While You're Learning

Back in the mid to late 90s, my dear friend and top player, June Hager Walter, suggested I read a book entitled, Mental Toughness Training for Sports.  I wasn't sure why she suggested I read it at the time, but now of course it makes complete sense:  I needed some help with mental toughness!  It turned out to be a REALLY good book for me to read.  And, it was at the beginning of my pool journey and it was an enlightening book for someone who had never competing in sports before.  But it's a great book for all competitors, no matter where they are in their sports journey.

The bonus to this book was there is a section in it that explains how to "get in the zone."  I have consequently shared that concept with many people throughout my life, to help them in upcoming big tournaments.

But, that is not the topic of this blog post today.  Sorry!  Maybe I'll share "how to get in the zone" tidbit someday here in my blog, OR maybe you can read the book yourself :)

The other huge thing I learned from that book was, if you played your best, you gave your best effort, then you should not be upset at yourself if you lose.  I learned from Mental Toughness Training for Sports that if I played lazy or didn't give 100%, then I needed to accept that I didn't play my best.  This advice helped me from getting frustrated or depressed about my play.  I loved that info!  It was very helpful for me.

But the point of this blog post is something not even related to what was IN the book, but what I did while I read the book.

For whatever reason, I decided to stop practicing while I read the book.  Back then I was hitting balls several times a week.  But I wanted to focus on the words of the book and take the time to read it thoroughly with dedication.  So, I didn't hit balls the entire time I read it.

I mentioned to June in the middle of reading the book that I stopped hitting balls.  She confided that was exactly what I was suppose to do.  What?  I asked her, "Then why didn't you just suggest that to me?"  She replied she wasn't sure I would really do that, if she suggested it, lol.  But, it was kinda crucial to stop trying to improve my physical game while I read that book - I suppose so I could focus on one thing at a time.

While we can for sure multi-task (or so we think - check this out), it was imperative for my absorption to just focus on reading the book, and not also trying to improve my physical game at the same time.

Btw, the author is James Loehr.

Getting in the Zone is Not Key for Me

I read in Mental Toughness Training for Sports how to get "in the zone."  I read it in my mid 20s, and will never forget it. 

I have known how to do this for years.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  But what I know now is even more valuable:   While everyone thinks getting in the zone is huge, I think being confident and being in control of your fundamentals are MORE important.

I prefer to have confidence in my abilities and to feel confident about them.  I prefer to know that staying down and following through is more valuable than being in the zone.  I prefer to know that having a smooth stroke and taking my time helps me make more shots.  I prefer to recognize that I need to breath under pressure.  I prefer to recognize that if I'm focusing on fundamentals, that also helps my mental toughness as well. 

Sure, being in the zone is amazing.  And it's a feeling like none other. 

But that cannot be achieved every time.  You know what can?   Knowing that staying down and solid fundamentals are what you can bring to the table every time.  Obviously, knowledge is KEY, also, but the combo - wow - is priceless. 

And THAT feels better than being in the zone.

I want to be clear.  BEING confident is one thing, but being confident and in control in your fundamentals is quite another.  It's one the best feelings in the world is focusing on staying down with a smooth stroke on every shot of a match. 

I recall how my ex boyfriend had a real big money match the following day that was set up.  He was playing a set for $5,000.  I was at home back in Texas and he was to play a guy in Alabama I think (this was 20 years ago).  *I* could not go to sleep.  I wondered, "how could he sleep and not wonder about the match or how it would go?  How could he not be nervous?"

I know now.  He was confident in his ability. 

I get more sleep before big events now than ever before.  I don't fret about how I might do or worry about it.  I don't get nervous because I'm the clutch player in all my team events.  Nope.  I sleep like a baby because I'm confident with my fundamentals and the knowledge of the game.

Zone?  pffft.  Even the best athletes in the world admit that they have only been in the zone a handful of times.  Wish I had instead the last 20 years the knowledge that focusing on solid fundamentals would win me more matches. 

What I Know For Sure

So, what has happened the last few years that propelled my game?

(Don't worry, I'm curious, too, lol.)

