The "Big Shot"

Mind of Steel


Getting Down on that “Big Shot”

Dr. Christopher Stankovich

www.drstankovich.com



Have you ever felt your nerves begin to go crazy when getting down for that big, game-ending shot? And when I ask if you have felt nerves, I really mean it – like shortness of breath, butterflies in your stomach, or your mind telling you all kinds of reasons why you are going to miss the next shot?! Pool is a game of high concentration, and it is also a sport where it is just you at the table when those clutch shots sit there waiting. In other words, there are no places to hide, and when you screw up everyone is there to see it, oftentimes making the miss that much more difficult to bear.



Becoming a clutch player is something you can improve on, and it has everything to do with learning skills, and far less to do with how you were born or your genetic makeup (although players who routinely choke would love to believe it is entirely genetics that makes clutch players tough). If you want to become a clutch player - that player your team can count on in crucial times – then read some of the following pointers that will help you improve immediately:

• Perceive challenges, not threats. What this means is when you view tough situations on the table as challenges, your mind will kick into overdrive and work hard to provide you ideas of what to do next. On the other hand, when tough situations are viewed as threatening, the exact opposite occurs, and as you might expect – your anxiety level increases dramatically, too.

• One shot at a time. Yes, this is cliché, but it is also an invaluable lesson to remember. Think to yourself how many times you missed a bunny because you were looking one or two shots ahead? By minimizing the unforced errors you will make more shots, increase your confidence, and ultimately win more games.

• Stay in the moment. Similar to playing one shot at a time, it is also important to keep your emotions in the moment. What this means is to develop skills that allow you to let go of bad shots quickly, which in turn will keep your mood state positive (and your mind and body in synchrony). Again, ask yourself how many times have you missed a shot because you were still upset about the last shot? These mistakes must be minimized in order for you to reach your full potential.

• Keep your physiological arousal in check. Try to think of your arousal level on a straight line, with low arousal on one end and high arousal on the other. When thinking about low arousal, you might picture being slow, lethargic, and relaxed. When you are experiencing high arousal, the exact opposite occurs – nervous energy, heart racing, and an overall excited feeling in the body. The key is learning how to “pump up” on slow days (low arousal), while also knowing how to relax on those extra-nervous days (high arousal). By moderating your arousal level you will increase your self-confidence, improve your focus, and inevitably learn how to keep your body under control in tough situations where you might previously have “choked.”

• Develop amnesia after bad days! We have all had them before – those days where nothing seems to go right. In fact, I can’t tell you how many pool players I have talked to who just the day earlier looked like world beaters, only to all but give up on the sport the next day after experiencing a terrible loss. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, greatness comes from quickly being able to LET GO of bad days! One technique that can help is to write down all the negative thoughts in your mind and then destroy the list (I once had a client who used to light his lists on fire until one day he accidentally burned himself – so instead I suggest you simply tear the list up!). This exercise is symbolic of “letting go,” and will help your mind move past the agony of playing the same missed shot in your head over and over again.



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