Leaving pen and pad (or laptop) at home, away from the pool hall, rather than learning how to play pool.
Almost without exception, I have pen and paper nearby any pool table I use. I record changes in my game, new shots learned, and take shorthand on what I’m learning about stance and stroke. I literally have filled a book, magazines and this website with knowledge culled from playing sessions and taking good notes.
A simple “swing thought” taken during the stroke, written on an index card and brought to the poolroom, can help clear the mind of other distractions at play. The foolish player is like someone who strokes in front of a mirror but soon forgets what she has seen.
