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Looking At Fear
by
Blackjack David Sapolis
Excerpt from The Growling Point
It’s your biggest nightmare. One day you can make that shot, the next day you can’t. Or, you do it perfectly in practice, but when it is time to do it in competition you choke.
Fear. You hate it. It can be paralyzing. It can make even the most patient player want to check him or herself into the psych ward. This article will help you look at fear in a totally new way. A way so different, so revolutionary, you may just want to write me a thank you note. So…
Are you ready to revolutionize the way you are looking at fear?
You work all day at the table on making shots and attaining pin point position. You do drill after drill to be sure that your stroke is fine tuned. Your coaches/instructors talk at length to you about the importance of having a smooth fluid stroke and a tight, solid stance. You always ensure that you have the proper body alignment while shooting. You know full well that shooting pool without proper alignment is like trying to thread a piece of spaghetti through the eye of a needle. Not easy and not very effective.
But what about the mind? The mind is a thought factory, creating thought after thought after thought. A mind out of control is the same as a stroke out of control; all over the place, and mostly in places where it doesn’t belong. Loose mind creates fear, frustration, doubt, and negativity. The opposite is also true. Tight mind creates fearlessness, positivity, confidence, and focus. So it’s simple, just as you work on how to correct and tighten your stance through correction and drills, do the same with your mind. Teach yourself how to tighten your mind through mental corrections and drills. Change the way you think about fear by simply seeing it as loose mind.
Fear is simply "loose mind".
You correct loose body (lazy stance) all the time. You would never let go of the cue ball with the match winning 9 ball sitting in the pocket. So why do we let go of the mind? Begin to correct loose mind just as you would any body position. Correct it non-emotionally. Whenever you feel fear, frustration or over-thinking, simply draw your attention to loose mind with a simple comment. Say something to yourself like, "my mind seems loose, what am I thinking?", or "I see fear is creeping in, just focus on the correction over and over." Teach yourself to identify loose mind whenever you feel it. Without awareness, making a correction is virtually impossible. Teach yourself to listen to what you are saying in your head. Then, "lock it down" by either saying cue words, corrections, or positive self statements.
Remember, when the mind is loose, negative thoughts have a free for all. They take any opportunity to sneak in and create fear. So how can you keep your mind tight? How can you "lock it down"? The following is a list of drills you can do to help anchor your mind. "Anchoring" keeps the mind tight, in proper alignment, so that negative thoughts cannot enter leading to fear and doubt.
Anchors for loose minds
Mental Choreography
The mind is simply another part of the body. In sport, you spend countless hours training your body for proper position, alignment, and technique. The mind must also remain in proper alignment in order to achieve success. One of the most important skills for any pool player is the ability to pull one’s mind back into proper position when it goes off course. Mental choreography is the blinders for the mind. It keeps the mind tight and provides a resting place when it goes off course. We know that the biggest cause of poor performance is out of control thinking. Keeping the monkey-mind occupied and "out of trouble" is key. Using mental choreography enables the mind to stay focused, centered, and on track.
Mental Choreography words are verbal cues words used to keep the mind tight during performance. These words are used before, during, and after performance, not only during difficult points in the match. When these words are done during every shot, or stroke, your words serve as a resting place for your mind. This is the secret gift of mental choreography. Once it becomes second nature and automatic, it will carry you through during the difficult or trying times. The words will allow the mind to become "non-thinking", thus in the zone. The zone is ultimate "tight mind".
There are three types of Mental Choreography thoughts to utilize as mental cues when you’re afraid:
Technical Statements: Statements or corrections ("lift", "tight", "shoulders square")
Energy Statements: Statements that bring energy up or down ("go!", "push here!", and "relax" "breathe")
Confidence Statements: Statements that encourage and build trust (i.e. "I can do it", "I've done it before")
Focus on these cue words to lock down your mind and keep it tight.
Anchor phrases
Anchor phrases are any phrase or series of actions that help tighten your mind. The mind must be anchored strong and steady in order to stay on course in the turbulence of negative thinking. Just as you pull your cue back to perform your stroke, you can pull your mind back the same way by using an anchor.
