Array
Welcome To Pro9 - Europe

  Create An Account Home  ·  Topics  ·  Stats  ·  Your Account  ·  Submit News  ·  Top 10 March 29, 2024  

  The Pro Shop


NEW: Buy 2 items (or more) and get a free
upgrade to 1st Class UK postage.

Viking
Cue Towel


Cuetec Bowtie
Now in Colour!


Cuetec Glove
New NOIR Colour


Black Ingot
Break Cue Tip


Pechauer Naked
Black Ice


Triple 60
Billiard Chalk


Cuetec Pro Line 4x8
Noir Limited Edition


Cuetec Pro Line 2x4
Noir Limited Edition


Aramith
Camouflage

Cue Cube
Dime Radius

Cue Cube
Nickel Radius

Mosconi Cup
Team Europe Lag Ball

Aramith BLACK
Single 9 Ball

Predator P3 REVO
Purple Racer

Predator SP2
Limited Edition Nova

Mezz Sneaky Pete
Purple Heart 2

Kamui
Tip Protectors

Bear
DB-8 / UniLoc Shaft

Hans Delta
Shaft & Ferrule Care

Cuetec HI-TECH
Graphite cue cleaner

Predator Urbain
Black & Yellow 3x5

Predator Urbain
Black & Yellow 2x4

Taom MaxRack
Coming Soon!

Predator P3
Red Tiger

Table Cover
9ft Leatherette

Lucasi
Limited Edition LUX63


Lucasi
Limited Edition LUX58


Viking Two Feather
White Wolf


Cuetec AVID
Opt-X FK Blue


Pechauer
Rogue Carbon Shaft


Aramith BLACK
Orange 5 & 13 Ball


Predator
Pro Billiard Series


Sure Shot
Joint Protector Holder


Predator Air Rush
Red Revenge


Cuetec Pro Line 4x8
New GREY Colour


Cuetec Pro Line 4x8
New NAVY Colour


Cuetec Glove
New GREY Colour


Cuetec Glove
New NAVY Colour


Mezz
ASTR Series


Felt Saver
by Cue Candy


8pt Sneaky Pete
Maple and Rosewood


Last 4 Ever
Combo Tip-Tool


Desk Clock
Ideal Gift


BMC Meucci
Custom Casino 3


4pt Sneaky Pete
Leather emboss wrap


Predator Aspire
Weight Bolts


8pt Sneaky Pete
Leather emboss wrap


High End JPs
Engraved Aluminium


Predator K Series
Iconic Classics 2-3


Predator BK4
No Wrap/Linen/Sports


Kielwood Shafts
11.75mm Torrified


Taom Pro Tips
Back in stock


2 1/4" Table Bowls
Made in England


Mezz
Wavy Joint Protectors


Zan Premium
14mm Soft


Magic Ball Rack
Matchroom Grey


Predator
Black Shadow Hoodie


Predator
White Shadow Hoodie


BMC Meucci
Glass Rose - White


Predator
Crest Billiard Chalk


In Stock Now
Simonis 860


Cuetec AVID Proof
Brown - NW


Cuetec AVID
Low Deflection Shafts


Cuetec AVID Proof
Black - LTW


Predator Pure
3-pc Chalk Sampler


PRO
Inspection Machine


TAOM
Leather Chalk Pouch


HOW
Premium Chalk


Predator P3 Nova
British Racing Green


Moori
Billiard Glove


Predator
Pool Ball Carrier Case


Cuetec Cynergy
SVB Gen 1 Series


BRAD
Cue Scuffer


Aramith BLACK
Back in stock!


Aramith BLACK
Individual cue ball


Cuetec Pro Line
2x4 Hard Case


Cuetec
Alcohol Wipes


Cuetec
Acueweight Kit


Cuetec DUO®
Smart Extension


Cuetec AVID Era
6pt Sneaky Pete


Cuetec AVID Era
Florian Kohler


Cuetec Truewood
Cynergy Walnut


Cuetec Truewood
Cynergy Walnut


Cuetec AVID
11.75 & 12.75mm


Cuetec Truewood
Cynergy Leopard


Cuetec Truewood
Cynergy Leopard


Cuetec Billiard
Microfiber Towel


Cuetec Gloves
All sizes in stock!


Cuetec AVID
Surge Break Cue


Cuetec
Bullet Jump Cue


Pocket Lathe
Portable shaft rollers


Predator
Shorty + Sport Grip


Tiger
Silicone Grip


Longoni
Bohemia


Longoni
No Blue


Predator Throne
Series 3-1


Predator Throne
Series 3-2


Predator Throne
Series 3-3


Predator Throne
Series 3-4


Predator Throne
Series 3-5


Lucasi Rival
3x4 Soft Case


Back In Stock!!!
Folding Cue Holder


Willards Tool
Nickel and Dime


Taom
Midas Gloves


Mid-Cue Extension
1¾ Inch UniLoc


Predator
REVO Wipes


Jacoby BlackOut
Brown - No Wrap


Jacoby BlackOut
Grey - Sport Grip


Rasson Method
Last chance to buy!


