Oh yeah, about the above, I managed two second place finishes in 9-ball tournaments this week, one knockout and one round robin of 21 players, with the provincial open tournament coming up this weekend. I feel like I'm peaking at just the right time, as they say, and I could do very well there. But if so, it's going to be because of the techniques I mentioned in the previous post. I have all the ability in world, and some good bit of it natural talent, if I may say so, but I have problems staying out of my own head and the honest to fuck power of suggestion is where its at for that.
I heard a very long time ago that there was actual science behind visualization and it has only become more and more solid over time, so I really wish I had tried to apply it to my game before now. For me it seems to also require a somewhat self-hypnosis like repetition, but not a mantra per se, rather I'm thinking a suggestion followed by remembering a previous time it happened. Specifically, I'm thinking nice and smooth just like that shot, where I remember the experience of a shot where I delivered the cue nicely smooth and with perfect pace and rhythm and I do it over and over and over at opportune times. Then, when I'm in a game and I am at the table, I just think, nice and smooth, just like that shot and that's how I deliver the cue. So far, it seems to be especially effective when something's not quite right and I have to reset and get my head back into the game.
