I play pool with a 'mental condition' if you want to call it that. I have Aspergers Syndrome (AS) which is a high-functioning Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
I prefer to use the word GIFT to disability, but that's just me.
I will say with some conviction that pool is one of the toughest games to play with AS. The swings in the game can be huge, luck can play a part and not being able to play at your usual speed can be more frustrating than it really should be.
I have done a lot to research on the condition and to analyse my own behaviours and to see how I tick. I accept my limitations in social situations - I can only really do 1-on-1 conversation as opposed to large groups. Sometimes I can be withdrawn and not want to say much. Sometimes I think inappropriate things or find the most immature things funny but you'll never know because I say nothing or give away anything to express how I feel.
In pool specifically I had MAJOR issues when I picked up a cue for the first time last year. If I played a top amateur player who hardly ever missed, then dogged an easy ball it was a headf**k for me to even get to the table and play my shot, because I wasn't expecting a chance at the table. I couldn't adjust to the change in 'routine' - that being he shouldn't ever miss an easy ball.
I also had problems with flukes, the same way I had frustrations with river cards that led to a downward spiral for me in poker. Someone wins a rack that in my mind they 'shouldn't deserve to win'. GG WP opponent, you won cause you got me thinking for the match about one shot that was badly played.
I would have perceptions that people were all against me because I was new to the game and new to the area, when in reality they just wanted to see how I played.
Basically...anything I couldn't cope with mentally was an excuse for me to lose.
HOW I TURNED IT AROUND
First and foremost, for me the idea of looking like a complete idiot didn't appeal to me. It doesn't in any other part of life so why should I let it spill over to pool. I won't lie, it's a grind for me to stay on top of things but I respect myself so much more for being able to handle all my issues in such an effective way by introducing coping mechanisms and having mottos for everything to help me through.
The idea of pool for me is to have enjoyment and to win. If I want to enjoy pool I have to be playing and not sat in my chair, and this thought consumes me to a point where I no longer give a shit if somebody misses a shot they shouldn't. I'm grateful for a chance to get to the table, and likewise even if I'm hooked with a 5 rail kick as my only option, I'm just as happy to be at the table. You cannot win while being sat in your chair, so forget your stupid ideas and just wait for your chance to get to the table!!!
Pool is a massive test of a neuro-typical (you might refer to this as 'normal') persons character let alone somebody with Autism or a condition close to it. But it is a challenge that I've relished and taken on board.
Being understanding of my condition, it's limitations and my appreciation for what it has done for me in positive ways too makes it a lot easier to embrace. I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm proud to have Aspergers, but it has sure gained me a lot of achievements in different walks of life that I dont think I'd have achieved without it.
Not to blow my trumpet too much and I'm sorry if thats how it sounds but I have..
* By the age of 6 I could tell you every King and Queen of England and Scotland, and the years of which they ruled to and from, and which family they belonged to.
* By the age of 8 I could tell you every flag, capital city and basic statistics for every country in the world and give a basic history of the country and how it came about.
* Learned to play darts in February 2006, but August 2006 I played PDC darts circuit and by November 2006 I had beaten the then world ranked #6 Andy Jenkins 5-4 in a tournament in Scotland. Most pub players can play for a lifetime and never come close, but I did it in 8 months from throwing my first arrow!!!
* Learned to play chess in July 2008. Beat an International Master just a year after in a complex game in a simultaneous display where I had to play with precision to win.
In short, AS gives me a chance to soak up knowledge like a sponge and apply it a little easier. I don't think I'd be playing pool half decently in just over a year of play (I've ran plenty of 2 packs which isn't great but not bad for 1 year of play) and gained the knowledge I have if it wasn't for my gift.
This is as epic as a post can be so I'll shut up now.
I wanted to give my experiences as a person who faces the difficulties pool provides in a confident manner despite having hurdles to cross. If you want it summed up in a sentence, then being understanding of yourself and what you can/can't do will aid you greatly in managing yourself in life, not just at the pool table. It has meant I can be a good dad when my baby is born next month, it means I have a fiancee who dotes on me as much as I dote on her, and I pretty much have a normal life. Something that most people with disorders are not afforded as they are wrapped in cotton wool by too many people
Baz
