I hesitate asking these questions as common sense has already given me the general answers, however I guess I'm hunting for outside thoughts and insight that I just might have overlooked. I am sure I'm opening myself up to the usual, “you suck, accept it do your best and have fun” type answers and they are welcomed as well. Can't be all serious all the time now can we, a little self sacrificial humor at ones expense can be fun for all.
I'm about to begin BCA/VNEA league play here again after 15+ years away from the game. I promised myself not to get involved in leagues again, but it appears I'm breaking that promise after all. It was either say yes, or deal with the never ending “C’mon man”, yeah I caved, I'm weak. I have played in a handful of local short race tournaments, which leads to my two questions. The best I've placed is 3rd in a small 9ball tournament (26 players if memory serves) with a pretty strong field, but that was on Diamond 9' pros with 860hr and tournament balls. I instantly felt comfortable and familiar with the equipment as thats what I play on at home. I was even able to string a few racks together in a couple of the matches. It felt damn good to be able to let the stroke out and feel comfortable and confident. I digress..
Playing cold:
Admittedly I'm what you would call “slow out of the gate player”. Playing “cold”, I can still manage to BnR (we're talking 8ball only here, I hate 8ball, I'm a 10ball rotation fan) cold 15-30% of the time (rough guess estimate based off recent tournament play) , but not at the better consistent level I would like verse being warmed up/in stroke and acclimated to the equipment on-site (more about that in the next question).
In the last week at home on my table, I've altered the times I practice (which sucks because I would like to shot for hours on end , but my warmed up in stroke game isn’t what needs work and not what I'm focused on right now).
What I have been doing is rack and break 4 racks, then walk away for an hour or more, then return and repeat. The idea is I'm trying to get my “cold” game closer to my “warmed up in stroke” game. One major flaw with this is, the equipment is always the same here at home. It's hard for me to tell if this is a beneficial practice regimen or not. Time will tell on this one.
Equipment acclimation:
First let me start with my playing characteristics, I understand the downfalls of my style of play and would never advocate it to anyone else, but it’s how I’ve always played and always will. Let me just say “I am NOT a prominently center ball player”.
I do hit center ball shots when absolutely needed, just not all that often. I’m a throw player, I throw nearly everything, I tend to “steer” the cue ball around the table for shape and breakouts. This can and does backfire for me like everyone else that plays the game. However for me and my style of play, I have a higher percentage of success than if I changed to a more center ball style of play ( and I have tried this many times in the past, hate it and go back to just playing “my way“). I'm just not a “center ball” player ( I can just hear the instructors cringing and foaming at the mouth yelling “well there's your problem“). They are technically correct from a fundamental principal, but there is no one true correct way to play this game. (that's my opinion anyways and I certainly mean no disrespect to anyone else)
At home I use Aramith Tournament balls, and we all know how much those balls can be thrown (gear effect). I have the Aramith measle ball and a Aramith Professional cue ball and about to order an Aramith red circle ball as well. All balls polished with Aramith polish daily along with the 860hr cloth brushing and vacuuming. Needless to say, I do not have replicate conditions to which I play on when going to the local pool halls & bars as far as maintenance is concerned, I also do not wish to let my equipment get “dirty” in an attempt to replicate outside conditions.
So naturally I'm here to complain and whine about not only playing on a table in “cold-stroke” but also to whine about having issues acclimating to ball throw (or at times the lack there of) and cloth conditions along with the variance in manufactures used (Champion vs. Simonis vs. who knows what &. Aramith premium/pro & unknown ball manufacturers used). I don't so much have issues adapting to the playing characteristics of the various table manufacturers, such as short/long banks, pocket sizes and cuts etc etc. I can adapt to those variances rather quickly.
What I am having trouble with is, adapting quickly to playing on various cloth conditions, along with judging ball slide (not referring to contact skid), as well as adapting quickly to ball throw or more so the lack there of at times.
In a perfect world, to play at the level I’d like to and know I’m capable of, I would like to have an hour alone on the table I will be competing on to get completely acclimated to its playing conditions. In reality, this is almost never a possibility, whether its league or tournaments etc . So all I have to rely on competing with is my “cold-stroke and unknown guessing table characteristics” game. This can get the job done, but the times where it doesn't, it is a brutal feeling of failure.
Missing a shot due to a ball not throwing as expected (be it under or over thrown), missing due to to a ball that didn't slide on the cloth as expected and the cue ball had masse’ off the intended target or aiming line, or on the flip side, won't masse‘ as much or it over masse’ as expected and allowed for that particular shot resulting in the sell out..
So there you have it, my plethora of excuses of why I suck. Lol. The true issue in all this is I'm trying to control to many aspects of play and need to back off a bit on the control factor. I understand everyone misses, everyone loses & everyone has to just suck it up, put on their big boy pants and move on. But dammit, I'm an anal perfectionist and only striving to be the best *I'm* capable of being.
I’m not sure how well this will go over and I've certainly opened the door and put the welcome mat out for the ridicule this may, or may not draw. I would certainly love for this to spark insightful conversation, however I have very low expectations.
