Wax On, Wax Off
In the movie The Karate Kid, an eager Daniel-son can not see the value in the tasks he’s been asked to do. Mr. Miyagi has accepted him as a student and has him performing repetitive chores. In the beginning, Daniel spends his days waxing Mr. Miyagi’s car and painting his fence using very specific hand and arm movements. Ultimately, Daniel would become fed up with the tedious repetition. Fortunately for him, it was not before he had logged in enough hours to condition his body to act out the skillful movements he’d learned.
Daniel had in fact been unknowingly learning defensive blocks, the fundamental first step in karate training. By continuously performing specific actions, he had trained his body and muscle to memorize those movements. Those same actions then carried over from his chores to karate where during the big tournament, even as an underdog, he was able to utilize those skills to make it to the semifinals. I won’t ruin the rest of the movie for you if you have not yet seen it. I will, however, let you know that all the painting and waxing he did is not unlike the alignment and stroke work we can do to improve our pool game.
The following are just a few examples of some painting and waxing you can do without actually playing. These are only some of the many ways to train your body and develop the essential skills to perform when needed. Remember, Daniel did hours and hours of painting and waxing, so the more time you can devote, the better.
- Find a table and form your bridge at the edge and freely stroke your cue. Find a straight line on the floor or lay a broomstick down directly below your cue. When looking down, your pool cue should completely cover the line or stick below you. If any part of that line is exposed, then your cue is not moving in a perfectly straight back and forth motion. This exercise also works well when placing your bridge hand on the pool table rail and stroking directly over the line where the wood meets felt.
- Find a table in front of a mirror. Make sure you are able to see your profile (a mirror to the right side for righties and to the left side for lefties). With your average bridge length and a level cue, check in the mirror to make sure your stroke hand is perpendicular to the playing cue. This won’t be perfect or exact for each shot depending on how far away you are bridging, but it’s a helpful reminder.
- If you’re able to film yourself, that’s always a great tool. Set up a tripod directly behind you and set up a series of the same shot. Make sure your stroke comes directly back and forth and not side to side. Most people have never seen themselves play before and may not be aware of any subtle quirks. (You’d be amazed at the many things you catch yourself doing on camera!)
- When you have some time to kill, instead of turning the TV on, find a mark on the wall or an object within five feet of you. Find a pinpoint spot and focus your eyes on it for as long as you possibly can. Try not to allow any other thoughts to seep in. Try not to think about anything. This was a task the monk had given me a couple years ago to help increase my focus level. It’s much more difficult than it may sound.
- Of course all relaxation and breathing exercises, or anything to strengthen your mind and body when you’re away from the table, are always great ways to stay sharp.
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