Mental Toughness During a Pandemic

Seems like the title is a a paradox, right?  The pandemic, if anything, has affected our mental strength because there are so many unknowns, and stress, and impacts to our daily lives, etc.

And what about our pool game and mental toughness during these remarkable times?

I have written a couple of times this year that from my experience, if you have solid fundamentals, your game will not go down during the pandemic. So, stop sweating it or worrying if you can't play a lot of pool - your solid fundamentals will carry you!

While I wholeheartedly believe this deep in my soul, there is a part that I forgot.

Oooops.

I am being reminded because of the struggle, tough times, and nerves that Katniss and The Cueist (and maybe you if you are back to playing) are feeling lately. Katniss said after a little tournament she played in, "It's like I lost my kilter instinct" and The Cueist shared in his recent blog post, 

I started to get nervous! Now, don't get me wrong, I get nervous all the time. But I haven't felt nerves BEFORE walking into the poolroom since the early part of my pool career. The only difference was that this time around, I was nervous about not playing up to my usual expectations, and making a fool of myself.

I wrote about this same 'anguish' back in late 2016 - basically that I had played in a little tournament and while my fundamentals were solid still, my mental toughness was NOT, because I had not been playing in league or tournaments; I had cut down on my competing.

Yes, fundamentals are key. But, the brain is a muscle as well.  

Honestly, the only thing that keeps me from competing well after taking years off is not my stroke, but the pressure I feel. The more we put ourselves in pressure situations, we find ourselves becoming stronger and stronger in those situations. But, if you aren't competing, that part of our game, that big muscle, has not been worked on.

As I said two years ago, 

"The bottom line is, I know myself and based on my past attempts the last few years at playing in tournaments, I already know that I am only mentally strong when I'm consistently competing. Once I stopped competing, that mental toughness definitely went away for me. 

As a matter of fact, I noticed it was the first thing that went away for me.  Even though the brain is a muscle, for me my muscle memory in my arms and in my pre stroke routine were still there, but not in my mental toughness."

So, what can you do about this?

What would I do?

Take advantage of what you can control: I would read about mental toughness!  

If you can't play in high pressure situations, then improve your mental toughness the only other way if you can't compete: READ, LEARN.

Winning Ugly is a book I have HIGHLY recommended a lot in my blog. You cannot read that book and not improve in your mental toughness arena.  I PROMISE. Therefore, pick up the book and read it when you can't compete. I also recommend Mental Toughness Training for Sports. But, the point is, find books or articles or watch video Ted Talks about mental toughness, how to gain the killer instinct, how to be mentally stronger, etc.  

I have this good book within arms reach right now,:

(watch out, you will also learn about leadership as well when you read about the mental toughness topic)

There are a ton of books out there for many different sports, but I recommend those about golf or tennis most.

I admit nothing can take the place of playing regularly in the middle of true pressure situations, but you can at least still work on it in other ways. Give yourself an advantage over your competitors for when you do start to play pool again. 

One side note. When I was in my late 20s, my mentor suggested I read Mental Toughness Training for Sports. I happened to be in a big slump and was playing terribly. So, I decided to take some time off and NOT play pool. And so I read that book during the time I wasn't hitting balls or competing. My mentor told me later, "I wanted to share that with you, but wasn't sure you would stop playing for a bit. Not playing pool while reading/learning about the mental game is a great plan."

Again, if you can't play pool, work on your game! 

Someone has to win, right? Might as well be you because you put in the time to improve in so many different ways even when you can't play pool regularly!

Example of Preparing - Tennis Hustling Style

As many know who read my blog consistently, I highly recommend the book "Winning Ugly" by Brad Gilbert.  My mental toughness and killer instinct skyrocketed because of this book.

Wanted to share an excerpt, that gives an example of how important preparation is.

"....
Here's a terrific example (although an extreme one) of the tremendous advantage the average player can get with good pre-match preparation.  And of what a disadvantage “just showing up" can be.  This particular player at the San Francisco Tennis Club used good mental preparation, good physical preparation, and some gamesmanship against a guy who just showed up and wanted to start playing.

For a big match (and he liked to bet $100 per set with certain players) this fellow (a bit of a hustler) would get to the court one hour early.  He had already spent time looking over his notes (yes, he kept notes of past matches).  He had given some attention to his game plan.   Next would be the stretching exercises to get completely loosened up.

Now would come the warm-up, before his opponent even arrived at the court. 

The “hustler” would hit with the club pro for thirty minutes, going through the strokes and touching up anything that was giving him trouble that day.  Nothing intense.  Just a real good warm-up.  Then he would leave the court, go to the locker room, and change clothes.  Now that he’s reviewed his game plan, checked his notes, done his stretching exercises, had a great warm-up, and changed into dry clothes, would he head back out to the court?  Of course not.  It was time for the final stage of the hustle.  He’d make sure he got there ten minutes late, apologize for the delay, and suggest that they cut the warm-up short.

