Dr. Christopher Stankovich is a
nationally acclaimed expert in
Sport Psychology and the
Founder of Advanced Human
Performance Systems. For more
information on performance-
enhancement products, including
the exclusive Mind of Steel for
Pool Success visit:
www.drstankovich.com
“Choking” is when you know how to do something and have
successfully have done it before, yet in pressure situations you
fail because of a lack of focus and execution. In the game of
pool choking is a common occurrence, especially during
tournaments when it seems as though the table gets longer and
the pockets become smaller. This month I would like to share
with you why choking occurs, and what you can do to
minimize choking the next time you play when the stakes are
high.
Choking always begins with fear. Interestingly, for human
beings fear can be real (i.e. somebody shooting a gun at you),
or irrational (worrying about what somebody might think if I
miss this next shot). Regardless of the source (real or
irrational), our bodies respond with anxiety in the same exact
way. In other words, your body doesn’t care if it hears
gunshots or is afraid of your opponent standing over the pool
table—the physical anxiety (i.e. increased heart rate; tense,
tight muscles; and shallow breathing are examples) will be
experienced the same exact way.
Once fear kicks into negative anxiety, your mind will begin to
exclusively focus on the physical symptoms of nerves (the
shallow breathing, increased heart rate, etc) instead of thinking
about the shot you need to make on the table in front of you!
From there, most players will start talking to themselves and
say things like “don’t screw up,” or “don’t miss this next
shot.” Guess what happens next? You got it—the shot is
missed! Once your self-talk becomes negative and
conservative, you are basically done (Don’t believe me? Try
NOT thinking of a pink elephant and see what happens. Now
go tell yourself NOT to miss the next shot and see what
happens).
Once the shot is missed, the player usually experiences more
negative energy, more fear, more anxiety, and in some cases the
day may end up being lost completely. It’s amazing all this starts
from fear—and irrational fear at that! Think about it —there is no
real fear when playing pool, yet how many thousands and
thousands of players allow their minds and bodies to experience
fear as though they were in fear for their life? Seriously, who
cares about who you are playing or how many people are
watching—they cant take the stick out of your hands and make
you miss shots!
If you want to minimize choking, try the following tips:
• When you start getting nervous while playing, where is
the fear coming from? Are you worried what somebody
will think if you miss? Are you concerned who is watching
you shoot? If you are feeling any of these kinds of things
STOP immediately, stand up, take a few deep breaths and
remind yourself you are experiencing irrational fear!
• Breathing through your stomach is the best way to
immediately calm your body down. Try taking 2-3 deep
belly breaths and watch how your body responds—it’s
pretty amazing.
• Self-talk (what you say to yourself) is also a great way to
refocus and remain calm in tough situations. Tell yourself
words like “focus” or “stay cool” and your mind and body
will respond accordingly.
• Once you conquer fear, confidence will take
over—leading you to synchrony between your mind and
body, experiencing “the zone” more frequently, and
positive self-talk (and more wins, too!).
Overcoming Choking
Imagery is simply the creation (or recreation) of mental
thoughts.Imagery can be used in a variety ways, including
faster skill acquisition, faster skill mastery, increasing self-
confidence, and even faster injury rehabilitation.
Thousands of elite-level athletes use imagery every day for
athletic success, and in this months column I would like to
show you how you can use imagery for success in pool!
First, it is important to say there is no wrong way to use
imagery. If you can create an image in your mind, you are
using imagery. When you stop to think about making your
next shot and actually see the ball roll toward the pocket
and drop, you are not only strengthening neural
connections in your brain, but also eliminating your
sensors to outside distracters (i.e. your opponent, the fans,
etc). When your focus is entirely on the shot, it is
impossible to also think about the “other things” around
you that often get in the way and prevent you from playing
your best.
For imagery to be most effective, consider the following
tips for immediate success:
Control & Vividness: Try practicing taking total control
over the shots you play in your mind – and always be sure
to make your shots successfully while using imagery! Try
closing your eyes as you rest at night and see yourself
taking total control of the table and with each successful
shot make the situation as real as possible in your mind.
With a little practice, you will be amazed at how quickly you will
be able to imagine your local pool hall, the stick in your hands,
and the sounds of the balls cracking off the break!
Internal/External Imagery: Internal imagery is as if you are
looking at the pool table through your own eyes, using your own
point of view. External imagery is as if you are watching yourself
play through a camera sitting across the room. Both types of
imagery can be effective, so try both and see which type best
suits you. In my personal experience, internal imagery seems to
work best, but either type is far better than doing nothing at all.
