DSAPOLIS
05-27-2003, 03:11 PM
In regards to saying that you do not think while you shoot, that you just shoot.
Laura,
I think you think more than you think you think.
For someone that types as much as you do on your keyboard about the struggles you are having with the game, I believe that instead of "thinking" you are "worrying". There is a such thing as having too much information, Laura. I believe that this is where you are running into the brick wall. In "Building the Perfect Game" I talk about building your game from the ground up in much the same way that you would build a house. Whether you are building a home or an outhouse, it makes no sense to try to build the roof first, but many players fall into that trap. It is essential, and vitally important to master the fundamentals first, and that is what will establish a foundation for the rest of your game. I don't think it matters how many instructors have told you that there is nothing wrong with your stance or stroke, there is always room for improvement. If you are "not thinking", then how will you remember how you did something correctly? That makes no sense to me, and I wonder where you picked that up. If you do not "think", what are you going to do on league night when you have to "think your way out of a trap" or read the rack? Mental preparation is just as important, probably even more important than physical preparation. It is my argument that one must be keenly aware of what you are doing and very alert to what is going on at the table. Simply dismissing thinking as something that you no longer do when you are shooting sounds pretty ridiculous, and is probably nowhere close to what is actually occurring when you are at the table.
The mental cues must guide the physical cues and they must work in unison to accomplish the task. You have told me that you and I have the same educational background in psychology, so you must know that what you are saying is quite off base in relation to case study of task performance. I also believe that you would be able to practice longer if you would concentrate on improving upon one skill at a time. Given the level of instruction and the amount of instruction you have recieved, it puzzles me that your practice sessions are not structured toward your progression. It sounds to me from your writing that you are all over the board. You are directing your energy in about 900 different directions. The purpose of practice is to develop weaknesses into strengths. The weaknesses must be identified and worked upon. The strengths must also be made stronger. Proper guidance in this area will help you immensely as a player. Unless you are structuring your practices to strengthen the weak areas of your game, then you are just "putting in time". If you would like some pointers on how to properly structure your practices, I will be happy to pass along that information to you. This information will help you regardless of your physical condition or other struggles that you may be having - if you follow the suggestions correctly.
Laura,
I think you think more than you think you think.
For someone that types as much as you do on your keyboard about the struggles you are having with the game, I believe that instead of "thinking" you are "worrying". There is a such thing as having too much information, Laura. I believe that this is where you are running into the brick wall. In "Building the Perfect Game" I talk about building your game from the ground up in much the same way that you would build a house. Whether you are building a home or an outhouse, it makes no sense to try to build the roof first, but many players fall into that trap. It is essential, and vitally important to master the fundamentals first, and that is what will establish a foundation for the rest of your game. I don't think it matters how many instructors have told you that there is nothing wrong with your stance or stroke, there is always room for improvement. If you are "not thinking", then how will you remember how you did something correctly? That makes no sense to me, and I wonder where you picked that up. If you do not "think", what are you going to do on league night when you have to "think your way out of a trap" or read the rack? Mental preparation is just as important, probably even more important than physical preparation. It is my argument that one must be keenly aware of what you are doing and very alert to what is going on at the table. Simply dismissing thinking as something that you no longer do when you are shooting sounds pretty ridiculous, and is probably nowhere close to what is actually occurring when you are at the table.
The mental cues must guide the physical cues and they must work in unison to accomplish the task. You have told me that you and I have the same educational background in psychology, so you must know that what you are saying is quite off base in relation to case study of task performance. I also believe that you would be able to practice longer if you would concentrate on improving upon one skill at a time. Given the level of instruction and the amount of instruction you have recieved, it puzzles me that your practice sessions are not structured toward your progression. It sounds to me from your writing that you are all over the board. You are directing your energy in about 900 different directions. The purpose of practice is to develop weaknesses into strengths. The weaknesses must be identified and worked upon. The strengths must also be made stronger. Proper guidance in this area will help you immensely as a player. Unless you are structuring your practices to strengthen the weak areas of your game, then you are just "putting in time". If you would like some pointers on how to properly structure your practices, I will be happy to pass along that information to you. This information will help you regardless of your physical condition or other struggles that you may be having - if you follow the suggestions correctly.