New user to the forum here, Wondering if anyone has some advise on staying focused while shooting in bars?The league I shoot in is a bar league. I seem to have such a problem focusing wether it is the music or something else my game has been suffering comparing to when I'm at my local pool hall on the weekends. I seem to be struggling with position play and shoots I'd usually make most of the time at the pool hall. Any advice would be much appriciated.
Staying focused while shooting in bars.
- Thread starter Jlotz22
- Start date
Drink more!
The noise and music doesn't bother me as much as the people crowding around, walking aimlessly by, and bumping into me while I'm shooting.
It is something you have to deal with when you play in bar leagues.
I played in a bar league for a couple of years, many years ago, and we won the city championships both years. You couldn't pay me to play in a bar league again.
Playing in a bar is one thing, but leagues in bars are a totally different thing.
The noise and music doesn't bother me as much as the people crowding around, walking aimlessly by, and bumping into me while I'm shooting.
It is something you have to deal with when you play in bar leagues.
I played in a bar league for a couple of years, many years ago, and we won the city championships both years. You couldn't pay me to play in a bar league again.
Playing in a bar is one thing, but leagues in bars are a totally different thing.
Practice at the bar on non-league days.
I have the opposite problem... When I used to have to play in a bar, especially some of the tiny hellholes with obstacles around the table, I'd get so focused on the balls I wouldn't even notice other people/objects, I'd just go from shot to shot walking right over people without noticing, sticking my butt on people's drinks at their tables before they had a chance to get out of my way. I have good pool room etiquette, I don't accidentally shark people on the table next to me, but in a bar for whatever reason (probably because it's dark and noisy and the table is the only thing lit well.. and the table has such buckets for pockets I don't have to take any time at all thinking about shots) I forget about the rest of the world.
I don't know that you need to practice pool in bars, but maybe spend more time in them when you're not playing pool, go sit in a noisy bar and do a crossword. As for the people walking around, I don't know. Maybe because it's I lived a block from Times Square for years, but a huge crowd of people bumping into me doesn't phase me at all. Just learn to go with it.
Bar tables are actually not all that easy to get position on for things like 8-ball, just because of size they can get crowded. Well-used bar tables often will not roll perfectly true and the rails are often mismatches, each rail on the table may respond a little differently (many of them rebounding very dead).
Depending on the level your game is at right now, practicing (with a skilled partner) on a bar table just to get used to the different positional strategy may be worth your time, but if you're still new-ish to pool I would stay on 9-footers for practice so you are a little quicker to identify bad habits, you can get away with sloppy form on bar tables and it will be hard to fix later. Straight pool is decent practice for the more crowded conditions you'll face on a bar table, playing a lot of short shots and moving carefully over short distances.
I don't know that you need to practice pool in bars, but maybe spend more time in them when you're not playing pool, go sit in a noisy bar and do a crossword. As for the people walking around, I don't know. Maybe because it's I lived a block from Times Square for years, but a huge crowd of people bumping into me doesn't phase me at all. Just learn to go with it.
Bar tables are actually not all that easy to get position on for things like 8-ball, just because of size they can get crowded. Well-used bar tables often will not roll perfectly true and the rails are often mismatches, each rail on the table may respond a little differently (many of them rebounding very dead).
Depending on the level your game is at right now, practicing (with a skilled partner) on a bar table just to get used to the different positional strategy may be worth your time, but if you're still new-ish to pool I would stay on 9-footers for practice so you are a little quicker to identify bad habits, you can get away with sloppy form on bar tables and it will be hard to fix later. Straight pool is decent practice for the more crowded conditions you'll face on a bar table, playing a lot of short shots and moving carefully over short distances.
Wear headphones and keep your eyes focused on the table. No reason to look around until your work is finished. Watch ralf souquet when he plays his eyes are on the table, the ground, or closed. THATS IT the whole match.
That said its hard and takes practice like anything else.
That said its hard and takes practice like anything else.
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Adderall...
To answer your question seriously, it's very tough to do as bars were never really intended to be a place for " focusing ". It's a bar first , pool room ( maybe) second. Too many half dressed chics running around for me to take anything too serious pool related while there. Then, if you really are there to play serious pool; you're probably not drinking and have a soda or water in front of you all night and become " that guy " which is no Bueno at all. Only real suggestion I can give ya is just try to have fun, everything else usually falls into place and if you are not comfortable which it sounds like you're not just don't play for money and it will be allllllright �� PS, wasn't really kidding with my first response - it can help a ton if ya really do have a problem focusing in general - just go see the doc!
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As much as I would like to it's just a little to far for I think it to be worth it. I may try to get up there once more a week just to get a better feel.
I honestly have the same distraction haha, along with the music, I should have edited my post to say it's a league, I may try the look at the table only and not engage in conversation the entire time I'm shooting, it maybe a little rude, but hey if it helps it helps.
Great advice, I will for sure give this a try, I'm gunna give the not talking thing a go as well, my teammates have been my friends for years so no worry for them thinking I'm being rude.
Nevermind...
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Some leagues do not allow headphones, I believe APA is one of them.
I would say just learn to focus. After about 3 years of shooting in bars I have adjusted to the point that you can be standing in my aim line waving your arms and screaming and it would not have an affect on my shoot.
I would say just learn to focus. After about 3 years of shooting in bars I have adjusted to the point that you can be standing in my aim line waving your arms and screaming and it would not have an affect on my shoot.
I started playing pool in bars so I'm used to the noise and potential distractions. Poolhalls were almost too quiet at first. Still, no matter how quiet or noisy the atmosphere, you have to focus on the table. Your position play could suffer for a variety of other reasons. Other than the obvious table size, you can be playing with differently weighted cue balls, slow cloth, erratic rails etc. Bar table side pockets can be a bit narrower as well. A few unexpected leaves or misses could open the door to your problems with focus.
Not to be contrary, but having focus in a bar directly opposes the point of going into a bar in the first place.