Obviously, his opponent would be a little upset by the late arrival and want to get started to save time.  They’d move right into the match with only a “quickie” warm-up.  The “pigeon” would be handing over the money in straight sets. He would have saved himself $200 if he’d anticipated the behavior and prepared properly himself.  He got taken instead.  He had no plan, no system, no nothing. He let the other player control events because he wasn’t prepared.  He’d have been a lousy Boy Scout. 

The interesting thing about what this “hustler” did was that everything (except arriving intentionally late) was excellent preparation.   It's how a conscientious player should get ready to play a match.  Throwing in the last twist by arriving last was unnecessary (not to mention unsportsmanlike).  He was way ahead by doing everything else.  You can give yourself that same advantage.

...."

Preparations, people!

It's Okay To Play Your Opponent

They say that you are supposed to play the table and not the opponent. But I was taught by a friend who had a coach, that at times, you should actually play your opponent.

What she was taught by her coach was to find out what your opponents are good at and what their weaknesses are and use that to your advantage.

She would actually watch the matches of her upcoming opponents to see what their strengths and weaknesses were. 

She would notice if someone was a really good banker, or maybe kicked well.  She would use this knowledge on how she played safe - if they banked poorly, she could leave them a bank if there wasn't an opportunity to tie up the cueball well (as an example).  Or if they kicked well (or esp kicked-safe well), then she would look for other avenues to either play safe or maybe go for the run if the safe and shot were equal in %.

As a reminder - don't forget to also use your all surroundings to your advantage as well.  I've written how one player would play safe and leave the cueball at the end of the table where her tall opponent had to awkwardly shoot b/c the table was too close to the next table.  Or, how about when Shane rolled out to a spot that Alex (who is short) could not reach?

Know your opponents!

So don't be afraid to play your opponent.  Sure, playing the table might be best when you are nervous against someone.  But even those people you are nervous against - do they have an all-around perfect game or do they have a few weaknesses that you could capitalize on?

This is actually a huge part of the book I have always recommended, Winning Ugly, by Brad Gilbert.  He would study his opponents and defeat the top players when most thought he was the underdog.  I'd like to reiterate that this booked helped me gain the killer instinct and I highly recommend it for mental toughness (pretty amazing book that teaches a lot about competition).

Pressure for BCAPL Nationals?

I have written over a 100 times probably on my blog over the years that expectations are pretty much the root of evil for me.

And yet here I sit, less than two weeks away from the 2015 BCAPL Nationals, so do I have any expectations?

You bet I do!  I am a pool player, after all ;)

I shouldn't be nervous though - I haven't prepared or hit balls, so I should feel any nerves.  And while I know I play my absolute best not thinking of the future, I admit I am not doing well with that.

The last few times I was unprepared for State events, I earned first place trophies in the BCAPL Texas State tourney in 2014 and 2015.  But this is a national BCAPL event.  One I haven't placed high in singles before.  My highest was 9th, and that was prolly about 12 years ago.

However....

• I KNOW I'm better now. 
• I KNOW I know the game of 8 ball very well.
• Physically, I am doing better than usual. 
• I KNOW after playing good scotch doubles I should be really be warmed up well for singles.
• I think my partner and I can do real well in scotch doubles.  REAL well - we have a great chance - IF I can hold it together and NOT think ahead of the possibilities like I already am  :( 

I should be going over these two books in the next week and a half to mentally prepare myself:

But will I?  I am being pretty lackadaisical for sure this time around.

Since pool isn't a priority in my life right now, I'm really not doing anything to prepare for this big tournament.  But yet - it means a lot to me and I would LOVE to finish well as my last hurrah.  Kinda of like gaining weight, ya know?  We WANT to lose weight, and it's on our minds, but we don't really put a lot of effort into it lol.

And this is what I also know:

• I am not as mentally tough as I have been the last few years for some reason.
• I haven't prepared AT ALL for this event.
• I am slowing down in playing league and pool in general, and what if this is my "last hurrah" to play BCAPL Nationals and I dog it?

Well, let's put this in perspective:

Will it be the end of the world if I don't place well?

Nope. 

Will I still be a good person in life, even if I don't place well?

Yep.

Will I still be proud of myself?

Yep.

And what if I don't even get in the money? (although my personal goal would be to get deep in the money)  Would I be okay?   Would I be okay knowing I didn't get moved up yet again?  Would I be okay knowing I might have lost my last opportunity to do well in this event because I may not play in it again any time soon?

Absolutely!

I have had so much success in many other tournaments in the past few years, if I don't do well in this one this year, I should be okay with myself.  Because, as I said - it wont be the end of the world if I don't place well.

As one of my friends has told me over and over in the last few years, winning or losing doesn't define me.  

Glad I wrote my thoughts down.  Whew!  I already feel better and much less pressure!

No, go out there and have fun, Melinda!

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!  :)

New Philosphy Isn't Healthy

I am the first to admit that how I prepared for BCAPL Texas State was NOT ideal. 