This is what I know for sure.  (btw, in case you don't get the reference, this is a column Oprah has at the end of each of her monthly magazines.)

First, let me say obviously I wish I had taken stock in the things that have helped my game the last few years.  Notice I didn't say, "wish I knew sooner."  Because, I knew these things, I just didn't know what to do about them.

STAY DOWN.  I heard this the first 15 years of my life of playing pool (and I've been playing for 25 total years).  Stay down.  Yea, I KNOW.  I just didn't know HOW to stop it.  What I know for sure is, you need to try all different kinds of "tips" til you find out what works for you.

I was told many things:

• Stay down til the ball falls in the pocket.
• Have someone hold a board above your head when you practice (seriously, a coach did this for one of my friends).
• Stay down until the cueball stops.
• Count to five after you hit the cueball.
• Take your time, it will come naturally.
• A quote from a friend, "Stay down and admire the shot."  (it helped for a little while for me)

Here's the interesting thing about STAYING DOWN.  It's part of your shot routine.  So, get solid, secure, redundant fundamentals, and staying down becomes part of your shot routine.

LOOKING AT THE OBJECT BALL LAST.  What no one told me that I found out through experimentation, was what helped me most to stay down was to look at the object ball last.  Now, this was also about the same time as when I learned a smooth stroke.  But, if I personally look at the object ball last, I'm less likely to move my head or jump up.  Like my friend Mark Garza told me around 2005, "you already know where the cueball is going after years of playing, why are you so worried about looking at that?"  Because when I looked at where the cueball was headed, of course my head moved more to see if I "got shape."

Granted, there are THOUSANDS of differing opinions on if you should look at the cueball or object ball last.  All I know for sure is, looking at the object last helps me stay down and pocket balls better and more often.

SMOOTH STROKE.  I heard this from Sylver Ochoa back in 2010.  I was like, "uh, okay."  It was his number ONE advice.  And once I figured out NOT to whack at a ball, my game improved.  Here's the deal, players do not realize that you don't have to hit balls hard if it's a tough shot.  If you "whack" at a ball, then you hit it too hard, you then jump up, you hit the cueball at the wrong spot, and you don't make the ball.  The players with the BEST, SOLID fundamentals will hit every single shot the same - no whacking, no hitting hard.  SMOOTH stroke on all shots.  I figured out that if I use a SMOOTH stroke on tough shots, I'm less likely to JUMP UP.  Do you see the connection? This is what I know for sure: Smooth stroke, staying down, good fundamentals.

GOOD FUNDAMENTALS.  Everyone HEARS this, but do you work on it?  Do you REALLY have a solid pre-shot and shot routine?  The best one is SPF that I have heard of.  Set.  Pause.  Finish.  Randy Goettlicher teaches this at Pool School here in Dallas (I haven't been to it, not use SPF, but it would help you stay down for sure).  Here is an article I found about SPF that said his ball making improved by 30%.

The key here is good fundamentals.  EVERY pro mentions this.  Why wait to work on it?  Why not take lessons or go to pool school NOW to solidly this extremely important part of every one's game. 

MENTAL TOUGHNESS.  Okay, Melinda, how do you get mental toughness?  Play in as MANY tournaments as you can!  Practicing your heart out wont give you experience.  It only gives you time to figure out how to make balls.  But you wont go through all the ups and down of competing if you DON'T GET OUT THERE AND COMPETE.  Like I said before, every dogged shot led me to my recent wins.  Every moment under pressure gets you closer to being able to handle pressure.  How else have you learned how to refocus early?  BREATHE to slow your adrenaline?  STAY DOWN under pressure shots?  These do NOT come from hitting balls all the time with friends, under friendly conditions.  It comes from gaining mental experience playing in as many competitions as you can.

MENTAL TOUGHNESS (2).  The other way to get mental toughness and that killer instinct is to READ MORE.  I have written how Liz Ford suggested I read Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert because it helped her so much.  And of course I offered mental toughness advice from my friends Lisa Marr and Jennifer Kraber before, that also helped me.  I seeked out how to have more mental toughness.  You should, too!  I also recommend Loehr's book, Mental Toughness Training for Sports.

