A Special Lesson
By The Monk
Date: Mon, May 5, 2003 @ 00:00:00 CDT
Topic: The Mental Game

Once you master the techniques found in my book "The Lesson" you will need to turn your attention on the mastery over self. It is time we sort out how we are going to apporach winning. It is one thing to run a rack, it is quite another thing to win. The closer we move to that ulitmate victory, the more we are bothered by interference. Shots that were easy and routine before, suddenly look harder now. This interference comes from our own confusion about winning. For some of us, we want to win, but we are not sure we want the responsibility of winning. We are not sure we want to stand in the spotlight, or listen to the jealous rumblings from those who lost. In the winning expereince we are about to tread in uncharted waters and this brings uncertainty. Remember, the brain does not want to deal with uncertianty and will do everything it can to keep you away from it.

At some point in your pool career you must define what it is you want from this game. I have recorded a tape "I Came To Win" that deals with this subject. Once you figure out what you want, you have a value. This value drives you on. It gives you energy.

There are two kinds of drives. The one you move towards and the one you move away from.

Take the value, "I want to win" That's a good drive. "But I dont' want to cause dissapointment in others". That's a moving away from value. When we play someone who is of lesser skill level, we have a hard time turning in our normal good game. "I want to win" but I don't want to raise my level of expectation. How many times have you complained when you were moved up a level? "I want to win" but I am embarassed to stand in the spotlight. How many time have you apologized for playing great?

Do you see the conflict here? One value to move towards, and one value to move away from. We want to win, but we do not want to experience the discomfort winning brings. When we are working our way through the winners bracket, our brain begins to think of the discomfort winning brings and little by little we begin to sabotage our performance. We are playing this game with conflict. We must reduce the conflict if we are to realize our true potential. When we play this game with unresolved conflict we often tire out before the tournament is done and fall victim to our own fatigue.

Change your value and you change your destiny. Learn to seek the uncertianty of winning. Learn to enjoy the dissapointment on the face of your opponent and learn to enjoy the spotlight winning brings.

Make as your value, your only value, "I CAME TO WIN" That is what you are all about. And measure your life by the moment. Once you do that, you will have no limits. Your moment, is the shot in front of you. Did you shoot that shot like you CAME TO WIN? May all the rolls go your way.



 Credits: The Monk Billiard Academy, founded in 1991 by Tim Miller, (The Monk) is dedicated to making you the best pool player you can become. Tim's unique philosophy on the inner game of pool has helped countless players realize the player within.



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