Toodles Danielson

I am torn about this announcement.

I have decided to retire the Danielson project of my blog.

Why?

Well, "Danielson" no longer plays pool.

Part of me is very happy for Danielson, but part of me is sad because it was a great way to share learning experiences to you all. I still do this through Katniss, but Danielson was the first project like this, so it's a tad sad, right?

But, I am also happy for him and proud of him because he stepped away from the pool room and from an atmosphere that was bad for his health, marriage, his pocket book, his self esteem, his job, etc.

Why continue to do something that causes you strife and grief?

But he did (still does) love pool and so it wasn't an easy decision. But he knew this was for the best. Aww, Danielson is growing up!

While he misses some of his old friends (and he better miss helping out through my blog, dammit!), he is enjoying more quality time with his wife, he's away from drama that can come from long nights in the pool room, and he's spending less money.

Bottom line - less stress and he's happier!

Thank you, Danielson, but also goodbye to the Danielson of my blog!  I will leave the link to the project on the top of my blog for a bit - I am not killing him off right away, haha.

Oh, and I'm talking to someone else who we might be able to learn from through his pool journey, but he hasn't said yes yet.  But, if that comes to fruition, you know I will announce it here!

In the meantime, I wish Danielson well! I really am happy for him because he is happier.

Danielson Series: Which Tournament to Choose?

There's many personal reasons that help us decide what tournaments we want to play in.

And I was lucky to get in the head of Danielson to see how and why he decided to play in a certain tournament one weekend.

Normally, he just plays in the tournament that is being held that weekend, but last Fall there were THREE tournaments on the same weekend. Pretty fortunate he had to suffer to make a tough choice, huh?  lol.

But, he had to weigh what each tournament offered (or didn't) and then figure out why he wanted to play.

One tournament was on bar tables and players had to have a Fargo under 640 to be able to play. The problem with that handicapped tournament was, the Tournament Director lets players play who didn't have "established" Fargo ratings and he would let them play due to "known ability" from word of mouth. Turns out, the top 3 players of the two previous tournaments were all unranked and "unestablished." Danielson didn't want any part of that again.

Another tournament was not handicapped at all. And it drew the top players from the area, because most top players do not want to play in handicapped events, they have a better chance cashing when they play everyone even. Danielson didn't want any part of playing all the top guys even.

Then there was the third tournament. This one also only allowed players who were ranked under 644 Fargo, but if players were not "established" in the Fargo system, that TD wouldn't let them play. Further, the other handicap tourney that weekend was winner break. This event was alternate breaks. Danielson WANTED a part of that, lol.

He said, "So if I play...I'm going to give myself the best odds...and alternate breaks with confirmed handicaps sounds best to me."

I was a tad surprised as that tournament was the farthest out of all of them, but he choose the tourney he thought he could place the highest in.  If you have choices, wouldn't you do the same thing?

Giving the Last Two - Danielson Series

Danielson mentioned the other day that he was gambling a few guys in the city he lives in, to help him stay in stroke.

He told me he gave a couple of his opponents "the last two." I thought it was kinda weird, as all the guys he played were about even, but he brought up a really good point I hadn't though of, and wanted to share.

Because I don't gamble, this hadn't really crossed my mind before I guess.

He shared with me, "They wouldn't play even, so I figured I would offer the last two because I really wanted to play. Plus, the way I see it, if I can't win giving the last two, I probably can't win even."

And what Danielson learned was, "If I'm playing good, they have no chance. But I really have to play smart at the end of the rack to not give away games. That's how I lost one of the sets."

And he's right - giving the last two will help him focus more because the end of the rack is crucial when giving up the last two. And in turn, all of this experience will carry over when he competes in tournaments.

After a few weeks of doing this, he was kinda giddy, lol. He shared, "These guys really think getting the last two is a spot...lol."

Then he got serious and reflected, "But giving those guys the last two really makes me bear down. I still need to work on my 3 ball patterns to stay on the correct side of the ball... but I feel like I played well and these matches are really helpful." 

Love hearing good news!

Danielson - Back in the Game

So, Danielson has been playing pool a little bit more than what he was before. I mentioned that thing called grownup responsibilities (ie, "life") kept him from being able to play and focus on pool like he did in the past. But, as most people who take a little step away finds out, we never really lose the desire to play and therefore it came back to Danielson, as well.  Yay!

He played in a tournament a couple of weekends ago and of course the first thing I asked him (kinda interrogating, oops) was, "So, uh, do you have your checklist?"  As I've said a million times in my blog (I could be exaggerating again), reading the reminders on your checklist before every tournament or every match will really help you. And because Danielson hadn't been playing or competing in several months, reviewing his checklist would really be beneficial for him.

He said the checklist was in his case still, so that was good news.  I honestly do not know if he took it out and actually took a peek at it or not, though.  But, I can be hopeful because at least it was on his persons, right, lol, and not lost or forgotten.

He provided an update a few days after the tourney and he said he had lost his first match, but it was really close.  He shared that overall he played well, but he missed late in the rack a few times.  He thinks because he lost focus.

