It Can Be Done!

Gunfighters and Pool Players

"I look at it like this ...

The gunfighter with the most bullets doesn't always win the gunfight. Neither does the gunfighter with the prettiest/most expensive gun in his holster.The gunfighter that wins is usually the gunfighter with the combination of the calmest nerves - stone cold killer instinct - the fastest trigger finger - and the deadliest aim. They are quick, confident, deadly, and accurate to a fault. When the $hit goes down, it doesn't matter how much they have or how pretty and expensive their gun is. If they're not the absolute best when and where it counts the most - they won't survive out there.

The pool player with the biggest mouth doesn't always get the cash. Neither does the pool player with the prettiest/most expensive cue in their case.The player that wins is usually the player with the combination of the calmest nerves - stone cold killer instinct, the ability to adapt quickly - and the deadliest aim. They are quick, confident, deadly, and accurate to a fault. When the $hit goes down, it doesn't matter how much they have -or- how pretty and expensive their cue is. If they're not the absolute best when and where it counts the most - they won't survive out there." ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, 02-08-2010.

Just Breathe

"Sometimes ... if we try too hard, we sabotage our own success. The game/match is important - you want to win - however remaining in the process can be difficult if you feel that you are off. We can concentrate on our pre-shot routine until we look like someone on the dance floor looking at their feet and counting steps. That doesn't always work - especially if you're pissed off, aggravated, or frustrated already. Like most things in pool and in life, sometimes the most difficult situations have the easiest solutions. The best thing to do is to take a second to concentrate on your breathing. Bring the air in and out of your body and focus on nothing else. Usually when things aren't going the way we want them to, we are drawing in a lot of the environmental negatives. By drawing a breath - you can inhale the positive - and exhale the negative stuff right out of your system. Shallow breathing=Less oxygen & poor focus ... deep concentrated breathing = more oxygen, better thing - calmer nerves - stronger focus. The air is free - and always available for you to use to your advantage.

While you are shooting - it is a good idea to cue in your focus on the color of the cloth and the rails. Allow that color to absorb your thoughts and intensify your focus and concentration. Concentrate on each breath - and with each breath that color intensifies with your focus. One feeds the other. Cue your ears to listen to a sound that is positive - like the clicking of the balls contacting each other - the sound of the chalk brushing your tip - the sound of the tip contacting the cue ball - or the sound of the balls rolling into the pockets. Allow that sound to intensify the color of the cloth which intensifies with your breathing - which will intensify your focus. When you do this exercise, you are cueing in all of your senses. Your thoughts - just like the air, are being directed inward. You have complete and total control and authority to change what is going on inside your head. You can control that - but you cannot control anything that exists or that is going on around you. You can only adapt to your environment - or you can collapse within your environment. You always have the choice to direct, restrict, and narrow your focus and your energy to within your own mind.

At first, it might be difficult to achieve absolute clarity, but the more you practice this - the easier it becomes. Best of luck to you - hoping that you have a better time next time you are at the table!" ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, 11-07-2013.

Putting All of Your Heart Into It

"There was a time I stayed in the pool hall - day after day - night after night just shooting balls for hours and hours. I'd toss all of the balls on the table and shoot them all in using only center ball. I couldn't use draw. I couldn't use follow. Just center ball. After I did about 5-10 racks like that - I'd switch to using only follow - then to using only draw. After that, I'd play 14.1 for 2-3 hours. I'd put crazy restrictions on myself such as "5 rails or less" - whichmeans if my cue ball touched a rail more than 5 times in a single rack - I had to stop and start all over again - or - I would increase my difficulty by placing two shafts below the side pockets - restricting myself to using just half of the table. After that, I'd play the 9 ball ghost for the remainder of my practice - spotting the ghost 3 games on the wire in a race to 7. I'd play the ghost as many sets as it took to overcome, persevere, and experience my victory.

By structuring my practices with ever-increasing difficulty, I maximized my potential for learning. By placing restrictions on my cue ball movement - I tightened my focus and I maximized my control and accuracy with shot-making and playing position. By constantly fighting to dig myself out of a hole on a daily basis against the ghost - I became a fighter at the table. If someone was going to win a match against me - they'd have to go through hell to do it because I wasn't going to give it away peacefully. I wasn't just going through the motions - I training and preparing myself to compete.

It was a lot of hard work. It took up a lot of my time. It required patience, dedication, discipline, and persistence. None of it came easy to me because I didn't make it easy for me. Every single day was a challenge. Every single day I created the opportunity to become a better player than I was the day before. I was constantly inventing new, innovative, and creative ways to enhance my practice sessions to where they accurately mimicked the competitive environment. I prepared myself and pushed myself to edge physically - mentally - and emotionally every single day. That's what it took - so that's what I did. So if I wasn't easy on myself - don't you ever think for a second that I'm going to be easy on you. Ain't gonna happen." ~ Blackjack's Random Thoughts, 07-26-2008.