e3 certification For billiards coaches

Your players have spent years mastering the
game.

The E3 helps you better understand the behaviors they bring to the table.

get certified

A missed shot. An unlucky roll. A lost rack.

Same player, same skill, very different responses. E3 helps you see the pattern behind them.

You know this player. Flawless in practice, running rack after rack, then stiff in the deciding game. You know the other one too: a scratch on the break, and the next three racks go with it. Their skill never changed. Their behavior did.

That is the inner game, and it is the part most training leaves out. Skill gets you to the table., but behavior decides what happens there.

what the e3 is

A 10-minute look at your players’ inner game.

Based firmly in science (but works like magic), the E3 is an online assessment that makes the inner game visible. It measures 21 behavioral scales and returns instant results, including a Line Chart and a Coaching Report that shows the behaviors working for your players, the blindspots getting in their way, and practical next steps.

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the science behind the e3

Behavior under pressure has a science.

The E3 is grounded in needs-press theory and the Adjective Check List, with 80+ years of research, 60+ years of psychometric validation, and 20+ years of real-world application. It measures behavior, not personality: no labels, no types, just behaviors you can work on.

the man behind the e3

A psychologist who also knows the table.

Rick Breden is the founder and CEO of Behavioral Essentials, a former clinical psychologist, and a longtime professional billiards player who knows the inner game from the inside. His own mental blocks at the table led him to study the psychology behind the game and help other players turn their psychology into their advantage. He now uses the E3 Behavioral Assessment to help players see which behaviors help them win and which get in the way, and players he has coached have gone on to win Masters titles. After decades of coaching CEOs and leadership teams through high-stakes decisions, he brings the same performance psychology to the table.

how you can use the e3

Hear how the E3 changed his game.

Rick Breden shares his experience as a professional billiards player and how he uses the E3 to coach players.

five ways E3 can support your players

See it. Play to it. Adjust it.

From pressure to preparation, the E3 gives you a clear starting point for the conversations that matter most with your players.

Performance under pressure

See how a player tends to respond to high-stakes moments, mistakes, and competitive stress.

Emotional recovery

Spot the patterns that make it harder to reset after a missed shot, an unlucky roll, or a lost rack.

Coachability

Understand how a player takes feedback, and what structure, space, and coaching style helps them most.

Competitive decision-making

Explore confidence, risk-taking, persistence, and self-discipline, then talk through how they show up in a match.

Consistency and preparation

Build practice routines and pre-match prep that fit the player’s profile, not a generic playbook.

E3 CERTIFICATION FOR COACHES

Bring a behavioral lens into your coaching.

E3 certification is designed for coaches who want to bring the E3 into their 1:1 work with players. You gain the structure and fluency to read a profile with confidence and lead a review session that surfaces blindspots and opens the door to deeper coaching conversations. Certified coaches can offer something most do not: a science-backed read on how each player behaves under pressure.

Our CEO and longtime professional billiards player, Rick Breden, will also play a key role in coaching how to leverage the E3 insights for players, drawing on his expertise in the game and the industry.

Program format
Virtual program with a blend of live sessions and online coursework.

Program length
Four months.

Time commitment
Ten 1-hour live sessions, plus coursework and coaching activities between sessions.

Investment
$1000
Payment plans available if you register before December 31, 2026. Four payments of $250: the first is due at registration, and three monthly payments follow, beginning in January.

E3 interpretation, Coaching Report practice, coaching activities, feedback, and community