A few weeks ago, our Roberto Bartol returned from the European Pool Championship, which was held in the Netherlands this year.
Mental Trainig
We started working on mental preparation with Roberto about 6 months ago.
We immediately recognized the importance of mental training in a sport that many perceive as a “pub game,” and one of those sports where “nearly everyone is good at it.” However, just because everyone has tried to pocket a ball with a pool cue at least once doesn’t make them anywhere near as expert as Roberto Bartol – a multiple national champion in countless pool disciplines, and recently, a European team bronze medalist.
To give everyone a chance to get a bit closer to this mentally demanding sport, we asked Roberto to share his impressions of this competition. This is his story from the European Championship.
European Championship Report
“Two 9th-place finishes, one 17th-place finish, and one BRONZE in the team event. I am very satisfied with my results and victories over stronger players who were favorites to win the tournament. You can see clear progress in my results compared to last year – they have skyrocketed since then. What matters most to me is that throughout the entire championship, which lasted about 16 days, I played every match and every discipline at a very high level.
There were no major slumps in my game. Of course, there were minor dips. Some days I played truly elite pool, feeling high levels of confidence and the adrenaline of the competition. Then, the next day, after sleeping on it, it felt completely different—I didn’t have that same feeling from the day before, or even that adrenaline.
My Mental Training and How I Fought Through
“When that happened, I tried to push back against it and enter the match earlier – I rehearsed the entire match in my head, did visualizations, and used breathing exercises. During the matches, sticking to my routines helped the most. They helped me get back into the game when I was losing or when my focus dropped. That was my way of ‘waking up’ and playing great again. Of course, I didn’t always manage to reach 100% focus, especially when facing very difficult situations to close out.
I won’t lie, there was pressure during certain shots in the matches, but I’m very happy with how I managed to control that pressure so it didn’t get overwhelming. I succeeded in playing under that kind of pressure and didn’t let it turn negative. Logically, I couldn’t be flawless at every single moment, but I played very well and I’m happy with myself. There is still plenty of room for improvement, and I will do my best to keep those minor mistakes to a absolute minimum.
Personally, I wasn’t used to playing matches that are this physically and mentally draining because we don’t have players that strong back home. However, I will keep doing what I’m doing because I can see it helps me mentally. I will step up my training and put even more effort into my progress so that I keep getting better and better for the next championship.”
Plans for the Future
Plans for the Future “I tested my strength against the best, I beat some of the strongest players and tournament favorites. Some beat me too, but I can say they had to work incredibly hard for it. I see that I can go toe-to-toe with them, and it’s only a matter of time before I shine even brighter. Of course, that will take a lot of hard work and willpower.”
Roberto Bartol on Mentalni Treining
“And finally, I’m glad you’ve got my back and that you follow all my battles. You genuinely care about what I’m going through and how I feel; you guide me toward the right motivation and you are never negative. You always have positive words and steer me toward the right things I need to work on. With you, I never feel down, no matter how tough it gets at a tournament. Thank you for being a part of my team!”
Roberto Bartol, pool player, team bronze medalist, Netherlands 2018.
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Roberto, what more is there to say. It is our absolute pleasure and a great honor to be a part of your team. We look forward to your progress and the results we will achieve together in the future.
Mentalni Trening tim
