The Mental Game Of Pool | Pool School

[@corza1239]

Came here after a loss I was guttered about. Thanks dude for reminding me of what matters 😊

[@onniroy4975]

Great video everything you said is what I have learnt (the hard way) over the last couple of years of playing pool! Sounds really corny but I go into my Steve Davis preshot routine when I am playing well and I can almost feel my opponent wilt. You certainly have to 1. Just enjoy playing 2. Accept that in pool there is an element of luck/run of the table that will seem unfair and that you will lose a some stage no matter how good you are! 3. You will have the odd bad day where you just have to hang in there and almost play yourself back into the match. 4.Have that self confidence through practice/natural ability but respect each shot no matter how easy it is!! 5. Take your time and slow down and concentrate - this is something which is at the core of good snooker players unless you are the Rocket!!

[@PoolSchool]

Agree 100% with all of them.

[@karlvanbeek1580]

This is my favorite video from Pool School so far! I allow myself one moment of anger or frustration after a bad shot. Maybe 1 second only. A shake of the head, a sigh, a mental telling off, etc. Then I brush it off, recompose and continue as if it didn't happen. This helps me vent the frustration because if I I don't, after a multitude of bad shots, that frustration begins to build under the surface and affects my overall game more. The most important message from Pool School is, you MUST let-it-go before your approach your next shot or before you sit down if you miss.

[@blackgrape73]

Great content. The mental side of pool is huge, more so than every other sport I’ve played. 5% ability, 5% knowledge and 90% what goes on between the ears!!

[@ianwatkins6202]

Great video! The money ball is always the pressure ball, maybe it's the final black ball in a frame of snooker or the 9 ball in pool! Because you know it's the ball that wins you the game 😊best wishes to all!

[@ian8745]

Great, very helpful video. When I'm practicing alone I always try to still picture myself in a game situation with an audience.

[@PoolSchool]

Cheers

[@demonicgolfer819]

Just recently discovered ur channel, I've been playing pool casually for bout 15 years but only just this year have I joined a pool league with my friend, over the years I've gone from typical pot everything with no regard for position type of player to where I'm much more calm and composed, taking my time, assessing where I want the cue ball to go etc.... I'll be sure to check out ur other videos whilst the league is on break for Christmas n new year..... There's always room for improvement :)

[@hamidvisuals]

Great video. It was helpful indeed. I have been playing casually for 4 years now I love this game and i am playing pool to move on to playing snooker later on.

[@PoolSchool]

Thank you

[@johnkeddy1971]

Just came onto say I cannot wait to get back to my local pool hall. Thanks for posting all your videos....I find them genuinely informative and interesting.

[@MrSegopa]

Thanks for elaborating on this issue of mental game as most of us players turn to experience such when we play in Competitions/Money Games/playing against big players. Let's hope you gonna assist us to be able to get ease up.

[@TheJestinator]

Great video! The thing I always tell my team is to smile and enjoy the game, and just acting confident is enough to raise your game a bit. I've also been told by other teams that my confidence, smile, all black cue and glove is quite intimidating and they assume I must be amazing at the game, and it can put their team on the back foot and make mistakes.

[@PoolSchool]

Cheers. It's amazing how many players have the ability to almost bet their opponent before hitting a ball!

[@jamesmcdevitt5327]

Yes great video always wondered what goes through other players mind . I’ve notice that snooker players are looking at each other more and more for body language . Ronnie and trump do it a lot 👍

[@williamsheppard8738]

This is absolutely true I have been getting mad because I know how good I am an how much time I put in an then to miss a shot that I make all the time has been making me feel negative an know I know for sure it is making me play bad

[@Fearless13289]

Today I was chilled sir quiet and played my game well 😅🔥

[@tomwadham2576]

Some awesome shot you added in this video. Can you do a compilation of your greatest shots whether it be fluke, positioning, safety etc?

[@PoolSchool]

Cheers. 😂 That was most of them!!

[@sbs1199]

Thank you so much mate this video is a great help

[@josephkane1723]

Thanks liked the bit about smiling;as soon as I get my teeth from my dentist cheers mate

[@onniroy4975]

You mentioned your son - how good is he at pool? My son is 19 and I am astonished that on his best days he can play as well as me! I practice almost every day - he “practices” for 5 minutes before we play a match! I am jealous of his natural ability to play. He doesn’t have my range of shots simply because of his lack of experience of playing those situations. But overall has a better judgment of angles. We visited a snooker coach once who straightway said my son’s cue action was better! How?? But thankfully the extra power he can generate is more of weapon in snooker rather than pool😉

[@PoolSchool]

He's called Ronnie but unfortunately he's not lived up to his namesake yet! He plays occasionally and definitely has potentially, but he's 13 and far for interested in FIFA than pool. I would have loved to have had a pool table at home when I was his age but just can't seem to get him that interested. He's very natural potter but doesn't like listening to all the other boring stuff!

