Today, I am kicking off an ambitious two year journey. My mission: to transform myself from an amateur to a professional pool player. “Two years? Are you stupid or something?” Well, stupid is as stupid does. I’ve been told by everyone that I’ve spoken to that there’s no way I can progress from my current skill level to the level of a professional in two years. So, to the professional pool players and BCA certified instructors that I’ve spoken to over the last few months who told me it absolutely couldn’t be done, I would like to say the following: “THANKS!”. By telling me it can’t be done, you have ignited a spark and fanned the flame. Now I’m motivated to attempt the impossible.
Why did I choose two years as my goal? I recently read a book by Daniel Coyle titled The Talent Code. In the book, Daniel explores the fundamental elements that contribute to the development of world-class talent, and the biological changes that occur in the brain that enable excellence. According to Daniel, the overall process of developing world-class talent takes about seven years, assuming the person has sufficient motivation, access to solid coaching, and the ability to apply what Daniel refers to as “Deep Practice”. After reading the book, I thought to myself, “I have the motivation, I have access to some of the most talented and knowledgeable coaches available in the US, and I have the ability to focus very intently on a single task. If the roots of world-class talent are really available to anyone, why not me?” I also thought to myself, “Seven years? I already have a solid understanding of the underlying physics, why not just do it in two?” Naivety…I LOVE IT!
I decided it was time to act. After reading and studying the game for well over a decade, I have accumulated an immense amount of technical knowledge. No more excuses! It’s time to get to the table and deliver some results! And so it is…with a cue stick on my back, a pep in my step, a heart of courage, and my head held high, I’m off to the undiscovered country!
Angle of Reflection 