"Duchess of Doom"	"The Golden Bear"	"The Scorpion"
What Do These Three Have In Common?

In our journey towards pocket billiards excellence, we must lay a solid foundation to our game. There are twelve levels a player must go through in order to become a master at pocket billiards. If you are weak in any of these levels your performance will suffer.

Many players reach a plateau in their game and can’t seem to break through to the next level. They remain the same player year after year and after a while, their game begins to slip. Somewhere in their twelve steps they failed to realize the importance of one or two particular steps. Many times a player will rush out into competition long before he/she is ready. They are still in the “student” stage while they rush into the “player” stage.

I had a brilliant student in New York who has passed over the second stage of pocket billiards. This is the Four Strokes of Pool. When we began to go through that stage, he was amazed by how far he had gone in this game without this knowledge. He was a fine player but could not consistently control the cue ball. Once we went back, and covered that important second stage, his game improved. He had been stuck because he skipped over an important step. He was trying to achieve things for which he had not fully developed the skill. The game was a real chore for him until he filled in the missing blanks.

I had another student I had to bring back to the first stage, the stage of Shot Making. She was a brilliant cue ball control player, but could not make a tough shot. Once we covered that stage, her over all game improved.

The fundamentals come in twelve unique steps. Each step must be mastered if you are to enjoy the consistency we all strive for. You can trust your game when it is complete. Your confidence will rise dramatically when you have command of each fundamental level. If you have left things out, you will be working to hard when the pressures of the finals are upon you. Once you enjoy a solid foundation to your game, you will find your winning percentage going up and up.

Important note: We are looking at ten steps along our journey for tournament preparation. These are not the twelve levels to mastering this game. The twelve levels are outlined in The Masters of Art in Pocket Billiards.

Torunament Preparation

You're Not Here To Win

Play one match at a time. You are not here to win the tournament. Get those thoughts out of your mind. You can only play one match at a time. You need the freedom to perform.

Thinking about winning can clutter your mind. If you focus on one match, you will find yourself in the final four more often. Do not project beyond this one match at a time plan.

Remember, you have a choice. You can worry about the results of the match, or you can shoot balls. When you are concerned with how things will go, you interfere with your ability to perform.

There is no profit in this type of thinking. You need to be free. Being angry about missed position does not change the shot you have. Let go of your preoccupation wi

Master Of Art In Pocket Billiards
Ready For You

I am accepting a limited amount of students into this program. Players have signed up from four different countries so far. If you are interested, email me and I will send you a personal letter with all the information you need. Join this unique family of players who intend to change the entire industry. Let us all put the “art” back in the art of pocket billiards.

The Four Strokes of Pool

In the next four weeks we will look at each stroke. You can read all about the four strokes of pool in “The Lesson.” You must master the four strokes of pool because the stroke determines the track line.

You must master the four strokes of pool because the stroke determines the speed of the cue ball.

You must master the four strokes before you can master cue ball speed or position play.

If you skip the four strokes of pool, you will be plagued and over come with an inconsistent game. One day you’re up and some days you’re down.

If you are an inconsistent player you need to master the four strokes of pool. You should order “The Lesson”” and begin to put your game together so it will not let you down when you need it. When it comes to your game, “do it right.”

Stroke #1 - The Punch Stroke

This is, by far, the most popular stroke in pool. Willie Mosconi used it over 80 percent of the time. It gives you natural speed and natural track lines.

To master this stroke, line up a shot straight in the side pocket. The cue ball should be a couple diamonds away.

Deliver a “pop” sound one sixteenth below center. If the cue ball stops dead in its tracks, you have discovered your punch stroke. Whatever it takes to stop the cue ball dead is a punch stroke. If the cue ball drifts back towards you, you have added a little draw into your punch stroke.

If the cue ball drifts forward you have allowed a little follow in your punch stroke. You must stop the cue ball dead. When you do, pay attention to that sound. Pay attention to how it feels. You will want to master this stroke.

k lines. In The Lesson book I give you a series of shots you can use to begin to develop cue ball speed and cue ball control. If you do not possess a good solid reliable punch stroke, you will never find the consistency you seek. The Punch Stroke: don’t leave home with out it.

