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Point The Way ….

By The Monk

POINT THE WAY

The Only Book Devoted To The Inner Game Of


Pocket Billiards And To The Complete Development
Of The Pool Player

Written by

THE MONK

Foreword by

GRADY MATHEWS

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

POINT THE WAY:


Written by The Monk. Forward by Grady Mathews

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Fifth Edition December 1994.


ISBN 0-9628389-5-0

POINT THE WAY. Copyright © 1990 by The Monk. All rights reserved. No part of this
book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including
information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the pub-
lisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by
Samsara Publishing, Post Office Box 365, Orange, MA 01364.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD Page 5
By Grady Mathews

CHAPTER ONE Page 7


The Game Within

CHAPTER TWO Page 20


Attitude

CHAPTER THREE Page 34


Fundamentals

CHAPTER FOUR Page 44


Variety of Shots

CHAPTER FIVE Page 67


Practice and Training

CHAPTER SIX Page 80


Preparing For Local Tournaments

CHAPTER SEVEN Page 82


Conclusion

APPENDICES
Continue Your Journey Page 85

Your Subconscious Mind Page 86

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

This book is dedicated to


Walter G. Miller
who has walked with me along the path.
Thank you for your support,
your encouragement,
and especially your faith.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Foreword

BY GRADY MATHEWS

There are many roads to the top in this sport. If we practice hard enough and
persevere. we will eventually achieve our goals. We do this through a process of
elimination. And this trial and error gives us great pain and turmoil. This is why I take time
to teach others the fundamentals and basics of pocket billiards.

Until the Monk came along, we did not have anyone writing about the inner game of
pool. The mental side is over 70% of the game and this part, on my own, took me the
longest time to master. The Monk has given us a step-by- step process to train ourselves
in this fine art.

This book will help you in more ways than anything else I have ever read. It
addresses the heart of the matter. The Monk points the way. This is the way we must all
go. My journey to the top has taken me around the world to thousands of pool halls. The
combat experience has taught me the things the Monk writes about. After you read this
book, you will be a different person - a better player. You will improve dramatically. You
will learn to organize your training to get the most out of your skills. And you will learn to
deal with both victory and defeat. Keep this book as your own personal Bible and refer to
it often. The illustrations teach speed and stroke. Follow them and you will advance
quickly. In my clinics around the country, I tell my students that you can make it even if
you don't have a great stroke. My own stroke isn't considered great.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

I am proud to endorse this book by the Monk’s Point the Wav is one of the finest
books I have ever read about the game of pool. When the Monk came to me and asked
me to read and evaluate his book, I told him there was nothing I would change - it's great
the way it is.

Often players will get together and ask me to come to their town to put on a clinic.
I'm always willing to offer my services. Now, after I teach them the fundamentals, I will
whole-heartedly recommend this book. One of the most-asked questions I get during my
clinics is about ”choking" and the ability to finish run-outs. The Monk has provided us with
the tools to overcome this tendency.

I predict that someday the Monk will be one of the most famous pool personalities in
the world~ He has dedicated his life to the field of pocket billiards, and he stands there,
with sincere compassion, pointing the way. As a pool player and fellow traveler, I
appreciate the Monk's genuine concern for us all. He is tireless and dedicated. Point the
Way is a must read for all pool players at all levels.

Good luck Monk, the best to you.

Grady Mathews

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Chapter One

THE GAME WITHIN

The game of pocket billiards embraces the inner soul and brings you face to face
with yourself. It is a mirror which reflects both your fears and insecurities, and your
courageous spirit. If you pursue this game, you will see clearly how your feelings affect
your performance. This is a chapter on that inner person who is your real self. We will
examine those traits, which help you win the games - or cause you to lose. This section is
reserved for those fearless ones who want to go beyond the boundaries of mediocrity
and into the world elevated by challenging performances. The pleasures of the harbor
can destroy you and leave you defenseless. When the storm's about. you've got to ride it
out if you are ever to sail again. And into the storm you go. Especially when you face the
'man in the mirror."
Certain shots at certain times cause us great concern. We tense up and become
timid and unsure. Sometimes it isn't even the critical ball in a run. We come to a situation
where we simply cannot perform. We cannot rely upon our performance. The game has
rendered us help- less. As a man stands helpless before the firing squad, we await the
final blow. For us there is no relief in death. We live to see our failure to make an easy
shot. What baffles us most is that after we miss, we know that we could then make the
shot ten times in a row. Here is where we leave the fundamentals of shot making and
take up the fundamentals of shot maker and the game within.

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When you enter that poolroom and pickup that pool cue, you have become a warrior
in the field of battle. There are many weapons in this war, but the most important tool is
the one centered around the human emotions. If you are to succeed, you must get these
emotions under control. Here is where the road thins out. It is not too heavily traveled. A
few warriors here and there trading a sparsely traveled path. As pool is a mirror of the
individual, those who go on are not afraid of what they see. The game itself weeds the
weak from among its field.

The common thread which holds the pool players together is the knowledge that we
are willing to see ourselves as we really are. And the bond is our ability to accept
ourselves and play within those limits. One pool player knows another. They recognize
each other instantly. Friendships which last a lifetime are formed in minutes and fostered
by the knowledge that we are on the same road together. You do not need to be a master
pool player to tread these paths. We are all on the same road.

I once marveled at a player who seemed in complete control of himself and


remarked on how I would like to be at his level. He told me, “We are all on the road. I’m
just another straggler." Once you understand and accept your emotions, you are on the
road to “pooldom come." You then become just another traveler. And where does this
road lead'? As Harry Chapin once said, “It's got to be the going, not the getting there,
that's good." Because Pool Players are always going."

The principle of emotional control is prevalent in all competitive sports. Your


performance suffers when you are intimidated. In baseball, for instance, some relief
pitchers use antics to upset a hitter's timing. When this works, a three hundred hitter
becomes a meek two hundred hitter. Anytime you allow your opponent to intimidate you,
your performance will suffer. In order for your opponent to talk, however, you must listen.
One does not carry on a conversation with oneself. Those who have their emotions under
control are generally free. They do not listen to their opponent.

Eventually, it is the pool player and his ability which win games. You may add some
elements, but you had better be able to play well enough to capitalize on any opportunity
you may get. Some of the great ones use sharking techniques to unsettle the shortstops.
Irving Crane, one of the top three straight shooters in the history of pocket billiards, would
stand up in the middle of his opponent's run with the excuse that he was going for a cold
glass of water. His undertaker-type image did wonders to distract the shortstop. Irving
Crane did not resort to this technique against the great ones of his day. His ability,
however, was enough to carry him through. Your ability to perform is the bottom line.

Who are you? What is your game? As you improve in the game of pocket billiards, a
unique style will emerge. Once you reach this level, you will then have something to rely
on. Irving Crane was a defensive genius. He was known for his safety play. He won world
titles with consistent runs of thirty and forty balls. Willie Mosconie, on the other hand, was

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an offensive great. His high run titles still stand today. His accomplishments are
legendary. Yet when Willie Mosconie and Irving Crane played for world titles, the bet was
even money. Both had perfected their styles. If your style has worked for you in the past~
stay with it. This will give you a sense of stability in tough matches. Some players get
caught up in a search for a magic formula. There are none. You are a performer who is
uniquely different. Find your style and perfect it to your best ability.

Subtle factors cause us to miss. And when we do. our self- defeating personalities
are magnified. Everything looks worse than it actually is. We are liable to “overdrown." I
once had a friend pound his head and ask, 'How can one human being be so bad?" The
subtleties of our own human nature pick and scratch away at the pool game until we find
ourselves not even coming close to our potential. We are far worse than when we started
out. When this happens, we are in trouble.

My team is famous for second guessing. They always know the right shot (after I’ve
missed. Even when I run the table, one of them will say, “Gee, I didn't see it the way you
saw it." This would unsettle me. There were times when I wasn't sure I was shooting the
right shot. I would miss shots I ordinarily made. Every time I made a mistake, one of my
teammates would ask, "Why did you take that ball?" How can you argue with them? They
are right and you are wrong.

Perhaps they are not so right after all. I would not miss as often if they didn't second-
guess me. If I could reduce the effects of their second-guessing, I could make more balls.
So I worked on this aspect. Once I did this, the results were much better. Still, there was
another subtle voice whispering in my ear. Not only did the team second-guess me, I
began to second-guess myself. This was not so bad, except I second-guessed myself
before I took the shot! I was worse than the team. As I prepared to shoot, I would say
things like, ”remember to hit this one hard. You know you missed this shot before
because your hit was too soft, and make sure you shoot it with follow. Don't forget, follow
is when you allow your wrist to go limp just as you hit the ball so pay attention to your
wrist to see if it goes limp. On second thought, why take this shot at all? You're better at
draw than follow anyway. Make sure you don't miss this draw shot. The team will think
you're showboating. And you don't want to be called a show-off, so better take the follow
shot even though it's the wrong shot after all." How would you like to have all that running
through your head when you are trying to win a game? I thought the entire team was
having an argument in the corner of my mind. The game is difficult enough. We don't
have to make it harder than it already is.
Freud calls these little voices in our head the Id. The Id is the child within who wants
control of our every move. This crafty little devil will be with us for the rest of our lives, but
those who rise above the Id will be the ones who win the most games. You must learn to
control the Id. You must stroke freely. Letting go and shooting is giving up the control the
Id has. This is not an easy task. You must learn to recognize the whispering voice from
the Id and face it squarely until you have gained your freedom. In all honesty, I don't
know if the Id wants us to win or not. But I do know this - when the Id gets control. We are
likely to lose. And when we lose, the Id calls us “dummies and lame brains" and blames

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

us for choking. It is a vicious cycle that goes on and on.

I've heard players cry and complain that they were better players two years ago than they
are now. They scratch their heads and wonder what has happened to their game. Why
has it deteriorated? I once knew a man who shot par on the golf course simply because
he expected to. He thought everyone did. He worked at night and played his golf during
the daytime. He played alone and figured he was supposed to make a four when on a par
four. The sign said four so he made a four.

His friends found out about his remarkable ability and urged him to quit his job and join
the tour. Make a career out of golf," they said. “Take lessons." When he began to think
about his game and ways to improve it, he lost his natural ability to make par. His game
went downhill from there on. When we evaluate our performance and begin to compare,
we open the door for the Id. Once we listen to that other self we are in deep trouble, and
for many these troubles are permanent. They cause us to become discouraged. We
eventually quit competition altogether.

The wayside is strewn with frustrated pool players who mutter evaluations and
comparison. Instead of seeing things as they really are, we begin to blame the elements
such as poor lighting, uneven tables, family problems, financial pressures and even the
dampness in the air. We begin to make up all kinds of excuses. Tragically, we start to
make excuses for losing even before we play the game.

I own a vintage 1909 Brunswick, Balke, Collender pool table. It is a magnificent


piece of furniture. I paid four hundred dollars for it. It is worth thousands and thousands of
dollars. The previous owner had lost all drive and enthusiasm. He was one of the
waysiders who wonders what has happened. At the time, I couldn't understand how
someone who was that good could quit the game. “I'll never get better," he told me. “All I
do is get worse." Now I understand what has happened to him. His Id is in complete
control. I made a great purchase, but the league lost a good player.

If you want to improve and continue to enjoy the game of pocket billiards, you will
have to face the man in the mirror. When you do this, you will make the top ten and win
some tournaments as well. One of the reasons why the camaraderie is so strong at pool
tournaments is because the players understand what you have been through to get
where you are. It is worth the pain and sacrifice.

You are leaning into your stance, getting ready to run the eight ball down the rail. This is
a must game for your team. This would be your third win in a row. Your average is going
to soar. And into your ear comes this unmistakable whisper. “Be careful buddy. If you hit
the ball before the rail, it will come out and give that other guy a shot. And remember, you
missed this very same shot against the Log Jam because you hit the rail first. Don't hit
the ball first either. That would be a disaster. Be careful. Don't screw this up!" It all
sounds like harmless advice. Sounds like a concerned friend who is trying to help you win
a game. But it is not. It is the other self trying to take complete control of you. If you miss

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he will whisper, See, I told you to watch out." And if you make the shot he will say, 'It's a
good thing you have me because you would have blown this game on your own. The Id
bIames you when you lose and takes credit when you win. This disruptive personality will
cost you more games than you will win. Eventually, you will get the dreaded “sisters."

Sometimes when you stand at the table facing a very makeable shot, you are
suddenly seized with the uncomfortable reality that you cannot make this shot. You are
going to miss. You've made dozens before, but now you are certain that you will not
succeed. You will lose this game. Even when you miss the shot, you cannot understand
why. You are powerless. Few players survive this experience. This is the dreaded
“sisters." Once this happens, you are just about finished. Or worse still. you will be
relegated to playing inferior competition. If you are infested with the “sisters" you will
choke on the key ball almost every time. If there is any pressure in the match, you will
play below your capability.

The “sisters" are caused by that other self. It is the Id. You can get the “sister" in
other experiences in life. Once a beautiful girl shook me up so bad that when she said
good-bye at the store, I said “you too." I do not care for Sigmund Freud. His theories are
nothing more than theories. Socrates and some of the great Buddhist masters
expounded on those ideas long before Freud came along. Jesus was aware of our dual
personalities as well. And I don't even like the word Id. So I named my other self Herman.
My Herman likes to get into tight places and usually when he does, trouble comes.
Especially with the emotions. Herman does contribute some good times, however. still,
once the other self gets control, we are helpless.

The other self is like a child. Do you remember when an adult told you to do a certain job
and you did not want him around while you performed the task? This way you could take
a short cut and do it your way. Well, the only treatment I have found for the other self is to
turn the big bright light of reality on his every move. When Herman is in control, I know I
am going to blow a shot. Any time Herman rises up to offer advice, I turn this bright
imaginary light on him. Think about that. If your Herman literally rose up and you shined a
bright light on it, would it stay up? My Id, like all troublemakers, does not like to operate in
the light. In many cases, he would leave me alone. If you are going to miss a shot, at
least do it out in the open. Shine the light on the troublemaker and let him demonstrate
his devious methods out in the open for all to see. You may be surprised by the sudden
return of confidence. You will be free to shoot and perform.

Do not think you will ever get rid of your other self. You will deal with your Id the rest
of your life. This inner battle has been going on since the beginning of time. The
Christians have their God and Devil. The Greeks have a variety of good gods and bad
gods, and the Indians are caught up in many good spirits and bad spirits. This form of
dualism has plagued mankind forever.

There is no God on one side and another power on the other side playing tug of war
with your emotions. This is all happening inside of you. It is within ourselves where we

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deal with the turmoil of two selves. If we can become our real self we will perform better
on the pool table. When you truly come into your own, the light will be too bright for the
other self to operate effectively. A champion does not have the other self-rattling around
in his head when he is running the table. He is free, and gaining this freedom is what we
are working for. We get there by never giving up and continuing to practice, practice,
practice, practice.

In some cases, there are those who enjoy the other self-controlling them. They have
been acclimated to this destruction and actually are quite comfortable with this role.
Winning is contrary to their nature. They are not comfortable with winning and often make
up excuses for making great shots. I like to play these players because I always win. If
you want to win money from one of these "pin pullers" (one who pulls the pin on himself),
all you have to do is pretend to be just like him and play a little bit better. When they run
the table, they claim to be just lucky. If they put together a modest winning streak, they
will tell everyone they are playing over their heads. These '~pin pullers" are actually quite
talented. Their poor self-image is ingrained so deeply within themselves that they simply
will not allow themselves to perform up to their potential. How many times have you seen
a player make a fantastic shot only to blow the next one? There is always a joker in the
crowd who says, "the same guy shot that one?" Overcoming the negative attitudes
caused by our other self takes hard work. Herman had me convinced that I belonged in a
barn shoveling shit, and even then I might not be qualified. You can overcome this
stumbling block. You must understand your goals. If you want to make the top ten in your
league, you must shed the other self and gain your freedom. To do this you must practice
gaining your freedom.

It is not the pool player who sees the flaws, such as poor lighting, tables that are not
level, weighted cue balls, worn felt, tough pockets, etc., etc. It is the Id. He looks for
reasons to lose even before he gets to the match.

In order to gain this freedom you will need to understand and control your emotions.
Here is where the so-called fun is taken out of your game. Do you think Irving Crane was
having fun when he won all those world titles? Some people call him the Undertaker.
Willie Mosconie shows almost no expression when he is running rack after rack. Even the
modern-day players are intense competitors with no time for emotion. The emotion is
saved for after the rack. Not during the game. You cannot rely on emotion during a long
contest. Pool is quite different from any other sport. Every shot is a pressure shot. You
cannot retrieve an arrow once it is in flight, nor can you correct an errant pool shot. How
you feel about yourself is critical. In the game of pocket billiards, every shot is a four-foot
par putt or a two strike, ninety-mile-per-hour fastball. Make a few mistakes in pool, and
you will be emptying your pockets.

There is no great joy in the game itself. There is a great deal of satisfaction in winning. It
is nice to hear good things said about you. All the sweat and practice is worth the price. It
is important, however, that we have had a legitimate chance of winning. We must at least
put ourselves 1,1 the game. If you are outclassed from the start, the event becomes a

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nightmare, especially if you are not performing up to your standards. Unfortunately, we


can be outclassed by lesser rivals. But this should not happen often. We must be all
business. Our demeanor must be serious, and without emotion. When you are
dominating your opponent, you experience a sweet high. This sense of pure joy is hard to
come by. I think it's worth more than the money you are playing for. It feels like you are
on top of the world. And victories like these are savored long after the money is spent.

Like to scare my opponent with my so-called icy nerves. This gets their Id. And when
their Id starts talking, unfortunately they listen. I begin to win. I build on this until their Id is
beginning to peak in another language. If you can appeal to your opponent's Id or other
self, you have won the first rack. You'll have him walking away saying, “There is
something about that guy I don't like."

