🎱 Keeping It Real

Hey there everyone! Welcome to another week of Stroke of Confidence - your spot for pool tips, mindset hacks, and the motivation you need to take your game to the next level.

Thank you to all our new and existing subscribers for your support and feedback. It means the world and we are excited to continue to grow this community!

This week’s topics:

• Finishing strong

• Realistic confidence

• Defense wins championships

Let’s dive in:

⭐ Skills & Drills

Finishing strong

Some of the biggest issues our subscribers have said they struggle with are consistency, finishing strong, and cue ball control. This week we have a helpful video that I believe covers all of those topics and more.

If you are someone who watches pool videos and tutorials on Youtube, you probably are familiar with Dr. Dave. His video on getting shape on the last ball of the game is a crucial one. He stresses that the shot before the last shot is one of the most important shots in the game. If you fail to get good shape on the final ball, you will miss more often and give away racks to your opponent. Dr. Dave touches on many aspects of getting good shape on the final ball including the importance of speed control, using multiple rails, and coming into the line of the shot.

The more often you can make your final shot an easy one, the more you will increase your odds to win the rack. Better shape = easier shots = winning more often.

Watch Dr. Dave’s video below to see how you can get better shape on the last ball and start finishing your racks easier and with more consistency. Be sure to subscribe to his channel for more helpful videos.

Want your video featured in the Stroke of Confidence newsletter? Reach out to us at [email protected].

🧠 Mindset Mastery

Confident, not cocky

A long-time favorite book of ours is Pleasures of Small Motions by Bob Fancher. This book is a deep dive into the psychological side of playing pool, exploring how your mindset and emotions impact performance. Fancher, a clinical psychologist, blends sports psychology with personal insight to help players develop a more focused, resilient, and fulfilling approach to the game.

In this book, Fancher introduces the idea of realistic confidence—a version of self-belief that isn’t about thinking you’ll always win or crush every shot. Instead, it’s about trusting that you can handle whatever happens at the table. Realistic confidence is grounded in reality: you will miss shots, get in slumps, and feel pressure. But those moments don’t define you unless you let them. This mindset shifts your focus away from needing perfect outcomes and toward showing up with calm, steady attention no matter what the score is.

This idea ties directly into the kinds of goals you set. If your only goal is to win every match or shoot perfect racks, you’ll always be on edge—because those outcomes are never fully in your control. But if your goals are more process-based—like staying focused through the entire set, trusting your stroke under pressure, or responding well to a mistake—you set yourself up for success you can actually control. Realistic confidence supports those kinds of goals because it doesn’t depend on external results to feel solid. It allows you to aim high without being fragile. You’re not confident because you're sure you'll win—you’re confident because you're prepared to learn, adjust, and keep playing no matter what happens. That’s the kind of confidence that lasts.

Purchase Pleasures of Small Motions and more of our favorite books here: https://stroke-of-confidence-pool.beehiiv.com/c/book-recommendations

🤯 Get Inspired

Safety First!

Many of our readers have listed playing defense/safeties as something they could improve on. Playing strong safeties and defensive shots is just as important as pocketing balls. A smart safety can turn the momentum of a match, forcing your opponent into a mistake and giving you control and an easier runout.

Check out the video below to see some of the best safety and defense shots from the Predator Pro Billiards Tour and get inspired for how you can start pulling off shots like this in your own game. Notice how important speed control is on these shots. Hitting too hard or too soft would often turn these shots from a safety to a sell out. It’s also crucial to think about how your opponent will respond. Visualize the shot that your safety will leave them with to help determine if your plan will be an effective one.

Defense isn’t about being passive—it’s about thinking ahead, playing the odds, and using strategy to win when a runout isn’t possible. Players who ignore safeties limit their game, while those who embrace them play smarter and win more often.

Want your video featured in the Stroke of Confidence newsletter? Reach out to us at [email protected].

💥 Quick Links

Our favorite books on pool and the mental game: https://stroke-of-confidence-pool.beehiiv.com/c/book-recommendations

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That's a wrap for this week! Big thanks to everyone who shared feedback on what you'd like to see in the newsletter. We aim to keep each edition short and sweet, so if we didn’t get to your suggestion just yet, hang tight—it’s likely coming soon.

As always, stay sharp and shoot well this weekend. We’ll see you next Thursday!

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