someday I'll learn how to get out

justadub

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
Just wanted to vent....I played a match last night (yes, a league match....yes, an APA league match...so if those things offend you, you can stop right here :p ) and had a great time, my opponent and I alternated playing well and making some goofy mistakes. We played 10 games, and I must've gotten to the 8 at least 7 times, without closing any of those games in a run out. (Maybe one of them.... I did win the match, ugly as it was for both of us.)

The thing that gets to me, is my lack of ability to "get out". I get to the table, work my way around, having a good run down to the 8, and donkeying it. Missing a shot that was easier than a few in the run up to it.

I am quite certain that I understand the major issues.... Primarily experience, practice, being in those situations more often. Not deviating from the routine used in the prior shots. Visualizing "the leave" or at least where the cue ball should go, lime every other shot.... Getting better position for the final shot.

I know all these things.

I just don't execute them properly. Sigh.

More practice!

End rant.
 
Do you feel better now that you've got that out of your system? Good.
We've all been there, and it's just like a bad cold. A little chicken soup and ten days later everything's right as rain. :smile:
 
justadub said:
Just wanted to vent....I played a match last night (yes, a league match....yes, an APA league match...so if those things offend you, you can stop right here :p ) and had a great time, my opponent and I alternated playing well and making some goofy mistakes. We played 10 games, and I must've gotten to the 8 at least 7 times, without closing any of those games in a run out. (Maybe one of them.... I did win the match, ugly as it was for both of us.)

The thing that gets to me, is my lack of ability to "get out". I get to the table, work my way around, having a good run down to the 8, and donkeying it. Missing a shot that was easier than a few in the run up to it.

I am quite certain that I understand the major issues.... Primarily experience, practice, being in those situations more often. Not deviating from the routine used in the prior shots. Visualizing "the leave" or at least where the cue ball should go, lime every other shot.... Getting better position for the final shot.

I know all these things.

I just don't execute them properly. Sigh.

More practice!

End rant.
Click to expand...

This used to happen to me often, and sometimes it still does.

what i had started doing then, is when i was shooting the nine. i also picked a spot on the table where i wanted to land the cueball like i was playing position on something. this enabled me to bare down on the final ball of the rack.

try it, it may help

-Steve
 
ideologist said:
Was this with that old Joss shaft? :D

If not, it should have been!
Click to expand...

Actually it was :)

Took a little getting used to, my other cue has an LD shaft.

I'm having a lot of fun with this cue tho. The challenges in the differences actually helped me refine my PSR to make sure I was doing the things necessary.

Ought to be interesting when I get the other one back from being fixed. Thanks again!
 
Tramp Steamer said:
Do you feel better now that you've got that out of your system? Good.
We've all been there, and it's just like a bad cold. A little chicken soup and ten days later everything's right as rain. :smile:
Click to expand...

Pool is funny. No matter how awful I play, I go home fuming and fussing, and then...next time I get to play again, its forgotten (mostly).

Thanks
 
stevekur1 said:
This used to happen to me often, and sometimes it still does.

what i had started doing then, is when i was shooting the nine. i also picked a spot on the table where i wanted to land the cueball like i was playing position on something. this enabled me to bare down on the final ball of the rack.

try it, it may help

-Steve
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's one of those things that "I know", but simply don't execute well.

A good reminder, thanks.
 
Develop and trust your mechanics.
In any pressure situation your mechanics should be
able to bring you through. Especially if your PSR is
consistent. Doubt about your mechanics leads to
a lack of confidence which leads to misses in clutch
situations. Also remember that everyone, and I do
mean everyone misses the money ball on occasion.
Some will deny they choke, some will admit it but no
one can deny they missed when the ball stays on the
table.
Next time make sure your aim is right then concentrate
on the correct mechanics.

Good Luck
Joe
 
You are not alone. Hopefully with more focused practice this will be a thing of the past in a few years.
 