I hadn't hit any balls, didn't spend any time on the table, didn't play in weekly tourneys; nothing.

I spent NO time on the table.

While I read a couple of books, it is obviously much more beneficial to remain in stroke by practicing or playing pool! 

And yet here I find myself in the same situation for ACS Nationals.  YIKES!

I've played even LESS pool than last time.  I've played two league nights only twice since I won on April 4th.  OMGoodness, that's almost a month!

I again read Play Your Best Pool (the 8-ball section the last two nights) and will also read my notes about Winning Ugly to get my mental face on. 

But I do NOT recommend this.

Someone told me I'll be okay because I have natural talent.  UM NO.  I am the last to have natural talent.  If I had, I'd have been placing better and higher MANY years earlier in my pool life.

Instead, it's been 1000's of learning experiences I gained in each tournament match that has led me to my skills and knowledge I have today.  And it took me over ten years to solidify my fundamentals.

This philosophy I'm using for this tourney again has GOT to stop!  I have to start practicing again if I want to do well consistently.  I need to prepare better if I really want to place better in my tournaments.

Congrat's to Bobbi!

My friend Bobbi from Oklahoma was asking how to find the books Play Your Best Pool by Phil Capelle and Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert.

I figured she was trying to find out where to buy them because of this blog.  I know, I harp A LOT about these two books!

Well, she got them only a couple of weeks ago and then played in the APA Nationals Singles in Vegas this week.

She placed 3rd!!!!!!!

Look how happy she looks!!

She texted me and said that the books helped!  She said she didn't really remember all the points in the book but it helped her play well and smart.

I'm so proud of her!!!

I want a trophy that large one day!

Congrat's, Honey.  Proud of you!  Third place in a Nationals tournament is fantastic!! 

That One Winning Song

Brad Gilbert talks in his book, Winning Ugly, about singing a song in your head to help calm your nerves.

That is great advice.

You know what else songs can do, right?

Yep, immediately take you back to an event in your past.

Well, imagine my surprise when on a plane recently Rory Mcilroy stated in a Bose advertisement:

"When I won my first major, I listened to the same song every day on the way to the tournament.  It played in my head over and over all the way around the course.  So whenever I want to remember that winning feeling, all I need to hear is that song."

WOW!

I can so relate!

My first ever tournament first place win was at the end of 2009 at the Fast Eddies Tour stop Season Finale.  I was completely and utterly in the zone and I distinctly recall this song that played, and now EVERY time I hear it, I picture myself in that match, playing solid, playing in the zone, and winning.

While it's not the song that helped me win, it's just the song that when it comes on immediately takes me back to the finals.

It was Chris Brown's "I can Transform Ya" with Lil Wayne.  It was just a quirky little different song that when it came on I remembered it and now correlate it with that win.

I wonder what Mcilroy's was??  I bet it was something he deliberately chose to listen to to pump him up!  :)

What's yours that gets you pumped up??

Like a Champ

On Friday morning, April 4th, I got a text from my good friend Rebecca in the morning, "How do you feel?" she asked me.

I replied, "Like a Champ!!"

It was the first time I had ever said that.  The first time I even thought about saying that.

I texted it right away with no thought.  Why?  Because I finally felt like a champ!!

OMG....

It took Susan Lucci 18 years to win her Emmy.  It took me about 8 years to win the all-sought-after title I've always wanted to win, and always talked about it in my blog every year around April.

This is of course the BCAPL Texas State 8-Ball Championships tournament.  The one I have wanted to win so many years in a row; the one my friend Monica always told me: "you are the one to beat"; the on where I ALWAYS mentally psyched myself out and got jitters and could not win because I wanted it so badly I didn't play pool - I put too much pressure and "want" on myself.

As I mentioned before the tournament, I hadn't been playing too much pool, so I wasn't really prepared (I thought) but I did refresh on my mental toughness and 8-ball strategy (that I have hammered over and over already lol).

But why was this year different?  I can only guess:

• I had no pressure because I hadn't really been practicing,
• I had A LOT of support from my friends who couldn't make it (esp my friend Rebecca from Houston),
• I know the game of 8-ball well,
• The tourney wasn't packed full of Advanced Players (lol),
• It was my time to win,
• Mental toughness was always on my mind,
• And... I had played with a great scotch doubles partner for an entire day before I played in the singles tourney.

I don't like to look at the brackets, but while I was resting in the hotel room about 2 hours before the women's singles division started, I see someone tagged me on Facebook and said they were playing me first on the stream.  Well, so much for not wanting to know who I play, lol!

I played that friend first and her game has improved so much and I was nervous, but I was somehow able to win.

My next match, I shake my opponent's hand and say, "Hi, I'm Melinda."  She states back, "I know who you are."

Oh.

So I say, "Well, what's your name?" And then wished her a good match.

And good match it was!

