PoolSynergy, January 2010, Guest Writer Rolando Aravena

This article is the 3rd in a series of posts written in coordination with other pool bloggers entitled "PoolSynergy" .

To see others, go to: http://www.billiardcoach.com/home/2010/01/15/poolsynergy-volume-iii

This month's PoolSynergy article was written by Rolando Aravena, house pro at Strokers II in Tampa, Florida. His views in this article are right on target with my own, and I am also a big fan of the books he mentions. Thank you, Rolando!


As a means to the end, pool, carom and snooker, with all their variations, can be vehicles to achieve inner perfection. Unfortunately modern man externalizes his world in order to achieve recognition and greatness. It is a way to see progress whoever is watching.


In the early days, I knew something was not right with me and my game. I could practice and play well but not play well in a match. Why I wondered was the reason? After a couple of years I knew I needed help. So I decided to look for material on the mental aspects of sports. With a needle and thread I started to go through books and subliminal audio tapes. The pieces were coming together with clarity. The mental process, quiet eye, nutrition, fitness, desire, observation, deductive reasoning and much more were the pieces that were becoming the fabric of my tapestry.


Then my search came upon, “Zen and The Art of Archery” and “The Inner Game of Tennis”. I took it all to heart and playing with a Zen like attitude. I came to understand that life is as much an inner journey as well as an outward one. For that matter all the cue games were ways I could use to achieve My Way.

Enter Kyudo – The Way of The Bow.

see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA2EnemzBpk

(The Empty Mind - Kyudo or Japanese Archery).

The 8 stages are known as Hasetsu. All stages are performed with seamless integration. It is all geared towards one goal – perfection through action. Bushakei is the shooting style of the foot soldier.

1. Ashibumi – footing or stepping into the shot.
2. Dozukuri – correcting the posture and alignment.
3. Yugamae – readying the bow.
1. Torikake – gripping the bow (your backhand).
2. Tenouchio – setting your hand on the bow grip (bridge hand).
3. Monomi – viewing the target. It is not an aiming technique but a method of sending one's spirit to the target before shooting. From this point on, do not blink or look away from the target.
4. Uchiokoshi – raising the bow (the cue is poised to facilitate falling down on the cue ball).
5. Hikiwake – drawing the bow (stroking).
6. Kai – completing the draw (pause on the back swing) Energy builds up before the release.
7. Hanare – the release (after the buildup of Kai, the point of release).
8. Zanshin – continuation (staying down after the shot is taken).
1. Yudaoshi – Lowering of the bow while still maintaining contact with the shot. Start getting up and moving on.

Since these games involve motor skills and judgment, we need to isolate the one to learn from the other. Try to be methodical, systematic and ritualized in everything you do prior to and including the stroking of the cue ball. This will build consistency. Please miss for errant aiming and delivery reasons but not because of faulty technique. The one thing you should have control of is Self. If you cannot control self, how can you consistently score that point?

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