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INTERVIEW WIH Boni Drago Gianluca

Main motivation ?  I have always loved playing billiards      

Type of mental preparation ? Before I try to concentrate but as the game starts, everything changes      

 How did you react to the defeat or victory ? I have a particular character, I'm very calm both when I win and when I lose      

 Ritual ? My ritual is secret 🙂      

 One Music  Unlike my character, I like Eminem      

 One Message  Always smile      

 An Idol My idols are Fabio Petroni and Tony Drago    

Fear of failure when shoot ? If the game is very important, unfortunately yes

Book you like about Billiard  ? No

Happy moment about Billiard ? When I became a top player in Italy

 And Sad moment ?   At the last European Championship Senior, I forgot my cue at home after cleaning it      

 A dream to be realized ? Win a medal      

 What cue,tips and chalk you use? Mezz Ace 186 with Ignite, Zan Medium and Mezz Chalk, and for this I thank Centurelli    

Do you know any Youtube Channel about Game Mental Preparation ? No

What you think about ;

Fear It doesn’t help      

Failure  Must increase the stimulus      

Love  Love if there is, it helps      

Death I don’t think about it      

Courage Something if I mad it, I would be much stronger        

Friendship True friends are very important

 Covid19 It’s a very difficult period, I hope it will end soon      

 8-Ball 9 Ball 10 Ball I love all, in particular 8-ball      

 Your Future  I don’t know, I always try to improve      

  Perfectionism I prefer to make fun than to improve to be perfect      

  Success  I hope to have it in the future      

  Money Money helps but does not make happiness, classic answer 😄  

[usapool]

INTERVIEW WITH  Molrudee Kasemchaiyana

Main   motivation ?I love the challenge and my main motivation is to keep improving and being best player I can be

Type of mental preparation ? I have recently start doing some meditation. Calm is a very good app to get in to it.

How did you react to the defeat or victory ? I can handle the defeat. I don’t like it but it’s part of the game. and it makes me want to practice more to win next time

Ritual ? I like to have time for myself before the match and listen to my fav song!

One Music Bruno Mars

One Message Love and be kind!

An Idol Chen Siming

Fear of failure when shoot When didn’t practice, yes.

Book you like about Billiard  ? Haven’t read one in a long time

Happy moment about Billiard ? All my moment with billiard is a great moment. Every trip I made create great memories.

And Sad moment  ? Every time I lost😭

A dream to be realized ? Winning a women world title !

 What cue,tips and chalk you use ? I love Kamui Black clear Supersoft and  Roku Chalk ist the best.

Do you know any Youtube Channel about Game Mental Preparation ?

There are a few but can’t think of one right now.

 What you think about ;

Fear : Respect the fear but don’t let it control you    

Failure: part of succes

Love: kindness

Death: heaven    

Despair: Hope    

Courage: always be true to yourself    

Friendship: loyalty 

Covid19: be kind We are all in this together!    

8-Ball 9 Ball  10 Ball: all the games I play    

Your Future : Being a good mum and spending time with my baby boy 👶   

 Perfectionism: nothing is perfect    

Success: Is different for everyone    

Money: can’t buy you everything  

[usapool]

