Fake it till you make it.

Here is a revised article on hypnosis, what it is, what it can be used for and how it can be used.
 

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JoeW said:
Here is a revised article on hypnosis, what it is, what it can be used for and how it can be used.
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After reading all of your articles this afternoon, I started thinking about The TOURING POOL INSTRUCTOR, Scott Lee. You and he would make a great pair traveling the U.S. counseling pool degenerates.

I remember some tapes on hypnosis that I had many years ago from a guy named Ryan Elliott sp? (I think) It was tapes on hypnosis designed around pool.

In your retirement, I think you should develop a series of hypnosis CD's that deal with SPECIFIC pool problems: Eliminating the shark, Relaxation, Getting ready for the big match, Perfect Practice, The art of Concentration, etc.. They could be easily replicated and mailed. Keep me in mind as I would be your first customer. :D

When I was working with the sports psychologist Dr. Gary Beale, I remember it taking large amounts of time to go through the general (not pool related)visualization practices. Actually he did tailor the program for my specific problems but it would be nice to pick up an Ipod or a CD and deal with one problem at a time.
JoeyA
JoeyA
 
Thank you JoeyA. Even us retired old coots can use a few bucks. I had thought about doing something like that but I am not one to push myself. I really am just another academic and like sharing what I have found.

I enjoy the give and take of a good discussion and like to put stuff forward for the discussion it creates. Then I get to learn new things too.

For now I would just as soon leave them here for others to review and possibly use or suggest a better way.

Your compliment is much appreciated.
 
JoeW said:
ChefJeff: I agree that step three is the best solution. However, seems there is always a however, one way to get to this solution is to make it a habit by changing behavior. Eventually the player will find that using their "walk" leads to better playing and this is reinforced to the point that it becomes a habit. Self talk will engrain the habit as an attitude or a cognitive style that is now, miriculously turned into cognitive change. This technique is used as part of psychotherapy and would work for changing one's appraoch to the game as well.

(snip)
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I'm an integrator, so I agree with the multi-faceted approach. My only concern with the behavior first approach is that one might become "addicted" to it and require it to be able to control emotions. This would seem to limit ones abitlities, in the long run, perhaps. Maybe not.

The thinking-about-the-emotion part requires honesty about the situation. Whereas, simply emoting means judgment (he is wrong, I'm right) is involved and, if rationality is not there, these emotions that are not fully integrated with the facts can lead one astray, regardless of physical behavior. This would seem to be a cancer of sorts that needs to be dealt with eventually.

I'm not disagreeing at all with you here. I'm thinking this three step process is a circle and one can start anywhere on the circle one wants...as long as one completes the circle when dealing with emotional control. It may not even matter whether clockwise or counter clockwise is the direction?

Jeff Livingston
 
chefjeff said:
I'm an integrator, so I agree with the multi-faceted approach. My only concern with the behavior first approach is that one might become "addicted" to it and require it to be able to control emotions. This would seem to limit ones abitlities, in the long run, perhaps. Maybe not.

The thinking-about-the-emotion part requires honesty about the situation. Whereas, simply emoting means judgment (he is wrong, I'm right) is involved and, if rationality is not there, these emotions that are not fully integrated with the facts can lead one astray, regardless of physical behavior. This would seem to be a cancer of sorts that needs to be dealt with eventually.

I'm not disagreeing at all with you here. I'm thinking this three step process is a circle and one can start anywhere on the circle one wants...as long as one completes the circle when dealing with emotional control. It may not even matter whether clockwise or counter clockwise is the direction?

Jeff Livingston
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I understand your point and think that there could be a problem here if the procedure is used indiscriminately. Indeed some people may become addicted to various substances in this way when augmented by other processes, such as a proclivity to drug use and an over sensitivity to physical or emotional pain. Engaging in self destructive behaviors that are not cognitively integrated can lead to serious problems.

What is advocated here is not this type of behavioral / cognitive change. I once had a patient who was having a difficult time being accepted at work in the banking field. To address this problem I had him simply smile at everyone he met from the time he arrived at work. His behavioral change lead to changes in those around him and his usual interpersonal style lead to better collegial relations. This was accompanied by his cognitive reappraisal that he was responsible for much of the tenor of his relations with others. This in turn lead to a better working relationship with others and he became a leader in his area of expertise - when he chose to. Seems he had a new tool in his arsenal for career development.

This same approach worked with integrating teenage delinquents back into the schools. I have also found that at times it helps a woman (and some men) to get over a prior relationship by simply having them change their hairstyle. All of these behavioral changes led to positive adjustments in the end. Of course they were guided by therapy and did in fact require cognitive restructuring.

