Bad sportsman ship ??

bauercrew

bauercrew

Registered
Hi all, here is the problem
I started shooting on a apa league, been shooting about 15 weeks(yes I’m a newbie)our team has a 6,5,two 4s and two 3 I’m a level 3.when we practice I just barely hang in with the 6,level 5 person I can beat about 80% of the time and the 4s no problem, and I know these guys can shoot pool, I made it clear to them that I didn’t want them to let me win to boost confidence ,before I even joined the team I made that clear.

here is the real problem:
When it comes time to play other team EVERYTHING goes SOUTH on me,mainly aiming
the other teams watch us practice while we wait for our turn to shoot, and some of them have said I’m sandbagging I SWEAR TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE IM NOT,i have been beaten by skill level 2 players I have won 50% of my matches and,im at the point where I FEEL like im letting the team down and ready to quit the league and just practice on my own to see if i can figure this out ,is this bad sportsman ship??

ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREAT
 
IMHO Quitting on your team is totally unacceptable. Unless they ask you to do so. If you feel that you are hurting them that badly & they would be better off without you, then make the offer & let them decide.

Most all team mates can accept all of your failures as long as you are giving it your 100% best effort. They can never accept you quitting on them. So to answer your question. And all of this is in my humble opinion, yes, it would be bad sportsmanship if you just up & quit.

As to why you 'practice' better than you play, it could be many things. In other sports there are great practice players that just disappear during games, there are those that practice well & play well, & then there are those players that practice like crap & play like game MVPs. They are called 'gamers'.

Without knowing more, it is nearly impossible to figure out where your problem lies. It could be that your competion is sand bagging and is better than their designation. More likely, it could be that you are simply feeling pressure when in the actual competition & not playing your best because of it. IF so, take deep breathes, focus on the task at hand, take your time, & simply get it done one shot at a time. Remember it is only a game & not a life or death situation. So... there really is no real pressure except that which you impose upon yourself. Don't do it & don't let others do it. Remember what I said about most team mates being able to forgive your failings as long as you give it your best effort. Just make sure you are doing that, giving it your best effort. Take a deep breathe & then get it done, one shot at a time and see yourself doing just that, getting it done & winning.

Keep in mind that I am not an instuctor. I am sure the real instuctors will all have some very good & more specific advice for you.

Best Wishes & the Best of Luck,
 
Last edited:
I'm not an instructor (and I'm not sure that this sub-forum is the best spot for your question, though the instructors will have great insight as well) but I am an APA team captain.

Without knowing you or your teamamtes, I will tell you that it is very, very likely that your teammates "get it". As English said, as long as you are making your best effort at playing as well as you can, I cannot imagine them being upset with you.

Some of those 5's and 6's that you're beating in casual play are likely stepping it up some during match play. And I'm sure that they are sincere when they tell you they aren't "letting you win". I have several friends who are 2 levels higher than I am, and I can beat them often enough when we're just shooting around. But when the pressure is on, they can manage their game better than you or I can. That's what makes them better.

Everyone has to learn sometime, and there's more to learning than just making shots. We all have to learn how to manage our game, and our own mental state as well. Personally, I think that battle can be just as difficult, at times.

My suggestion would be to talk with one or two of the people on your team, and tell them how you feel. I expect that you will get the reaction English and I are talking about, and if not, it's probably not a good environment for you to be in anyway, and you would be best to find a different team where you would be supported. I can tell you that is how you would be treated on my team.

Try to not get too down on yourself. (I've been there, too.) Keep working, and keep practicing, keep reading this sub-forum (!!!) and try to have fun, too. It is worth it.

Bruce
 
Last edited:
Hang in there. If you are winning 50% of your games the handicap will catch up with you if you give it time.

