Mentally Tough? or Mentally Mushy?

Hmm....well the thought for the day was interesting. I played last and was tired, and for my first two games I stayed connected to empowering emotions. Even though my oponent was far ahead of me on the table. I was just patient. Took my time. Played smart and waited for a good opportunity. And then I was on the hill before I knew it.

And that's what did me in. I continued to play pretty good pool (for me). I'm really happy with how much my position play is improving. I can actually plan and execute patterns and that's a lot of fun. But, I think that, and being on the hill, I got a little complacent. Feeling a little too empowered....and a little mentally mushy I guess. I see this all the time and it drives me nuts in other people--good players, playing well, start taking shots for granted. When I'm competing, I have to remember, every shot can count. I don't always take the time to line up and truly aim an easy shot. I should. I should stay focused. Especially if Im on the hill. Put the nail in the coffin. Be done with it. No MERCY!

But I had fun. I will take my little lesson and be ready the next time.

Thought for the Day: What is Mental Toughness?

I have league tonight - 8-ball. So, my thought for the day comes from James Loehr in "The New Toughness Training for Sports" as recommended by Liz Ford.

Toughness is the ability to consistently access empowering emotions during competition.

Interesting.

(Actually, he gives several definitions, but that was the my favorite. More to follow.)

Beware the Bunny

I'm both honored and uneasy that OMGWTF has listed this blog in her sidebar of pool blogs. I write this blog as my own pool-etc. journal. I'm a little worried that anyone who ends up here from that link will be disappointed. I'm lame. I'm only a 3... I can't offer any real pool wisdom.... I don't blog naked...(sorry, no). How could this be interesting to anyone but me???

But, if by chance, you have landed here from some other random route, you should check out OMGWTF , a truly entertaining pool blog. It is addictive. And I truly appreciate her scathing wit and ruthless parody of the various ways in which some men in the pool world have no idea how to deal with members of the opposite sex among them. I find strength from her humor...well, or at least I laugh my ass off.

Case in point, this "bitchy bunny" t-shirt I bought from OMGWTF's store....And while some people don't really understand what this has to do with pool, I have yet to find a woman in the league who didn't find it hilarious and spot on.

its perfect for league nights, except that the print is so small that no one can really get the joke without staring very close to my chest. The price I pay for my sense of humor.

Anyway, if I am wearing this shirt, don't be fooled into thinking I'm just a harmless, little bunny:

New Month, New Attitude, New Focus

So, enough of being a sad and lonely minnow. After a lot of reflection, I've cut back on my pool team commitments. Its just too much for me right now, and the late nights have been causing some unnecessary stress at work the day after. I'm a little sad, but confident that's the right thing for now.

I haven't been shooting great or really enjoying it lately, and I was starting to wonder if my interest in pool was truly waning. I just gave it a couple of days and tried to go into my practice session relaxed and focused.

My goal was to work on my slight elbow drop....its caused by an unnecessarily long follow through. My elbow drops after I hit the ball, so its usually not a problem, but I suspect that it contributes to an occasional side-to-side wobble. Its hard to change, because it means really changing the whole feeling of my stroke.

So, I returned to a series of fundamental drills and it felt great. Changing the feel of your stroke is really hard. But I was really pleased that a few times I felt a new stroke that was spot on.