This is actually something I've been trying to explain what I have personally "lost" by not competing anymore.  Strong and solid fundamentals help us make the balls in front of us, but our strong fundamentals do not help our mind from wandering, getting distracted, or thinking of other things.

Eventually, what you all will find (if you haven't already) is the more often you compete, the stronger your mental toughness becomes. The brain is a muscle, too, and when you play in a lot of tournaments, that muscle (the brain) gets stronger and stronger.  You will find that you are more mentally prepared for each future tournament because of this.

However, when you don't compete often, then that muscle acts like any other muscle you aren't strengthening and therefore it may not show up well in a match for you.

While taking a break is sometimes very good for your game, if the break is too long (I'm talking 6 months or a few years or more), when you come back you're not as mentally strong as you used to be.  Good thing for us tho, because the brain is a muscle, putting time and effort working on it will strengthen it again.

I want to reiterate your fundamentals will still be there if you had a strong, solid fundamental pre-shot routine before your "break." What I recognized in myself was my fundamentals were still very strong and so I played pretty sporty the few times that I picked up a cue and hit a rack or two. But as soon as I competed, the pressure got to me and I couldn't play well or perform my best. So, it's not my physical skills that have gone down, it's my mental toughness that isn't as strong as it used to be.

So, Danielson told me without even prodding from me (ah, Grasshopper!), that what he needs to do is practice a little more maybe with some cheap gambling sets so that he can work on his focus which in turn will strengthen his mental toughness that is currently just locked away, but ready to come out.

I'm excited he's playing again! I just hope that he doesn't get frustrated with the process to get back into competition form and decide to throw his cues in the trash LOL. I'm just kidding - I doubt he would do that.  But my point is it can get frustrating when your game isn't where it used to be and it takes patience while you wait for it to come back.

But, if Tiger Woods can do it, so can Danielson ;)

Life Happens - Danielson Series

I played pool for 25 years.  Not just casual pool, but dedicated on leagues and traveled around playing in big events and followed a few pool tours.

So, I have a little bit of experience with what I'm about to talk about.  Just a smidgeon (sarcasm on, lol)

You see, there is a reason why I have not blogged that much this year about Danielson.  Life happens.

Yep, Life.

And life is important!  And life events sometimes keep us away from pool.

For me, life moments that kept me away from pool were all the normal "big" life things.  I got married in my mid 30s and that kept me away from dedicating myself to pool as I started my "new" life with my then husband.  When we divorced, pool was back on top of the list!  When my Dad passed and then 5 years later my dear Mom passed, both of these life events put a pause on my pool playing days.  Most recently, stopping drinking alcohol has kept me from playing pool. (one year and 8 months as I typed this, yay! :)

These are all big "life" events that make us take a back seat to dedicating our time to playing pool.  Our focus is on other things going on in our lives.

And guess what?  Yep, it's all normal!

So, Danielson recently changed jobs.  That is a big life event that has curtailed his pool playing time.  Further, he is working hard on paying off some big bills.  His priority has shifted a little bit right now and so pool is not on the forefront of his mind.

Again, this is normal people!

We all go through big life events in our pool journey that sometimes derails our quest to play pool often.  And what I found, is each time I got back into pool, I played better and was more knowledge and more mature.

It's normal for people to take breaks for life events.  I know a few guys who took like 15 years off from playing pool to help raise their kids.  And now they are back, playing good still.  Several other friends moved and/or had kids - all things that require us to take a break from pool, right?

But remember, if you are going through a life event, don't fret about the game you love - pool will come back if you want to play again.  :)

Quieting the Talker - The Danielson Series

Have you all wondered where Danielson was?  Yea, me too.  Finally heard from him, though.

The other day I got a text out of the blue, "You busy?"

I hastily replied, "Not really, just sat down at a poker table in the poker room of Winstar Casino lol.  What's up?"

Turns out he was about to play a guy who was a real talker - one that had in the past got under his skin for being kinda cocky, crappy,and just talking too much when they played.  I guess you could say their banter got out of hand and became personal and rude, instead of fun jabbing among friends.  And now it was down-right sharking.

Danielson said he wanted to talk about the match with him.  I told him via text, "The goal is to shoot his nuts off.  Doesn't matter who your opponent is.  If he talks smack, punish him.  And focus on 3-ball-shape, you'll be fine."

His reply was, "Gotcha - best way to shut him up is to run out."

I reiterated, "Yep.  Punish him for talking."

The thing I failed to remind him was to not get upset.  When I say, "punish" someone, it's not an upset reaction, more so you are laughing at them, I'll show you not to talk to me that way hahaha by running out.  

I asked Danielson a few days later if my golden words of insight were helpful (I'm an only child, feedback is key for us only children, lol).  He said it was when he thought of it, yes.  So, I patted myself on the back and typed up this blog entry :)

Btw, he ended up losing only hill-hill, so I consider that a success!  From his perspective it wasn't, as he lost, but to overcome an adversary who you know ahead of time can get under your skin, is a success, not a defeat.  Then again, that didn't affect my pocketbook, so I can call it a success easier than Danielson can lol.