An anchor is a series of thoughts or actions that will pull your mind back to perfect mental position. An anchor is a series of strong "come-backs" to those negative thoughts keeping you in fear and doubt. Anchors help you return to focus, fearlessness, and doubtlessness. Examples of strong anchors include: "breathe, stay on course, I can do this", "breathe, tight mind, don’t go there", or "relax, keep it cool, it’s no big deal." Each anchor statement should include breathing and positive self-talk. The anchor should break the downward spiral of frustration, fear, or nervousness, and get your mind back on course. Whenever you notice loose mind, pull it back by telling yourself to "go get a drink, and use my anchor", or "do some drills and use your mental anchor", or simply, "anchor my mind".
The Confidence Bank
For most players, fear is simply a deficit in confidence. Look at your mind as a confidence bank. When positive deposits go up, the mind feels an abundance of confidence. When you’re in a deficit in the confidence account, the mind feels fear and worry. Have a wealth of confidence by building up your accounts. An account is built by success. Even successful shots can make your bank overflow. See fear as a lack of confidence. Even if you have made the shot hundreds of times, if you are fearful, then you are lacking in confidence. Remember, fear isn’t always rational. As you as you see fearful behavior, especially balking, help create success by going back to the last successful shot. Build up the bank again, before pushing yourself to take the next shot. It’s important to note, that the mind seems to focus on failures more than successes. A player can successfully perform a shot over and over again, just to have all of that shattered by a scratch, miscue, or a bad miss. Don’t forget about your successes - the shots that do drop. They are just as important as times when you are having difficulty.
Watch your Language!
What you say to yourself is extremely important. Maybe even more important than what others say to you! Are you creating an atmosphere in your head of fear, or one of confidence? What we put energy into grows bigger. Putting energy into fear, even overcoming it, fuels the fear beast. Use language with yourself that changes the way you view fear.. The following are some phrases to use in order to build confidence and take the focus off of fear.
It’s ok, I just need to build up your confidence.
Tight mind, I can see my fear beast coming up.
Go back and do some drills. Let’s build up my confidence bank.
Check my thoughts. I am having loose mind.
Anchor my mind. Focus on the correction and put it on automatic.
Don’t think about anything but this correction. Say it over and over again in my head.
Walk through the pre-shot routine saying my key words.
My monkey mind is getting me into trouble. Focus on this correction.
Remember, look at fear as simply loose mind. It can be corrected, there are drills for it. Correct loose mind quickly and easily before you lose yours.
BREAKING DOWN THE BLOCKS
It’s so frustrating. One minute you can pocket balls, the next minute you can’t. So many players can shoot perfectly one day, only to find themselves losing it, or worse yet, not even being able to go for it at all. Take the story of Don for example,
"One day I was breaking the balls perfectly. I was making the corner ball and consistently getting a shot on the 1 ball and running out. It was great! The next day I came to the table and couldn’t make anything. Nothing fell on the break, I missed easy shots, it was like I was scared. It was like I had a block inside my body that said "don’t go for it. You’ll never make that shot. I was frustrated. I wasn’t sure what was going on."
This happens to every player at one time or another. A block is so strong that it shakes your confidence down to the very core. This article will give you some tools to help you break down the block so that the block doesn’t break you down.
Where do Blocks come from?
All fears and blocks come from out of control thinking. The mind controls the body. If you are not feeling confident or are thinking negative thoughts, the body responds with fear and balking. It’s strange, but sometimes you are totally unaware that this is happening. Many players say they are not afraid, but continue to balk on shots, or duck tough shots. If there is balking, there is some kind of fear. It may be a fear about something that has never happened. Or something that might happen. It might be a response to too much pressure. It might be that your stroke doesn’t feel natural. Whatever it is, the key is to change your thinking! What are you thinking as you’re practicing and playing?
We all know how powerful the mind is. Think of the mind like a sailboat on the ocean of life. As the boat sails, thoughts control the weather. Negative thought patterns create storms and blocks in our lives, while positive thought patterns create smooth sailing. The disciplined player has as much control of their thoughts as a musician has control of his instrument. It is essential to increase awareness of when your thoughts become out of control. A "tight mind" is one that is focused, effortless, confident, rational, and in control. A "loose mind" is negative, dramatic, irrational, over-thinking, doubtful and out of control. Most blocks come from having a loose mind. Too many times, the mind becomes loose, going off on it’s own "field trip" of negativity and doubt. These field trips may lead to losing a game, or even the entire match. Remember, out of control thinking leads to out of control performance.
