Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Watch...and Learn!


Mind of Steel

Watch….and Learn!

Christopher Stankovich, Ph.D.






Obviously physically practicing your pool playing skills will lead to you becoming a better pool player, but did you know that you can also improve by simply watching others play?  This type of learning is known as vicarious, or observational learning, and has been found to be an effective way to increase skill acquisition.  In fact, if you really want to speed up the learning process you can add the skill of imagery to your repertoire (in simple terms, imagining yourself make shots successfully).



Vicarious learning and imagery allow you to witness successful pool play (shot making and defensive strategies), allowing you to do the following:

a)    see that the shots can be made, and

b)    give you the confidence that you can one day consistently make the same shots, too



When watching someone who is better than you play pool, it is important that you “lock in” and minimize outside distractions (yes, you should do this even when you are at home watching pool on ESPN!).  As you are watching, it is important that your mood state is positive and that you are open-minded – the better you feel, the more likely the learning will be strengthened and easy to recall down the road when you need to use the skill. 



Later, when thinking about what you witnessed earlier, it is important to rehearse in your mind making the same shots again (this is called using imagery).  As you go through these experiences (watching others and then later reliving it) you are essentially strengthening your neural connections in your brain – leading to more automatic, muscle-memory movements when it comes time for you to put your cue together for competition.



When it comes to learning, you will get out of it exactly what you put into it.  Interestingly, while most average to below-average pool players would like to attribute the success of better players to their “natural ability,” this is usually not the case.  Sure, some players may have a slight advantage when it comes to vision, coordination, and other factors that impact pool success – but what really makes them better is their work ethic and their willingness to learn from as many people as possible!  Successful players watch other players, and they relive the shots in their head over and over again until they feel they can consistently make the shots themselves. 



Remember, science backs up the importance of vicarious learning, so be sure to tune in whenever you have the chance to watch great players play.  Later, think about what you witnessed and how you can begin to incorporate this new thinking into your game.  Before long, maybe it will be you that we will be watching on ESPN – good luck!      



Dr. Christopher Stankovich is a nationally acclaimed expert in Sport Psychology and the Founder of Advanced Human Performance Systems.  For more information on performance-enhancement products, including the exclusive “Mind of Steel for Pool Success” and the world’s first Sport Performance Assessment for Pool, please visit www.drstankovich.com. 

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