We're Too Hard On Ourselves

Johnnyt

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
I think a lot of us on here are asking too much of ourselves on the pool table over the last few years. Being able to watch a stream (PPV or free) or finding top players in action or playing in tournaments on the Internet (like Ustream) has a lot of us forgetting that most of the players we're watching are champions. We can't expect to play like them when we can't play 8-12 hours a day. Players like SVB will practice one shot they missed for hours. How many of us do that?

What I'm trying to say here is a lot of us are forgetting that these players we're watching are the best in the world. When we don't make every bank or get that perfect 3 to5 rail position like them we get frustrated. I've made up my mind to go back to having fun with the game. If I make that one more jump up to "A" I'll be happy. If I don't get that far I'll be happy I have a table and the health good enough to play the game we all love at whatever level that might be. Johnnyt
 
8Ball48043

8Ball48043

Addicted to the Sport
Silver Member
I agree. The reason I play pool is for enjoyment and personal pleasure (and ... to get out of the house and enjoy a cigar).

I have fun EVERY TIME .... win or lose!
 
DaveK

DaveK

Still crazy after all these years
Silver Member
One of the reasons to practice is to gain some understanding of the percentages on any given shot (pot, cue-ball-path, and cue-ball-distance). Unfortunately most peoples ego will not let them be honest with themselves ... a situation where improvement is hard to achieve.

Dave
 
Terry Ardeno

Terry Ardeno

I still love my wife
Silver Member
Johnnyt said:
I
What I'm trying to say here is a lot of us are forgetting that these players we're watching are the best in the world.

If I don't get that far I'll be happy I have a table and the health good enough to play the game we all love at whatever level that might be. Johnnyt
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Two things John....
1. Accu-Stats, T.A.R., live-streaming, etc has shown us how top level pool can be played. We're "spoiled" in that players in previous generations didn't have all these resources to improve their game. To match up with what you said, I think many of us have "raised the bar" to what we expect our own standard to be. That "pressure" we put on ourselves often causes our skill level to increase compared to if we had nothing to compare ourselves to and just banged the balls around.

2. A hearty "Amen" to the last part of your post that I included in the quotes!
 
C

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
Terry Ardeno said:
Two things John....
1. Accu-Stats, T.A.R., live-streaming, etc has shown us how top level pool can be played. We're "spoiled" in that players in previous generations didn't have all these resources to improve their game. To match up with what you said, I think many of us have "raised the bar" to what we expect our own standard to be. That "pressure" we put on ourselves often causes our skill level to increase compared to if we had nothing to compare ourselves to and just banged the balls around.
Click to expand...

Exactly right. An apathetic approach to improving will not yield much in the way of results. At some point you need to tell yourself that missing a 4 foot half ball shot down the rail is unacceptable. Obviously you don't want to beat yourself up over it and define your self worth based on the percentage on that shot though.

Sixpack had an excellent post a few months back where at one point he theorized that as a player improves his tolerance for mistakes reduces (I can't remember the exact wording). This reduced tolerance is what pushes us to excell.

The development of the professional snooker game over the past 30 years is an excellent example of this. In 1980 if a player made a 50 break and missed, it was a good inning. At some point (blame Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry) players decided that if they've got that far they should be making it to frame ball, now a 50 and a miss is unacceptable to the top players. Their tolerance for missing long pots is far lower than it ever was too.
 
Gerry

Gerry

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Top level pool IMO is the hardest to attain. I have played a few games/sports at a very high level, and I am psychotic about practicing. I used to bowl 4 hours a day. I remember one night in the league championship I rolled an 824 series for 3 games with 245/300/279. Did I go to the party?....no....crazy me went to the end lane and threw balls for 2 hours cause I missed a strike in what?....4 of 36 frames :rolleyes:......stupid huh? I gave up bowling not long after that.

My point I guess is I could never be happy with good enough, or just having fun. The sad thing is I wish I could be. I'm in the same boat today with pool. I'm playing as strong as I ever have, but I'm also disgusted with my game at the same time. The better I get the more holes I see. I had people compliment me after a great match last week.....all I could think was "I played terrible!" when in reality I missed 4 balls in a hill hill race to 13!

I dunno, I wish I could just have fun?

maybe I need a sports psychologist.

:)
 
LWW

LWW

MEMGO5
Silver Member
Johnnyt said:
I think a lot of us on here are asking too much of ourselves on the pool table over the last few years. Being able to watch a stream (PPV or free) or finding top players in action or playing in tournaments on the Internet (like Ustream) has a lot of us forgetting that most of the players we're watching are champions. We can't expect to play like them when we can't play 8-12 hours a day. Players like SVB will practice one shot they missed for hours. How many of us do that?

What I'm trying to say here is a lot of us are forgetting that these players we're watching are the best in the world. When we don't make every bank or get that perfect 3 to5 rail position like them we get frustrated. I've made up my mind to go back to having fun with the game. If I make that one more jump up to "A" I'll be happy. If I don't get that far I'll be happy I have a table and the health good enough to play the game we all love at whatever level that might be. Johnnyt
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Rep to you.

LWW
 
worriedbeef

worriedbeef

The Voice of Reason
Silver Member
Cameron Smith said:
Exactly right. An apathetic approach to improving will not yield much in the way of results. At some point you need to tell yourself that missing a 4 foot half ball shot down the rail is unacceptable. Obviously you don't want to beat yourself up over it and define your self worth based on the percentage on that shot though.

Sixpack had an excellent post a few months back where at one point he theorized that as a player improves his tolerance for mistakes reduces (I can't remember the exact wording). This reduced tolerance is what pushes us to excell.

The development of the professional snooker game over the past 30 years is an excellent example of this. In 1980 if a player made a 50 break and missed, it was a good inning. At some point (blame Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry) players decided that if they've got that far they should be making it to frame ball, now a 50 and a miss is unacceptable to the top players. Their tolerance for missing long pots is far lower than it ever was too.
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I think this hits the nail right on the head. Whilst what you're saying is true to a certain extent JohnnyT, it's a matter of balance. You've got to push yourself - indeed it'd be a huge waste not to when you think of most players' knowledge of the game on these forums and all the wonderful exposure to the game at the top level we get through the internet now.

But you've got to keep everything in proportion - we can't beat ourselves up as much as the top level players do because they practice full time, and indeed they're just better than us. But we've still got to beat ourselves up just a little bit! :grin:
 
Get_A_Grip

Get_A_Grip

Truth Will Set You Free
Silver Member
Once fall leagues start, I get pretty obsessive about practicing because I hate to give away even a single point to my opponents.

My thoughts are -- that I know that I'm going to blow some easy runouts -- but the mere fact that I know that I am capable of playing great when everything is clicking....is what keeps pushing me to try harder.

So I guess what I'm saying, is that I spend all of my effort practicing like nuts, for the few times a month where I do actually play lights-out -- which makes all of the hours practicing worth it to me.

On another note -- when it comes to watching pool -- I AM spoiled and I now absolutely need to watch world-champion-level pool. I can no longer stomach to watch matches where people are missing more than one ball every few games. (Thanks TAR :grin:)
 
paksat

paksat

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Gerry said:
Top level pool IMO is the hardest to attain. I have played a few games/sports at a very high level, and I am psychotic about practicing. I used to bowl 4 hours a day. I remember one night in the league championship I rolled an 824 series for 3 games with 245/300/279. Did I go to the party?....no....crazy me went to the end lane and threw balls for 2 hours cause I missed a strike in what?....4 of 36 frames :rolleyes:......stupid huh? I gave up bowling not long after that.

My point I guess is I could never be happy with good enough, or just having fun. The sad thing is I wish I could be. I'm in the same boat today with pool. I'm playing as strong as I ever have, but I'm also disgusted with my game at the same time. The better I get the more holes I see. I had people compliment me after a great match last week.....all I could think was "I played terrible!" when in reality I missed 4 balls in a hill hill race to 13!

I dunno, I wish I could just have fun?

maybe I need a sports psychologist.

:)
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Guess we're in the same boat then. Hell I got a standing ovation from some bystanders after a long match in which I played almost flawless... yet all I could think about were the 2-3 shots that I had missed that ruined perfection.
 
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