MIKA? Trying to understand it.

mnorwood

mnorwood

Moon
Silver Member
As of late you could just leave a picture of MIKA on the front page as often as he wins a tournament. MIKA wins (insert name here).

It wasn't too long ago that this was the situation for Shane but now its clearly the Iceman that is on top. Shane has always been know for his break. I consider myself a close observer of pool but for the life of me I can't say what part of Mika's game really defines him. Is it that he does all things extremely well but is not know as one of the best at any one facet? Also what if anything is he doing better than everyone? Is it breaking? Safeties? Does he have a mad practice schedule?
 
Maybe it's one of those situations where, if you're not perceiving him as doing anything extraordinary, that he's utilizing his skills correctly. It's like the joke about a railbird trying to gauge the speed of a player shooting at a nearby table, and his friend walks up about an hour in and asks how the guy shoots. The railbird can only reply, "I dunno, I haven't seen him shoot a hard shot yet."
 
I think Mika is confident and comfortable playing ANYWHERE, and ANYONE in the game!

He does'nt rattle.....knows whomever he is playing is vulnerable.....and remembers the GREAT wins in the last year!

Love em or hate em......The man is now a world KILLER in my book....


what a great year!

G.
 
He is really good at winning tournaments. I ain't talking about small time tournaments either. :wink:
Don P.


mnorwood said:
As of late you could just leave a picture of MIKA on the front page as often as he wins a tournament. MIKA wins (insert name here).

It wasn't too long ago that this was the situation for Shane but now its clearly the Iceman that is on top. Shane has always been know for his break. I consider myself a close observer of pool but for the life of me I can't say what part of Mika's game really defines him. Is it that he does all things extremely well but is not know as one of the best at any one facet? Also what if anything is he doing better than everyone? Is it breaking? Safeties? Does he have a mad practice schedule?
Click to expand...
 
It's his shot selection. He's playing on a completely different level than anyone else. He takes on shots that other players consider to be low percentage....except he makes them consistently. This aggressive route allows him to run out when most players would duck.
 
I wonder if making the video gave him a little boost in confidence that he may have needed?

Sometimes I don't think the player knows though he too can grasp at straws.

Pool is such a subtle game that one little thing can make a world of difference.

I don't know Mika so I can only gues along wih everyone else.
 
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Total confidence plus incredible consistency is why he is the best tournament player out right now.
 
I also think Mika has conquered his demons. If you look at the semi finals of the WTBC, he made a LOT of really bad errors. And yet, never once did he get upset with himself. He maintained his focus, confidently approached the table on his next inning, and then proceeded to run out as if the previous mistakes had never been made.

He used to beat himself most of the time.......but clearly not anymore.
 
It seems like his head is in the right place now. He used to dog sometimes. Mental. I guess he doesn't dog too much lately :) Amazing year!
 
You guys all nailed it here. Supreme confidence number one and fewest errors (consistency) number two. When Sigel was King he was missing far less than anyone else. Mika ran out EVERY time he had an open rack in the finals against Lee Van. EVERY STINKIN" TIME! Try to fade that.

One more thing rarely discused is HEART, the courage to take the right shot under pressure and then execute it. Mika has been doing that all year and he keeps making those clutch shots. A lesser player would dog one once in a while.
 
I would like to add

that Mika is a player that trains as an athlete. Pool is a sport to him, and he works at it.
 
Snapshot9 said:
that Mika is a player that trains as an athlete. Pool is a sport to him, and he works at it.
Click to expand...

It,s obvious physical conditioning is important to him.The structure that provides probably carries over into his practice regimes and eating and sleeping habits.He may be anticipating how to prepare better than anybody.Not to mention he is just a plain old Buldog with fire in his eyes.
 
Confidence!!!

I think it's confidence that seperates Mika from every other pro right now. Most pro's are going to tournaments thinking they can win, Mika is going to every tourney knowing he's gonna win. He's completely comfortable with his game and unless someone does something to slow him down next year could be a repeat of the same.

Congrats Mika on an awesome year!!
 
total package

Neil said:
Of course, I am only guessing also. But I think he has come to terms with himself and his game and is now free to actually play his game. He has complete confidence. Even after blowing a couple of shots.
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Confidence, as I think Neil was the first to say. Also the total package. People who approach pool as a sport and take care of their minds and bodies as well as using structured practice typically fair better than those that treat it much the same as the players that play it for recreation. Physical conditioning becomes huge during long days and particularly long days back to back.

Nothing breeds success like success too. The winner on a streak is supremely confident and the people playing them may be playing with just a tinge of extra caution knowing that he will make them pay dearly for every mistake. Combine these two things and the one on the streak has a real edge, not a huge one but often a tiny edge is all that is needed.

One player after the other gets "hot". In a few months or a year it might be any of the top dozen or so or someone that is not considered quite top tier right now that rips off a string of wins. I don't see Mika as a dominant force for years to come but I could be very wrong.

Hu
 
The Dawn of New Age

Snapshot9 said:
that Mika is a player that trains as an athlete. Pool is a sport to him, and he works at it.
Click to expand...

I was reading through the thread looking to see if someone had posted this. When watching Mika play at Galveston, it didn't appear that Mika was making better shots than the rest of the players but even when he missed occasional shots, he reinstated his focus and marched on. This was even more true toward the end of the tournament.

I have a feeling that maybe, just maybe this is the difference and if this is so, many of the other professional players will soon follow suit and start hitting the gym with a vengeance and following a good diet.

Could Mika be introducing pool to a new age, one where the pool players ARE ATHLETES, and POOL is a SPORT?
JoeyA
 
JoeyA said:
I was reading through the thread looking to see if someone had posted this. When watching Mika play at Galveston, it didn't appear that Mika was making better shots than the rest of the players but even when he missed occasional shots, he reinstated his focus and marched on. This was even more true toward the end of the tournament.

I have a feeling that maybe, just maybe this is the difference and if this is so, many of the other professional players will soon follow suit and start hitting the gym with a vengeance and following a good diet.

Could Mika be introducing pool to a new age, one where the pool players ARE ATHLETES, and POOL is a SPORT?
JoeyA
Click to expand...

I think it's been heading that way for a while now. Look at the amateur circuit.
 
I gotta be honest. Everytime I've seen Mika play in a final, in a set, just banging balls, I see him dogging. He obviously changes gears with my back turned. The first time I saw him play was against Corey in the finals at the Open (2001?) and he didn't show what I would call heart.
 
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