5/16x18
Mid-Cue Extension


Predator REVO
SP2 Zebra 1


Fury
Telescopic Extension


Predator 2x4
Special Edition Case


Predator 3x5
Special Edition Case


Taom
Soft Chalk


Predator - Appleton
2x4 Hard Case


Predator Glove
Bold New Colours


Predator Strike
Red Jersey


Predator Strike
Yellow Jersey


Brunswick K55
Cushion Rubber


Predator Air 2
Replacement Bumper


Tiger
Bridge Head


HOW Titan
Japanese Pig Skin


Predator 8 Inch
Exotic Extensions


P3 Bocote Radial
Leather Luxe Wrap


Magic Ball Rack
They are back!


Taom Magnetite
Round Chalk Holder


Predator K-Series
Classics 1-4


Predator K-Series
Classics 1-4


Kamui Athlete
Tip for Carbon Shafts


Predator Aspire
Predator ONE Shaft


Fury Stinger
X-Series Cues


Lucasi Air Hog 2
3-piece jump cue


Magic Rack
Tournament Edition


REVO BK RUSH
Break Cue Shaft


Mezz EC9 Cues
Buy NOW!


Kamui Kageki
Extreme Chalk


Predator TrueSplice
LE Gen 2 Ebony


Predator TrueSplice
LE Gen 2 Curly


Hans Delta
SK-BK1 Break Cue


Jim Rempe
Special Training Ball


Kamui - Training
Diamond Slicer


Exceed
Chalk Holder


Turtle Racks
10 Packs


ProPockets
Free post worldwide!


Pocket Lathe
Free post worldwide!


Predator
AeroRack


Great White Chalk
Thresher Blue


Predator 8-Point
Black/Green Veneers


Predator ARCOS II
Reserve Cue Ball


Predator APEX
9ft Pro Table


Tiger
Sniper Tip


Predator
Ikon4-1


Predator
Ikon4-2


Predator
Ikon4-3


Predator
Ikon4-4


Predator
Ikon4-5


Kamui
Chalk Shark


Speed 2
Affordable UniLoc


Mezz ZC-23
2 butt/3 shaft


Master Pro
K55 Cushion Rubber


Rare Predator
Matt Black BK-2


Lucasi Custom
UniLoc Joint


Lucasi Custom
UniLoc Joint


Lucasi Custom
3/8x10 Joint


Lucasi Custom
3/8x10 Joint


UniLoc Weights
Cartridge System


Mezz Avant
Dual Loading System


Magic Ball Rack
All-In-One


Kamui SAI
Control Break


Ignite 12.2 Shaft
Pre-order NOW!


Accu-Rack
Complete SET


Accu-Rack
DIAMOND 9


Accu-Rack
PRO 10


Predator Roadline
3x5 Black/Yellow


Predator ARCOS
Back in stock!


Aramith Pro Cup
Back in stock!


Taom
V10 Chalk


Tiger Corona
Leather Bridge


Taom
Pool Chalk 2.0


Taom
Pyro Chalk


Longoni
Cuetip Razor


Bulletproof
Break Cue Tip


Meucci Shaft
Carbon Fiber Pro


Predator REVO
11.8, 12.4, & 12.9mm


McDermott
6x6 Sport Case


Nicks Edge
Burnishing Papers


Pechauer
Jump Cue Natural


Pechauer
Jump Cue Black


Predator
Metro Cue Cases


Thor Hammer
Break Cue by Joss


Poison Armor3
2x4 Hard Case


Poison Armor3
2x4 Hard Case


Mezz Glove
Grey / Ambidextrous


BIG BALLS!
2¼" English Pool Balls


HXT-P1 PureX
Multi-Jump/Break


Tiger Icebreaker+
High Density Microcell


BK2 Re-Issue!
In Stock Now!


Arcadia Reserve
Tournament Blue


Predator Exclusive
Best value!


"Super Bat Wing"
The best got better!


Billiards 2021/22
Official Rules/Records


Predator SL 1
Valour Cue by Jacoby


NEW Improved
Magnetic Clip Chalker



TheProShop.biz
Free Post in Europe!
Order now!

