When it comes to pool, what gives you the most trouble? Consistently making balls on breaks? Long cut shots? Position pool? Playing successful safetys? Most people have both things they do very well, as well as parts of the game that they find challenging.
Additionally, most people like to spend time on the things they do well, and do all that they can to avoid doing things they don’t do very well. Applying this to pool, many players will spend extra time practicing parts of the game they find fun and do well, while rarely working on the frustrating parts of the game that they struggle doing successfully. If this is your approach to the game I’ll be the one to state the obvious: You’re doing it wrong (but the good news is help is on the way!).
Accept the challenge
If the goal is to continually improve your pool game, then you must ac- cept the challenge of improving upon your weaknesses! Ignoring the parts of your game that need the most work will result in you continuing to play about at the level you are right now — it’s like the old saying, “if you keep on doing what you have always done, you’ll keep on getting what you have always got.” Sure, practicing is a lot more fun making the shots you know you can make, but how will your game ever improve using that approach?
Instead, try to develop a regular rou- tine that pushes you to practice the aspects of your game that cause you the most anxiety, then open your mind and roil up your sleeves and get after it! Will this be easy or fun? Truthfully, it might not start out that way, but you have the power to make this way of practicing an exciting challenge to overcome.
Make a decision best for you
If you are the kind of player that just likes to bang ‘em around and hang out with friends, then embracing your weaknesses probably isn’t the approach for you. On the other hand, if you are truly committed to maximizing your game, then you already know that you have to become proficient at the toughest parts of the game as you know these situations will absolutely come up in play. Furthermore, if you continue playing up against better competition, more talented players will readily see your areas of weak- ness that you have ignored working on, and you better believe they will exploit those weaknesses. Start to- day by writing down the areas of your game that need the most attention, keep your attitude positive, and com- mit to working on these challenges each and every day.