Kim
 
I'm also not an instructor [although I did stay at a Holiday.... never mind]. First of all, It sound's like the other team is getting under your skin with their comment's [your a sandbagger,etc]. When your down on the ball try and let nothing get in your head but the execution of the shot. This takes time, we're all learning this game ,all the time, no matter what anyone tells you. keep it fun and competitive, remember, none of us are making a living at this, if we tried we would all be about 50lbs lighter. I'm done:)
 
Bad ship?

bauercrew said:
Hi all, here is the problem
I started shooting on a apa league, been shooting about 15 weeks(yes I’m a newbie)our team has a 6,5,two 4s and two 3 I’m a level 3.when we practice I just barely hang in with the 6,level 5 person I can beat about 80% of the time and the 4s no problem, and I know these guys can shoot pool, I made it clear to them that I didn’t want them to let me win to boost confidence ,before I even joined the team I made that clear.

here is the real problem:
When it comes time to play other team EVERYTHING goes SOUTH on me,mainly aiming
the other teams watch us practice while we wait for our turn to shoot, and some of them have said I’m sandbagging I SWEAR TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE IM NOT,i have been beaten by skill level 2 players I have won 50% of my matches and,im at the point where I FEEL like im letting the team down and ready to quit the league and just practice on my own to see if i can figure this out ,is this bad sportsman ship??

ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREAT
Click to expand...

Playing pool on a boat has never worked that well. Especially on rough seas.

Seriously, some league systems have a real problem with sandbagging. So much so, that even if you don't sandbag, you may be accused of it. Not all leagues have that problem.
 
Donny...There are sandbaggers in all handicapped leagues. It is not as widespread a problem as many would believe. As you know, I believe one should always play their best, regardless of the league, or the outcome.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Donny Lutz said:
Seriously, some league systems have a real problem with sandbagging. So much so, that even if you don't sandbag, you may be accused of it. Not all leagues have that problem.
Click to expand...
 
Not all leagues....

Scott Lee said:
Donny...There are sandbaggers in all handicapped leagues. It is not as widespread a problem as many would believe. As you know, I believe one should always play their best, regardless of the league, or the outcome.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

If you set up your league with an equitable handicap system, there is little to be gained by sandbagging. You would be giving up points by throwing games to gain handicap. Having played in seven different league systems over 47 years, my experience is that there was very little sandbagging in most of them. It is rampant in some systems.

Yes, I too believe one should always try to play their best, but when the teams that sandbag win titles, it's hard to tell other teams not to do the same.
 
i did this my first year on a team... Def. dont give up. its a confidence thing... i would practice several hours before our fist match.. get to know the table and just get settled in... GET COMFY... i started with 2 hours then worked my way down too half hour.. you will get in a groove and do fine.. also just stop worrying about so much.. shoot your game and just stay positve on every shot even if you miss... by next year you will be at a level 4 or 5 no prob.. if people say your sand baggin then well may be you are but its just your nerves haha.. they are seeing something you dont and that is a good thing. means you scare people. so the next time you have to shoot a level 5 or 6 just remember THEY THINK YOU SAND BAG AND COULD TAKE THEM DOWN A NOTCH AT ANY TIME.. got to give yourself the edge sometimes just have to find out what kind of edge is best for you.... have fun and dont give up.
 
I have played a number of leagues and have also played on a number of teams. I have been a team captain as well as just a beginner player. As long as you are on a good team with friends you will not be looked down upon for just losing. On the other hand if they see you miss on purpose (which i am sure you aren't doing), they would know it right away and ask you what is going on. I played in a league a few years ago where I was considered one of the better than average players. But when we played a certain team I would get so nervous I would shake. The key is to stay calm, have confidence in yourself, and shoot the easiest shot on the table for you.

You stated that you practice. Make sure you are practicing actual in-game situational shots. Find several ways to manuver the cue ball to where you want it to go. Practice isn't the same as playing. I found also that once I played regularly with some sort of pressure I was able to handle the nervousness better. My way was to start to play for money. I didn't get crazy with it, but would play for enough to get the pressure to build.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top