When you use your opponent's Id, you can affect his game to the point where he
becomes easy pickings. People call this sharking, hustling, psyching, intimidation and
any number of unkind things. There are those who complain that this mental war has no
place in the gentlemanly game of pocket billiards. But this subtle destruction is very much
a part of all sports. Pool is like a grand old theater where many an Oscar would be won if
the critics would view the masters of the game. If you can get the attention of the other
self, you will bring home the cash.

I have several favorite sharking techniques and one of them is the I’ll Not Appreciate
The King routine. There are pool players who prance around the table pointing to where
the ball will end up and generally making a big deal out of a simple bank shot. The only
thing they achieve is to make an ass out of themselves. These players actually think you
are privileged to play them, and if you want to get the most out of your special moment,
you had better pay close attention to just how they do the great things they do! Every
time my opponent attempts a difficult shot, such as an easy combination or bank, I
purposely turn my back to him and listen for the miss. It works every time.

Another favorite of mine is to brag up my opponent in front of his friends. This puts
pressure on him to perform up to that level. When he misses, ask him if something is
wrong. Pretend that you are concerned. 'I've never seen you miss that double bank shot.
Are you having trouble at home? Is there something wrong?" Soon he will believe there is
trouble at home and you will have the game in hand. I once asked my opponent if his
shoes were level and if he had trouble getting a solid stance? Once he became
concerned with his stance, I knew he was in trouble. He had all my sympathy, believe
me.

Then there is the player who wants everything to be perfect. Here you make subtle
remarks about the poor lighting. How it is hard to see the edges of the shiny black eight
ball. The table is not quite level and the cue ball does not draw right. “It's one of those
cheap weighted ones" you say. One rail is dead and you have forgotten which one it is.
These are the players who look for reasons to lose before they have begun the match.
You wonder why anyone like this would play for money. But they do. This reminds me of

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

the Buddhist story where the frog asked the centipede, “Hey fellow, which leg follows
which leg?" The centipede stopped to think about it and couldn't walk any more.

I would like to point out something of great importance here. We are talking about
psyching league shooters. You won't get away with it if you try it on a pro. In fact, a pro
can turn the tide on you. When someone tries to psyche me, it actually makes me
perform better. As in all good psyching techniques, you must appeal to the other person's
Id. One who is experienced in the heat of the battle will not respond to your approach. If
you cannot create doubt or confusion, then you should back off immediately.

Sometimes I use the “you poor guy you approach”. I act as if the player does not
belong in my league. He has stepped out of his boundary and has gotten in over his
head. If he accepts this concept, there is no way he can beat you.

The last resort approach to psyching involves a more physical approach. This is for the
dirty pool players. Here you concentrate on upsetting your opponent's rhythm. An
experienced shooter will not respond to subtle remarks. He will be mildly amused. Since
you cannot upset his psyche, you must upset his timing. When it's his turn to shoot, take
your time getting out of his way. Apologize for various things. Humans always respond to
apologies. If you are sure of a particular shot, stroke it a number of times before you
finally deliver the shot. You can imagine what is going through his mind. First he is tense
because you are about to shoot, then he relaxes because you draw back. His system is
first tensed, then relaxed, tensed, relaxed, tensed, relaxed and on and on and on. By the
time you do shoot, his heartbeat is out of order and he is half bald from scratching his
forehead.

Another method for this type of player is to miss shots you can make when you know he
won't have a shot. React philosophically to your miss. These types of players hate
sloppiness. They actually get sick when they watch bad pool players perform. I once beat
a great pool player in Wisconsin because I used the first two games to drive him crazy. I
missed easy shot after easy shot and every time he came to the table he had nothing to
shoot at. Of course, I made the sincerest apologies and sympathized that it just wasn't
his day. When he missed the impossible kick shot I gave him. I would say something like
“off your game today, eh?" One of his fans came over to the table and asked him how he
was doing. He was almost beside himself. 'The fucker gets lucky every time he misses. I
don't get a shot'. I haven't had a shot all match!" I ruined this poor guy for the day.

If you are going to use sharking techniques, you must recognize the type your
opponent will respond to. Be careful not to appeal to his competitive nature. In other
words, don't wake him up. Sharking is as much a part of the game as a draw shot or
bank shot. In the bar leagues the subtle techniques will add wins to your average. You
are not playing seasoned professionals. You are playing Tuesday night warriors. Use all
your weapons. Beat those players who are better than you are. If you can get the id's
attention, you will gain the advantage. Your opponent did not come all the way to your
bar to be nice to you. He wants to beat your brains out. Take the game any way you can.

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I will not use sudden motion as a sharking technique. There are those who will jump up
just as the player shoots the money ball. This has no place in the game of Pocket
Billiards. I won't play this kind of person. We must give our opponent the opportunity to
shoot the money ball. I won't even reach for the rack or unscrew my cue. If I have done
my work right, he will miss anyway. If I am in the match, such as a race to five, and I am
playing the type of person who uses these types of sharking techniques. I will embarrass
him in front of his friends. When I get to the money ball, I'll stop and ask him if he is going
to let me shoot it. Or is he afraid? I'll take a very long time shooting the shot. This way, I
have turned the tables on him. His maneuver has backfired. You want to avoid getting his
best game.

They have water and sand traps and blind greens on the golf course. Out on the
pistol range they have moving targets. These obstacles are specifically designed to
intimidate you. If we are to achieve any measure of success in this game, we need to
avoid these distractions and rise above the obstacles. The greatest distraction in any
sport is fear. And many obstacles are designed to strike fear in your heart. A sand trap
does this to me. Water on a golf course spells doom for one of my friends. Fear has an
effect on your swing or stroke. Any type of distraction will affect your performance. Try
playing someone shortly after your spouse has asked for a divorce. The really good
players know how to play within themselves. They don't allow outside influences to affect
their efforts. They keep the same composure during all matches. The player who gains
his freedom makes the least mistakes. So you must learn to play within yourself.
Obstacles have no power unless you give them power.

There are two elements which cause a person to get knocked out of a tournament
or dropped from the top ten. Any time you are close to reaching your goals, these two
elements crop up. They are desire and fear. Desire puts your mind in the future. You
cannot perform in the present when you are thinking about the future. If you desire to win
this game, you are, in fact, shooting all the shots at once. If you desire to win this
tournament, you are playing all the matches at once. You can only shoot one ball at a
time. Fear inhibits your stroke. You cannot make a commitment if you are fearful.
Commitment breeds a good stroke. Eliminate desire and fear and you will more than pay
for this book. If this is the only thing you learn from me, I have done my job well. Shoot
without emotion~ Save it for after the game.

The most important skill in becoming a champion pool player is concentration. This will
help you overcome the distractions and obstacles. Practice concentration until it becomes
natural. Before you take a shot, ask yourself, “can I make this shot?" Then answer, “Yes I
can." As you utter the word “can," go ahead and shoot. Do the same thing on the next
shot and the next until you run out of shots. Use the “back-hit" routine or the “ready-set-
go" method. Do this until it becomes natural and automatic. Soon, you will be getting the
feel of the game, and the obstacles will lose their power over you. When this happens,
you will begin to dominate your opponent. Remember, every match is a practice session
where you work on ways to improve yourself. The ability to make shots is no mystery. It is

15
Point The Way ….By The Monk

the ability to make them in game situations which calls for the greatest skills. We have
often seen players hang their heads and complain when they miss an easy shot. Why
they do this is no mystery. They have lost their concentration.

You can increase your awareness and sensitivity if you name some of your shots. I
use the pop stroke on all cut shots. I line up the shot and then listen for the pop of the cue
tip on the cue ball. When I get a good “pop," I make the shot. Because I am intently
listening for the sound, my concentration is sharp. This automatically gives me a better
chance to make the cut shot.

On long shots I use the flick stroke. Here, instead of worrying about the outcome of
the shot, I concentrate on the little flick of my wrist during the rhythm of my swing. I flick it
forward at the last instance. As you perform, you will find techniques that will help you
relax. Practice them and use them at every opportunity.
After you have looked over the table following the break, you must make a decision
on how you are going to run the table. Then forget about the layout and shoot the shot at
hand. Stay in the one shot at a time mode. Remember, you have already looked at the
necessary things you will need to do. This picture is in your mind. It is not going to go
anywhere. You are now programmed for the run.

So stay in the shot at hand procedure. You will find that you are doing what you want
without really thinking about it. It is only when you allow your mind to think during the shot
that you begin to miss. This is not an easy task. If it were, we would all be world-class
shooters. Shooting without thinking is for the pros. However, we less- than-greats can,
and should, practice this wonderful method. And by practicing this non-thinking shooting
we will reach the top ten and then some.

At the core of the stroke in pool is our own sensitivity towards awareness -being
aware of the shot at hand. So there can be no outside obstacles. There is no such thing
as an “intimidator". Anything that disturbs us does so because we allow it. True
awareness for the bar shooter is most often realized when there is little at stake. Did you
ever notice how anxious you become as you get closer to the money ball? As each shot
falls into the pocket, you lose a little more awareness. Your feel and sensitivity begins to
decrease. In the game of nine ball. I was awesome in the one, two and three balls. But
when I got to the seven, eight, and nine, my position began to suffer. I think I hold the
record for how many times a player has ended up with a bank shot on the nine ball.

The closer you get to the win, the greater the anxiety. This feeling decreases your
awareness and touch. How do you play good position without good touch? When it
counts the most we've lost our sensitive stroke. It is our personal awareness which
determines how sensitive we are. Acute awareness comes to those who can see the
'shot at hand' They don't add all kinds of elements to it. It is a shot and nothing more,
and the objective is to deliver a good stroke and put the ball into the pocket. When we
use the same stroke on the one, two and three as we do on the seven, eight and nine, we
are using the "awareness stroke".

16
Point The Way ….By The Monk

Awareness is a gift for all of us. We must be willing to train ourselves. Those who
are not willing can forget it. The same applies to Buddhist enlightenment It is for all, but
not all pursue it. Stroke a few balls with awareness as your only goal. Once you have
mastered what really feels good to you, add a little more pressure and wait until this sense
of relaxation returns. As you acquire the awareness of the "shot-at-hand," you will then
be ready to tackle more difficult shots. When you feel the same sense of relaxation on the
money ball that you do on the first ball in your run, you are then ready to go on the road
and beat most bar shooters. This sense of awareness is what we strive for.

It is the other self who takes away our awareness. When we are in a situation where we
know in our heart of hearts that we are going to miss a makeable shot our awareness is
gone. We cannot feel the stroke necessary to make the shot. One time I turned the
spotlight on Herman and uncovered some interesting things Every time I was into a long
run, his jabbering voice would eventually cause me to miss I knew when it was coming.
“You never run this many balls," he would whisper. "Give the other guy a turn at the table.
They think you're showing off." A virtual war was going on in my head. It took me well
over a year to win this battle. Finally I could run the table until I ran out of shots. I didn't
choke anymore. Once I admitted my tendency to choke and talked about it freely, I was
on the road to winning. I shined the light on Herman and saw him for what he really was.

How you handle yourself at the table can add quality to your game. If you are timid
and unsure of yourself your game will reflect that uncertainty. If you are cocky and
confident, your game will reflect that also. If you glide to the table like Willie Mosconie, you
may be surprised at how smooth your stoke is. The manner in which you approach the
game is within your control. In one ultimate moment of desperation I ran the table to
avoid a painful s My opponent later told me that I walked around the table like I was
walking on eggs. I was simply smooth, oily, glideful.

Your attitude at the table is vitally important. How you see things very often accounts
for the amount of adrenaline in your body. And your adrenaline determines the purity of
your stroke. You must view things as they are. There is never a time when you come to
the table with no shot. It is your turn. You have to shoot something. How you label it does
not change it. All you do by labeling a shot is to make it more difficult. You do not need to
do this to yourself. It gives an edge to your opponent. Understand your motives. You are
at the table to shoot one shot and only one shot. See to it that you are centered and
balanced. Give each shot your total attention and sight it into the center of the pocket.
Make up your mind that you will have no wobblers. All balls will be pocketed cleanly.
Work on this attitude until it comes naturally to you Play the shot at hand. When you do
this, go on to the next one. If for some reason you have to change your mind during a
run, such as when you get out of shape, make sure you take the time to allow the former
play to disappear and the new one to enter firmly into your mind. It is important that you
are clear about what you want to do.

We only have room for one form of concentration at a time. Once I was studying the

17
Point The Way ….By The Monk

table to determine if I should go for the run or make a few bails and play safe. This was a
critical game of eight ball. One of my teammates exclaimed, “Look how good his balls
look. Most of them are sitting ducks. Don't you wish you had them?" In the first
consideration, I don't have them. And secondly, it makes no difference to me what his
balls look like, especially if I run the table. And thirdly, I am studying my layout.
Unfortunately, I listened to my teammate. I allowed all that “irrelevant" information to
clutter my brain. I became uncertain as to what I wanted to do. I had no clear motive. I
had no clear plan. I ended up with three clear makeable runs in front of me, but I blew
them all. Give me three chances to win today, and you'll go broke.

And now, I want you to understand that while there is that other self lurking in the
darkness, ever ready to do his dirty work, there is also the real self which is what you are
all about. This is the self that will amaze you at times. You will make shots consistently
when you are operating in your real self.

Have you ever made a great run only to end up with a difficult bank shot on the
money ball? You shrug your shoulders and say “to hell with it," shoot the shot and it splits
the pocket like you've been doing that all your pool career. Has that ever happened to
you'? This is what letting go is all about. You have let go of the Id which thinks you can't
make the shot if your life depended upon it. Somehow you have gained your freedom
from your Id's doubt and fear.

The reason the Id does not bother you on a shot like this is because he thinks you
have no chance to make it anyway. Why bother you? After you have made it, however,
he comes scurrying from his dark corner and all during the next game he is buzzing in
your ear. You are lucky if you can make a shot.

How many times have you made a fantastic shot only to miss the routine one? And, of
course, that guy comes back from the audience to say, “Gee, the same guy shot that
one". If you can operate in the real self, you will not make these mistakes. True, you may
run out of shots as all pool players do, but you will not be killing yourself with foolish
mistakes and you'll make the top ten with ease.
When you set goals and expectations, you are playing into the Id's hands. It does no
good to set goals because you end up playing only those opponents who will not upset
your expectations. If you set a goal to win, then you play shooters you know you can
beat. Here you are playing those who are less talented than yourself. This will not help
your game. Also, we tend to lower our expectations so they will be easier to reach. This is
another way we limit ourselves. And, in addition, when we do better than our goals, we
laugh it off as luck and claim to be shooting over our head. I would sabotage my game if I
was doing better than I expected. This was done subconsciously so I did not have to live
up to my performance. When we do great, we feel pressure to repeat it. We do not like to
disturb the image we have of ourselves. Good or bad, we are comfortable with it.
Improving is a good way to disturb the image. In order to overcome this problem, we
must learn to stay in the 'one shot at a time" mode. Do not set goals. Reduce the game to
its simplest form. One constant reality exists - you only have the one shot in front of you.

18
Point The Way ….By The Monk

Make it and go on to the one shot in front of you.

You do not need the classic smooth stroke of the pros to make the top ten. You do
not need to be a great shot maker. If you could take back half of the games you blew in
the past year, you would be in the top ten. You need to get the most out of yourself and
see things in the proper perspective. Free yourself from the Id's influence. Face the man
in the mirror and learn to play the game within.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Chapter Two

ATTITUDE

The game of pocket billiards offers us a variety of unique and interesting challenges.
There are as many reasons for playing pool as there are people who play the game. The
Space Center uses pocket billiards to train astronauts to make accurate split-second
decisions under intense pressure. Religious fanatics, such as monks, have been known
to use the game of pool to reach spiritual enlightenment. The grand old story teller, Mark
Twain, spent hours on the pool table. He often said it gave him discipline to work long
hours on his books doing the tedious things that made him great. He could run more than
a hundred balls without a miss. There is no other game or sport that equals pool for what
it demands of you both physically and mentally.

You must be equal to the task or bare your failures in front of all who watch. You will
need stamina in pressure situations. To be successful you must be skilled at so many
different shots and angles. You must be able to meet challenges from every direction.
Under constant pressure, you will be called upon to make alert choices. You will need to
be total and sound--a complete human being. You cannot panic in pressure situations. In
this game the challenges are unlimited. Your emotions must be tough, yet you will need
to be sensitive. Each game offers a new and untried test, and the biggest test is in your
attitude. Pool excellence is not so much becoming a great pool player. It is becoming a
great person.

There are less demands in other games and contests. In golf for instance, you can
make three poor shots and still get a par. Three bad shots in pool and you lose. In

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

baseball, you can have a bad game striking out three times at the plate. and still win the
game with the help of your teammates. A bad game at the pool hall costs you money.
Pocket billiards forces you to deal with the equivalent of a four-foot par putt. or a two-
strike, ninety-mile-per-hour fast ball. You must succeed in every circumstance in front of
critical audiences. Sometimes you will be asked to perform in front of hostile people. You
are alone, and it's yours to win or lose.

The game offers far more heartache than joy. You will taste the hitter agony of
defeat more often than you will experience the joy of victory. One wonders why we
continue to come back to this game. After a sad loss, a friend of mine will say, “well, I
guess it's back to the drawing boards". We don't get discouraged. Many times a win is not
enough. We don't always perform up to our expectations.

In baseball, Lem Barker once hurled a perfect no-hit, no-run game for the Cleveland
Indians. He faced the minimum twenty-seven batters. When the reporters told his aging
grandmother about this outstanding feat, she smiled and said. "That's real nice. Maybe
he can do even better next time." She must have been a pool player. Pool is a mirror of
who we are, and who we would like to be.

In January of 1983, 1 worked as a lumberjack in the Northern forest of the Upper


Peninsula of Michigan. This was a vast land of endless wilderness. Trees upon trees
upon trees. A great place for solitude and spiritual development. I was following the path
of the great Buddhist Monks, so I took this job as I struggled constantly with spiritual
concepts. Hard work and solitude were supposed to be the pathway to spiritual
enlightenment. A few years in these woods helped me through some rough times.

