As human beings, it's our cognitive abilities that differentiate us from animals and allows us to think, reason, and emotionally respond to situations and circumstances. When we are "on our game," we are alert, attentive, and prepared for anything life throws at us. On the other hand, when we are tired and unfocused, the result is poor attention to detail and concentration, resulting in sloppiness, mistakes, and personal frustration.

The game of pool relies heavily on mental sharpness (or cognitive abilities), as there is a much heavier slant toward thinking than there is physical strength and conditioning. In fact, pool is right there with golf as being two of the most "mental" sports athletes like to play. Ironically, even though mental sharpness is a key component to pool success, far too many players allow themselves to become mentally exhausted, often resulting in poor pool play.

If you are a player that regularly plays for hours on end - oftentimes throughout the night - ask yourself how sharp you feel after playing for such a long time? If you are like most players, mental fatigue eventually sets in, along with physical exhaustion from being up all night, usually resulting in sloppy play (as well as a lot of frustration and anger, too).

For athletes, there is a widely-accepted "zone of optimal performance" that scientists describe as being the perfect balanced harmony between the brains thinking and the body's behaviors. Most players call this being "in the zone," and scientific findings do in fact support this theory (only scientists call it being in "flow").

While getting in the zone can be a challenge, what we do know is that physical and mental exhaustion will make getting in the zone almost impossible. In order to get in the zone, attention and focus must be strong and on-target, and the body needs to feel energized, not lethargic. Obviously, the chances of feeling this way decreases over time, especially during those all-night tournaments and ring games.

Oftentimes in life we overlook the obvious when working on self-improvement, and with pool playing success it's no different. Before going out to buy an expensive cue, or taking more lessons from a pro, try to instead look at your level of mental sharpness, and the effect playing for hours on end does to your mental focus and concentration. Many times simple, strategic changes lead to dramatic results, allowing players to more regularly play to their full potential.

Dr. Christopher Stankovich is a nationally acclaimed expert in Sport Psychology and the Founder of Advanced Human Performance Systems. For more information on performance-enhancement products, including the exclusive "Mind of Steel for Pool Success" visit www.drstankovich.com