Customer Reviews

Pleasures of Small Motions: Mastering the Mental Game of Pocket Billiards

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After you hone your basic shotmaking skills, pool is almost entirely a mental game. There are precious few books on the topic of the mental side of pool and billiards (I know of only three), and this is by far the best of them. The author is a sports psychologist (and pool player), and he explodes a lot of the "mental myths" of pool, including undoing some bad advice written by pool pros and wanna-be pros who meant well but didn't know what they were talking about psychologically speaking. The prose is also a nice read, especially for a nonfiction book. I can especially recommend this volume for intermediate players who are having a hard time dealing with league or tournament competition pressure. Fancher may give you some mental tools to quit being a "Count Choke-ula".

PS: If you order this used, be sure you are getting the revised 2002 edition.

Since I have to give this book "stars" to post about it, publically I give it five--as one would assume most authors would about their books. Such self-doubts as I may have needn't be advertyised, right? Anyway, the stars aren't my idea, but oh, well.

The point of this "review," though, is to tell readers of the first edition how this edition differs.

This edition is about fifty percent larger than the original, organized into twelve chapters (and an "interlude") rather than the original seven. The new material is mostly about competition, motivation, and the place of the body in the mental game. In addition, new material has been worked into various chapters to elaborate or clarify.

If you're a serious player, this may be the most important purchase you'll ever make to improve your pool game. Once you are proficient at pocketing balls, getting shape, breaking, safety play and kicking, it's your mental game that determines if your skills will "come out to play today" or not. If you usually play much better in practice or when nothing is on the line than when in serious competition, this book is for you. Dr. Fancher teaches you how to use competitive pressures to your benefit. Believe it or not, you actually have the capacity to play better in competition than in practice by using the methods contained in this wonderful book. It's worked wonders for my game. I've surprised myself many times over the past year with sterling play during pressure packed matches. If I could rate this book higher than 5 stars, I would without hesitation.

Each chapter offered great advice on the mental game of pool. Immediately after reading the book, I could tell that my game had picked up a notch. (And exactly one month after reading the book, my 8-ball skill level in my pool league was also raised a notch.)

I learned to stop putting pressure on myself to play my "best game" in high-pressure situations (think about it: if your "best" game happened all the time, it would be your "normal" game) and instead concentrate on playing MY game, the one that I am accustomed to playing most of the time.

I also learned to stop concentrating on making the ball - something that I already know how to do - and to start concentrating on the mechanics of my stroke, something that frequently causes me to MISS the ball!

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve his or her game, regardless of skill level. This book will teach you to think realistically about your game and to put your existing talents to better use.

Simply put, this book delivers. No mystical nonsense about Being In The Moment With The Ball. No bad science about Spanking Your Inner Child.

What it does is deal very well with the different mental approaches to practicing versus competing, the dangers of self-talk, the acquisition and maintenance of effective self-confidence - you know, the useful stuff. It gives sound advice, and then tells you why the advice is sound, based on what science knows about the human mind and body.

If you want drivel based on the fictional pseudo-Zen teachings of "The Master," you won't find it in this book. Myself, I've never met a Zen monk over a five-and-ten game of nine-ball, so I'll put my trust in good ol' Western science, thanks.

Fancher has achieved success in making what many would consider a very intellectual topic of why the human mind enjoys the game of pool and making it informative and enjoyable to read for everyone. Having a better/clearer understanding of the game is the first step to improving your play and reducing the frustration that comes with learning any sport. Prof. Fancher has answered questions that I am sure have been asked by many before him. I am sure it is a must for anyone who is thinking about becoming or who currently is a Billiard Instructor.

I'd like to congratulate Dr. Fancher for his efforts on breaking up the myths that covered billiards' mental game. With solid scientific arguments, he proves pool's "mental hell" can quite become a "mental orgasm" if you learn to deal with your thoughts properly and if you're able to make the difference between the conscious and unconscious parts of your brain. I find this is an excellent and exhaustive review of the most important mental aspects of the game and I recommend it to every player who would not fear hearing that their mental construction of billiards is totally erratic and that they have to change it from the bottom.

As a medical student, I was pleased with the great section covering the integration of neurologic processes (esp. unconscious ones) to explain motricity, focus and concentration. From what I have learnt about neurology, I find these details exact and the advice given by Dr. Fancher very profitable to any level of pool playing.

If the author (Bob Fancher) happens to read this review: I would like to send you an e-mail for further details about my impressions and what I'd like to do to help spread this new pool philosophy. You can e-mail me at francout@hotmail.com and be assured I will reply as soon as possible. Thank you.

I have read numerous billiards books while learning to play, but this is definitely one of the best. While reading, I found myself saying "I do that all the time...". I never realized until after I finished the book the reasons why I miss some of the easiest shots. He not only give examples of mental hangups in pool, but solutions on how to help you overcome them. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their game!

Not only is this book great for pool, but the knowledge you can aquire is easily applicable to other activities and aspects of life. It can take a while to read since it is pretty mind bending to absorb it all, but well worth it.

This small, but powerful book is essential for the player who wants to raise their game and move on to the next level. I try and play pool everyday. I can make shots, no problem. Once you conquer the fundamentals and basics it's time to move on and extend your skills: your mental skills.

Your mentality is the other essential half to playing pool. "Pleasures of Small Motions" completes this element. This book deconstructs the psychological components in different situations (fun vs competition play). Once I read this book I noticed a major difference in my game; I was more confident, and in effect, I made balls cleaner and `set up' was a breeze. "Pleasures of Small Motions" helps you harness your emotions, and if needed, teaches you to unleash them (physically or not).

All in all, this book is perfect for your collection, or perhaps the beginning of one.