She would tell me throughout the entire match how nervous she was to play me.  And I could see she was nervous.  But I tell you what - she played JAM up!  She was the only player to go to the hill with me and I honestly thought I was going to lose.
 
I was up 2-0 then 3-1, but then she she surprised me and broke and ran, ran a rack on my dry break, and then ran again after what I thought was a good safe.  She made a ball hill-hill and I saw her out and thought I was DONE.  But, I couldn't be upset - she played GOOD!

But, I was able to get to the table again and after a few safes back and forth, I finally won.  OMG I became very nervous as she kept getting out and getting out.  But I was able to hold it together and tell myself I wasn't doing anything wrong, just keep at it if I got another opportunity to play.

Whew!

I want to take a minute to give her a shout out as she placed a VERY impressive 4th in this event!  Congrat's Jody!

In my 3rd match, I go up 2-0 against a good friend and good player, but then I make silly, stupid mistakes.  I get upset with myself, but try to reflect on what is happening so I can get back into the game right away.  I didn't want to lose because I was making mistakes!  Just like Brad Gilbert talks about in Winning Ugly.

I realized I was distracted and moved chairs so I could regroup and refocus because the score was 2-2 and I did NOT want her on the hill first!  Esp after being up 2-0!  I then won 4-2 by refocusing and figuring things out.

As this tourney was in Texas, I would have to play yet another friend!  We had a great match and she has improved a lot as well.  I won 4-1 I think.

I then have a VERY long wait ahead of me as the match I was waiting on hadn't even started yet.  I had my friend Dana go check the brackets to see what table I would be on, as I didn't want to see where I was on the bracket.

I waited and waited. 

I finally had an opponent, fellow National Teammate, Tracie Voelkering, who won this event last year.  So I knew my hands were full.  But her and I are such good friends, we were just happy we were both still doing well!

As what happened a few matches before, I got ahead 2-0, but then lost focus.  Ugh.  I started to make really stupid mistakes and reminded myself to figure out what was going on.  Get mentally tough again and stop being distracted.  But those mistakes cost me my lead and now the score was 2-2.  I could feel the tourney slipping away from me again like always!

I recalled Brad Gilberts' words of advice and refocused.  Recognizing early I needed to not get comfortable I was ahead and instead refocus deeply again.  As before, I didn't want my opponent on the hill first after I was playing so good to get up 2-0.

And then I won 4-2.  WHEW!

I go see what time I play next.  And I start crying!  OMG I just won the hotseat!!!  OMG I had never been this far before!  I had never been in the finals!  OMG!

I didn't give a flip I was crying - I was elated and ecstatic and could NOT believe it!!!  The tourney director tells me, "Hey Melinda your nose is red."  lol.  I told her I didn't care haha!  I didn't care who saw me, I was SO happy!!!

I had no idea where I was on the brackets!

I text my scotch doubles partner and tell him that I was in the finals and I KNOW it was partly because of playing 7 winning matches with him the previous day.

The next day I try not to freak myself out like I normally do.  I wrote before how I went to Texas Roadhouse at 4pm to re-read my notes, my fav sections on Brad's book (Winning Ugly) and had a margarita to calm down a little.

The finals wasn't until 7pm so I had plenty of time to relax, read, and then hit balls.

I go hit balls about 6pm or so and I can already tell that the finals will not be starting on time at 7pm lol.  Both players (who I had already defeated) were playing their little hearts out and it went hill-hill.  Angela Garza had a great tourney getting 3rd and I would be playing Tracie again, this time in the finals and this time on the stream.

I hit some more balls, read over my notes some more, practiced my banks.

Go pee a lot (when I get nervous I go pee a lot), but I never thought ahead.  I tried so hard not to even THINK that I was in the final.  Even tho I was!  I just tried to remain in the present only.

But, Tracie would have to double dip me and I knew I would put up a fight.

We finally start at 8pm on the stream table. 

And I did put up a fight.

And I won 4-1 in the first set to win my first ever BCAPL Texas State title!!

FINALLY!!!

I remained calm.  Cool, collected.  I didn't think ahead.  Even though I could FEEL it inside me I was really going to win this time, I held it together and played POOL.

I didn't jump up and and down like I wanted to after I won, but I was VERY happy inside.  I was proud of Tracie for being in the finals after winning last year - now that's a lot of pressure!

SO many people shook my hand and congratulated me.  Roommie and teammate Janet was there and I told her not to hug me or else I'd cry.  She could only stand it about a minute and ran up to me and of course I cried!  And she whispered in my ear, "Your Mom sees you and is very proud of you."  I was already thinking about her and wanted to dedicate this win to her - my lovely Mom.

I called my boyfriend right away and was sobbing.  He was SO happy for me!  He told me, "I knew you could do it, Babe."  I was on cloud nine even though I could tell it hadn't really hit me.  Even now as I type this 3 weeks later, Wow, I'm really a Texas Champ?  WOW!

I saw Monica and she hugged me SO tightly, "I knew would do it, I knew it.  You were the one to beat!"  She has always been so supportive of me!

