how are ya'll doing in league ?

jwhip

Registered
I'm struggling. Not with my game, but with the availability to play higher rated players and when the opposing team has them our captain plays them. So as a 7 in 9 ball, I mainly play 5's if I play. No incentive to play so done with this team after the session. I just going to work on my game and try to find a new competitive outlet for pool.
 

bobprobst

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Good Summer APA session.

1st in 8 ball
Very close 2nd in 9 ball

Win % is 67% in both 8 and 9 and that's with almost always playing above my handicap (I'm a 5 in 8, 6 in 9)

Had two B&Rs in 9 ball this summer as well.

I'm #1 MVP in the 4/5 8 ball bracket and wondering when I might get bumped up to 6. Must be coming soon.
 

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
Wasnt planning to play last night, the team we were playing has arguably the best player in our league and a strong SL6, they dont often both play the same night. I had my SL6 against theirs, then they threw the SL7 later.

I'll be honest, I didn't want my other SL5 that was there last night to have the loss on his record this session, he has a good record going. Yes, he could still have won, he's probly playing better than me lately, but it would be a big challenge. And he has more matches in than I, so I played.

Very poorly. I lost all my mental control I had worked on the last few weeks. Very disappointed in myself.

I wouldnt have won, that isnt the issue. I dogged shots so badly, wasnt controlling my thoughts. He broke and ran out the last two games, at least I didn't have to shoot anymore, lol.

Oh well. Back at it again, gotta keep working on the brain
 

nine_ball6970

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Played NAPA 8 ball 8-3 race on Monday. I won 8-1. Moved up to a grandmaster which I am happy about.

Played NAPA 9 ball 8-4 race on Tuesday. I won 8-0.

Playing pretty well overall but I am burned out on pool. I think I am going to take some time off from the game after these two sessions are over. Both will last about another month. I used to be excited about playing pool after work and going to league. Now it feels like a chore and I would just rather do other things.
 

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As of last Wednesday I was still top shooter by 58 points (max 50 per night).
But the guy who is now in second place plays as good as I do.
With 6 weeks left I have to keep my focus.
I would hate to get beat in the stretch.
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
After being out of any leagues for 5+ years, I was coaxed into playing one this year. I'm starting to figure out which end of the cue stick to use. I think I've lost a total of five games (or less) the last three matches (7-2, 7-2 10-ball, 5-1 8-ball), which isn't spectacular by any means, but it's so far the best stretch all season. And I'm starting to remember how to play on a bar table after not really competing on one for these dry years.

Freddie <~~~ just the tip

Our three-man team won our division this session. No playoff. Final tally is that I did the worst on my team, with a ~$600 session payoff. Not bad. On to the next session.

Freddie <~~~ sshhhhh
 

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
first guy i play breaks and runs out just like last week. Tough league.
I scored a 37 out of 50.
Probably good enough to stay top shooter.
4 weeks to go . I hope I don't dog it. Woof!.
 

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I dont know if it common everywhere or just here locally. League nights include both 8 ball and 9 ball.

I continue to win in 8 ball, fairly easy. I take my one pocket game into 8 ball and torture whomever I play. Honestly, there are better shooters than I am, but I never let them up for air, and their strategy play is absolutely terrible.

In 9 ball I continue to lose to SL2s. No pushout after the break, and my errors and misses cost me 1-3 balls on each occurance. :angry: Playing against SL4 or above, I win pretty easily. I continue to struggle giving up the nuts. :eek:


:rolleyes:

I wish you all the best of rolls,

Ken
 

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
One other comment.

I do my best to keep my damn mouth shut but this is when players call time out, typically pretty new players. Their coach / captains come out and offers them suggestions.

They offer the players TERRIBLE advice, and have them shooting either the wrong shot, or the worst strategy.

Occasionally, I offer to show them a different shot, usually the captain or even the player. Sometimes I feel they appreciate it, and sometimes I think it just pi$$es them off. (After the match is complete not during their timeout)


IMO, the biggest potential improvements for league players;

1.) Understand how to use a bridge. Often I see the handle of the bridge is a few inches off the table AND MOVING, while they are also moving the cue.

2.) Better understand strategy. What I see is players immediately start making balls with no plan or strategy on trouble balls. So they have made all of their "breakout" balls, and are now left with balls tied up and impossible to be made.

3.) Practice.....:eek:. They only come in to play on league night, and then are surprised that they are not only not improving but getting worse.

Just my thoughts.

