how are ya'll doing in league ?

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
Not giving up, just no longer expecting improvement

Lost last night, got shut out. Played very poorly. My opponent played well, I might not have won even had I played more to my ability. I just wouldn't have felt so badly about it. I missed such easy, basic shots...

I now know that I am very likely to remain a SL5 forever, or at least until I figure out a way to shut my mind off when I'm playing. I simply cannot stop my mind from going 100 mph, all the time, and it clearly affects my play.

It is a trait that has probably served me very well in most aspects of my life and career, but is counter-productive when trying to play pool properly.

Very frustrating. You can tell your hand to make a fist, or to relax, and it will do what you tell it to do. I cannot figure out how to tell my mind to quiet the hell down. Too much going on, wheel spinning, thoughts racing....no, I don't drink very much coffee or take chemical enhancements :) and I'm not hyperactive nor anything related. I just have a mind that doesn't slow down much.

I will have to find enjoyment out of what I can when I play, enjoying my friends company, and not worry about being any better, cuz it's just not gonna happen.

Whiny rant over.
 

ElLeon

Headshot
Silver Member
As I usually go straight from a compliance audit or similarly stressful environment to the pool hall for league night, my mind is quite cluttered from being "on" for 10 hours straight with who-knows-what fraudulent situation and the person who cooked the books or is actively stealing from the organization.

To combat this I have taken to the following procedure, much like a baseball or football player would prepare for a game:

- sit at the bar, cue still packed away and talk with teammates/friends/patrons for at least 15 minutes about something other than work or pool

- Slowly enjoy one (1) of my favorite beverages during this period to supply a physical as well as psychological break between work and pool. In this case it's usually a Jameson and Coke.

- After the 15 min relax period I determine if I need a few more minutes of relaxation or want to warm the soup bone (stroke) up.

- If warming up, I just shoot straight stop shots slowly moving the object ball down a diamond every few minutes. No thinking about strategy, just shooting to get the feel

- After 15 min of that, partake in another favorite beverage while shooting a few 9-ball racks to get the feel for rails.

- 15 min before play starts, I put the cue down and have some more conversation about things other than pool/work. (full disclosure: My team tends to show up anywhere from 6:45 - 7:05 and match play starts at 7, so I usually shoot first or second)

You would be surprised how feeling refreshed and relaxed will help your game. Give it a try, it's not like you have a lot to lose based on what is going on right now.

Lost last night, got shut out. Played very poorly. My opponent played well, I might not have won even had I played more to my ability. I just wouldn't have felt so badly about it. I missed such easy, basic shots...

I now know that I am very likely to remain a SL5 forever, or at least until I figure out a way to shut my mind off when I'm playing. I simply cannot stop my mind from going 100 mph, all the time, and it clearly affects my play.

It is a trait that has probably served me very well in most aspects of my life and career, but is counter-productive when trying to play pool properly.

Very frustrating. You can tell your hand to make a fist, or to relax, and it will do what you tell it to do. I cannot figure out how to tell my mind to quiet the hell down. Too much going on, wheel spinning, thoughts racing....no, I don't drink very much coffee or take chemical enhancements :) and I'm not hyperactive nor anything related. I just have a mind that doesn't slow down much.

I will have to find enjoyment out of what I can when I play, enjoying my friends company, and not worry about being any better, cuz it's just not gonna happen.

Whiny rant over.
 

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
As I usually go straight from a compliance audit or similarly stressful environment to the pool hall for league night, my mind is quite cluttered from being "on" for 10 hours straight with who-knows-what fraudulent situation and the person who cooked the books or is actively stealing from the organization.

To combat this I have taken to the following procedure, much like a baseball or football player would prepare for a game:

- sit at the bar, cue still packed away and talk with teammates/friends/patrons for at least 15 minutes about something other than work or pool

- Slowly enjoy one (1) of my favorite beverages during this period to supply a physical as well as psychological break between work and pool. In this case it's usually a Jameson and Coke.

- After the 15 min relax period I determine if I need a few more minutes of relaxation or want to warm the soup bone (stroke) up.

- If warming up, I just shoot straight stop shots slowly moving the object ball down a diamond every few minutes. No thinking about strategy, just shooting to get the feel

- After 15 min of that, partake in another favorite beverage while shooting a few 9-ball racks to get the feel for rails.

- 15 min before play starts, I put the cue down and have some more conversation about things other than pool/work. (full disclosure: My team tends to show up anywhere from 6:45 - 7:05 and match play starts at 7, so I usually shoot first or second)

You would be surprised how feeling refreshed and relaxed will help your game. Give it a try, it's not like you have a lot to lose based on what is going on right now.

Thanks....I already try to do some of the things you mention. We usually get there 30-45 minutes before play starts, or most of the team. We do a whole lot of talking about anything and everything going on, often including other team payers as well (its a fairly close-knit league, we're pretty blessed to all be friends or at least friendly). Getting a bite to eat, going outside when the others go for a smoke, etc...