Use All Your Senses: Imagery is more than just visualization!
Think about what it feels like to hit the perfect draw shot
(kinesthetic imagery), or feel the pool stick in your hand (tactile
imagery), or even the smell of your local pool hall (olfactory
imagery). Quite simply, the more you can incorporate all the
sense the more real it will become in your mind–and the most
confident you will be when playing in pressure situations
(because in your mind you will have already been there a million
times before!).
Pre-shot and Pre-game Routines: Use imagery the night before a
tournament (pre-game routine) and briefly before each shot (pre-
shot routine). Imagery will help you keep a good pace and block
out unnecessary things (i.e. the crowd watching), while also
helping with self-confidence.
Try using imagery today, and allow yourself time to get used to
using imagery. Remember, always keep your imagery positive
and productive and you will never go wrong!
Use of Imagery
for Pool Success
Practice, practice, practice—that's all there is to pool
success, right? While it is true that playing more pool will
typically lead to better skill development, if you really
want to maximize your abilities—and work smarter, not
harder—then tune in to this months column on the three
pieces of peak athletic development that can be
immediately applied to pool for maximum success.
Whenever I work with elite-level athletes looking to
improve athletic performance, regardless of sport, I always
suggest we begin by examining the three pieces needed for
athletic success:
1. Physical conditioning
2. Technical instruction
3. Metal preparation
As I begin to discuss how each of these components leads
to athletic success, think about how you are doing in each
area, as well as what you need to do to improve (and take
your pool game to new levels!).
Physical conditioning relates to your strength and stamina.
Before tournaments, are you well rested, hydrated, and well
stretched? Do you typically eat something light and
energizing, and not something that sits in your stomach like
a rock? If you are not paying attention to your physical
conditioning and usually end up tired and sore while
playing a few hours of pool, it doesn't matter how good
your shooting eye is or how cool your nerves are as you
will eventually beat yourself by playing sloppy pool due to
physical fatigue!
Technical instruction includes your shot-making ability,
offensive and defensive strategies, and anything else
related to improving your play (i.e. watching instructional
videos, reading books, etc.). Technical instruction relates to
practice, and successful practice relies on you being in good
physical condition to play your best.
Mental preparation is the execution piece to playing your best
pool! Mental preparation includes developing self-confidence,
controlling nerves, and moderating arousal levels to maximize
your ability. Mental toughness allows players to “play to win,”
rather than “play to avoid losing.” Mental toughness is what
allows players to go beyond being a great “practice player,” and
play to their best ability in crucial tournament situations.
All three pieces are vital to pool playing success! You have to be
in good shape (and free of drugs and alcohol), know the game of
pool, and then be able to replicate what you do in practice in
tournament-like situations. Sadly, many average pool players only
focus on one thing—shooting more pool—and then get frustrated
when they play great in practice but below their ability in
tournaments. In these instances things like having been physically
unprepared and tired and stiff, or being mentally unprepared by
allowing nerves to get out of control, never get addressed and he
or she goes back to the pool hall and just shoots more balls in
practice over and over again. Do you see the problem? The
systematic approach I am discussing in this article will allow you
to isolate your strengths and weaknesses—and win more games!
Next time you think about improving your game, start with the
following questions—chart your progress and watch your game
improve:
1. How “ready” am I when I play in competition? Am I loose
and limber? Am I well nourished and hydrated? Am I free of
drugs and alcohol?
2. How well do I know the game of pool? Can I successfully
make shots, play strategically, and get out of trouble
situations? Do I need to get additional instruction to improve
my game?
3. How mentally strong am I when I play? Am I confident I
can win at any time? When I get nervous, do I know skills I
can use to control nerves and regain my confidence?
Focus Your Mind
For Maximum Success
The “Zone” is known by every athlete I have ever worked
with—and even though it is sometimes difficult to describe,
most athletes will say it’s when you are in complete control,
totally absorbed in the moment, and when you feel as
though nothing can stop you. Sport Psychologists call the
zone being in “flow,” or ex-periencing the optimal
psychological mind set. Being in flow is when you are able
to channel all your focus and energy into the only thing that
is important—in sports that’s the next play or shot.
Getting in the zone can be a lot easier than most people
think, and this month I would like to offer a few thoughts
that can help:
•
First, getting in the zone requires that you compete
against competition that is challenging (or creating
challenging practice situations). Studies show that
when we compete against competition that is too
easy, we often lose our focus or only put out enough
effort to win (and don’t really end up getting any
better). Conversely, playing against competition that
is far superior to you can be counterproductive, too.