Battling the Block: 3 Keys to Breakthrough
A pool player battling the block needs to bring out the entire army. There are three aspects of training that are especially helpful. Only utilizing one or two of these aspects is like fighting a battle with one hand tied behind your back. Two of these training interventions are physical one is mental. It’s very common for players (as well as instructors) to do the physical interventions without addressing the mental part. Since we know that blocks are mostly mental, it’s crucial that instructors and players address the mental side too! The two physical aspects are progressive drills and repetitions, the mental aspect is tightening the mind.
#1: Progressive Drills
First thing to do when you have a block is go back to the earliest progressive drill you can complete successfully. Progressive drills are drills that have advancing degrees of difficulty. Perhaps it is a long cut shot with the object ball on the top rail. Perform the shot over and over at various distances and angles until you become very successful at making the shot. Keep increasing difficulty until your feel confident doing the skill again. After you become very confident, try the shot one handed or opposite handed. Always raise the bar and challenge yourself. I don’t care of you have to close your eyes to enhance the difficulty, practice the shot every way imaginable.
#2: Repetitions
Along with the drills, you must take repetitive shots, like practicing your break shot. Break the balls over and over, trying to stick the cue ball, and control the one ball. Do it over and over until you get sick of it. Do the same thing with a shot that you missed in your last match. Keep doing it until you begin to say, "I can do this", rather than "I can’t do this". Make the successful completion of this repetitive shot second nature, so that when you are in competition your moves and mental state will be natural, not choppy or unfamiliar. You will be motivated by the confidence that you can successfully make the shot, rather than being controlled by the fear that says that you won’t.
#3: Tools to Tighten the Mind
Progressive Drills and repetitions can’t break the block alone. Dealing with the problem directly will help the block break easier and faster. The best way to break the block cycle is combining progressive drills, repetitions, and tight mind tools. Here are the three most effective mental tools to break the block.
Mental Choreography (MC)
Never underestimate the importance of mental choreography (MC) or "key thoughts" . MC more than any other tool helps to tighten the mind. Think of MC as blinders for the mind. MC keeps your mind "locked down" so that distraction or doubt can not interfere with your focus. Create key thoughts that you say to yourself for any skill you feel blocked on. Say those thoughts in your head whenever you are down in your stance taking the shot. That is the most important part. As you take each shot, be sure to say your mental choreography words. Your key thoughts will help your body and mind to work together to complete the task automatically.
Visualization
What you think is what you do. Imagine yourself taking and making the shot in your mind to break the block cycle. Practice imagining yourself making the shot while your eyes are open, looking at the shot. If you are blocked on a particular bank shot, stand at the table facing that shot and visualize yourself making the shot perfectly. Be sure to do your mental choreography words every time you imagine yourself doing the skill. This pairs the words you say with completing the task. In addition to visualizing, walk through the shot you are blocked on. Pay attention to each and every one of your stroke movements while saying mental choreography. Feel yourself taking the shot as much as possible. Slowly perform each practice stroke and the final stroke from start to finish.
Anchors
It’s important to be aware when your mind is loose and off track. Then, you must have enough determination to pull it back on course. The turbulent thoughts of your mind can pull your sailboat way off track. At times, pulling it into the dangerous whirlpools of the Bermuda Triangle! Your mind must be anchored strong and steady to stay on course in the storm of negative thinking. Just as you pull your stroke back to proper position to make a technical correction, you can pull your mind back the same way by using an anchor.
Your anchor is a series of thoughts or actions that will pull your mind back to focus and doubtlessness. Your anchor will be strong "come-backs" to negative thoughts. Helping your mind return to focus, fearlessness, and doubtlessness. Examples of strong anchors include: "breathe, stay on course, I can do this", "breathe, tight mind, don’t go there", or "relax, keep it cool, it’s no big deal." Each anchor statement should include breathing and positive self-talk. Your anchor should break the downward spiral of frustration, fear, or nervousness, and get your mind back on course. Whenever you feel a block coming on, use your anchor to move you to a positive place.
Remember to keep it cool.
Breaking the block is something all players can do. It’s important to keep a positive attitude. Stress feeds the Block Beast. The more you tell yourself, "I’m getting over this", "I know I can get this back", "It’s getting better every day", the quicker you will break the block. Don’t let negative thinking defeat you. Stay positive, stay totally doubtless, knowing you will get the consistency back. Sometimes the more pressure you put on yourself the worse the block. Keep it cool. Let go and trust you’ll be back in the winner’s circle in no time!
Copyright 1995 Blackjack David Sapolis