Every player who has played an important match knows that feeling of having
nervous butterflies. Your breathing becomes short and erratic, your muscles
become tense and flinchy, your blood pressure rises, your pace of play is
completely unsettled, your palms may sweat, and worst of all your ability to
think clearly becomes clouded and replaced with multiple, "what if"
thoughts. Your impending doom is predictable and more often than not, you do
bomb out.
But wait; did you ever wonder what was happening to the other player while
you were in your own living nightmare? Were they as calm as a cucumber and
unnerved all that time too? It's likely they were too. But you couldn't tell in
your condition and just maybe they couldn't tell you were either. It's more than
likely they were nervous too.
So answer this question, if you had known that they too were a nervous wreck,
would you have been more calm and ended up giving them the beating of their
life? So then, what can you do to better prepare ahead of time to avoid becoming
the bigger nervous wreck out of the two of you so you lose?
The answer I'm about to give you should bless your heart for the rest of your
playing career or at the very least, for each time you remember it when you find
yourself going into, "the nervous zone" again. See the Drill. That's
it! The answer is that, Seeing the Drill Relieves Nervous Competitive Pressure.
This month's drill is called, The 15 Ball Master Run-Out. It contains 80% of
the shots that come up in almost every match or tournament event you'll play in.
When you can do this drill 7 out of 10 times without any missing, you'll be good
enough to beat 70% of the players you meet.
1. Set up the ball placement exactly as it is in the diagram. 2. Start with
the cue ball two diamonds up and one diamond in from any side of the table. 3.
Pocket the balls in order from 1 to 15. 4. Do not hit another ball during the
run. 5. If you miss a shot, reset it and keep shooting it until you can make it
twice in a row, then keep going. 6. Alternate the starting corner position of
the cue ball, at the start of each new set up, until all four corners have been
started from. This is what I call making a complete circuit, during your
practice sessions. 7. I advise doing your Pro Skill Drills warm-up drills first,
before beginning this practice regimen.
SEE THE ABOVE PICTURE TO SEE THE BALLS BETTER. THEY SHOULD BE IN THIS EXACT
POSITION.
During your next match, as you survey the table layout, take notice which of
the Master Run Out shots is most like the shot you're about to make and think
about that shot and how you have already succeeded many times making it. Then,
approach and make the shot as you did many times before. You will still miss
from time to time as a result of a bad aim, but with your new focus on your
experience with The 15 Ball Master Run-Out Drill, you won't be thinking about
being nervous and your out-of-control butterflies.
Finally, don't be so naïve to think that one day you might get good enough
so that the butterflies go away. Some of the world's greatest champions and
performers always get butterflies before an event. The difference is they don't
try to make them go away. They make them fly in formation.
Did you like this drill? Type in PRO SKILL DRILLS in the SEARCH box and order
your set of books and DVD's today. Inquire about private lessons or attending a
BOOT CAMP Pool School with "The Drill Instructor" and Tom "Dr
Cue" Rossman at: 1-407-927-1484. You can also write to: Dominic@ProSkillDrills.com
with your comments and questions.
