Apa nationals and pressure

I imagine most of the people posting those kinds of comments don't/rarely compete. If I haven't competed in a while, I'm always surprised by how much it affects me, at least while I'm adjusting to it. It's an entirely different world compared to practicing or even playing friendly matches with a buddy.

Agreed. And that is a whole other level of competition pressure in that situation.

I've played league pool for many years but when I started playing tournaments too the pressure was definitely different. League is fun and competitive, but it's the same people week after week, same tables, and we've all been playing together for years at this point. Tournament pressure with different players, different tables/locations, etc. definitely took some adjustment and it really got to me early on.

I've gotten use to it now but I know I wouldn't handle the kind of pressure being discussed here well because I've never faced it before and likely neither have the people playing it there, and if they have it's only been very rarely.

Apa nationals and pressure

Reading the comments from people on you tube or fb during these finals matches cracks me up and shows you how clueless people are to the mental side of the game. Listening to people say how are these guys 7s! These guys are amateurs who now have been dropped into a situation they’ve most likely never been in before .
1) an Arena on 3 sides with bleachers packed with people. Standing room only around them . I’ve been there.

2) brights lights and guys walking around with cameras streaming to facebook, you tube and they have it live on the billiards channel on amazon

3) a tv booth on one side sitting high up with Eva Mataya Jeremy jones etc commentating on your match.

4) a table only used for final matches that plays fast and slick and not like anything you’ve been playing on during the tournament. Edit to add they don’t let you hit a single ball on it before your match.

5) a huge trophy and about 15k for singles which to Some of you may seem like nothing but to an average amateur league player is most likely more then they’ve ever played for on the line

6) if it’s a team event the entire team counting on you to bring a win home

If you think all that isn’t going to effect how your going to play and it’s going to be just like another league match at home at your bar your fooling yourself. It’s a situation that mentally you’ve never dealt with before your game is most likely not going to be at its best. Your going be on the struggle bus with nerves especially early on. These basement champions are clueless lol mental skills are every bit as important as physical and you don’t know until your dropped into it.
well said.

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