I have been asked the same question several times:
“Is what you write only for professionals?”
No.
It is for anyone entering a situation where something matters.
An official tournament.
A final.
A head-to-head game for prize money.
An important agreement.
An examination.
The body does not distinguish categories.
When something acquires significance, the same mechanism activates:
arousal rises,
the pace increases,
thinking accelerates,
attention narrows.
The difference between an experienced athlete and a beginner is not that the former feels no anxiety.
The difference is:
– recognising it sooner,
– experiencing it at a more functional level,
– having a mechanism for resetting.
Yerkes and Dodson described this as early as 1908.
They experimentally showed that performance does not keep rising as arousal increases. There is an optimal level of arousal.
Very low intensity → excessive relaxation.
Very high intensity → dysregulation.
High performance lies in between.
So the issue is not feeling no anxiety.
It is being able to regulate it.
A simple tool anyone can try:
The next time you feel:
– rushed,
– your heart racing,
– inner noise,
– excessive thinking,
do not try to “calm down”.
Do the following:
(when you sit in your chair, not while standing over the shot)
Exhale slowly through your mouth, for longer than you inhale.
Pause briefly for one to two seconds.
Repeat three times.
Silently say a neutral word, such as “process”, “next” or “routine”.
Why does it work?
Slow, prolonged exhalation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the body's mechanism for reducing arousal and lowering heart rate. This has been extensively studied in vagus nerve physiology and is used in precision sports, military and medical settings.
It does not eliminate anxiety.
It brings it to a functional level.
The neutral word has a role too.
Cognitive psychology describes an automatic self-evaluation loop following an intense stimulus. As you evaluate, cognitive load increases. A consistent, neutral word acts as an attentional anchor:
it does not create emotion,
it does not open a dialogue,
it simply provides direction.
It is not positive thinking.
It is an interruption of thinking.
A D-category player and a professional can use the same tool. The difference lies in practice and consistency of application.
And one more thing.
This is not only about pool.
It happens when a businessperson negotiates an agreement.
When a student sits an exam.
When someone has to perform in front of others.
The mechanism is the same.
That is why I do not begin my work with general advice.
I begin by mapping the situation.
Through questions.
Because different situations activate different people.
Some at the start.
Some when ahead.
Some when behind.
Some when they feel they have something to prove.
Once the situation has been mapped correctly, the intervention can be small but targeted.
And usually, the smallest appropriate intervention produces the greatest result.
We do not work on a playing category.
We work on a mechanism.
If you find this useful, keep it.
If not, move on.