Dead stroke, now that's something we need to talk about, so this is what I ask, if you wish to participate, Grab your cue, Grip it as tight as you can, hit a ball, then gradually loosen up (while hitting balls) to find where you need to be..Now I want you to open your mind, forget about everything, nothing matters, when you close your eyes, you mind must be quiet. this is the first step. Don't go any further until you can do this.
And remember, keep your eyes closed, set, or lay down, we are going to prepare you for your next match.
Once your mind is clear, you need to breathe, concentrate on this, we need to take your attention and focus beyond random thoughts.
Now contract and relax every muscle you can 10 times.
Concentrate on the air entering your body, if a thought enters your mind, try to push it out and away, let your breathe expel it.
I want you to Visualize the cue ball, and your cue, both separate, align them in your mind, as if you were about to shoot a stop shot. Don't force it, let it happen, focus on your breathing, visualize this for as long as you can........
now you play what game? what is your favorite? 8 ball?
Once you can connect the cue ball and your cue, as your looking at a shot, look a little further, see the rack, and where you want to strike it. all the time your focus is on your breathing, think of the air going in as a positive action, all the missed balls, are coming out when you exhale....... stroke the shot, back swing as you breathe in, forward as you breathe out, let this set your rhythm, like while playing a guitar, you can double an triple the rhythm, but you must first have a constant and steady beat to go from. This is your Key when you want to enter dead stroke, after you mind and body is relaxed, all you need to do while playing is Breathe, let this set the tone, this is your Rhythm, this opens the door for you to become who you really are.
The ability to erase all thought and concentrate on the air you breathe has for centuries been the key to many things, pool is no different. Yes, I was having some fun with ya, but, did you do it? could you visualize the things I ask? if you try you can. and if you can do that that you can do anything.
There is no Magic not really, if anything its you, your are the magic, you can do things no Animal on this planet can do, you have a gift... If you learn to use it, you may forget pool, you may never get any better, but you will go places and do things you never thought possible.
Realistically How long can it take before you enter Dead Stroke?
You need to have good basic fundamentals, if you have this, and have 3 years at the table, talking to the right people you can enter dead stroke as it is associated with pool.
You can look at shots and balls, and banks all your life, and never see what a player does entering dead stroke, people tend to try to use intellect rather than emotion, you think therefore you miss. you can look at the table, you perceive what needs to be done, but you do not think about it.
You can see a spot on the cloth, or target the rail for position, but you don't say to yourself, okay, high right, medium speed, 30* cut to the right, hmm, now let me compensate for throw, no, your just aware what you need to do, in most cases, there are some situations and methods for kicks, and banks, if its a shot that is strange to you, if you own that shot however the same rule applies, and this is what you practice.
Certainly you cant practice every situation, so some thinking is involved, so it would be a good idea to buy a book or DVD to show you shots that are important, 99 critical shots in pool by Ray Martin, may be a great book to do this, Ive never read it, but I have heard a lot of good things, and an easy way to learn banks.. (someone was telling me about how the book describes one rail banks. I think its accurate from what I was being told) This you take to the practice table, and you own those shots, that way you need not think about these shots, because you have burned them into your memory.. If you see someone calculating every shot, they have no confidence, bet... they may make a few tough shots, but if you hang with them they will likely self destruct, they incorporate Pressure, the wrong kind. Positive pressure is what you feel when the crowd around you feels pressure. That is shear motivation...and you can feed from that.
Why are Home teams tougher to beat? hmmm.. What about the third string lineman, setting on the bench, does he feel it? of course.. you cant alienate people because they may not have the hours in that you do.. honestly I think the best student would be a person in their first year of playing.. you can eliminate the fear, and replace it with a positive emotion, instead of seeing certain death, they will realize this is a special moment and embrace it.
There is always going to be professionals, and they are always going to be a winner and a looser in every match. Why not give yourself a fighting chance? Why bound yourself to percentages and do the expected......FAIL.