The only way I could reach this job was with a four-wheel drive, and still I lost time by
getting stuck on numerous occasions. During the day, when the saws were silent. I could
hear the whistling of the hawks' wings swishing through the cool air overhead. I heard the
low whine of the logging truck as far away as six miles. It seemed like it took forever to
reach the landing. and yet, I could always know where it was by the shifting of the gears.
The low howl of the diesel meant he was coming down Ruth's run, where Ruth and her
alcoholic friends froze to death after a crash at the bottom. The grinding of the gears told
me that he had reached Kate's Hill. Sometimes you could hear the eighteen-wheeler
roaring in protest, and you knew he was snagged by Kate's icy trail. Over and over, the
same roar would ring out through the forest, and on windless quiet days, you could hear
the old Major cussing the snow that left him stranded. It took us all day to get the logging
truck out. We were paid by how much wood we cut and when we spent our time helping
the Major. We did not get paid.

In reality, I could accomplish very little in this job. This was my style, however. I
always bit off more than I could chew. I was like the pool player who tries to win the
match with a three cushion bank shot instead of playing safe. Always trying the
impossible.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

On one such day, I was overcome with fatigue. I was just plain exhausted. All my energy
had drained out of me, and I just could not cut another log. I plopped down in the heavy
snow near my log pile and turned my face towards the sun. The sky was clear, deep blue
with the temperature at thirty below zero. The cold had kept everyone home. I was the
only one out there. Perhaps, like Hui-ko who was awakened when he heard the sound of
the slate tile hitting the garden floor, I was supposed to experience the same thing. In
many ways, I think I did. I didn't stay home with the rest of the crew. My spiritual training
required me to show up every day, regardless of the weather or conditions. The sun
warmed my face and neck as I moved it back and forth. This was a Yoga maneuver
which relieved the aching. Actually, the warmth of the sun was purely psychological. But
it felt nice nonetheless. On clear days, like this the sun kept the temperatures lower on
the ground because as heat rises, cold stays down. Still. I drew a measure of comfort
from just knowing the sun was there. I opened my eyes after a while and noticed a dead
deer lying in the brush pile not far to my left. It was a young doe. She had starved to
death and then froze. I don't know which came first. I imagine the freezing is the final
blow. They lay there with no strength, and the bitter cold claims them from their pain. At
times, you can see hawks and ravens pick away at them before they are dead. Her eyes
were glazed, and her red tongue lay frozen to a branch. She was a grotesque picture of
futility in a harsh land. Only the strong survive. Here it was, January, and already the deer
were starting to die. This would be the first, others would follow. The winter of ‘83
devastated the deer population. Soon the air would be filled with hawks and eagles and
screeching ravens.

Suddenly, it occurred to me, right at that moment, that I, too, would meet a similar
fate. I could not continue like this, year after year, with nothing but losses to show for it.
Someday. I would have to reach the bottom because that was the direction I was going. I
had struggled for ten years in these woods. I didn't seem to be getting anywhere
spiritually. I was going backwards with no place to stop. I was not enlightened!

I was suddenly struck with a thought. If I did not leave, right that moment, I would be
taking my place beside that doe. I would end up with no bottom teeth and a glassy stare.
My attention span would only exist on payday. I would be just like the Major. Already. I
was talking in spurts, saying things that did not relate to the subject, even making
meaningless statements and agonizing over long, awkward pauses. I sought spiritual
awakening and couldn't look anyone in the eyes. My eyes wandered, as if they had a
mind of their own.

I picked up my saw, my gas, oil, pick, my tools and axe and started down the old
logging road. I didn't even count my logs. I knew I would never return. I was finished. No
more prayers, no more home, no more seeking God, no more working in the woods. I
was done.

The freshly fallen snow spread millions of tiny crystals through the forest. I didn't
care about the beauty. For me, there was only hardship and failure. I would not look back
and I would never work in the woods again.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

From the logging road, I cut across the field to the landing. My footprints had
marred, in passing to and fro. pure perfection, the never-trodden snow. The footbridge,
when I walked alone that winter afternoon, had a wooden tone. I threw my tools in the
truck and whispered, ”so long."

When I returned to civilization, I took stock of myself. My wife suggested that I needed to
improve my physical condition. I was half blind, my back had been injured several times.
Arthritis attacked my joints, and I was depressed by failure. Rest was the order of the
day.

So I went to the Civic Center to play basketball. After all, I was only 38 years old. I
played, to five points and then laid flat on my back and did some heavy breathing. A
lumberjack should have been in better condition. I was strong, no doubt, but I did not
have good wind. As I neared the end of my career, I experienced long periods of
depression. This took its toll. After I was laughed out of the gym. I went into the recreation
room and discovered four, old, nine-foot pool tables. I became awakened. “l would
become a pool player and go on the road hustling money," I told myself It should be
easy. Here I was, thirty-eight and in poor health; a monk who was not enlightened, and
probably never would be; a lumberjack who could not survive in the woods. What better
trade than to be a pool player'?

There are four types of pool players today. You see these types in poolrooms and
bars. They are always there. Every league has them, and every tournament has them.

The most popular is the social player. He plays strictly for the fun of it. This player
rarely bets on himself and sticks mainly to the Tuesday night league with his friends. Of
course, this applies to the females as well. A female social player enjoys her nights out.

The tournament player is another distinct type. This player loves the competition and
camaraderie of organized matches. This player will bet on himself but has a limit, which
he rarely will exceed.

Then there is the match player. He is always seeking the one on one matches. A
race to nine or a race to five. Either eight ball or nine ball. Sometimes he will play one
pocket or straight pool. He also has a limit on how much he will bet on himself. For him,
the money is secondary. The thrill and excitement just before the match is what he is
after. If he plays half the night and only loses a few dollars. he feels he is way ahead. The
money has been well spent. Much like the poker player who plays for five hours and only
loses fifty bucks. He feels the money was worth the excitement. The match player wins
sometimes, and sometimes he loses. It all evens out for this guy. Don't underestimate an
experienced match player. He is highly skilled. He does not throw his money away.

The fourth type of player is the money player. This character has nerves of steel and
thrives on pressure. He is like the match player with the exception of one thing: He

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

cannot function unless there is money riding on the outcome. And he loves to intimidate.
The more pressure he can put on his opponent, the better his chances of winning. I've
seen average money players beat great match players simply because the money player
was able to get the match player to bet more than his limit. A money player will not play in
exhibitions. He can't perform. He has no interest. He plays his best when the stakes are
high. He does not have a particularly high average in the pool league if he plays in the
league at all. He doesn't do that well in tournaments and will not perform if there is little at
stake. I took a lot of money away from one of these money shooters by keeping the
stakes lower than his interest level. I would always promise to play for higher stakes in
the next session. After a while, he refused to talk to me. It hurt my feelings because I
enjoyed taking the tens and twenties from him.

In order to perfect your personal game, you must know who you are and where you
stand in the previous descriptions of the four types of players. Define your reasons for
taking up the game of pool. In order to reach the top of your league, you must believe in
your game. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses is essential.

When you get into a game situation, you will be challenged in so many different
ways. Can you make the shot under pressure? Will you choke in front of your friends'?
Can you run out? Should you play safe? There is no place at the top for those who
dream. You must be consistent and have a game you believe in.

If you were to pin me down on the floor and demand to know what you would need
to succeed in the game of pocket billiards and limit my response to one word, I would
reply “concentration."

The ability to concentrate for a long period of time is the difference between winning and
losing. Certainly, without the ability to concentrate you will not make the top ten. There is
a method of learning this great art. One of the first lessons in monkhood was the art of
concentration. I will share secrets from the Far East that we westerners are just now
beginning to understand. The art of concentration is not solely a gift. It can be developed.
Some students have to work harder than others, but all who have the desire can learn
this wonderful art. We will be working on this throughout this book. Some players are
gifted. Some people are gifted. Many pool players are chess players. There are several
math majors in our league. In fact, I studied algebra in the hopes it would help my pool
game. It did, just as playing chess increased my ability to concentrate.

One monk used to say, if you can walk, walk. If you sit, sit. Don't wobble."
Concentration is the ability to focus in on what you are doing. If you can do this with a
certain degree of fascination, then you will he sharpening your skills. You must he
extremely interested in what you are doing. Observe a cat playing with a ball of yarn. It is
totally immersed in this game, absolutely involved in what it is doing. In order to develop
the skills of concentration, it stands to reason that we must practice concentration. Did
you ever practice concentration? We must learn to focus our attention to details and
magnify our obsessive nature to little things.

24
Point The Way ….By The Monk

If you hear the noises around, feel your muscles tighten or listen to the chatter from
your opponent, you are not concentrating. I once spent time talking to an interesting
fellow and at the end of our conversation he joked about my putting him in the losers'
bracket. I had played him in a race to seven a few minutes before and yet could not
remember his face. I remembered the game, but not the player. You must focus all of
your being on the shot you are taking at hand. I finished many games and did not know
whom to shake hands with on the other team.

The key ingredient to increased concentration is interest. If you are keenly interested
in something, you will be able to increase your concentration. This is why the money
players cannot play in exhibitions. They are not interested and therefore cannot
concentrate. By the same token, the social player would lose his concentration because
he is nervous. There are players who cannot make the money ball and then they lose
their ability to concentrate. The wayside is full of burned out pool players who thought
there was no cure for their tendency to choke.

Once you master the fundamentals of pocket billiards, concentration then becomes the
real game. He who concentrates longest is the winner. I've seen guys get up and run fifty
balls to build up a big lead in straight pool and then for the rest of the game, they could
not make a shot. If you can maintain a continuous level of deep concentration, you will be
able to plod away until you win. The player who loses his ability to concentrate squanders
away opportunity after opportunity. Consistency begins with concentration. The ability to
stroke, to make shots and read the table is essential, but you must then learn the art of
concentration. It does not matter how skilled you become at many different shots, or how
hr you draw the cue ball, or how good you are at banks and combinations. If you cannot
concentrate for a long period of time, you will be beaten. This is especially true in match
play where you are playing a race to something. The entire match is one big game. You
must concentrate during the whole event.

In order to develop this skill, you must learn to concentrate on the little details. You
need to practice this. Pay attention to your back swing during practice. How long is your
usual back swing? Is it four or six inches long? Are you comfortable with it? If you are.
then you must enter it into your computer brain. If not then you must experiment until you
find what is comfortable for you. Is your bridge solid'? Sometimes you cannot have a
solid bridge until you have a good stance. They go hand in hand. Do you have a soft
grip'? Are you cradling the pool cue? Are you consciously committed to the shot you are
going to take'? This is perhaps the most important question a player could answer. You
will come back to this question long after you master the fundamentals. These and many
more parts of the game are good to concentrate on during practice. You are working on
increasing your ability to focus in on details. Naturally, if you go through this check list
every time you shoot, you will be lucky to make a shot. Your attention is divided. No way
can you shoot. But, you are trying to incorporate all these fundamentals into your system
until they become as natural as breathing. Once they do, you can concentrate on the
actual shot. As for now this fundamental approach to shooting will help you command

25
Point The Way ….By The Monk

your cue and increase your ability to concentrate.

Later on, as you develop your skills, I want you to try the following exercise. See
Illustration 2-I. Place ten balls across the table as illustrated. Shoot each one down into
the corner pocket using low center ball hit. Then shoot them using high center ball hit.
You may place the cue ball anywhere you want. Make them all straight in if you like.

Illustration 2-1
An exercise in concentration. Place
ten balls on a table as shown.
Place cue ball anywhere you want.
Shoot all ten balls down in corner
pocket using high center ball hit.
Then shoot them all using low
center ball hit. You must eventually
reach a level of 100 percent

Shoot them this way. If you reach a level of seventy percent, then you had better stay
away from money matches. You must eventually reach one hundred percent. I stayed
with this exercise for three months before I was able to shoot one hundred percent. Be
patient. You are not going to get the skills of pocket billiards overnight. In this exercise.
you are not checking the shot making. You are checking the shot-maker. You are
measuring your level of concentration. It is not good to stay with one exercise too long. If
you become bored, your effectiveness will suffer. These exercises are the difference
between winning and losing and certainly they are the instrument which will take you to
the top ten in your league. Once you develop the ability to concentrate under pressure,
you will not lose it. Work at this from time to time. Check on yourself.

Concentration is like a muscle. With exercise, the muscle will enlarge and become
attractive. The same is true with concentration. With exercise, you will increase your
ability. It is as simple as that.

26
Point The Way ….By The Monk

There is really only one way you can destroy a well-developed sense of
concentration and that is with alcohol or drugs. This does not mean you must abstain.
Anything used in excess generally affects the brain. A big meal can cause you problems.
I once lost a tournament because of this. I ate a large steak just before the finals. After
this meal, I could not concentrate on shooting. The brain concerns itself with its most
important need. For me, digesting that steak was more Important than eye-hand
coordination. The same Is true with alcohol. The brain processes alcohol first and then
worries about shooting pool. For some people, alcohol appears to help their game. What
it does is encourage you to try shots you would not ordinarily attempt. When you make a
few of these, you think you are shooting better. We would be surprised by the number of
shots we could make if we dared to try them.

Some players will do anything to increase their chances of performing well. They
fast days before a tournament. Some use Yoga meditation. I've seen grown men and
women refuse to talk to anyone because they were in a tournament. One such player
always wore the same red shirt. He claimed it gave him good luck. Superstition will
always be a part of sports. Especially where timing is such a great part. We always want
to be “ready" when the time comes for us to perform. Actually, there is no deep dark
secret. The bottom line is how well you concentrate at the time you are playing. And this
is developed. The term “in stroke" is closely related to total concentration. Some of the
top pros look like they are in dead stroke all the time because they have developed their
ability to concentrate. We don't need gimmicks to make the top ten.

There are four points in concentration you must master. First, you must be aware of the
point of contact with the cue tip and the cue ball. Exactly how far left or how far right or
how high or how low are you going to hit? You must know this on all shots. You must
know the exact location of tip and cue ball. A miss-hit on the cue ball is the biggest cause
of loss of game. The second point of focus is the spot on the object ball. Total
concentration on this spot is primary to success. You will find that as your ability to
concentrate increases, you will be less likely to choke or be disturbed by the noises
around you. This is important to winning. There will always be distractions. Especially in
a bar. How you handle these could very well be the difference between winning and
losing.

The third point is to be totally aware of your stroke. You will be using four different
types of strokes, and you must be conscious of the particular stroke you are using for the
shot at hand. Remember the object ball reacts differently to each stroke. If you use a
follow stroke for a punch shot, you will most likely miss the shot even though you hit the
mark.

And the fourth consideration is the speed with which you hit the cue ball. This is
vitally important if you intend to get another shot and continue your turn at the table. Also
the cue ball comes away at different angles in relation to the speed. This helps you avoid
a certain scratch in some scratch shots.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

The four points of concentration are point of contact with cue tip
and ball, the spot to hit on the object ball, the stroke you will use,
and the speed which will help you succeed with the shot.

It would be impossible to make balls if you consciously worked on these four points
during a contest. As you develop them. they become a natural part of your game. You will
make balls without thinking. All that is necessary after you reach this level is a brief check
up from time to time.

Any time you are having trouble with your game and things are not right, you can usually
trace your problems to lack of concentration. The brain moves the hand that wins the
game. Eye-hand coordination is the key. When you are swamped with problems of any
nature, you will have a difficult time winning. You must make a conscious effort to focus
your attention on each shot and be actively conscious of your interference. Don't let your
mind drift. You will need to work harder to win a game when you are not concentrating. If
you can win some of these tough matches, you will have no trouble making the top ten. It
is these victories which separate you from the average shooter. The difference between
twenty-fifth place and the top ten in our league was seven losses. To reach the top ten,
you must be able to dig down for the extra wins when things are going bad. I ended up in
eleventh place one year, and the guy who took it all had just four more wins than me.
Your attitude is vitally important. You must cultivate an appreciation for the difficulty this
game offers and overcome the small things about yourself that keep you from the top.

There are players who believe that outside circumstances are responsible for either
winning or losing. Some may say that the table is too fast or not level. They will complain
about the lights as being too bright or too dim. The cue ball is oversized or weighted. The
rails are not lively and the list goes on and on and on. Many of these complaints are valid.
So what? It does not matter to the top ten shooters. You will overcome these kind of
obstacles. You will not make them bigger than yourself. I call these chronic crybabies
externalizers. They blame everything and hold themselves responsible for nothing. I've
heard externalizers make up reasons for losing before they play the game. It is pathetic.
They actually prepare themselves for losing. And little do they know how their fear affects
their performance.

Job once said as he lost it all, "That which I fear has come upon me." Any time you
have strong feelings about something, you will draw it to you and cause it to come about.
"I was afraid of that shot," claims the loser who leaves the table "I was really worried
about this team," says the captain whose team just went down in defeat. Fear is our
biggest enemy. If you think you will miss you will miss If you think you can, you can.
Thoughts make a difference. As the great Master Monk said, "A single thought will divert
the arrow from its course.

The circumstances that decide the outcome of any match is within your grasp. You are
the one who wins or loses the game. As soon as you understand this principle, you will
be on your way to the top. You must overcome outside circumstances better than your

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

opponent. Remember, if the table is too fast or the cue ball is oversized, your opponent
has to play in the same conditions. So it is really even to begin with. What you are doing
here is eliminating outside reasons for losing. The ultimate conclusion is up to you. Don't
be an externalizer. Hold yourself responsible for everything that happens in the game. If
you do this, you will be internalizing. You know you must play the elements. Why give
them more power than they already have? Don't even acknowledge that the table is too
fast or you can't draw the heavy cue ball. Play the game as it is. Realize that you must
adjust to the speed of all tables. Winning and losing is up to you. Don't allow the
elements to control you. What I am telling you here is to reduce your reasons for losing.
This is within your power. If you do this, your average will rise dramatically.

This hook is about the players themselves and how to play the game. I don't go into
detail about shots and position because you will learn most of this on your own. The
important thing is to learn about yourself. The rest will come later. "When the student is
ready." says the Monk, "the master will appear." Find out about your faults and work on
them. Understand your strengths and improve them. Every player has a style. Use the
one which represents your personality and your type of game.

