Spilling OJ, Yea Billiard Related

[Sid_Vicious]

I heard once that if you want a toddler to spill his orange juice in a restaurant setting, to merely expect that they will and the expectation will create the event. I thought about this last night while in a partner's deal for some cheap pool, my partner(a team mate from league) is one of those emotional types, advising you between shots, but the main thing he does which pertains to this subject in this post, is you can feel his negative opinion of what he feels you will do, and BAM! there goes the orange juice.

I've captained many teams over the years and I believe I am immune to this personal flaw, but it does seem to be a negative effect for your billiard partner to gin out an aura of negative expectation for what you are about to do. That 3yr old toddler had no discreet knowledge of what Mom was really thinking but the transference still created the end result.

So anyone here who has an emotional bone for being preemptively snarly ahead of someone about to execute a shot, expecting the worst, SHOULD instead make every effort to chill and do just the opposite. You ain't helping the cause by acting judgmental and you come across badly in the friendship department. Funny how an individual resurfaces childish attitudes all due to the fact they HATE TO LOSE a silly game of pool of a couple of dollars....sid

[Billy_Bob]

Very good post!

I have a guy on one of my league teams who was always thinking negative about himself. And his "friends" constantly tell him negative things about his shooting.

Well from the beginning of the season, I have been telling him how good he is (he was actually crappy, the worst beginner you could imagine, can't hit a bull in the butt with a base fiddle, etc.) Anyway I kept telling him how good he was shooting every night.

When he did poorly, I pointed out that we won our match against the other team, that each and every point every player make contributed to our win, and he helped us to win with his good shooting. Good shooting! Good job!

Then I tell him before a match that it does not matter how he plays, it is more important to have fun. I tell him to experiment with shots, shoot crazy shots, or do whatever he wants. Just have fun!

When he does well, I point out to his "friends" how well he did.

You know what? That guy won *every* single match the other night! Repeat - That guy won every single match the other night!

I think I can, I think I can, I know I can, I know I can...