Two days later during the team event several people would stop and congratulate me.  One person in particular, Helen Hayes, stopped me and said, "I heard you won.  That is really a great honor and I am really happy for you.  It's a great feat!"  I could tell she was SO genuinely sincere AND that she knew in her heart how important it was.  It meant a lot she shared that with me, as I felt she knew how awesome it really was and how tough it can be to win it.  :)

Also during the team event, people would walk by as we were practicing and say, "Hey Melinda, congratulations" or "Good job, Melinda."  Finally Janet says, "What did you do?"  In this really sarcastic voice lol!!  I cracked up - she was so funny!

She would send me texts while sitting across from me at dinner or lunch and say, "hey guess what? You're a champ!"   It was cool to room with someone who was so happy for me.  :)

I can't believe it!  I'm the 2014 BCAPL Texas State Champion! 



For the past 3 weeks, every once in a while my b/f will catch me off guard and say to me, "Hey Texas Champ"  lol.  He's so proud of me.  :)

I admit I'm proud of myself.  All these years playing and all these years wanting and yearning to win this VERY tournament, I finally won. 

I had SO many experiences in tournaments that led me to this.  If I hadn't of played in all those tourneys, I never would have been able to collect all those experiences together to finally pull this off!  This game is so mental and normally I lose before I ever step in the tourney room because I would think too much bout what I wanted.

But I did so good this year!  No expectation, but still prepared by reading since I wasn't hitting balls.

I don't recommend JUST reading, but if you can't hit balls, you can still help yourself.

I joked with a lot of people I can now retire from pool.

Funny thing is.... I mean it!

But they would all say, "you'll just have to win nationals in Vegas now."

Uh, I don't think I'm that good, lol.  That isn't even a tourney I have ever fathomed I could possibly win. 

Texas State Champ.  WOW!

Still shocked....

Checklist. Check!

While I was reviewing my notes, highlighted sections, and tabbed pages in Winning Ugly to prepare for the 2014 BCAPL Texas State 8-Ball Championships., I decided I wanted to jot some notes down from the book so I could easily review them later.

I have made checklists before, and I really like being able to review things easily at my fingertips.  I can't really carry Winning Ugly around and flip through 30 pages that I tabbed, lol.

So, I wrote some key things down.

This list was different than my usual ones.  It didn't really list reminders I came up with for myself, but instead listed things I wanted to remember from that book.  So, these were more "killer instinct" mental reminders, than "pool" reminders.

I also tabbed the BOTTOM of the pages for what I needed to remember for this particular tourney, too.  I didn't want to re-read every single highlighted section for a 3rd time, but wanted to re-read the most important parts for my mental game for this tournament.

And there I was at Texas Roadhouse at 4pm on Thursday, right when it opened, in Temple, Texas, reading my notes, and reading my bottom-tabbed pages of my fav mental book.  A little refresher for me, if you will.

Why was I doing this?  I have only *touched* on it in my blog, but I found myself in the finals of the Women's Division of the 2014 BCAPL Texas State 8-Ball Championships!  My first time ever!

So, I was relaxing with a good meal, a margarita (match was scheduled for 7:30pm) and took my sweet time as I had a few hours til hit balls.

I sat there peaceful, although missing my boyfriend, peaceful and quiet and re-reading my notes.  Preparing myself mentally.

I have mentioned before I have written notes.  I am a firm believer in it, but I admit I haven't written any in some time I don't think.  I just knew because I hadn't been competing or hitting balls, I kinda needed to do this to help me.

I took my notes into the convention center and sat them next to my pool case as I slid out my cue to hit some balls.  Usually I hide my notes.  I think in the past I felt like people would judge me for needing help.

Well, not today!  I NEEDED the help and I honestly didn't care who saw I had notes.

A couple of people asked me if they could read them.  I said sure.

I even walked by my "mental coach," Joe Salazar, and shared it with him.  He reminded me I didn't have a very important one written down, "Don't look at the crowd."  Ooooh!  I added that to the bottom of the list right away. 

Tracie and Angela finally finished their hill-hill match and I went to wash my hands.  I took my notes in there with me.  I sat them next to the counter and was reading them as I was washing my hands.  A girl comes out of the stall and looks at me funny, seeing me hunched over reading something over the counter.

I don't care.

I didn't care who saw I was reading notes.

At the end of the day, I sit the notes down on the desk in my hotel room and my roommate and teammate, Janet, asked if she could read them.  "Sure," I said.

I didn't really realize how many people would WANT to read preparation notes.  I'm glad I wasn't shy and kept them visible because a lot of people seemed to really appreciate reading them.  Maybe it will help them in competition, too.

Here is a close up, you can click the photo to enlarge.  Please do not make fun of me about my horrible handwriting, tho!  lol.

Preparing for the Unprepared

I've mentioned I'm in a rut. 

I am.

Timing is horrible!

I'm playing in the BCAPL Texas State tourney that starts this week.  And I'm unprepared.

