Reading Pleasures Of Small Motions

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DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ok, got my book last night. read the first couple of chapters. so far - and this is a BIG so far - i havent read anything useful. assume the main areas that you posters feel is worthwhile will come once i get into the heart of the book.

anyway, some of you guys stated there were areas that you benefited from, and wouldnt mind sharing what you learned, what it meant for you, etc, etc.

care to do so?

DCP
 
Focus on your mental side. And don't only read but think and try to understand...a lot of people can see things differently but you have to find your way.
 
Im on chapter 9 now.

Im gonna put a list together for you guys that just purcased it of the parts that helped me out the most in my game.

How far into it are you? Also the book talks about concious and unconcious shots and how to practice. If you just started reading the book there is no way you had time to practice the way the book recommends.

Its not just read the book and you will be better, there are some parts of the book where you can immediately apply it, there are other parts you have to retrain your brain to think other things. This means specific drills and such.

I'll put a list of this stuff together hopefully this evening and email it to you guys. Keep in mind, Im no pro by any means, but I am a good enough shot for this book to help me. The parts I find useful may not be as useful to you, and the parts you find useful may not be helpful to me. Just gonna let you know what helped me the most. I highly recommend reading the book straight through first.
 
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DrCue'sProtege said:
anyway, some of you guys stated there were areas that you benefited from, and wouldnt mind sharing what you learned, what it meant for you, etc, etc.

care to do so?

DCP
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I personally like the Inner Game of Tennis more. The thing I disliked about PSM was he repeated himself several times. What I mean to say is he reworded an idea and repeated it several times. Taking a meaning and presented it differently in each subsequent sentence. Reiterating what the original intent was and putting a different twist on the text. Thus saying the same thing by using different context. Hence making you feel as though you heard the idea before but it was just worded differently. (see what I mean)

Got boring pretty fast. Even though the "Inner Game" is a shorter read and about tennis it still hits home better than PSM.

JV (my 2 cents)
 
If you haven't read anything useful in the first few chapters, I strongly suggest that you keep reading before posting on the forum asking what to read.

DrCue'sProtege said:
ok, got my book last night. read the first couple of chapters. so far - and this is a BIG so far - i havent read anything useful. assume the main areas that you posters feel is worthwhile will come once i get into the heart of the book.

anyway, some of you guys stated there were areas that you benefited from, and wouldnt mind sharing what you learned, what it meant for you, etc, etc.

care to do so?

DCP
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DrCue'sProtege said:
sharing what you learned, what it meant for you, etc, etc.

care to do so?

DCP
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DCP,
Well, I found the book eminently forgettable (though I agreed with a lot of his ideas) - I've never been one that believed the mental game can improve your game (though it is essential for avoiding letting the mental side of things drag you down). Those however, are lessons learned by any person successful in athletics - don't necessarily learn these things in a book.

To all those people who liked it (which includes one very famous pro) - do they ever define the word dilettante????? Biggest problem in pool.
 
i pretty much agree with what you say Willie. i highly doubt reading this book, or applying anything talked about in it, is going to catapult me to that next level.

when i get chances off of the break, and am in stroke, i can play pretty good. when the balls dont cooperate off the break (which is 98% of the time or more) there is nothing reading any book or doing anything can help you with.

for example, this past sunday in three (3) consecutive breaks of 9-Ball, off the break i made 4 balls, 3 balls, and 4 balls. two of those spreads i had no shot, nothing. the other one i had a very, very difficult shot to begin with - and missed.

guess the next step, after this book plays out, would be to find a qualified hypnotist.............

DCP
 
For the record, I haven't read the book, but I'm going to pick it up and see what is said. I hope some chapter will discuss what you believe is what will occur.


Eg.. I believe that reading this book can help improve my mental approach and make me a better player...

as opposed to:

I believe this book is not worth reading more then two chapters and then asking for the coles notes version.
 
If you believe somthing wont work for you, then your brain will not make it work because you didnt give it a fair chance. Remember that as you go through this book.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
i pretty much agree with what you say Willie. i highly doubt reading this book, or applying anything talked about in it, is going to catapult me to that next level.

when i get chances off of the break, and am in stroke, i can play pretty good. when the balls dont cooperate off the break (which is 98% of the time or more) there is nothing reading any book or doing anything can help you with.

for example, this past sunday in three (3) consecutive breaks of 9-Ball, off the break i made 4 balls, 3 balls, and 4 balls. two of those spreads i had no shot, nothing. the other one i had a very, very difficult shot to begin with - and missed.

guess the next step, after this book plays out, would be to find a qualified hypnotist.............

