Don't Name That Dog!

Sooner32 said:
things I say to myself at the table.
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My self to self talk can be powerful. My favorite outcome came playing for the point in a big 2 day bar box 9 ball event. I had never made it that deep in a big event with a large gallery. I kinda seized up and time after time got to the 7 or 8 and Missed. As I racked my final time down 6-2 going to 7 my talk was similar to the movie Tin Cup. Self says, "Don't worry about looking helpless. You've already done That! This is a big event and perhaps he has never been on the big stage Either. How about if You, I, We just quit handing him the game and see what happens. " Somehow the inevitability of the loss removed the tension and I performed beyond my wildest imaginings....And won 7-6. The only shot I remember is the final combination on the 9 ball.
Success breeds confidence for sure. In a Northwest regional event I went down by a big margin in similar fashion. I don't recall the self to self, just the confidence that I felt when I caught up with him to go hill/hill. I just knew I could make any shot or safety if I got to the table . It was alternating break and he snapped the 9 ball!!! 🤷‍♂️
 
I’m of the opinion “self talk” is a colossal waste of time. A mentor of mine in my early years was of the belief that the “little voice in your head”, that which does the “self talk”, is the conscious mind. He believed the conscious mind had no business anywhere near a pool table. That if you want positive results, to “see the picture” in your minds eye of that which you desire to execute, and to stuff a sock in the mouth of that voice in your head.
 
Frosty said:
a colossal waste of time
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Well there's a time and place. My time and place is when in my chair or even when chalking the cue and making the plan.
When I am At Address the talk is done. If I get down on the shot and self throws out a nother thought, it's time to get up and start over. The time for action is a quiet time in my mind. Kinda like a trance when doing the dance I just flow. Thinking about the steps of the dance is for practice time. When in competition....with the flow is the way to go.
It's called, "In the Zone".
 
Frosty said:
I’m of the opinion “self talk” is a colossal waste of time. A mentor of mine in my early years was of the belief that the “little voice in your head”, that which does the “self talk”, is the conscious mind. He believed the conscious mind had no business anywhere near a pool table. That if you want positive results, to “see the picture” in your minds eye of that which you desire to execute, and to stuff a sock in the mouth of that voice in your head.
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A couple of things.

First, easier said than done.

Second, I'm not talking about while playing, I am talking about personal post-game analysis and practice.
 
Self analysis while in the chair is critical for me.
First is to figure out what happened to put me in the chair. Sometimes it's a simple solution, kinda like, "oh sh*t I did it again. " Then I catalogue it and clear my mind just in case I get another shot. Other times it can be mysterious and no clear answer comes to me. Those times it's hard but I just file it as unknown and put it behind me and endeavor to return to the fray with no mental baggage. Ahhhh Hummmmmmmmmmmmm. You know the uh Yoga method.
 
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