INTERVIEW WITH Dario Valdez

Main motivation? My main motivation started many years ago and today doing what I like the most and making people feel that in my city my surname is synonymous with Pool motivates me much more. And although I stopped playing for 10 years at least my desire today is intact  Type of mental preparation? I have not for now.  I only go out to do my best but I know I have to work hard on that aspect  How did you react to defeat or victory? In defeat I consider myself a very good loser and I say to myself the next one will be 😏  Ritual? Washing my hands with cold water before each game sometimes works for me 😂  A music Gary Moore I'm passionate and Calle 13 saw me cross this song inspires and identifies me in real life  A message Every day you have a new opportunity to be a better person  An idol  Ronnie O'Sullivan we actually opened a bar called RONNIE But I have many more like my son, my brother, my old man ❤️ hahaha 🤣 I can't handle my genius  Afraid of failure when you shoot? If it happens to me in those bad days that my head doesn't work  Book you like about Billiards? Books I have not seen but I really like Pool movies and shine although there are not many  Happy moment about billiards? Having played a Pan American tournament was crazy and at that moment I felt like I was touching heaven cielo.  Also having witnessed my brother come out Argentine champion. And today watching my son compete is wonderful  And sad moment? Maybe some discussion with players who always want to take advantage of you  A dream to realize? Although I already have a bar with Pool tables, my dream is to open a room in my city, exclusively for tournaments nationwide and to promote this sport with new players from our area.  What sign, advice and chalk do you use? Today I am using a Poison cue ... before I did not see that a good personal cue was so important, but it is.  chalks I like the master but Diamond is better   Do you know any YouTube channel about the mental preparation of the game? At some point I start watching a video on YouTube but nothing specific  What do you think about ;  Fear Fear is always there, at any time of life  Failure Failure does not exist as long as you continue to have opportunities  Love You live from love, you feed on it, you go to work for love, you cry and laugh for love and you also play Pool for love, in short I think everything is for love ❤️  Death Death is assured I am not afraid of him because I know he is going to come, I only think about fighting against him and living as much as possible 🙏  Despair I despair not to comply  Value The value to my family, to the education that my parents gave me to the hand that a friend gave me  Friendship It is great, when it goes hand in hand with respect it is a good complement  COVID-19 I think it is a life lesson that will make us value our loved ones  8 ball 9 ball 10 ball I love 8 ball but everything to tackle I catch on 😁  Your future I wish I had the time to be able to practice enough and achieve professionalism someday. But well, I am also very happy to continue teaching what I know and that any student of mine can achieve what I could not 😉  Perfectionism It is achieved by persevering and learning from mistakes, which of course are never lacking  Success The greatest success begins with humility, there you already feel successful, the rest comes alone  Money Money is useful and a lot.  but only with a pool table in front of me I have been very happy

[usapool]

INTERVIEW WITH Ruben Omar Docampo

Main motivation ? Learn every day because I love the game and enjoy the competition Type of mental preparation? Relaxation, visualization and concentration How to react to the defeat of victory? It is difficult but in the face of defeat and victory I usually react the same, although in defeat I usually take advantage of them to correct and try not to repeat the mistakes Ritual? I have no ritual One music I listen to music in general One message Never give up, believe!! An idol Emanuel ginobili (Argentina) basket player Fear of failure when shoot?Not really  Always be positive Book you like about billiards?I don't read books about billiards Happy moments about billiards?There are many good moments, the best I can say is that every day I can go to the table and play is happiness!! And sad moments? Sad moments when I left my home, family, friends and my country (Argentina) embarking on my trip to Europe to learn and compete in this that I was passionate about (billiards) A dream to be a realized? Right now it would be for all my family, friends and everyone I know to be well and safe from this pandemic What cue, tips and chalk you use? Viking cúes with carbon shaft, kamui M, blue diamond Do you now any YouTube channel about game mental preparations? I don't look at any What you think about : Fear I try to make him my best friend Failure I take it as a good lesson to learn and correct and improve Love The most important thing we can have Death Something that is inevitable Despair I really don't know, I still haven't had feeling Courage To make decisions in any aspect of life without being sure of what will happen Friendship For me it is very important Covid-19 Something bad that affects us all, but also make us think about what really matters in your life 8ball,9ball,10ball I enjoy all these games Your future Keep learning, enjoying and competing Perfectionism Try to do better day by day Success Give everything, set goals without thinking about the results Money Something that is needed to live but that is not essential 

[usapool]

INTERVIEW WITH Alessandro Veltri

Main motivation ?​

A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new, as Einstein said!

Type of mental preparation ?​

Focus and try during training Relax and have fun during events

How did you re­act to the defeat or victory ?

Defeat is just a stage to cross to find the way to win. Victory is the reward for your work

Ritual ?

Smile always

One Music

R. Kelly - I believe I can fly

One Message

If you are the best player in your pool room you are in the wrong one.

An Idol

Chris Melling

Fear of failure when shoot ?

There's no fear, I didn't miss, I found mother way not to fail again!

Book you like about Billiard​ ?

None

Happy moment about Billiard ?​

Being part of Italian Team on the European Championship

And Sad moment ?​

All the times I decided to stop playing.

A dream to be realized ?

Represent Europe and my country on Mosconi Cup (very very hard, but is a Dream 😉)

What cue,tips and chalk you use?

Exceed EXC-SCw Wx700 shaft with Zan Hybrid Max tip and Blue Diamond chalks

Do you know any Youtube Channel ab­out Game Mental Prep­aration ?

