The Talented Mind

"Pool is such a mental game that you can't let anything negative in." Sarah Rousey

Sarah gave me these little words of wisdom during a discussion where I was telling her how I was letting slow players, the speed of the table and other things get into my head and get me off my game. I guess while I was working on changing my bridge, my stance, my stroke, I forgot to work on the mental aspects of the game. I think I've been playing "better" cause I've been trying really hard to not let any type of negative thoughts in while I'm playing.

"While positive thinking doesn't always work, negative thinking, unfortunately, almost always does." Mind Gym

Everyone seems to always be looking for that little secret that will suddenly take them from good to great and they always seem to focus on technique or equipment. It's why there's a million forum threads on aiming (and it's always a heated argument), why people own dozens of cues (guilty), and why people continue to accumulate dozens and dozens of books and videos. They seem to always be looking to find that secret technique or that magic wand that suddenly going to transform them and their game. Nobody ever seems to look within. I'm starting to think that what separates the good from the great is the 6 inches between people's ears. I mean, seriously, how often do we work on all the physical skills of pool, or any sport for that matter, but never on the mental parts of the game?

"Ninety percent of the game is half mental" Yogi Berra

I was once asked why I play in these Open tournaments when I absolutely have no chance of winning. Besides it being "fun", well it can be at times, it's a good way to work on a lot of the mental aspects of pool - one being the ability to perform under pressure.

"Competitive toughness is an acquired skill and not an inherited gift." Chris Everett

I look at the NYC women pool players and I notice how many times they have gone to Vegas, competed in the national events, and come home with a prize of some sort. I've heard people say "well you're in NYC and with a huge population you're bound to have a lot of talent women playing there." While there's some truth to this I think it's more that pool's very much alive in NY and there's tons of competitive events for women to play in - The JPNEWT. The Tri-States. The Blaze. The Predator Tour. Weekly Open events at various pool rooms. Hell, even the Amsterdam League is hyper competitive! The women that are going to Vegas and bringing back the cash are the one's you'll see every week in some tournament or another. I don't think it's so much that they are more talented than everyone else it's just that they are more mentally prepared. They been tested under fire and they're ready to win.

"Under pressure you can perform fifteen percent better or worse." Scott Hamilton

I recently wondered what do pro players do when they sit in the chair waiting for thier turn cause I never knew what to do. I too often let my mind wander and, in turn, lose my focus. Well, I found a new thing to do - I watch my opponents mannerisms. Having started to do this I can sometimes tell the moment when the players has "lost the match". I wait for the eventual bad roll or missed shot or any of the millions of things that can go wrong at the pool table and I wait for their reaction. I wait to see how they recover from it. Do they shake it off? Is it still bothering them? How long are they gonna let it keep bothering them? Are they starting to thinking negatively? If you watch closely you can tell, it's all in thier body language, and you'll know if they've already lost or not. (And, yeah, I was "that guy" not too long ago.)

I recently had a guy hill-3, race to 7. He came back and beat me. He never let being down bother him while I, on the other hand, just expected him to give up due to the lead I had. And as he started to inch closer and closer I started to play tight and I started to make very careless mistakes. I dropped my mental guard, he keep his up and he deservingly so won a tough match.

I just read Mind Gym, it's where I got most of the quotes above from, and while not breaking any new ground on sports psychology I still thought it was a good, simple to understand, very quick to read, and very thought provoking book. It causes one to do a lot of introspection and to realize that you are what you think of yourself more often than not. I guess it makes you pay attention to your thoughts more. In a match, for example, if you draw the #1 seed - what is your reaction? Oh no? Or oh yes! Have you already "lost" by thinking you can't beat the person before the match has happened? It's those types of thoughts I'm now more acutely aware of.

I haven't read Outliers yet but I have read about it's theory of 10,000 hours. I think it goes something like - to become a master at something you need to spend at least 10,000 hours performing it. While I do see it's point I think it should be ammended for something like sports - 10,000 hours will probably get you to the peak of your natural abilities. It will take you only as far as your talent will let you. I think I can spend 1,000,000 hours practicing basketball but I lack the physical skills, I'm slow and I've got a 1/2 inch vertical leap, to make it to the NBA. It doesn't mean I won't be good after playing so long but only as good as my talent allows me to be. I started to think about pool and all these people that are planning on going pro and I wonder how hard are they working at it. Are you anywhere close to the 10,000 hours? Has it been 10,000 quality hours? If so, are you at your ceiling? Are you as far as your talents going to take you? I see a lot of people in the pool room who have been playing for years and they are stuck at the same level. Is this why? Something to think about I guess.