As I said in my Rut Uh blog entry, "anyone that reads this blog the past few years know that is the one tourney I've always wanted to win. "

I haven't practiced.  I haven't hit balls.  Both my Monday and Thursday night leagues are on hiatus.  Haven't played weekly tourneys.  Nothing.  No table time.

When I do play on Sundays during league, I can see just how badly I'm playing.  :(

So, I decided to prepare for the unprepared.

I have to face facts.  I'm not playing well.

While I want to say, "Oh, hey, this will allow me to just have fun and not think of this title tournament."  But we all know how that goes.  Especially if we are playing badly.

So, I'm resigned to the fact I prolly wont do well.  And I'm okay with that.  If I haven't prepared, then I am unprepared to do well.  Right?  Fact. 

I have to admit I DID read the eight-ball section of Play Your Best Pool (my FAV 8ball book) by Phil Capelle TWICE in two weeks.  AND Brad Gilbert's Winning Ugly (my FAV mental book) also TWICE in two weeks!

Hey, I didn't JUST sit around doing nothing.  lol.

I just need to be very self aware this week.  Come on, Melinda!

The Devil is in the Details

You thought you could get off easy by my blog entry earlier this week that said I placed 2nd without any of details.  ;)  Well, of course I have to give more details of my tourney!

Since I use this as my pool diary, it really is necessary.  You can stop reading now if you aren't a detailed person.

Many people are surprised I can remember all these details, but somehow I do.  :)

The Second Stop of the OB Cues Ladies Tour was at Jamaica Joe's in Oklahoma City on March 9-10th.  Jamaica Joe's recently did a remodel and the place is absolutely beautiful!!  With 16 Diamond Bar Tables and three 9-foot Diamond Tables, the pool room is the best within 200 miles!

First off, I want to state something that really helped me at this tourney: practicing on the Diamond Bar Tables the morning of each day.  I normally don't feel the need to hit balls on tables for too long as I adapt very well (I'm lucky) but Diamond Bar Tables (DBT) are a different breed of tables and I NEEDED to hit balls on them to be prepared to have a good chance in the tournament.

1. DBTs are extremely fast.  You must get yourself acclimated to that before a tourney.  I hit balls for 25-45 minutes each morning of the tourney.
2. DBTs banks VERY different from all other tables.  I would run several racks, but THEN practice a rack or two of banks.  Esp short banks.  This is key for all tourneys I play in with DBTs.
3. The Break.  For the first time in my life, I practiced the break.  And for the first time (EVER), I broke from the side.  I break really well for a girl, but I wanted more control and more assurance.  So, I practiced my side break about 15-20 times til I felt comfy with the speed and ensuring I made a ball.  I got really good at the break on Sunday - only after having more confidence watching Michelle Yim do it against me on Saturday.  She controlled the cueball better than I.  In the finals, Amanda and I both had our breaks working well and it was really cool!

You may think I should do the above the morning of for all tourneys, but DBTs are so much different, it's more of a "must" than a "should."  I still hit balls the morning of, but I don't normally ensure I get there early for an open table and I usually only hit a few racks.

I got out my Winning Ugly book by Brad Gilbert and only had a chance to review a few pages before heading to the tournament.  I wrote down a few notes/reminders, that proved very helpful during the tournament.  I really think those few pages helped me be mentally stronger in this tourney.

Here is a copy of my short notes:

Click photo to enlarge and excuse the handwriting.

The two points I wanted to remember most was to play like a boa constrictor and to stroke more if I get nervous.  I didn't want to let up or get comfy at any time (boa constrictor) but I also needed some reminders of what to do if I get nervous - stroke more.  BOTH helped immensely this tourney. 

We only had 29 women so I was disappointed in that, but I played Bye first and won.  Whew! I then played the Tour Champ and I was nervous but she was distracted and wasn't herself and I was able to win somehow 7-4.

In my next match I played Michelle Yim.  I was also nervous against her.  She has been playing really well lately and has had several major accomplishments the last couple of years, along with a new b/f who is a top player.  I knew I would have my hands full.  She played really, really smart and has a very beautiful stroke, but some flukey things happened in our match and I won 7-2.  She got a lot of bad rolls and I felt bad for her, but I also had to play like a boa constrictor, so I tried to be mentally strong.  Luckily I prevailed, altho I did feel bad as the outcome of the match was not indicative of how well she played.

Then I was informed I was in til Sunday.  Wait?  Already?  Wait?  On the winner's side again?  SAWEET!

I could have got more sleep but still felt fairly good in the morning as my roadie (Courtney) and I got ready for our matches on Sunday.  Courtney would end of winning the Second Chance tourney!  Her first time to play in it and she steals the show.  Congrat's!

Courtney and I

I practiced again Sunday morning and then played my first match against fellow teammate and Board Member, Tracie.