Remember people, punish them with your art on the pool table.  Quiet them and don't let others affect you.

Playing Better Because of Confidence - the Danielson Series

Wanted to chat a minute about Danielson and his new boost of confidence from an unlikely source.

By joining a new league!

His APA teammates see him as a higher-ranked player because even though he may not be a top player (yet) he is still a better than most of his teammates.  He's often the one the call on when they take a time out. 

I can't begin to express enough how much this is a confidence booster!  And his recent finishes are starting to show that.

He played well in a regional qualifier and then placed 2nd in an APA weekend tournament.  I asked him why he thought he was playing well. 

He responded laughing, "Probably cause they think I play better than I think I play.. LOL"

"Well," I stated, "That doesn't really explain why you are playing better lol."

He responds, "It might... they treat me like the DFW Tour treats Rick Stanley."  (Rick Stanley is one of the top players on that tour.)

I asked Danielson to explain further.

"Well, the way they talk to me or talk about me makes me feel better about what I'm doing.  And I think it translates into me actually playing better.   It's a very weird dynamic.  And definitely not one I'm use to. "

I asked him, "It's a huge confidence booster, right?"

"Yeah.. and I'm getting the results of feeling better."

You see, Danielson is going through a normal part of our pool journey.  When we start to be the one people come to to ask questions, or people start to talk about us - the feeling it gives us is confidence and it radiates directly to our pool game.  We feel better, we shoot better.  Goes hand in hand.

I can pinpoint exactly when this started to happen to me.  Ironically I had joined a new league, too (a women's league) and I found myself being looked up to because I was one of the top players all of a sudden in the league.  The other leagues I was on was full of master male players who had been playing for years and years, so on those I was a little fish in a big pond.  But on the new league, I became the player people wanted on their team.  Me?  It took a while to get used to, but as Danielson shared with us, it's a huge confidence booster.

Getting to this point in our pool journey is a very amazing place.  Danielson is correct - it's a very weird dynamic, but also is huge step in our progress; just as Danielson is seeing/feeling.

Negative Tourney Experience - The Danielson Series

Well, I didn't hear from Danielson again after this last tournament.  As I wrote last month, that means he probably didn't have a good finish.

And, he didn't.

Here's what happened from my point of view after hearing a few comments from him:  He wasn't happy with the tournament and therefore couldn't play his best with that distraction.

Danielson played in a tournament that he was already apprehensive about playing in because he had some concerns about how the tournament was being run. 

I can't stress enough that playing in a tournament where we feel respected, treated fairly, and appreciated for participating go A LONG way into our tournament experience.  We want honesty, openness and respect.  How can anyone have a good time if those things are missing?

Let's face it, it's already tough to compete.  We have distractions, dang mental toughness getting in the way, invisible pressure from the what ifs, distractions from home/personal life, players who shark, etc.  That's already a lot, lol!  But ADD to all that when we don't feel appreciated by the Tournament Director, makes one not even want to play.

That's a tough atmosphere to play in if you don't feel welcomed.  I'm not saying they are trying to kick Danielson out the door and I'm not saying the red carpet wasn't laid out for him (wait a minute - where was my red carpet??).  But what I AM saying is feeling comfortable, appreciated, respected, treated equally, etc., will keep us showing up even with the other distractions.

I wrote about this before back in 2011.  I highly recommend you take a moment to read that blog entry. 

Back then there was a group of pool playing bloggers who wrote about the same topic every month.  We called the project, PoolSynergy.  And that month we were to "write about any aspect of an event that you enjoyed and appreciated."  And I said:  "Well, for me, the best tournament experience is one where I feel appreciated and respected. That goes a long way to make the perfect tournament experience for me!"  And then I went into detail and gave real-life examples and situations.  Please go read it HERE.

How could Danielson play well under conditions were he didn't feel comfortable or respected about putting in his time to come compete?  He can't.  Well, he could - but it's super tough.

I applaud him for going to the event even though he had apprehensions and a gut feeling, because now those feelings are solidified.  And he wont have to waste money on that event any more.

Looking At Other Options - The Danielson Series

I know that Danielson doesn't do well in a tournament when I have to ask him how it went.  Otherwise, he reaches out to me right away with excitement to share how he did in the tournament.  

This time, I had to reach out to him, so I already knew it probably wasn't going to be a "happy report."

I want to share something that many pool players go through.  Sometimes when we have a really good year, and yet still don't see that we can be one of the very top players of a tour (for example), we get discouraged.  Hear me out.  Basically, if we have several years of no success, you'd think that would make one want to quit.  Well, sometimes that does happen, but more so, the lack of success makes people WANT to play more and keep fighting.

Using me as an example, until I was successful in my mind and with my goals, then it was the right time to step away.  It was surprising to myself I was successful as I had become, but I was also realistic - I'm not pro material and my day job pays my bills anyway.  So, while other people questioned my decision to not compete anymore on regional tours, it made perfect sense to me.  Had I not had those few successful years, I know I'd still be competing to try to win that coveted title or be more successful in my game.  But because I had been successful, I was able to easily step away.  Further, it felt like a natural time to do so.