I also, having read these two theories recently, been wondering how much of the mental game is talent? I mean would Mariano Rivera be who he is if it wasn't for the fact that he's such a clutch performer? There's a lot of guys who can throw just as hard as he can, who can pinpoint their pitches just as well as he can...only they can't seem to do it when the pressures on. I look at Derek Jeter - here's a guy who's good but not "great", numbers wise, but is gonna be remember for years to come for his clutch performances. A-Rod? He's the direct opposite. Arguable the greatest player in the history of baseball, numbers wise, but will forever be discussed for his inability to perform in the clutch.

Isn't that a little bit of what seperates the top pros in pool? They all can break and run out. They all have all the skills to win any tournament they enter yet it seems to always be the same names finishing high in these events. Do the "better" pros just perform better under pressure? Can you learn it or is it just part of what we call natural abiliity? How much of talent is mental ability? Something else to think about I guess.

Okay, it's getting late and, as you can tell, I'm rambling. I started this one a while ago and never got to finish it. It's still not finished but, eh, whatchagonnado.

Grrr...

Yeah, yeah, I know.

I actually have had a lot to say recently but I'm trying to do the "adult thing" and keep it to myself. You know, the whole "if you don't have anything nice to say..." Grr.

But don't worry. If "it" keeps up any longer I'm gonna have to say something cause I just can't take it any longer. (And by the looks of things it's no where near the END. Keep milking it for all it's worth Pretty Little Reapers. )

Other than that I've been busy and haven't really had time to sit down and write a real entry. Gonna see if I can sneak one in on Saturday since I'm gonna take a break from pool. (I know!)

So that's it for now. Bleh.

If You're Not First...

Well in case you're not on Facebook or following me on Twitter... I won my first APA match of the season!

Oh, and I took 3rd place in the Predator ABCD event over the weekend as well. (And, in case you're wondering, I'm still an SL5.)

3rd for me, a recreational hack, is a really good result.

And, yes, I'm as surprised as hell too.

And happy.

And $500 richer.

Cha-Ching!

It was a surprise since I was playing pretty "craptastic", as my good friend OMGWTF would say, pool for a quite a while. Luckily I got some good friends who play some damn good pool to help me out when I hit a bad slump. I got some good mental advice from Sarah, some shooting/deflection tips from Holden, safety play info from Caroline as well as my friend Eric, and a change to my stroke from "Cadillac" Lac. I also figured out something about the way I was aiming as well.

All of this sort of clicked for me in the last few weeks. I wasn't letting things, like table conditions and slow players, bother me as much, I was making smarter choices during matches by playing more safeties and I was pocketing balls more consistently and making fewer unforced errors. I felt pretty good, like my game was finally coming together.

Now let me first state that I did not go into this Predator event thinking I was gonna "snap it off". In fact the Monkey and I had already decided where we going to go have dinner after the tournament ON FRIDAY, Gyro's II by Madison Square Garden, expecting that by 7 or 8pm we'd both be knocked out of the event. It's also why ,when asked if we wanted to get into the calcutta, we said no. I could've bought myself for $10 but I thought I'd be wasting $10 so I didn't - and it paid $275 or something like that for 3rd place. Oh well.

The match format in this event was that the A's and B's would playing each other and the C's and D's would play each other, game being spotted if need be, and eventually the two divisions would met up near the end. I'm rated a C and would be playing other players more or less my own speed.

My first match was against Mike H. and before our match we had this little conversation (as well as I can remember it anyway).

Mike H: Hey, aren't you on that team "Monkey Steals the Peach"?
Me: Yeah.
Mike H: You guys beat us in the playoffs! I'm glad your team won the whole thing after beating us. You guys are really GOOD!
Me: Thanks.

Me (thinking): Oh man. Way to shark yourself dude.

