MIND GAMES

By Steve Jennings

It’s been said over and over the game of pool is (50, 90, fill in the blank) percent mental. I don’t have a clue about the correct number, but I can assure you that without a strong mental game, you can’t possibly be playing at your highest level. We put a lot of effort into developing our physical game with stroke mechanics, aiming systems, and ball control, but when we enter into competition, if we aren’t mentally prepared, we are at a huge disadvantage. So what makes up a strong mental game, and how do we develop it?

Number one on my list is attitude. A positive, winning attitude makes winning much easier. By that, I mean entering competition with confidence (Not arrogance!) that you have the ability to win. That confidence comes from all the quality practice time you have put in. If you look at your opponent and think you can’t beat them, you probably can’t. Even if you have never beaten him or her, you must believe that today could be your day. Many a match has been lost while looking at the tournament chart and seeing who the next opponent is.

Another part of the mental game involves visualization. This process simply creates a complete mental video of exactly what you want to happen with your shot. By making a mental movie, you feed your desired results to your brain before you start your shooting process. Your brain directs all the physical activity with your body. When your brain knows what needs to be done, it will send signals to your hands, arms, legs, eyes, etc, with commands to accomplish the task at hand. It makes the shooting process as simple as standing up and walking across the room.

Finally, we need to train ourselves to focus. Studies have shown that the human brain is able to focus completely on one thing for about 10 seconds before other thoughts start to enter the picture. So our intense focus is necessary when we are in our shooting process. That 10 seconds between placing your bridge hand on the table and finishing your stroke is when you need focus. Our brain is divided into two sides. The left side is for analytical thinking. The right side is the creative side. We need the left brain to decide what we want to do and how we want to do it. Once we have done that, we need to turn off the left brain’s thinking side and let the right brain take over. We can give the right brain about 10 seconds to execute the shot before the left brain wants to get involved. Thoughts like “is this the right shot?” or “should I add more spin?” do not belong in your shooting sequence. Pool school offers some ways to help you make that transition successfully. We call them switches, or triggers, and they are designed to help get you and keep you in your “right mind” while you shoot.

When you learn to combine both the physical and mental aspects of your game, you will find yourself winning more. And while pool is fun, winning is even more fun!

Steve Jennings

As instructors, we have all become students of the game. We read, watch, and study at every opportunity. We work together with other instructors to gain more knowledge and get new ideas from each other. Our primary goal is to be the instructor that can successfully develop our students. We train each other, challenge each other, and sometimes push each other so you can receive the highest quality billiards education possible. Because when you succeed, we have succeeded.

Lastly, if you want to elevate your game or think you might like to become an instructor yourself, feel free to contact me at 980-253-0211, and let’s discuss your options.