Danielson is at this crossroad.  After his latest tournament, I had to pry out of him what was going on so I could write this blog post.  You know, it's all about this blog lol.  And the Danielson fans needed an update on how he was doing!  And what he finally confided was he was glad he scratched hill-hill his last match so he could go home, and not come back on Sunday.  This was two-fold.  One because it was past 1am and it would be a short turn around and the other was he is not excited right now about playing.

Sure, he had a very successful last year, but he's also thinking realistically right now (or, he just had a bad tournament experience and is venting lol).  He shared in his grumpy message, "I'm wasting money.  And even with the success I had last year, it's evident it's not near enough to be in the top 10.  With the money it cost me this weekend, I could have played in that 10-ball event in Austin.  If I'm buying an experience, I could be getting more for my time and money."  

He continued to vent, "It's a lot of time to and from the tournament location and an average of $200 to go play these tournaments... and at my skill level I have little chance of getting half of that money back.  Even the top 6 at every stop last year the average Fargo was 640...I might be wasting my time."  

(Danielson's Fargo is around 565). 

I asked him about the cost, to break it down for us.  Here is how he figures around $200-$250 cost a stop:

• $50 entry fee
• 1/2 Calcutta ($20-$60)
• Eating twice ($20)
• Twice raffle tickets ($40)
• Gas ($20)
• Drinks ($50)

And that's if he doesn't buy anyone in the Calcutta but himself.

So, he's starting to recognize that playing on a tour may not be the best for him right now. 

However, he's STILL very much so eyeing other tournaments and events, and still enjoying the new team he's on.  So, he's not considering quitting competing at all, it's adjusting his options of where he wants to play that would be more advantageous either money-wise, experience-wise, or distance close to home.

I had to pry this information from Danielson, and the reason why is honestly because we feel kind of sad/embarrassed/ashamed of these thoughts.  But let me shout out to you now, IT's NORMAL!

So, if you are feeling the need to step away from a tour, or league, or "expected" event - realize that these are normal, natural feelings.  You aren't going far, though, rest assured.  Just maybe taking a different path to your next pool table.  :)

Confidence Booster - Danielson Series

Danielson reached out to me last week and was very happy to report that he was invited to play on a top team!

From going 0-2 for two years, then cashing in over half his tournaments in 2017, has propelled him into a position that top teams are seeking him out to join their team!

Jumping up 60 points in your Fargo Rating will do that to ya - be sought after!  And, this is such a really great confidence booster.  To know you are wanted because of your capabilities on the pool table is something all us players dream of.

So happy for him.

Also, in a tournament he played in in late January, he placed 9th-12th, which is better than his 0-2 he did in the same formatted tournament just back in Sept.  So, the hiccup he had from watching a certain player just two weeks before was quickly learned from and he went back to his previous pre-shot routine that was so successful for him.

Learn, peoples!  Reflecting and then learning go a long way.  Don't just go through the motions - reflect and learn.

Imitation Can Hurt or Help - Danielson Series

Danielson had his first tournament of the year a week or so ago.  How did it go you ask?  Not very good, lol.

I like that sometimes he doesn't do well (hear me out first, lol!) because his tough losses make for great learning experiences for you all as well.

This one is quite interesting, as I'm sure you will agree and I hope you learn from it too.

I was watching the Breaking Bad marathon on Saturday night a couple of weekends ago (they are showing all 10 seasons on weekends the whole month of January and I've never seen the highly-recommended show before).  But, I also noticed that Danielson was on the live stream of the tournament he was playing in.  I opened it up on my phone and watched only a couple of games of his, as my mind was really on the meth-making story on tv lol.

What I noticed was Danielson wasn't playing like himself.  He was shooting much faster than he normally does, didn't seem engaged at all, and was missing shots he normally doesn't miss.  He just didn't seem himself.  I even joked between commercials, "Who is this person and what did you do with Danielson?"  lol

Later on the week, I asked him how his tourney went and he said it was a fiasco.  He didn't win one match and played badly.

And then I found out why:

He said he only did one thing different to prepare himself for the tourney:  "I watched a lot of pool matches the week before and I think I might have unconsciously tried putting things into my routine."

I shared I thought he didn't play the same - shot too fast for sure.  He said, "Yea, I didn't play my normal pace and caught myself shooting shots differently than I normally would."

Although this was a tough weekend for him, he (and you all!) get to learn from it.

Here's the gist:  It's actually really helpful to watch great pool matches, but you need to be careful what you see and pick up.  Mostly watch the position play and outs.  If you accidentally watch the player too much, you will start to mimic their habits.  And let's face it, not all habits are good lol.

When I used to watch my friend June Hager Walter a lot in the 1990s, I noticed I'd all of a sudden be walking around the table like her and gained her mannerisms.  And of course, the top players I watched most often on the Omega Tour all those Sundays had nice, smooth strokes; nothing rushed and nothing fast. That's who/what I was mimicking the last several years and that's why my game soared.

Sure, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, yes, but only if it's positive. 

I have no idea who Danielson watched, but I can already tell you the player shot fast.  Some of us can be that fast shooter, but if we are the type of player that takes our time (like Danielson) and that works well for us (works REALLY well for me), then accidentally mimicking a fast shooter can be disastrous for our game.