Your self-image cannot encompass the whole picture. Your image is what you think
you are. It is not necessarily you. This mental picture is a mere fraction of your total self.
You would be better served by not having a self-image at all. Images are barriers. They
automatically set limits. They create concepts which can be debated. Far better to stay in
the present and deal with the reality at hand. If you are facing a difficult cut shot, you are
facing a cut shot and nothing more. Don't consider the consequences. They haven't
happened yet. This should not enter your mind. Do not think about your ability to run the
table. You are never making a run. You have a cut shot and nothing more. Shoot the shot
with your best stroke at the time. This is all you have control of. If you jumble and confuse
the picture with meaningless evaluations and measurements, you interfere with your
ability to execute a good smooth stroke.

If you limit yourself to a self-image, you have reduced your ability to perform.
Performance equals your ability minus your interference. Cut out the interference. What
you think of yourself is interference. In Zen, we accept what happens. We let it go. You
cannot retrieve an arrow once it is in flight. Far better to send it on its way with your best
stroke and let it go at that. In Zen training you don't acknowledge interference. For
instance, if you make a conscious effort to reduce lack of confidence, then you have
strengthened lack of confidence by acknowledging it is there. If you will yourself to think
positively. you are responding to doubt. You can't have one without the other. You cannot
respond to something that isn't there. Your performance is simply your performance. Let
it be just that.

Expectations do little good. If we take a good honest look at our expectations, we


often find that they are lower than our ability. If winning is all-important we will choose
unworthy opponents. On the other hand, and this was especially true with me, we can
sabotage a truly remarkable performance simply by believing that we are not good

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

enough to be playing so well. I've ended good runs because I did not think of myself as
capable of running fifty balls. We live up to our expectations. If we set them too high, we
get discouraged. If we set them too low, we cheat ourselves out of a great performance.
This is the problem with having a self-image. We need to let our actions speak for
themselves. Let go and take one shot at a time.

Another stumbling block is negative thinking. It is a form of surrender to fear. How


you handle yourself on the sidelines waiting for your turn can be the difference between
winning and losing.

Your first and foremost responsibility is to keep calm. Sounds simple. Yet it can be
difficult. Especially when your opponent is bashing your brains out and shooting way over
his head. Use whatever method you can to achieve peace and serenity. You will not
perform if your nerves are on edge. You must be ready when your chance arrives. I use
meditation. I think of nothing but my body muscles and create a sense of relaxation. I
name each one and let the tension out. It feels really good. Sometimes I resent my
opponent telling me it's my turn.

When you are sitting in your chair, you should observe your opponent and notice
each ball he sinks. Never, never, never tell yourself he is going to run out and beat you.
Don't tell yourself you have lost before you have lost. If you are going to make the top
ten. you must capitalize on your opponent's mistakes and make them pay. If you sit on
the sidelines thinking you have lost, then you will be a loser when your opportunity
arrives. How many times have you seen a player get up and miss an easy shot to start
his run'? He was not expecting to get another chance, so he did not know how to handle
it. He was not prepared. Fight until the bitter end.

During a nine ball game, while my opponent was running out, I tried the following
experiment: I said to myself, 'Now he has made the one ball. The two goes in and he is
cutting the three. With position on the four ball, he strokes it into the pocket. This shot on
the five goes in with a plop. Now, he misses an easy shot on the six." I did not tell myself
that he would make the six. When he missed, I simply acknowledged to myself it was my
turn. It forced me to stay in the present and observe what he was doing. No labels. Once
you are thinking of the past or the future, you are in trouble. To play a game that you
have already lost is a waste of time. To play a game that you have not yet played is even
worse. How many times have you told yourself, "If I lose these next two, I'll be out of the
match." Or, "I've got to win three in a row." You are out of touch with reality. How can you
compete with this kind of attitude? When you are out of touch with reality, thinking about
games that are gone and games that haven't been played, you are legally insane. Stay
out of the future. Stay out of the past. If you've got one foot in yesterday and one foot in
tomorrow, all you can do with today is piss on it!

In our pool league each member of the team plays three games apiece. It used to be
if I lost the first one. I was sure to lose two out of three. If I lost the first two, then I would
lose all three. I can assure you that I did not make the top ten with an attitude like that. By

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

changing my attitude, I won more games. You must take one game at a time and one
shot at a time. While you are sitting on the bench, practice staying in the present. Make
this a golden rule.

To release the nervousness and tension from your body, clench your fist and tighten up
your arms as tight as you possibly can. Then let go of the tension and repeat the
procedure. Do this several times and you will find that the tension has left. Breathe in
deep, filling your lower belly with air. Hold your breath for about sixteen seconds and
release it through your mouth, between your teeth. Take about eight seconds to release
the air. You will automatically feel a sense of serenity. You may also pray for your
opponent. Someone who needs prayer cannot hurt you. Reduce his power by making
him the object of your mock concern. You do not have to pray to any particular god.
When your opponent is bashing your brains out, you must find a way to release the
anxiety one feels when one is getting beat. I pray for my loved ones. I mention their
names to my Higher Power and offer them up for protection. This exercise gives me a
sense of tranquility through my soul. Should my opponent miss, I get another chance and
I am ready to play. I don't go to the table all tight and rigid. Always believe you will win the
game, should your opponent stumble. Never concede defeat. In local bar leagues
anything is possible. Run outs are not that common. Players make mistakes and you
must capitalize on them.

The game of pocket billiards offers us three important elements. We do not offer the
game anything. We come to receive, not to give. These three elements are performance,
learning and social fellowship. Sometimes, however. we do not experience all three. We
only gain one or two. There are those who will not learn, so all they get out of pool is
performance and fellowship. Some will not enjoy themselves so they miss out on the
friendships, and others are afraid of failure so they miss out on all three. We must seek to
experience all three elements. With this concept, we put winning and losing where they
are supposed to be - in the hands of fate. We will receive something valuable every time
out. Once you incorporate this attitude into your system, you will see your average rise
dramatically. And this will affect your mates as well. If your team adopts the three
elements of learning, performing and social fellowship, it will also improve. In this way
you are reducing the anxiety one puts on himself when he feels he must win at all costs.
You cannot win all the time. But you can perform, learn and enjoy the company of your
friends on the team. You can experience this reward in those brutal one-on-one matches
for your rent money. All you must do is make a conscious effort to seek to learn, be
friends and perform. Do not label your performance as good or bad. Simply perform.

For instance, perform your stroke in a smooth consistent manner. Do this each time you
come to the table. In each contest, there is a lesson to be learned. Determine which
lesson is being taught that day. Feel the ingredients of the game of pool. Receive what
the game is trying to give you.. It may be something about the game or something about
you or your teammates. It does not have to be profound. It may be simple and minute.
There is a lesson in every match. Enjoy the friendship of the players around you. Be kind,
friendly and share a little of yourself. Fellowship is a treasured experience. Humans go to

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

great lengths to create fellowship situations. They even go to church. You have this
during every contest. It is yours for the taking. When you are having a bad night, you can
draw from your friends. This in itself brings you closer, and being closer to someone is far
better than winning a contest which will be over and gone forever. Make up your mind
that you will experience the three elements pool has to offer every time you come to the
match, and you will see that winning begins to happen more often. Remember, your
ability can only be hampered by interference such as a poor attitude. If you can
encourage a good attitude towards yourself and the game of pool, you will see your
average go up and up and up. It all starts with a good attitude.

And now, we get into the good stuff. We only attend to that which we have a sincere
desire to. We must be aware of our will. Much has been talked about our free will. Little
has been said of how strong our will can be. I've seen monks bend nails with their minds.
People have been known to lift heavy automobiles to save another's life. The list of
examples goes on and on. So we must be aware of our goals in order to strengthen
them. You already have a powerful will. You must learn to eliminate the things which
weaken it. A will easily conquered is a divided will. If you are confused with what your
goal is, then you will not be committed to your will to achieve this goal. With a divided will,
you lose energy. Naturally, this will have an effect on the outcome of your match. If, for
instance, you decide that you will work on a good smooth stroke for that day, you are
strengthening this will by working on it. If you fail to work on it, then you are weakening it.
The more one practices awareness and trust in your potential, the more your will is
strengthened. You must understand your attitude and find a system that works for you.
Improve by strengthening your will.

If you are worried about good results. which is not always within your control, then
you will weaken your will simply because of your anxiety. “That which I fear has come
upon me." An overly concerned competitor creates a conflict within his will. This is why
some players have limits on their bets. If they go over this limit, they begin to feel anxious
and concerned. This weakens their game.

External results are not always within our grasp. We cannot control the results.
Because of this we experience anxiety. This concern with results actually weakens our
will to perform and interferes with our goal. We perform poorly because we desire to do
good. Find the things that weaken you and make plans to eliminate them. For me thinking
about next week while I was playing this week did a lot to bring me grief. Fear of failure
was the next great culprit and low self-esteem took third on my must eliminates' list. You
must do what you do and let it go at that. How do you think relief pitchers survive?

When you define your will skills pay attention to the goal you have set. If you can
trust your performance you will automatically increase your will to work towards your
game. I developed a sense of trust in myself when I reached the money ball. I would line
it up and remind myself to simply trust. I developed my trust skills. Awareness of your
performance will soon grow. Remember awareness is a skill and it must be developed
just as any skills need improvement. You must train yourself to experience awareness.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Awareness is the ability to focus your mind non-judgmentally on the present. One of my
friends who has not developed awareness skills would slap himself on his head
whenever he got out of shape. “How could I let the cue ball get so far out of line? Now I
have a hard shot.” Any time you make a judgment on your shot you have left the
awareness mode. A shot is a shot is a shot. What you have in front of you does not
change because you slap yourself in the head. The ability to see one shot as a shot is a
skill. You must practice this skill and catch yourself whenever you see things
judgmentally. See them as they are and don't put labels on them. Develop this skill and
you will begin to beat players with more skills than you. It is often our awareness skill
which determines the outcome of a match. You would be surprised by how much our
attitude plays a part in our high average. This is the area where we separate the great
players from the slightly better than average players.

Pocket billiards does indeed offer us many challenges. Find the reason you play this
game and get the most out of it. Strengthen your specific skills. We are specialists. I
watched Allen Hopkins play a game of straight pool and then ran to my table to see if I
could play like him. I messed up my stroke. You are you and he is he. Cultivate your own
attitude towards this wonderful game and strengthen your skills to win. Once you develop
a style, build on it and stay with it. I spent many months missing shots because I wanted
to be a great position player. I stuck with this concept and am now very happy with my
number of run outs. I have a friend who is a shot maker and he runs out as much as I do.
The only difference between the two of us is that he sweats more than I do. Build on your
style and perfect it.

Understanding who you are and why you play this game is the first priority in pool.
Now that you are aware of yourself let’s get to work on some shots and strokes.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Chapter Three

FUNDAMENTALS

The fundamentals of pocket billiards will take you further than all the knowledge and
skills you acquire. There are no shortcuts to the top. Most top-ten shooters are
fundamentally sound. The stance, bridge and stroke are basically standard. Those who
would take a shortcut usually reach mediocrity at best. This type of player cannot go
beyond average pool. The importance of building a solid foundation cannot be stressed
enough. Once you have the fundamentals, you can go on from there with very few
limitations. This way, you can learn to enjoy this wonderful game. It is our good
performance which brings us the most pleasure. Good performance comes from sound
fundamentals.

I started out with a poor stance, an over tight grip and inadequate sighting
techniques. After one year of practice I was still not able to form a solid bridge I was
inconsistent. I missed easy shots and got beat by lesser players. I experienced every
type of loss. Sometimes when I had the game in hand, I would find a way to lose. It was
pathetic. Only after I learned the basics and acquired sound fundamentals was I able to
win with consistency. During long grueling matches, you will need command of the
basics. When fatigue sets in, going back to the basics will carry you through.
On the other side of the coin, bad habits are hard to break. Once you start out wrong, you
almost never succeed. This book will help you build a solid foundation to your game and
then you can increase your skills to where you can play with anybody. Bad habits must
be replaced. They cannot be broken.

There are exceptions to any rule. Willie Hoppe had an awkward stance. He

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

delivered his stroke across his chest. Pete Rose is hunched over at the plate. Lee
Trevino has a sloppy golf swing. Yet these athletes were the best in the world. Once you
understand the fundamentals of the game, you will naturally adapt them to your own
personality. You are unique. There is no one like you. You must learn, grow and develop
your skills according to your personal capabilities singing the song, “I Did It My Way" as
you improve. You cannot be a champion by copying someone else.

There are many stages in pocket billiards. You must be fundamentally sound in all of
them. You need to master each level before going onto the next. If you do this, you will
make the top ten in your league with ease. This can be achieved with a minimum amount
of practice. You start with the desire to win and the ability to pay attention.

First you must find your balance point and work on improving it. Balance begins in
the pit of your stomach and extends down through your legs. Judo and Karate experts
realized this some eons ago. Proper body balance is critical for building a good stance, a
smooth stroke and a consistent sighting technique. You can practice balance twenty-four
hours a day. When you leave the car, do this without hesitating or losing a step. When
you walk up the stairs, do a three sixty - without a stagger. Walk on the yellow line in the
parking lot. In a crowded place, see how fast you can walk without knocking someone
over. Children use these exercises to build confidence in themselves. They never go from
point A to point B without detours. During their developmental years, they do all sorts of
things to learn good body posture. Practice balance in everything you do. Soon, it will be
as natural as breathing. You will find that as you practice balance you will become aware
of a certain pace at which you do things. This is important because it is uniquely your
own. Once you tap into your pace, you can then go on to high levels in all sports.

One such exercise we did in our religious training was to stand in the “Tree" posture.
While this exercise was not designed for pool Players, I have found it to be a great aid to
building good balance. See Illustration 3-1

Illustration 3-1
The Tree Posture is an excellent
exercise to build the good balance you
need for an effective stance.

Stance is the beginning of each shot. If you set up properly, you will increase your
chances of making the shot. If you are out of line you will miss many shots. As you
approach the table, assume your natural position. Do not emulate others. Once you have

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

decided upon a shot, set yourself according to your stance. For instance, I draw a line
from the object ball to the inner part of my right thigh and plant my feet. Then I move my
left leg forward to a point where I'm balanced and comfortable. At this point, I bend over
to address the cue ball. Here Is where I recheck my lines. One, the line to my right thigh
and two, is my left foot aimed at the object ball'? If this is done correctly, my chances of
missing are slim. My confidence is high and I am ready to make the ball. Sometimes I will
need to make an adjustment. I will move my right foot forward or backward to obtain
better vision. If you are not lined up, do not sway to align yourself. You must completely
reset your stance. Even a slight amount of swaying disrupts your balance. The following
Is an exercise to check your stance.

Shoot the numbered balls, one through six, into the corner pockets on the bottom
rail. Readjust your stance each time you play a ball. This way you will become
accustomed to the procedure each time you shoot. Remember, draw a line from the
sight on the cue ball, or object ball, to your inner right thigh. Lay the cue down and step
into the shot. This way, you are building a good solid foundation for your game. If the
number one ball strikes the right rail, then you must readjust your stance to the right.
Should it strike the short top rail, then you must readjust to the left. These minor
adjustments will come to you automatically. This Is why practice Is so important. But you
must practice the right thing. A good stance takes time to develop. See Illustration 3-2

Illustration 3-2.
Shoot the numbered balls, one through six,
into the corner pockets as shown.
Readjust your stance each time you shoot
a ball. If you miss a ball then readjust your
stance according ly and make the ball. A
good stance takes time to develop.

You will run into a situation during a game where you cannot get into a good solid
stance. Certain shots will not permit this. Such as a rail shot or a frozen ball shot. When
the cue ball is centered in a cluster, you will not he able to approach the shot with a

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

fundamental stance. When you get into this type of situation, you must acknowledge it.
You will then need to focus all your attention on hitting the cue ball in the right place.
When you are up against the rail and need to make a cut shot into the corner pocket, you
must make a good hit on the cue ball. After you line up the shot, focus all your energy on
a clean hit on the cue ball. In this case, don't look at the spot on the object ball. Getting a
solid hit is more important than fundamentals in this case.

Sometimes a good bridge is impossible to make. This is where the "Vee" bridge
comes in. Again you are not able to form a solid stance. The Vee bridge forces you to
stand up on your toes and take a shorter stroke. In order to master the Vee bridge, you
must practice. When two balls are frozen together, it is easy to touch one when
attempting the shot. If this happens, you have fouled and you give your opponent ball in
hand. This could result in loss of game. Let's get to work on this one. Place your fingers
in an upright position and extend your thumb

outward to form a Vee. There are two things you must remember and learn. First, your
stroke must be smooth. No poking, jabbing, and no english. Move your grip forward two
to three inches ahead of the balance point. When you raise your stick up, which you must
do, you tend to be out of balance. This can be corrected when you bring your grip
forward. Do an exercise with several frozen balls around the table and begin by simply
shooting them into the pocket. After you gain a little confidence, set up shots. It takes
time to master these shots. You need to be patient. If this shot is in your arsenal, you will
make the top ten in your league. See Illustration 3-3

Now that we have the nasty Vee bridge out of the way, we can work on the more
basic bridges. You must choose one of these that works for you. Don't be afraid to use an
odd bridge if it works. Some pros use the open bridge most of the time. I don't
recommend this open bridge on the small bar tables. I lost a tournament once when I
miscued with an open bridge. The cue stick came off my hand. Had I been using the
more popular closed bridge, I would not have miscued. At certain times, however, I find

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

the open bridge to be a great advantage. It helps me to sight better and gives me greater
feel for the shot. When you use the open bridge, lay your hand flat on the table with your
fingers extending outward. Place your cue stick between thumb and forefinger. Draw your
fingers towards you for follow shots and extend them for draw shots. I don't recommend
this bridge for draw shots as you must snap the wrist and the cue could jump off your
hand. If you must use force, use the standard closed bridge. With the open hand bridge,

Bridge Work

The basic bridge will be used mostly during your playing days, especially on a small
bar table. So you should spend a great deal of time learning this bridge. To form this
bridge, lay your hand flat on the table with your fingers apart. As in all bridges, this one
must be solid. Raise your index finger and move your thumb and middle finger towards
each other until they are parallel. Do not move your pinky and forefinger. Keep these
fingers pressed firmly on the table. These two fingers are the key to a solid bridge. You
may have to develop muscles to keep them firm. Now you must place the cue shaft over
your thumb and middle finger. Then pull your index finger over the shaft. Here, your
thumb will be above the table approximately 1/2-inch to an inch. Now you have formed a
basic bridge.

