Playing under pressure can bring out the worst in both your game and your personal attitude. When you are competing for personal pride in a tournament or league match, it can be extremely difficult to perform up to your own expectations. Recently, in Atlanta at the Mr. Cues poolroom, I watched some American Poolplayers Association league matches and noticed how nervous some of the players got during the matches. It was not much different from what happens in a pro event when the score is close and the match is about over.

     It was not much different, in fact, from my own experience. When I first started to play in tournaments, I was surprised to find that it made me really uncomfortable. Easy runouts felt hard because of the pressure, and when the score got close at the end, that feeling was unbelievably strong. A shot that was easy and carefree in practice turned into a nightmare in tournament play. For me, playing for money has always seemed much easier than tournaments. In a money match, I might start or end nervous, but for most of the match I was pretty comfortable. Often after 20 or 30 minutes I would go numb and not really feel any pressure.

     Unfortunately, in tournament play if it takes you 20 or 30 minutes to get comfortable, it may be too late to win the match. And when you lose a match, it is over and a part of history; you can’t replay it, no matter how badly you played. Most of the time, when playing for money, you have the option to play another game or set. The finality of a tournament or league match creates a lot more pressure.

     The big question, then, is how to perform better under pressure. When I first started playing tournaments, my original thought was to find a way to feel more comfortable during a match. I thought the answer might be to play more tournaments until the discomfort went away. Today, after playing many more tournaments, including winning eight world championships, I still feel about the same. That feeling’s not going anywhere.

     Somewhere in that process, I realized that to play well under pressure I would need to learn to pocket the shot and run out even when I felt uncomfortable. After I made that decision, my tournament performance started to escalate. My focus and concentration turned to the task at hand — executing my next shot — and my performance changed drastically for the better.

     It is so easy to program yourself for failure, and you need to work to fight that process. Focus your thoughts on what you want to happen. Try the following:

1. When approaching the table, concentrate only on the task at hand.

2. Your first thought should be, “How do I win this game?” Choose your shot and don’t look back. Your decisions will improve the more you play.

3. Think, “I love this shot.” A loser might think, “This shot is too tough, I am going to miss.” But that’s not what you want to happen, so why are you picturing it? Learn to eliminate this thought and other negative thoughts. Replace them with thoughts such as “I’m happy to be at the table.” That’s tough to do when you’re facing a kick shot, but remember that shooting anything is better than watching your opponent run out. So when approaching the table, be mentally tough. Program yourself to win, not to lose. Thinking that unpleasant things will happen is like praying for a loss.

4. Don’t let distractions destroy your focus. If something breaks your concentration, step back and relax before returning to the shot. Take a few deep breaths to help you get back to the task at hand.

5. Remember, you play this game because it’s fun. Don’t link winning to enjoyment. Try to learn from your mistakes and turn losses into learning experiences. I myself am still working on getting this one down.

6. Know that you have ultimate control when it is your shot. You make the decisions. Your opponent has no control from the chair, so ignore him completely.

7. Whether I am uncomfortable or not, I force myself on every shot to wait to see the cue ball contact the object ball before I raise up. A major reason all players miss is that they lose their concentration and move their eyes or heads off the aiming point. The tendency to do this is greater when the pressure is on. Training yourself to stay still is worth its weight in gold. I could add a hundred things to this list, but I’ve tried to focus on a few important points that will help your performance. Even one negative thought could mean the difference between winning and losing. Some players will dismiss the importance of improving their thoughts because they feel it is really not important. Just remember to shake their hands when you beat them.

     One final thought: There are many different things that can cause you to feel uncomfortable when playing under pressure. One of those things is the difficulty of the shot you are facing. Notice in Diagram 1 that the two 9 balls represent two shots: Position 1 is easy and Position 2 is hard. Most players won’t feel nervous on the easy shot, but they will really feel the pressure on the tough shot. Approaching the tough shot, some players may think, “Why did my opponent get so lucky and leave me tough?” This is a losing thought. Replace it with a winning thought: “How lucky can I get? If my opponent hadn’t missed, I wouldn’t have this chance to win.”