SnookerZone’s Chris Gaynor and Oxshott A Clinch League Glory in 24/2025 season…
Oxshott A reclaim the title after 5 years.
After a 5 12 months wait, Oxshott A have as soon as once more wrote themselves into the historical past books of Oxshott League snooker and billiards on the Oxshott Membership by scooping the Oxshott League title for the primary time since 2019/20.
With stellar performances from ALL the staff, the A staff remained constant throughout the season, proving their resilience and expertise on the desk.
With sharp potting, tactical security, and an unwavering and supportive teamwork, Oxshott A outclassed their competitors at instances throughout the season. Gaynor, one of many key figures within the squad, performed an vital position within the ultimate match of the season – successful them the body that they wanted to win the title by some extent to Surbiton.
He stated: “It’s an unimaginable feeling as it is a first title in snooker for me and I’m very proud to have helped carry again the title to Oxshott A and the Oxshott Membership. The entire staff labored onerous for his or her wins and we’re proud to be champions within the Oxshott League this season.
He added: “Taking part in league snooker is a good expertise for everybody of each skill and if you happen to win, it may give you huge confidence to maintain motivated for the subsequent season or in some other space of life. Perception, self-confidence, and dedication are simply as vital as having a superb stable approach. Perspective can also be vital in any sport and doing the suitable issues gives you a superb stable base for future success.
How I Grew to become an Oxshott League Champion: Classes on Stress, Mindset, and Profitable…
Profitable a league championship is an unforgettable second, but it surely’s the teachings realized alongside the best way that actually form you. Taking part in for Oxshott A within the Oxshott League has been a journey of resilience, stress, and psychological fortitude. This season, the staff battled fiercely each step of the best way, and after a hard-fought marketing campaign, we secured the league title.
Right here, I’ll share my private expertise of dealing with stress in essential matches, the mindset shifts that helped me carry out beneath stress, and sensible methods that any snooker participant—absolute newbie or intermediate—can use to remain composed on the desk.
The Last Match: A Take a look at of Psychological Power…Confirmed Strategies to Managing Stress…
With the league title on the road, each body mattered. Going into the match, I knew the significance of staying calm, whatever the stakes. Stress isn’t simply in regards to the occasion itself—it’s about the way you understand it.
Snooker is a recreation of persistence and psychological management. The second you begin overthinking or fixating on the result, your cueing suffers. I needed to remind myself: deal with every shot, not the scoreline. Generally, after all, it’s very straightforward to say this, however troublesome to do. It doesn’t at all times occur like that, however while you do, it’s mind-blowingly rewarding.
Within the first body, the stress managed to get the higher of me a bit. However, like all good gamers, I let it move over me, and with a number of form phrases from colleagues, I received again within the zone, and targeted on the subsequent body. Most good coaches will let you know that the easiest way is to study from it and transfer ahead.
The ultimate body of the match was intense, as I stepped up once more however this time, I held my nerve, caught to my course of, and performed with conviction. When the ultimate balls had been potted, the sense of accomplishment was immense—not simply because we gained, however as a result of I had confirmed to myself that I may deal with the stress when it mattered most.
I potted some nice lengthy balls and a few nice positional pictures within the ultimate body and people moments might be with me ceaselessly and it’s these sort of moments that may maintain you in good stead for the longer term!!
For instance, a protracted brown down the rail with a number of proper hand aspect that was simply an beautiful piece of cueing! Or a protracted crimson that got here out completely for the pink.
It’s not about proving it to anybody else, or caring what they suppose, it’s about proving to your self that you are able to do it – and studying from each match or body – it’s your journey, not anybody elses, and that is a part of the expansion mindset, and that’s what sport is especially about. Studying and having fun with.
Classes on Dealing with Stress…
Snooker teaches you extra about dealing with nerves than virtually some other sport. Whether or not you’re enjoying in a league ultimate or only a pleasant match or some other sort of occasion, stress impacts everybody. Listed below are some key methods that helped me keep composed:
1. Breathe and Reset
When stress kicks in, your physique reacts—your coronary heart charge will increase, your grip tightens, and your cue motion stiffens. Deep, managed respiratory helps reset your focus and retains your physique relaxed. Earlier than each shot, I take a gradual breath in and exhale to remain composed and deal with my pre-shot routine…
2. Persist with a Pre-Shot Routine
A constant pre-shot routine creates a way of familiarity, even in high-pressure conditions. The routine turns into an anchor that retains your thoughts on course of fairly than end result. Earlier than each shot, I’m going via the identical steps: assess the angle, align my stance, take a deep breath, stroll into the shot and cue easily. As Brian Cox has stated, retaining your head nonetheless, a agency stable bridge that doesn’t transfer and a easy glidey cue motion that’s gradual will stand you in good stead for each shot. Watching the ball to the pocket will even make it easier to study for related pictures.
3. Visualize the pot…
Earlier than getting down on a shot, I take a second to visualise the cue ball’s path. This system, utilized by skilled gamers, helps scale back doubt and will increase confidence in execution.
4. Play the Sport, Not the Rating
Focusing an excessive amount of on the scoreline results in pointless stress. As an alternative, I remind myself to take every shot because it comes, treating it like a observe session. This mindset shift makes an enormous distinction in sustaining composure. It’s not straightforward to do that on a regular basis, however while you do handle to deal with simply enjoying the sport and never the rating, it actually does work.
5. Settle for the Stress
As an alternative of preventing nerves, embrace them. Feeling stress means you care, and it’s an indication that you simply’re in an vital second. The hot button is to channel that vitality into focus fairly than concern.