DCP
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your attitude sucks. play a good push, a basic safe, don't sit there and cry about your luck. next time i come to southern indiana i'm going to find you and take all your money and cues so you'll finally just give the game up.

-s
 
What I gained from it:

People focus too much on the outcome, missing or making the ball, when they should be focusing on making the ball. Stay in the present, don't skip forward to the future.
 
Also, I didnt suggest the book to you so you can buy the book read it and say "I knew this book wouldnt help". I can see you going in that direction. You have to want your game to improve and do waht the book says.

For Christ sakes, read the reviews on Amazon for the book and read the reviews here, everyone has gotten something good out of the book (except Willie :rolleyes: but I doubt he was having the same attitude as you when he read it}. You just started reading it and are probably not out of the 3rd chapter yet and say:

i highly doubt reading this book, or applying anything talked about in it, is going to catapult me to that next level.
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Damn man, fix your attitude. Im sorry I ever tried to help.
 
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Icon of Sin said:
Also, I didnt suggest the book to you so you can buy the book read it and say "I knew this book wouldnt help". I can see you going in that direction. You have to want your game to improve and do waht the book says.

For Christ sakes, read the reviews on Amazon for the book and read the reviews here, everyone has gotten something good out of the book (except Willie :rolleyes: but I doubt he was having the same attitude as you when he read it}. You just started reading it and are probably not out of the 3rd chapter yet and say:


Damn man, fix your attitude. Im sorry I ever tried to help.
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lol
drcue this is exactly why you need this book.....seriously your attitude does suck when it comes to learning. You arent going to find one cure all for you game anywhere.......its like a patchwork quilt, you will find stuff where you find it, apply it, and move on. As your game improves go back and reread old stuff and durn if you wont pick up on tips and tricks you missed the first time. Pool is a fickle game.......theres going to be times where you eat the bear and times the bear eats you. Look at some of these tournament scores....you see guys match up who are the best in the world and one week they get beat 9-0 or 9-1...........2 months later its the same match and the score is reversed. If youre breaking and making a ball but its not a runable table then you should be playing up til theres a great safe and make the safe......you have to outthink the table and the opponent. All you seem to care about is running the table and if you cant run the table then that game is a failure and youre crying in your soup. I think you need to get your head straight or give it 2 weeks then quit alltogether.
 
scottycoyote said:
lol
I think you need to get your head straight or give it 2 weeks then quit alltogether.
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Or at least quit posting.

Yeah thats it, I think AZ is your problem. Stop posting and you will run every rack.
 
IMO to remember from the book when I step up to the table to let go of any misses that happened earlier, and this is a new opportunity, not to dwell on the past. Easier said than done. I thought there was too much emphasis on the mental edge and not enough focus on getting in stroke and rhythm, the physical part of the game.
John
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
when the balls dont cooperate off the break (which is 98% of the time or more) there is nothing reading any book or doing anything can help you with.

for example, this past sunday in three (3) consecutive breaks of 9-Ball, off the break i made 4 balls, 3 balls, and 4 balls. two of those spreads i had no shot, nothing. the other one i had a very, very difficult shot to begin with - and missed.

guess the next step, after this book plays out, would be to find a qualified hypnotist.............

DCP
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The balls are round and oftentimes they move in unexpected directions where you don't have a good shot. Suck it up; there's nothing you can do about it. Be creative, use your push-out option and play a good safety, if necessary.
 
Icon of Sin said:
[...]
I'll put a list of this stuff together hopefully this evening and email it to you guys. [...]
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Hey Icon, I ordered the book as well, I think the same day as DCP. It should be arriving any day now. Can I get in on that CC list? :)
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
[...] when the balls dont cooperate off the break (which is 98% of the time or more) there is nothing reading any book or doing anything can help you with. [...]
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I just thought that was an interesting statement. I won't bother trying to offer thoughts about it, because I don't think you'd listen, even if I had the best advice in the world.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
ok, got my book last night. read the first couple of chapters. so far - and this is a BIG so far - i havent read anything useful. assume the main areas that you posters feel is worthwhile will come once i get into the heart of the book.

anyway, some of you guys stated there were areas that you benefited from, and wouldnt mind sharing what you learned, what it meant for you, etc, etc.

care to do so?

DCP
Click to expand...
I ran the whole think when it came out and didn't find anything useful. However, I think more players disagree with me than agree with me.
 
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