Anthony Beeler
MYTHS THAT DAMAGE YOUR POOL GAME ANTHONY BEELER
There aren’t many pool players who, given a couple of hours, would use it training their brain instead of their stroke.
T
he reason for this comes down to a series of myths that downplay the need for a sound mental game. These myths pull many pool players away from pursuing a better pre-shot routine or a better way to handle pressure. Training your mind can make just as profound a difference in a player’s performance as practicing mechanics. Here are four misconceptions. See if any ring a bell… and if a truer representation makes you think any more favorably about adding analytical skills into your practice routine.
MYTH #1 – WORKING ON YOUR MENTAL GAME IS ADMITTING YOU HAVE A WEAK MIND For many pool players, the mind game echoes psychology in general as a tool for exposing and rectifying some perceived deficiency of a player’s character. But the mind game is not about delving into your past or looking into the future. A much more accurate and healthy interpretation is that it is skill building, no different than changing something mechanical. Take for example the skill of playing in the present. The human mind is constantly looking into the past or projecting into the future, but in pool the game requires you to play in the present; otherwise, you miss the clues the pool table is giving you to win the game.
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Becoming more focused on the present is just one of several skills that can be trained and learned. It’s nothing to do with having personal weaknesses.
MYTH #2 – WE CAN CONTROL OUR THOUGHTS We are sold on the idea that Shane Van Boening goes into a bubble where only positive thoughts go through his
head. And then, when we can’t find a similarly serene mental state, we give up. The fact is, you can’t control your thoughts… and neither can the current world champion. The notion that you might make a mess of things, can affect any pool player at any time.