I dunno, maybe it's me, but I'm not going to give the guy I'm playing any compliments and build his confidence before we start and I'm definitely not putting that "he's good" thought in my head before the match as well.

Mike H. jumps out to a 4-1 lead cause I'm missing shots. Easy shots. I'm like WTF? Then I realized that. I. Forgot. To. Aim. I mean really aim. Cause a lot of times I think I'm aiming when I'm really not. (Seriously.) I start to pick a pinpoint spot on the object ball, focus, pause, quiet my eyes, then shoot. I remind myself of this on the next few shots and it helps. I'm now stringing a few 4 and 5 ball runs and getting out the rack and making a comeback. I also get a little bit of help as Mike H. missed 3 different 9-ball combination's and, each time, left the 9-ball hanging in the jaws for me.

Final score: 7-4.

My next match was against Diana R. an up and coming female player in the NYC pool scene. She started off slowly and I took advantage of her early mistakes to get out to a bit of a lead. Once she warmed up I could see that she has a BIG STROKE which was both good, she moved the cue ball around easily, and bad, she was losing control of the cue ball. This loss of control of the CB caught up to her as she kept scratching during key points of the game - going from the 8 to the 9 ball for example. Too many mistakes on her part allowed me to eventually win the match.

Final score: 7-5?

Next up was...Matt? Mike? I can't remember his name, sorry. He beat the Monkey in her first match and the scouting report she gave me on him helped. He seemed nervous or something as he'd make a great shot but then follow that up with by missing an easy one. He'd get out a tough rack but then dog the out on an easy one. He was getting some early rolls in the match, he'd miss and hook me, he'd miss the shot but bump into another ball that would fall in, etc. I just laughed it off, played smart (no fliers!) and waited him out and hoped that the rolls would eventually even out. Which they did.

I won and, sorry, I can't remember the score either.

By now the Monkey and I are thinking "WTF?"

How am I -

1) still in this thing?
2) still on the winner's side?
3) going to be able to eat at Gyro's II before they close?

We check the board and realize that if I win my next match I could leave and come back tomorrow. Losing would mean I'd have to continue to battle it out in the Loser's bracket, at least another 2 or 3 matches, and it was already 9pm...

which would mean there would be no chance what-so-ever of making it to Gyro's II before it closes.

In this epic battle to make it back to the next day, and for me to get that delicious Gyro sandwich, I matched up against a guy named Al. I've seen him around at various pool halls as he runs around with this group of Dominican pool players and gamblers. It was this same group from whom he was constantly swapping equipment with throughout our match - break cue here, pool cue there, swap the pool cue for another cue... I didn't think it was allowed, I think the rules are you play with the equipment you brought with you, but I didn't complain because it really didn't seem to be helping him anyway.

I'm not sure how I did it but I got out to a 6-2 lead. And then...

I developed the shanks.

Ball straight in the hole? I missed it. Several times.

I'm suddenly no longer able to run 2 balls. And. I. Have. No. Idea. Why. I go through my preshot routine. I check off all the steps on my list. I aim. I pause. I quiet eye. Nothing. Still missing.

So, of course, he makes a come back. It's suddenly and inexplicably Hill Hill. And it's his break.

He breaks and, luckily, doesn't make a ball.

I make the 1-ball but don't really have a pocket for the 2-ball. The 8-ball is hidden behind the 9-ball and are tied up and blocking one of the corner pocket so I can't play for a 2-9 combination. There's a bunch of other balls tied up as well so this is gonna be a tough rack to run out. So I do the smart thing - I played a safe.

And what a GREAT safe it is!

With the cue ball I nudge the 8 out of the way of the 9, hiding the cue ball directly behind the 9, with the 2 ball going to the middle of the table. With all the traffic caused by the other balls there's no easy kick for him to make contact with the 2 and he knows that if he misses this kick I'll get a great shot at making the 2-9 combo.

He does the smart thing: he nudges the 9 ball away from the pocket.

Only...it's not really that far from the pocket...and the 8 ball's still there on the bottom rail making the pocket a little bigger...and I can't currently make two balls in a row...and I can't "see" the runout...and DAMNIT! I PLAYED A GREAT SAFETY! I DESERVE TO BE REWARDED!

So I line the combo up.

