Alcohol is an inflammatory which is most likely doing more damage to your shoulder condition than good.
Playing sober, can’t do it
- Thread starter cbi1000
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A friend on my team tried these just a couple nights ago in an effort to drink less yet achieve the same "focus" while playing. She's pretty much an alchie. Ok, she's probably very much an alchie, and I have a sneaking suspicion she's starting to think I'm
So anyway, she say's to me in a text before league, "I'm trying gummies tonight no drinking. Testing this type so I can shoot without getting drunk, hoping these will focus me and relax me so my adrenaline doesn't give me a heart attack."
From her message I ascertain that she experiences the same nerves as the OP when she doesn't drink; i.e., "focus", "adrenaline / heart attack."...
I wasn't at league that night but I did respond to let me know how it goes... I'll have to follow-up and see if she did, and how it went.
That's the plan. I'm 53 years young, however I don't know if I'll have another opportunity to complete in singles at this level again. I really want to do my best.
Drinking and playing day long event is why I'm trying to change. Too hard to manage.
I've been drinking and playing pool for 30 years. Most of the time it's no big deal. League night, 2-3 drinks, play, go home, easy. It's the day or multiple day long events that kill me. I don't like drinking all day just to be "in the zone". With APA nationals coming up I know I'll be playing day and night, no way can nor want to try and manage the perfect amount of drinks for that amount of time. We'll see what happens. LOL
I don't disagree with that at all. In the moment a couple of beers does help to numb the pain, so it is definitely a short term fix.
If you're talking about the one in August, you should be in good shape. Plenty of time to adjust between now and then.
By June you should be ready for a practice tournament or two to see where you're at.( Ex. $100 entry, fri-sunday.)
GL, kick asses!
End of April. Single nationals. Playing in the sl 9 bracket.
It will probably be tough. If you look at it like it's the first tournament of a new chapter, accept it won't be ideal, the next ones should come easier.
Have fun, enjoy playing different players than normal, and get rest when you can.
The reality of Vegas is that is that it can be a long day. You might play in the morning, and then not play again till that night. Or then you might play three in a row. Its hard to be able to plan eating, let alone managing other "stuff". When I went, I had one beer in the afternoon, then waited till later to even think about another, cuz you simply don't know how long you're gonna be there. Managing drinks for the whole day certainly can be done, but I sure didn't want to deal with it.
(I made up for it after we were done for the day, heh heh)
Regardless of how you end up dealing/managing this, I hope you enjoy yourself while you're out there, it is quite an event. I'm fortunate to have gone once, I hope to get back again at some point. Best of luck!
(*** edit*** I see that you're going for Singles... when I went, it was for teams. So your match times might be a bit more predictable than the team schedule was for us, I dunno. Hope so !)
But it’s a really really fun crutch.
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I used to have the same thing. I don't recommend going deep into sports psychology (with a fixed timeframe for improving) because it can do more harm than good.
But a couple of things that helped me:
- A couple of warm-up racks just spreading out the 15 balls for easy, fairly short shots around the table (with no clusters) is a nice warm-up that gets your rhythm going
- I don't know whether you're currently playing every day, but if not then when you do (e.g., in the run-up to your tournament), it can give you a momentum that carries over day-to-day. (For me, the effect really hits from the fourth day of playing, and I find it best to have shorter sessions each day so I still feel fresh)
Both of these things, for me, provide some of the momentum and confidence that seems to come with a couple of drinks. You've got time to experiment with them if you want to.
Another thing that helps me is, when shooting, to focus on the rhythm of my swing (including warm-up strokes).
But overall, the objective is to relax and play, not to over-think it.
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That reminds me of something I read about choking, but kind of the opposite:
Choking is supposedly the player's conscious mind trying to control/influence performance, due to pressure and anxiety about results.
It's harmful to performance for almost everyone (because the subconscious systems do it better), but for complete beginners, who haven't built up any of the experience that trains the subconscious, 'choking' can cause them to perform better.
I don't think there's really an inconsistency with what you're saying, because I think that effect was only found with complete novices. It just reminded me of it.
Panicking is the opposite problem, where under pressure, the brain grasps for very basic (clumsy) physical moves from the limbic system.
I'm a social binge drinker...don't drink hard alcohol but can hammer the beers. That being said as I turn my focus towards getting better at this sport..I've found myself really working hard to reduce my consumption and concentrate on just shooting.
It's been working..find it easier not to drink than worry about the wheels coming off the bus during a tournament.
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It's been working..find it easier not to drink than worry about the wheels coming off the bus during a tournament.
Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk
So obviously some of us opened up about our drinking, The OP, Easy E, and myself. For those of you who say it's so easy to just not drink, and you're only using it as a crutch or excuse, let's hear your addictions. Take a moment and think about it. May be over eating, sex/porn, drugs, etc. It's really easy to point out someone else's addiction when it's not your own.
I understand where the OP is coming from.
About the only time I drink is when playing pool. I play for fun and I drink for fun. After a few hours at the table I'm relaxed, in stroke and in peak form. I've shot my best pool and be in the money week after week at the local Saturday night tourney , buzzed.
However, that window doesn't stay open long enough for those long 12 to 20 hour tournaments.
Is it a crutch? No.
Habit? Sure. Playing pool and drinking some beer is what I like to do. I'm not like the op in that I can play fine while stone cold sober but can't get to that relaxed, focused ,in-the-zone state. My interest wanes and my focus wavers. It's just different.
About the only time I drink is when playing pool. I play for fun and I drink for fun. After a few hours at the table I'm relaxed, in stroke and in peak form. I've shot my best pool and be in the money week after week at the local Saturday night tourney , buzzed.
However, that window doesn't stay open long enough for those long 12 to 20 hour tournaments.
Is it a crutch? No.
Habit? Sure. Playing pool and drinking some beer is what I like to do. I'm not like the op in that I can play fine while stone cold sober but can't get to that relaxed, focused ,in-the-zone state. My interest wanes and my focus wavers. It's just different.
I agree with this 100%
I have been sober for almost 7 years now from both drugs and alcohol and it was the hardest thing I ever did. I lost my identical twin brother to an overdose 4 years ago and that really put things into prospective.
Life is hard and there are lots of vices. Ultimately you have to do what's best for YOU and find ways to deal with life's everyday stresses. For me it's playing pool, golfing and playing poker but somedays I don't leave my house. I'm not as social as I used to be when I was partying. Life's kinda boring now but I can't have my parents losing another kid.
Life is hard and there are lots of vices. Ultimately you have to do what's best for YOU and find ways to deal with life's everyday stresses. For me it's playing pool, golfing and playing poker but somedays I don't leave my house. I'm not as social as I used to be when I was partying. Life's kinda boring now but I can't have my parents losing another kid.
I agree on the boring part, but the biggest difference for me is my body is in much better shape. I'm working out again 3-4 times a week. Also, I'm saving so much money from not drinking. Between drinks at dinner, and then going out to the bar/pool hall afterwards, I could easily spend $200-$300 in a night.
Also, very sorry about your brother.