Johnny Henson, Professor Pool
My partner and fellow Professional Billiard Instructor Association (PBIA) and American Cue Sports (ACS) instructor, Steve Farmer, recently wrote the outline for this article. I feel that this is a subject that every player has been a victim of from time to time, myself included.
When playing against a player who you feel to be at a lower skill level than yourself, you can often lose focus, and don’t play up to your regular playing level. It has been said or called playing down to the skill level of the opponent. Many times players don’t even realize we are doing this until they have lost a game or match to a player that they would normally not have trouble beating.
Some ways or signs that we may be letting our guard down may be: Not following our normal pre-shot routine, being sloppy and not giving every shot the attention it deserves, losing focus and going into a game or match assuming that if you miss you will always have another shot or chance to win. This wrong and misguided mindset is the recipe for losing games and matches that you should never lose.
You must approach each shot and game with a champion mindset, as if you miss a shot you may never get another chance to shoot or win. Champion mindset is playing with true focus and a real purpose. Loss of real focus usually equals to the loss of the game. Having a champion mindset will include many things that you need to think of and concentrate on. Start with focusing on every shot and giving each the attention it deserves. One great shot at a time is the road to victory. When the shot is not there then play smart and play defense. Don’t give a weaker player easy chances to beat you. Stick to your normal playing process regardless of the playing ability or skill level of your opponent. Set high match goals of beating your opponent 2 to 0, or 3 to 0 to help you stay focused during each game and match. The more you embrace victory the less you have to endure the agony of defeat. Doing these things will lead to wins and victories and make your opponents respect your game more.
With proper training and instruction, you can take your billiards game to new heights in a very short period of time. Contact us for more information at [email protected] or call 623-377-0042. Visit BilliardUniversity.com to learn more about our classes and mentorship programs.