Grady “The Professor” Mathews once said, “Pool is 70 percent mental.” Over the years, you have probably made enough poor decisions to believe this is true. Why, then, do we associate our playing ability with physical skill? Honestly, some players are more definable by the way they think than by the way they stroke the cue ball. Take the big breaker who crushes the rack but throws a temper tantrum every time he scratches: Yes, he’s got a powerful stroke, but before long his em

General FAQs – Laws of Pool These apply to just about everyone. It is nearly impossible to avoid these laws and their consequence. They don’t apply every time, but when they do, it is a personal intervention from the hands of any one of the many billiard gods. • The more balls you make in an inning, the easier it is to miss an easy shot. • On a 9 Ball hill-hill game, if you make the 9 ball, the cue ball will scratch. • The better you play, the easier you can be beaten by a

We all know that our beliefs have a huge impact on our lives. From an early age we are in pursuit of the elusive self-belief. Discover it and almost anything can seem achievable, but we are also told that self-belief is something we either have or don’t have. It’s essentially a gift we are born with. The reality is you may not have natural self-belief but you can create it and it’s so much easier than you may think. For a greater understanding allow me to tell you a story. Sa

The last article we looked at how our physiology impacts our state. We will now place our focus on the second component that creates our state which is our internal representation (Our internal thoughts). This will provide a better understanding of what’s happening and how to implement change. Our emotions are created by a small part of the brain that for simplicity we will call the emotional brain. There are of course many causes for the emotional brain to become active, but

AWARENESS IS A SKILL Awareness of a shot is not something to try to achieve. You don’t actively create awareness. It is a skill you possess. When you automatically know that you are in line with the shot you are in the awareness mode. When you know the stroke, once again, it is the awareness mode. Most importantly, you know you are going to make the shot. That knowledge comes from your awareness skills. Practice shooting without thinking but being aware of the dynamics of the

The main difference between the professional player and the best amateur is that the pro does not miss shots. They have a unique way of aiming at the object ball.  And the men will not share this information with anyone, not even their wives. It is a closely guarded secret. The reason I share this with you is because it is time for you to think about how you are going to aim the ball. There are many systems out there that really create more confusion than anything else. Aimin

As you well know, I’m a Master Instructor that focuses a lot on mental game, so if you think you are getting a magical stroke tip here, this article may disappoint you.  But if you want enhance the way you think and allow yourself to deliver more straight, smooth strokes, well then maybe I can be of assistance. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRACTICING AND PLAYING There are fundamental differences between practicing and playing. One of the major differences between the two environme

As a Master Instructor, I work with numerous students each year. One of the most popular topics in pool of late has been the discussion of how professional players aim. Many pros use the old ghost ball system, or aim through the aid of their memory from thousands of shots they have struck during their careers. However, the majority of professionals prefer to use some type of concrete aiming system. Aiming systems range from the very simple to the complex (Center to Edge). P

As a Master Instructor, I get the privilege of working with junior players of all ability levels. Some are among the best in the world and many are striving to become the best they can be. Mental coaching for junior player is perhaps the most rewarding work I do. Teaching a young player how to develop a positive mindset and watching them grow in both ability and confidence is great! I not only help them become better players, but it will also help them in school and other s

When you are to arrive at your goals in pocket billiards you need to know exactly what your goals are. You don’t walk up to the ticket counter and ask for a ticket to California. You must specify which city and airport you intend to land in. Many players start out in this game with no real goal. They play, pound balls and learn from other amatuers as they go along. If they do have a goal it is vague with no real way to measure it. “I want to see how good I can get” is not me

A Pool Instructor’s Journey – Build the Foundation Fellow pool enthusiast – let me take the time to share my background as we begin this journey to continually improve your skills.  My name is Tanner Pruess and I was born in South Dakota, a haven for bar-table pool. Growing up with a long line of established pool players in my family tree aided to a decent game at a very young age. The biggest catalyst that turned me into a top rated amateur was attending a clinic hosted by R

Sometimes we face a shot with a tentative spirit. In our mind we remember missing that shot. Missing that shot has become a perception and we turned that perception into our mind set. From our mind set we act, we think and we perform. Practice is designed to erase our faulty perceptions about a missed shot. But we have missed too many shots, and even in practice we miss those shots. How do we develop a confident stroke? There will always be that shot that sticks out in our m