The basic bridge is a versatile one. To adjust your bridge for follow shots, simply
draw your fingers towards yourself and raise the bridge. For draw shots, extend them
outward until your bridge is lowered. You may draw your middle finger in behind your
thumb to offer more stability to your shot if your hand is smaller than average. I use this
type of bridge because the basic one is too loose for me. Try both of them and choose
what works best. As in the road to enlightenment, we choose what works best for us. All
roads lead to perfection. Some of us take the long way around.

I realize that this material is boring and repetitive, but this is where it all begins. We
must face these fundamentals if we are to get to the exciting part of beating people and
learning the art of billiard play.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

You will win or lose games by just how well you use the mechanical bridge. Some people
call it the 'ladies' aid" or "crutch." What ever you want to call it, you had better be able to
use it. How many times have we missed critical shots because we stretched too far? This
is especially true in our position. So the mechanical bridge will be a must on our "we
better master" list. The arm of the bridge is to be placed flat on the bed of the table
whenever possible and held firmly. Place your cue on the rack and hold it in front of your
chin. Sight down the shaft. Your head must be directly in front of the shot. Do not
overstroke. Treat this shot as you would a short shot and play to make it. Don't draw or
follow or use any english when using the mechanical bridge. Just make the shot and go
on from there. I know you will not listen to me here, but I have the proper description in
writing so when you miss the shot, refer to this page on how to shoot with the mechanical
bridge the right way, which is, to make the shot you are shooting at, and nothing more.
Refer to illustration 3-6.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

From time to time, as you develop and become a good pool player you will run into
shots you cannot see. For one reason or another, you cannot see the mark on the object
balI. You just plain don't see the angle. This is where your practice of the fundamentals
pays off. you will need to rely on your stroke and experience for these blind shots. Feel
and instinct play a big part in making these shots. At times, especially in a slump, you
must feel your way around the table. We all have our dreaded shot. For some, it is the cut
shot in the side pocket. Others hate the long shot, and still others will not shoot rail shots.
For me, it is the long cut shot into the corner pocket.

For some reason, I cannot see this type of a cut shot. Hours upon hours of practice
has not helped me to see the angle for full table cut shots If you cannot see a shot, then
you will have to trust your stroke.

I make this shot 85% of the time, and in the league this is good enough. My method gives
me the best chance to succeed when I cannot see the angle.

First I walk around the table to my object ball and line it up. While I am standing near
the ball, I can readily see the mark. Then I place my chalk in a direct line with the cue
ball. Now I return to the cue ball and assume my stance. I aim at the chalk. Next I bring
my sight back to the cue ball. Now I look at the tip of my cue to see if it's lined up with the
chalk. Since I cannot see the angle on the object ball, I simply focus in on the chalk and
stroke with my best stroke. I succeed over 80% of the time. What I have done is bring my
target closer to me. The spot on the object ball is far away. The chalk is bigger. When I
sight the cue ball, my target then becomes an easy mark Here I have the target directly in
front of me. It's like standing three feet away from a huge dart board.

Your instincts and your sense of feel will have a lot to do with your making the top
ten in the league. You can measure your ability to feel a shot by practicing a simple
procedure. When you use english, you must be able to sense where the cue ball is going
to end up after it makes contact with a rail. I will discuss english in another chapter. But
for now, I would like you to absorb this information in your computer banks. The use of it
will be developed in time.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Let me give you an example. Strike the cue ball using left english and send it to the rail
as illustrated. See Illustration 3-7. Hit the number seven diamond. If you can tell whether
the cue ball will rebound towards the number one or two diamond on the long rail, you
have developed a sense about what you are doing. You must be able to determine this
information before the cue ball strikes the rail. Sounds difficult, but it's not. We all have
this type of instinct. Once when I was on the golf course I hit an errant drive into the
rough. I then had a shot of one hundred eighty yards to the fairway. I used my three
wood and hit the ball well. I did not see the ball leave my club, yet I sensed that I had hit
it two hundred and thirty yards, a little to the right. When I reached this spot I was
amazed to find my ball. My instincts are fully developed. I can tell whether I have
missed a shot just by the sound of my cue tip hitting the cue ball. The center fielder
leaves at the crack of the bat, races to the spot where the ball will land, and makes a
one- handed running catch. How does he know where the ball will land so soon after it
was hit? There is a lot of information available to us through our senses. I'll show you
how to locate this feedback information, and your shotmaking will improve dramatically.

That will come later. For now, we are working on the fundamentals. And, in order
to master these fundamentals, we must practice them until they become a natural part
of our game. There is no class of people more bullheaded and stubborn than pool
players. Most want to take short cuts. After two years of practice, I went back to the
basics in order to improve my game. I was stuck in a rut and could not get any better. If
you decide to take the short cut and do it on your own, keep this book. You’ll come back
to it when you really want to master the game.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

While you have read about the fundamentals of pocket billiards, it is now
necessary to practice them. During the practice session, make it a conscious effort to
go through a checklist before each shot. An airline pilot will not take off until he checks
his plane, so you should not take your shot until you're ready. Once you shoot, it is too
late to correct any errors. A Buddhist Monk once told me. “You cannot retrieve an arrow
once it's in flight." The first thing to check is your balance and stance. Be sure you are
comfortable. Then check your bridge. Pay attention to your grip. Make sure it's not too
tight. One more thing you must do. Pay close attention to your legs and buttock
muscles. Are they tense and tight? Let go and relax. You cannot deliver a smooth
stroke with tense and tight muscles. In addition. you will tire out in long matches if you
are uptight. You must practice these fundamentals until they become as natural as
breathing. Sometimes I use phrases to create a sense of peace and relaxation. In a
difficult match. I may say to myself, “With a gentle undulating swell, the spring sea rose
and fell, rose and fell, rose and fell."

At this point, you are practicing the basics. You will not necessarily make a lot of
shots if you are concentrating on your stance and bridge. But if you succeed in standing
well balanced, with a solid bridge, holding your cue loosely and relaxing at the table, you
are successful at this practice session. If you make the shots after all of this, then you are
really on your way. It does not take long to command the basics to your system. If you
will work on them first, you can develop great potential in a matter of months. Gaining the
ability to make shots is what takes time. Many beginners make the mistake of thinking
they must make a shot to be a good player. Stick to the basics first, and the shot making
will follow. The wayside is strewn with frustrated pool players who never practiced the
basics.

As you progress, you will enter matches and be inclined to choke under pressure. I once
went to a psychologist to see if he could help me overcome my tendency to choke in
pressure situations. This problem had become serious. I'd make a great run only to miss
an easy shot on the money ball. He told me that some people have it and some don't.
“The ability to perform under pressure is a gift." he said. I should have gotten my money
back. He was dead wrong. We can learn to overcome choking by exercising the basics
and believing in ourselves. This method will work well when you reach the money ball or
the key ball in a run. Decide on your shot and assume the proper stance. Say to yourself
“ready" and determine if you are. Then say “set, go." On the word set, draw your cue
back, and on go, stroke it forward through the cue ball. “Set" (back). “Go" (forward
through the cue ball). Time this to your stroke. As a child, you were familiar with this
phrase, “Ready, set, go!" You learned to react to it and to trust it. When you use these
words on a shot, you will find yourself relaxing and getting ready to shoot.

Now for the game itself. The first thing you do when you approach the table is to
decide on a shot. Then you must sight it. At this point, you will get into position to shoot.
Visualize the shot as already being made. Form a mental picture of the ball sailing into
the pocket. Imagine the pockets as wide as barn doors and then send it on its way. This
is really the fundamental game of pocket billiards. If you master these and still don't make

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

balls, at least you will look nice at the table. Perhaps you can scare your opponent to
death. They'll say, “He must be good. Look how smooth he is." If you master the
fundamentals and go no further, then perhaps you should sell your cue. There is more to
this game than basics. You are just beginning.

You are on the never-ending road to perfection. You must not overlook anything.
Always strive to be better, yet accept yourself as you are right now. You are doing your
best and there is nothing more you can ask of yourself. If you fail to run the table and lose
be kind and believe that you did your best. Sure you could have made that shot, but you
didn't. Don't be your worst enemy. When I became friends with myself and stopped
beating my own brains out, I really started to perform. Shoot only the shots you can
make. Build your game one step at a time. No one stays in the top ten in his league
without a good foundation in this game. You will need this foundation to survive your
season.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Chapter Four

VARIETY OF SHOTS

A mathematician determined that there are over two billion shots in the game of
pocket billiards. I'm not going to list them all here. As you practice, you can figure them
out. There are, however, four ways to shoot these two billion shots. In this chapter you
will learn those four ways to shoot shots. This, in itself, will take you towards the top ten
in your league. You will be surprised at how many good shooters do not have command
of the four strokes in pocket billiards. When you attend the next local tournament, you will
notice that those who reach the finals are the ones who know how to stroke the ball.

You can shoot a shot in one of four ways: I) follow, 2) draw, 3) punch shot, and 4)
spin shot. You will need to master these strokes. They are as different as night and day.
You will use them soft, medium and hard. If you use them incorrectly, you will miss the
shot. If you use the wrong stroke, even though you may hit the target perfectly, the object
ball will not fall into the pocket. The stroke actually does all the work.

The most widely used stroke in pool is the follow stroke. I've seen good shooters,
with high averages use this stroke exclusively. It calls for a forward thrust of your wrist.
Sometimes I say the words, 'roll the cue ball" in my mind and imagine my cue tip rolling
the cue ball towards the target just as I stroke. The shot must be loose with all muscles
relaxed. It is critically important to keep those muscles relaxed.

. It is critically important to keep those muscles relaxed when you hit the cue ball. Allow
your wrist to go limp and follow through. In order to follow the cue ball, you will he raisins
your bridge hand. In this way, you will he hitting the cue tip above center, or twelve
o'clock. One cue tip above center will spin the cue ball and cause the follow action. With
practice, you will be able to determine exactly how far you want to go. The follow stroke
can be used in another way, however. As I mentioned, to use the follow stroke, you thrust
your wrist forward and allow it to go limp at the moment of contact. You may do this with
a center ball hit or one cue tip below center. You are not limited by where you hit the cue
ball to use the follow stroke. For instance, if you have a medium cut shot, use a half cue
tip right center with the follow stroke and the cue ball will veer off to the right sharply. This
is very effective with a break shot. When you have a cluster to break up, a follow shot

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

works best. I sometimes use one cue tip below center, one half cue-tip right english and
follow stroke the ball to get a good break on clusters. Most strokes require the muscles to
become taut when you shoot. Not the follow stroke. This must be loose and relaxed. Use
this stroke when all you need to do is make the shot and not play position. Learn the
difference between each of these strokes.

Read this entire chapter before playing your favorite shots. Most of this information
ties together. You will need to absorb it all before you can succeed with the shots and
strokes. Each stroke has an effect on the cue ball and object ball.

The next stroke is the draw stroke. This is one of the most exciting shots in pool.
You must master this beautiful shot. Many times the draw stroke is the only weapon we
have to get us out of trouble and keep our turn at the table. And there are as many
theories on how to draw a cue ball as there are shots on the table. Since I can draw the
cue ball the length of the table and back down again, I will tell you how to do this. Also,
since this is my book, we will do it my way. In addition, we will work on the simplest
method. This gives you the best chance to master this shot.

In order to draw the cue ball and apply back spin, you must hit below center and follow
through with your stroke. This is called a “snap back" stroke. The snap back gives you
greater accuracy in positioning the cue ball. A soft follow through sometimes gives you
greater spin but not as much accuracy. With the snap back stroke, you snap your wrist
and dig into the cue ball.. You do not have to hit the cue ball hard. You need only to use a
medium stroke to draw the cue ball the length of the table. Many times a hard hit only
negates the backwards spin and leaves you with a stick shot. You must practice this shot
until you have developed a feel for it. Instinct is very important when using the draw
stroke.

There are a variety of cue balls in the different taverns and pool halls. Some are
heavier than others. Some are larger than others. This makes a difference when draw is
concerned. Be sure to check this out before an important match. Sometimes I would lure
a player to a specific bar because I know the cue ball was weighted. My opponent did not
possess the four strokes in pool, so he was unable to perform with the weighted ball.
When you play with experienced players, you will find yourself in a variety of situations.
Once I offered to play a match on large tables directly in front of a huge picture window in
the afternoon. My opponent was considerably better than me, so he readily agreed to this
contest. I know he had problems with glare. He favored the dark bar rooms. I won this
match easily. Every time he had a shot facing the windows, he could not see the edges of
the balls. He swore on his mother's honor he would not play in this pool hall again. While
I do not string players along, I do try to find situations which favor me. If a player refuses
to play me again, I consider my job as being a job well done.

Anyway, back to the drawing" board. Self-discipline is essential for all draw shots. A good
training method for self discipline is to keep your bridge hand on the table for a couple of
seconds after you have delivered this stroke. It's like keeping your head down on a golf

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

swing. Very often, in our haste to pull our hand away from the returning cue ball, we
neglect to commit ourselves to a good crisp stroke and follow through. Draw shots must
be crisp. In order to hit one cue tip below center, you must lower your bridge hand. To do
this, we simply extend our fingers outwards towards the cue ball and this automatically
lowers our cue. Do not raise your right hand to achieve this downward hit on the cue ball.

Sometimes with the right hand raised up, we will achieve draw action. More often than
not, however, we will miss the shot. Think of the effect of the cue tip coming down on a
round cylinder. You can't possibly get an even hit on the cue ball. Keep your cue level
and straight. Shoot through the cue ball with a flex of your wrist muscles at the moment of
contact. Until this time. hold the cue loosely. Cradle or caress it with great care. At the
moment of impact. snap it back. This is called a ‘snap back" stroke. It compares to a
boxer flicking his jab at his opponent. Once you master this stroke, you will have no
trouble at all. If you enter any poolroom anywhere in this country, you will find players
who cannot draw a cue ball. Don't let this happen to you. Work on it until you can control
the reverse spin on the cue ball.

There is a big difference between the draw stroke and the follow stroke. Use a follow
stroke and allow the cue ball to travel forward a couple of feet. Now shoot the same shot
with a draw stroke, pulling the cue hall back a few feet. You will see that you use different
muscles for each shot.

Try the ghost ball draw shot. Here you visualize a ball two inches beyond your object
ball and imagine yourself pushing the cue tip through to this imaginary ball. The sharp
follow through gives you a nice reverse spin. The results are amazing. A draw stroke
takes complete relaxation.

If you are thinking about draw, you will have problems. You can try too hard also.
Very often when drawing the ball is not a natural action, the cue ball will stop with a
sickening thud. You'll hear snickers and chuckles in the background as you look
dumbfounded. Then you attempt to convince your opponent you intended to stick the cue
ball right where it is. When this happens, someone will say, 'Nice draw."

All strokes, especially the draw stroke, require a relaxed effort. This cannot be
achieved when the brain is going one hundred miles per hour. You must turn the brain off
when you are shooting. Your efforts should be automatic. Use draw whenever the
opportunity presents itself. You will find that you are drawing the cue ball with little effort.
The punch shot is the next stroke. You will need to master this shot if you intend to go
anywhere in this game. In most cases, this shot calls for a center ball hit with a thrust of
your shooting hand forward. Unlike the snap-back stroke, you leave your hand forward
after the follow through. This is much like the puncher who leaves his fist out there after
he throws the punch. He gets better leverage on his shot.

Here is a way to test your punch stroke. Set up a shot which is straight in with the
cue ball about three feet from the object ball. Shoot one sixteenth low on the cue ball and

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

stop it dead in its tracks. The stick shot calls for a punch stroke. If you use a draw stroke,
you would have to hit the shot with perfect speed. This would be unlikely. A punch shot
will achieve these results consistently. The punch shot is also used for a slide shot. Set
up the following cut shot and use a punch stroke. Note how the cue ball slides away to
the lower rail. You could not do this consistently with a draw stroke. See Illustration 4-1

Many players would use a draw stroke here to avoid scratching in the lower corner
pocket. This is not necessary. A punch shot, with one sixteenth low on the cue ball, will
do the job nicely. You will use the punch shot in the game of eight ball more often than
any other game. After all, eight ball is the popular league sport. So you will want to
master this common shot. When I use the punch stroke. I listen for a ‘pop' of the cue
hitting the ball. I call this my “pop" shot. A good healthy pop is a sign that I am stroking
the punch shot well.

The fourth stroke you will use from time to time is the spin stroke. This shot is not seen in
many books. It is a difficult one to master. The spin stroke is missed more often because
of deflection at the point of contact. As you stroke the cue ball, perhaps one cue tip left.
the cue tip deflects the cue ball to the right, causing you to undercut the object ball. You
must develop a sense as to how much deflection will take place. Sometimes we think we
are allowing for the spin or throw, when in fact, we are allowing for the deflection. Some
cue manufacturers claim they have taken the deflection out of the cue by using a unique
joint. I have seen this to be true. In any case, the spin stroke is used more to control the
cue ball than to make the shot. As you hit the cue ball with one cue tip off center, twist
your wrist and add spin to the ball. This will cause the cue ball to literally take off and
travel down table. Once the spinning cue ball makes contact with the rail, it travels a
further distance when it has spin on it. Here is an exercise. Use a punch stroke. then a
spin stroke. You will see a great difference.
Hit the cue ball with one cue tip right center and spin it up table. A soft twist of the wrist
will add spin to the cue ball. This stroke is popular on bar tables. Some players will use a
draw stroke with this shot. You will not be consistent with the speed of the shot. A spin
stroke is more reliable. See Illustration 4-2

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

These are the four strokes in pool. You will use them in a variety of situations.
Follow draw, punch and spin. On bank shots, a punch stroke is more reliable. Follow
stroke is best used on shots you simply want to make and a draw stroke works best on
long shots into the corner pocket. As you develop, you will learn which stroke to use in
which situation. A soft punch stroke works well for delicate cut shot into the side pocket.
The four strokes in pool are like the variety of golf clubs in your bag.