Within the first body, I used to be so overtly nervous and I knew this was an vital match for myself. An excessive amount of adrenalin may cause the alternative to occur. It’s vital to keep up that regular respiratory ALL the time.
6. Phrases of Encouragement from Teammates and Mates and Colleagues may also help…
Each participant must be inspired sooner or later. Whether or not it’s only a easy “come on” or somebody saying that they know you are able to do higher is simply as useful as discovering your recreation on the key moments. Generally, it’s not your approach that wants taking a look at, it’s merely what’s happening in your thoughts on the time that’s holding you again.
In a superb set -up household, mates, colleagues, and acquaintances can actually make it easier to if you happen to want a fast phrase of encouragement.
Mindset: The Key to Enchancment…
Many gamers assume that in the event that they aren’t enjoying properly, it should be because of technical flaws. Whereas approach is vital, mindset is commonly the larger issue. My coach, Brian Cox, has at all times emphasised that believing in your skill is simply as essential as having the suitable approach. A mix of each in addition to having fun with the moments can result in the reward you’re in search of.
Setting your self up for instance behind the shot with CHALK AND THINK, a Cox methodology, can even assist calm you down. Transferring round and inspecting the desk, can even assist calm your nerves.
Should you go right into a match doubting your self, you’ve already misplaced half the battle. Confidence comes from preparation, expertise, and trusting the work you’ve put in beforehand. Growing a robust psychological recreation doesn’t occur in a single day, however with observe, anybody can enhance their skill to deal with stress. It does imply you might want to maintain enjoying individuals in each observe and in matches. Everybody performs everybody on the Oxshott membership, no matter skill and that’s how individuals study and get higher!
Step As much as the Desk and Give League Snooker a Attempt!
Taking part in in a snooker league is likely one of the greatest methods to develop your recreation. It pushes you to compete beneath actual situations, forces you to adapt, and teaches you useful classes about stress and resilience. Should you’ve ever thought-about becoming a member of a league, go for it—it’s an expertise that can elevate your expertise and confidence.
Moreover, searching for teaching could make an enormous distinction. coach like Brian Cox may give you a headstart in doing the suitable issues and it not solely refines your approach but in addition helps you develop the psychological instruments wanted to carry out at your greatest.
Properly performed to everybody who competes in a snooker league. Snooker and sport is hard.
It’s not in regards to the successful, it’s in regards to the studying, and the enjoyment.
Should you do win, it’s a bonus!
Profitable the Oxshott League title was a proud second for me, however the greatest takeaway was the psychological development I skilled alongside the best way in 15 lengthy weeks of league snooker.
Snooker isn’t nearly potting balls—it’s about staying composed, trusting your course of, and dealing with stress when it issues most.
Should you’re seeking to enhance your recreation in 2025, take into account testing your self in a snooker league or investing in high quality teaching. The rewards go far past simply successful matches.
See you on the desk!
And bear in mind, each participant deserves the utmost respect, no matter their commonplace of play.
FINAL THOUGHTS
- Confidence comes from realizing you’ve performed the onerous and sensible work in observe – and realizing that you would be able to draw on a number of earlier experiences to get the purpose you need.
- Belief in your approach and pre-shot routine
- Deal with the method – not the result – and management what you possibly can management, not what you possibly can’t. For instance, there’s at all times going to be luck (or unhealthy luck) concerned – your opponent might get a fluke and clear the colors – or they could find yourself not taking their likelihood. In that occasion you possibly can’t management in the event that they clear up. You generally simply have to carry your hand up and say that was an ideal clear to win!
- Neglect who your opponent is and focus by yourself recreation. Should you can’t discover a pot, play a security shot or certainly lay a snooker.
- Loosen up the shoulders as a lot as you possibly can and simply get pleasure from it!
In fact, a part of any sport is NOT nearly successful, it’s in regards to the studying and generally, you’ll have to undergo the training expertise of not successful a match or body with the intention to come out the opposite aspect. I had to do this on Tuesday. From going to the ridiculous feeling of not feeling like I had held a cue within the first body, to enjoying some chic snooker within the second body to assist the staff safe a title within the final body of the night, however sport, and certainly sports activities efficiency is a humorous previous recreation that by no means ceases to shock you!
One of many Oxshott League gamers stated that generally you need to undergo a cycle of disappointments to ensure that your recreation to get higher. And sure, as prime skilled participant Mark Williams has stated earlier than, you lose greater than you win, however on the finish of the day, it’s only a recreation!
The Oxshott League is likely one of the oldest snooker leagues in Surrey shaped in 1910 and has seen a number of good gamers via its doorways together with the highest participant Harry Champion who was a founding member of the membership and in addition donated the Harry Champion trophy within the Sixties earlier than he handed away in that period.
WHY COACHING?
Anybody can be part of a league and snooker is for all, so if you wish to strive a brand new sport in 2025, head right down to your native snooker or sports activities and social membership and get potting and studying the sport with pleasant, likeminded individuals – and bear in mind, it’s solely a recreation!
Alternatively, if you happen to’re in Surrey, head right down to the Surrey Snooker Academy in Cobham and have some 5 star high quality teaching with an Superior Stage Coach in Brian Cox – and get your recreation on the suitable degree with a correct approach and an honest cue motion!
On the finish of the day, if you happen to can come out of a match, realizing that you simply performed the sport the suitable means with the suitable approach, then both means, you’re a winner!
Right here’s some books I’ve learn that may additionally assist:
