how are ya'll doing in league ?

jokrswylde · Oct 9, 2018

Last week I had a great match against an 8 ball SL6. Beat him 3-0 including a break and run on the 9 foot table. This is my 3rd B&R on the big table over the past 2 sessions.

Then last night, my team was down 5-4 going into the last match our opponents put up an SL 2. I had planned to play my SL2 up against her, but my 2 told me she did not want the pressure of having it all fall on her...so I played the SL2.

I was in hell. This girl could not hit water if she fell out of a boat. She took at least 3-4 minutes between shots...It was excruciating. After watching her shoot a couple balls, I knew she could not beat me unless I goofed up on the 8 ball. Seemed like every time she missed she was tying up my balls in a cluster or leaving me pinned behind her ball.

It made me play super tight and I lost all kinds of focus. I was able to win 4-0, but it took 30 of the longest innings of my life. Amazing to go from drilling a sl6 in a few innings last week to batting balls all over the table against an sl2 this week. Oh well, we won and moved into 2nd place in the standings..

lorider · Oct 10, 2018

jokrswylde said:
Last week I had a great match against an 8 ball SL6. Beat him 3-0 including a break and run on the 9 foot table. This is my 3rd B&R on the big table over the past 2 sessions.

Then last night, my team was down 5-4 going into the last match our opponents put up an SL 2. I had planned to play my SL2 up against her, but my 2 told me she did not want the pressure of having it all fall on her...so I played the SL2.

I was in hell. This girl could not hit water if she fell out of a boat. She took at least 3-4 minutes between shots...It was excruciating. After watching her shoot a couple balls, I knew she could not beat me unless I goofed up on the 8 ball. Seemed like every time she missed she was tying up my balls in a cluster or leaving me pinned behind her ball.

It made me play super tight and I lost all kinds of focus. I was able to win 4-0, but it took 30 of the longest innings of my life. Amazing to go from drilling a sl6 in a few innings last week to batting balls all over the table against an sl2 this week. Oh well, we won and moved into 2nd place in the standings..

Sympathize with you .. Frustrating how they move balls around when you had a game plan working. I know.it seems odd but I get frustrated when they leave an unintentional hook and it messes my game up but yet a damn good safe by a higher level is respected and makes me more focused to get out of their safe.

Did not play usapl this week due to vehicle problems but i looked up my rating . Went from a 461 to a 467 after my last outing.

While I was at it looked up my apa stats also. 77% win record in 8 ball and somehow remaining a 5 after dropping from a 6 a couple months ago.

44% in 9 ball and was raised back up to a 6 a few weeks ago.

I realm dont worry about handicap....just play the best I can every week. Just so many things in life can mess up your mental state when you show up for league that I nust accept that I am what i am.

StraightPoolIU · Oct 10, 2018

I've been on a really good run in our VNEA/BCA co-sanctioned 8 ball league. In the last 3 weeks I've only lost 1 game and that was the last game last night. I was in a tough spot and tried to play a safe and got a bad roll. The person I was playing had a really tough cut at the 8 all the way down table and drilled it. Still had an ERO last night, and my team was able to win the night overall 5 to 2 despite giving up a whopping 8 points per round on the handicaps. I really feel like I have improved, but I wish I got more time to practice and play tournaments so I could really lock it in and take that next step.

StraightPoolIU · Oct 10, 2018

I wasn't aware it was even legal under the rules for men to be 2s. I don't think I've ever seen one in all the nights I've played APA here in Indy. I'm not sure I've even ran into a male 3 except for maybe once that I can think of. Everything is relative of course with APA handicaps depending upon where your league is located, but here in Indy 2s are more or less complete beginners that have trouble making a solid bridge and pocketing basic shots. They should never be a 2 while being able to do the things you describe. That sounds more like a 5 or 6. Seems pretty fishy.

