eight as when it comes down to the nitty gritty, it may be 1 or 2 points that determines whether you compete for 1st to 8th - or 9th to 16th

I was once again just glad for the match to be done and get out of there. A shocking attitude as im normally mix up an attacking approach with an element of grinding but always give every shot 100% focus. Its hard to know what to do to arrest this slump in form and poor attitude. :huh2:


Well taking note of it is a positive - you are aware about yourself and that means you may know of the solution but you havent located it yet. Remember, you've played the game for years and you never forget how to play it. - Look at John as an example.

So I'd suggest, that next time you play try to play a containing strategy, take your time. If you are short on potting confidence then use it as a settle in (potting practice) - its not a bad thing to refuse the ones your nervous on. And ensure that you focus on each frame as I've said it may come down to 1 or 2 at the end of the season. -

But remember, you can still play the game, and that things will pick up eventually.

Hope this helps

Re: Help required urgently

Postby JohnFromLondonTown

I here you witz. When you next playing?

I'd say first up stop taking on the lunatic shots if your feeling this way mate. It'll do you more harm than good. If you knock them in you'll know they went in more by luck than judgement & that won't do your own confidence any good. Could even do you more damage. If your confidence isn't there for the gimme's like you say, your gonna have to start playing real tight mate. As gallant said, we've all been there & changing your approach is something that your gonna have to persevere with.

Can you get an hour practicing by yourself? If you can, keep things simple, & do what the great one done, start off with the pink & black only on the table, knock the pink in playing for the black, respot the pink, pot the black playing for the pink, respot the black, pot the pink playing for the black & so on.....

When this rubbish started coming my way when I was playing, I somehow convinced myself that this is a barometer of improvement, & when you get out of this slump, your there, back playing decent stuff again & feel stronger for coming through it.

Its worth remembering buddy that we all have 3 games....

Our worst game (like where you are now)
Our average game (which we play most)
Our best game (when we kick it)

You improve your worst game, which is where you are now, your average game automatically improves & when you play your best game, you play the best you've ever played & that will be a new experience for you too.

Put it into perspective, break it down like I've done, try & get that hour on your own & you'll be fine. Its nothing a bit of hard work never fixed mate. <ok>

Re: Help required urgently

Postby Witz78

JohnFromLondonTown wrote:I here you witz. When you next playing?

I'd say first up stop taking on the lunatic shots if your feeling this way mate. It'll do you more harm than good. If you knock them in you'll know they went in more by luck than judgement & that won't do your own confidence any good. Could even do you more damage. If your confidence isn't there for the gimme's like you say, your gonna have to start playing real tight mate. As gallant said, we've all been there & changing your approach is something that your gonna have to persevere with.

Can you get an hour practicing by yourself? If you can, keep things simple, & do what the great one done, start off with the pink & black only on the table, knock the pink in playing for the black, respot the pink, pot the black playing for the pink, respot the black, pot the pink playing for the black & so on.....

When this rubbish started coming my way when I was playing, I somehow convinced myself that this is a barometer of improvement, & when you get out of this slump, your there, back playing decent stuff again & feel stronger for coming through it.

Its worth remembering buddy that we all have 3 games....

Our worst game (like where you are now)
Our average game (which we play most)
Our best game (when we kick it)

You improve your worst game, which is where you are now, your average game automatically improves & when you play your best game, you play the best you've ever played & that will be a new experience for you too.

Put it into perspective, break it down like I've done, try & get that hour on your own & you'll be fine. Its nothing a bit of hard work never fixed mate. <ok>


cheers John, the only problem (as many pros have too) is that in practice its easy to pot when the pressures off and your totally relaxed. Just like if im playing a game and have a dire frame, then if my opponent goes to the toilet or bar, then ill line up a few shots and i always rattle them into the heart of the pocket fine, but when the same shots replicated in the match environment you dwell on them and the same care free attitude /confidence isnt there.

My next league games next week sometime, was due to play in a tournament on Saturday but have pulled out as know itll be £250 entry fee down the pan, will just settle for playing a local pool competition on Sunday instead.

As for the mad shots at the snooker, ive always had that in my snooker DNA, ive sometimes had the motto that id rather lose but play some cracking shots than win and play the percentage game <doh> Daft i know, but even though i know its the wrong shot, something inside me still seems to make me take them on at times :sad:

Re: Help required urgently

Postby Witz78

StalinESQ wrote:have you considered playing under the influence of brandy and coke.......................I find that I'm superb with this juice in me. :idea: :santa: :idea: :santa:


the more i drink the better i probably play as i just play naturally without thought but id just get too confident and arrogant and play a gung ho style that would come back to haunt me.


   

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