Good luck, peeps!  Focus on the game, not the player.

Danielson's 2018 Goals

As promised, the Danielson Series continues!  "New Year, New You."  No, no, none of that crazy bullshit.  How about New Year, New Learning!

Danielson reached out to me and said he was thinking about his goals for 2018. 

Now, if you are a regular reader, you know I already blogged about goals a couple of weeks ago since it's the new year.  However, Danielson never reads my blog unless I send him a link to one of my posts lol.

So, it made me smile he was thinking about goals on his own, without any prodding.

Because he had such a successful year last year and working to improve his game more this year, one shouldn't set too high of goals or goals with tangible expectations.  Even he said, "I have a lot of changes this year and to try and put any kind of performance goal on myself could be disastrous."

So, he suggested his goal should be, "Play Smart."

OMG that's perfect!

Absolutely perfect!

And of course I told him, "add that to your checklist."  LMAO.

I think this is a really great goal for him and one that will prove to help him have another successful year.

Play Smart. 

Love it!

I am super excited for him!

In the last few years he said his goal was to improve in the ranking, which he did.  And currently he is borderline moving to a new handicap level and so Play Smart is a very smart (sorry) goal!  Danielson shared, "I just wasn't sure what I should be aiming for this year, but regardless of a ranking if I play smart and keep mistakes to a minimum, it will all take care of it's self."

Ahhh, Grasshopper! 

They grow up so fast, don't they?  :)

Danielson's 2017 Year!

Danielson had his best year of the last three years on the Omega Billiards Tour.  I joke it's because of me - you know because I was giving him mental advice starting in the Spring.  But, alas, I suppose I should give some credit because he was the one who was actually shooting in the matches and competing in the games.  haha

Let's go over his stats real quick, and you will be very excited for him!

In 2015 he played in 6 stops of the Tour and cashed only one time.  That means 5 of the events he never lasted until Sunday.  He ended the year ranked in the 60s.

Last year (2016) he played in 8 stops of the Tour and did not one time cash or last until Sunday.  Not one!  Poor guy.  Because he played 2 additional stops, he did finish the year ranked in the 40s.

This year was spectacular!  Presenting 2017 stats:  He played in 12 stops and cashed/lasted until Sunday 6 out of 12 events!  This is a HUGE transformation and improvement!  He went from no money to cash money, baby!  And he finished the year ranked in the mid 20s in the end-of-year standings!

We started to talk about the mental game in March/April and in the April Omega Tour stop he cashed for the first time in two years.  And then went on a great run.

What did we talk about?  Just about many aspects of mental toughness, really.  Why some feelings of pressure interfered with performing his best, how he can overcome mental obstacles, etc.  All the topics are HERE.  You are welcome to read them for yourself.  There are gems in there!

I am glad he had the idea to share his progress and learning experiences with you all.  I think it shows how valuable it is to talk about the mental game, the what and whys of why things happen, and the feelings/pressure that can affect us (or not).

Danielson's stats not only rose, but I noticed his thoughts and words did, to.  In the beginning he was more worried about how he should finish and what people thought about him.   At the end of the year he said inspirational things that impressed me, and proved how far he had come in his maturity of the game and his mental toughness.  Like this he said after his final tourney in 2017:  ”3 things you should never take with you to a tournament:  fear... compassion and expectations.  All of these will get you beat before the lag."

After hearing that, i suggested he start blogging himself!  He said, no... he's leaving that to me, lol.

Danielson wanted me to share this with you all:

"I want the readers to know that all these things didn't get me back on track... it got me ON track.  From countless 0-2s to winning my first 5 matches and making it into the money consistently.  This wasn't a stepping stone... this is a major milestone."

Danielson finished in the top 20-25% of almost every tournament he played in this year, not just on the Omega Tour.  That's a heck of a feat!  And proves how much he has improved.  Also proves just how effective mental toughness is to our sport.

CONRATS Danielson!

And don't worry - the series will continue into 2018 for all you fans!

No Pressure Proven Well - Danielson Series

Danielson played in an 8-ball tournament back in November. 

He doesn't know 8-ball well, he didn't prepare for the event, and playing in it was a last minute decision.  And yet he finished 4th!

So, what does this prove?

It proves that feeling no pressure can do wonders for our game.

Danielson had a lot of things going for him this tournament. 

1. Since it was a last minute decision, he didn't have time to over-think about the tournament and the "what ifs." 
2. It was also an open event, and he feels less pressure in open events.  He has said, "Maybe handicaps put a weird pressure on some of of us.  If you think you're the best or the worst at a particular ranking maybe it affects your pure game and ability.  One handicap tournament I dogged my brains out cause I thought I was stealing. And not just playing pool."  While funny, it's very true!  We are too worried about what our ranking means in matches instead of playing pool.
3. He felt no pressure playing 8 ball because he doesn't know the game well.  While knowing 8 ball well is obviously an advantage, it can also make one (like me) over confident.
4. And he didn't practice:  "I put zero preparation into that tournament. I didn't play the day before and haven't played 8 ball in forever. "

Let's expand on the last point:

Sometimes we can practice too much.  Sometimes we can prepare too much.  If you think about it, if you do all these things you are suppose to do to prepare for an upcoming tournament, then when we get there we find ourselves under this invisible pressure of "I should do good, I prepared so much."  But, that mentality is actually not good.  It adds pressure to us.

