How do I get that killer instinct???

Playing better players will not exactly give you killer instinct. I have played solid B-level pool for many years and have jumped in most all the smaller open tour events that have come my way. I have had many road players on the ropes and let my non-killer instinct cause me to lose. I actually start thinking about how I have a job, house and plenty to eat. I know if I put them away they will struggle to have those things. I blew a 6 to 1 lead in a race to 7 Viking tour event recently. Same thing. Yeah the guy made a great come back and deserved the win once he got on his roll. But I think the mental condition of feeling sorry for them keeps me from having that killer instict. The hunger to beat a top player used to help me up my game. It still does if it is one I know does not need the money. But then there are the just under pro players that I know are struggling to make a living. Those are the ones I choke against. I would encourage you to play the tournaments that feature the top players coming through.
You will be surprised how good you really have to play to beat those guys. I once played a top local player in a tournament. This guy would have been rated a couple of balls under the Hall and Archer then. We are playing race to 9 bar table pool. I never miss one ball that I shoot directly at a pocket. I missed some kicks and combos but no regular shots. I barely win 9 to 7. I played one of the best matches of my life and it was just barely good enough to beat a lower pro level player. Glad I do have a good day job.
 
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Mystick Cue Fan said:
What are some things I can do to get that killer instinct?
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Fan-man,
Not to rain on anyone's parade, but it's not "killer instinct" that you want.

Having had the opportunity to hang out with some of the best players on the planet; I've seen precious little "killer instinct." What I HAVE seen is a totally relentless pursuit of perfection on EVERY stroke, in EVERY situation. These pro's use the same stroke, the same pre-shot routine, the same thinking process on EVERY shot - no matter whether it is the first shot in a meaningless game with me or the last shot in the U.S. Open.

These pro's have developed a mechanically sound stroke and routine that is repeatable and pressure resistant. They excel NOT because they ramp into a killer gear when the pressure is on, they excel because they can keep an even keel and keep shooting the same DESPITE the pressure. They don't shoot better under pressure, they shoot THE SAME. We should all strive to do the same.

No one can maintain a heightened state of arousal long enough to win a long drawn out tournament. They can, however, maintain a nice even emotional state for long periods of time - the results are better. One top pro has told me that he avoids at all costs thinking about any outcomes of the shot or the match - his overriding thought at all times is "make the ball, get position", and he doesn't pull the trigger until he is sure he will deliver his absolute best stroke. He doesn't "talk himself into playing well", he uses the "mental game" not to improve his play, but rather to avoid the lowering of his game that can result from straying from the routine or thinking about outcomes. He says all you can really control is your stroke - deliver the best stroke possible and accept the outcome whatever it may be.
 
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Mystick Cue Fan said:
What are some things I can do to get that killer instinct?
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Join the Los Angeles Police Department, or L.A. County Sheriff Department. Ask for your Post Acadamy Assignment to be South Central L.A., or East L.A.

You will have Killer Instinct REAL FAST....;)
 
George Hincapie, who helped Lance Armstrong win the Tour de France seven consecutive years, when asked what he learned from Lance:

"The biggest thing he has taught me is than anything's possible if you never lose your focus. He had more stuff going on than anybody, but when it was time for him to focus, everything else but the bike got left behind. He could just close it all out."
 
luvndog said:
I think "You are born with it"
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I've gotta (again) say "no!" to this. It is learned behavior, not instinct. Instinct is waaaaay overused as an excuse/cause of behavior. To use it this way is to dis the good player and limit the poorer player. Why? Because IF it is something we're born with and you don't have it, then why play at all? You can't get better and you can't win, cuz you weren't lucky enough to be born with the winning instinct. Research into psychology has shown that anyone who desires it can choose a killer attitude.

Winning attitudes are not instinct....they are learned (or ignored) at will.

Williebetmore said it best, imho, and he gets his knowledge from the pros. A guy otta look into that, imho.

Jeff Livingston
 
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