Ken
 
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drv4

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Won both 8 and 9 again. 9 and 1 this session. Have to be close to being a 7/7. I am so full of confidence since winning 9 ball top gun. Honestly I don't feel like I will ever lose again! (Riding a high)
 

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
One other comment.

I do my best to keep my damn mouth shut but this is when players call time out, typically pretty new players. Their coach / captains come out and offers them suggestions.

They offer the players TERRIBLE advice, and have them shooting either the wrong shot, or the worst strategy.

Occasionally, I offer to show them a different shot, usually the captain or even the player. Sometimes I feel they appreciate it, and sometimes I think it just pi$$es them off. (After the match is complete not during their timeout)


IMO, the biggest potential improvements for league players;

1.) Understand how to use a bridge. Often I see the handle of the bridge is a few inches off the table AND MOVING, while they are also moving the cue.

2.) Better understand strategy. What I see is players immediately start making balls with no plan or strategy on trouble balls. So they have made all of their "breakout" balls, and are now left with balls tied up and impossible to be made.

3.) Practice.....:eek:. They only come in to play on league night, and then are surprised that they are not only not improving but getting worse.

Just my thoughts.

Ken

You're spot on, 100%. The bridge thing annoys the crap out of me, and I'm just a hack.

Thing is, coaching a lower level player takes practice, too. Knowing your player and their capabilities, their willingness to accept coaching or suggestion, their reluctance to shoot certain types of shots (some love to bank, some can't draw, some can't follow)... We have quite a few mid-level players on both teams that I play on, so we have different players coaching at different times. Some players take coaching better from certain coaches, so that's good to keep in mind, too. Many times I've seen better players not good at coaching, likely cuz there is so much that they take for granted and is subconscious to them that they neglect to include that in their coaching.

I think I've had more fun coaching some players than actually playing, some nights. There are couple of ladies that I play with, its great fun to see them "see" certain things on the table now, that they wouldn't have a few months ago. Do they always make those shots, no. But the fact that they see the shot is awesome. Happened last night, one of them didn't have a great shot on her object ball, but there was a decent carom option. I watched her lining up, thinking that I might have to call time-out, but then I could tell she saw it. Did she make it, no. But she had a far better chance at the carom than the extreme cut on the OB. I told her that when she came back from the table, and she was pretty pleased that I noticed that. They will eventually make more of those shots down the road, but you can't make'em if you don't see'em. That's fun.
 

WoodyMPW

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
3.) Practice.....:eek:. They only come in to play on league night, and then are surprised that they are not only not improving but getting worse.

If it's a handicap league, there's plenty that are perfectly happy with this.
 

nine_ball6970

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Had a 9-3 race in NAPA 8 ball Monday. I won 9-0. Played pretty well.

Had a 6-6 race in NAPA 9 ball Tuesday. I won 6-2. Both of us played below our normal game. My misses were more in the beginning of racks whereas his were toward the end.

Between both teams, I am 12-4 this season. Proud of that because the races can be so tough. Typically I have had around a 50% winning percentage on each team.

It seems like I have been playing better lately even though I have been playing mush less. Before I would play almost every day. Now I am mostly just playing the two league nights and that is it. Maybe I have reduced pressure and expectations which is letting me get out of my own way. Who knows.....
 

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wednesday last week double jeapordy
Played a 5 9 ball. I was up 36-30 and broke dry the last rack .he ran 8 balls to win 38-36. Man my break sucks and some good shooting by him.

Played the same guy 8 ball and i won 4-2 in a 4-4 race.

Thursday 9 ball last week. Played another 5 and we got into a shootout with both of us playing pretty good.. I won 38-35 in 8 innings

Sunday night double jeapordy

Played a 4 8 ball and my head was just not there. Lost 3-2 in a 4-3 race.

Played a different 4 in 9 ball and I come out firing. Was kinda upset abort my poor play in 8 ball . My opponent knew it too . After I won 38-11 I a 38-31 race I overheard him telling his captain I must have been pissed off about my 8 ball loss. Wasn't exactly pissed off about the loss....just upset about my poor play.

Last night 8 ball. Lost 3-3 to a 4 . Again poor play on my part. Scratched on the 8 once and early 8 when i tried to knock my last ball in past the 8 and over cut knocking the 8 in. Next rack my opponent put a break and run on me to win.

Tonight 9 ball. I played an 8 and come out firing again. I was up 18-10 after 3 racks. He started saftying the crap out of me and got ahead a little. If we had been in valleys I dont thing he would have ever cought me. I very seldom play on diamonds and it cost me giving him bih a few times. I managed to play a couple of safes myself and won 38-54 in a 38-65 race.

