Success vs. Joy

- LXXIV -

Accept Yourself

You must possess the ability and wherewithal to criticize yourself. Only then will you be able to learn from your mistakes and not repeat them. Accepting the truth about yourself will compel you to find out who you are and come to terms with your frailties.

It is very easy not to accept one’s own faults. The first step is to recognize the fact that you are not perfect, but a human being with limitations. Only those with strength of character are able to listen to their conscience, their inner voice, and then act accordingly. I define character as the courage of conviction to be your own self.

Steve Davis is one of the few players who slip into the same intense concentration irrespective of whether his opponent is a novice or a professional. He will always be himself. It is by playing with people like Steve that I have learnt many lessons. I believe that character shows up in the game, particularly when the going gets tough.

What is critical for a billiards player is the cue being delivered in the most efficient manner. The cue needs to move smoothly, without vibration or jerks. It has to move in one fluid motion. In order to do this, you need to get your stance right, your legs have to be in the correct position, and your waist has to be properly twisted.

That is not all. Your shoulders and your head, too, have to be aligned in the same way every time. Then, you have to get your grip spot on. When you are stressed and weak, one of many variables gives way and shows up in the game. You may say, “it’s all in the mind.” But I think it is more appropriate to say, “it’s all in the character.”

Character has to be based on a very firm foundation. Anything less will not withstand the incessant pressure that any tournament puts you through. When my game collapsed in 1989, and I experienced confusion in my technique and went about reconstructing it from scratch, I took two years of practice simply to get my grip right. And that was after I had already won two world championships.

There are a number of other faults that a good billiards player needs to eradicate. These include the shifting of the bridge and the tendency to raise the head during a stroke. Starting in 1989, it took me six months to stop the movement of my bridge. Then, I concentrated on not lifting my head.

One has to strive patiently towards removing these faults. Nothing ever happens overnight. In my case, the whole process of technique reconstruction took two years.

All sportspersons go through a phase when their technique fails them. They are confused and increasingly prone to becoming exasperated with themselves. I had my doubts and apprehensions as well. You wonder why after playing a game for ten years, you would ever need to start learning all over again. The fact is, learning can never stop.

Even today I learn something new about the game every time I play. That to me is one of the foundations of my joy in the game.

The day we think we know it all, we might as well be dead and gone.

Chapter LXXIII :: Chapter LXXV