I like to have the aforementioned one adult beverage once I get there, and usually would rather hold off and before having the second one while I'm playing. Some nights if I'm playing later in the evening the one while I'm playing may very well be #3 :p tho I really try to keep the adult beverage consumption down until after I've played. I have considered increasing my intake somewhat, especially when I get into one of these moods and modes. That really isn't the answer, but it might at least make my night go better :)

I've mentioned this other times in the past, another issue I have (and boy do I have issues lol) is that as a long time retail manager, I have "managers ears"....I hear all the conversations going on around me rather well, which can be distracting. Especially in my home room, where its often very quiet, with no music some evenings. I have earbuds, and have used them in the past, but just like drinking more, I would rather not have to use a crutch.

I guess it might come to that.
 

skip100

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I got paired up against a sacrificial lamb 3 at the end of the night last night. I broke and ran the first game, muddled through the next two to go up 3-0, and then my teammate asked if I knew anything about my opponent. "He used to be a really good player but he recently had a stroke." I was already having trouble concentrating/caring and that totally shot it. I ended up winning 6-1 after a botched safety and a nice full table shot by him led to a loss in the fourth game. He got a point so it wasn't all bad for his team but he definitely had his chances - then again what 3 doesn't?

This will be my last league night for a few months, if not more, and don't think I'll miss it.
 

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
Managed to keep my brain in check better last night, hung in and pulled off a win against someone I havent beaten in a long time. Progress....baby steps. We'll see if it continues tomorrow night....
 

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I won 8 ball 4-3 in a 4-5 race vs a 6 last wed night.

Lost 9 ball 36-38 I. A 38-38 race vs another 5 Thursday night. Had a chance to win but missed a few I normally make. Well life goes on . :eek:

Fri night I won 8 ball 4-0 in a 4-3 race vs a 4. Did t shoot as good as I did wed night but shot good enough to get a shut out vs a pretty decent 4.
 

ElLeon

Headshot
Silver Member
Managed to keep my brain in check better last night, hung in and pulled off a win against someone I havent beaten in a long time. Progress....baby steps. We'll see if it continues tomorrow night....

Did you change your relaxation strategy prior to the night starting? Or just the same thing as always and got a different result?
 

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
Did you change your relaxation strategy prior to the night starting? Or just the same thing as always and got a different result?

Well, somewhat. Different environment as well.

I did have an extra adult beverage before starting, and the room we were playing in has music playing at a volume that kept me from hearing surrounding conversations as much. (I was prepared to wear my ear buds and listen to my own music, but it wasnt necessary.)

I tried my best to focus on the shot at hand, and reset if I caught my mind wandering from that. I slowed down everything somewhat as well, the walk into the shot, the warm-up strokes, the back stroke itself. Deep breaths occasionally. Dont remember any other things that I might have done differently, but there might be more little things.

We'll see if I keep that process in place, and continue to play appropriately. Its not so much that I won, its that I played the way I expect to play, and not making extremely poor shots. That was evident early on last night, I just wanted to make sure I kept that focus thru the whole match.

Like Yogi said, 90% of this game is half mental :p
 

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wow did I have a bad night last night.

Missing shots a 5 should never miss. Getting out of position bad. Could not think of how to play it when I got big a few times. Like dub....my mind was just not there last night.

I did manage to win 9 ball vs another 5 by 38-32. He shot worse than i did ....unbelievable. I played the same guy 8 ball and he shot a whole lot better and I continued shooting like crap..he won 4-1 in 4-4 race.


Not trying to make excuses but I had a bad day at work. So bad I did not realm want to go play but we would have only had 4 there if I did not show. To make matters worse ...as soon as I walked in the door 2 guys got into a fight. I dont condone fighting and this was not realm much of a fight....actually they were quite comical....never seen two guys get into a fight before where it was apparent they did not know how to fight.

Just glad no one got hurt.
 

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
Wow did I have a bad night last night.

Missing shots a 5 should never miss. Getting out of position bad. Could not think of how to play it when I got big a few times. Like dub....my mind was just not there last night.

I did manage to win 9 ball vs another 5 by 38-32. He shot worse than i did ....unbelievable. I played the same guy 8 ball and he shot a whole lot better and I continued shooting like crap..he won 4-1 in 4-4 race.


Not trying to make excuses but I had a bad day at work. So bad I did not realm want to go play but we would have only had 4 there if I did not show. To make matters worse ...as soon as I walked in the door 2 guys got into a fight. I dont condone fighting and this was not realm much of a fight....actually they were quite comical....never seen two guys get into a fight before where it was apparent they did not know how to fight.

Just glad no one got hurt.

Sorry to hear about your rough night.

Interestingly enough, on my report about my match from two days ago, I left out the fact that I had a crappy day at work (as in I won't be working in a month or two) and I too didn't really wanna play that night, either.

