[from August 2007]
There comes a time when solitary practice can only get you so far. The skills that we’ve developed are not complete without the experience acquired from competition. A comprehensive training program includes practice time, learning material (books, videos, articles, advice/coaching, etc.), and actual competition experience. A seasoned player has hours and hours of wins and losses under their belt.
During my earlier stages of training, I bought into the “shock ‘em” approach to success. I believed that it was enough to simply lock myself in my poolroom and shoot drills until my knuckles were sore and my feet hurt. I believed that this would be enough for me to become a champion. I thought I could just gain all the skills I needed and come on the scene firing and surprise everyone.
Boy was I mislead. Unless you’re a robot programmed to compute possible table run-outs and execute them perfectly under any circumstance, winning tournaments requires so much more than pure ability. It also requires actual experience of competing under pressure. There is no substitute for experiencing the match-winning shot at hill-hill of the finals of a tournament. There is no effective training program for working the through the nerves of the opening shot of the first match of your very first tournament ever.
Whether you win or lose, there is always something to be learned. If you’re not learning something then you’ve failed to get the most out of every single pool experience. That’s in another article. To become seasoned means a progressive transformation into a complete, well-rounded player. It means you’ve acquired enough knowledge to begin applying it. It means you are paying your dues in every respect. It means you’re taking your medicine to become a stronger player all around.
Developing the strength to prevail under pressure situations does not come from merely studying videos and shooting the shots. It comes from forcing yourself to be uncomfortable, playing better players, experiencing defeat, building endurance, and taking advantage of new opportunities. Put yourself out there and get seasoned. The more seasoning you have the more knowledge and experience you’re gaining.