I am not saying not to prepare.  But I am saying that if you put too much preparation into a big tournament, it can have reverse effects because you feel like you must do well, right?  You took all this time to prepare right before the event, so you must do well!

What I have found is the times I finish best is when I reviewed my checklists, reviewed my tabbed pages of Play Your Best Pool and Winning Ugly.  We already have our fundamentals down.  We have already been playing a lot - either in leagues or sparring.  But to over-prepare right before a tournament is not helpful.

If you are running a marathon or playing football, preparing for those physical sports is different.  Being mentally prepared for our sport is key.  Sure, playing pool keeps us consistent, but too much playing pool right before a tournament makes one think, "Well, I should do great!"

Even if you look at the preparations of the Mosconi Cup teams - you didn't see them playing pool hour after hour days on end, instead we saw them participating in team-building exercises.  Things that help their mental side.  They already know how to play pool.  And so do you!  So, don't over-prepare.

If Danielson had played 2-weeks straight of 8 ball before the tournament, I would bet money he wouldn't have placed so high.  His head would be full of options of what to do, lol, and he would be over confident.

Instead, as Danielson said after that great finish, "I never really felt any pressures yesterday. Which seems odd considering it's a game I never play and know very little about. lol."

Checklist Report - Danielson Series

If you have been following The Danielson Series I bet you are chomping at the bit wondering if he used a checklist during his last tournament, right??

I was wondering too!

Quick background, checklists can be an amazing resource to a player as reminders before and during tournaments and Danielson and I talked about this before his last big event, as he didn't have a checklist.

So, did his checklist help him? 

Wait, did he even write a checklist?

I figured he didn't write a checklist, I admit it.  So I surprise him Saturday morning of the Omega tournament and gave him one.

Here is the list:

The only thing I added that I felt would be helpful was "walk around."  Otherwise,  the three other  items he had told me he wanted to remember.

As I handed him MY list for HIM (lol) he told me, "I already wrote a list."  Oh?  Embarrassed that I didn't have faith in him, but so elated he listened to my advice, I then asked him, "Oh cool, well let me see yours.  What is on your list?!"

He responded, "It's in the car."

Omg. 

You have to have it on you at all times during an event!  He countered that he went over the list several times in the car, though. 

But, he then carried my list around so he had something on him that weekend to go over reminders.

He told me before the tourney started that he never plays good at this certain pool hall, so I think that helped any of his expectations - ie reverse psychology - because he felt no pressure.  So, he ended up lasting until Sunday!

I asked him if he looked at the list at all and he said, "I did look at it during some matches... and I think it really is a good reminder."

So, while the checklist isn't the all-knowing-quick-fix-solve-everything-tool, it is a GREAT tool in our toolbox to have.  And certainly doesn't hurt to re-read important reminders before or during a tournament!

Second Day Tourney Thoughts - The Danielson Series

Danielson, like most of us, has a more difficult time playing well on Sundays of a two-day tournament.  Why?  Because there is so much more pressure on day two!

What helped me get over that hump was to stay as ever-present as I could and not think ahead.  Experience also helped - the more times I lasted until Sunday, the less pressure I felt because each time I lasted until Sunday was another success and I started to feel more comfortable.  Experience helps immensely.  (that's why I preach to play in as many tournaments as you can)

Danielson had another great finish in the November Omega tournament and I asked him how he felt going into Sunday.  I was so impressed by this thought process, I wanted to share it.

On the Omega Billiards Tour, we whittle it down from around 100 players and bring back 24 players on Sunday.

Danielson told me, "I just look at Sundays as a new 24-man tournament.  That helps any pressure I might be feeling going into day two, as I just look at it in a different way, not the continuation of a big tournament.

"24-man tournament" - that's perfect!  GREAT philosophy.  Wish I had heard this when I was competing!

Checklists - The Danielson Series, Nov 2017

Danielson and I were chatting a couple of weeks ago and we both mentioned that all of these learning lessons are really awesome, but too bad we can't go over things right before a tournament, instead of learning after each tournament. 

Tournaments have 3 main parts:  Pregame, the game, and post game.  And yet he and I really only focuse on the post game.  How did you do?  What happened?  Why?  And what can be learned?

He said, "Yeah, before the tournament starts, it'd be cool to go over things to remember...what to guard yourself from...play to your strengths...a little pep talk...kinda like what a football team would do."

As soon as he said that, I announced, "Blog topic!"

Poor guy - instead of telling him what he can do to pump himself up before a tournament, I make him wait to read it in this blog post, lol.

And here it is:

First of all, I can't be like a mouse in his pocket and give him a pep talk before every tournament.  We'd have to start to discuss payment options for that specialized service!  lol.

