A New Beginning For My Game

[DJSTEVEZ]

So I've been getting in, give or take a few minutes, at least an hour on the table everyday.

I'm beginning to see progress and consistency. My "self-awareness" of my mechanics is better.

The things I want to do are more consistent as are the things I want to refrain from doing.

I've always wanted to be good at this game and I think the table in the office, where access is so easy, is key.

By the time Fall is in full swing I'd just like to play in a tournament 2 or 3 times a month and be happy with my game...how I played

Right now I'm just hitting balls (trying to string a pattern together straight Pool style).

In the next couple of weeks I'm going to start drills and develop a regimen.

Stay tuned

 

[garczar]

So I've been getting in, give or take a few minutes, at least an hour on the table everyday.

I'm beginning to see progress and consistency. My "self-awareness" of my mechanics is better.

The things I want to do are more consistent as are the things I want to refrain from doing.

I've always wanted to be good at this game and I think the table in the office, where access is so easy, is key.

By the time Fall is in full swing I'd just like to play in a tournament 2 or 3 times a month and be happy with my game...how I played

Right now I'm just hitting balls (trying to string a pattern together straight Pool style).

In the next couple of weeks I'm going to start drills and develop a regiment.

Stay tuned

Sorry to be picky here BUT: you develop a "regimen" not regiment. UNLESS, you're starting your own army.

 

[DaveInSC]

So I've been getting in, give or take a few minutes, at least an hour on the table everyday.

I'm beginning to see progress and consistency. My "self-awareness" of my mechanics is better.

The things I want to do are more consistent as are the things I want to refrain from doing.

I've always wanted to be good at this game and I think the table in the office, where access is so easy, is key.

By the time Fall is in full swing I'd just like to play in a tournament 2 or 3 times a month and be happy with my game...how I played

Right now I'm just hitting balls (trying to string a pattern together straight Pool style).

In the next couple of weeks I'm going to start drills and develop a regiment.

Stay tuned

I'm working on getting consistent with practice too. You have a table at home, and at work? I'm seriously jealous... I have to go to the pool hall! Wife and I are looking to get a new house in a year or so... I WILL have a home table then

 

[bbb]

enjoy the journey...

 

[strmanglr scott]

I'm an 8, 9 ball player. The only time I'm happy w my game is if I run the rack or succeed in a safety war and run out.

Doesn't mean I don't enjoy the game when I don't.

 

[DJSTEVEZ]

Sorry to be picky here BUT: you develop a "regimen" not regiment. UNLESS, you're starting your own army.

My mother was a professional proofreader and I was taught by Nuns in grades 1 to 12. I appreciate you bringing that to my attention more than you know. Thank you! -Z-

 

[pt109]

Don't get too hung up on what's wrong, DJ...keep looking for something good.

 

[chefjeff]

My mother was a professional proofreader and I was taught by Nuns in grades 1 to 12. I appreciate you bringing that to my attention more than you know. Thank you! -Z-

Shouldn't that "you" be a "your"?


Jeff Livingston

 

[pt109]

Shouldn't that "you" be a "your"?


Jeff Livingston

Pay heed to the Chef, he's a product of higher education....
...he read War and Peace once.....he suspects it's about Russia.


p....why are all the grads in Russia?.....t

 

[book collector]

The same thing 95% of players who ever get better than a C level notice.
Now the only thing that will keep you from being a B, or A ,or semi pro, or pro, or superpro, is the ability and determination that no matter what else is going on in your life pool is number 1, and it gets the lions share and then some of your effort.
best of luck to you whatever happens.

 

[hang-the-9]

I'm beginning to see progress and consistency. My "self-awareness" of my mechanics is better.

I like that description of what is happening, you know what you are doing and why and can adjust it if needed to see what happens. If it's all random like with many new players, you have no idea where the issue is or what to fix.

Something I like to also call "pool vision" is important, that is when you start to see the table as a collection of shots and tangent lines vs just a random mess of pool balls.

I had a similar breakthrough happen with music when I started to play an instrument. Before, a song to me was a whole thing, when I started to play guitar, I could pick apart the instruments and individual melody of them along with vocals on top, so I can basically "zoom" into a part of the song I wanted to listen to at will and then "zoom" out to listen to the whole song.

 

[hang-the-9]

Don't get too hung up on what's wrong, DJ...keep looking for something good.

View attachment 467428

Wow, that guy really hates water ballons.

 

[Pushout]

Take it one day at a time, seriously.

 

[KenRobbins]

The same thing 95% of players who ever get better than a C level notice.
Now the only thing that will keep you from being a B, or A ,or semi pro, or pro, or superpro, is the ability and determination that no matter what else is going on in your life pool is number 1, and it gets the lions share and then some of your effort.
best of luck to you whatever happens.

This is the difference, I agree. Just don't make any dramatic life changes for pool, unless you already have nothing, there's no reward for it. Most likely you'll never cash in on the spots that will make it worth while in the bigger tournaments. Nothing wrong with trying to perfect your game and be great at it. Just don't quit your day job. Stupid enough, that's what I did. I hated my job anyhow. Almost bought the motor home, luckily I didn't go all out stupid. A couple family members including my wife (probably trying to get rid of me lol) were actually pushing me to do it, but I'll never be good enough to make it to the top. I'm going to stop fooling myself, finish remodeling my home and stay in banger status. And retire as a grumpy old man.