The break shot in either eight ball or nine ball is critically important. The reason for
this is that you usually play these games in sets such as a race to five or race to nine. So
the break shot determines how you use your turn at the table. It’s important to make a
ball and leave the cue ball in the center of the table where you will have another shot to
begin your run. Smashing the rack is your greatest priority however. Use a follow stroke
with one-sixteenth, below center hit. You will be sliding the cue ball toward the rack and
this will help keep the cue ball in the center of the table.

Illustration 4-3.
Aim for the ball just behind and to the right
of the center ball (marked with an X)
Visualize the ball smashing the bottom rail
and returning to the head of the table.
Use this break in nine ball as well.

Usually the balls spread apart nicely. This particular break is to be used on seven-
foot bar tables. On the regulation tables. use a slightly lower hit on the cue ball. Also, with
the greater distance to the rack you will need to snap your wrist. Aim for the ball just
below right of the center ball. Shoot through the head ball and imagine the target ball
going to the rail. See Illustration 4-3. According to my studies, this break shot is
successful about sixty percent of the time. If you have control of the table sixty percent of
the time, all you have to do is avoid making mistakes. If you fail to make a ball on the
break and your opponent does not run out, you will have an open table in which to

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

perform your winning run out. The pros are running out just over twenty percent of the
time. I kept track of all the games in my pool league and found that out of three hundred
and sixty games, there were just twenty-one run outs from the break.

With this information in mind, it is sometimes better to allow your opponent the
opportunity to run out before you begin to make balls. I am talking about eight ball here.

Hitting the second hall on the side of the rack gives you a chance of making the
eight on the break. In some leagues, this is an automatic win. Strike the cue hall one cue
tip below center and use a good crisp draw stroke. You will not spread the balls out well
with this break. Still I use it sometimes when I want my opponent to make the first attempt
at a run when the balls are tied up in clusters. I usually establish which balls I want and
then purposely miss.

The element of chance exists in all break shots. It's like shooting crap. When you're
hot you're hot. This applies to pool more than any other sport. Nothing is always the
same. Sometimes you may make the money ball and still lose, such as scratching after
the break shot. You can win the wager and still lose as your opponent will not pay. In the
game of pocket billiards a good performance is its best reward. Strive to do your very
best at all times.

A good nine ball break is critical. The player who breaks the best usually comes out
the winner. I've seen this time after time. Aim at the ball just to the right of the nine and
shoot slightly down on the cue ball with a snap stroke. The one ball should come back
down table and the cue ball will remain in the center for a good shot. Often the cue ball
will jump up in the air and come down near the center. This is the break you will be
striving for.

In the game of 14-I straight pool the break shot is altogether different. This time you
do not want to spread the balls apart as you will need to call your pocket even on the
break. The rules require that you cause two balls to go to a rail on the opening break.
Failure to do so will result in loss of two points, plus, your opponent can make you break
over again. If you do your job properly, the cue ball will return to the bottom rail and leave
your opponent a long shot at best. Here is the classic break shot in straight pool.

Use one-quarter opposite english and take one-quarter of the corner ball. Use
enough speed to bring the cue ball back down to the corner pocket. The two balls on the
corner of the rack will follow the lines as shown. The important thing to do however, is get
the cue ball back to the end of the table. See Illustration 4-4.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Straight pool is the ultimate game of pocket billiards. Your stroke will improve as you
learn this exciting game. Every shot is the money ball. This game makes you pay for your
mistakes. Each time your opponent sinks a ball you suffer. A good 14-I shooter will
normally beat the best nine ball players. Nine ball players usually send home for bus fare
when they meet up with a 14-1 player. There have been many world champion 14-I
shooters who have won titles in both nine ball and eight ball tournaments. Very few nine
ballers have won world 14-I events. Straight pool builds character. You must be able to
concentrate for long periods of time. Get a partner and make this wonderful game a part
of your routine. Play as often as you can. You will see a dramatic difference in your
game.

You have a sincere desire to improve your game. After reading this book you will do
just that. Still, pocket billiards is a development sport. You must grow, develop and
increase your skills. You must read this book over and over again as it contains
information we must grow to. Still, while you may not be a polished pro, you can win.
Each game requires a certain degree of strategy. In another part of this book we will
discuss the value of good planning during a game. For now, however, let us turn our
attention to some shots and strokes.

You will run into these shots which could mean the difference between winning and
losing. These are simply shots you must make but seem to miss at critical times. How
many times have you said that you would have won had you been able to make that
simple rail shot or the basic cut shot in the corner pocket. Put these shots into the “must
make" category. Relax and make the shot. Do not use english. Do not play position. Do
not think of anything else. A "must make" shot is a must make shot. Simply make it.
The most popular "must make" shot is the cut shot along the rail. Shoot this shot
with 1/16th, below center hit and roll the cue ball towards the target. Do not concern
yourself with position or speed of hit. A medium hit will suffice on all "must make" shots.
Visualize the beginning track line of the object ball to the corner pocket and start this ball
in that direction. Another tip on these "must make" shots is no english is best.
Remember, you are only trying to keep your turn at the table. In your heart of hearts, you
will come to understand what a "must make" shot is. There will be times when something
about the shot bothers you. You just don't like the looks of things. Here is where you

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

declare a "must make" shot. See Illustration? 4-5.

Unless the shot demands it, use no english on rail shots. Some players like to use
inside english to make the ball hug the rail as it goes to the corner pocket. This will work,
but if your stroke is off, you will miss. The english will throw the shot off target. A center
ball hit, no english with a medium stroke is the right shot for all rail shots. Don't look at the
rail. Find the spot on the object ball and shoot. After a few practice sessions you will be
running balls down the rail with confidence. Actually, a rail shot is easy.

There will be times, especially in the game of nine ball, where you will need to use a draw
stroke on a rail shot. This makes the shot tougher. But who said this game was easy?
Make sure this stroke is crisp with conviction and confidence and visualize the end
results. On follow shots go through the same process. Don't allow fear to end your turn at
the table. Remember, there are only two acceptable reasons for leaving the table - you
have either won the game or have played a safe.

The game of pocket billiards is not for dummies. There will be strategy in all parts of
this game. Strategy reduces tension. You must devise a game plan and stick to it. By
doing so, you will be more relaxed and run out more often. If you come to a shot you feel
you cannot make, even though you are willing to put it in the “must make" category, then
you will have to play a safety. It is important to reduce fear and doubt. These two culprits
have cost players a shot at the top ten more than anything else.

The game of eight ball requires you to be good at combination shots. This is an important
weapon. Combinations must be shot as one shot. You should not tell yourself to hit the
first ball into the second ball and the second ball will go into the pocket and you will win.
Draw a line from the pocket to the object ball, then to the next ball and then to the cue

ball. It is one continuous line. While the shot involves three balls, it is still one line. Try to
feel this one line and use a medium stroke with no english. You will improve your
combination shots considerably when you use this method. In the game of nine ball,

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

combinations can make you money. Put this shot in the “must make" category and use all
your energy to make the shot. Sometimes on these combinations we try to hide the cue
ball just in case we miss. When your thoughts are divided between winning and playing
safe, you will miss On all combinations use your enemy to make the shot. Commit
yourself to winning the game. See Illustration 4-6 (previous page).

A billiard or carom shot is a combination. You are going to carom the cue ball off another
ball and into the ball you intend to make. You should increase your skills at this shot.

Going for the money ball is a big part of nine ball. A billiard shot can do the trick. As with
any combinations, use no english and view the shot as one continuous line. Draw a line
through the center of the ball you want to make. Continue this line to the carom ball.

Connect these two lines to each other and aim through the cue ball directly at the point of
contact. You will develop a feel for the stroke in this shot.

Sometimes, you will need to push the cue ball forward before it caroms towards the
target object ball. This can be achieved with a below center hit using a draw stroke.

If you want to bring the cue ball back, instead of forward, this can be done with above
center follow stroke. You will increase your instincts for this shot with practice. See
Illustration 4-7 (next page).

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Sometimes you will want to shoot an object ball off another ball. This too, is a carom
shot. It is basically the same as the above cue ball carom. Find the point of aim, use no
english and shoot with a medium speed. In the game of eight ball, this shot is very
common. See Illustration 4-8.

The draw carom shot is one of the most beautiful shots in pool. Draw a line from the
center of the cue ball to the carom ball so it is pointing directly back towards the object
ball. This is your point of aim. Keep your cue level and straight, shoot at six o'clock and
use a good firm draw stroke. This shot must be executed with commitment. It leaves a
lasting impression on your opponent. See Illustration 4-9 (next page)

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Every once in a while you will have a frozen dead ball in the pack. These are nice to
use as safety outlets. When you run out of shots, most dead ones can be made from
anywhere on the table. Simply hit the head ball and the second ball will go right into the
pocket. See Illustration 4-10.

If two balls are not lined up you can still make this shot. This is called a “throw" shot.
As you can see by the illustration the front object ball is lined up towards the long rail. A
direct hit will cause you to miss the shot. The solid lines show where they are aimed.
Shoot this shot, dead center on the cue ball, and hit the first object ball at an angle. This
imparts english on the second ball and throw it towards the pocket. See Illustration 4-11.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Here you are hitting the target ball on the right hand side and causing your object
ball to throw left. Remember, when two balls are frozen, right goes left and left goes right.
The same applies to single ball frozen shots. Right english makes the object ball go left. If
it is: necessary to throw the object ball a greater distance, use a softer stroke. The softer
the stroke, the greater the throw. Here is an illustration on how to set up for a single ball
throw shot. See Illustration 4-12.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

The solid line shows where the object ball is aimed. If you aim at this spot, and use
left hand english, you will send the object ball along the line with an arrow. Here you have
an angle but you want to stop the cue ball. If you use a left english shot, the object ball
will throw and you will stop the cue ball dead in its tracks. The cue ball transfers right-
hand english to the object ball and it is thrown into the corner pocket. We use throw shots
to play better position. If you are straight in the pocket, however, you can still use a throw
shot to move the cue ball. Here you are able to slide the cue ball to the left and get better
position on your next ball. Use a good crisp punch stroke. See Illustration 4-13.

Here is an off cushion push shot. Use a center ball hit and hit on the left side of the
ball. This will throw ball into the corner pocket. This shot can be made from anywhere on
the right side of the table. Practice will give you the instincts to handle all throw shots.
You will develop a feel for how hard you should hit the shot See Illustration 4-14.

In order to control your position shooting you will have to become familiar with both
running and reverse english on the cue ball. You will use this shot a million times in
pocket billiards. Running english adds speed and distance to the cue ball. It also widens
the angle off the cushion. In the next illustration you are shooting at nine o'clock with a
soft follow stroke. The cue ball spins with the rail. You can widen or close the angle
depending upon the degree of stroke. Center ball gives you a shorter angle and not as
much distance as running. And reverse, (or three o'clock in this case) cuts down the

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

angle, and slows down the cue ball. See Illustration 4-15.

Consider this illustration of running and reverse english. Practice this shot until you
begin to understand the principles involved. You will want to use either running english or
reverse english. You will begin to see how you can avoid the scratch or kick a ball for a
safety. Store this information in your billiard computer. You will use it in a critical situation.

For the development of your stroke, try the exercise above. John Holiday calls this
the 2-7-2 system. It works wonders for controlling speed. To this date, I have shot this
shot a hundred thousand times.

You will use one half cue tip running english. Aim at the number two diamond, continue
on to the number seven, up to number two and on to the center of the table. You must
use running english and medium stroke. I drew a circle with a three pound coffee can in
the center of my table. My goal was to put the cue ball in this circle. I do this exercise
daily. I call this my 2-7-2 stroke. See Illustrations 4-16 (above) and 4-17 (next page).

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Johnny Holiday has two books on pool. One is Position Play for Hi-runs, published
by Golden Touch Enterprises. The other is The Encyclopedia of Pocket Billiards. You can
purchase these books at most billiard supply stores. They are very helpful. Mr. Holiday
has written an honest account of how to play pool. He shares his many years of
experience with other struggling pool players. I give him a lot of credit for my growth.
These books would make a great supplement to your billiard library

You need to familiarize yourself with the interpolated reaction of the cue ball on
certain shots. The cue ball does not react in accordance with the laws of physics.
Somehow, the path has been altered. In this illustration you can see that the lines are
parallel. This is the normal flight of the cue ball. The parallel lines go toward the pocket
and return on the same line. See Illustration 4-18.

In the next illustration, the return line is not parallel. It has been altered with english.
The point line is the same, however. You will use this interpolated play when you play
position and the normal parallel line will not work. In this shot, running english alters the
return line. Practice interpolated lines until you develop a feel for them. See Illustration 4-19

In the game of nine ball, you will be asked to kick balls as your opponent will leave
you safe. The lines of parallel and interpolated lines will help you a great deal. To
understand the kicking method, you must first work with halves. This picture shows how it
works. See Illustration 4-20.

If the cue ball were several inches away from the rail, you still find the halfway point
between the balls and draw a line to the bottom rail and shoot. The halves systems is
easy to master. If another object ball is in the way, however, the halves system will not
work. You will need to go to the interpolated play. See Illustration 4-21.

Above Illustrations 4-18 through 4-21 follow

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

As you can see, the halves system will not carry you to the object ball so you must

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alter the line of flight by adding one-half cue tip running english. This will widen the angle.

Now, to understand this system completely, you will need to develop the stroke that
will carry you from the side pocket to the number one diamond and into the corner
pocket. You will need to use low reverse and draw stroke to achieve this. I can make the
ball nine out often times.

Also, you will need to be able to shoot the cue ball from the side pocket to the
diamond number three and then into the corner pocket. Here you will use low running
english. Once you develop this stroke, you will have no trouble kicking halls See
Illustrations 4-22, 4-23, 4-24, 4-25.

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We have covered many shots and strokes in this chapter. Most of these are
critical shots and can mean the difference between winning and losing. You must master
them. The level between number sixteen in the league and the top ten is the player who
handles these critical shots. This is what separates the really good players from the
average shooters. It is not much. A few shots. But an average shooter will lose the close
games—the games where you must make a combination or a carom or throw shot to
keep your turn at the table.

How many times have you heard your opponent say, “If I had only made that bank shot I
would have been able to run out.” Making these critical shots calls for practice. And
speaking of bank shots, are you ready for your easy step towards banking balls? I have
saved this shot for last because it is the most critical short in the game.

It is generally agreed that the bank shot is best mastered by developing a feel for the
angle. After a lot of practice you are basically ready to feel where to hit the object ball.
I’ve had players ask me about the lines I draw when I’m setting up for a bank shot. I tell
them that I have no lines. I see the spot and shoot. For a while I thought I had some
magic talent because I made a lot of bank shots. I had no system and the spot on the
object seemed to be clear to me. I had no doubts. Sometimes, however, I could not
make a bank shot to save my rent money. If I didn’t feel right, I could not see the angle.
Let alone make the shot. There is a system I use when I am not seeing the ball. Actually,
I use two systems. I use one when I am not seeing the ball and the other when I do not
trust my stroke that day. The first one is the line system. Draw a line from the object ball
straight to the rail. Place your stick from that spot back to the side pocket. Place your
stick from that spot to the side pocket. Draw a line from the object ball to the side pocket
on the rail from which you will bank the ball. Split the difference from where the stick and
the line towards the side pocket cross. If you draw a line from this point to the rail, you
have the target to shoot for. Sounds complicated, but it takes only a few attempts to
master. In a few short sessions, you will be drawing these lines in your mind. See
Illustration 4-26.

If I am nervous and unsure of myself for that day, I use another system. I call this the
“side-by-side” system. Here, I simply imagine another table alongside my own and
visualize the side pocket on that imaginary table. I shoot for that pocket and make that
bank shot more often than I deserve See Illustration 4-27

When I am having a rough time I use either of the methods. I also use a slight opposite
english hit on the cue ball. This puts true carom on the bank shot. Unless it is an
extremely easy bank shot, I play very little position. I simply shoot to make the shot.

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Here are a few shots to help you develop the almighty stroke. These shots are for
advanced players. They look simple, yet they are hard to master. I can assure you these
are the shots to play. Make sure you master each of them.

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NOTE: Illustrations 4-28, 4-29 and 4-30


are on the following page

Shot number one is the full table position shot. Shoot the object hall with low left
draw. Shoot softly and bring the cue ball to the number five diamond. See Illustration 4-
28.

In the next shot you must be aware of the connecting diamonds. You pocket the
object ball in the right corner pocket, from where you are standing. The cue ball goes to
diamond number five on the left long rail and then travels to the bottom short rail. The
track continues and shoots through diamond number five on the right long rail. When you
see the cue ball go through diamond number five, you know you are on track. See
Illustration 4-29.

This is a great shot for developing center table control. Shoot the cue ball with one
cue tip bottom, left english. This is a very important stroke to master.

Here is another shot which will come up from time to time. Use right english and
push the cue ball with a follow stroke. Make the cue ball go to diamond number one and
out towards the side pocket. Again, stay with this shot until you see some results. You do
not have to master it on the first try. It took me about two weeks to succeed with this shot.
See Illustration 4-30.

Here is a shot for your practice session. It is designed to develop your stroke.
Remember, it is the almighty stroke which determines the overall winner in the end. If you
can work on your stroke now, as you are learning, you will save valuable time in your
development. In this shot, if you do not have the proper stroke, you will not succeed. The
stroke and carom are the most important. The play calls for one cue tip bottom left
english. Use a snap stroke or a draw stroke. I prefer a snap stroke.