Yep, I'm gonna take me a FLIER during a HILL-HILL match.

And I WHACK the HELL out of this combo.

And I MISS!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

But the 9-ball goes two rails...

bumps into a bunch of balls...

goes another two rails...

and slowly...

slowly...

craps it's way into the side pocket.

Yes, folks, I shitted in the 9-ball by taking a flier during a hill-hill match, locking up 5/6th place and now I get to leave and come back tomorrow. (Unfortunately, since it went hill-hill Gyro's II is closed.)

Hey, I do play in the APA - the Any Pocket Asshole - League. Shitting in the 9-ball...that's normal.

I get to the room early the next day, I was too excited and couldn't sleep, and I worked on all the shots that gave me trouble the day before - one being a long, straight shot with the cue ball a half inch off the rail. I also figured out what caused me to get the shanks and I made a mental note of it as well as the correction.

My first match of this day was against Ron M. whom I've played several times before. I think the last few times we've played I won and that was before all my recent changes and improvements. Needless to say I felt very comfortable and even a bit confident going into our match.

I get out to a 4-2 lead. Ron, smartly, takes his break, and comes back strong. He shooting a lot better and ties it up at 4-4. Great. Maybe I was too confident? Took him too lightly? It's a race to 3 now.

He's running out the next rack but gets a little straight on the 9-ball. It's a tough shot but makeable...only he overcuts it and hangs it up for me. I make it to go up 5-4.

Obviously, he's PISSED.

And he's already used his one 5 minute match break...

I can see him still thinking about that missed 9-ball during the next game and it's affecting the way he's playing. He comes to a similar 5-ball shot and tries to baby it in. Instead of going in, it hangs up. I run out from there. Now it's 6-4 me.

He's now officially on TILT.

Next rack he's slamming shots. He's making them but he's just letting the cue ball go. He misses the 5 ball with only the 5, 6 and 9 left on the table. It's a long shot straight shot on the 5 ball with the cue ball about a half inch off the rail.

Good thing I was practicing these before our match.

I make it and I make the next two balls as well to win the match 7-4.

Now I can't do any worse than 3rd place!

I play John A next who went through the A/B bracket undefeated and somewhat unchallenged. Since he's an A I get two games on the wire going to 7. He's definitely a good, young, up and coming player. I wasn't intimidated, hell I'm guaranteed 3rd and all this is just gravy, but I was...worried. I just didn't wanna get blown out of the water.

John's seems to be struggling with the table conditions and is not at his best. He's making mistakes, really silly mistakes, and giving me chances. With every chance I got, and in trying to ignore the fact that I'm playing a much better player, I kept telling myself "It's my turn. It's what I can do at the table during my turn." And somehow, and I still don't know how, I get to the hill first. 6-5.

In the next rack John's running out but gets funny on the 8 ball. He plays a decent safety, leaving me no real shot to make the 8 ball. I try to play a safe back but hit everything too hard. Nerves? Maybe. He makes a good shot on the 8 ball and makes the easy 9 to win the game. Now it's 6-6.

Hmm...not sure how I got a shot but I come to the table with a look at the 3 ball. There's not really a pocket for it so I try to play a safety. I "just miss it" by a hair where I would've hidden the cue ball behind a pack of balls and John would've had to kick at the 3 ball. Instead I left him a look where he could make the 3 ball, which he does. And then , under all the pressure of a hill-hill match, he smartly weaves his way around a very tough 9 ball rack to win the game and the match.

My next match - eh. Unspectacular play by me and some extremely good play from a very under handicapped Jose C. Jose also has my "kryptonite" as he plays at a very slow place. I get crushed 7-1 with the 1 being a "gimme" - a 9 ball that Jose hung up. I think I was out of gas by this time and maybe, just maybe, a little too happy that I've already finished in 3rd.

In the finals I heard, since I had to run to make it to my APA match, it was hill-hill as well with John A. pulling out the win. Congrats John.

Anyway, this is my highest finish ever in an event that paid cash money. I'm now even listed on AZBilliards!

Here's some pics of me shooting in it taken by "T.O." Allison Fischer for the NYC Grind.




Okay, with form like this how the hell do I even make a damn ball?

It's Rack Your Own and I still manage to slug rack myself...