Tip Of The Week

Number: 17 Jim Tellier June 2011

TOPIC: Concentration

CATEGORY: All Skill Levels

INTRODUCTION:

When you are completely absorbed in something --- reading a book, watching TV, working on a problem, whatever --- you are in a zone, mentally speaking. If you can reach that point of concentration when playing pool, can you imagine that it would be anything but good for your game?!?! How often does it happen for you?

TECHNIQUE:

Too many times, playing in a league match or even a tournament, Ive seen players completely distracted by any number of things even when they are at the table, supposedly focusing on aiming the shot they are about to take!!! The jukebox (oh, I hate this song!, oh, the Black Eyed Peas suck!, oh whatever!!!!). The cocktail waitress, the food server, the dopes on the other table using the wrong end of the cue, even distracting themselves, yakking with their opponent. Now, its obviously your own choice as to how seriously you want to take your own game. And its your choice to play loose or to be serious. But, those two things dont have to be mutually exclusive! You can have fun, but still play a confident, deliberate, serious game. Some players have to keep their focus throughout the match, if they want to play their best. Others can loosen up, joke around, get sharp when necessary, and still get it done. But if you have a tendency to over-relax, and see yourself in a slump maybe its time to use some tools to help you concentrate on your efforts at the table.

Most, if not all, lack of focus starts with some kind of distraction. The distraction, leads to a natural tendency to play too fast, thereby paying less attention to the game, and more to the distraction. Conversation (with _____) is the most obvious case of this: you simply want to get back to the conversation, so you rush the shot. You probably miss the shot, but hey! Youre back to yakking with ____!)

There are lots of other examples, but the solution is the same regardless of what kind of distraction is your nemesis. Get more specific and detailed about your pre-shot routine. Every time you get up to the table (meaning each shot, not each inning), approach the aiming process the same way. Assume your stance the same way. Do your practice stroke ritual the same way. Do your follow-through the same way keep your head still, staying in position until well after hitting the cue ball, without jumping up.

Everyone has a different approach, but if you think consciously about the set of steps that you want to go through for each and every shot no matter how easy the shot may seem after a while you will automatically go through the checklist. As a matter of fact, it becomes almost a sub-conscious process --- BUT: keeping it in the realm of deliberate, conscious process helps to reduce the number of variables that you have to deal with, especially when youre trying to find your way out of a slump!

PRACTICE: :

Theres one specific technique that I like to fall back on, which I know helps me regain my focus. That is what I (and plenty of other people) refer to as the Allison Fisher stroke. If you dont recognize what Im referring to, find a YouTube video of Allison playing a match any kind of match, during any time period during her career her stroke and technique havent changed one tiny bit over the years. What you will see, is a) the approach to the table is always the same, b) the task of aiming is done largely during the moments before getting down low to position the cue for the shot, c) the body position (especially the head) is almost always exactly lined up over the cue and (I believe one of the most important aspects) d) the practice strokes always end with one final backstroke followed by a pause, then the final forward stroke. Its that one split-second instant where you have the opportunity to feel whether or not the aim is correct, and know if youre right about your setup. I think one final point is that most people will find it useful to focus on the desired contact point on the object ball as soon as that pause in the backstroke is completed. Not moving your eyes at that moment can improve stability a lot! Its obviously difficult to prove, but Ill say it works for me!.

So if you do try this (or any) kind of pre-shot routine, the bottom line is: it gives you a lot to DO when youre at the table! You wont have time to be yakking about (_____) while youre getting ready to sink your opponents ship!

ARRRR!!!! J