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Make sure your hit is a thin one. The cue ball will come off the object ball and into
diamond number four on the left long rail tracking towards diamond number eight on the
bottom short rail and then to diamond number two on the long rail and coming to a stop
near the number eight diamond on the top rail. Use a moderate stroke and good luck.
You can visualize this shot intellectually. and absorb this information mentally, but it is the
instinct which will enable you to succeed with it. You must develop the stroke and this
shot will give it to you. See Illustration 4-31.

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I place this last shot in here to help you win some important games. Many players will
make the shot only to scratch in the opposite side pocket. Use top left hand english with a
soft follow stroke and you will avoid the scratch. I am ashamed to admit that I did not
possess this shot until after four years of practice. I could not practice it because I did not
know how to shoot it. See Illustration 4-32.

I have only listed a few of the fifty-two billion shots in pool. All of this information will
help you coordinate your development so that you can become a great player. I
floundered for years and years using the trial and error method. To this day, I do not
know what kept me going when things looked so hopeless.

I can only pray that you will organize your practice time so that you gain the greatest
benefit from it. How you practice these shots and strokes will determine how soon you
master them. Good luck'.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Chapter Five

PRACTICE AND TRAINING

Practice is really nothing more than a systematic form of training. You hope to
change yourself and not only become a better player but also. to become a better person.
As we grow within ourselves, we improve. This way, we gain more skills and win more
games. It is as simple as that. You must be able to survive under intense pressure, and
be good enough to capitalize on the chance you get. Winning is not so much a
combination of breaks. It is a condition. A condition whereby we have grown to become
winners. This is the system of practice. Becoming a winner. It is rare when a person
reaches the top ten on luck. Overcoming the little disruptions. such as worrying about
your opponent, nervousness and the tenseness of victory at hand, are the ingredients to
success. You must train yourself to see each shot for what it is. When you watch a top-
ten shooter you know when he is going to run out on you. You can see by the way he
stalks the table that he knows what he is doing. By the same token you can tell when a
player will miss, or eventually get hooked or miss position. If he is insecure and unsure of
himself you know he will get into trouble. It always happens to the tentative shooters.
Practice and training are the same thing.

Here are some exercises on different shots and different strokes. You will see them
in critical situations during league contests. When you set into this “chance to win" you
will be glad you have this type of experience under your belt.

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You do not have to reach the level of our pros today to hold your own against the better
league shooter. A pro generally takes seven years of intense practice before he makes
the grade. Grady Mathews once said. “You will need to sink two million balls before you
can shoot with the professionals today.” I will show you the shots that win games. Master
them and you will make the top ten. We do not have to become professionals because
we are not playing professionals. If all you learn to do in pool is to make a few key shots
and keep the cue ball near the center of the table and eventually end up with another
shot, then you have done enough to make the top ten. Getting a chance to win is all we
can really ask for. Here is an exercise for keeping the cue ball in the center of the table.
See Illustration 5-1 and 5-2.

During your practice sessions master these types of shots. It is vitally important for you to
develop speed. This type of exercise will help you a great -deal. It takes time so be
patient and keep at it. Here are some more. See Illustrations 5-3 and 5-4.

Also, during these sessions pay attention to yourself. You must know who you are
training. Find your weakness and understand your strength. Build on your strength and
allow your weakness to fade into oblivion.

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It is important to find your tempo and you can do this through personal observation.
Shooting pool requires a certain rhythm. You have a natural pace. You must find it. Strive
to understand the tempo that allows you to perform well and effortlessly. You should not
he working hard when you are playing pool. When you discover this

pace, it will then be your highest performance level. I like to count to five between each
shot and draw in my breath when I go into my stance. This pace serves me well. When
lam in this rhythm, I will play for higher stakes.

While we may learn these principles intellectually, we don't comprehend them until
we have become a part of the experience ourselves. So we must train ourselves until
these principles are incorporated into our very being. When they are as natural as breath-
ing, we have arrived.

There are things that we know and things that we understand. There is a difference
between knowing and understanding. When I was a little boy I once knew that three plus

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three was six. I knew this because my brother told me so. As I matured and cam to
understand that three plus three was six; then knew it intellectually. It was part of my
awareness. I not only knew this fact, I understood it.

You must be able to read what the table is saying to you before you begin your run.
Answer this question before you take your first shot. Are all my balls makeable? If they
are, then you have a run. Then you will need to decide how you are going to run it.

If all your balls are not makeable, then you must determine which ones will need to
be broken apart. You will have work to do. If there is a break shot, then you still have a
potential run. At this point you are planning how to run the table. If however, you decide
that the run will be too difficult at this time, then you must go to alternate plan D.P. (Dirty
Pool). Believe me, alternate plan D.P. is an important part to making the top ten. You do
not want to lose your money. If some of your balls are tied up following the break, you
must then decide how far you want to go before playing a safety.

I feel great when my opponent comes to the table and has nothing to shoot at.
Sometimes I will play my safety before I have made my makeable balls. If I know I am not
going to run the table. I will want to leave certain patterns on the table should my
opponent give me another shot. If you leave these patterns on the table, your opponent
has a hard time playing safe on you.

These “ducks on the pond" put my opponent under a lot of pressure. In addition, if
you 'miss" a makeable shot, your opponent may underestimate you and try something
stupid.

Here is an illustration of zones and patterns. Some players play for years before
they learn to recognize these patterns. Look for them and save them for your run out.

In other words, if you can't go all the way, leave them on the table. It is like holding a
gun to your opponent's head. He knows that you have a run out should he miss. He tries
harder and consequently, fouls up. You are systematically training yourself to be a winner
and each game gives you the opportunity to improve yourself. See Illustrations 5-6, 5~7
and 5-8.

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The use of your practice time will determine how high you go In the league
standings. Bar shooters like us have responsibilities to families. jobs, bills. etc., and it's
not so easy to find time to improve our game. So it is important to use this time
effectively. How you use your practice time is simply your choice. Because you are
working on your own personal weaknesses you must devise your practice time to
increase your strengths. There are however, some fundamentals we must work on during
our practice.

The Almighty Stroke

The first and foremost important quality is the almighty stroke. The stroke is
developed and should be practiced every time out. We do not learn how to stroke. If we
did. we could learn it in five minutes. Such is not the case. We will go into training and
develop the stroke. Only after a long period of practice will the stroke begin to emerge. It
will not come to you overnight. Some pool players take as long as ten years to find the
right stroke. Others, more fortunate are born with a nice fluid stroke. There is no magic
timetable for finding the right stroke. “What we have right now is an acceptable" stroke. It
is acceptable because it's aIl we have. We must use it. Compete with it and make shots
with it. And we must win with it. Still. we will continue to improve and train ourselves –
and in time as we practice, practice, practice, our stroke will come to us.

Your sense of feel and touch will be the key to improving your stroke. If ever you are to
reach the classic stroke, you must find what is right for you. This will give you confidence
because you are doing it your way. It is as simple as that. The almighty stroke is within
you. All you have to do is to let it out. You cannot force it, pound it, entice it, jerk it or
propel it to the surface. No amount of money will bring it to you before its time. You must
relax and let go. Let it out. Remember “a single thought will divert the arrow from its
target." One arrow at a time. A pool player with a so-called natural stroke has to allow
his stroke to emerge. It does not have anything to do with intelligence. When your stroke
feels right for you, you have arrived.

You may find. after years of practice that you do not have the classic stroke. You
need not despair. You can develop your best stroke and win games as well as anyone.
Look at Wille Hoppe. He did not have a great stroke. And Pete Rose doesn't have the
classic baseball swing. Fran Tarkenton was too small to play football. And the list goes
on and on. Like these great athletes. you need to find what works best for you and
improve it.

There is a right way and a wrong way to develop a good stroke. We will not even
talk about the wrong way. All we'll concern ourselves with is the right way to improve your
stroke. If you are not standing properly at the table, you cannot stroke well. A good
balanced stance is essential to a good solid stroke. We talked about developing a good

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stance in an earlier chapter, so we won't go into it here. We considered the necessity of a


good grip in another chapter. so we'll go on from there. Also a good solid bridge was
discussed. So, what we need to cover is how to get the most out of your practice
sessions so you can gain confidence in the stroke you already have.

Always Do Your Best

Every time you come to the table you are having a practice session. It does not matter if
you are at the billiard hall playing for money, or at the bar with friends, or in the finals in
your league. You are practicing to improve your game. Each match gives you this oppor-
tunity. In all shots, strive to become one with the shot. Always do your best. Don't let the
score dictate your performance.

Do the best you can during each game. If you follow this principle you will win more
games than you lose. You will beat players who have greater skills than you. and you will
get better and better and better. This is what it is all about. You are the best in your
league. You need only to introduce yourself. Get to know your strength and build on it.
You would not be willing to learn and improve if you did not have championship qualities.
You have this book and your opponent does not. You have an edge just by your attitude.
Your game is defined, well organized and you are using your maximum skills. What more
could you ask for?

One day I talked with my master. “Sometimes," I said, “I feel like there is another
person inside of me who shoots pool for me. Everything goes so smoothly and perfect.
How can I tap into this feeling so I can always shoot like that."

“The .shot is shooting itself. In the pool world they call this ‘dead stroke.' You are in
the land of the awakened. The shot shoots itself."

“If the shot is shooting, and I am no longer involved, how can I wait for the shot to
shoot?" I asked.

“The shot waits for its highest tension and when it is ready it shoots. This is the
ultimate experience of pocket billiards.”

“How can I speed up my understanding of this principle?"

“Only through perseverance will you be awakened. If I tried to give you a clue at the
cost of your experience, I would be the worst of masters. Stop talking and thinking and
asking questions and go on practicing. Wait and it will come to you. It will come to you
when you are ready. Those who are ready are the ones who will get it. Few pool players
reach this awakening. Yet it is there for all to reach."

One day I was watching one of my students perform. I felt reverence towards his
ability. My awe was for the innocence he expressed on each successful shot. And indeed

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he was innocent, for once he tried to control this experience, it left him as if it never had
arrived. He was momentarily embraced by the fluidity which had left him. He looked up at
me and I told him to go on practicing as if nothing had ever happened. He had been
touched by a spirit which cannot be contained or controlled. It can only be embraced.

The Shot Shoots Itself

Soon, as he continued to practice, the pool cue had taken control of him and cut
through his reserves. He was in a trance and ran balls with precision and accuracy which
surprised even me. These feats are not uncommon for those who allow themselves to be
awakened by a higher order. I've seen players do this on drugs but it is a false awakening
and soon their talent is destroyed by the chemicals they used to perform. Very few reach
the highest state simply because they cannot let go and shoot. The shot shoots itself.
This is what it is all about. When the shot is ready, the cue will come forward.

During your practices which are all the time, find the shots you know you can make
and put them in the "know you can make" category. This will help you develop a positive
approach to shot-making. When you see a shot you are not sure of, then make up your
mind to put your best stroke on it and let the results be just that. With this relaxed effort
you have a better chance of making the difficult shot. In reality, we are just cleaning up
our act. Remember, there are only four different ways to shoot a shot. Your choices are,
follow, draw, spin and punch stroke. Which is the most effective for you during the game?

Use the 2-7-2 exercise to improve your pendulum swing. This is vital to finding the
classic stroke. When you do this exercise. close your eyes and feel the rhythm of your
arm and body working together. This unity is your goal. In our minds, thoughts and
doubts are the only things that can interfere with the unity of our stroke. The 2-7-2 has
become a centerpiece of my training in the 101 program. It is an integral part of the
comprehensive billiard manual, “The Lesson”.

Work on shots where the cue ball will come to the center of the table and imprint that
stroke in your mind. You will find that as you allow things to happen your improvement
begins to show dramatically. You will come into contact with certain strokes you can rely
on, such as the 2-7-2 stroke. When you are in a tough situation, say, "I'll use the 2-7-2
stroke and put this ball into the pocket." This point of reference may be just the thing to
give you the relaxed effort you'll need to win the game.

In the chapter "The Game Within," we talked about the other self. During your practice
sessions the other self will try to regain control by knocking them as superstitions. If you
listen to this dialog your practice aids will not work. For instance, "ready, set go" will
become useless if you allow the other self to knock it. Actually the words are just words.
But they give you a sense of relaxed concentration. This puts the other self at bay. He
can only work in "up-tight" situations. When you reach a sense of relaxed concentration
the other self loses control. Relaxed concentration is the key to excellence in all things.
Use the tools you have. The "ready, set, go," the "back-hit", the method of counting, etc.,

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are tools used to succeed in gaining a winning form. Strive to reach this form by using
what ever method works for you. If one phrase does not work, go to another one. Keep
the other self at bay.

It is critical to take inventory of yourself during each match. I do this automatically.


Don't make any judgments. Just observe how you are doing. A boxer checks to see if his
gloves are tight and ready for action. A baseball player sees that his glove is well oiled
and soft before he takes the field and a racecar driver makes sure his car is ready when
the checkered flag comes down. The pool player is no different. He must check himself
periodically to see if he is ready for battle. While we must be aware of our pool cue, the
tip, the table speed, the lighting. etc., we must also be aware of our body and how it is
going to perform. What shots can we make? Sometimes you cannot make certain shots
on certain nights. You must determine what tools you have at hand. You can win games
even when you are not at your best just by using the best you have during that match.
You can take this inventory by using your vocal chords. As you deliver the stroke, hum
softly to yourself. If there is any uptightness, your humming will emit a sharp cry just as
you deliver the stroke. If, however, you can hum through your stroke with the same
continuous monotone, then your muscles, all your muscles, are relaxed. Check yourself
from time to time to get yourself back on keel.

In the game of golf Ben Hogan used the word “oily" when he started his swing. Word
associations are very helpful. I like to view the pockets as huge black holes, sitting there
waiting to suck in balls. Any time you reduce that other self's effect on your nerves, you
are increasing your chance to win. Most of my misses come from Herman's interference.
I now use word games and humming to increase my sense of relaxed concentration. This
wards off the doubts and disruption from the other self.

Understanding yourself at that given moment during a match is what separates the
really great shooters from the average ones. Just because you may not be out on the
tour with a top ranking does not mean you are not a great shooter. It is how you perform
in your chosen area which determines your greatness. Don't compare.

Rate Your Stroke

Developing sensitivity takes practice. Close your eyes and feel, feel, feel, your stroke.
Rate it from +1, which would be soft. to +2, which would be medium and +3, which is
hard. One of these strokes will be working for you on any given nights Find what is
reliable and stick to it. Make it a point to do this exercise the next time out. You will be
amazed by the results.

When you become over concerned with results. you will lose. You are on the nine
ball and the game is in hand. You've worked hard to get this shot. “Don't blow it now."
says the other self. 'If you miss you not only lose the money you are betting or the league
match. but you lose your self esteem as well." One crushing loss usually means more to
come. Your muscles tighten. Your sense of feel and touch is gone.. This in itself makes

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the shot more difficult. You want to run because the tension is building and the more you
wait the tighter you become. You are now caught up in the trap of being over-concerned
with results. If you shoot now, you might as well pay the man.

At this point you must step back and focus in on your priorities. First of all, you are a
good pool player who makes more shots than you miss. Second, all you can really do in
this situation is to hit the ball. Put a good stroke on your shot. Use a +I or a +2 stroke.
Which one is working best for you that night? Use it. Recognize your anxiety and do
some deep breathing until you feel the tension drain out of your system. Send the ball on
its way with your blessings and take whatever consequences you get. Be willing to
accept the results. Let it go and you will be surprised. I ran a rack of nine ball using these
tools on every shot. I was playing for fifty dollars and didn't have the money to lose. The
score was tied six to six in a race to seven. I let it all hang out. I hope I never get into that
kind of situation again because the pressure is unbearable. Still, if you learn to let go and
minimize the anxiety, you will win a lot of games you would have lost otherwise.

Learning to stroke with body language could be the key for you to reach the next level of
play. Take your stance and see if it feels right to you. Set the bridge. Is it solid and
comfortable? Now, take a practice stroke. How does that feel? If everything checks out,
shoot. This is all you can do. If there is a flaw in your delivery, it will show up. You must
learn to read your body. Sometimes the flaw is in our inability to maintain a state of
relaxed concentration. The spouse has a lover. The bills are mounting; the job is coming
to an end. Outside influences are hard to overcome. Still, we can succeed if we use our
best in any given situation. Pay attention to your body language.

In order to reach peak performance we must work on discipline. Quiet the mind.
Make it as calm as a lake which reflects the trees and banks around it. Peak awareness
comes from a concentrated focus on your job at hand. You cannot “try” to focus this
concentration. You can only allow yourself to form a sense of concentration. How many
times have you run the table and could not remember exactly how you did it? I've run
tables without knowing it. You were absorbed in the shot at hand.

While you must have the discipline necessary to get the most out of your stroke, you
must also zero in on a form of fixed interest. This releases tension. Zero in on a spot on
the object ball. Take a picture of what spot you want to hit. Click it in your mind's eye and
experience the stroke. See the ball splitting the pocket and listen to it drop out of sight.
Make the commitment to what kind of English you will be using and decide if you will use
a + I or+2 or +3 stroke. Your total absorption should make you deaf to all that is going on
around you. You will then be concerned with the shot at hand. Here you have lost
yourself in the land of dead stroke. A place in pool heaven. The shot is shooting itself.

Bart Starr was so absorbed in a putt on the eighteenth green that he did not flinch
when an errant ball bounced between his legs and skipped across the putting surface. He
continued to concentrate on his stoke and made his putt for a par. In order to achieve this
level of intensity, we must constantly welcome it during each match. Do not actively strive

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for absorption. Become absorbed in what you are doing. If you make an active campaign
to become absorbed you will lose it just because you are striving for it. If you concentrate
on concentrating you will not be concentrating on shooting. Allow things to happen. Don't
Make them happen.

You must have discipline interest and absorption if you are to reach the top ten.
Consider all three each time you play a match.