But, he does bring up a very good point of something I still do to this day that is just as helpful:     Checklists!

I am a huge fan of writing down reminders.  There is SO much we need to try and remember before our tournaments, that it can make our head spin.  And sometimes in the throws of the moment, we forget things.  It's normal.  You've been in high stressful situation and all of a sudden you can't remember your email password or pin to check your bank account, right?  It's a very surreal, sometimes scary moment.  But, if we can review many of the key things we have learned (and need to remember), we are prepared for things that may be thrown at us during matches.

In a post from 2012, I wrote about a match preparation checklist.  I wrote about this again in 2014, and shared that I reread my notes before I won BCAPL Texas State singles event.  :)

I am a huge proponent of match preparation checklists, reminders, pool prayer, whatever you want to personally call it.  It will go a long way.

Here are some examples of lists I wrote throughout the years:

Shown here are 8 checklists!  And you can see some were written on hotel paper - which means I was out of town for a tournament and going over my reminders and wrote them down to take with me to review before each match.

So, everyone, get your pin out and write your own personal reminder checklist!

Carrying Upsetness to Next Match - The Danielson Series, Oct 2017

Danielson placed well in his last tournament (Omega stop at The Hideaway) and had another very consistent finish, placing 17th-24th. 

Last year he never placed 17th or higher (not even once), and this year he's placed 17th three times and twice higher than that!

When I asked him if he had any thoughts about the tournament for this blog post, the tournament still stung two weeks later, "No thoughts.  It was just pure self destruction."

Wait.  What?

In Danielson's 3rd match, he was on the wrong side of rolls and it was enough rolls to "put me on tilt," he described.  Unfortunately for him, he didn't have enough time to recover from being upset. His next match was called right away and the anger and frustration from the previous match carried over into his next match.

Seeing things from the outside though, he won two tough matches to finish 17th, but it's difficult for us to focus on any good when we feel we could have finished even higher and played better.  

But, let's face it, in competition we don't want to be "consistent" we want to do better each time.

He shared (finally, after some prodding), "I didn't even want to play my next match... and it showed... the aggravation lead to embarrassment... that's why I stormed out after."

"I just robbed myself of another opportunity.  I didn't play well... I wasn't focused... and I got what I deserved," he confided.

You can feel his pain, too, right?  Ugh. 

It's very tough to not let a previous match affect our next match.  I only know of two types of advice:  (1) go ahead and feel the emotions so you get them out of your system and (2) remain in the present - if you do, then the past match has no consequence.  Easier said than done though for both, as you sit in your chair and think about the missed opportunities and that you shouldn't be in this current position on the bracket, blah blah blah.  But, the key is to remain in the present and remind yourself you are STILL in it!

But, it's very, very difficult.

Kinda like getting into an argument with someone.  The feelings and emotions don't just go away right away, it takes time to calm down.  And in Danielson's' case, he didn't have enough time to calm down in between his matches.

This is actually a HUGE learning experience. 

Yay!

I know, it seems weird I'm excited, lol, but we all need to have these painful experiences... so we can LEARN from them.

This is why playing in more and more events to experience these tough situations is crucial - for the next time.  Next time Danielson will remember this transitional match and remember how badly he felt.  And he wont want to feel that way again.  He will have a talk with himself and demand he focus on the match at hand, not the previous match he has no control of anymore.  He will prevail.  And he will remember to "remain in the present and focus on the shots in front of you."

I feel very hurt along with Danielson.  I know how it feels to be playing well, and yet not finish higher than we could have because of emotions getting in the way.  This mental toughness shit is HARD!

I have much faith in him and I know from personal experience that he has already learned so much from the two losses that day and it will propel him in his future tournaments because he will have had this tough experience already under his belt.

I want to state again it was a GREAT finish!  17th place is tough on the Omega Tour.

Status Thoughts - The Danielson Series, Sept 2017

One of the toughest things to do when we go into a tournament is to not look around to see who else is playing.

If you think you are the best person there, it can create an invisible sense of pressure.  If you think you are the worst person there, then you are already setting yourself up for failure.  It's a no-win situation.

However, it's normal.

It wouldn't be normal to walk in a room and not size up our opponents, right?  However, it's how you handle the information that's key.

Grasshopper, I mean Danielson, and I talk about this a lot.  He asks me all the time how does he handle these thoughts going through his mind.  I try to exclaim (sometimes with a raised voice) "you aren't playing pool!"

He isn't thinking about playing his best pool, he's too worried about "status" or as he calls it, "penis measuring contest."

Don't get me wrong, I am the first hypocrite who does this.  I even wrote in my blog when I finally won a big tournament, "My brain shut off" or "I finally played pool."  That means I finally played my best on the table and didn't let my thoughts consume me and derail me (like it had so many times before).

Danielson played in the September Omega tournament and played fairly well, but he seemed to force tough shots instead of play safe when he should.  When you force tough shots, you either make them and have no shape left over, or you miss and sell out.

His next tournament was the same tournament I played in that I wrote about earlier this week - a tournament where if you were rated a 6 or under on the Omega Billiards Tour, you could play.