I think that these are natural processes and that so long as one adopts positive behaviors that nature will takes its course with restructuring and integrating the cognitions (accommodating is one way to put it).

I agree with you that indiscriminately adopting a behavioral change could lead to difficulties. None-the-less, placing one's self into a better frame of mind via the use of one's "walk" is not an issue here as positive attitudes while playing pool or most other activities are "good." The mind will take care of the integration over a period of time if it is adaptive for the individual. At least that is what I think.

Thanks for pointing out the potential difficulties.
 
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Thanks Joe for you psychogical input. I didnt' have time to read all the articles however....maybe later.

Being a Virgo I sometimes tend to be critical, especially of psychologists since my wife is one (smile). So here goes.

I think these experiments may work for the short run, but what if you are in a 10 hour match. There are too many currents and eddies to rely on emotion.

The walk you mention, in pool, should be associated with rhythm. This is how to play pool - get into a rhythm. And this is the quickist way to go into the zone. To my knowledge, nobody gets into the zone by flitting around the table (roll-eyes). When one practices a certain amount of time should be spent playing the ghost, and practicing your rhythm, emulating just how you would like to play in serious competition.

IMHO, I think one should play pool with no emotion what-so-ever. A killer instinct with even, methodical play is what wins.....not dancing around the table like a fairy. Do you see Holman dancing around the table? Or Ralph? Or Efren? Or anyone for that matter?!!!!! Maybe Vivian, but this may be the reason she chokes so bad in that she lets her emotions take her completely over.
 
Great post! This is why alot of athletes have sports psychologists. And these are simple things that novice and even advanced players never even think about.

Southpaw
 
whitewolf said:
Thanks Joe for you psychogical input. I didnt' have time to read all the articles however....maybe later.

Being a Virgo I sometimes tend to be critical, especially of psychologists since my wife is one (smile). So here goes.

I think these experiments may work for the short run, but what if you are in a 10 hour match. There are too many currents and eddies to rely on emotion.

The walk you mention, in pool, should be associated with rhythm. This is how to play pool - get into a rhythm. And this is the quickist way to go into the zone. To my knowledge, nobody gets into the zone by flitting around the table (roll-eyes). When one practices a certain amount of time should be spent playing the ghost, and practicing your rhythm, emulating just how you would like to play in serious competition.

IMHO, I think one should play pool with no emotion what-so-ever. A killer instinct with even, methodical play is what wins.....not dancing around the table like a fairy. Do you see Holman dancing around the table? Or Ralph? Or Efren? Or anyone for that matter?!!!!! Maybe Vivian, but this may be the reason she chokes so bad in that she lets her emotions take her completely over.
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WhiteWolf, I think that these suggestions are designed to correct problems (such as to establish a mood when the proper one is not already at hand) not to establish a routine. That has to be done on the table for the most part.

I have heard many people say that a top player's pool game is like watching a skilled dancer. It is the form and rhythm that makes it look like a dancer's art.

Still, I like additional input and look forward to hearing your comments in the future after you have read the articles.

JoeyA
 
Hi Whitewolf:
Neat comments, and constructive criticism is always appreciated. But then your wife probably taught you that? right :eek:

Using the "walk" is a way of getting yourself in the right emotional state for playing. I assume that you agree that pool, when it is played at its best, involves some sort of relaxed, self accepting attitude that allows the subconscious processes to function in an optimal way. Too much conscious control of those processes wrecks the play. Some what like exercising too much conscious control over riding a bike.

It is not about dancing around the table. I use the John Travolta imagery as one to which most people can easily relate. It is about assuming that walk, balance, rhythm that you use when you are in an excellent mood. Clint Eastwood's walk in the Dirty Harry movies would work just as well if that is your style. Prior research seems to indicate that when you use the behaviors that are equated with your good moods then the moods will follow.

Using these behavior over a period of time might, with conscious effort, change the way you approach the game. Used on an as need basis, they can get you out of a difficult situation such as when the competitive anxiety has gotten to high. However, to be an effective tool one does need to practice and develop confidence in the technique.

The walk is simply another tool that can be used in various ways.
 
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Thanks Joe. I enjoy reading your posts and threads.
I attempt to be open minded but am not always acceptive of others ideas.
Don't know is it's because of my self-centerness or if it's part of the human condition.
I do know that when I feel good about myself, I have a better chance to be successful in all areas of my life.
I can try to behave/act a certain way or try to control my environment, or even attempt to control others, but if I'm not content with myself inside, I won't have longtime success in anything that I do. I guess that's why it's called "Self Esteem".