  Main Menu

The Keys to Achieving Dead Stroke
 Posted on Friday, November 24 2006 @ 05:59:36 UTCby admin
9 Ball "Blackjack" David Sapolis
Professional Pool Player, Instructor, Author
Currently residing in El Paso, Texas
He originally hails from:
Live Oak
Orlando
Florida
USA
E-mail: blkjackds12@yahoo.com

12 July 2006


The first of a series of articles from instructor and author "Blackjack" David Sapolis.
This excerpt, from his latest book, "Lessons in 9 Ball" is reprinted here with permission.
Contact David directly for details of how to purchase his books.


What is "Dead Stroke"?

Dead Stroke is characterized by several different occurrences within your mind and your surroundings. You feel as though you can beat anyone. You feel as though you are capable of doing anything at the table, engrossed in your task and oblivious to your surroundings. The cue IS an extension of your arm and you perform flawlessly as you maintain complete control over your emotions and your actions.

Throughout your performance, you maintain high self-confidence, strong focus on the task at hand, a fearless attitude, and self composure.

Click on "Read More..." for the details.

Quite simply, your mind and body are working in complete harmony to create the phenomenon of "Dead Stroke".

But how do we get there?

The first step to answering that question is to let you know how you will not get there. You can't "force" yourself into playing in the zone, It just doesn't work. What usually happens, is that you frustrate yourself more by believing that your game will get better by you getting angry at it. This is counter-productive, and you will play worse. Though you can't "force" your way into the zone, there are 5 keys to "entering" the zone.

The password is C-I-L-A-S.

C- Confidence in your ability
I- Immersion into the task
L- Letting go of mistakes
A- Autopilot
S- Stay in control


Confidence in your ability

It is impossible to enter the zone when you are not confident in your abilities. If YOU are not confident in your abilities, who will be? What is self confidence? Self confidence is the strength of your belief in how well you can play. You can tell yourself over and over that you are the best, but if you don't believe it deep down inside you gut, it doesn't mean a thing. The key to this is being realistic in your evaluation of your true abilities. Knowing your limitations is just as important as knowing your strengths. Telling yourself you can win a match doesn't help much if you don't have the physical abilities to back it up. Confidence can be worked with, though. Identify the things that boost your confidence as well as the things that drag it down. Don't just identify the key factors, identify everything down to the smallest detail, including the way you interpret the general atmosphere of the room when you are slipping and rising. By identifying these key cues, you begin to see exactly where "the line" exists between the two. You will recognize the signs of slipping confidence earlier in competition and be able to treat the symptoms more effectively. Getting to know your game and how you react to it (positively and negatively) is extremely important, but often neglected by scores of frustrated pool players.

Immersion: Can you become immersed in the task?

Most of know how to concentrate, but do we know how to immerse ourselves in the task we are faced with? This relies on focus. We are what we focus on. We focus with our eyes, and our attitudes. If we focus our eyes within the six rails and the playing surface of the table, we can remain focused, but what if it is negative focus? What if we don't like what's going on there? Nobody feels good when the other guy is rattling off rack after rack and we sit in the electric chair awaiting our next chance at the table. Later on, I will discuss momentum, but for now let's look at ourselves as we sit helpless in the chair. Identify your emotions and your thoughts while this is occurring. It is quite normal to have negative thoughts and feelings, but that can be turned around. It will be impossible to go to the table and expect "Dead Stroke" after you just sat in a chair for 5-10 minutes telling yourself how bad the entire situation is. Adjust your attitude while sitting in the chair. Remain focused on the table while the other guy is shooting, reading the rack, seeing patterns, etc. Concentrate on your breathing and remain "centered". This way you remain at the table, even though the other guy is shooting. Mentally, you avoid getting "cold" and you will keep a good attitude. This can be practiced by watching others play. While you are at the table, you can remain immersed by concentrating on the playing surface of the table. This is harder than it sounds, but recognize and identify the things that pull your eyes from the table. By doing so, you can see where your focus is being detracted. Every time you lose focus, focus need to be reapplied. Set up a routine that gets you back into focus, and add it to your pre-shot routine.

Letting go of Mistakes

It's not so much the fact that you blew the last shot, it's how you process the information from that experience into your subconscious. When you make a bad shot, or miss position, can you put it all behind you and move forward? It's bad enough that you missed the shot, but don't make the situation worse by attacking yourself. Most of us defeat ourselves by dwelling on the negative occurrences that occur during competition. We don't need that baggage hitting us in the butt as we're bending down to run the next rack. Prepare a plan to deal with mistakes and errors immediately. Understand that mistakes, errors and bad luck happen to the other guy too. We want to be a step ahead of the game and deal with our mistakes positively so that the missed shot doesn't effect our next shot. Errors and mistakes show us what to work on in practice. They are not designed to drag us down, they are designed to show us how and where we need improvement.

