2 minute read
Mastering Position Play
Mind of Steel
The Sports Doc - Dr. CHRISTOPHER STANKOVICH www.drstankovich.com
Did you know that human perception, or the ways in which you view the world around you, has a direct and powerful effect on your mental and physical health?
For example, 2 people can look at the same life situation and one person will see nothing of value, while the other will see great opportunity. Same picture, but two entirely different impressions. Depending on how one views his or her surroundings will dictate future interest, confidence, focus, and behaviors – for better or for worse.
Pool players also rely on “seeing” the table in ways that are conducive to winning. What this means is where one player will see an awful table (and subsequently loses confidence), another player will approach the same table and “see” an opportunity to figure out how to run the table.
Train your brain what to “see”
Human perception is an individual experience, shaped largely by expectations. For example, if you approach the pool table with the perception of there always being a way out of any situation, your mind will immediately begin to problem solve and “see” ways out of the current jam you face on the table. On the other hand, if you approach the table skeptical that you can get out, then you have already likely prevented yourself from running out the table.
When examining human perception, it is important to note other examples of what we see is truly up to what we want and expect to see. For example, the next time you look at a bed of roses, what do you see? The flowers? Or the thorns? Both are present, but where did your attention go? Here is a second example – how many times in your life have you driven past someone’s house where they were throwing out an item that you thought was still salvageable? We see this happen all the time, and the old saying “one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure” drills home this point.
Final thoughts
If you want to be the best at pool, or anything in life for that matter, then you must train your brain to “see” opportunities where others see failure; to “see” ways to rebound from failure where others throw in the towel; and to “see” ways to persevere and keep going where others quit. Remember, we choose what we want to see and how we want to view and understand the world around us, and that our choices lead to very specific outcomes. In pool, if you want to play your best then you need to develop ways to perceive opportunity every time you approach the table.
Dr. Christopher Stankovich is a nationally acclaimed expert in Sport & Performance Psychology and the Founder of Advanced Human Performance Systems. For more information on performance-enhancement products, including the popular “Mind of Steel for Pool Success” DVD please visit www.drstankovich.com