I saw some on YouTube, never had true interest

What you think about ;

Fear​

If u don't have fear to lose u don't deserve to win - Bjorn Borg

Failure

Just a way to become stronger

Love

When u love and u have it back is something that helps you to overcome difficulties

Death

It will come one day, but not today

Despair

Something I never had

Courage

Lifestyle

Friendship

True one is a goal, have one or more friends always by your side is wonderful and helps to be happier

Covid19

Sucks.

8-Ball 9 Ball 10 Ball

10 ball for sure. I always had my best results playing this game, maybe this is the reason

Your Future​

Will work to help anyone in my country (and worldwide why not) to learn billiard as life-changing opportunity, to become part of our wonderful community.

Perfectionism

Researching it will not make u enjoy the game, have fun and try your best, your game.

Success

After tons of fails it comes, always believe in yourself

Money

Someone said, Money is not important in life, I agree with it but hey, do u think is the same to cry on a scrap or on a Ferrari??

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#alessandro veltri

#alessandroveltri

#interviews

[usapool]

INTERVIEW WITH Ariel Casto

Main motivation? I like the challenges and the adrenaline that is in the environment. Type of mental preparation? Physical activity How did you react to defeat or victory? At 34 years old, I take it as part of the game, when I lose, I take it as an experience to continue growing and learning and when I win I enjoy it a lot with my family and friends. Ritual? Listen to music or see Saint Seiya A music Queen A message With dedication, discipline, humility dreams can be achieved. An idol Rafael Nadal Afraid of failure when you shoot? At that moment I only think about having a blank mind Book you like about Billiards? I don't read billiard books Happy moment about Billiard ? And Sad moment ? When I beat Eklent Kaci and Thorsten Hohmann at the Las Vegas Diamond Open and achieved 4th Place. When I was suspended in my Federation, 1 person hacked my Facebook to say horrible things about the leaders of my country. A dream to realize? Raise my family What you use? Meucci Kamui S Black Clear Kamui Chalk Do you know any YouTube channel about the mental preparation of the game? I don't know, I just listen to music of concentration What do you think about; Fear: It makes you have your feet on the ground Failure: a word that does not exist in my head. Love: The most beautiful thing in life Death: I learned not to be afraid of him. Value: I value family, friends, and my home. Friendship: Very important COVID-19: Something that humanity will overcome 8 ball 9 ball 10 ball: I like them all Your future: My own billiard school Perfectionism: Very important Success: A set of things a person does to achieve dreams. Money: something circumstantial

[usapool]

Mental Game 101- Establishing & Maintaining Table Presence

[usapool]

INTERVIEW WITH Juan Antonio Pina 

Main motivation ? HAVE FUN 

 Type of mental preparation ? BEFORE WITH PSYCHOLOGIST NOW I JUST, NONE SPECIFICALLY, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS NOT TO THINK ABOUT THE RESULT 

 How did you react to the defeat or victory ?I'VE BEEN IN THE VICTORY WITH A LOT OF EUPHORIA AND ADRENALINE, WITH THE DEFEAT SOMETHING SAD AND ANGRY, EVERY TIME I CONTROL THAT MORE

 Ritual ?TRY TO PUT A LOT OF CHALK 

 One Music CURRENT MUSIC, PREFERABLY NONE

One Message BALL TO BALL

  An Idol NOBODY, THE PLAYER I LIKE THE MOST AND WITH WHOM I FEEL MOST IDENTIFIED IS FILLER, BUT I DON'T HAVE AN IDOL.

Fear of failure when shoot ? BEFORE IF I WAS AFRAID BECAUSE WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE FOLLOW YOU OR YOU REPRESENT A COUNTRY YOU ARE AFRAID TO FAIL, NOT SO MUCH ANYMORE, I AM IMPROVING THAT A LOT Book you like about Billiard  ? ABOUT BILLIARDS NONE, BUT ABOUT SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY "THE POWER TO TRUST YOU" THAT'S WHAT IT'S CALLED

Happy moment about Billiard ? THE HAPPIEST MOMENT WHEN I WON THE SPANISH CHAMPIONSHIP BEATING DAVID ALCAIDE IN THE FINAL AND BEFORE THAT FRANCHEZ SANCHEZ BESIDES, THERE WAS THE FAMILY AND SON WITH ME. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING, IF THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING IF I'M HAPPY PLAYING THE BALL, I'LL ANSWER YES, SOMETIMES IT'S HARD BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE TO WIN, BUT LITTLE BY LITTLE I'M GETTING BETTER. 

