Mistake M
easuring performance is essential for improving and growing in the sport you love. When measuring anything in life, you need a reference point. Many people measure success with winning, but I can’t entirely agree with focusing on that reference point. Measuring performance on the pool table has a lot to do with handling mistakes during a match and even on the practice table. Mistakes are often mental errors, and when players feel that achieving peak performance only means performing perfectly, this mindset can cause a lot of negative emotion, frustration, and inevitable mistakes. It is how the world champions deal with the mistakes that enhance their performance levels. The trick or art avoids thinking about past mistakes and moving on. Avoiding past mistakes applies to the practice table or live play. After a “bad” performance is the key to improving the next table. Sometimes, players feel sorry for themselves after a bad performance. It may be hard to admit, but it happens. For example, a player who blows a big lead in a match and feels like: “I always mess up when leading.” Maybe you can identify with these scenarios at some level know I can get over my years of playing this silly game. Rebounding from mistakes and mishaps is a considerable part of a player’s mental game and takes practice to bounce back and move on from a mistake. Nothing is perfect, nor will it ever be. So, realize your response to errors, losses, and mishaps shape your mindset and performance. Ensure the negative does not linger to the next competition or even the practice table.
Rebounding from mistakes is a learned mental skill. You are not helpless. You can develop skills to overcome errors and keep your head in the game. How to Rebound from Mistakes: Rebounding is a matter of responding to mistakes in a new way. Start by asking yourself a different question: “Can I really be perfect and never make a mistake?” “Do others expect me to hit every shot perfect and never miss pocketing or shape on the next ball?” It is just silly and setting yourself up for failure when you say it like that. The next step in getting over mistakes is to remind yourself that you cannot change the past. The only thing you can do is move forward and focus on the next shot or game. LETTING MISTAKES GO - A technique used by other athletes in all types of sports worldwide. One of the more prominent mental mistakes athletes make is hanging onto their mistakes during competitions. Your job when you screw up is to immediately leave the mistake behind you in the past and refocus on what you’re doing RIGHT NOW! The time to work on your mistakes is ALWAYS in practice and NEVER while you’re performing. How do you consistently do this? First, you must understand that it is a huge mental mistake to carry your mistakes around with you while you’re still competing. Second, you need to learn and master a mistake ritual. 63