Yet when I got there with my friends, it allowed me a way to channel the good stuff, and block out the bad stuff, if only for a few hours.

Tale of two bad days, I suppose.... It can only get better, right?
 

ElLeon

Headshot
Silver Member
I did have an extra adult beverage before starting, and the room we were playing in has music playing at a volume that kept me from hearing surrounding conversations as much. (I was prepared to wear my ear buds and listen to my own music, but it wasnt necessary.)

If you are going to play your own music, then I have found that this track always gets me in the mood to play at the Nationals in Vegas. Just walk around with this playing in your ear buds and you can't help but get amped up to shoot at a competitive level against some of these folks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZZUtepIvuM
 

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
If you are going to play your own music, then I have found that this track always gets me in the mood to play at the Nationals in Vegas. Just walk around with this playing in your ear buds and you can't help but get amped up to shoot at a competitive level against some of these folks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZZUtepIvuM

Funny stuff.

I've been involved in playing music for most of my life, both performing in bands, playing music on the radio as a DJ and also as a club DJ, so I'm used to pretty much anything. Of course there are a few genre's I don't really care for, but I really don't care what's on when I'm playing, most anything that gets played in a pool room is fine. Same for putting the stuff in my phone on shuffle, and letting it rip. (Could be classic rock, current stuff, pop, some small amount of country as well as blues.)

While I'm playing, I just need the sound to drown out the conversations around me. When I'm in the seat it's something to focus on rather than getting my brain messed up thinking about other stuff that I might dwell on.

Pretty girls in the room are good that way, too :p
 

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
Continued progress. Used the ear buds tonight (just in one ear) and beat another tough player. The one key thing that I'm thinking has made the most difference is the slowing down of the whole process. Not to the level of a "slow player" per se, just not rushing things. Practice strokes and actual stroke slowed down some as well.

Again, the wins are good for the teams, the larger triumph is simply not playing poorly. Not lighting the world on fire, but not donkeying a large amount either. More progress.
 

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Continued progress. Used the ear buds tonight (just in one ear) and beat another tough player. The one key thing that I'm thinking has made the most difference is the slowing down of the whole process. Not to the level of a "slow player" per se, just not rushing things. Practice strokes and actual stroke slowed down some as well.

Again, the wins are good for the teams, the larger triumph is simply not playing poorly. Not lighting the world on fire, but not donkeying a large amount either. More progress.

Good going dub. As for the job situation ...i hope things work out for you.

I played 9 ball tonight against this young lady....i say young ....probably late 20's / early 30's and I never looked to see what her handicap was when they threw her against me. Probably a 2 if I had to guess.

Anyway I won 38-11. Her husband was playing on the table beside us against a team mate of mine and several times he had to stop his match to give her a time out. It was obvious it was affecting his match so one time he had one of his team mates coach her. Well this guy was telling her all wrong and i really dont know what made me do it but when she started to shoot I asked if she minded if I gave her advice. She said she would be glad to Take my advice so I showed her where to aim for a full table kick..she made it and the look on her face was priceless.

So I coached her a couple of more times during our match. After it was over I gave her a few pointers on her stroke. Her husband thanked me before they left and said he appreciated my help.as no one else on their team is capable of coaching besides him.

The whole team is 2's and 3's except for him ....he is a 5.

Now this is not the first time I have done this and some may frown on it but I see no need to put the beat down on a low level player ....unless its in playoffs or higher.

I have a team mate who is a 5 also put a skunk on a 2 recently and said he oughta be be a 6 after that. I thought it necessary to give him a reality check and tell him.....yea beatin the crap outa low level players will get you raised to a 6 but that don't mean you can play like a 6.
 

jus4funbilliard

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My team qualified for Vegas in APA second year in a row, got lucky big blowup with team a couple team mates couple weeks ago, that showed up for league wasted. And my game has gone to hell. Guessing this is my last session for awhile.
 

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My team qualified for Vegas in APA second year in a row, got lucky big blowup with team a couple team mates couple weeks ago, that showed up for league wasted. And my game has gone to hell. Guessing this is my last session for awhile.

Good luck out there. Dont quit...find a team you can jell with. Not every one are drunks.

Sunday night was our turn on the big tables again due to Having sat myself out the last time we played on them meant its been about 7 weeks since I played on them and of course it took me a few racks to adjust.

Well I guess I adjusted pretty good.

Won 8 ball vs a 6 by 4-1

Won 9 ball vs another 6 by 38-32
.
 

supergreenman

truly addicted
Silver Member
Having a blast trying to outrun the nuts. VNEA Summer league is a strange animal where I'm from. It's not divisionalized so all skill levels are represented.

My team plays in the top division in the winter so for summer league we all play as 10s.

Teams with players from other divisions also have set averages but if they go over it they have to play at their real average.

Most nights we're giving away 10+ points a round for handicap. Keeps us on our toes for sure.
 
Top