Maniac said:
I always enjoy league...to a point. With me, it's not the winning or losing that pleases me. It's all about how well I play (win or lose). For all the practice time I put in, I like to see some results come league night. If I shoot well and lose, then I'm happy. If I shoot bad and win, I am neutral. If I shoot bad and lose, I will probably not sleep well that night. Of course, if I shoot well and win, then all is well with my world.

I've played well most of the time over the last 2+ sessions. I have an 18-5 record over that period playing almost all SL6's and 5's (I'm a 6...8-ball). At one time last session I had the fear of actually going up to a 7, which I do not feel I am. Weird thing for me is that although some games may be 1 inning or so, I haven't had a break-and-run in those past 23 matches. So maybe the fact that most of my games go around 3-5 innings, that may be what keeps me from going up.

Mkindsv, what APA area do you play in? I'm currently in the Arlington APA but if my LO doesn't stop the practice of making SL2's out of perfectly capable men that should be 3's or 4's just so he can recruit them onto a team in need of players, I may look into a new league to play in. I'm tired of my 60-something year-old grandmothers that are 3's and 4's getting run ramshod over by SL2 men that have no business being 2's. Hell, one of them can draw a cue ball length-of-table, wanted to know on a shot if it was okay to masse' a shot, makes bank shots, figures out his own safeties, goes two and three rails for shape fairly regularly, and in one game made three consecutive length of table shots to get position on the 8-ball. Y'all tell me....what SL2 have you seen that could do these things? When my players play against them, I literally feel badly for them knowing what's about to transpire. We haven't beat either one of them yet (usually not close matches). I am thinking about putting myself up against one of them (there are two of them on the same team) next time we play them just to see what goes down.

Y'all keep pluggin' away and the best of luck to you all.

Maniac

Maniac

CGM · Oct 10, 2018

My son is a legit 2. He would probably be a 1 if APA allowed it. He is terrible and has literally never won a match.

lorider · Oct 10, 2018

StraightPoolIU said:
I wasn't aware it was even legal under the rules for men to be 2s. I don't think I've ever seen one in all the nights I've played APA here in Indy. I'm not sure I've even ran into a male 3 except for maybe once that I can think of. Everything is relative of course with APA handicaps depending upon where your league is located, but here in Indy 2s are more or less complete beginners that have trouble making a solid bridge and pocketing basic shots. They should never be a 2 while being able to do the things you describe. That sounds more like a 5 or 6. Seems pretty fishy.

I have only encountered 2 male 2's in 9 years of apa. One has since raised to a 3 and the other I just recently encountered and have only seen him play once. Seems to be a borderline 3 and apparently just joined the league..

I know in our area male 2's have to play as a 3 in higher level tournaments and I believe it's a national rule..

Coop1701 · Oct 10, 2018

lorider said:
I have only encountered 2 male 2's in 9 years of apa. One has since raised to a 3 and the other I just recently encountered and have only seen him play once. Seems to be a borderline 3 and apparently just joined the league..

I know in our area male 2's have to play as a 3 in higher level tournaments and I believe it's a national rule..

We have one here. A male 2. He is bad, but slowly getting better. I don't see him staying a 2 for much longer.

SpinDoctor · Oct 10, 2018

4 matches in so far and have won all 4 as a 7 in APA 8-ball but I'm really struggling to get into it. I don't really like the rules(take what you make, no jump cues, flukes count) and I find having to sit and watch the 2s and 3s play each other a bit painful after years of playing masters BCA and VNEA.

On a side note, it's almost a bit comical how seriously the captains seem to take things with respect to matching up players, time outs, etc.

Mkindsv · Oct 18, 2018

Played kinda Meh this week. I got just run over by a 5 in 9 ball this week. I was taking my first shot down 2 games to 0 and hooked beyond crazy. It was game 5 before I got another shot after my opponent miscued...of course he hit the ball and hooked me. I shot 4 times in the match and lost 5-0...I was pretty disgusted, but what are you gonna do against that kind of performance but shake hands and go sit the FFFF down?

8 ball started off much the same way. Game 1, my opponent snaps the 8 ball. In game two he breaks and gets all the way down to the 8 ball, which he rattles in the corner and blocks 4 of my balls from having a pocket and rests me up against one of my balls on the rail...I miss, he wins. Mind you he is a 4 so, now he is on the hill and I have shot 1 time. Decided it is time for a comeback. He breaks dry, I run 6 and hook him...and get out. Break same situation plays out...next game goes about the same...all of a sudden it is hill-hill. I break the balls, 5 go in, 4 solids and a stripe. Of course there is no shot on a solid. 7 shots later and we are shaking hands after I close it out with a break and run.

Up and down night Not happy with the way I got hammered in 9 ball. Not upset with how 8 ball ended up. Played blah, but the team won 3-2 in 8 ball, and we lost 3-2 in 9 ball. Week 3 in the books.

us820 · Oct 19, 2018

SpinDoctor said:
4 matches in so far and have won all 4 as a 7 in APA 8-ball but I'm really struggling to get into it. I don't really like the rules(take what you make, no jump cues, flukes count) and I find having to sit and watch the 2s and 3s play each other a bit painful after years of playing masters BCA and VNEA.

On a side note, it's almost a bit comical how seriously the captains seem to take things with respect to matching up players, time outs, etc.

Wait until you have a perfect storm really off night playing bad and early 8 and then have a sandbagger 3 accidentally shit out banger style and beat you.The right team mix of clowns will be high fiving and yelling like they just won the world series.

SpinDoctor · Oct 19, 2018

us820 said:
Wait until you have a perfect storm really off night playing bad and early 8 and then have a sandbagger 3 accidentally shit out banger style and beat you.The right team mix of clowns will be high fiving and yelling like they just won the world series.

I can just imagine how that would play out. It was my week to sit last week and this week was our bye week so it hasn't happened yet.

us820 · Oct 19, 2018

The other thing that can make you crazy is some of the teams will duck 7s and throw a 2 or 3 on you to not have to play you with their higher players.Easy wins but boring matches and you really need to watch out not to get careless enough to bump the 8 in accidentally (or anything else stupid) or they get the 1 point for being on the hill.I’m not even a good 7 and I get ducked several times a session.

lorider · Oct 20, 2018

I finally made it to league tonight after missing the last 2 weeks. Boy did it show I had not played lately during my 8 ball match. Missed shots I should never miss . One time when j miss the opposing scorekeeper who I am very friendly with asked me if it was a defensive shot . I looked at her and said.....you think I am so good that when I miss it might have been a defensive shot ? Despite shooting lousy I am able to keep it close. The score gets to 3-2 his favor with me breaking and I make 5 balls...unfriggin believable....3 stripes and 2 solids. I look over the table and decide to take solids. I run the table down to the 8 which is on the side rail and am left with a thin cut due to the cue ball hitting one of the opponents balls and stops short of where I wanted it. I make the shot and the 8 stops 2 inches short of the pocket. Damn there goes a break and run ...shoulda hit it a hair harder. He runs a few balls and misses. So we hill - hill and go back and forth . He misses his last ball leaving it between the cue ball and the 8. He gives a fist bump to the air and says yea....knew he had me hooked. Now I normally shoot pretty fast but I must have took 2 full minutes trying to line up a kick shot....which I am pretty darn good at for my handicap if I say so myself. There was not a doubt in my mind that I could make legal contact ..it was pocketing the 8 and not scratching in the opposite corner that had me concerned. I was bound and determined nor to lose to this guy as we have a lil history and it ain't all good. So I call the top right corner pocket and get down and put a lil inside English on the cue ball to straighten out the kick ...make the 8 and the cue ball catches the top rail a few inches from the left corner avoiding a scratch. My opponent says....damn .....what a shot ! He then comes up shaking my hand and says...you have improved a lot since we last played. That was probly about 6-8 months ago. I looked at him and said...thanks for the insult. He looks and me and says ..what ? I said do you realized how many missed shots I had in this match and you say I have improved. I then say....relax man I am busting your balls ...i know you were trying to compliment me on a tough win.

Later on I decide to have him replay 9 ball because they were shorthanded as I did nor want to play one of their low levels. He had already played 9 ball against my other 6 and beat him 14-6.

He and I are both 6's and he wins the lag. Proceeds to put a break and run on me ....slopping 2 balls in while he was at it. Breaks and runs 6 the next rack before he misses. I run the last 3. As have stated plenty of times before...my 9 ball break leaves a lot to be desired most of the time. Some nights I break just awesome and other nights it sucks to hell and back. I never made a ball on the break tonight but on the plus side I never left him a decent shot either. After starting out in a hole 16-0 before I ever got to the table I managed to win 46- 40 in a 46-46 race so I cant complain about that.

SpinDoctor · Oct 20, 2018

us820 said:
The other thing that can make you crazy is some of the teams will duck 7s and throw a 2 or 3 on you to not have to play you with their higher players.Easy wins but boring matches and you really need to watch out not to get careless enough to bump the 8 in accidentally (or anything else stupid) or they get the 1 point for being on the hill.I’m not even a good 7 and I get ducked several times a session.

I've had the opposing team players complain about having to play me in 2 out of the 4 matches I've played so far. In one of them, two guys on the opposite team argued for 2 or 3 minutes about not wanting to risk losing their ratings until one of them finally relented and came out to play. It made me focus just a little bit harder so that I made sure to pound him and grant his wish.

ceebee · Oct 20, 2018

What amazes me... this is 2018 & someone or everyone knows how well you play, you play every week, side by side. So how does somebody start playing 8 speed, that was a 3 speed last week. I have to say they got lucky & you were unlucky.

lorider · Oct 20, 2018

ceebee said:
What amazes me... this is 2018 & someone or everyone knows how well you play, you play every week, side by side. So how does somebody start playing 8 speed, that was a 3 speed last week. I have to say they got lucky & you were unlucky.

It happens a lot more than people would think. I have plenty of examples but here are a few.

I have another 6 on my team that beat a 9 last week 17-3. This same 9 beat me 18-2. This same 6 loses to a 6 last night by 14-6. I beat that other 6 by 13-7 after being down 16-0 before I ever get to the table. So my other 6 crushes a 9 who crushes me. I come from WA down to beat a 6 easily that beats the crap out of my 6 I the same night.

What's realm crazy is I have a 3 that put a break and run on a 9 footer...something I have never done. Yet she is such a bad 3 that i would take a bet that given 10 racks at 100.00 a rack she could not run 3 balls starting with bih. I would win at least 8 racks.

I have a 4 that crushed a 7 by 18-2 and that 7 beat the crap out if me a few weeks prior by 19-1. That 4 played like efren that night. And he has the worst cue ball control of any 4 in town.

In my 9 years in apa I have seen some amazing upsets and that does not mean any one of as sandbagging. Just some nights some people just cant lose and others just cant win.

lorider · Oct 20, 2018

I have one more example I just thought of. I was playing an 8 in 9 ball playoffs 2 sessions ago. I was a 5 at the time. Now before I go any further I want you to know that this guy has known me for 8 years. We have played each other countless times and I won some and lost some against him . We have played on the same tournament team a few times also.

Well this night was a night I will never forget. I could do no wrong. Excellent cue ball control....never missed a shot I should make for my level....played some lock down safes and wound up winning 38-22 in a 38-55 race.

Like I say we have known each for years and always have been friendly with each other and have been team mates . After losing this match he went ballistic calling me a sandbagger and that he was gonna quit apa if I was not raised to a 6 after that match. Well the devil in me had to add a lil gas to his fire and remind him he woulda still got the crap beat out of him if j had been a 6 in this match. He said in all the years he has known me he has never seen me play like that . I said well there is a damn good reason for that. Its cause I have never played like that before.

He throwed his stuff in his case heading out of the room and saying he was gonna call the lo about me..

I text him the following week a d told him he did not need to quit cause I was raised to a 6 lol. He got over it and we are still friendly with each other now.

Oh yea...my break was working awesome that night also.

ceebee · Oct 20, 2018

WE used to play a tournament twice a month & we had two "big ol boys", that were really 4 speeds. They could maybe run 3 balls with an open layout. But their Break Shot was OUTSTANDING. In just about every match they played, they would make the 9 on the break, one or two times. They were outstanding & hard to beat. We played on Valleys & alternating Breaks was the format. They sent a lot of folks to the other Bracket or Home.

Mkindsv · Oct 24, 2018

Another decent week. Have my own woes about sandbagging, but whatever, right?! Played a 2 in 9 ball first this week. He won the first rack with a nifty little 6 ball run-out (2 banks and a carom in there mind you...next I win four out of the five I need to win the match and we are on the hill-hill game, I break dry and don't see the table again, match over. Yes a GD 2 effin ran out on me TWICE...in one match, mind you this "2" was a 4/5 last session.

Next I play 8 ball. Another 2. I know this player is a 2 and rightfully so. So I am about sick and tired of getting shithammered by sandbagging 2's and 3's. The 5's 6's and 7's rarely beat me. So me and this 2 had a marathon match. I won 5-0, but it went 44 innings...I would be surprised if I am not a 3 next week.

In all honesty, if players cannot play their correct level from week to week, why should I be the only guy out there trying not to lose 2 games against 4's 5's and 6's...note ...I won't be.

Our team won the night (8) 3-2, (9)3-2...as of last week we were 1st in 8 ball and 4th in 9 ball but only 2 games out odf 2nd, we will have to see how it goes this coming week, as we have the first place 9 ball team coming up, and we have a lot more power then they do.

Not really on the fence anymore about it though. Seriously over being a 6 that has to play other 5/6's at a disadvantage because they work their handicaps so well.

jokrswylde · Oct 25, 2018

Mkindsv said:
Another decent week. Have my own woes about sandbagging, but whatever, right?! Played a 2 in 9 ball first this week. He won the first rack with a nifty little 6 ball run-out (2 banks and a carom in there mind you...next I win four out of the five I need to win the match and we are on the hill-hill game, I break dry and don't see the table again, match over. Yes a GD 2 effin ran out on me TWICE...in one match, mind you this "2" was a 4/5 last session.

Next I play 8 ball. Another 2. I know this player is a 2 and rightfully so. So I am about sick and tired of getting shithammered by sandbagging 2's and 3's. The 5's 6's and 7's rarely beat me. So me and this 2 had a marathon match. I won 5-0, but it went 44 innings...I would be surprised if I am not a 3 next week.

In all honesty, if players cannot play their correct level from week to week, why should I be the only guy out there trying not to lose 2 games against 4's 5's and 6's...note ...I won't be.

Our team won the night (8) 3-2, (9)3-2...as of last week we were 1st in 8 ball and 4th in 9 ball but only 2 games out odf 2nd, we will have to see how it goes this coming week, as we have the first place 9 ball team coming up, and we have a lot more power then they do.

Not really on the fence anymore about it though. Seriously over being a 6 that has to play other 5/6's at a disadvantage because they work their handicaps so well.

It stinks but try not to worry about it. I nip it in the bud the second they start talking about "needing innings" or getting moved up. I tell everyone on my team before the first match, play the absolute best you can, let the handicap work itself out.

As for my game, what a terrible night. It was one of those nights where nothing went right for me. First of all, I felt scatter-brained and unable to focus, Then, when I got a chance to play, there was not a single shot that I got down on that I felt confident about.

I was playing a weak SL 4 in 8 ball, and man we stunk the joint up. I seriously dont think I ran more than 4 balls all night. Ended up losing.

The infuriating thing is that after the match I played a SL 7 race to 4 for 50 bucks and beat him 4-1. I was loose didn't over analyze just approached the shot and fired.

how are ya'll doing in league ?

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Brent

Brent

It'd be a lot cooler if you did.

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