Tip Of The Week

Number: 31 Jim Tellier January 2012

TOPIC: Mind Games

CATEGORY: All Skill Levels

INTRODUCTION:

[This is a re-print of a tip that I wrote last year, but Im hoping that you will find it useful. Not all aspects of the game are just technique or skill learn to recognize that, and actually see it in the matches you play, and you will automatically build an advantage! Ive also added a few comments on sharking, and how to deal with it. ]

At the beginning, when people first start playing pool, its mostly a physical challenge: developing skills like aiming, speed control, using English, etc. As time goes on, you realize that there are things that you (and your opponent) can do to influence the outcome of the game, that are more mental than physical. Some of these are positive actions, and some are quite negative. An important phase of your development as a pool player is to first recognize the mental parts of the game for what they are.

TECHNIQUE:

There are 3 types of situations you can encounter when playing pool: 1) practice, 2) fun pool and 3) pressure pool. I like to think of fun pool as times when you can just hang out with friends and whack the balls around the table without much concern over whos going to win. If what youre doing doesnt fit that description, then it must be one of (1) or (3), not fun! With both practice and pressure scenarios, I like to think of them as almost the same: serious effort. The one big difference with practice however, is that you can give yourself more freedom to experiment push the envelope with trying shots that you simply shouldnt even think about in an actual match. Once you identify this distinction in your mind, and adjust your mental attitude to fit, you will have a mental advantage over those people who simply go through the same motions every time they pick up a cue, no matter what the situation.

Sometimes, fear seems to affect peoples ability to play well. Fear of missing, fear of scratching, fear of their opponent (whats he gonna do anyway?! hes sitting in a chair watching YOU run the rack!), fear of what their teammates will think, fear of.whatever!!! The best advice Ive ever heard was: youre playing your game against the balls, not your opponent: play the table! Concentrate on your technique and doing what needs to be done with one shot at a time, without worrying about the outcome. The best you can do will come out. Remember that how you think about the times that youre on your best game, will have a big impact on your progress and development as a player. Playing well is giving yourself positive reinforcement enjoy it, take advantage of it, strive for it, and it will happen more often. Confidence is simply believing in your abilities. The abilities are built on practice and experience.. To play your best game, you need to be strongly confident about your game. Practice is the time to develop the understanding of what your abilities are, and what your limitations are. Competition is the time to say, I know I can pull this off, because Ive done it 85% of the time in practice, or I know I cant do this, so Im going to be conservative and play safe. Either way, youre playing from a confident attitude, that youre making the right choice. Thats what it takes to build mental strength.

Sharking How to spot it, how to react to it.

You could define sharking as any action or words directed at you, by your opponent while youre at the table. But sometimes, its not quite so in-your-face. An opponent might make comments after youve missed a shot, while youre returning to the table: wow, you shouldnt have missed that one! That was an easy shot!, or youre really off your game today, huh?. So, he didnt really cause you to miss the shot; but hes planting the seeds of doubt in your mind, so youre possibly going to be distracted when you get up to the table again! In APA, as with most leagues, sharking is really frowned upon. If its something that is done while youre at the table, that should be handled by having your captain bring it up to the other team captain, so he can have words with the offending player. If that doesnt put a stop to it, you should make sure that your captain makes a note of it as a sportsmanship violation on the score sheet. Usually, (like 99% of the time) since this is really a social league, and everyone is basically here to have a good time, it hardly ever reaches that stage. There are going to be players who are more serious than others, and when they match up its not always clear where the boundaries of behavior lie. Bottom line is: be polite, respectful, and expect others to do the same. It goes a long way toward avoiding situations.

But lets say that its the more subtle form of sharking that your opponent is up to. One possibility is that he may not even realize that hes causing a problem. Solution: the first time it happens, ignore it completely. But if it happens a second time, just ask him politely not to offer his opinions/advice until the match is over. Let him know its distracting, and youd rather have the same chance to focus on the game that youre giving him. If it continues, have the captain handle it in the same way as if it was done while youre at the table. But meanwhile, tune it out and just play the table your real opponent!