Setting up for success - preparing for a major pool tournament

It may be Easter and that may mean a bit of chocolate and a few indulgences here and there, but we are on countdown to the EBA European Pool Championship 2019, so, once today is over, it's down to pre-tournament preparation.

I guess every pool player has his or her own particular routine that they use to get ready for a major tournament. I had a chat with some of my pool playing buddies and had a trawl round the internet to see what preparations seemed most popular among players. Here are the most common ways that players seem to like to prepare for a major tournament:

• Think about what goes in

          Intake of food and drink is key to how your body performs in any circumstances, and in 

          particular in stress situation such as competitive pool playing. Eating well - not too little, not  

          too much - helps you to stay focused and keep up your energy levels. Keeping carbs under 

          control and increasing lean protein and vitamin-rich fruit and vegetables helps you to maintain 

          your concentration under pressure. If you get hungry between meals, snack on fruits and a 

          small helping of nuts to keep your energy levels even. And while we may like a couple of pints

          now and again, it's best to keep alcohol consumption low and water intake high. Keeping well 

          hydrated also helps you to maintain your energy levels up and it helps to keep tiredness at bay. 

          The sugar and the alcohol in beer, wine and spirits simply drain you - keep off it until you're 

          celebrating after the tournament!

Image by RitaE-19628/ on Pixabay

• Get the oxygen flowing

          If we want to think sharply and if we want our muscles to be responsive and work at their best 

          capacity, we need to flood our system with oxygen. And the best way to do that is through

          physical exercise. Some people like to get rid of all that tension with a tough workout in the 

          gym and some prefer some yoga and some stretches in the morning before a match. But even a

          brisk walk (the seafront at Bridlington in a bracing north-easterly will soon get the blood 

          flowing) once or twice a day will get you breathing more easily and get the blood flowing

          round your body. Increased physical fitness will also help give you the stamina to see those 

          long tournament days through to the end without flagging. So let's get moving!

Another one of those suggestions from Her Ladyship Indoors....!

• Don't judge

          We are the worst judges of ourselves, so in preparing for the tournament, it's best to cut out 

          judging your own performance by focusing on each and every practice shot and frame that you

          play. Focus on one shot at a time, on one frame at a time. Focus your body on achieving that 

          eye-brain-arm-cue sequence and don't worry about what that last shot was like. We never play

          two matches the same, and your practice shots are never an indication of how you will actually

          play in your match. So just take your practise shots - the same every time, the same routine as 

          you approach the table every time - and this will help bring your thinking into the calm space

          that you will  need to give it your best. And don't beat yourself up about your last performance 

          - it's gone, finished, in the past. Learn from it and move on. 

• Pre-shot routines

          This is probably part of your mental preparation, but pre-shot routines exist to get you into a

          state of control over what goes on at the table. The routine should help you to focus on the shot

          you are taking and where this is to take you next. It is about setting up control of the game by

          you controlling your movements and your thoughts. The routine pulls the brain into a state of

         focused attention and if you get it right, the same for every shot, it rarely lets you down. A solid

          pre-shot routine sets a firm foundation for a high standard performance at every game.

• Think Positive

          A positive mental attitude is vital. Don't think about winning or losing. Focus instead on all the

          positives of the tournament, of your love of the game, of the enjoyment you will have from      

          being part of the event. It's about having fun and enjoying the friendships and the camaraderie

          of the event. Besides avoiding negative thoughts or worries about winning or losing by 

          focusing on the positive elements of the event, spend your preparation time, for a couple of 

          weeks prior to the event, just mentally walking yourself through your matches. Visualisation is

          very powerful and the more you do it, the more you seem to be able to convince yourself that 

          you are going to be successful -and weirdly enough, you often are. Just see yourself in your 

          imagination walking into the venue, taking your practice shot, getting into your pre-match

          routine, and then playing on that table, against that opponent, potting balls and out-witting

          him/her. By ingraining those positive images into your subconscious, your brain finds a way of

          making it a reality.

We are all individuals and we will all have different ways of preparing for a tournament, but I think these ideas all seem to make general sense to everyone. What are your best tips for getting ready for the European Cup? Comments gratefully received, although I can't promise I'll try out all your suggestions!