Keeping Your Cool In Tough Situations

Pool has been described as 20% mechanics and 80% mental. I don't think "mental" is the right word for the 80% that's not physical. "Mental/Emotional" comes a little closer to the truth but isn't it either. The way I see it, 20% mechanics, 10% mental (your thought processes and tactical planning) and 70% something else would better describe it. What is that "something else?" There may not be a single word for the relaxed focus and clear headed determination (without trying too hard) that is key to playing top notch pool. However, there is a single word for an opponent's attempts to disturb that "something else." - Sharking.

This month's PoolSynergy topic is: 3 tips. I have chosen 3 tips that I hope will help you keep your focus in challenging situations (dealing with sharking is one of them). If you're not yet familiar with PoolSynergy, it's a cooperative effort of some of the best and most committed owner/operators of pool websites. A theme or topic is chosen by the host which all participants write about. You can find a complete list of all of the November posts at this month's host, John Biddle's site: Pool Student's blog. You can find PoolBum's submission HERE.

Dealing With Sharking

Sharking can take many forms. The most widely recognized and widely used is moving around in the direct or peripheral vision of the shooter. The goal of all shark "moves" is to distract you so you miss a shot or generally to get you out of your game so your overall performance declines. Sharking can be obvious or so subtle you may not notice it at first and you may even question if it was a purposeful act at all. It can be physical or mental/psychological. It can even be unconscious and a more or less innocent act.

When someone innocently distracts us, it is our responsibility to get up from the shot, refocus and go through our complete shot routine again. When someone intentionally distracts us, it is our responsibility to get up from the shot, refocus and go through our complete shot routine again.

Seems to me that motivation for intentional sharking can be attributed to two possibilities or a combination of the two. In a gambling or tournament match the reason can boil down to simple greed. A person's integrity takes a backseat to their desire for personal gain. Others get so wrapped up in winning at pool that their sense of self can be undermined if they lose. If you are a perpetrator, you may want to do some serious introspective contemplation. However, I have no doubt that PoolBum visitors are way too classy for such shenanigans.

Here are some common examples:

• "You have such an easy layout that my blind grandmother could run out." (This is to make us feel more pressure to succeed and self-conscious if we fail to run out.)
• "Lotta green!" is a ploy that is as old as dirt and can be heard in every pool hall and bar around the globe. This of course, to make sure we recognize the difficulty of a long shot.
• "Wow, what happened?" (After you miss a shot, as if they would never miss that shot.)
• "Why didn't you play that shot a different way (e.g., with draw or right English) so you'd have better position?" And then they try to explain how they would have played it just to make sure you know how much better/smarter they are. We all see things differently, have different strengths as well as different strokes so naturally we devise different plans to get through a rack. Besides, hindsight is 20/20 and everyone runs out from the sidelines. The key factor here is that no one should be so "helpful" during a match.
• Trying to elicit an emotional response can be a very effective shark. Starting an argument or getting angry and slamming their cue down are examples. If you're not careful, an angry outburst can get you in your head thinking about your opponent and out of your game. With a head full of thoughts, it can be very hard to give each shot your 100% attention.
• Trying to engage you in conversation in an attempt to get you thinking and out of your game.
• Slow playing. Hard to keep a rhythm when someone plays very slow. I used to play a fellow one-pocket who would study the table at great length even if the shot was an obvious one. Before each shot he would count his pocketed balls, often multiple times. It was so boring I started bringing a book to our matches and pretend to read (sometimes it wasn't an act). When he figured out that his ploy wasn't going to work, he started playing at a faster clip.
• Physical sharks: Wiggling those bright new white tennis shoes in your shot line is a favorite. Getting out of their chair just as you're pulling the trigger on the final shot of the game, acting like they expected you to make it and were only getting up to rack. One fellow I know, had a very creative technique of when sitting behind his opponent he would gently blow on his opponents back arm. Of course he would act innocent, look away and feign not even paying attention to the shot.

What does it tell us when your opponent stoops to these antics. In a way, it's really a compliment. If you choose, you can see it this way and even smile to yourself. They feel threatened by you. What bigger compliment could you ask for? But even as a compliment, it can be disturbing.

Here's a little story about something that happened to me in a 9 ball tournament. I was playing a fairly well known and respected player (I'll call him Sam) but I wasn't thinking about that. In fact, I had a clear head and was playing only the shot I had at that moment. I definitely was not thinking about anything in the future, like if I would miss and certainly not about the final outcome of winning or losing. The tournament was a "rack your own," race to 9 format. I won the coin toss and then the first 3 games with 2 break and runs and a safety which got me ball-in-hand. I ran out that rack as well. He won the 4th game.

As he was finishing racking for himself, he looked up with a really big smile and says, "Wow, at least you won't skunk me."

That was the best and most subtle shark I have ever seen. My thoughts turned to something I really hadn't considered, the possibility that I might actually beat Sam. My focus shifted from pocketing balls to winning. Long story short, my play took a drastic downturn. It was only after the match that I could see what had happened. I lost 9 - 5.

If seeing it as a compliment doesn't work for you, you can choose to see it as a challenge or a great training exercise for keeping your focus no matter what your opponent does. No doubt, there will be more shark attempts in your future so you might as well include it in your training. Seriously, seeing it as training will help you stay emotionally detached from it.

There are other ways to fend off these attempts to get you out of your game. If your opponent does something that disturbs your inner peace/focus, you can take a break. Go to the bathroom, rinse your face and realize that what they are doing says very clearly that your game threatens them and they're afraid of losing to you.

If your opponent talks during your shot, try simply sitting down and giving them your full attention. When they ask why you're sitting (they will), just say, "I thought you wanted to talk and that's fine. I'll just shoot when "we" are done talking."

In all major tournament events, players are required to be in their seat while their opponent is at the table. Often we are told to remain silent during our opponent's turn and even saying: "nice shot" is not permitted. If your opponent is determined to be obnoxious, it can sometimes be necessary to inform an official about their bad behavior. If this happens, it's best to simply go to the official, report your concerns and then return to your seat or take a break. At this point, it's no longer your problem and you should let the official deal with it. I try to not even pay attention to what's being said and would prefer to not have any further involvement and try to relax and maintain focus. However, informing an official or directly confronting the offender can work against you. Anything that gets you away from the table and your game for an extended time can make it hard to find your rhythm again. This is exactly what your opponent wants.

Sometimes it's best to just pretend/assume that whatever they're doing is unintentional (even if it's obviously on purpose) and simply ask politely that they stop: "I know you're not doing this on purpose but it's distracting to me and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop," will often do the trick. Is there any real advantage to taking him to task, being self-righteous and "right" if it gets you so far out of your game that it costs you the match? Stay cool headed.

A match can take several hours so unless it's a tournament draw, I have a simple philosophy regarding who I play because enjoying my time playing pool is important to me. I won't subject myself to spending an extended period of time with someone I don't like to be around or who lacks common courtesy. If someone is a real jerk, how much money is it worth to spend the entire evening with them? And what if I lose? Just that thought alone, even if they do nothing wrong has caused me to have extraneous thoughts which can make staying focused a challenge. Like the old saying goes: first time, shame on them, second time, shame on me.

Bottom line, take responsibility for your own state of consciousness whether it's disturbed by your opponent or the weekend ball banger on the next table. Make clear decisions about how you'll deal with shark attempts. Clearly see and laugh at the ridiculousness and the humor of it. Spend a moment (only a moment) and think about what's being communicated by your opponent. Close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing, relax and refocus.

Playing Through An Embarrassing Gaffe

There are many things that can shake our confidence but only if we allow them to. Examples are: Jumping the cue ball over the ball we were trying to pocket with draw (always fun if the cue ball flies directly into the pocket), miscues in general, missing a ball-in-hand shot, or for that matter, missing any "easy" shot. Realizing that pool is a game of highs and lows, stellar play and mistakes can help. After all, this is what keeps our interest. It's no different for your opponent and you can be sure that your opponent has made the same (or worse) blunders. Whatever the error, just resolve to practice that situation at your next opportunity and let it go. Deciding to work on that part of your game is all that can be done at that moment.

• Missing ball in hand. What could be more embarrassing than this? Take heart. The truth is that everybody loses focus on the occasional shot. I always find it reassuring, having seen Efren Reyes miss ball in hand. Granted that he was trying to accomplish very delicate positioning between two balls. But the fact remains, his eyes left the shot and went to the track he wanted the cue ball to take and bingo, he missed. He just smiled and scratched his head. If Efren can miss ball-in-hand, what makes me think that I should be immune?
• Not running out. Even a seemingly wide open table can present difficulties and sometimes we may not recognize a tough transition from one ball to another. In Bob Fancher's book about the mental game of pool: Pleasures of Small Motions, he explains that even a rack that has a series of relatively high percentage shots, when taken together (combined with position play) represents a run-out potential of a much lower percentage.
• If you find yourself with a tough shot in a run out that you thought should have been easy, play the shot as if you had just come to the table. Don't get caught in the trap of being too attached to the run-out. If the right decision is a safety, take it. Give yourself the best chance to return to the table. Don't force the run by taking an aggressive, low percentage shot and risk missing and giving your opponent a chance for the win.
• If you miscue or jump the cue ball over your intended target, it can only mean one thing: you're not hitting the cue ball precisely. Specifically, jumping over a ball when attempting to draw means you hit the cloth first. You can confirm this by looking for that nice chalk mark left on the surface. Rather than torturing yourself about it, your time would be better spent considering what happened and resolving to not make the same mistake again. Were you attempting to draw the ball more than you are able? If the shot requires more backspin than you can comfortably achieve, pick a different position path or play safe. Decide that you will practice your draw shots so when faced with a similar shot, you'll be successful. A serious match is not for practice, it's time to bring to the table what you already have mastered. Once you have thought about these things and made a commitment to practice them, let it go. If practice is needed, you can't do it now, so what's the point of all the repetitive thoughts? This should only take a minute or two and then relax and refocus so you're ready for your next turn.

Playing A Champion

I have found myself in matches that I am so totally outclassed, it would take a small miracle (as opposed to a big one like the parting of the Red Sea) for me to win. I know it and if there are spectators (there usually are in these situations), they all know it, too. Now you may be saying, "Wow, what a negative attitude to have going into a match." Maybe so, but trying to convince myself that I have anything more than a snowball's chance in hell of beating Scott Frost in a one-pocket match or Earl Strickland in a 9 Ball match can have the opposite effect of what I'd like.

How do you prepare for and play a match with the likes of Jose Parica, "Hillbilly" Charlie Bryant, Gabe Owen, Earl Strickland, Tony Robles, Mike Davis, Scotty Frost, Cliff Joyner, Jeremy Jones, Danny Basovitch or Danny Harriman? The fact is, I am not a world class player and I have drawn all of the above individuals in tournaments at least once. My first round draw in 4 consecutive one pocket tournaments was Scott Frost. By the 4th, he looked at me incredulously and said, "you again?" I mean really, what are the odds?

If trying to talk myself into the idea that I am a contender can have the opposite effect of what I'd like, what do I want in a match like this? Simple, I want to bring my best game to the table and learn something from the unique chance of competing with a world class player. Seriously, in what other sport could you get this sort of opportunity? A round of golf with Tiger Woods, some one-on-one with Michael Jordan? First, you'd have to get past their body guards!

Here are some things I have learned about playing top players: The first top pro I drew was Jose Parica in a Grady Mathews' Legends of One Pocket event. I was so nervous I could hardly breathe. No kidding. I actually had one real opportunity but was unable to capitalize. It would have won that game if I had. There were around 30 railbirds but with each less-than-world-class shot, that number seemed to grow. By the end, it felt as if the crowd could fill the stands of Wrigley Field and they all knew the truth: I'm a hack. Race to 3, final score 3-0.

After the match, one of the spectators came over to me and made a comment about the incredible "heat" of playing Jose Parica. He said he didn't think he would hold up as well as I had. True or not, what a kind thing to say! It made me realize that all the spectators weren't judging me as harshly as I had imagined. Some, if not most understood our sport well enough to have some empathy and even to appreciate my effort.

I went on to win my next match with a player about my speed. My next match was with Scott Frost (the eventual tournament winner). He had been sent to the one-loss side by Jose (2nd place). My nervousness was pretty much gone and I played well. Luckily, I hadn't heard that in his previous match he won 3-0 in 18 minutes! Scott won the first game and I won the second. The third and forth games were closely contested but ultimately Scott won both (8-7 & I don't remember the other). Final match score 3-1. People actually applauded and I got congratulated for doing so well against Scott.

What was different about the match with Scott and the match with Jose? For starters, I wasn't trying to win. I was simply playing each shot with the intention of succeeding, at that one shot. I had stopped feeling that the audience would judge me to be a "bad" player if I lost or made a mistake. What a foolish notion, the consensus then (as now) is that Scott is one of the top 5 one-pocket players in the world. To say he was a favorite is a monumental understatement.

The other thing that comes into play in a situation like this, with me not feeling the "heat" and playing pretty well, it can put some serious pressure on my opponent. After all, he is "supposed" to win, everyone expects him to win. What a shock if he were to get knocked out by an unknown player! As some of you have probably noticed, playing a weaker player that you "should" beat can be a little unsettling. Don't imagine that top players are immune to nervousness or the ego battles that happen in each of us.

I have an Accu-Stats video 9 Ball match between Buddy Hall and Grady Mathews. The format of the video is that afterwards, the players watch the video together and commentate their own match. It's a great way to get an idea of what they were thinking during the match. At one point, Buddy misses a very makeable shot. He explained that he was so nervous that he jumped up. I could hardly believe it, "The Rifleman" gets nervous? Sure. Great players are not machines. One of the differences between a good player and a champion is how they deal with their fears. Buddy recovered and went on to win.

If you can handle getting beat, I strongly recommend that intermediate players, local A players and solid league players pony up an entry fee to a major event. If you draw a champion, great. It can make a difference in your game. There is much to be learned from being that close to a great player. It also served to help me not be intimidated by the top local players at home. Missing a shot is not likely to keep me in my seat as long as missing a shot against John Schmidt.

One of the first of many things I noticed was that often, a difficult offensive shot that I would have taken, a top player won't. Given a choice, they play safe. Hmm, if a former US Open Champ, like Gabe Owen would duck on this or that shot, what in the world was I thinking to play offensively in a similar situation?

Don't expect to win. Don't expect anything. Just play your game and allow the results to take care of themselves.

During the years I toured, I got past a few second tier players but never a top pro. The small miracle I needed for that never happened. However, my game improved, I made it to the hill a couple times, made some friends and had a lot of fun. Small miracles in themselves.

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