KNOW THE RULES - Viking Cues Tip of the Week with Mike Roque author of Build Your Game.

“The rules of the game tell you how to go about winning.”

John Horsfall

Every failure has a silver lining—the potential to teach us something about our game. However, in order to discover the value of a loss, we must identify specific mistakes and take responsibility for them. In this way, our pool playing activities become an ongoing learning experience.

It’s challenging to learn from our failures, because it means taking full responsibility for the loss. The other guy got all the rolls, right? However, addressing the weakest link in the chain makes the whole chain stronger. Do it, and do it often!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, as some things are difficult to ascertain on your own. It’s tough to perceive your own stroke, for instance, because you are not outside of it. You are actually an integral part of it. An experienced and knowledgeable player, on the other hand, could effortlessly identify the stroke problems that you can’t see.

Inquisitive minds use failures as a gateway to improve their pool game and to mature emotionally. Falling short of the mark presents invaluable lessons that are hard to learn from an easy victory.