I felt real good the first game but missed a key safe and she got out.  Then I was on the 9-ball in second game and got bumped by someone on another table.  I was pretty ticked.  I tried to regroup, but I missed the tricky side pocket shot.  I was down 0-2.

I noticed my heart was racing and my blood flow was really fast.  I wasn't sure if my breakfast hadn't settled yet or I was dehydrated.  I stopped drinking my diet Pepsi (which has caffeine) and I got a cold water and drank half the bottle right away.  The water helped and my heart stopped beating out of my chest (I have a little heart murmur, but not sure what was going on). 

At this point, I simply told myself if she gets out and wins the match, so be it; I can't do anything about it.  Not sure what happened, but I ended up winning 7 games in a row and found myself up 5-2!  I could tell I was in the zone (yay!) and I was really playing super well (I thought).   I didn't really give my opponnt too many chances for those 7 games.

I then noticed that Orietta lost, which would mean if I won, I would play a new girl Sherri from OK in the hotseat.  I also noticed that if I lost, I would have to play Amanda.  All of these future possibilities were on my mind and it felt like the game at 5-2 took FOREVER for some reason.  I scratched on the 7ball but had a chance on the 9 but missed.  A miss back led me to get on the hill.  At this point I could tell she was more frustrated and I finally won the match 7-2.

OMG, was I really IN the hotseat again like last time!?!

My biggest fear this time was the match was going to be streamed.  The last time at Jamaica Joe's I was put on the stream my first match and was so nervous I lost from nerves.  I tried SO HARD not to think about the stream and JUST PLAY POOL.  I did not want to lose again on the stream by dogging it.  Thinking of that in itself is stupid pressure.

It took forever for us to finally play, as we were waiting on a match to finish before they would play us.  I hit balls on the stream table to prepare myself and for some reason, I just didn't think anymore about the stream.  Well, I didn't WORRY about being on the stream.

My opponent was a very good player from OK and she was having a fantastic tourney.  She was already having a reputation for a great break, so I was prepared to not let that bother me and just accept it.

Sure enough, a few times she made 2 balls or more and even one 9ball on the snap.

I was a little nervous at first, but when I saw she was more nervous than I, I took advantage of that.  I played better and got ahead 3-1.  Then she made the 9ball on the break, but I didn't let it get to me. I faltered on a 9ball next but she scratched after she made it.  I could have let the easy miss get to me, but I did NOT.

I overheard "Good shot, Sherri" a lot all around me, but I tried not to let the words get to me.  I just played my game when I got to the table.  I got up 4-2 but she countered with a 9ball combo.  She kept right up with me!  I couldn't shake her at all.  I got on 5 and then she made a fantastic out to tie it up 5-5.  Then she broke and made 3-4 balls!  The out was a little tricky and I got a chance at the table and got out.  Whew.

I was up 6-5 and she played safe on the 6ball and I was left was only 3 balls.  I studied it for what seemed forever, and it finally dawned on my to play safe, lol.  I nailed it so good, even her fans told me it was a good shot!  (once Cuetable is back online, I post a diagram of it).  I got ball in hand and ran out the three tough balls to WIN the hotseat match 7-5!!!

OMG.  :)

Did I just win another hotseat match?

Really?

Wow.

I admit I was proud of myself for playing well and staying mentally strong.  :)

Wait, this meant I was in the finals again!

REALLY?? 

Wow.

Amanda Lampert played Sherri next and was up 5-1 and I could see our future:  A repeat of the previous tourney where Amanda and I were in the finals together! 

She defeated Sherri 7-2 I think and Amanda was ON FIRE - she was playing so, so good.  In fact, she beat me the first set 7-1;  I only had a few chances.

However, I countered the first set loss with opening the second set with a break and run!  I even pulled ahead 4-3 at one point, that was short lived as I lost 5-7.  BUT.  I played so much better in this finals than the last one and I am definitely making progress in "positions" like this.  :)  I never even thought of the stream or felt pressure.  I just waited for chances (which only arose in the second set), and I played pretty good.

I told my boyfriend after I placed 2nd before, that one of the reasons I was so upset about playing poorly in the finals in January was because I may never get in the finals again.  He immediately told me I would be there again.  And look at me!  I swear he has more faith in my game than I.

So, placed 2nd again!  I am so surprised!  But, VERY glad I played well this time in the finals and didn't dog it, lol.  :)  Learning experiences all around me!  I love it.  :) 

Killer Instinct Tips

Last week someone posed on AZBilliards.com forums a great question about the killer instinct.

"For those that weren't killers, how did you develop your Killer Instinct?"

I submitted the below tips and thought I should share them in my blog, too.  If any one of these helps one person, I'll be happy!  

This is a compilation of things that have helped me over the year.  I definitely did NOT have the killer instinct, and of course I still work on that aspect as I have my moments of letting up still.

1. Always keep learning. Read books and articles, listen to advice, watch videos, practice. Don't just read about pool, read about mental toughness, read some tennis books, listen to the golf announcers, etc.

