Perception

Mind of Steel

Perception Focus and Pool Success

Dr. Christopher Stankovich

www.drstankovich.com

Perception focus is just that – it’s where you put your focus at any given moment.  For example, while eating breakfast you might be focusing on the TV while eating, and while working at your job you probably focus on the task at-hand (at least I hope you do!).  When it comes to pool, your perception focus can really help – or hinder- your path to success.

For all people, there are 3 directions you can point focus toward at any given moment: the past, present, or future.  When it comes to pool players, far too many times the focus stays on the past, and the shots or games that “shoulda” or “coulda” been made or won.  This type of perception focus is very limiting as it actually hinders your progress toward getting better because your mood state is depressed, your frustration level is high, and your tolerance level is low.  Of course, if “yesterday” was a great day, then the opposite would be true – but I ask how many times have you held onto that “bad day” and allowed it to impact your confidence level today??  If you are like most players, this has definitely happened to you!

The other two directions of focus – present and future – are typically better places to work from when it comes to pool success.  Obviously staying in the moment (or the present context) allows you to focus on each shot and feel the exhilaration with each success.  The future orientation is not good to use while playing, obviously, but it is good to use once the game is over and as you look toward what lies ahead.  In fact, if you have just had a really bad day, future focus may be the place to be!

A good general rule of thumb is to jot down good days of the past and revisit them from time-to-time to boost your attitude and spirit, but do not spend much time looking in the rear-view mirror if you are still consumed with blowing that last ball to lose the match.  This may sound like common sense as you read this, but how many times have you “beat yourself” even before the first shot because your head wasn’t on right?! 

Let the bad days go quickly, channel all your focus on the present shot and table lie, and if you have a tough day look toward tomorrow and think about what you can do differently and better.  The best news about perception focus, like almost all mental training skills, is that only you can make the decision about where to direct your attention.  So when you are having a bad day, rather than succumb to the negative energy and focus on bad things, including the last missed shot, empower yourself to view the situation as a challenge and pull all your energy together and execute that next shot.  Try it for yourself and just watch what happens – 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