While it is good to play against better competition, if
you regularly play against competition where you
have very little chance to win in theory you are likely
to become frustrated, pessimistic, and possibly even
angry —all things that will not help your game.
•
When practicing, be sure to set up challenging situations
as much as possible. Keep track of your success rate and
you will find that soon enough you will become “locked
in” to the task.
•
Watch your arousal level and learn things that can help
you regulate your level. For example, if you are too
nervous then you will need to learn a skill or two to
reduce your nerves. On the other hand, if you are too flat
(or bored) you will need to do something to “pump up” a
little so you can get your head in the game. The optimal
arousal level—also known as “the zone”—is between
being flat and being too nervous.
•
Self-talk, or the things you say to yourself, can also help
with getting in the zone more frequently. Keep your self-
talk always positive and productive and your mind will
begin to lock in to your future shots at the table. Positive
self-talk also minimizes choking, too!
•
Develop pre-game routines that help you center yourself
and get prepared for action. I see far too many players
not take advantage of their time before matches and
tournaments and instead allow the environment to get
into their head. Instead, be proactive before tournaments
and take time to gather yourself and prepare for the day
ahead. Try using imagery to see your success, and work
on deep belly breathing to moderate your arousal level.
Add some positive self-talk and you will be in the zone
before you know it!
Getting In The Zone
The “Zone” is known by every athlete I have ever worked
with—and even though it is sometimes difficult to
describe, most athletes will say it’s when you are in
complete control, totally absorbed in the moment, and
when you feel as though nothing can stop you. Sport
Psychologists call the zone being in “flow,” or ex-
periencing the optimal psychological mind set. Being in
flow is when you are able to channel all your focus and
energy into the only thing that is important—in sports
that’s the next play or shot.
Getting in the zone can be a lot easier than most people
think, and this month I would like to offer a few thoughts
that can help:
•
First, getting in the zone requires that you compete
against competition that is challenging (or creating
challenging practice situations). Studies show that when
we compete against competition that is too easy, we often
lose our focus or only put out enough effort to win (and
don’t really end up getting any better). Conversely, playing
against competition that is far superior to you can be
counterproductive, too. While it is good to play against
better competition, if you regularly play against
competition where you have very little chance to win in
theory you are likely to become frustrated, pessimistic, and
possibly even angry —all things that will not help your
game.
•
When practicing, be sure to set up challenging situations
as much as possible. Keep track of your success rate and
you will find that soon enough you will become “locked
in” to the task.
•
Watch your arousal level and learn things that can help
you regulate your level. For example, if you are too
nervous then you will need to learn a skill or two to
reduce your nerves. On the other hand, if you are too flat
(or bored) you will need to do something to “pump up” a
little so you can get your head in the game. The optimal
arousal level—also known as “the zone”—is between
being flat and being too nervous.
•
Self-talk, or the things you say to yourself, can also help
with getting in the zone more frequently. Keep your self-
talk always positive and productive and your mind will
begin to lock in to your future shots at the table. Positive
self-talk also minimizes choking, too!
•
Develop pre-game routines that help you center yourself
and get prepared for action. I see far too many players not
take advantage of their time before matches and
tournaments and instead allow the environment to get into
their head. Instead, be proactive before tournaments and
take time to gather yourself and prepare for the day ahead.
Try using imagery to see your success, and work on deep
belly breathing to moderate your arousal level. Add some
positive self-talk and you will be in the zone before you
know it!
Set Goals For
Future Success
Human perception is a really funny thing—what people
“see” is really as individual as each person. In fact, have you
ever heard the saying “one mans garbage is another mans
treasure?” Think about that for a moment—what is
essentially useless to one person is invaluable to another!
EBay has become a worldwide institution based on this idea.
So how does this apply to pool you ask? Very simply—what
you “see” when you look at the lay of the balls on the table
is a very unique, subjective human experience and will
ultimately play a major role in whether you run the table—or
choke on the first shot you attempt. More specifically,
seasoned players will typically see challenges when they
look at the table, whereas inexperienced players will tend to
see overwhelming, fearful situations that they perceive to be
more than they can handle. In reality, both players are
actually looking at the same table, yet both players end up
experiencing the situation in two completely different ways!
Teaching yourself the importance of perception, especially
how it plays such a major part in pool success, is vitally
important for your self-improvement. When you look at a
bed of roses, do you see the flowers or the thorns? Both are
there, yet it is the individual who determines what to focus
his or her attention toward. With pool, teaching yourself to
interpret tricky situations as challenges will help you “play
to win,” whereas allowing tough situations to scare you will
consequently put your mindset in a “play to avoid losing”
perception.
