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Nick Prinsloo has been playing pool for a total of 21 years, 15 years competitively. Originally a pro-level snooker player and instructor, Nick discovered 9-ball and came to the US in 1998, where he has been playing on regional tours ever since.
Lately, Nick writes more about the game than he actually plays. Nick was the Guide for Billiards at About.com for almost four years. Nick's column archive is located here. |
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Lesson 4: Overcoming The Mental Barriers
Lesson 3 dealt with the tangible barriers that are presented to us by the game of pool, and what it takes to overcome them. This lesson tackles an aspect of the game which is invariably the deciding factor when it comes to being a champion: overcoming the abstract mental barriers. This would range from facing a difficult shot, to dealing with an opponent's good fortune (flukes, etc.), to playing a player much better than yourself, to playing in front of an audience; all common situations that arise - some repeatedly - during the course of a serious pool player's career. Basically, all such situations are beyond the direct control of the player. They also vary from situation to situation. How each situation affects you is really up to yourself. If you are going to get angry when your opponent gets more than his fair share of luck, nobody but you are to blame when it adversely affects your concentration for the rest of the game or match. Another common mental barrier experienced by almost every player is getting nervous when playing before an audience or playing an important match against a much stronger opponent than yourself. We all get nervous; even the best in the world. What separates the winners from the losers is that the winners handle that nervousness to the extent that it is no longer a barrier in their way to success. It is okay to feel edgy before or during an important match, as long as you still perform well under those circumstances. Next page >> Page 1, 2 Copyright © About.com | ||