Just friggin unbelievable how up and down my game is from one night to the next.
 

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
Another week where I didn't plan on playing, I had to work late. When I got there, it was close to starting the last match. Their throw, they threw a SL4. We had me and my SL6 left. He could have played, giving up two games, or I could play giving up one. So I played.

We really could have used the 3-0, as we were having a tough night. Sadly, I let him get one game, but managed to bear down and win the rest. He's a good player, no shame in that, just disappointed that I let one get away.
 

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thursday 9 ball. I faced a 4 and won 38-20 in a 38-31 race. Prior to tonight I have always tried to play conservative when left hard. Twice tonight I resorted to what people have done to me in that situation......that is smack the heck out the ball and hope for the best lol. That method always seems to work for my opponents.either something falls and they continue shooting or I am left hard if nothing falls. Both times for me ended with the cue ball getting knocked due to ball flying around. My opponent got a total of 9 points with both bih situations so It could have been a 38-11 win for me with out those 2 idiotic shots by me. So much for that experiment.. I am going to leave that crap for the guys who at pros at it.

Friday night scotch doubles where we also play 4 singles matches. I faced the same 6 in both 8 and 9. Won 8 ball 4-2 in a 4-5 race. Won 9 ball 38-24 in a 38-46 race. Owe the win to my breaking which has been slowly improving thanks to some advice from a 9 . Oh yea I traded my Alex brick for a brand new predator bk 3 . It seems to break better but new cues seem to improve you for a while.

I chose to sit out the scotch doubles matches tonight

Interesting delimna tonight also. Our opponents had only 2 players there as the other 2 where in Vegas with other teams that play on. The 2 players that showed were the 6 and 7 which combined for a 13 handicap in 9 ball and a 12 handicap in 8. You are allowed a maximum of 11 in singles and 10 in doubles. I elected to let them play instead of forfeit. We still won 8 ball 4-3 and tied 9 ball 30-30. Yea I know....i am a good sportsman . I know several captains that would have taken the easy wins.
 

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I suspected I had the makings of a good team on Sunday night.

They showed mw tonight just how good we can be
9 ball

I threw a 5-5-5-5-1
Them. 7-6-4-4-2
We won 73-27

8 ball

I threw a 5-5-5-3-2 I could have thrown 4- 5's and a 3
Them. 6-5-4-3-3
We won 10-2

As for me...i won 9 ball 38-24 vs their 6 for a score of 16-4
Won 8 ball 4-1 vs the same player but he is a 5 in 8 ball

I happened to pick up a 6 for this team the other night. A new guy from north Carolina. Hope he is better than the new guy who was a 6 from Michigan last session who quit and moved back home this session. This guy asked me the make up of my team the other night. I told him 5-5's ...3 and a 2 in 8 ball .....5-5's ...a 2 and a 1 in 9 ball.

He said...you dont have a high level player to go against other high level players ? I replied that every 5 on my team is capable of competing with higher level players and that 3 of us have been 6's at one time or another. He just looked at me dumbfounded lol. Wish he would have been there tonight...it would have made a believer out of him lol
 

CGM

It'd be a lot cooler if you did.
Silver Member
I seem to be regressing. I started out on fire in 8 to start this session, but the last 4 weeks I have just been playing poorly. There is something way off as I seem to be overcutting everything and I have the yips. Im missing layups on money balls and its killing me. I need some lessons.
 

bobprobst

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
We're 13 points ahead in 8 ball for the session with 2 weeks left to play. As long as we don't take any bad beats we should be good.

We led 9 ball for most of the session until the 2nd place team slipped into 1st place 3 weeks back. We played them last week. We were only 3 points behind them going in and then won the match 60-40. :D
 

ElLeon

Headshot
Silver Member
We placed 64th in 9-ball at the World Pool Championships.

The interesting part was that the team who beat us in the 1st round (From Mississippi), and the team which knocked us out (From Louisiana) played each other in day 4.

The team which knocked us out won, and was later disqualified from the event in 5th place. My suspicion was that their two players who signed up as 3's had been bumped to 5's (they were SL 4 when our teams met). You know it will be a tough match when the person who "was a 3 last match" is playing 3-rail position shots, carom defenses and full-table draw shots....

Ultimately, based on what we saw, and that they were silly enough to sign those players up as SL 3 in the first place, they deserved to be disqualified. A shame as they were really nice people. Even after being disqualified, I would have been happy to have a beer with any of those guys. Too bad they were a bit to aggressive with their beginning skill level sign-ups.
 
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