What if an eccentricity in your stroke....works?

[randallt6]

I hope you're not trying to discourage those players using that 'crazy wild stroke.' I think they're doing exactly what they should be doing. They're experimenting with letting their stroke out. If they stick it out they will be better players for it. They will learn to reel it in over time and do what's needed but they will wind up with a powerful arsenal of weapons.

Are you being sarcastic or serious?

 

[FranCrimi]

Are you being sarcastic or serious?

Totally serious.

 

[PGHteacher]

We might have to agree to disagree on this one.

I don’t see where it is that we disagree on major points; possibly a couple of minor ones but let me clarify what I am saying and we will see.

I can definitely see that if you have 2 pro's going at it that are locks to run out from anywhere, I'd definitely be concentrating on my business only.

I think you think I mean all the time; I don’t, “dead stroke” is a toggle, not uninterrupted IMHO.

So, if I could run out all the time, I wouldn't worry about the other player that much. I'd just play my game.
But, at this stage of my development and against my current opponents' level of play, the mental game is definitely key. I shoot against some players that hate to bank. So, what do I do when it comes to safety play? I make them bank. I play against some people that are excellent jumpers and relish the opportunity to pull out their air stick, so I try to do my absolute best to make them kick or freeze them up against balls.

These are considerations at a very high level of play; it becomes LESS of a consideration but there is no level where it “just isn’t ever a consideration, because they are so good”.

I'm not in any way advocating sharking or anything like that. I'm just learning to attack my opponent's weaknesses and I think there's a place for that in this game.

Of course there is; but there is a difference between attacking their physical weaknesses and their mental ones; in the physical realm ALL is fair. If you know he’s morally opposed to jump cues you have some options that you don’t have if he’s good with one.

As I said this does go all the way up the ladder, there are safes you can play on Earl that you can’t play on Mika. Heck if your playing a wheelchair opponent go ahead and play the whole game w/ cb center table in case you miss if its all about the same; it’s all not only fair but smart. But for example a “fats mouth run”, can kill you just as easily as it can your opponent. Those are EXAMPLES ONLY.

But “playing on mental issues” (other than your own) IMHO will take something (namely focus and concentration from your own game) from you; and it has a possibility of working against you. These 2 are very different things, there are a few people out there that consider them to be one in the same. I just make the distinction.

And while I will agree that really good players will step it up a notch if they lose a couple of games, I'd much rather be up 2-0 on an "A" player and let him scramble to find his game.......than to be down 2-0 to that same player, whether he's shooting the lights out or not.

I would much rather be up on any player regardless of skill. You may think this view is inconsistent with my statement;

This won’t work on everyone; the better the player (usually) when they lose a couple of games in a row their “A” game comes out.

But it isn’t; I was speaking of how individuals react differently to different situations.

I've just come to the realization that in many of my matches and the pool of players that I'm facing in my area.......once, they start to crack a bit, it's a pretty hard fall.

This is true of players everywhere and this is why there are people players out there that try to or think they can “psyche other players out” this typically turns into bad form unless the opponent in question is unsportsmanlike himself.

For example if safety play gets under his skin in an irrational manor and you know this from playing him repeatedly and you are faced with the tough decision between an offensive and a defensive shot; well there is that “other factor” that comes into the mix. On the other hand there are those out there that think they can do this sort of thing on any player. For example there are lots of players out there that the word “safe” is MUSIC TO THEIR EARS!”. You don’t know unless you know enough about them.

I know I've crumbled a few times myself, but it's been a while since that happened. I'm just trying to be more conscious of my opponent's shot selection, body language and overall game "in the moment".

Nothing wrong with that just don’t get “too caught up in it”; that can distract you. But by your final statement you don’t appear to be one that would.

I think there's something to be gained there. It's just part of the whole gameplan. Once it's time to decide on shot selection, angle, speed, and spin.......I'm in my own world and there's no one else there. I've actually had a guy get arrested 5 feet away from me in the pool room and I never noticed it.

That’s good news; sounds like you give this sort of thing “proper weight”, you see I think we are in agreement after I clarify exactly what I mean, I can see how I might not have been; my fault.

 

[fathomblue]

No biggie. I absolutely never talk to my opponent or anyone during a match. Zero sharking. I sit in my chair like a stone. Now, if my cold, robot-like approach bothers an opponent, so be it.

The only thing I've tried to do more over the past few months is run what I can and then analyze when I can play to their weakness.......and watch them become more and more frustrated.

I rarely, if ever, considered safety play before this past year. But, when I started playing at my new haunt almost a year ago......on week 2.....a new friend/opponent said, "You can either start learning to play safe or you can lose. Your choice." I took that to heart. After thinking about it, I realized that I wasn't making them work hard for games. They were just waiting for me to run out of open shots.....miss something tough.....and then run out the rest. It's been a tough habit to break.

Now I enter a match telling myself that even if they're a "better" player, I'm mentally stronger. I'm prepared to work as hard as I can, for as long as it takes, to either win......or have them limp away with a victory. I actually beat a Master player (for our league) heads-up in the Master's state tournament in April (the lower ranked players can play up, but there's no handicap in that situation). He was 3 levels above me and I wasn't particulary "on". I was just grinding that day and took advantage of his mental breakdown.

Anyway, I guess we're getting a bit off-subject. I'm going to try to put in quite a few hours of practice this weekend and I'll report back with the results.

FWIW, I've been playing nothing but 9-ball and drills for the past few months, so I don't completely embarrass myself at The Southern Classic in Tunica.

In August our league starts back up with 8-ball and I'll be working on that immediately after Tunica.

 

[PGHteacher]

Very cool there man sounds like you’re on the “right track”. I didn’t know you are so new to safety play; you might want to read this:

http://www.jimloy.com/billiard/safety.htm

good luck with everything.

 

[FranCrimi]

My shoulder sometimes aches, too...I put a little more bend in my bridge hand's elbow, seems to help. Bearing down on your bridge hand with a low stance and a straight arm puts a lot of stress on your rotator cuff...bending the elbow a little more moves the leverage further down the arm, taking some of the stress off the shoulder.

Your shoulder probably aches because your balance is probably off. Your balance is probably off because your stance is probably off. Bearing down on your bridge hand is a compensation that will not solve your issues but bending your arm doesn't solve the problem either.

Players looking for help should be careful who they take advice from, especially in forums. Don't believe someone just because they sound convincing. Lots of people like to write. Very few actually get out there and teach and even fewer actually study the game.

 

[Jaden]

Fran....

Your shoulder probably aches because your balance is probably off. Your balance is probably off because your stance is probably off. Bearing down on your bridge hand is a compensation that will not solve your issues but bending your arm doesn't solve the problem either.

Players looking for help should be careful who they take advice from, especially in forums. Don't believe someone just because they sound convincing. Lots of people like to write. Very few actually get out there and teach and even fewer actually study the game.

Do you know who I am??? I don't know if I've ever told you?

Jaden

 

[ENGLISH!]

Sounds to me like you found something, I will agree with Fran on everything the chances are you had some unintentional movement in the boss arm and your “firming things up” (even if that was mostly in the bridge hand) lined and tightened things up back there so your getting better action as well as your accuracy going up.

So it may “feel” like you’re LESS “textbook” but you probably have cut out (or down) some major stroke flaw and are therefore MORE “textbook” than you have ever been. You should explore with your instructor with video (I am a big proponent of this) what is going on with you. I am very happy for you and wish you continued improvement. If it works for you do it; but do explore WHY it works for you so that you can refine it, that’s a rule across the board.

Oh and I will be giving my bridge a firmer grip, shortening up my stroke and lengthening my finish today. If your interested I will let you know what I think.

I'm not an an instructor but I agree completely.

 

[ENGLISH!]

Thank you both for taking the time to read and comment.

I had played for 6 days straight up until last night. Several hours each night. Three days the old way.....then the adjustment.....and then 3 days of the new way.

My right shoulder hurt so bad last night that I had to take a night off to catch a break. I shoot left-handed, btw, even tho I'm naturally a right-handed person. This is due to a weird eye problem that I have. Anyway, I needed the rest.

One thing I forgot to mention in the original post is that I'm consciously trying to address the cueball MUCH closer than I had in the past. Because of the eye problem that I have, I have to close my left eye when I shoot. That's the only thing that cures my double-vision (just keeps gettin' better and better, huh). Lol.

Because I close one eye, I feel it affects my depth perception. And because it affects my depth perception, I didn't realize.....until video analysis.....that when I was addressing the cueball, I was at least a solid 4 inches away or so, just prior to final stroke. Most people are within 1 inch, or so it seems when I watch them. Lots of room for error there.

Trying to tighten up my accuracy with the BreakRak got me to addressing the cueball much more closely and it carried over into my normal shooting. Now I can tell that I'm REALLY right up on it. I have a nice set of clean, Aramith Tournament balls and I can see the tip's reflection in the cueball, as I'm so close to it. Who knew staying close to the cueball would increase accuracy? Lol.

PGH, I'd be very interested in what you find out by making that adjustment. What speed are you now?

Fran, is there any chance that you're going to The Southern Classic in Tunica? I wouldn't mind a quick lesson or at least a general evaluation of my game.

I'm definitely going to try to get with my BCA Instructor and let him critique what I have going on here. Hopefully we can get to his place for some video analysis.

I'm not an instructor, but I think you have solved a problem & figured out how & why you did it. Lee Tevino once said, half kidding & half serious that there aren't too many really good TALL golfers....they're too far from their work. Congradulations! I think the improvment will stay. That was obviously a setup flaw.