 And Sad moment ? I REMEMBER WHEN 3 YEARS AGO I STARTED TO BE IN THE TOP OF THE SPANISH BILLIARDS, A GAME AGAINST FRAN SANCHEZ WINNING 6-1 AND LOSING 6-7, I COULD USE THAT VICTORY BECAUSE IT WAS A GREAT JUMP AND MANY PEOPLE WERE WAITING FOR THAT GAME AND MY WIFE AND SON WITH ME. I THINK IT IS ONE OF THE SADDEST MEMORIES. 

 A dream to be realized ?A dream to be realized ? 

 What cue,tips and chalk you use? CUE PECHAUER LIMITED SERIES CARBON IGNITE TIP, TIP KAMUI SS BLACK CLEAR KAMUI ROKU CHALK

 Do you know any Youtube Channel about Game Mental Preparation ? NO

What you think about ; Fear I'M NOT USUALLY AFRAID OF ANYTHING, YOU HAVE TO BE BRAVE IN LIFE, I'M JUST AFRAID OF DEATH AND NOT MINE, BUT OF SOMEONE CLOSE TO ME. 

 Failure I THINK FAILURE IS A VERY COMMON THING IN LIFE, OTHERWISE LIFE WOULD BE MISERABLE. FAILURE IS THE MAIN THING TO LEARN 

Love I THINK THAT LOVE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT VALUES IN LIFE, BOTH AT THE LEVEL OF THE COUPLE AND AT ALL LEVELS, ESPECIALLY LOVE FOR ONESELF

Death DEATH HAS TO COME AND I'M NOT AFRAID OF IT, WHAT I'M MOST AFRAID OF IS WHAT IT WOULD LEAVE WITHOUT ME.

Courage COURAGE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT VALUES IN ORDER TO GET YOUR PURPOSES AHEAD. I AM A PERSON WITH A LOT

Friendship THE MOST IMPORTANT THING NEXT TO FAMILY IS FRIENDSHIP. WITHOUT FRIENDS THERE WOULD BE NO HAPPINESS. THEY ARE A BIG PART OF OUR LIVES. I HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT IN THE POOL WORLD FROM MY FRIENDS.

 Covid19 I THINK IT'S BEEN A DISGRACE IN GENERAL, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED. IN MY CASE, IT HAS HELPED ME TO VALUE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T VALUE BEFORE, LIKE FREEDOM. IT HAS HELPED ME TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH MY FAMILY, IT'S THE GOOD SIDE OF THIS PANDEMIC. LET'S HOPE WE GET OUT SOON

8-Ball 9 Ball 10 Ball I THINK IT'S BEEN A DISGRACE IN GENERAL, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED. IN MY CASE, IT HAS HELPED ME TO VALUE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T VALUE BEFORE, LIKE FREEDOM. IT HAS HELPED ME TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH MY FAMILY, IT'S THE GOOD SIDE OF THIS PANDEMIC. LET'S HOPE WE GET OUT SOON

Your Future I HOPE MY FUTURE IS GOOD, I HAVE SEVERAL COMPANIES AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO RETIRE SOON TO ENJOY FAMILY AND LIFE. ALTHOUGH KNOWING HOW AMBITIOUS I AM I WILL NEVER RETIRE 

 Perfectionism PERFECTIONISM GOES WITH ME, I LIKE TO BE A PERFECTIONIST AT ALL, I LIKE TO BE A BETTER PERSON AT ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE AND IF THERE IS SOMETHING BUT HOW I CAN OVERCOME OR AT LEAST EQUAL IT. IT IS ONE OF MY MAIN VALUES AND FOR THOSE THAT I LOVE WITH MY WIFE.  JAJA

Success I DO NOT UNDERSTAND 

 MoneyI THINK THAT UNFORTUNATELY MONEY IS A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THIS LIFE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS PRESENT CONSUMERIST LIFE, I AM A MATERIAL PERSON AND WHERE MONEY IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN MY LIFE, I KNOW THAT MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING, BUT IT HELPS A LOT TO HAVE A BETTER AND MORE RELAXED LIFE

[usapool]

INTERVIEW WITH  Ahmad Helwe

Main motivation? Carom 3 Cushion billiard is my greatest passion game..I grew up playing this special billiard game ..the carom billiard is the mother’s of all billiard games... they call it the kings game too.. I enjoy playing this game until the end 

Type of mental preparation? I always read carom billiard books and concentration on some difficult shoots ... this game is a strategy game and need a lot of concentration Defeat or victory? In sports game there is always a winner and a loser.. in my case I reacted normal if I lose and try to see my mistakes in the game and try to work on it and fix it In case I win I well be very happy for sure and try to make better and better in the future 

 Ritual? I always try to relax befor the game .. relax my mind by listening to soft music 

 One music? Endless love 

One message? Play to enjoy the game 

An idol? Raymond Ceulemans-Marco Zanetti-Frederic Caudron-Dani Sanchez-semih Sayginer-Dick Jaspers 

 Fear of failure when shoot? Of course every player is afraid of failure when shoot... but the professional player can control and overcome certain situations

 Book you like about billiard? Mr 100 book by Raymond Ceulemans 

 Happy moment about billiard? Of course when u reach your goal and reach the finals and win the game 

 And sad moment? When u play an excellent game and lose for a small mistake

 A dream to be realized? To win an international tournament or a World Cup

 What cue,tips and chalk you use? Longoni sultan custom cue, DS tip, Longoni blue diamond chalk 

Do u know any YouTube channel about mental preparation? Sorry I don’t know any on YouTube but we watch kozoom tv on the net .. it’s a special magazine and live events for pool and carom billiard game 

Fear? No fear in carom 

 Failure? Don’t let any thing break u .. stand and play again 

 Love? Carom billiard 

 Friend ship? Very important 

 Covid 19? Wish to end soon to be back to our game 

Your future? To reach my goals 

 Perfectionism? Very important 

 Success? Set goals.. practice and play hard.. success well come 

Money? Money is not everything in life.. it can’t buy u happiness love or health

[usapool]

INTERVIW WITH  Niels van Adrichem 

Main motivation ? I play for fun, but with the intention to improve myself with each shot. I'm always thinking back about how i played a shot and/or match. 

 Type of mental preparation ? I don't have a specific mental preparation, but more something like a pre-match state of mind. I start each match knowing that the first rack is very important. Try to get the initiative and put pressure on the opponent. It doesn't matter how good the opponent is. They can all crack under pressure. After the first rack, try and play the next rack as if it is the first rack. 

How did you react to the defeat or victory ? Of course I'm happy with each win and unhappy with each defeat, but that lasts 5 minutes. After that i really only care about the way i played. Did i play bad and still won than that is great, but there is a lot to learn from that. Same with playing great and losing the match. If you are in it for the long term, then the only thing that should matter is the average level you are playing on. 

 Ritual ? I chalk too much. Of course you should chalk after each shot, but i also chalk after my opponent plays a shot. 

One Music Pink Floyd - Pulse (live concert) 

 One Message Respect the game, respect your yourself, respect the opponent. 

 An Idol Within pool: Niels Feijen - Probably not the biggest natural talent in the game, but what a determination! The sheer will to improve his game has made him into a world class player! Outside pool: Jordan B. Peterson - is a clinical psychologist. I try to follow his advice on how to get and keep your life in order. I highly recommend his book: 12 Rules For Life. 

 Fear of failure when shoot ? Yes, that happens often. You should try and block out those fears. One way is trying to focus harder on a aspect of the shot like your cueing. Another way is rethinking your choice of shot and having confidence in your (new) choice.

Book you like about Billiard  ? Road to glory by Willem La Rivière. Not sure if it's available in English though. Happy moment about Billiard ? At the end of my first year of playing a team competition in a low level Dutch league, we went on to win the National Team Championship (fror that league). 

 And Sad moment ? Couple of years later in a higher level league, we lost the final of the National Team Championship after having a big lead. That one hurt quite a bit. 

 A dream to be realized ? Becoming Dutch National Champion in a singles tournament. 

What cue,tips and chalk you use? Tips: I'm a big fan of Moori soft. Currently i'm using Predator Victory soft. Also very happy with that one. Chalk: I use Master Chalk (blue). 

Do you know any Youtube Channel about Game Mental Preparation ? No What you think about ; Fear Try to focus on things you can control. 

 Failure It exists, learn to live with it. 

 Love Great feeling Death Part of life 

 Despair There's always hope 

 Courage Beautifull 

Friendship Fantastic! Covid19 Use your common sense.

8-Ball 9 Ball 10 Ball All fun games 

 Your Future Looking bright Perfectionism You need this to be the best in what you want to do 

 Success Is a consequence of hard work, dedication and a bit of luck. But success is not a goal. 

 Money Is a consequence of succes

[usapool]

INTERVIEW WITH Cristian Surdea 

MAIN MOTIVATION ?

Pure passion for the game. I play pool since 2009 - and every single session of practice makes me discover something new,

- Becoming a professional is the main motivation, that's why I follow pool - and when I play well the feeling is priceless - I can play no matter the name of my opponent. 

TYPE OF MENTAL PREPARATION ?

I studied a clinic with world class player NIELS FEIJEN (Mental Game was the topic) - Try to stay positive no matter the pressure that comes during the match. It's important to also be calm and sharp in order to take the right shot selection during a match. 

HOW DID YOU REACT TO THE DEFEAT OR VICTORY?

I sometimes show my feelings at the table during the match, complain to myself after a bad shot, after getting unlucky and like that. But always respect my opponent, never have bad reaction. To win against world class players is amazing, I have a lot of nice memories like that, but also lost few times HILL HILL or super close scores and have to take them, accept and move forward. A true champion will build inside everyone if will know to manage defeats first. Most important in sports - you are analyzing the process - NOT THE IMMEDIATE RESULT. 

RITUAL?

Few minutes of practice before the match. Relaxed arm and confident stroke in order to enter the match well warmed-up. 

ONE MUSIC ?

Robbie Williams - I love my life  ----    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4ggyO-OFXU 

ONE MESSAGE ?

Train hard, never quit! 

AN IDOL ?

Simona Halep - example of persevearance and determination; 

Shane van Boening - fantastic player and character.

I share the same date of birth with SVB - July 14th  - but I am 8 years younger than him. 

FEAR OR FAILURE WHEN SHOOT ?

Often happens to me. It's because I still don't play constant amount of 6-8 hours per day. Still have some small technique issues as I started playing without having a coach and learned by myself and helped by local players. Over the years improved that after going to training clinics and studying the game with Darren Appleton, Alex Lely and Niels Feijen. 

BOOK YOU LIKE ABOUT BILLIARD ?

Ronnie O'Sullivan - RUNNING 

HAPPY MOMENT ABOUT BILLIARD?

When I first played outside Romania - it was 2011 Open de Paris - where I beat WORLD POOL MASTER - RAJ HUNDAL from India. At that time did not know exactly who he is, was impressed when I came home and found out he was partner with RONNIE O'SULLIVAN in World Cup of Pool for England and all the other stuff. 

AND SAD MOMENT ?

Last year in Bucharest I gambled a set against SVB - my idol. We played a race to 9. I was 2-7 behind, came back fantastic to go 8-7 ON THE HILL, than he broke and run and at HILL HILL we played a crazy safety battle and I finally lost.

Another cruel one I lived in 2014 in Poland against Mateusz Sniegocki when in QF of Polish Open I was leading 5-1 in a race to 7. It was for getting a medal there. Mateusz managed to comeback and won 7-5, will never forget some silly 10-Ball missed there. HAHAHAHAHA . . . 

A DREAM TO BE REALIZED ?

Represent Romania one day at the World Cup of Pool. 

WHAT CUE, TIP AND CHALK YOU USE?

Mezz Ace-187 cue with Alpha Hybrid shaft;

Break cue: MEZZ POWER BREAK KAI - by far the best ever break cue.

Glove and Chalk - Molinari. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ?

FEAR - It kills us everyday if we accept it; 

FAILURE - Only someone who does not work or does not try does not fail; it is normal. The motto is to always try again fail better and finally conquer what you want. 

LOVE - The most important thing in life. 

DEATH - The end of this beautiful journey called life. Important to prepare our souls for that, because the mind will never stop fearing it. Faith should guide ourselves to not fear death anymore and understand it better. 

FRIENDSHIP - Life is great if you have a few close friends, count on someone 24/7 is important. It gives you that awesome feeling of sharing unique moments with those very few that stay around for years and years. Those persons are forever. 

COVID 19 - Test of faith for all the people around the world. For some of the professional pool players - the best period to train hard - stay disciplined - stay fit. To be honest, I never played so much pool as hours/day until this period came. 

8-BALL / 9-BALL / 10-BALL - Will always choose 8-Ball - as will always remember my debut at EC 8-Ball - winning in 8-Ball discipline against former world champion Daryl Peach from England. 

YOUR FUTURE - I'd love becoming a professional athlete in the game of pool - playing US OPEN and other WORLD EVENTS. I have already started doing some coaching in my hometown. Would love to own a Billiard Hall and help other young players improve faster than I did. For me that would be the most important thing - to be able to give something back. As a player at my age(28), I will keep fighting forever, think I can play until 60 at least. In another order, just continuing the process., but at the highest possible level. 

SUCCESS - "Set goals and crush them!" - learned from the coaching clinic with Niels Feijen. 

MONEY - There is a saying: If you love money, you never gonna have them.

[usapool]

INTERVIEW WITH Elvis Mladinescu

Main motivation ?To enjoy,compete and  challenge myself

Type of mental preparation ?Sports psychology

How did you react to the defeat or victory ? Upset when defeated and humble when winning

Ritual ? No ritual

One Music Positive and motivational lyrics

One Message Never give up

An Idol No idols but like a few players SVBF Alcaide and others

Fear of failure when shoot ? Sometimes yes

Book you like about Billiard  ? Pleasures of small.motions,Zen pool

Happy moment about Billiard ? Second place San sebastian Open.sharing the podium with Francisco Sanchez(champion) And Alcaide(third position)

And Sad moment ? Losing in a decider at eurotour when it was my chance of winning a single match. And still didnt win any of my 3 participations

A dream to be realized ? World 9 ball champion Doha Qatar

What cue,tips and chalk you use? P3 White limitee edition with expro shaft,sniper tiger tip,and 1080 Predator chalk

Do you know any Youtube Channel about Game Mental Preparation ?

I definitely listened to some but dont remember any names..sorry.Fernando

What you think about ;

Fear Its distructive we should live with joy,passion and love and forget about the fear unless its a life threatening situation.which in pool normally it isn't

Failure Its necessary to help us grow

Love Love is wise hatred is foolish

Death Let call it transformation.matter and energy never dissapears from universe.we are both so we're gonna hang around forever.

Despair We can look at more desperate cases and realise ours is no big deal.

Courage Essential for achievement of any endeavour.

Friendship Its a ramification of love so we need to take care of this very important part.

Covid19 I hope many people will learn from this terrible pandemic.To be more forgiving, to love more to see the relevant things to not label people.

8 Ball 9 Ball 10 Ball I like a lot 9 ball.I played a lot of 8 ball in the past and dont fear competing 10 ball..as i am quite good at 9 ball

Your Future My near future hopefully is gonna be filled with love, a family and as much as possible.competitions all over the globe.Quality game and of course  many trophies.

Perfectionism I dont believe in perfection..i believe in constant and neverending improvement(CANI) or differently said "Be a student of the game".

Success It does not happen overnight..its those little things you do everyday.

Money Its a neccesity but we shouldnt get too atracted by it.Money creates feelings and some of them not very nice towards our peers

If you want you can write to finalize what you want, any idea ? any message ?

It doesnt matter how poor you are born it matters how rich(not  materially necesarily) you die.And human beings can always grow and overcome any condition in their lives.That is why i believe in my chance to become a top player.

[usapool]

Interview with Cyriel Ledoux

Main motivation ? Playing for big crowds and entertain them. Experience the adrenaline. Type of mental preparation ? I like to approach every match as if I were a boxer. Get fired up and get the blood pumping. How did you react to the defeat or victory ? I used be a bad loser, it always hit my soul and I completely hated it. Ive grown to be too comfortable with losing at this point, but ill get some of that fire back soon and make sure ill never be comfortable with it again. Ritual ? I like to do some airpunches and listen to some hyped up music before the match and pay a lot of attention to all my senses. Im a very rythmic player, so if my rythm is good and my focus lies eternally, my body goes on auto pilot and I cant miss. One Music Closer - Kings of Leon One Message Either get where you wanna be, or die trying. An Idol Barry Hawkins Fear of failure when shoot ? Never, i dont think when im shooting, if you dont think, you cant be scared. Book you like about Billiard  ? I dont read books, too impatient for it. Happy moment about Billiard ? European Champions with the Dutch Youth Team, qualifying for world championships youth And Sad moment ? Choking the 8 on a 7-5 lead in the quaterfinals of the world youth 9 ball championships in Shanghai. A dream to be realized ? Playing the Mosconi Cup What cue,tips and chalk you use? I play with a mezz cue with a Go-SL shaft from go customs, I also use their chalk and a g2 medium tip. Do you know any Youtube Channel about Game Mental Preparation ? I do watch videos about it, but not from one particular channel. What you think about ;

Fear Only a trick, the mind plays on the body.