When you perceive situations as challenges, your mind and body
work in synchrony and confidence emerges. Research clearly
shows that confidence is directly related to peak performances,
and your perception is actually what helps you develop
confidence!
On the other hand, when you perceive situations as catastrophes,
your body will immediately respond with anxiety, which will in
turn cause all kinds of problems with focus, concentration, and
ultimately shot success. When you “choke,” more often than not
you missed the shot not because you didn’t know what to do, but
instead because you never really felt as though you were going to
make the shot in the first place. Again, your initial perception of
the situation probably played a major role in this situation.
Next time you go out and play, think about the following tips for
success:
• Only YOU can determine whether a situation is a
challenge or a threat. Remind yourself of this each time you
approach the table!
• If you begin to get nervous about a situation, try to reframe
the problem. For example, if the table looks downright ugly
and it’s only the first game of the match, remind yourself
about how much time you have to still come out on top.
• When you see a tough lay on the table, try to put all your
focus into just your next shot. So many times players look
ahead a shot or two and end up blowing the first shot (and
often the match)
• There probably isn’t a shot on the table that hasn’t been
made at some point, so remember to tell yourself that the
next time you get down on a challenging shot. Try to put all
your energy into positive self-talk and work hard to channel
all your confidence into the shot you have at the moment and
watch what happens. Pretty amazing, huh?!
See Challenges
Instead Of Fear
Confidence truly is king when it comes to athletic success.
Confident pool players constantly look to dominate their
opponents and “play to win,” while players lacking
confidence consistently underachieve, choke, and play to
“avoid losing.”
When you are confident in your pool playing abilities, your
mind and body become synchronized and you get into Flow
(or as athletes refer to it, “the Zone”). Confident players
don’t pay attention to things that don't matter (the opponent,
the fans, the last missed shot, etc), and instead channel their
complete energy into the only thing that is important–the next
shot. Confidence also impacts perception–for example, say
you took 10 shots and made 5 and missed 5. A confident
player will stay focused and positive, whereas a player with
less confidence will get angry, frustrated, and inevitably miss
more future shots.
The good news is you control your self confidence! To begin
with, make sure to have a positive attitude every time you
pick up your cue. Positive emotions and attitudes have a
tremendous impact on self-confidence! The great news is
YOU control your emotions and attitude, so be sure to stay
positive everyday. This game is tough enough without you
being your own worst enemy!
Some additional tips for building self-confidence are presented
below:
• Practice with a purpose. Work on mastering the basic
skills until you can do them without thinking–to the point
where they become auto-matic. More shots made=greater
self-confidence
• Make pool mastery a personal challenge. Is the glass half-
full or half-empty? The perception you have is as individual
as you are. Whenever you play pool you are going to make
some shots and miss others–the real question is what will
you focus on at the end of the day? If you are challenged to
get better every day you will always look to build on the
future by challenging yourself to get better every day!
• Look to learn something new every day. By improving at
the small details of pool (i.e. getting into pinpoint position),
you will make more shots and improve your confidence
level.
• Laugh. Life is short enough, so you might as well enjoy as
much of it as you can! Sometimes you have to just break
down your stick, smile, and promise to make tomorrow a
better day than today. Remember, it’s not the end of the
world when you miss a shot (or lose a game), and the sun
really will come up tomorrow!
• Keep a journal of your success. If you think you will
remember the last time you played great pool, think again.
I’ll bet you can’t even remember what you had for lunch
yesterday, much less that great tournament you played in 6
months ago! Trust me, if you want to feel good nothing
beats a quick re-read of one of your best all-time games!
Confidence is king, and you control your con-fidence level! Think
like a champion and one day you may become one–good luck!
Develop Confidence
for Success in Pool!
This month is part 1 of a 2-part mental coaching series
designed to help you get the most out of your pool game.
Stay tuned for part-2 next month.
1. Get the basics mastered. Regardless of your sport, it is
imperative that you master all the basic skills. This is
especially true in pool since many of the shots you will
shoot are the same angle and distance, even if the balls are
arranged differently on the table. Many athletes quickly
move past the basics and instead focus the majority of their
time on advanced skills. While advanced skills are certainly
important–and can win you many games–ask yourself how
many times have you lost a game by missing a shot you
“should have” made? Make it a goal to minimize these types
of mistakes in 2009!
2. Be critical of yourself. It is very important that you are
objective and critical of your talents and abilities. What this
means is for you to take a close look at your skill level and
precisely identify your areas that need most improvement.
For example, if you play great while practicing but tend to
choke in competitive situations, it is important that you work
on the mental side of pool so that you can play with greater
confidence–and choke less often!
3. Get a mentor. One of the fastest ways to improve your
game is to find a good mentor who will help you develop the
skills needed to move to the next level. While it is true that
practicing more–even if it’s by yourself–will certainly help
your game improve, in my opinion you can greatly accelerate the
learning curve by working under an experienced and savvy mentor.
Take a close look around your local pool hall and identify the best
players in the house. Do you know any of them personally? If so,
ask if they would be willing to shoot around with you more
regularly. If you do not personally know any of the better players at
your local pool hall, make it a point to introduce yourself,
compliment them on the game, and gradually get to know them until
you get to a point where you might begin shooting with him/her
regularly. Like a famous athlete once said, “you miss 100% of the
shots you don’t take.” In this example, you will never know who
will mentor you unless you ask!
4. Take chances by playing tougher competition. Quite often
athletes, including pool players, will tend to play against
competition that they can fare well against. Certainly there is
nothing wrong with this approach, but unless you occasionally get
outside your comfort zone from time to time, it will be very difficult
to improve your game significantly. It is important that you begin to
enter into some tournaments and leagues that are more competitive
if you want to gain more confidence, improve your focus, and shake
out those nerves! Playing against far superior competition all the
time is not always a good thing as it can be counterproductive
(meaning you may feel defeated because you rarely win), however,
occasionally getting in there with the big boys who “on paper” may
be out of your league can be a great way to cut your teeth and
improve your game.
5. Never stop learning. No matter who you are you can learn
something from everyone you meet. It is important that you
continually develop this mindset and attitude and become a sponge
when someone is teaching you something you want to learn more
about. Even players who may be less talented than you might
possibly know more about a particular aspect of the game, so pay
attention at all times and watch your game rapidly improve!
Stay tuned for part two of the mental coaching series next month!
10 Tips For Pool Success
in 2009 (Part1)
This month is part 2 of a 2-part mental coaching series
designed to help you get the most out of your pool game.
6. Play a new game. Many players tend to get fixated on
their favorite game, and while this can certainly help your
overall development, it is also limiting at the same time.
Different games rely on different strategies, mindsets, and
technical abilities. The fact of the matter is the more often
you vary your routines, the better you will become with
your overall abilities!
7. Practice arousal regulation. On days where you just don’t
feel like practicing and your mind begins to wander, what
strategies do you use to snap back into the game? On the
other hand, when you are in competitive situations and you
feel overly-nervous, what techniques do you use to calm
down and regain your focus? Both “pumping up” on boring
days and calming down in nerve-racking situations are
invaluable skills when it comes to playing better pool.
8. Work on a “bounce-back” technique. Has this ever
happened to you—you are playing against someone and
everything is going great and then all of a sudden you chunk
a “gimme” shot that you usually make 99 out of 100 times?
After you missed the shot, did you carry that bad memory in
the back of your mind into the next game as well? In fact,
for some of you reading this article today you may have
even carried that one bad shot with you the rest of the
day–even though the shot ended long ago! I have seen many
pool players lose their composure after one bad miss and allow that
mistake to ruin their entire tournament, when the better approach
would have been to have that shot go and moved on to the next.
It’s like having a pebble in your shoe–rather than walk all day in
pain, take your shoe off and get rid of the pebble (empty those
negative thoughts from your head!).
9. Minimize outside distracters while playing. Great players know
how to focus all their thoughts and energy on the only thing that is
important–the next shot. How good are you at this skill? When you
play is your focus on what is important (i.e. getting in good
position, making tactical decisions, etc.) or on what is not
important (i.e. who your opponent is, who you will play later on in
the tournament, etc.)? Practice putting all your attention on the
things that are relevant, and when you catch your mind wandering
step back, take a moment to regain your focus, then re-approach
the table. Minimizing distractions will allow you to focus at a high
level, make more shots, and ultimately win more games.
10. Commit to success. Sure, every pool player who is serious
about the game wants to get better–but truly committed players are
a lot tougher to find. As with anything in life, if you want to play at
your peak level it will take you having great conviction toward
your goals. What this means is you will need to keep a regular
practice schedule, remain objective in your self-appraisal,
eliminate fear of asking others for help and assistance, and bounce
back with a positive attitude on days where you have played
poorly. Remember, the best things in life often come with a price,
and pool success is no different. You will get exactly out of your
game what you put in to it–the choice is yours!
