Everyone
suffers from tension or the butterflies, right from
the professional down to the club handicapper.
To cope with it, I always advocate getting some free
movement with the cue, because tension is mostly reflected
in the cue arm. After all, it is what you do with the
cue that matters. Recognize tension for what it is and
get moving with the cue rather than cut down the waggles,
as in the end this often leads to a quick, jerky action.
If you are almost frozen or locked up with tension,
you will find it all the more difficult to move out
of those short, preliminary addresses into a substantial
backswing and the shot itself. Some good players have
felt their knees or legs twitch under pressure, but
one of the most common causes of missing under tense
circumstances is holding the cue too tightly.
It is sometimes difficult to keep physically relaxed
when mentally you are well wound up, but you have to
try to discipline yourself to do this. If you grip the
cue too tightly, the muscles of your wrist and forearm
will also be tense, and this will prevent you from delivering
the cue smoothly through the ball.
Anxiety and tension can make players who usually keep
still on the shot move all over the place. So anxious
are they to see whether the object ball has gone in
the pocket that hey are up and looking before they have
completed striking the cue ball. There is less tendency
to move if the pot is straight or nearly straight, because
the cue ball, object ball and pocket are all in the
player's natural line of vision.
The greater the tension, the more pressure there is
on a player's technique and self-discipline. The game
is full of players who can make centuries in practice
almost without trying, but put them in an important
match and they're struggling to make thirty. Because
of their anxieties, they end up using a poorer technique
in matches. You will be prevented from getting the necessary
wrist cock into your action.
Everybody feels tension or lack of confidence at certain
times. Take the 1988 world final. Steve Davis and Terry
Griffiths were 8-8 at the start of the second day's
play. The first frame of the session was psychologically
very important, because Terry was feeling good while
Steve was feeling a bit unsure.
In that frame Steve missed at least three balls which
normally he wouldn't miss in a month of Sundays. When
it came down to it, though, he took all the colours
to win on the black. At the time this seemed very difficult
for him, but it was in fact a case of his technique
being so ingrained in him that it held up under pressure.
During the championship, Steve said that the ideal mental
state for a snooker player was to be able to play as
if it means nothing when it means everything' - in other
words, to play a match as if you are enjoying a few
practice frames and just trying to play the game as
well as you can.
This is very difficult but always remember that your
first opponent is always the game itself, the technique,
and the position of the balls. If your technique is
in good order, you won't be worrying all the time about
what your opponent might do if you miss. If your technique
is functioning well, there's a chance you might get
your opponent worrying about you.
Be philosophical. Some people think it a tragedy if
they lose and in believing this they put more pressure
on themselves. But remember that all anyone can do is
try to give the game one hundred percent.
The worst thing that can happen is you LOSE.
The
Frank Callan Suite - 8 Collinson Street - Ribbleton
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tel. + 44 (01772) 702211
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