Question for The Monk:

Thank you for the articles. I really like them and share them with my friends. I’ve told you once that – modesty aside – I find a lot of similarities in us about your mindset/philosophy about this game.

Related to your article on defining a pro vs an amateur player, can you write something about the way to classify a player from class A, B, C and D?

Reply from The Monk:

The A player is one who has mastered each of the strokes and has control of the cue ball. He has also mastered self and very seldom chokes or falls apart. The A player works hard for every shot.

The B player is generally a very talented player who has moved from shot making into cue ball control without the mastery of the four strokes of pool. When things are going right for the B player, he can perform at the level of an A player. Often times however, the B player will have bad days because his English is not working and his cue ball control is way off.

The C player has not mastered self. His pre-shot routine is undisciplined or nonexistent and his timing is way off. He is a brilliant shot maker and will run out if you leave him an open table. She does not appreciate how hard the game is and often predicts run outs before they happen.

The C and D players gives up and do not work hard for every shot. They rarely sit down after their turn at the table and do not understand or display respectful table etiquette.

The D player is a shot maker. He can make shots an A player would never attempt. If things go right and he gets good rolls, the D player can run racks. His break is more for show than for doe. He has little knowledge on how to compete. His pre-shot routine is an adventure.

One half inch from first!

After a tough loss, she moved through the losers’ bracket to reach the finals. She needed to beat Linda Trujillo twice to claim the first place prize.

Sammantha trusted her stroke and her training and won the first set four to one. She ran three racks. In the second set, she was on the hill, tied when she attempted a tough run out. One half inch further to the left and she could see her finishing ball and would have won the tournament.

Sammantha took some positive steps in this tournament. She has only been competing on a serious note for nine months. At one point in the match she let go of any preoccupation with results and allowed her skills to work for her. She gained her freedom.

This is a big step in her development towards a master’s degree in the art of pocket billiards. She was fluent with her shots, with a confident rhythm and smooth stroke. Everything was crisp, clean and positive.

Two weeks ago she won a qualifier to compete in the US Amateur Open. She will go to Connecticut in November. Then she travels out to Reno for the ACS Nine Ball Championships and finishes her tour with the BCA Nine Ball Championships in Las Vegas.

I will travel with her and file a report each week. Hope to see you on the trail. Don’t forget, I am doing a special workshop in Las Vegas on November 22nd and 23rd. You can read about it at www.TheMonk.com.

Appreciation

(a side note from Samm's Side Pocket)

We have all seen players who are so enveloped with competing that they are unable to remember the reason they play at all. Those are the players (maybe ourselves) who forget, even if it’s for a brief moment, about the art of pocket billiards. Like a fine piece of art, strategically mapping an 8 ball run out deserves much appreciation.

The knowledge and skill required to pocket the 8 ball and come four rails for perfect position on the 9 ball is truly something to admire. We can also appreciate making a 90 degree cut on the 8 ball at hill-hill to win the tournament. We marvel and the back and forth break and runs during the pro events.

No matter what the outcome, our ability to see the shot, know the stroke, and successfully shoot the shot is nothing to take likely or for granted. Often times we become so caught up with results and the competing that we forget why we play at all.

So, I challenge you to ask yourself “What do I love about this game?” and the next time you are in a match and you’re getting frustrated or things aren’t going your way, just answer that question. Hopefully, reminding yourself of this answer will help keep things in perspective.

Take Five From The Monk

Click on the link and begin your unique training here and now.

I am making the cd’s available on line. For the next few weeks I will be recording some new material. You can learn while you drive your car. Learn while you lay on the beach. Learn while you are working at your desk. The cd’ program is very helpful in mastering the inner game of pocket billiards.

The Four Strokes of Pool
Changing the Script
The 101 Laws for Success
Changing the Script (subliminal)

Listen and learn while you drive.

May All the Rolls Go Your Way

The Monk