You start the match and can hear your heart beating. You wait for the nerves to settle so you can start playing the way you know you can. But you might reach the last ball and still feel nervous. And you can make good decisions throughout that match.
This is what I would tell a student. Under pressure, we usually fall back on what we’re used to doing. And what we’re used to doing is built in practice.
One of the simplest ways I work on reducing nerves is the pre-shot routine. It’s the sequence of movements you go through before you strike the ball. You read the position, decide what you want to play, get into your stance and execute. Everyone has their own sequence. What I ask is that they be able to repeat it.
As you work on your routine, you want to see less variation from shot to shot. The movements come in the same order and, on similar shots, the routine takes about the same amount of time. If a position needs a closer look, give it the time it needs. Your decision comes from the position in front of you.
By following that sequence, you’re in a sense “making” your mind go where you want it to go. Where do I want the cue ball to finish? What’s my line? What’s my next move? When your attention is on the shot, the nerves may ease a little. You might still hear your heart beating. You can still follow your sequence.
You work on this in practice. Next time you play a set, pick a few similar shots and notice whether you make the same movements in the same order. When you miss one or feel like rushing the next shot, that’s when you’ll see whether the routine is becoming familiar.
You might start the match nervous and finish it nervous. The question is whether, throughout that match, you kept reading the position, making decisions and playing your shot.
GeorgeSarmas.com