10 Tips For Pool Success
in 2009 (Part 2)
Focus, or your ability to direct your attention toward a
specific target, is an invaluable skill when it comes to
playing your best pool. Pool players with a strong focus are
able to block out distractions and only think about what is
important – the next shot. Pool players who struggle with
focus allow their minds to wander and think about things
that really do not matter, including what happened in the
last game, the next opponent on the bracket sheet, or even
who is watching them play. Players who master the element
of focus play to their highest ability, while players who
struggle with focus often play far below the level of what
they are capable of playing.
There are three specific concerns related to focus that all
pool players should be aware of if they want to raise their
game and play more consistently.
A)
Too narrow of focus: This occurs when pool players
try to always play perfectly, or are too “perfectionistic” in
their approach. When you put so much pressure on yourself
to make perfect shots, what inevitably happens is an
increased level of anxiety due to the fact that we cannot be
“perfect” (we are human after all!). Obviously pool is a
game of inches, and you should always try to make the best
shots you can – the problem is with the frustration some
players feel when they do not make “perfect” shots. In
these instances the player gets upset, his arousal level
increases, his muscles become tense and tight, and usually
ends up putting even more pressure on himself on the next
shot. A better way to go is to play your best and when the
shot doesn’t turn out quite how you would have liked, instead of
getting upset begin to look at the lay of the table as a challenge –
when this happens your mind and body will work in synchrony and
you will make more shots!
B)
Too wide of focus: This is the exact opposite of having too
narrow of focus, when players allow all kinds of outside distracters
to enter their mind and their focus ends up on everything else but
where it should be – the next shot! Sometimes focus becomes wide
when players are not challenged, are physically fatigued, or when
they are simply not as interested in playing any longer. The result
of a wide focus is a lot of sloppy shots and poor positioning on the
table.
C)
The wrong focus: Having the wrong focus has to do with
knowing the game of pool and proper shot selection. When players
focus on the wrong shots, the result is pretty obvious – he or she
doesn’t end up stringing together many runs or playing appropriate
defense, when necessary.
Examine your focus level and see if you tend to find yourself
dealing with one of the three types of focus problems described
above. Every pool player battles focus issues from time to time, but
most will tend to deal with one type of issue more than others (i.e.
the perfectionist will usually deal with trying to be too precise while
playing, while the player whose mind wanders will usually have to
improve upon having too wide of focus). Remember, better focus =
better pool playing!
The Importance
of Focus
As most pool players already know, confidence is a really
big thing when it comes to pool success. With confidence,
players “play to win” and are able to control their nerves,
improve their focus, and keep their emotions in check
when they get stuck and miss a couple shots. On the other
hand, when players do not have much confidence the
result is usually “playing to avoid losing,” which includes
defensive and conservative play, poor focus, poor
concentration, increased anxiety, and usually a few
emotional blow ups along the way after missing shots.
Confidence is know as self-efficacy in the psychology
world, and literally hundreds of research studies have
consistently shown that athletes with confidence play to
their best ability, while athletes with little confidence
ultimately play below their maximum ability.
So how do you develop confidence in yourself? One way
is to put time in the pool room and practice, practice,
practice. Obviously the better you play, the more your
confidence will improve, and the cycle will likely continue
as long as you put in the work. But what can you do along
the way as you are still developing your confidence?
One thing all pool players need to learn to do is what I call
“walk with a swagger.” I am not saying you should be
cocky and arrogant, but instead I am suggesting you carry
yourself at all times as though you have been in these
situations before and are sure you can come back and win
at any time. There is a fine line between arrogance and con-
fidence—while arrogance is rude and obnoxious, confidence is
very controlled and refined.
For example, rather than standing just off the table and giving off
the impression you are terribly nervous and cannot wait to get back
to the table, take a moment to sit down and have a drink of water.
Instead of looking around frantically at the bracket sheet, calmly
prepare your cue and begin warming up on a table. Even when you
approach the table, rather than racing up there, take a moment to
stand back and evaluate the lie of the table, then move into your
position and execute the shot.
The beautiful thing about prompting yourself to “walk with a
swagger” is that others will notice and begin to believe you are a
confident player. Whether you really are confident doesn’t
matter—they will believe that you are and in all likelihood that
image will be in the back of their mind while playing against you.
Who knows, maybe your opponent will then begin to “play to
avoid losing” and end up choking because of it, while you gain
more confidence by witnessing his errors and realizing you really
can beat this guy!
