Question:
What’s the best way to get in best condition a week before an important tournament – for example how many hours and how many times to play each day, alone (playing games or just practicing some shots) or with other player, etc. P.S. Your pool lessons are the best I’ve ever watched in Youtube. Thank you very much! I’ve learned so much from them! Your way to explain the game is really great! Please, keep on doing this. Congratulations from an (amateur) player from Bulgaria. –Dimo

Answer :
Hi Dimo!

Great question! Obviously, this is an individual choice. Most players have a strategy when it comes to preparing for a tournament that works for them. I prefer to work on shots, position, safeties and my break long before the week prior to a major event. The week before, I play less hours, but with intent. I make sure I am very focused and play as if I were in a tournament.

Normally, I only spend an hour per day on the table at this point, either playing the “Ghost” or an opponent, as seriously as if I were in a tournament match.

Do whatever works for you, but one week before an event is not a time to work on things. By then, you’ll have to accept that you’ve got the game that you will compete with. Focus on concentration from that point on.

I hope that helps, and thanks for the kind words. Glad you like the videos!

~Ewa

–Ewa Mataya Laurance is one of the most visible superstars in the history of pocket billiards. Known as The Striking Viking, she took the billiard world by storm since she moved to the US from her native Sweden.

Following her childhood dream of becoming the best in the world, she continues to be a dominant presence on the international billiard scene.  Ewa is the current International and World Cup Trick Shot Champion, the holder of multiple World and US Open 9-ball titles, and has also won the Swedish, European and US National Championships in her incredible career. A former # 1 ranked player in the world, Ewa has received Player of the Year honors, been named WPBA Sportsperson of the Year, and in 2004, was inducted into the prestigious Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.

Ask Ewa your own question here!