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Jan 03, 2005 :: The Monk's Monday Lesson #4
A Positive Resolution
(A side note from Samm’s Side Pocket)
What do you do when you miss a shot or scratch? How do you react when your opponent plays a safety on you? How about when your opponent gets a lucky roll and hooks you? Do you get angry? Do you grunt or shout? Does it affect your next shot?
Most likely, if you react negatively, that mental state carries over to your next shot. Have you ever been so angry with what you were facing that it consumed you? Were you so flustered and overwhelmed by the thoughts of “I can’t believe I did that!” or “I’m so stupid!” or “What a crappy roll!”? Those negative feelings affect the decisions we make and how we execute them.
Not more than a year ago, I was the most emotional player you could encounter. I wore everything on my sleeve. You could tell if I hooked myself or if I got perfect shape. And, you could definitely tell that I was going to miss my next shot by how affected I was from the previous one. I expressed every single feeling towards every single shot. By the end of each match, whether I won or lost, I was completely emotionally spent. It would take me this past year to overcome this habit and step towards a new outlook for each shot.
As you tackle the attitude of defeat from The Monk’s article, also think about your negative reactions towards each shot. It is not an easy transition to completely separate yourself from your emotions during a match, but just give it a try and you will begin noticing immediate benefits. During this transition, look around. Notice the players in the room that pound their cue into the ground and yell and scream at the balls. How silly do they look? (No offense, if this is you.) What did they change? Now, watch Allison and Karen and notice their calmness and lack of response, regardless of what shot they face. This flat affect strengthens their consistency.
Every ounce of negative energy wasted on reacting to something in the past, something that you can not change, drains you. Better yet, redirect that energy and focus on something you can change. You can not change the outcome of the previous shot, but you can change and control what happens next with the actions you take. Why allow yourself to waste all that energy reacting to what your opponent did to you? It still doesn’t change what you need to do. Rather, use that energy to determine which rail to kick at or how you can play a nasty safety.
What I like to do is: When I am hooked, whether I did it to myself or my opponent did it to me, I always approach the table with a feeling of thankfulness. I am thankful to have a shot. Whether I like it or not, a shot is a chance to win. So, don’t piss and moan about what you left yourself or if you get out of line. Work it out! If your opponent left you that shot, you would be thankful to be at the table again. Just try to always be thankful.
Nobody said it would be easy. In fact, not reacting at all can even affect your opponent. I love it when my opponent gets all bent out of shape and jumps out of their seat because they can’t tell if I have a shot or not. If you ask The Monk, he would agree that a “Master” remains calm and acts with confidence and conviction in all that they do. I am working towards that completeness. Are you? So, as you’re making out your list of New Year’s resolutions add this one on and notice the results.
