Over the last few months, I went down a massive sports performance rabbit hole. My goal was to figure out how to quiet my inner voice and just execute the shot at hand. Here is the system that I am currently using and I’m already starting to see some results.
The Breaking Point
Across the eight professional WNT tournaments I’ve played in, I have only felt truly comfortable at the table in exactly four sets.
The low point hit at the 2026 Pattaya Open. It was my absolute worst performance at a tournament to date. I missed ball after ball, spiraled, tilted, and played some of the worst pool I’ve played in years. Even the one match I won was basically handed to me, and I still tried to throw it away.
On the flight home from Bangkok, I knew my mental approach had to change. After tearing through books, courses, and Niels Feijen’s mental edge course, I developed a framing that is currently working for me.
Self 1 vs. Self 2
If I had to boil down everything I’ve learned about sports psychology, it comes down to Timothy Gallwey’s concept from The Inner Game of Tennis. He argues that we all operate with two distinct selves:
Mindset | Role in your game | The Problem |
Self 1 | The thinker, analyst, and critic. | It panics and tries to grab the cue to tell your body how to do its job. |
Self 2 | The doer. Your subconscious motor system. | It chokes and spirals when interrupted by Self 1. |
The secret to high performance is letting Self 1 analyze the table, and then getting it to be quiet so Self 2 can do its job.
To make this happen, I had to accept a harsh reality: there is nothing I can say or do in the middle of a match to make the current version of myself a better player.
I am able to calm and quiet my inner voice by assuring it that I have done everything in my power to ensure the shot is a success. I no longer judge a shot, a game, or a match as a success or a failure based on whether I make or miss a ball. I judge it strictly on whether I put my full effort into my preparation for every shot I take. Success is now entirely tied to a checklist.
The Pre-Shot Checklist
If I follow these steps to the letter, the shot is a success before I even strike the cue ball:
Decide: Form a complete, final decision on speed, spin, and final cue ball position.
Visualize: Look down the pocket line.
Lock In: Get behind the shot line, and lock in on my aim
Surrender: Pause, accept that the mental work is over, and let the body execute everything that follow.
The result is just a reflection of my current skill level, something I am not in control of.
The Mental Meat-Grinder
Practicing this in a comfortable room is easy. I needed to test it in a deeply uncomfortable environment. So, I took this system to the inaugural Japan Heyball Open in Tokyo.
I had never hit a ball on a Heyball table, barely knew the rules, and didn't speak the language. Heyball tables demand absolute precision. If you aren't mentally tough, the table will eat you alive.
On Day 1 and Day 2, Self 1 crept back in. I was terrified to miss, played scared, conservative pool, and dropped a set 4-1. I had to have a serious talk with myself in the venue. One shot at a time. The result is just a result.
By Day 3, I completely surrendered to the system. I ran the routine, accepted the outcomes, and ripped off three straight wins—including a gritty 3-2 comeback after sitting cold in a chair for hours. I was one win away from cashing in my first professional event.
Standing in my way was Yushi Muramatsu. We battled all the way to hill-hill. I stuck to my routine and played great, but he executed a phenomenal out to lock his spot in the top 16, eventually riding that momentum to a 2nd place overall finish.
I missed the top 16 by one rack, but I walked out of the venue completely at peace. I didn't lose because I choked or because my inner voice grabbed the cue. I lost a hill-hill battle simply because my current level of play isn't at the top of the podium yet. My mind stayed quiet, and honestly, that is the biggest win I've had all year.
Now that I’m back in Korea, I’m shifting my focus back to fundamentals for another week to try to get my stroke from 90/100 to 95/100 on long straight-in drills before hitting the World Nineball Tour this summer.
If you want to train using the exact same drills and systems I am, you can download WPB Pool Training & Drills right now on iOS and Android.
See you at the tables,
Jacob Parrent
Founder, World of Pool and Billiards.