The difference between average and good, as well as good and
great, is often a very fine line—and in my opinion just as mental as
it is physical. Take advantage of the things you can control (like
the way you carry yourself) and watch what happens. Sure, it
won’t be a substitute for practice, but it can be the difference
between two nearly equal opponents. Mental toughness is a huge
part of pool success, so be sure to work on the mental side
Walk with a Swagger
Self talk, or the dialogue you have with yourself, is very
important as it relates to how we feel about ourselves, how
we carry ourselves, our ability to be resilient to stress and
failure, and a whole host of other important things. We all
talk to ourselves (even if we are not opening our mouths to
do it), and we all engage in self talk! The problem is when
we begin to have negative and debilitating self talk and
allow our negative emotions to skew our perception of
reality.
It’s really quite amazing how self talk can impact pool
players. Think about it: How many times have you played
someone (or watched this happen as a fan), where one
player begins to crumble and miss more shots. Have you
ever really noticed what is happening? Chances are the
player’s body language changes, he begins to shoot more
quickly and without paying as much attention to the table,
and in some cases you may even witness angry outbursts,
foul language, or possibly even a thrown cue across the
room! Obviously, it is impossible to play good pool when
all of these things are going on at the same time.
In the example I just described, while it is impossible for us
as observers to truly know what this type of player is
thinking or saying to himself, we can be fairly confident
that his self talk is just as ugly and angry as his outward
actions are to the casual observer. The internal language we
use within our minds is like a thermostat when it comes to
how our bodies will respond. In short, allow your self talk
to become negative, and you can almost guarantee your pool playing
will suffer tremendously.
There is some good news to report, however. First, positive self talk
will actually help you with your attitude, confidence, focus, and
ability to bounce back! Similar to how negative self talk does
negative things to you, positive self talk will lead to many positive
things while playing pool. Secondly, you have 100% control over
your self talk, so there are no excuses when it comes to allowing
yourself to wallow in self-pity or call yourself all kinds of names in
your mind. Finally, you can change your negative self talk into
positive self talk at any time you want, even when you are losing or
just missed a bunny shot you make 99 out of 100 times.
Take note of the type of self talk you regularly engage in while
playing pool. Is it hostile and negative, or is it positive and
facilitative? Remember, you are the only one who can decide which
road you will take. If you seem to allow yourself to have a lot of
negative self talk, you might want to do something to remind
yourself to snap out of it and get back on track. For example,
wearing a rubber band on your wrist and lightly snapping yourself
can serve as a reminder, as can having a cue word written
somewhere discretely on your stick or case (i.e. the word “Focus”).
Self talk is very powerful and can be the difference when it comes to
playing your best pool. Good luck and remember to tell yourself to
play like a champion today!
Watch What You
Say to Yourself
In my experience working in the field of sport
psychology, one of the most beneficial training
techniques athletes can do is keep a journal of their goals
and daily experiences. Sadly, far too many athletes
devalue this technique, and instead assume they will be
able to remember everything in their head. In reality, this
is simply not the case—don’t believe me? Try to
remember what you had for lunch yesterday—see what I
mean?!
Keeping a personal journal of your athletic
accomplishments can be a very effective tool when it
comes to improving focus, increasing self-confidence,
and for breaking slumps when they occur. There are as
many ways to journal your progress as there are types of
people playing pool, so don't get caught up trying to do
this one specific way. Instead, find a style that works for
you and try to be as consistent as you can with your
entries.
Below are a few tips to get you started.
1. Buy a journal or notebook with a lot of pages and
personalize it. If you have favorite quotes or pictures you
might consider adding them to the journal for additional
inspiration.
2. At least once a year, and possibly even more frequently, you
should write out all your goals in your journal. Be sure to write
daily, short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals; and always try
to set your goals so that you can measure your progress (i.e. if
you have a goal to shoot for an hour a day, it is very easy to
quantify whether or not you accomplished this goal).
3. When making an entry, try to include the date and any other
information that will help you conjure an image in your mind
when looking back at this entry down the road. For example, you
might say “June 4, 2008, Smokey’s Pool Hall – 9 Ball
Tournament.”
4. The first question I encourage athletes to ask themselves is
“What did I do well today?” By prompting yourself to think of at
least one good thing each day it will improve your attitude and
confidence levels.
5. The second question that I think is good to ask yourself daily is
“What do I need to improve?” Here you might quickly list one or
two things, like work on breaking or pay better attention to my
shot selection.
6. The last question I like to add is “Other notes.” Here you can
list things like a reminder to get your tip replaced or the date of
an upcoming pool tournament.
These are just a few suggestions to help you get started. Another
good thing to do is to mark specific entries where you really
played well (i.e. perhaps a tournament you won). This way, when
you hit a bad stretch in the future you can quickly look back and
feel good about yourself again after re-reading one of your better
days!