Danielson didn't fair well, just as I didn't.  We were both too worried about that penis measuring thing I referenced earlier.

During the calcutta, I was announced as "the best player there."  Hmm, pressure much?  And all eyes were on the "chick who was a National Champion" (boy were they disappointed in my play lol).

And Danielson saw this tournament as a great opportunity: finally playing in a field of his own level, without the higher-ranked players to run into; a chance to really show his speed and talent.

And then we both fell on our faces with our tails (or whatever) between our legs.  I felt so much pressure, like a bloated can filled with botulism.  And Danielson (during the tournament) was telling me, "I know people are going to wonder why I didn't place well in this tournament."

I was wondering, "why would they care?"  lol.  Further, "why are you thinking about that instead of playing good pool?"

You see, we add so much to our plate before we even walk in the door.  That's why I say I play my best when I'm "numb," which is when I don't think of anyone else in the room, what people think, or what a win or loss would mean.  Those are the true glory days of playing in the zone.

But alas, Danielson and also myself (the hypocrite, remember) were thinking too much about what people MIGHT think if we lost, INSTEAD OF PLAYING OUR BEST POOL.

Many Factors - The Danielson Series, Aug 2017

Danielson and I didn't really get to talk that much right after he finished playing in his August tournament. With 123 players, I was extremely busy and really didn't get a chance to delve into why he didn't have a better tournament this time (he went two and out). I actually joked with him and asked, “Did the Danielson Series project add some extra pressure to you?” LOL. Luckily he said no.

The only other thing I caught was he said the tournament tables were different from the table he was gambling on.  Uh, what?  Hmmm….. So I immediately came to the pre-conclusion that that was probably the main reason he might have had a difficult time finishing well this time.

I already mentioned how Danielson is in a pretty cool situation where he will be reflecting more about his matches than most players because of this project.  

So, I asked him, after that weekend, “Why didn’t you play your best?”

He had been thinking about the question for a couple weeks and then he gave me four possible reasons lol.

1. He was gambling during his wait time and he never really got in the tournament mindset. “When it was time for my match, maybe I was preoccupied with my gambling match upstairs.”
2. He wasn’t comfortable.  Not in his shirt (he was hot) and not with his table assignments (he felt the table locations were kinda tight).  “I just didn’t feel right.”
3. He might have been overly confident in his two matches.  “Maybe I just didn't give my opponents the proper respect.. and I lost.”
4. He thinks maybe he plays better when he brings in extra money at work - so, he feels he plays with less pressure those times. "The 3 months that I cashed in a row were my best months so far this year money-wise...so I'm thinking the connection for me is when things are good outside of pool, then I play well. I'm just going by the numbers."

So, let’s break each of these down from personal experiences and my pool journey:

1. This to me is a big factor why Danielson didn’t play his best in the tournament.  It's actually perfectly okay to gamble during a tournament, but what we have to realize is: if the table you are gambling on is much different than the table you are going to be competing on in the tournament, are we seasoned enough to be able to switch tables effectively?  Further, Danielson said himself he was preoccupied with his gambling match, therefore how could he be playing his best in his tournament match if he's not focused completely on the game in front of him?
2. This is a crucial one:  If you are not comfortable, it's very difficult to play well.  One of the best ways to overcome this is to be prepared for the unprepared. In other words, if you think it might be hot or cold bring a lighter shirt or maybe a sweater.  However, I've talked a million times about how we play our best when we're comfortable.  If we think it's too hot, we need to do something about it - go into the bathroom and splash your face, drink cold water, things like that.  However, I think because Danielson was preoccupied with the gambling match, whether he was comfortable or not he wasn't reflecting early like we talked about in July to be able to provide solutions to his uncomfortableness. As for the location of the table - not letting things we can't control get to us is HUGE. Acceptance is the solution.
3. When one is overly confident in a match, it's actually very tough to overcome. Again, this is one of those situations where you have to figure out right away what is going on early. And if you're overly confident that means you're not playing your best and maybe you’re not giving the match the attention it deserves because you think you're automatically supposed to beat your opponent.  Always give 110% to defeat your opponent, instead of presuming you're suppose to win.
4. Danielson's last possible reason I actually don't agree with lol. He thinks this is the main reason why he didn't finish well in his August tournament. But he's a statitistics guy, "I find it odd that my really good money months I placed well and average months I didn't." However in my opinion, because he isn't playing pool to pay bills and does not live paycheck-to-paycheck, he shouldn't have pressure in regards to making money in a tourney. I think it's just a coincidence that the months that he got “in the money” in tournaments he also happened to earn extra money at work.  To be fair, we all do tend to feel better and play with less pressure in general when things are going well at home and on the job.  However, because he's not trying to make a living playing in tournaments, I feel this one is just timing/coincidence.

The bottom line to all of these possible factors is this:  Did you play your best each shot?  I think Danielson was distracted by a lot of factors and wasn't able to truly play his best this time.  And that's okay!  We are all going to have tournament experiences where we don't play our best every shot and are distracted by many things. It's a great learning experience, actually. Just means an opportunity of great reflectioning to think about for his next tourney.  All part of the journey!