Are ya Nervous????

[stelmagic]

At the county trials and the rathmore event last week a few people talked about struggling with nerves, thought it might be an interesting topic to discuss.

Personally if I feel a bit shaky I take my time and concentrate on my cueing, I always feel it does not matter how nervous you are if you push the cue through straight and stay still you will get what you are looking for.

How do others cope?

PS Beer and drugs are not really the best answer ;D

[orrible]

but a good answer. lol. One pint (or equivalent) should be sufficient to calm the adrenalin

I have always relied on good cueing. Snooker sorts that one out, if not, get advice.

Nerves cause the player to not strike the ball properly.
Do not smash balls around when you practice. Practice as if you were in a match, hence play for something that will make you work hard and want to win.

[shortstuff]

If I find myself getting nervous during a frame, I force myself to take a bit of time to walk around the table, looking at all the angles, and have a few deep breaths before getting down to play the shot, however easy it is. I find having a pre-shot routine helps - I chalk the cue, put the chalk back in my pocket, run the cue through my hand a couple of times and get into position to play the shot. If it doesn't feel right I get back up and do it again, unless I'm getting close to 60 seconds...

[ed]

If I'm feeling nervous, I try and tie up the position as early as possible as after a few more visits and getting used to the atmosphere, the nerves tend to disappear.

Its easy to rush when you're a bit nervy. Of course the best way to settle your nerves is to win your first game(s) of the day ...

[ed]

shortstuff said:

If I find myself getting nervous during a frame, I force myself to take a bit of time to walk around the table, looking at all the angles, and have a few deep breaths before getting down to play the shot, however easy it is. I find having a pre-shot routine helps - I chalk the cue, put the chalk back in my pocket, run the cue through my hand a couple of times and get into position to play the shot. If it doesn't feel right I get back up and do it again, unless I'm getting close to 60 seconds...

Andy's pre-shot routine: Stand around for 20 seconds surveying the table. Have another look for a further 20 seconds carefully eyeing up all snookering opportunities. Take another 10 seconds just to bore the c**p out of your opponent. Go down and take 9 seconds cuing up as slowly as possible ... then roll it over ...

[ed]

Another thing ... if your nervous, take a good long look at your opponent. He's probably bricking it just as much as you ...

[poolking100]

There is no substitute for experience, the more pressure situations that you play in the better your nerves get, I dont get nervous any more in singles events but I do still get nervous from time to time in team events. Personally a couple of beers does the trick for me. Joff used to get very very nervous but as he plays more and more important games he is not so nervous. My advice is keep trying to enter as many things as you can and over time the nerves will disapear.

Also if you do the beer thing dont have too many!!! lol

[savage]

If i'm nervous I think that sonia jackson could be going down on me and realise it could be a lot worse...

[Dabber]

Great topic.

When I was in my first season in Div 1 I tried to play tactically, didnt drink as I was driving to all matches, and got nervous. Missed easy blacks regularly. I finished on 40% average!

Last season in Prem I was a bit more experienced, I drove to all matches still, still played tactics and finished on 43%

This season in the Prem I get a lift to all matches, have 3 /4 / 5 Stellas a game, and play all out attack. My average is 60% and could have been even higher!

[shadydaz]

I have slightly different problem for me is pressuring myself. When i am not playing well and know that my game is so much better i tend to get nervous through the pressure i put on myself. Its frustrating aswell nad as a result then i get nervous.

Trials on Sunday a perfect example. Having the abilty to play so much better than i did was frustrating and made me flake in the last couple of matches. That was a result of really just the run of the ball being against me.

[orrible]

good thread.
Just got draw for 1st tour event. If/when I win my pre-lim, I have Gareth Potts in the first round. Nice easy starter...

[Craig Benstock]

Experiance counts for a lot. I can say I no longer suffer nerves in the league or Superleague and I think my stats have shown this of late. I recall being very nervous when I played in division 4 at times.

Anxiety that I would let the team down, or that people watching me play would be criticising my shots were contributing factors. It's hard when you know your not the best player about, and when you know you could be better prepared for a game (tired/not practiced, etc...)

But the more I practice and the more I get success in competition, the more my confidence and faith in my own abilities grows.

[Dan]

I find that playing players much better than myself sorts out my nerves, as there's no expectation for you to win, and if you do then you know you've done well, but i find as i'm playing more and more frames, the nerves are starting to disappear. Last season in the prem, whenever I got myself into a good position, i tended to either bottle it, or rush it and play a poor shot that cost me.. This season i'm throwing far fewer games away as i've slowed my game down a bit and take a look at the table before rushing into the first pot that comes to view

[Pete]

i dont drink when i play so i am awear of everythin i do. i used to get nervous but now not so much. i tend to get frustrated wit myself when i dnt play well as i knw i can ie: county, but playing more helps. i have always played fast so when playing gettting nervous during game dont feelin affect me. but i have slowed my game down and adjusted my cuing action and silly mistake caused by being slightly nervous have disappeared and hopeful i can push on to be the player i know i can and CONCENTRATE more.
my advice would b take your time.

[orrible]

my biggest faults are: rushing, impatience, boredom.

What seperates the good form the best is precision! You have to work out the pattern or tactics you will use then get inch perfect on the awkward balls. As Yoda would say, "that is why you fail"
Controlling nerves is key but sometimes nerves are an advantage. They make you concentrate more!

[Matt B]

Indeed

I would agre about experience counting for so much though. the more games you play, the better you cope. I generally don't get nervous during games these days, just due to the number i've now played. I'd also agree with nerves being beneficial at times. As the great John McEnroe said....

'It's not a question of choking, becuase everyone does it. It's how you deal with it'

All true if you ask me. People who say they get no nerves at all are liars!

[orrible]

nerves are a natural process of the body.
Those who do not get nervous (when it matters) do not care, or as you say, are lying.
However there is a subtle difference between being nervous and adrenalin.
I found that out in the JFK Amateur Masters.
The only time I get nervous is on Tour but that will change to adrenalin the more I play

[jaywillis]

just beofre the county trials i was practising around 3 nights a week so i could get my game into top form as i knew there was going to be some top players at the trials! but i think i was practising too much as my game was going down hill rapidly, and there was nothing i could do about it! so i thought i may aswell go to the trials and try my best. which to my surprise i played some of the best pool i have ever played!! i think by only losing one game to carl mcdonald 3-2 and qualifing with stats of 6 wins from 7 games, i was rather happy with the way i was playing! and i'm still continuing the form i showed at the trials! which can only stand me in good steed with the county games that are coming up!

Jay

[Rich Wharton]

You were quality at the trials mate.
The only piece of advice I have for you is don't use that to predict your county form. You're a naturally attacking player, and you can get away with the odd miss in a first to 3. One frame pool is more difficult because there is no opportunity to get into a rhythm, and also the standard of player you will be playing will be higher playing FOR the county than it is qualifying.
Bluntly, a mistake in the trials was less likely to get punished, and if it was punished you always had the opportunity to put it right next frame.
That said, you looked a very good cueist on the day, and natural ability is never to be underestimated.