 

[DJSTEVEZ]

This is the difference, I agree. Just don't make any dramatic life changes for pool, unless you already have nothing, there's no reward for it. Most likely you'll never cash in on the spots that will make it worth while in the bigger tournaments. Nothing wrong with trying to perfect your game and be great at it. Just don't quit your day job. Stupid enough, that's what I did. I hated my job anyhow. Almost bought the motor home, luckily I didn't go all out stupid. A couple family members including my wife (probably trying to get rid of me lol) were actually pushing me to do it, but I'll never be good enough to make it to the top. I'm going to stop fooling myself, finish remodeling my home and stay in banger status. And retire as a grumpy old man.

Sage advice. I have no delusions about how far I'll go with my game. For me the journey is the reward. I love playing this game, but it's about the game within me more than it is anything else.
Pool could never be the most important thing in life to me, not even close...and that's OK. Not passing judgement on anyone for whom Pool is #1.
I just want to do as well as I can given what I am willing to put into it. For the 1st time I have some resources to put into cultivating my game.
Regardless of the results I know I'll have fun doing it. That's a pretty solid ROI from where I'm standing. Again, great advice. Thank you. -Z-

 

[hotelyorba]

Interesting thread, I am on a similar journey myself. Just trying to get the most out of this game within my potential, and I also look at it from a 'journey is better than the end goal' perspective. I don't even know what I would define the end goal to be, although I am convinced I'd never reach any national or international champion level ever. And I'm fully okay with that -- as long as I keep feeling that there is more to learn I am totally happy playing this game the way I do.

I find that the more you 'study' your game and your stroke, the more details you see that also need work. It's like an endless zoom into the details, that shows more details, so you zoom in some more... to find more details. It's a beautiful thing. Don't know if that makes any sense at all, but it is how I experience it. :thumbup:

 

[BC21]

Interesting thread, I am on a similar journey myself. Just trying to get the most out of this game within my potential, and I also look at it from a 'journey is better than the end goal' perspective. I don't even know what I would define the end goal to be, although I am convinced I'd never reach any national or international champion level ever. And I'm fully okay with that -- as long as I keep feeling that there is more to learn I am totally happy playing this game the way I do.

I find that the more you 'study' your game and your stroke, the more details you see that also need work. It's like an endless zoom into the details, that shows more details, so you zoom in some more... to find more details. It's a beautiful thing. Don't know if that makes any sense at all, but it is how I experience it. :thumbup:

This is a great way to look at it. I think too many players have an unrealistic goal of becoming the next big star in professional pool. It's like climbing Mt Everest...only a select few reach the top, but just climbing as far as you can, and as best as you can, is rewarding in itself.

There are hundreds of unknown professional-caliber players right now that find themselves struggling uphill to become the next greatest player. Only a handful will succeed.

This isn't meant to be discouraging. I'm just saying we can't all be champions, but we can certainly become very good players, great players, just maybe not the greatest. And that's a "maybe" because anything is possible. So zoom in, and keep zooming in until all flaws are highlighted and remedied. And above all, enjoy the process.

 

[KenRobbins]

Sage advice. I have no delusions about how far I'll go with my game. For me the journey is the reward. I love playing this game, but it's about the game within me more than it is anything else.
Pool could never be the most important thing in life to me, not even close...and that's OK. Not passing judgement on anyone for whom Pool is #1.
I just want to do as well as I can given what I am willing to put into it. For the 1st time I have some resources to put into cultivating my game.
Regardless of the results I know I'll have fun doing it. That's a pretty solid ROI from where I'm standing. Again, great advice. Thank you. -Z-

I'm not sure how many constructive hours a week they say you should put into table time. I've been playing again for just a little over a year now after about a 10 year break. For about 6 months I was putting around 70 hours of table time in a week, I'm down around 40 hours a week now. It's a weird feeling but a good feeling that you'll notice when everything just clicks when you really improve. A lot of times when you look at the table the pockets will look much bigger than they really are. It's really hard to explain and probably makes no sense at all. I won't be hanging my cue up again. I've been keeping track of the money board here on azbilliards on a couple pro's. It's really not that good. Not sure where I'm going from here. Maybe join a barbox pool league. LMAO

 

[DJSTEVEZ]

Interesting thread, I am on a similar journey myself. Just trying to get the most out of this game within my potential, and I also look at it from a 'journey is better than the end goal' perspective. I don't even know what I would define the end goal to be, although I am convinced I'd never reach any national or international champion level ever. And I'm fully okay with that -- as long as I keep feeling that there is more to learn I am totally happy playing this game the way I do.

I find that the more you 'study' your game and your stroke, the more details you see that also need work. It's like an endless zoom into the details, that shows more details, so you zoom in some more... to find more details. It's a beautiful thing. Don't know if that makes any sense at all, but it is how I experience it. :thumbup:

I think this what the book "Zen and The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance" spoke to.
For me, If I could run 2 racks (14.1), once, that'd be damn satisfying. I don' think it's an unrealistic goal. I've got no real interest in gambling or trophies...not knocking those things for anyone else, it's not a judgement. For me, it's always just been about the game itself.

 

[pt109]

I think this what the book "Zen and The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance" spoke to.
For me, If I could run 2 racks (14.1), once, that'd be damn satisfying. I don' think it's an unrealistic goal. I've got no real interest in gambling or trophies...not knocking those things for anyone else, it's not a judgement. For me, it's always just been about the game itself.

'This sport in all its absurdity did a special thing for Ben Meecham: it made him happy.
The court was a testing ground of purpose.There was a reason.There were goals, rewards,
and instant punishments for failure.It was life reduced to a set of rules, an existential life,
a life clarified by the eyes of fathers."

Pat Conroy....The Great Santini

I doubt if any great player started out by envisioning being a great player....
...let the game take you to where it may.....be happy playing.