Autopilot - Can you make it feel automatic?

darn right you can! Through repetition, any task can be made to feel automatic and second nature. It's the same thing with focus and concentration. The more it is practiced and applied, the more familiar you become with the task. This takes time, it won't happen overnight. After applying what I call "super focus" you will begin to see a change in your approach to the table.

Control: How to maintain it

To be in control of what is happening on the table, you must first be in control of what is happening inside of your head. Our emotions are fueled by our reactions to situations. Our reactions are filtered through our attitudes. In pool, remember that there is a fine line between being "overly excited" and being "pumped". Crossing that line can lead us into anxiety, fear and a myriad of other negative emotions. We need to achieve focus, but when there we must maintain it by keeping our goals directly in front of us. Never push your ultimate goal to the side, or move past it in haste. Remain focused on achieving your goals during competition.

Momentum: Where to get it!

So you're sitting in the chair helplessly watching the other guy dissect rack after rack. You've got callouses on your butt, but all the while you try to remain calm, self coaching yourself, and reassuring yourself that you'll soon enough reclaim your table. In cases such as this, remember the pendulum theory: Momentum swings both ways. Also, if an object has momentum and it goes far enough in one direction, it's bound to crash into something sooner or later.

So how do you create momentum when you don't have it?

Follow this 4 step plan!

1) Always remember that when wanting the momentum to swing your way, you must start somewhere!!!! Mulling over the situation helps nothing but to drag your confidence and motivation down further. Keep your focus applied at the table, and when it is your turn to shoot, make it count!

2) View each shot and every opportunity at the table as a chance to turn it all around!!!!!!! Going to the table with a poor attitude will bring about poor results. Maintain an attitude geared towards positivity rather than negativity.

3) Don't wait for momentum to happen by chance!!! Momentum is closely related to your confidence level. Momentum does not swing towards the side that believes he is doomed. Believe in yourself and your abilities and CREATE momentum by boosting your confidence.

4) Believe that every single shot is a spark that lights your flame of confidence. Every shot made should add to your flame of confidence. The more the flames grows, the bigger the fire becomes. It can blaze, or it can smolder. This depends on many factors, but it is an excellent example of imagery.


Excerpt from Lessons in 9 Ball

by "Blackjack" David Sapolis


All copyrights are owned by David Sapolis. No duplication is allowed without his permission.

David Sapolis has been playing pool since he was able to see over the table and was trained by the late BCA Hall of Fame Member Cisero Murphy.

He has competed professionally since 1980. He currently plays on The UPA Tour, The Florida Pro Tour, and many regional tours in the United States. He coaches many players, including several top professionals on the UPA, IPT, and WPBA Tours. David is sponsored by Blackjack Billiards Inc., Dark Heart Publishing, and he endorses SlipStic .

David has written several books on pool including "Stroke of Genius" and "The Growling Point". More recent books include "Building The Perfect game" and "Lessons in 9 Ball".

None of David's books are available on Amazon. The only way to get them is buying direct - they can be made available through a downloadable pdf file / e-book as well as traditional paperback.

He is currently busy coaching players for impending toournaments is also practicing a lot for regional 9 ball tournaments in Texas.

 

  9 Ball


Comments


"The Keys to Achieving Dead Stroke" | Login/Create Account | 0 comments
Threshold
The comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.





PRO9 has established an outstanding reputation as Europes No.1 source for information on American Pool in the UK and Europe. Upcoming tournament details, prompt match reporting, exclusive images by talented photographers, superb articles by expert pundits, active pool related forums, player profiles and a very sophisticated membership - basically, an incredible information resource for the American style game in Europe.
Since it launched, PRO9 has become compulsory reading, not just for the UKs pool players, but to hundreds and thousands of pool obsessives from around the world every single day.
PRO9s members range from professional pool players, cue-sports enthusiasts, club managers, tournament organisers, pool fans and aficionados, as well as various "movers and shakers" in the cue-sports field, including entrepreneurs in the wholesale and retail sector, as well as magazine editors and television sports promoters.
Growing more and more popular every single year, PRO9 is the best placed vehicle for the promotion of your pool club, billiards brand, associated products, services and opportunities in the truly massive pan-European billiard market.
If you qre reading this, you should check out www.Pro9.co.uk for yourself!
Please use these logos and text in your links to www.Pro9.co.uk - thank you.

Forum rules: No advertising, no links to businesses/shops/eBay, no swearing, respect our sponsors and each other, no hate!

Flag Counter
Flag counter installed Monday 11 November 2013


All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner.
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest © 2006-2020 by Big Dave at Pro9.co.uk.

This web site was made with myPHPNuke, a web portal system written in PHP.
myPHPNuke is Free Software released under the GNU/GPL license.

Anyone read this bit down here???


You can syndicate our news using the file
backend.php or ultramode.txt


  




































































































































Page took 0.143043 seconds to load.