Discipline grunge rubber stamp on white, vector illustration
As serious players work to improve their pool game, it is important to employ discipline to play at a high level. Discipline can come in the form of many different things, including having discipline to refrain from drinking while playing pool all the way to making sure not to rush through shots that require more time to properly assess.
Often players beat themselves by doing things they shouldn’t, including not getting enough rest or losing focus during tough matches. Again, discipline is what helps players manage challenging situations and continue to improve.
Examining discipline
Discipline is simply defined as being able to train using self-control. When you examine your game, how disciplined are you? Below are a few places to examine your level of discipline:
- Do you adhere to a generally healthy diet, sleep schedule, and exercise?
- Do you set time aside to practice pool, and keep your schedule?
- When practicing, do you keep your focus on self-improvement or instead get lost in conversation with others or do other things other than play pool?
- Do you regularly maintain your equipment?
- Do you seek advice from superior players when faced with shots and situations on the table that you haven’t yet mastered?
- Do you refrain from playing under the influence of alcohol/drugs?
- Do you keep track of your progress by means of a journal or some other way to take notes?
Being disciplined won’t make you a great player, but it will put you in the best position to succeed. Conversely, by not being disciplined you will never reach your full potential, prompting the big question: How good do you really want to be?
When you study the world’s best at anything – pool, business, education, etc. – one constant you will always see is a high degree of self-discipline. Often it is not their natural talents that sets them apart, but instead it is their willingness and commitment to doing everything that is necessary to be the best – and this starts with self-discipline. No, there are no short cuts to being the best, and the quality of your game can improve dramatically by getting away from cutting corners and instead putting in the work.
Final thoughts
The great thing about discipline is that not only does discipline lead to peak performance, but it is also something every one of us can improve if we are serious about being great. You may not have been blessed with an eagle eye, but you have every opportunity to outwork the competition and develop the discipline needed to overcome adversity – good luck!
