PUT FRIENDSHIPS ASIDE - Viking Cues Tip of the Week with Mike Roque author of Build Your Game.
Put Friendships Aside
“Although his thinking mind had switched…his body was still running the old image.”
-Mika Immonen
Playing against a close friend brings a whole different set of dynamics to match play. If you are not careful, you could find yourself getting distracted or sidetracked very easily.
If your friend is struggling, it’s easy to feel empathetic to his plight. Be careful. You may find the quality of your own play fading. You might even feel sorry he is not playing well and offer encouragement.
On the other hand, if you’re not playing well, you could find yourself looking to him for support or just wondering what he is thinking. Either way, it steals your focus and interferes with your concentration.
Keep your attention on the table and not the person. It’s good to avoid conversation in any match, but it might prove even more valuable against a close friend. Acknowledge your friendship at the hand shake and let him know you won’t be talking during the match.
If you know his game well, you’ll have inside information that could be useful. If he is a great jumper, you might pass on pushing out to an easy jump shot. If his kicking is weak, use it to win the game on three fouls or rearrange balls for a win a few shots later.
Be cordial, but stay focused and get down to business.