2. Play in as many tournaments as you can. And the real tough ones, too. The more you play, the more experience you gain. Every single time you compete in a tournament, you learn something new. Every time! Whether you get more experience about pressure, or test your composure, or more experiences how to fight back when you're down, whatever.

3. Attitude about your opponents is key. I asked Liz Ford once about a comment she made in Billiards Digest. She shared with me that Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert (a tennis player) helped her, and suggested I read it, too. After I read the book, I swear my I gained a killer instinct. I never had it before. I want to win more than ever after reading that book. And I reread it all the time. :)  I posted her longer response here in my blog. I found her comments very enlightening!

4. Again attitude is important. There are two women on the OB Cues Ladies Tour that exude major confidence during their matches, and they are extremely successful players on the tour. I recently interviewed them because I wanted to learn about their killer instinct and their attitude during competition. If I emulate them while competing, I play better. If I reread the blog entry before my tourneys, I play better. It's a great reminder for me to refresh myself about how mentally strong competitor think.

5. Fundamentals are KEY. Mental toughness is most of the part of competition, but fundamentals are the most important part of the physical game. At least, it has been for me.

Many other pool enthusiasts replied to his question, also.  Check out all the other suggestions here!

My PoolSynergy Recommendations

As the host of this month's PoolSynergy month, I asked the writers of PoolSynergy to recommend a favorite book and a favorite DVD.

Well, what do I recommend?

My Fav DVD: 

Anyone who has read enough of my blog prolly knows what my favorite DVD is and therefore what  I will recommend.  I honestly watch this DVD before big tournaments, especially if I hadn't had a chance to practice ON the table before a big event.  I swear this player review by Buddy Hall and Grady Matthews prepares me because I get to watch such smart pool, along with the "why's" of the shots because Buddy and Grady are the commentators of the DVD. This was a match from the June 1992 Sands Regency Open.

I thoroughly enjoy watching this DVD several times a year because each time I watch it, I always learn from it.  When I show up at a tournament after watching this DVD, I can SEE the shots, patterns, and choices so much clearer.  I can even hear Buddy and Grady in my head, telling me how I should position the cueball for my next shot!

 
My Fav Book:

I have so many favorite books. I almost decided to recommend a book in every pool genre (8ball, mental, 9ball, one pocket, etc). lol. Instead, I picked my most recent fav book that was recommended to me by the lovely and talented Liz Ford.

In March I emailed Professional Pool Player Liz Ford:

"I was looking through Billiards Digest and saw from the Feb issue you were in the Quick Hits section.  I loved your response to the Q: 'What specif area of your game are you working on right now?'"

She answered in Billiards Digest:

"I am always working on my game but this year I am focused on believing in myself.  There is a difference between showing up at a tournament and wanting to do your best and showing up at a tournament prepared to take people down."

I wanted an explanation - I was VERY curious what exactly she meant.

She explained to me via email:

"I can't remember if I said that before or after reading Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert.  I think it was before but that sentiment was reinforced heavily by that book.

For a long time I focused on all the things that I didn't know.  It gave me determination to get better and an unending quest for knowledge - but come tournament time I never felt confident.  In trying to get better all the time I never really thought or felt a sense of pride about all the things I already did really well.  Practice is for learning but competition is about executing what you do best.

In terms of being prepared to take people down... I'm not sure if it is just the phase of life I am in or if Winning Ugly changed my brain in some way, but lately I take great joy in dismantling my opponents mentally.  I want to push them to the point where there game breaks down.  It has nothing to do with sharking or mind games and everything to do with having a plan to be the smarter, more aware and mentally stronger player.  I don't feel like I can explain it adequately... you should definitely read the book."

So, I did.

And guess what?  I think I finally found the killer instinct.  I can't explain why, I can't explain what exactly this tennis book by Brad Gilbert shared that changed my mindset but Liz is correct: I want to win more than ever and I have no ill feelings if you happen to scratch, I beat you 7-0, or I follow the rules which leads to you losing.  I no longer am scared to win or take someone down or feel bad for my opponent.  As Liz explains, I too now take pride when my opponents are frustrated; I sometimes smile to myself, even.

I am simply more prepared to win.

Although Winning Ugly sounds like the book may be about sharking, it has nothing to do with. In tennis, Brad Gilbert "is the best in the world at the mental side of the game" and he shares his wealth of knowledge in this book and explains how he won millions (by being prepared).  

Brad Gilbert is not a well-known tennis player but pro tennis players know him well.  They would tell him he won ugly because he wasn't necessarily talented.  But he PREPARED.  The book tells you how he prepared.  How he took down the greats.  How he prepared before even setting foot in the arena.

I highly recommend the book - it's an easy read and chalk-full of great tips to develop a stronger mental game, if you've been looking for that.

I wish I could explain exactly how the book helped me be a more confident, prepared player, but I can't.  All I know is, if you have problems with the killer instinct or you want to be more prepared to "take people down" as Liz stated, I highly recommend Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert.