An Acceptable Miss

[TATE]

Chris,

Just be careful that your pool obsession doesn't morph into mental illness. You're setting a lofty goal for yourself, almost unattainable unless your name starts with Efren and end with Reyes.

Your real new year's resolution should be to learn to enjoy playing even if you miss a shot here or there. If you take the pressure of yourself, you'll really start to play much better. The more pressure you place on yourself, the more destined you are to come up short. It's a bad pattern to get into, and like I said, can lead to mental illness.

Ask Earl about mental illness, I'm sure he has a few "Pearls" of wisdom to add.

I really do take what you say above seriously and agree. I have seen this relentless pursuit of perfection taken to the point of illness. Or...

Is it because the compulsive are most inclined to seek perfection?

Ben Hogan went from being an average player, to being one of golf's greatest ever competitors. He also became a hard ass who suffered no fools. After he started winning, when asked "where did you find your game", he replied "I dug it out of the ground". The question implied he "found his game" somewhere. He responded in a manner to acknowledge he practiced his imperfect swing to perfect repetition, to the point of genius. When you hit golf balls, you take a little divot from the ground. To say he "dug it up" meant, to him, not reviving the dead, but hitting tens of thousands of balls.

When I miss, I want it to be for a good reason, not the stupid ones I listed, which I think are preventable.

Chris

 

[Klopek]

I really do take what you say above seriously and agree. I have seen this relentless pursuit of perfection taken to the point of illness. Or...

Is it because the compulsive are most inclined to seek perfection?

Ben Hogan went from being an average player, to being one of golf's greatest ever competitors. He also became a hard ass who suffered no fools. After he started winning, when asked "where did you find your game", he replied "I dug it out of the ground". The question implied he "found his game" somewhere. He responded in a manner to acknowledge he practiced his imperfect swing to perfect repetition, to the point of genius. When you hit golf balls, you take a little divot from the ground. To say he "dug it up" meant, to him, not reviving the dead, but hitting tens of thousands of balls.

When I miss, I want it to be for a good reason, not the stupid ones I listed, which I think are preventable.

Chris

I hear ya. Just don't want to see you get to the point where it's no longer fun to play.

It's good to hold yourself accountable for your mistakes. It's better than blaming the equipment or the rolls. Good luck with the resolution.

 

[sjm]

In other words, Tate, you vow to always play with dedication and passion. Good for you, for that's a winning plan for getting more out of your abilities.

 

[Eric.]

When I miss, I want it to be for a good reason, not the stupid ones I listed, which I think are preventable.

Chris

Chris, I think your original post is right on. From what I can tell, those issue are what separates a good player from a top player. It seems like the top players are just a little more consistant, make a few(or no) mistakes and do more with shots that they might miss.

I'm no top player and I think about the exact things you mentioned. When I play a good player, it's always a couple of little things that get me beat. It may be a short list of different things, but the outcome is always the same.

IMO, as we get better, we have to look for improvements from "smaller" things to get to the next level.


Eric >still a hack

 

[Andrew Manning]

If you see me, my New Year's resolution might be taped to my forehead.

If I miss, it will not be because:

- I jumped up

- I one stroked it

- I doubted myself

- I didn't align myself properly first

- I babied the shot

- I rushed

- I didn't chalk

- I changed my aim at the last split second

- I didn't zero in

- I failed to visualize the shot

- I was afraid of the shot so I tried to cinch it

- It won't be from attempting the near impossible

In other words, it won't be because I dogged it. I just realized I have control over all of the above, and if they could be eliminated from my game, there would be a lot fewer mistakes.

If I miss a shot, it will be a good miss. It will be a perfectly acceptable error. It will be a difficult shot or difficult position. It will be a noble mistake. It will be a brave and courageous miss. A jam-up foul-up.

Therefore, I won't feel bad when I miss. The balls may rattle, but not me.

Amen?

What an excellent plan for defeating mental game weaknesses. This is a great post, and I can't imagine how much my game would improve if I could fully implement this mental game.

For myself, I would add one more item: "It won't be because I was already thinking about the next shot, the next rack, or anything else in the future while in the process of shooting."

Anyway, great post, and great resolution.

-Andrew

 

[Rack'Em]

I know exactly what you mean Tate. I was also tired of missing what should be a "routine" shot for all those stupid reasons. I've been trying to take my game more seriously lately for the last few months. I don't get to play for free and don't have a table at home so I like to get my moneys worth. I don't try to take it so seriously that it isn't fun anymore but missing isn't fun and losing definitely isn't fun when I know I'm better than that. If I know I did my best all night I leave satisfied knowing that the ones I missed were because they were low percentage shots and that everything I should have got in I did. That sounds like a good night of pool to me.

 

[srober40]

The original post and the responses are super. It is great to see how dedicated people are in terms of improving their game. It inspires me to try harder and work on the mental aspect of the game. Most of us have the physical ability to do just about anything on a pool table. The difference, and I beleive this is the only real difference, is how we think and concentrate on what we are doing.

The major problems I have are:

Maintaining focus on the task at hand. Be it the shot or the overal process of the game. I am easily distracted.

Desire. Does anyone else struggle with this? I notice that I play differently if it is a league match vs. practice. I call it "pool apathy", lack of a burning desire to win every game, practice or match. This is something I struggle to overcome every time I play.

I am going to print out Chris's Original post and read it for inspiration before I play.

Scott

 

[JimS]

You will hat missing just as much.. maybe more because now you'll know that you just screwed it up

But everything you've said is true and is why I am so fond of the two quotes in my signature. Mark is absolutely dedicated to precision and that's what you're talking about. Precise movements. NO non-chalantin Chris!

 

[chilli66]

Great post Chris. I'm impressed how you describe everything in detail that I just think of as being careless or lazy on a shot. I don't get the chance to play half as much as I'd like to but lately I've taken on a very ruthless approach to the game. I play with a friend once a week & in a 9 ball tourney about once every 2 weeks. I hate saying this because I'm not a braggart but my friend is not at the same level as me. Over the course of an evening I've lost once to him in 6 months. Now, his game has improved a lot but if I get the bit between my teeth it is a very one sided game.

So, I think to myself what benefit am I getting from these games? What I've been doing is setting myself goals within each rack. If I break I'm looking to run out, if he breaks & misses I look to end it. I look at it as a challenge if my pattern is disrupted, rather than let my head drop like I used to.

I'm lucky to have a buddy who likes to see me play well, although he did cut our session short last night. He'd had a bad day & was looking forward to shooting some pool & enjoying himself. He really didn't get much opportunity to play, just stand & watch. Part of me feels bad about that but not enough to take it easy, which I know he'd hate anyway!

There was a famous English cricket player named Ian Botham, one of the best of all time. He once played at his kids school field day, parents against teachers. He basically hammered the teachers side, as if he were playing for England! After the game when he was asked about the brutal treatment he handed out to the opposition he said "It doesn't matter who you play. If you don't play to win then you might as well not bother playing."

That quote has always stuck with me. It's how I approach the game of pool. I always play to win, friendly game or match. If I do find myself slacking off I get annoyed at myself, because it's a lapse of concentration & determination.

After 12 years away from the pool table I thought it'd take me awhile to get my game back to where it used to be. I can honestly say I've surprised myself. I don't know if it's down to being older & wiser but my stroke feels as good as ever & my forward planning is definitely better than it used to be! I feel really good about it right now!

All I have to do is combat the laziness, the complacency. Chris, I think your post will be priceless in helping me with that.

Thank you.