Timothy Gallwey wrote a book "The Inner Game Of Tennis", that has helped my pool game.
 
Hi Darby:
I think it is part of the human condition to not readily accept what others say. And that is as it should be. Ever notice that you can never win an argument with anyone. None-the-less we all change over time. So in some way we do have an effect on each other. It is more a matter of how it is done. For my part I try to make suggestions that others can try and then evaluate for themselves. I think, and have always believed, that the truth speaks for itself. Sometimes I get close and with the help of others the idea gets refined and -- there ya go -- the truth is revealed in all its pristine glory. Of course some people have another agenda and they can't see the truth when it stares them in the face. Some truths we only see when we have a need to see them.

I also agree that the root of all of our attempts to improve on our lot is based on one's self acceptance. Until that comes along there are simply tricks that people can use to get to that point. I have said for years, that unlike my colleagues in medicine, I do not carry a black bag. I have an imaginary bag of tricks, tricks that work for some people, some of the time. But any trick is only as good as the result it produces.
 
JoeW said:
This is a new technique...
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Sports psychologist Dr. James Loehr has been advocating this technique for at least 15 years in his "Toughness Training" books, which are guides to applying the results of his own research and that from the literature towards achieving what he calls I.P.S. (Ideal Performance State). They discuss training for and the interrelation between mental, physical and emotional 'toughness'.

I haven't kept up with him recently, but it seems that he's moved from his early career of coaching pro tennis players and olympic athletes to the corporate self-improvement circuit, which I assume is more lucrative. :)

Robert
 
Thank you Robert Raiford. Now I have to go get Loehr's books. I think that it is neat when I re-invent the wheel. It says that an idea I came up with independently has indeed been found to be useful. That is really cool in my thinking.:)
 
Joe,

Great posts and very interesting articles. It's tough on the ego to acknowledge that we are programmable synaptic machines. Some find it far easier to accept the "fake it til you make it" effect if cloaked in mysticism (witness the success of current bestseller, "The Secret").

The most effective prescription is often counterintuitive (e.g., short practice sessions are usually better than long ones). I've spent a lot of time diligently grooving bad habits in pool and golf, and find that unlearning can be a lot more difficult than learning.

Your suggestion about self-hypnosis is also on the money. In 1976 I was preparing for a board exam, and thought that conditioning myself to stay relaxed and focused might help. I bought a book on self-hypnosis and did a routine each night for several weeks before the test. Don't know whether it was the nightly sessions or just good fortune, but taking the test was almost fun, and I wasn't the least bit drained afterward. Techniques for getting people in the flow are now a cottage industry, and we'd all do well to pay attention.

Thanks for the great advice.
 
deadwhak said:
ive noticed i have been throwing my stick around and hurling chalk across the pool room a lot lately...no wonder im playing so bad right now guess i have to be more happy when i miss..at this rate ill be happy a lot!!!
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Be careful you might get too good and start running out, then you can only be happy once or twice during a game. :D Then things will get sour again. LOL
 
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JoeW said:
This is a new technique that I tried last night. It is based on my years of experience as a professional psychologist and scientist. The finding is strong enough that I think that it needs its own thread with some of my other articles. First, the trick and then why it works -- and it does work.

You have a way of walking when you are in a really good mood. Maybe it's that John Travolta walk from "Saturday Night Fever." Whatever it is, there is a bounce to your step, a musical rhythm to your walk that simply feels good. Perhaps you need an Ipod plugged into your ear to get in the mood. Whatever your style is, when you get up to shoot, walk to the table with that walk and that rhythm -- I'm in a great mood walk. It will put you in the right frame of mind and then use your usual techniques for staying in that mood while you walk around the table and shoot.

Here is why it works. Many years ago Bib Latanne from Ohio State University among others were trying to determine if your emotions effect your behavior or if your behavior effects your emotions. The scientists gave something like adrenaline to a group of subjects who thought it was orange juice to see its effect on intellectual performance (yeah we are known for sneaky studies like this).

Anyway the pumped up subject is in a waiting room prior to the intellectual performance test. A confederate of the experimenter comes in and sits down next to the subject. In one situation the confederate is angry and makes ugly statements about the experiment, the subject too gets angry as one way of explaining their pumped up system.

In another situation the confederate starts joking around, laughing and throwing paper airplanes at the waste basket. The subject too easily starts laughing and joking around as the explanation for the adrenaline.

There were other conditions to control for possible problems in the study. This study is often cited as one of the better studies in the social sciences and has been replicated many times.