CONFIDENCE.  I have recently gained a lot more confidence than I ever had in my entire 25 years of playing pool.  Recently someone told my I was more confident.  How did they see that?  But, now that I think about it, it's true.  I AM more confident,  But, confidence doesn't just come out of nowhere!  Confidence comes from gaining experience from competition.  Do you see how these things are all connected?  

I see now looking for links to this blog entry, that I have already written about most of these before, back in August 2011.  There are a few other items on that list of TEN in that blog entry you should check out.  

But, what has changed for me from now til then?  All the above I mentioned back then, and even more.  

I think I have been put in more tough situations because I got better from the topics above.  More tough situations means I have more confidence.  I have more experience in national tournaments in team events; in State events.  And of course I have finally experience enough to shut my brain off, lol.  

But in a team event, I don't think ahead.  I just play good pool now.  By playing on a ladies league, I think I have been very blessed to have been asked to be the clutch for my team playoffs, team state tourneys, team nationals tourney, etc.  I was giving a lot of experience that has helped me.  But, let's face it, I didn't run out (video link here) in 2012 and stay down in this hill-hill match my very first women's national team event from CHANCE.  No, not at all.  Instead, it was all the above!!!

What I know for sure it, Pool is a Journey.  If you want to improve in 2-5 years, instead of the 20-25 years it took me, then I highly suggest you really take in what I state above.  Read the words.  Check out the links.  You'll love me for it!  :)

Top Ten PoolSynergy

The lovely Samm Vidal (previously known as Samm Diep) is this month's PoolSynergy host!  If I had to give her a title, it would be "THE nicest person in pool."  She's a talented, amazing woman and a good, true friend.  The only problem is her topic this month is tough!  Argh!

She wants us pool bloggers of Pool Synergy to list ten things related to pool, and those ten things have to relate to each other. For example, your 10 favorite ???, 10 reasons why you ???, 10 tips on ???, 10 random pool thoughts???, a list of 10 anything pool-related.

WTHeck, Samm!  Give us something easy next time.  Sheesh.

You think it's easy??  Try it.  I dare you.

I struggled with what ten, relate-able things to share.  Well, here it goes:

Top Ten things I Wish I Knew 10-15 Years Ago:

(in random order)

1.  Always think three balls ahead.  Always.  Every shot.  I learned this from my friend Shayla Neris who learned this from her coach.  I am SO glad she passed this on to me so many years ago!

2.  Look at the object ball last.  

3.  Play straight pool.  Your love of pool will go up exponentially.

4.  In order to do well in tournaments, you must play in as many as you can.  Please hear these words.  You cannot learn to handle pressure or learn mental toughness with only a few tournaments a year.  You need conditioning over and over in a tournament environment to give yourself the best chance to gain experience.

5.  It's okay to take lessons.  No one will judge you and your game will improve faster.  ;-)

6.  Follow through with a smooth stroke and keep your head still. I.e. Condition your pre shot routine!  Repeat after me:  Condition your pre shot routine.  Repeat after me again:  Condition your pre shot routine.

7.  You WILL get frustrated with this game.  You will want to quit numerous times.  You wont understand why you can practice so well but not compete in tournaments. It takes experience!

8.  Play in tough-a$$ tournaments when you can.  Advice from my friend Cristina Dela Garza, Get out of your comfort zone - playing against tougher players in different/bigger/tougher environments makes you tougher and gives you amazing experiences for when you play in your other regular tournaments or leagues.

9.  If you focus entirely on your pre shot routine, then that helps your brain from thinking about other things it shouldn't. Try it, you'll like it; I promise.  :)  This was the best mental advice I ever received for overcoming jitters, pressure, embarrassment, un-confidence, and thinking too much while at the table.  Author and friend Phil Capelle taught me this.

10.  Play Your Best.  If you play your best, you give your best effort, then you should not be upset at yourself if you lose.  I learned from Mental Toughness Training for Sports that if I played lazy or didn't give 100%, then I accepted I didn't play my best and this helped me from getting frustrated or depressed about my play. 


Well, I hope some of this helps you (or resonates with you), as it helped me all these years become a seasoned, overall good player. Good luck!