My psychology training taught that the subconscious does not parse the negative in the "Don't miss." Guaranteed miss.
This is what I was referring to in an earlier post in this thread where I stated the conscious mind, that little voice in our head, has NO place being anywhere near a pool table while playing this game.
It’s also why I don’t believe in the premise of the initial post in this thread regarding “helpful phrases” or little “positive mantras” people repeat to themselves, and lastly, with the misguided mental performance coach’s who preach and prescribe “positive self talk” as a way to better performance.
You have to spend the time to develop the skills required to play this sport through rote repetition. Once you have developed those skills, the goal is to achieve “flow state” in practice and competition, this is done through visualization.
We are nothing more as humans than advanced computers. Every shot you have ever hit, is a file within your subconscious mind. When players have “those magical days”, where they couldn’t miss, couldn’t put a foot wrong, are then perplexed when during their next session that it’s gone. If you play like that once, then you can play that way EVERY TIME. It’s a matter of understanding how to access this flow state. That is done through complete visualization of each shot prior to dropping on the ball, seeing it in it’s entirety, from dropping on the shot, to it’s successful execution, to the cue ball traveling the path you intend to proper shape on the next shot. This is how you pull up that file from your subconscious, seeing it in your mind, feeling it in your hands, trusting in the practice and training you have put in to develop the skills required to perform it. See it, don’t THINK about it, your hands are smarter than your head is ever going to be. And as you allude to in your post I quoted, our subconscious isn’t directed by language, that little voice in your head. It is directed by pictures, visions, silently seeing it in your mind. It really is that simple.
EDIT for one final thought,
Get out of your own way.