The conclusion is that our emotions follow our behavior. If we act upbeat, our emotions will shift to upbeat. If we act angry, our emotions will become angry. In general, you can change your emotions by changing your behavior.

If you act upbeat, you will get into an upbeat mood and that will improve your game. Now you can see misses for what they are -- a part of the game.

So, I suggest that you give it a serious try, say 15 - 30 minutes of your upbeat walk and personal tempo to get in the right mood for playing pool. From what we know in the experimental sciences it will improve your game.

Pay it forward and it will make everyone's life / and game better.

There is another aspect of this technique. If you fake it until you make it, no one can get you down because your behavior will constantly bring you back to a better state of mind. You enjoy the game for yourself and the other person's behavior does not affect you.

I have been debating with myself about posting some of my other articles about psychology and pool. With the indulgence of the moderators I will place four or five additional posts that are not copyrighted. Some of these articles were written several years ago and are based on a review of the scientific psychological literature as it applies to playing pool.

They are not copyrighted and can be used by anyone for any purpose though it would be polite to cite the source (Joe Waldron, Ph.D., Psychologist, Youngstown State University) if these ideas are used in other texts.

I am not a professional pool player, but I am a professional psychologist (retired) and these ideas may be of use from that perspective. AZB seems the best place to put this information that others can consider an use as needed.
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Joe,

Were you able to stumble upon that thread about guys screwing up when playing againts a girl.

Well, I'm always in upbeat mood when I play this girl, but I can't seem to run 2 balls in row when I play her?
 
JoeW said:
Thank you Robert Raiford. Now I have to go get Loehr's books. I think that it is neat when I re-invent the wheel. It says that an idea I came up with independently has indeed been found to be useful. That is really cool in my thinking.:)
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I agree. It's definitely cool when that happens, and it was nice to see you arrive at the same conclusion independently. I find that re-inventing the wheel can sometimes be more relevant and meaningful, rather than simply reading a result somewhere, because you are more personally invested in it.

I'm not familiar with his later material, but here's an older one from 1994 I recommend:

"Toughness Training for Life" by Dr. James Loehr

It's not too tennis-specific, and it seems like it was written around the time he started realizing he could market this stuff to a more general audience.

I draw a parallel between his discussion of the time between points in tennis and the time in the chair while your opponent is shooting in pool. Both situations are non-performance times that can significantly affect actual play depending on how they are managed, and faking it in the chair is just as important as at the table (if not more so).

Robert
 
I think that there are a variety of reasons that a man has a difficult time playing against a woman. That is why I did not post on that thread. A think a guy has to consider what is running through his mind when he plays her. That is probably the best lead. He also has to consider why she is playing. Here are a few ideas:

1. Is it about sexual relations?
2. Is it about not hurting women (most of us were taught not to hurt women)?
3. Is it about what one's friends will say if you "beat" a woman?
4. Is there another agenda?
5. Would the guy feel devastated if a mere woman beat him? (If I am really off my game and she wins, it doesn't count is one way to deal with it.)
6. Did Mom or a similar figure teach him to "play nice" with girls?

Some women will use a form of sharking to achieve their goals which may or may not include winning the pool game. They don't think of it as "sharking," it is only a woman's ways. Now don't get me wrong, I love women and two of my four daughters are reasonably good players. Our society does teach women to manipulate the world to get what they want from a man.

So when a man and a woman "play," what is really going on? Tough nut to crack isn't it.

Jasmin would be easier to play against than Jennifer Barretta becasue the agenda is much more clear, at least from the far distance of AZB
 
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JoeW said:
Thank you Robert Raiford. Now I have to go get Loehr's books. I think that it is neat when I re-invent the wheel. It says that an idea I came up with independently has indeed been found to be useful. That is really cool in my thinking.:)
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"Mental Toughness Training for Sports", Stephen Greene Press, 1986. I read this, and still have it, shortly after reading "The Inner Game of Tennis". Also helpful, "Winning: The Psychology of Competition" by Stuart H. Walker, 1980. W. W. Norton.
 
Pushout said:
"Mental Toughness Training for Sports", Stephen Greene Press, 1986. I read this, and still have it, shortly after reading "The Inner Game of Tennis". Also helpful, "Winning: The Psychology of Competition" by Stuart H. Walker, 1980. W. W. Norton.
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Yep, "Mental Toughness Training for Sports" was the first Loehr book I read. I found it more interesting than the other two, but I got useful bits out of them also.

Loehr mentions in the later books how important it is to go beyond just the mental training as described in his first book to incorporating physical and emotional training as well. It's the additional physical-emotional connection material that prompted me to mention the 1994 one.

Robert
 
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