Attitude after a loss?

PDX said:
My opponent is only there to show me my mistakes.
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I love that.

It takes all the bad feelings out of it.

2 weeks ago, I lost my first match to the guy who eventually won the tournament. He played perfect strategy and deserved the win, without a doubt.

Afterward, I not only congratulated him, I commented on his strategy and said, "you keep doing that and you'll be ok." Then he won, so I take credit. :p

I forced myself to go from feeling bad to feeling inspired, literally, truly. I went home, got out my 8-Ball Bible and started re-reading it after it set in my library for over 10 years. I quickly had an epiphany, a real epiphany about my current game and its failings.

When I had a league match a few days after that tourney, I played perfect strategy, (but lost 2 games anyway just cuz they are the best players in the State). But I was happy at my newfound efforts. Then I played in a bar tourney and won the damn thing this weekend. My new (actually old, but lost somehow) strategy was powerful.

So, the inspiration, vs. anger or resentment or whatever emotions I used to have, worked better than those crappy feelings about losing.

An epiphany, I tell ya....thanks to losing.


Jeff Livingston
 
Congratulate your opponent and ask yourself what you did wrong and what you have to improve.
 
I like the way good friends do each other on a good loss. A buddy of mine ends up playing me in a little nine ball tourny (one of those dreaded race to 3 formats that gives lesser-skilled players a chance to win), he breaks and runs out, I break and scratch and he runs out, then he breaks and runs out. I smile and call him an A-hole, and he says, "That's what you get." He was right, that's what I got for scratching. I'd have done the same to him.
 
What a load of bollox. There are good losers and there are bad losers. Getting all beat up because you lost won't make you a better player. Neither will shaking your opponents hand with a smile the size of Oklahoma. In the snooker world, Steve Davis was the ultimate good loser while Stephen Henry was, for most of his career, a grub. They both achieved way beyond what anybody else did.

Earl Strickland is an embarrassment to the sport and to himself and could have elevated the game when there was a wave for it to ride but instead he was a jackass and derailed things with his egocentric shenanigans. SVB is a nice guy but it's inconsequential because the sport is now way under the radar. Their achievements within the sport have little to do with their personalities, actually virtually nothing.

Likewise, at the semi- pro, amateur, recreational and down the pub or bar level - don't be an ass, cultivate a culture of fun, competition and respect.

Show me a good loser and I'll show you a good winner.
 
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Swighey said:
What a load of bollox. There are good losers and there are bad losers. Getting all beat up because you lost won't make you a better player. Neither will shaking your opponents hand with a smile the size of Oklahoma. In the snooker world, Steve Davis was the ultimate good loser while Stephen Henry was, for most of his career, a grub. They both achieved way beyond what anybody else did.

Earl Strickland is an embarrassment to the sport and to himself and could have elevated the game when there was a wave for it to ride but instead he was a jackass and derailed things with his egocentric shenanigans. SVB is a nice guy but it's inconsequential because the sport is now way under the radar. Their achievements within the sport have little to do with their personalities, actually virtually nothing.

Likewise, at the semi- pro, amateur, recreational and down the pub or bar level - don't be an ass, cultivate a culture of fun, competition and respect.

Show me a good loser and I'll show you a good winner.
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^^^ Well said ^^^
 
I agree that it's important to have the right attitude when you lose.

I like to follow my opponent to his next match, then sit somewhere very conspicuous and move around frequently while he's down on his shots. Once in a while I will also cough loudly just as he's about to shoot, or pretend I'm hollering across the room to a friend.
 
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