The Anatomy of a Shark-continued

The Anatomy of a Shark - continued

STOP THE SHARK

So, what do we do to combat being sharked? First of all, we must know when it’s happening. I’ve covered many types of sharks and hope that it will help you realize when a shark is in progress. Maybe there have been times when you didn’t even realize it was happening. Now that you know how to spot it, what can you do about it? The easy answer is to make the shark work for you. Pool is funny. Because it is such a mental game, the mind tries to find every reason for you to miss the shot. That, in turn, plays right into the shark

I was playing for second place in an 8-ball bar-box tournament against someone from the host city. The score was hill-hill and I was on a break and run. I had to leave myself a six foot thin cut/throw shot on the eight ball. There were about 300 spectators with 295 of them rooting for my opponent. I got down on the eight ball but I couldn’t make my mind see the ball going into the pocket. I got up from the shot, looked it over, and got back down into the shooting stance but I was still having trouble. The crowd was absolutely silent and I was feeling the pressure. Out of the blue I heard a whisper, "He’s going to miss it." I immediately got up from the shot and glared toward where the sound had come from. The woman who said it turned a nice shade of red - knowing that I had heard her comment. Like I said, pool is funny

Talking to people after the tournament, it seems that no one else had heard her whisper. I did. I wasn’t going to let her get the best of me. That eight ball was going in. Before I got back down in the shooting stance I knew that I had to see the shot and I had to calm down. It took me two trips around the table. I figured out where I wanted to leave the cue ball, focused my concentration and regained my composure. By thinking of how many times before I had made that same shot, I restored my confidence. Four practice strokes, the stop and lock and one silky stroke later the eight ball was in the center of the pocket. It has always amazed me how I was ready to miss the eight ball, but I got sharked and it turned into a victory. I really wanted to thank the woman but decided that would be bad form.

Make getting sharked work for you. Use it to give yourself the resolve to make that shot. Take it out on the ball you’re about to make. When playing with close friends make a game out of seeing who can shark who. Yes, as with everything else in pool, practice. Practice the art of defending yourself from being sharked. The majority of sharks happen when you are in the down position and ready to shoot. It is absolutely necessary to acknowledge it. Stand up, refocus and make sure everything is right before shooting the shot.

If you feel you have to use a shark, there is only one that is acceptable. Consistently follow your shooting routine, make the ball, win the match, shake hands and be courteous at all times.

By Jay Wegener