If you made it this far, thank you for your time. If you reply with any useful insight I will forever be in debt to you and gained a new friend. If all you want to do is troll, at least be original and make it funny.
Dopc. Striving for unobtainable perfection…………
I'm about to begin BCA/VNEA league play here again after 15+ years away from the game. I promised myself not to get involved in leagues again, but it appears I'm breaking that promise after all. It was either say yes, or deal with the never ending “C’mon man”, yeah I caved, I'm weak. I have played in a handful of local short race tournaments, which leads to my two questions. The best I've placed is 3rd in a small 9ball tournament (26 players if memory serves) with a pretty strong field, but that was on Diamond 9' pros with 860hr and tournament balls. I instantly felt comfortable and familiar with the equipment as thats what I play on at home. I was even able to string a few racks together in a couple of the matches. It felt damn good to be able to let the stroke out and feel comfortable and confident. I digress..
Playing cold:
Admittedly I'm what you would call “slow out of the gate player”. Playing “cold”, I can still manage to BnR (we're talking 8ball only here, I hate 8ball, I'm a 10ball rotation fan) cold 15-30% of the time (rough guess estimate based off recent tournament play) , but not at the better consistent level I would like verse being warmed up/in stroke and acclimated to the equipment on-site (more about that in the next question).
In the last week at home on my table, I've altered the times I practice (which sucks because I would like to shot for hours on end , but my warmed up in stroke game isn’t what needs work and not what I'm focused on right now).
What I have been doing is rack and break 4 racks, then walk away for an hour or more, then return and repeat. The idea is I'm trying to get my “cold” game closer to my “warmed up in stroke” game. One major flaw with this is, the equipment is always the same here at home. It's hard for me to tell if this is a beneficial practice regimen or not. Time will tell on this one.
Equipment acclimation:
First let me start with my playing characteristics, I understand the downfalls of my style of play and would never advocate it to anyone else, but it’s how I’ve always played and always will. Let me just say “I am NOT a prominently center ball player”.
I do hit center ball shots when absolutely needed, just not all that often. I’m a throw player, I throw nearly everything, I tend to “steer” the cue ball around the table for shape and breakouts. This can and does backfire for me like everyone else that plays the game. However for me and my style of play, I have a higher percentage of success than if I changed to a more center ball style of play ( and I have tried this many times in the past, hate it and go back to just playing “my way“). I'm just not a “center ball” player ( I can just hear the instructors cringing and foaming at the mouth yelling “well there's your problem“). They are technically correct from a fundamental principal, but there is no one true correct way to play this game. (that's my opinion anyways and I certainly mean no disrespect to anyone else)
At home I use Aramith Tournament balls, and we all know how much those balls can be thrown (gear effect). I have the Aramith measle ball and a Aramith Professional cue ball and about to order an Aramith red circle ball as well. All balls polished with Aramith polish daily along with the 860hr cloth brushing and vacuuming. Needless to say, I do not have replicate conditions to which I play on when going to the local pool halls & bars as far as maintenance is concerned, I also do not wish to let my equipment get “dirty” in an attempt to replicate outside conditions.
So naturally I'm here to complain and whine about not only playing on a table in “cold-stroke” but also to whine about having issues acclimating to ball throw (or at times the lack there of) and cloth conditions along with the variance in manufactures used (Champion vs. Simonis vs. who knows what &. Aramith premium/pro & unknown ball manufacturers used). I don't so much have issues adapting to the playing characteristics of the various table manufacturers, such as short/long banks, pocket sizes and cuts etc etc. I can adapt to those variances rather quickly.
What I am having trouble with is, adapting quickly to playing on various cloth conditions, along with judging ball slide (not referring to contact skid), as well as adapting quickly to ball throw or more so the lack there of at times.
In a perfect world, to play at the level I’d like to and know I’m capable of, I would like to have an hour alone on the table I will be competing on to get completely acclimated to its playing conditions. In reality, this is almost never a possibility, whether its league or tournaments etc . So all I have to rely on competing with is my “cold-stroke and unknown guessing table characteristics” game. This can get the job done, but the times where it doesn't, it is a brutal feeling of failure.
Missing a shot due to a ball not throwing as expected (be it under or over thrown), missing due to to a ball that didn't slide on the cloth as expected and the cue ball had masse’ off the intended target or aiming line, or on the flip side, won't masse‘ as much or it over masse’ as expected and allowed for that particular shot resulting in the sell out..
So there you have it, my plethora of excuses of why I suck. Lol. The true issue in all this is I'm trying to control to many aspects of play and need to back off a bit on the control factor. I understand everyone misses, everyone loses & everyone has to just suck it up, put on their big boy pants and move on. But dammit, I'm an anal perfectionist and only striving to be the best *I'm* capable of being.
I’m not sure how well this will go over and I've certainly opened the door and put the welcome mat out for the ridicule this may, or may not draw. I would certainly love for this to spark insightful conversation, however I have very low expectations.
If you made it this far, thank you for your time. If you reply with any useful insight I will forever be in debt to you and gained a new friend. If all you want to do is troll, at least be original and make it funny.
Dopc. Striving for unobtainable perfection…………
