Just wanted to get everybody's opinion of this technique:
Once upon a time, I found myself in Wichita KS. I was a good pool player, had been on the road, had managed to pay my bills with it for a while, etc...but I knew there was a difference between me and say, Danny Medina or any other good road player or pro.
When I was in Wichita though, I thought, well nobody here knows me, so I'll pretend I'm a champion player. I picked up habits and mannerisms that top players I knew had and copied them. I talked with the confidence of a top player. I put the pressure on myself over shots by asking, "What would a top player do here" and "A top player wouldn't miss this shot, would they?".
It forced me to concentrate, play harder and change my attitude. I realized that people were starting to watch my matches in tournaments. If I played Jr. Brown, David Matlock or Gabe Owen, people would treat it as a premium match...Even though I never won any of the Texas Express Tournaments...I Cashed a couple of times.
One day, I was getting ready for a match and one of the old timers came over and took a seat where he could watch me play and I started chatting with him. He said: "It sure is a great opportunity to watch guys like you or Jr. Brown play, I learn something every time." To this day I think it's the best pool compliment I've ever received.
So what do you all think? Can you change your physical mannerisms and change your performance? In sports psychology, these are called physical performance keys (I think) that lead to top mental and physical performance. Do you think they work?
Cheers,
Sixpack
Once upon a time, I found myself in Wichita KS. I was a good pool player, had been on the road, had managed to pay my bills with it for a while, etc...but I knew there was a difference between me and say, Danny Medina or any other good road player or pro.
When I was in Wichita though, I thought, well nobody here knows me, so I'll pretend I'm a champion player. I picked up habits and mannerisms that top players I knew had and copied them. I talked with the confidence of a top player. I put the pressure on myself over shots by asking, "What would a top player do here" and "A top player wouldn't miss this shot, would they?".
It forced me to concentrate, play harder and change my attitude. I realized that people were starting to watch my matches in tournaments. If I played Jr. Brown, David Matlock or Gabe Owen, people would treat it as a premium match...Even though I never won any of the Texas Express Tournaments...I Cashed a couple of times.
One day, I was getting ready for a match and one of the old timers came over and took a seat where he could watch me play and I started chatting with him. He said: "It sure is a great opportunity to watch guys like you or Jr. Brown play, I learn something every time." To this day I think it's the best pool compliment I've ever received.
So what do you all think? Can you change your physical mannerisms and change your performance? In sports psychology, these are called physical performance keys (I think) that lead to top mental and physical performance. Do you think they work?
Cheers,
Sixpack
