Goals & Defining “Accomplishments”

If you asked a room of 20 pool players to share their biggest accomplishment, you will hear several answers. If you shared your own accomplishments, some may agree with your success. Some others may have a different idea of what is important to them. One player may feel proud of accomplishing top shooter in their league. Another may feel it’s an accomplishment to just draw the cue ball two inches. Many will agree that winning a national championship is a pretty big feat. And for some, setting specific goals and reaching them are how they define an accomplishment. The only person that can define an accomplishment for you is YOU. I spent two years working with The Monk, learning all that I know today about this great game. But, it wasn’t until I defined my own goals and accomplishments that I was able to achieve them for me, not for anyone else. It was then that I realized my own dreams and accomplishments were not, and did not need to be, the same as someone else’s. Nor, could I allow anyone to set them for me. I had to define them for myself. If “winning” tournaments is an accomplishment to you and you set a goal to win as many tournaments as possible, this is an easy task to complete. Simply only play in tournaments where you know you’re the favorite to win. You will never be challenged and you will always win. In this case, you will have accomplished your goal of winning many tournaments. However, if your goal is to become a better player, it’s critical to set specific benchmarks (i.e. stopping the cue ball, drawing the cue ball, running a rack…). Once you define your specific, attainable goals, each time they are reached, you can check it off your list and move on to the next one. Each time you check off something, feel proud of yourself. You just accomplished something that you set out to do! Who cares if your accomplishment is to run four consecutive balls when your teammate’s accomplishment is to break and run four consecutive racks?! You still accomplished what you set out to do. A few nights ago, I was working on The Monk’s “Keeping the Cue Ball off the Rail” exercise where you spread all 15 balls on the table and run them out in any order without letting the cue ball touch a rail. I shot 116 balls without a miss and felt just as excited as winning the 9 ball event last month. I did touch two rails, but it was my record high run for this exercise. If I defined an accomplishment only as “winning” something then I could not have been proud of my hard work. I would not have been satisfied with just shooting well without winning something. BUT! Since my goal is not only to win but to play strong, I was just as thrilled with my results. To me, it was as big of an accomplishment as any national title. The thrill of doing what you set out to do is an incredibly rewarding feeling. It’s a feeling you may never experience if you don’t set yourself up for it. Design goals that are tangible and set timelines for them. These goals may be shooting 50 stop shots without a miss, or breaking and running a rack of 9 ball, or being top shooter in your league, or winning a specific weekly tournament. Challenge yourself with new goals and afford yourself the opportunity to accomplish them. Because, trust me, the mission is to accomplish the goals, right? Just define it and do it.

Calibrate Your Stroke: The Stop Shot is Your Friend

(This is one of my favorites. This one is from the January 2005 issue of Professor Q Ball.) How many stop shots do you shoot in a day, a week, or a month? It takes more than just skill to pocket 100 consecutive, perfect stop shots without a miss. It takes discipline. Every player aims and views the contact point of an object ball a bit differently. Some players may have one eye that is more dominant than the other. Some players can see and feel the contact point of a cut shot without even having to look at it. Some players are able to drill balls into the center of the pocket with no problem while using extreme english. Whatever system you use to site your shots, just make sure it's consistent. Regularly shooting series of stop shots will help you determine whether or not your stroke is 'calibrated.' What do I mean by that? It's simple. When you shoot 10 stop shots and 8 of them consistently enter the left side of the pocket, you may be inadvertently putting some right-hand english on the cue ball. And likewise, if you shoot 8 to the right side of the pocket, you may be applying some left-hand spin. You can also tell if you are putting unwanted english on the cue ball when you break. The break shot is a firm stop shop, to put it simply. With an ideal break, your cue ball should stay in the middle area of the table. After you break, is your cue ball spinning in place to the left or right? If it is, that is another indication that you have put unwanted english on the cue ball. So, what does all this mean? Basically, shooting a rack or two of stop shots a day keeps the doctor away. Not really, but taking the time to set up at least one rack of stop shots for yourself, at least a few times a week, will really help you calibrate your stroke. Note: If you are shooting hundreds of stop shots but are still not getting the results you want, You may want to invest in a Jim Rempe Training Ball. These balls are great! Line it up to your shot and check the chalk mark on the ball to see where you actually hit it.

Giving 100%

(An oldie but goody. New material to come. This one is from the June 2005 issue of Professor Q Ball. Thanks for your patience.) This article is as simple as its title. Are you giving 100% to each and every shot you make? Did you make a solid decision, commit to it and follow through with your choice? Or, did you change your mind and reluctantly stroke the ball anyway? Did you allow the server walking in front of your table to distract you and then later use it as an excuse? When you think about all the possible factors involved in pocketing a ball, there is one important thing that only you can control. That is, the cue tip through the cue ball. When you make a conscious effort to really notice where you are contacting the cue ball, and not just where you are hitting the object ball, this is just another way to ensure your precision. Along with that, take the time to make sure your stance is solid and stable on each shot. Try not to just plop down, no matter how easy a shot may be. Give each shot your 100% respect. Also, once you are down on your shot, the only thing that should be going through your mind is delivering the necessary stroke to successfully pocket that object ball; visualize the object ball going into the pocket. The last thing that should be going through your mind is the last time you missed this shot, how you look, where you are on the tournament board, who your next opponent might be, what the score is, or how early you would have to play if you won this match. So, if you find yourself a victim of any of those thoughts, the next time you approach the table and approach your shot, just say to yourself “....100%....” Give yourself a little reminder to dedicate to the shot in front of you, and every shot after that, 100%, 100% of your knowledge, ability, and stroke.

Staying in the Game

I recently received a very nice compliment from a fellow player that this article was helpful to him. This is from the March 2005 issue of Professor Q Ball. Is your mind wandering while your opponent is at the table? Are you looking around? Are you wondering who you might play next? Are you watching the match on the table next to you? Are you hungry or thirsty, or do you need to use the restroom? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you may discover you have trouble staying in the game. Perhaps you struggle with maintaining a consistent level of concentration or physical stamina. Whatever the reason may be, it is important to keep your mind and your eye on your table. Staying alert and in the game helps prepare your mind and body for its turn at the table. Staying in the game means knowing what’s going on at all times during your match (not the match beside you.) It means you know whether you have stripes or solids because you were paying attention. It means you know if your opponent just fouled when it’s your turn. It means completely appreciating every stroke you make because you’re not thinking about anything other than what’s in front of you. I know it’s easy to want to know what’s going on across the room if everyone begins cheering or gasping. But, if you catch your mind wandering or notice yourself getting distracted from the game in front of you, consciously make yourself watch the table. Find a ball or a spot on the table to physically focus and force yourself to stare in that direction. Once you get into this habit, you’ll begin doing it naturally. Be sure to use the restroom or get food and water if you need to. Also, spend some time before each match just staring at the cue ball sitting on the table. Do some breathing, acclimate yourself to the environment and try to relax. Staring at the table will also help your eyes adjust to the lighting at the table you’re playing on. As we all know, lighting can vary from table to table. These are just some little things we can do during and prior to a match.