FailureTake it, change it and get on with it.

Love Most important and beautiful thing in life. 

Death Inevitable, so no point in worrying about it.

Despair Only temporary, things will always get figured out.

Courage An important skill to have and to develop down the road. Get outside of your comfort zone as often as possible.

Friendship Real friendship is as important as oxygen.

Covid19 I just hope the pool community and all my friends and family get through this with good health. Every crisis passes, so does this one. Patient is key.

8-Ball 9 Ball 10 Ball I like the action in 9 ball and the pattern play in 8 ball. 10 ball is my least favourite of the 3. 

Your Future  Itll only get better from here on so im looking forward to experienced what life has in stock for me and ill keep pushing myself to acchieve the goals I have set for myself. 

Perfectionism It doesnt work my opinion. Everyone and everything in life has got flaws. It allright to try and chase perfection, as long as your are able to accept the flaws, ortherwise you will get yourselves in a world of torture.

Success Success is temporary and all depends on perception. You might be viewed as successful and dont see it yourselves or visa versa. The greatest success will be to be the person you always wanted to be.

Money It can give you a lot and take everything away from you as well. It dangerous.

[usapool]

Interview With Andrea Grosso

INTERVIEW 

Main motivation ? Better to be a reject in the middle of the aces than an ace in the middle of the rejects!!! This is the basis for not setting limits!

Type of mental preparation ? I've been reading a few books and lately I've been helped by some Mental Coach, I'm sure they helped me find myself.

How did you react to the defeat or victory ?

in life if I fight with someone a few hours later I've already forgotten!  This fortunate philosophy of life is also used in billiards in case of defeat!  But if I win everything, it's easier to celebrate! 😀

Ritual ? My only ritual is nutrition because I have problems with certain foods during competitions and I am very careful what I eat.

One Music : Closer to The Edge

( 30 seconds to Mars)

One Message :

An idol : Earl Strickland, Paul Gerni , Mike Massey , Lou Butera ,Efren Reyes

Fear of failure when shoot ? Of course you are afraid, but a real player must be able to live together, control and overcome certain situations!

Book you like about Billiard  ?

loving the Trick Shots, I have practically every book that covers this specialty!

Happy moment about Billiard ?

definitely the first time I taught my daughters to play.

And Sad moment ?

When I see badness, selfishness and resentment in people.

A dream to be realized ?

I don't have dreams, I only have goals and when I reach them I create others to aim higher and higher.

What cue,tips and chalk you use?

Predator Black 3-2 - Bk Rush - tip Predator Victory M - kamui Roku

Do you know any Youtube Channel about

Game Mental Preparation ?

No, unfortunately I don't know any.

What you think about ;

Fear : reality of living with it and overcoming it

Failure : All failures harden the player

Love : i Love this Game

Death : I don't think about it.

Despair : It's never happened to me before.

Courage : A weapon to use to grow

Friendship : few but good

Covid19 : A scourge for the world must be fought and the weakest must be helped.

8-Ball 9 Ball 10 Ball : All the billiards specials are great game to everything I have no preference.

Your Future : Always questioning me without imposing limits to grow up.

Perfectionism : I make artistic billiards for me perfectionism is the basis!

Success : A goal to be achieved with sweat, dedication and humility.

Money : Personally I do not play for money but surely if this sport was richer it would help the whole movement.

[usapool]

Hoy en el Club de Billar Teo es un día especialmente triste. Hoy tendríamos que estar celebrando la IV Prueba de la Copa de España de Pool. Tendríamos que estar viendo a los mejores jugadores del país en nuestro club, disfrutando de reencuentros, de saludos, de bromas, de apretones de manos, de ... ¡abrazos!.

[usapool]

One PoolTV

One Pool TV.

[usapool]

Bart Urselmann Thanks Lynn / Thomas for the nomination, ive pretty much seen almost everyone in pictures also so i will not tag others. Stay healthy and safe and enjoy the good things!