Jodacus said:
Develop and trust your mechanics.
In any pressure situation your mechanics should be
able to bring you through. Especially if your PSR is
consistent. Doubt about your mechanics leads to
a lack of confidence which leads to misses in clutch
situations. Also remember that everyone, and I do
mean everyone misses the money ball on occasion.
Some will deny they choke, some will admit it but no
one can deny they missed when the ball stays on the
table.
Next time make sure your aim is right then concentrate
on the correct mechanics.

Good Luck
Joe
Click to expand...

Another spot-on analysis of one of the ways I fail....that self-doubt monster gets loose in my feeble mind upon occasion. Bad things ensue :p

I have tried recently to be very conscious of that happening, and to stamp it out. I need better control over that, even as I have made some small progress with it. When I get to the point that I can tell its happening, stand up and start over again....then I'll be further along on my way!

Thanks
 
Here is something that helped me some. Someone told me when I practice don't save the 8 ball for last. Shoot it in way before last. By practicing this way when you get in a game you won't have a psycological brain fart because the on the dreaded 8 ball. It worked ok for me. I no longer get any more nervous shooting the 8 than any other ball.
 
You're not alone, I dog the eight on occasion but nowhere near as often as I used to. What's helped me is when I play practice matches I almost exclusively play American Rotation. The nature of the scoring in American Rotation puts you in pressure situations much more often than 8, 9 or 10 ball.

With the last 5 balls being worth two points each, there is a lot of pressure to close out strong. It's a hard pill to swallow when you break, run the first ten balls around all that traffic then miss on the 11 and your opponent clears five wide open balls for a 10-10 frame.

Its been working for me, maybe it'll help you too.
 
Hey Dub, try this quick fix. next time you get to the 8ball, go back and take a swig of your beer, water, coke, whatever. Wipe down your cue with a towel. Grab some chalk and chalk up. Let the emotions/nerves/etc. drain out before you get back to the 8ball.

Then proceed with whatever PSR you use, step into the shot and fire.
 
ChicagoRJ said:
Hey Dub, try this quick fix. next time you get to the 8ball, go back and take a swig of your beer, water, coke, whatever. Wipe down your cue with a towel. Grab some chalk and chalk up. Let the emotions/nerves/etc. drain out before you get back to the 8ball.
Then proceed with whatever PSR you use, step into the shot and fire.
Click to expand...

Well, what if Dub does all that and still misses the eight? Boy, is he going to be pissed at you. :smile:
 
pogmothoin said:
You are not alone. Hopefully with more focused practice this will be a thing of the past in a few years.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'm hopeful that I begin to make some progress on this over the summer. I truly feel this is the biggest reason I haven't moved up in the handicap system...I win enough, much of the time. I simply don't get out when I should, and that shows in the number of innings my games take. (Please, let's not make this about handicap, I know inning count isn't the only parameter, and I am one who truly wants to "go up" in Skill Level, provided I'm playing well enough to warrant it. Its my goal to get to that level this session.)

Ah, this game. Addicting. Thanks again.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
Well, what if Dub does all that and still misses the eight? Boy, is he going to be pissed at you. :smile:
Click to expand...

He won't !! And once he gets use to sinking the 8, he won't need to even take a swig of beer before shooting the 8ball.

But, if he does miss it, it's still his fault for not following my directions to a "t" :grin-square:
 
ChicagoRJ said:
Hey Dub, try this quick fix. next time you get to the 8ball, go back and take a swig of your beer, water, coke, whatever. Wipe down your cue with a towel. Grab some chalk and chalk up. Let the emotions/nerves/etc. drain out before you get back to the 8ball.

Then proceed with whatever PSR you use, step into the shot and fire.
Click to expand...

Really, what I need to do along these lines, is to take advantage of the one thing everybody likes to rag on about APA.... I should mark the darned locket every time, instead of calling it. That way I have to break the momentum and walk around the table (most of the time anyway).

This will work for 8-ball, but not for 9-ball. I'll try adapting your suggestions, for sure.

Thanks
 
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