 BD House Pro
Tony Robles A longtime teaching pro at Amsterdam Billiard Club in New York City, Tony has dozens of regional and national titles to his name, including the 2004 BCA Open Championships.
Instruction Articles:
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Must-Reads from Robles March 2009
More mail for Tony …
Dear Tony: Did you read any great instruction books when you were learning the game? — H. Lipton; Mesa, Ariz.
The very first book that I picked up and couldn’t put down was Robert Byrne’s “Standard Book of Pool & Billiards.” One thing that I learned was the 90-degree tangent line, which was huge for me. I also learned the fundamentals of position play. And then I picked up Phil Capelle’s “Play Your Best Pool.” I swear by that book. I think it’s the greatest instructional book ever written in the history of the game. That book covers everything you need to know, for someone who has never picked up a cue to a top-notch professional.
Dear Tony: I get really nervous before matches. How do I stop that? — L. Azariant; Boise, Idaho
Stop fighting it. You are so focused on being nervous that you are not giving yourself a chance to let go. For example, I think I’m playing the best pool of my life right now. I’m playing with so much confidence. I can go a week without hitting a ball and I come back at the same speed. I finally got to the point where I can honestly say that I used to focus on feeling comfortable too much. When I didn’t feel comfortable, I would end up playing even worse because I kept waiting for it to happen, instead of just letting go and enjoying the game. When you are worried about feeling comfortable or not feeling nervous, it’s not going to happen, because that is what keeps you on edge. You aren’t focusing on the task in front of you.
My goal, when I play is to not think about what happened in the past or in the future. But if you are thinking that you know the future, and you have a mental picture of you missing a ball, you’re actually programming your brain to do. You end up hitting the ball exactly how you pictured it. I just focus on the spot on the object ball, and trust that it’s going to go in. I rehearse the shot before I shoot. So as soon as the shot comes up, I already know where I want to hit the cue ball, at what speed and where I want it to go. Once I make that decision, I throw everything else out the window. My only job is to make sure that I keep my eye on the ball and stay down as I strike the cue ball and the cue ball strikes the object ball. That’s all I’m focused on. If you try to make the result happen and think too much, your subconscious mind will take over and will try to steer the cue ball to the left or right.
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