[@onniroy4975]

He sounds very much like my son! Ironically the Rocket’s daughter is at the same school as my daughter. Shook his hand at parents evening but didn’t have the nerve to issue a challenge 😬

[@peterscott5814]

Interesting video. I'm sure this was asked before but I can't find the answer: how wide is your room you use for your table? thanks

[@PoolSchool]

It’s 13ft at its widest which is fine. However it narrows at one end to 11.5 feet and if the cue ball is on the cushion I need to use a shorter cue.

[@stevieg4198]

Great video and some great advice. We find alcohol helps during our league matches :-) It's not necessarily great for results but nerves are rarely an issue for our team and we always enjoy ourselves!!

[@PoolSchool]

Haha! Yep getting pissed is always an option! Might not improve your accuracy but can help with nerves!

[@stevieg4198]

Yup, we're definitely a drinking team that plays pool rather than the other way round!!!!

[@francklegall9274]

Merci pour cette vidéo qui correspond tout à fait à mon problème en match... pourriez vous y rajouter une traduction en français ?👍

[@PoolSchool]

Merci pour votre commentaire. J'ai peur que mon français ne soit pas très bon. Je pourrais essayer d'utiliser "Google translate", comme je l'ai fait ici. Je ne sais pas à quel point la traduction serait bonne.

[@gregsaiter3768]

Can you comment on this please. So, here is my problem. I get so nervous in certain situations I just cannot keep my emotions from sending me into freefall. There are times when I am better than others. For example: In last league action I played three players whose skill levels is quite a bit better than mine. I played my best pool against them and won in great style. This is a handicapped league and The first was spotting me 3 games. I shut him out 3-0. The second was a better player than me in a 7-4 race where I was the 4. In the third I played against a player who I had never beat and was calm through the match to the point where I knew I was going to win and I did. Then on the other side of the coin when I am playing against a weaker player an probably have to spot games I just go to pieces. Especially if I lose the first game in a 5-3 race or something similar. I start second guessing everything; Should I play safe, should I take a risky shot. You get the drift. I am working on some good sites I found on youtube on how to improve the mental game but I am telling you this is killing me. Any comments or suggests are definately appreciated.

[@PoolSchool]

I can’t really add much more than I say in the video I’m afraid. It’s certainly an issue many players face. It’s easy to say play the table not the player, but we all know that’s easier said than done. I’m not a sports psychologist so can’t really give qualified advice on this, only how I go about dealing with pressure etc.

[@gregsaiter3768]

Thanks. Your site is an awesome help. If I can apply all that you've shown there I am hopeful I can get over this. Thanks again.

[@wakstar1]

Superb comment

[@paulbamford8Ball]

It must have been some trick shot to have put that dent on the fridge/freezer door! 😀😀😀

[@PoolSchool]

Blimey you have good eyes!!

[@blahtoausername]

Pressure of the black. I usually do all the hard work and fluff the 8!

[@PoolSchool]

Try to think of it like any other ball. Sometimes thinking about position after the black can help. I know it sounds silly as it’s the last shot, but by thinking about where you want the white to be after the black helps you treat it in exactly the same way you would all the other shots. Also plan ahead and think about what ball you want to pot last before the black, so that the pot on the black is as simple as possible.

[@karlvanbeek1580]

@@PoolSchool Great advice here mate, and not silly at all! The problem many players face (including myself) is that we go through a mental process shot-by-shot but when arriving on the black the mental process changes completely, so, the approach and execution changes also. I play the black as if there is another ball still to play or at-least with position in mind, therefore the mental process on the black stays the same as every previous shot. Same goes for when you are on the Hill to win the match. Play as though there are still more frames to play.

[@alankimber163]

@@karlvanbeek1580 You should think the black as the easiest ball after all you dont have to play position from it ;-)

[@PLANDerLinde99]

I seem to find that if I go into a game/shot, Doubtful of actually winning/potting the ball, Or am playing the game in a bad mood in general, I find a play far worse than If I start the game in a good mood/Than if I'm confident I'm gonna get the pot I'm aiming for

[@PoolSchool]

That's pretty much true of any sports. If you don't believe you can win you won't, if you do believe you can win then you just might!

[@PLANDerLinde99]

@@PoolSchool Recently too, The insane heat in the UK over the past week has been worsening my play, Been sweating buckets along with the stress of the game, Makes me miss shots I wouldn't normally, I've luckily found, Rinsing my face with cold water helps with the heat and seems to bring back my play again

[@markkinrade2739]

I use to struggle in front of crowds of people watching. If i missed a shot id get embarrassed and put loads of pressure on my next pot. I get angry when i miss simple shots. Trying to get out of that habit but its tricky. Ive been told to relax and enjoy it but when its a team game you dont want to let your team mates down. No easier game when youre full of confidence.

[@PoolSchool]

I know what you mean and I’ve felt exactly the same. But at the same time I wouldn’t blame a team mate for a team loss and I’d like to think that goes both ways. Try not to get angry if you can. It’s better to “reflect” and try and assess what it was you did wrong. That will help you stop making the same mistake again, where as anger just makes you even more tense.

[@Fearless13289]

The thing that makes me angry is when I bet then I miss easy shots since am a hustler player😂