Timothy Gallway covers this subject brilliantly in his book. The Inner Game of Golf. The
next time you go to the league match with your team, make up your mind to include these
three goals in your game. You must discipline yourself to give a good performance. Win
all three. And you must be interested enough to enjoy your time and fellowship with your
friends and teammates. You must also be absorbed enough to learn something about the
game and yourself. In each goal - discipline, interest and absorption - practice relaxed
concentration.

Let It All Hang Out

In order to perform well you will need to be conscious of the sighting techniques I
explained earlier. Do not get caught up in the “results" mode. You are a performer who is
performing. When you sight your shot, allow the spot on the object ball to come to you.
Relax and observe the shot. Don't think about winning or losing. Allow yourself to shoot.
Let it all hang out.

Like animals we are born with an instinct for survival. If we can tap into this instinct
we can sharpen our skills and improve our game. This is the basic principle of control
through increased awareness. If something works well, we never forget it. It becomes
imprinted within our minds forever. Socrates once said, “The organism repeats that which
is pleasant." Through an awareness program we learn to repeat that which is pleasant -
making shots go into the pocket.

Here is an exercise program that will help you improve your instinct for survival. First
you must establish your personal stance and stroke. Then you will need to focus in on the
feedback from your body which tells you if you had hit the shot properly. We've all heard
a pool player exclaim, “I knew I missed it the minute I hit it!" Somewhere within yourself is
a measuring device that tells you how you have done. Focus in on it and do not make
any judgments. Just be aware.

You must locate the moment the feedback occurs and try to receive it at the earliest
possible moment. Then, I want you to scale this feedback on a one-to-five basis. Finally,
when this feedback is at its greatest peak, groove the stroke by continuous focus on the
feedback area. Do this until you are confident that this stroke will hold up even when you
are not attending to that specific part of your body where the feedback is coming from. In
my case, the key is letting my wrist go limp at the point of contact. If I am getting this kind
of feedback, I will win a lot of games. Another key element is feeling my right thigh lined

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up with the spot on the object ball. Becoming aware of this feedback is one of my practice
sessions.

When you discover your key, make it a practice exercise during an important match.
You will be amazed with the results. You will find a reliable method for making shots.
Your grooved stroke will work even better when all you have to do is make a ball. Such
as the money ball or a shot which does not require position on the next ball. I call these
shots “makers."

One note of caution here. Much of this information you must develop is up to. You
may understand it intellectually but this will do you little good until you become what this
is all about. I include this material in this book because I would like to give you the
training you will need to go to the top. If you try too hard, you may destroy your chances
of improvement. Have faith and practice the principles described throughout this book.

In your search for your key you must become aware of speed of stroke, direction of
stroke, length of your bridge and the location of cue tip on contact. You must sense the
spin of the cue ball and hear the sound of the ball falling into the pocket. When you
incorporate this data into your system, you will be able to experience this with your eyes
closed. Your body will tell you all you need to know.

Sight The Target

There are certain things you can do to increase your sense of awareness and
improve your chances of winning. Here is a system you can follow in your next match.
Sight the shot and decide what you are going to do. View the pocket as a huge hole. Get
into your stance and set your bridge. Zero in on the spot on the object ball. See it, see it,
see it, and shoot. An archer does not look at the tip of the arrow and a bowler does not
look at his ball. We sight the target. Remember, we are always in training. We are always
practicing.

For those of you, who have your own tables or have access to a table, be sure to
organize your practice sessions to receive the maximum benefit. If you are just banging
balls around then call it that. Don't call it a practice session. I will outline a twenty-minute
practice program which will help improve your game dramatically. During the first five
minutes you will bang balls around to loosen up and find your stroke. In the next fifteen
minutes you will work on awareness and shot making. Release tension and let go - allow
yourself to perform with relaxed concentration. Strive for this. Afterwards, go back to the
enjoyment of banging balls for the remaining five minutes. During the awareness twenty
minutes, however, you will work on professionalism. Set up slowly. Understand the shot
you are about to take. Focus in on your balance. Make your movements precise and
efficient. Step inside Willie Mosconie and walk beside him. Stalk the table. Visualize the
path of the object ball. As you become aware of these cues, you will be incorporating
them into your system. Soon, you will do this automatically. A practice session such as
this one will do more for you than five hours of banging balls. After you have worked out

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for twenty five minutes, you may bang balls and work on shots which give you trouble.
Improvement comes from working on our weaknesses and building on our strengths. I
always include shots down into the corner on all my practice sessions.

Since you are pretending to be a professional, you might as well become one. This
does not mean you should quit your job and join the tour. You can be a professional right
where you are. The key is awareness. Make a commitment to awareness and forget
about results. When you do this, tension decreases and alertness increases. By
forgetting about results, you actually give yourself a better chance for greater results.
Once you get into the awareness mode, you leave the trying mode. This is where the
professional takes up and the amateur gets off. In the awareness mode fear of failure is
gone. The Bible says, “That which I fear has come upon me." We must learn not to fear
shots of players. While I am on the Bible, let me quote another verse. “He who gives up
his life, gains it more abundantly." In comparison, the pool player who gives up the idea
of winning and takes up the act of performing wins most of the games.

There is a right way and a wrong way to develop awareness skills. You will need to find
your own way to unlock the keys to awareness for you. As you train, try this method.
Learn to rate your stroke: + I; soft; +2; medium; +3 hard. Set the cue ball up near the
spot and shoot to the opposite rail. Use center ball hit and close your eyes during the
stroke. Make a guess where the cue ball will end up before you open your eyes. See how
you do with this exercise, then try it with one-half cue tip right and again, try to determine
where the ball will end up. This will increase your sense of feel.

Systematic Training

Continue this exercise until you know where the cue ball will end up just by the type of
stroke you put on it. This will tell you how you are doing with awareness. Remember, in
the awareness mode there is no need of fear of failure because you are no longer trying.
You are doing. In the game of pool there is no such thing as perfection. You are a
performer who uses tools. Do not go out to win games. Go out to use the tools. Winning
will take care of itself.

Actually, making the top ten is not our ultimate goal. It is the direction we are taking.
We want to be good pool players. Anything more than that is frosting on the cake. If
winning is all you care about, than go out and play only the players you know you can
beat. We must constantly strengthen our will to perform. We must strengthen our
awareness of our performance. This is within our grasp. Winning is not always ours for
the taking.

Playing pool is a form of systematic training - not only to improve, but to become a
better person. As you train to overcome self-doubt, nervousness and anxiety, you cannot
help improving as a person. And this unique change will raise the quality of your work in
other areas. In practice we grow to become winners. This way, the benefits far outweigh
the time it takes to improve.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Chapter Six

PREPARING FOR LOCAL TOURNAMENTS

Most areas around the country hold local bar room pool tournaments. This is an
exciting event and on any Saturday afternoon you can win as much as three hundred
dollars. Reaching the winner's circle is not the easiest thing to do however. We need to
get lucky. In addition, we need to be able to take advantage of luck when it comes our
way. If you are not prepared, luck will not do you any good. So it is the preparation that
puts the player into the money.

Some players work so hard to reach the finals that they are literally exhausted when
the final race begins. They cannot make decisions and running the table seems so
remote. You are seized with insecurity when you set up to shoot. Exhaustion is our
biggest hazard. You think you are going the wrong way whenever you decide on a run.
With these doubts and fears running wildly through your mind, you are not able to deliver
a smooth confident stroke. It is only a matter of time before you miss and give the table to
your opponent. Your muscles are aching and your eyes are watery. Panic begins to set
in. The fans are wondering how you ever got this far. Soon, you are out of the
tournament. You were not prepared to win. Winners know how to stay sharp during tough
matches.

Certain players perform better when they reach the finals. These shooters realize
the necessity of organized preparation. Many times the players with limited skills are in
the finals. They seem to focus better than others.

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One such player would sit and stare at the balls;. Another would go to the bathroom and
splash water on his face and still another player would make it a point to run laps around
the block. These efforts were all directed at increasing one's focus during the finals.

Serenity and relaxation are the keys to victory. If you are calm, you will be more
confident in your decisions. You will deliver a smoother stroke and thus, make more balls.
When you prepare, you gain an edge. This edge is the difference.

You can arrive at the finals with all kinds of energy. Your mind is alert, your stroke
smooth, and your sense of balance is well coordinated. You would be hard to beat.
Preparation for pool tournaments have these goals in mind and I have designed a set of
exercises to help you overcome the tournament tensions.

The first such exercise stimulates the thymus to promote a feeling of serenity. This is
called the “short shot" routine. Sit on the floor with your legs crossed in the Far Eastern
Indian position. In Yoga this is called the lotus position. Next, focus your eyes directly in
front of you. Stare at an object and concentrate on nothing. Relax. Now, suck in a breath
of air and throw your chest forward to fill all of your lungs. As the air fills your lungs, think
of the word “short”. Then, pull your chest in, and thrust your spine backwards, like a cat
doing its early morning stretching. Utter the word “shot" as you expel the air. You should
be able to do about ninety “short shots" in one minute. Following one minute of exercise,
rest for about two minutes. Then repeat, and relax again.

In the next exercise, place your hands on your shoulders with your fingertips just barely
touching. Focus your eyes on an object directly in front of you. Draw in a long slow
breath, filling your belly and then your chest, all the way to the top of your lungs. Turn to
the right until you have reached your limits. Now, allow the air to flow from you as you
turn back to your left. When you reach the end of your turn, you will have empty lungs.
Turn back to the right and repeat this cycle. As you draw fresh air into your lungs, turning
to your right, say the word 'smooooth." When you turn the other way to empty your lungs
say the word “sshooooting.” Concentrate during this exercise. Don't let your mind
wander. Repeat this process 27 times.

Hook your fingers together in the middle of your chest. As you breathe in. raise your
left elbow and lower the right one. Fill your lungs to capacity and bring your arms to a
vertical position. Now, release the air and go in the opposite direction. Raise your right
elbow and lower your left elbow. Each time you raise one and lower the other, use the
word 'Shoot" and when you change direction, use the word •'softly." Do this one 27 times

Do the "short shot" exercise again and you are ready to do battle. You will perform
better, have reserve energy, peace of mind, and will be able to make good decisions
during the match. Being prepared to take advantage of your situation and getting the
most out of yourself is what it is all about.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

Chapter Seven

CONCLUSION

During our journey towards pocket billiards excellence we learn to win, win, win. This
is what we are all about. This is our mission. Yet it is the losing which conditions us for
that eventual winner's circle, and the losing is how we band together. Jim Rempe once
said, “You will never be a champion until you have lost for every conceivable reason
there is."

During a match at the University of Massachusetts I learned a valuable lesson in


losing. I give talks and clinics on pool and in this contest I was glued to my chair while my
opponent ground my mistakes into a huge lead. I was being conditioned for the winner's
circle somewhere. Perhaps in another life on another planet. This particular match was
bordering on a tragedy. Each time I set up for the winning shot, I pulled the pin on myself
and choked. For a while I thought I was giving a clinic on the art of self-destruction. I
would make great shots, running the table to the key ball, and then do something totally
insane.

Finally, a spectator leaned over the railing and asked, “What's wrong with you'?"
I was depressed. Negative thoughts infested my mind. I could not control them. I
didn't like myself and deserved to lose. Still, she needed an answer, so l turned to her

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and replied, “I’m just paying my dues." Indeed, I was. Sometimes you need tough losses
to grow.

If our dues are well spent we will learn valuable lesson. If we learn the first time out,
we will not have to put ourselves in this situation to learn again. In every contest, there is
a lesson to be learned. After we leave the hall we should spend time in reflection to grow,
learn and increase our understanding of our own abilities. Facing the man in the mirror is
the only way to grow. During our quiet moments of desperation we receive the truth. As
one of the great Monks said, "When the student is ready. the master will appear." In this
case the master is the Truth. We cannot see it until we are ready to see it. Losing
prepares us to seek the way.

It's the same with a winning experience. If we are willing to spend time in reflection,
we will learn. The truth is our biggest reward. You will gain something every time out.
This is the great guarantee of pocket billiards.

Here I was, running balls with great skill, only to self-destruct on the key ball. Many
mistakes were in judgment - trying to force shots like I did when I first began this career. I
had regressed in my skill. I was choking and I was ashamed.

"What do you mean ‘just paying your dues'?" she demanded. The day before this
match I experienced a hitter disappointment. I was still stunned by the event. My mind
focused on this like a magnet drawn to steel. I couldn't control these thoughts. My stroke
was tentative, unsure and reserved. As a result of this disappointment I did not like
myself and consequently I would self-destruct when I got into a position to win the match.
Failure is not easy for me to accept. She was waiting for an answer and seemed sincere.
So I told her the whole disappointing experience. She listened carefully and when I
returned to my chair following the next pathetic exhibition of self-destruction she touched
my shoulder and whispered in my ear. “A fool will lose tomorrow, hanging on to
yesterday."

In an earlier chapter I talked about stroke, minus interference, equals results. Now it is
time to let go of that interference. I smiled at her and began a yoga exercise to clean my
mind of debris. In this exercise, I would inhale deeply for four beats. hold my breath to the
count of sixteen and then exhale slowly for eight seconds. On the exhale, I released all
the negative thoughts. I let them go. As I released the breath I used the word “cancel"
and visualized my previous disappointment. Let go of yesterday. Soon I was finishing my
run outs and making the key balls. During the remainder of the match, I was absorbed in
concentration and did not notice my new friend leave the hall. She had “pointed the way"
for me and I wanted to thank her.

When the student is ready, the master will appear. She was the master and I was
glad I was ready. This is our business - "pointing the way" for each other.

Continue your journey toward excellence. We are always moving forward, always

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towards our goals. Motion, eternal and open, meeting new friends, climbing obstacles
and feeling oneness in our success. Drop the nine in the pocket and hear the applause.
You are a winner.

If you have questions. please write to me. I will answer any concerns you may have.
Good luck.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

APPENDIX A
Continue Your Journey…

During our journey together through “Point the Way” we have come to terms with our own
developmental process. Some of us have been inspired to new heights. We are not alone
in this journey. Still, the inspiration of our awakened attitude can be dimmed by old
habits. As time goes by we find our old self claiming its place in our lives and again the
old habits begin to direct our game. We begin to miss the key ball again, and pull the pin
on ourselves. Sometimes we become tentative on critical shots, or hold back and for
some of us, we actually question our willingness to win. You will find more inner game
information in my book I Came To Win. I also offer a free weekly lesson on my web site
monkbilliardacadem-e.com. Click on The Monk Reloaded and begin your training with
me. I really want to help you with your game. I have been down that road and know how
difficult it can be.

In my newsletter I share with you a lesson each week, plus I keep you informed
on what we are doing at The Monk Billiard Academy. Sometimes I give you some
homework to work on. It is our way of staying together during our billiards experience. I
hope you will log on and subscribe to this weekly newsletter. I keep the entire lesson to
within four minutes. There are no advertisements in this newsletter. I only talk about my
own work and how it applies to you. Thank you for sharing this great game with me.

I will share effective practice sessions with you. You will also be informed on my
workshop schedule and perhaps you can attend one of these special seminars.

I am also working on a home study course where you can take the entire Monk
101 series on a monthly basis. It is a program where you receive one new dvd each
month and submit homework assignments. Remember, we must take actions, measure
our progress and make adjustments.

You can log on to The Monk Co-op Family of Pool Players and post your email
so other players, just like you, can write about their own journey. Sharing our strength,
hope and experience is vital to our own development. To reach this site, log on to The
Monk’s five free lessons and you will find your way to the remarkable Monk’s Family of
Pool Players. May you always enjoy this great game. Learn to have fun playing pool. Let
the mantra “God I love this game” become part of your personal makeup. I wish you all
the best. May all the rolls go your way this day, and for all the days ahead.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

APPENDIX B
CHANGING THE SCRIPT …

There may come a time when you have to change the way you think in order to
break through to the next level. Within your brain is a subconscious area that stores
information that you use over and over to make decisions. Our perceptions form our
mental state. It is from the mental state, we think, act and perform. Some of us have
formed faulty perceptions. And this affects our performance. We find that we are making
the same mistakes time after time. We need to change the script. We need to change the
way we think.

Personal changes are not easy to make. Sometimes they take great courage and
the willingness to come face to face with our own concepts. These perceptions become
our own and we actually find ourselves taking measures to protect these concepts. And it
is this habit that defeats us over and over. When you are ready to change your script, you
can order my cd “Changing your Script.”

There were so many times I would tell myself, “you are a champion” but I did not
really believe it. So my mind would reject that affirmation. I needed to find another way to
convince myself that I deserved to win, and I was capable of winning. The key to our
performance is that we achieve exactly what we expect to and nothing more. There are
limiting messages buried deep within our subconscious mind. At some point, we learn to
accept these limiting messages as indisputable fact. If the message is contrary to what
we believe, we simply deny it and move on. For instance, if I tell you, you are incredible
and destined for total greatness, you may resist that idea. There is a little guard in your
mind that wants to keep things the way they are. So the key to changing your script is
to get past the guard and help you become comfortable with your own unique talents. In
order for me to help you realize your special skills and thereby learn to become
comfortable with winning will require some special therapy. My subliminal cd program will
help you. You can go on line and order whatever title you want to work on. I do hope you
will take this final step in preparing yourself for the success you so richly deserve. You
have worked hard, honed your skills, and now it is time for you to reap the rewards.

When you change your mental state, you change your destiny. I will look for you
in the finals.

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Point The Way ….By The Monk

The Monk's Interactive Catalog

Product Price Internet Location


Books (Hard Copy)
I Came To Win $19.95 Details Here

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The Lesson $39.95 Info Here
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The Lesson $29.95 Details Here

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Monk 101 Vol. 2 $39.95 Find More
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The Monk's 101 program DVD Set
101 DVD Set $120.00 Details Here
The Monk Audios
Focus On Winning $49.95 4-Tape Pack
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$49.95 4-Tape Pack
Concentration
I Came To Win $9.95 Single Tape

87

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