Journal Your Success
Developing a smooth, rhythmic synchrony between your
mind and body is essential for many things in life, and it
is especially true in the game of pool. You already know
what I am talking about when it comes to synchrony, so
you don’t need any fancy definitions here other for me to
say that when things just feel right, when you are seeing
the balls really well, and when your pace and shot
execution is at its best then you know that you are in
synchrony – and probably “the zone.”
Players get out of synchrony for a number of reasons, but
a few of the more common reasons include:
•
Allowing missed shots to get them frustrated
•
Thinking about something else other than
pool while playing
•
Worried about what others will think
•
Fear of failing and playing to “not lose”
rather than win
•
Trying to win 10 games in one shot (usually
happens when you are far behind and trying
to do too much)
•
Just having a bad day
The good news is that just as quick as you got out of
synchrony, you also have the power to get back into
synchrony again – and probably faster than you would
have thought. Change and momentum can happen in a moment,
and in pool the same is true. Just ask yourself how many times you
have seen the tides turn, where in one moment a player was getting
crushed, and then a few minutes later he is running a rack and all of
a sudden you can just feel him coming on! The problem is that in
the heat of the battle we often forget this, and as a result we tend to
allow outside things to enter our minds, resulting in nervous
energy, and you guessed it – no mind-body synchrony!
So what can you do the next time you get out of synchrony?
Below are a few tips to consider:
•
Remember, change can happen in one shot, so stay
positive!
•
If you are really feeling the heat, take a quick pause and
step away from the table. Think for a few seconds about a
positive thought, boost your spirits back up, and take one
deep breath all the way into your stomach and exhale.
•
Watch what you say to yourself and keep it positive!
Rather than swearing at yourself and calling yourself all
kinds of names, try some instructional self-talk like “stay
calm” or “let’s work to get this rack.” It’s amazing how
your body will follow what your mind thinks!
•
Another good trick is to squeeze and relax just your hands
2-3 times. Oftentimes when we feel agitated we
experience the shakes or tremors in our hands – this often
happens in pool since it is a fine motor skills sport
(meaning there are a lot of precision shots to make).
Therefore, by squeezing your fists a couple times you will
actually “shake out” the anxiety, allowing you to make
more synchronized shots.
Make sure before you go out and shoot that your mind and body
are on the same page – good luck!
Mind-Body Synchrony
For Pool Success
This month I would like to offer what may seem like at
first glance more of a rah-rah speech, but actually it’s
more than that – I want to get you excited about taking
your pool game to another level, or in other words, to
think BIG!! In sports, just like everything in life, what
you think you often become – for better or for worse. In
fact, Henry Ford once said that whether you think you
can or you think you can’t – you are right on both
counts!
So how does all this apply to pool you might ask? Well
it’s simple, actually – when you think big and actually
allow yourself to believe that you can not only improve
your game ‘a little,” but instead start thinking that you
can, with a positive mindset and dedicated practice
schedule, actually improve your game dramatically to the
point where you are the top shot in the house, then you
are thinking BIG!!
Essentially, what I am encouraging you to do is develop a
positive self-fulfilling prophecy, a concept that is
essential in order for success of any magnitude to occur.
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or
indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms
of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between
belief and behavior.
Breaking this down to a pool example let’s think about it this way:
If you go to the pool hall and you think, believe, and expect that
you will soon pass up everyone in the room, then every little thing
you do well (i.e. make a touch bankshot, cut the paint off another
thin cut, or execute a tough combination) your mind will view
those experiences as evidence of confirmation that you are getting
better! That mindset will propel you to work even harder, typically
producing even better results, and essentially making the idea of
the “self-fulfilling prophecy” true!
On the other hand, if you A) Don’t believe you can improve, or B)
Only believe you will improve a little bit, then your progress (or
lack thereof) will follow. As simple as it may sound, the bigger the
dream and the more you believe in the dream the more likely
chance you will have for it to actually occur.
In my experience in working with elite-level athletes from all
different sports, a positive self-fulfilling prophecy is always at the
heart of their success. These individuals don’t even think failure is
an option, and also realize that positive change in life always
begins between their ears with what they think, believe, and feel
about themselves. Their “success,” then, is not a product of luck,
good fortune, or having better genes, but instead due to their
commitment and not being afraid to convinve themselves that they
will one day be a champion.
Remember, you don’t have to be arrogant or cocky about your
expectations for future success, as you don’t even need to talk
about this with anyone. Instead, tell yourself how good you can be,
and remember, think BIG and you will soon be playing at a level
you might have only dreamed about! Good luck!
Think BIG!!!!
