> In a recent gambling match,I had the following layout,and was so focused on running out hill-hill,that I didn't take a step back and look at this from a different angle,and my decision cost me the match.
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> I had a very slight angle on the 6,and had to cut it just a hair to the right,but I was playing on an unfamiliar table,with the newest style Valley cue ball. A couple of times earlier in the set,I got fooled by this cue ball,not expecting some of the weird reactions I got,my opponent was also surprised by some of the things the ball did or didn't do. My most natural shot selection would have been to draw to the side rail and leave myself underneath the 7,like this.
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> The angle I had was too straight to draw it to the side rail,and back out. I was too close to the side rail and the side pocket liner to jack up and pinch-draw it,having missed a shot just like this a couple games ago,the cue ball didn't like to stop dead,and was very sluggish in draw shots in general,requiring more force than I like to use in pressure situations,especially on questionable equipment. I made the decision to follow the cue ball,which this particular ball liked pretty well,and use left hand spin to ideally bring the cue ball back to either straight in or slightly underneath it like this.
START(
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%\K4M9%]N9R3%^B5L6
)END
> I know it is a complete sin to play position on a ball you already have a shot on,but due to my lack on confidence in the equipment,I did it and was totally solid with my decision,I was totally focused on the fundamentals at this point,and even though I didn't get cocky and assume I was out,I felt consumed by assurance that I had planned my way through the rack and was about to get there. This is where I wound up.
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> As you can imagine,my heart just SUNK,knowing I just turned an easy shot into a real tester,with the angle on the 7 taking me precariously close to the side pocket,a possible scratch in either side pocket if hit badly. I wound up missing the 7 thick and selling out. Most of you will ask "why didn't you just shoot the 6 and stick?" Even though I had reservations about the cue ball we were playing with,if I had taken the time to stand up and look at it from the end of the table,that WOULD have been my choice,since it was so much simpler than what I chose to do here. The problem with this is a philosophical thing with me. Once I make a clear-headed decision,and am convinced it was the correct shot,like I was here,I get down and concentrate on executing exactly what I mentally drew up,and stopping myself in stride like this is uncomfortable as BEST. I have conditioned myself correctly to make all my decisions standing up,not while over a ball,so once I decide to shoot,instinct takes over. Forcing myself to stop once I have mentally switched into attack mode is akin to driving a car KNOWING that the road you are on will get you where you are going,as opposed to stopping to read the map. After mentally reviewing my last 100 matches where I had a shot to run out for the match,the times that I got there were the times that I made my mind up as far as my plan of attack,and just let if FLOW,as opposed to having to stop and rethink something,which we all know under pressure can be harder than it seems. There have also been times where I wound up playing a safety because that was my initial reaction to the situation,when a broader view of the situation would have pointed out an offensive shot that lead to a win,and lost because of it,other times it's been the opposite,I made a decision to try and come with the shot,when a much higher percentage safety was available,once again costing me a win. Does anyone else have a problem seeing the forest because of the trees? All constructive comments are appreciated,Tommy D.
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%FL1N4%G`9U5%Hc6F0%Ih0P8%PY1X0
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> I had a very slight angle on the 6,and had to cut it just a hair to the right,but I was playing on an unfamiliar table,with the newest style Valley cue ball. A couple of times earlier in the set,I got fooled by this cue ball,not expecting some of the weird reactions I got,my opponent was also surprised by some of the things the ball did or didn't do. My most natural shot selection would have been to draw to the side rail and leave myself underneath the 7,like this.
START(
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%\K4M9%]U8U8%^R6Z2
)END
> The angle I had was too straight to draw it to the side rail,and back out. I was too close to the side rail and the side pocket liner to jack up and pinch-draw it,having missed a shot just like this a couple games ago,the cue ball didn't like to stop dead,and was very sluggish in draw shots in general,requiring more force than I like to use in pressure situations,especially on questionable equipment. I made the decision to follow the cue ball,which this particular ball liked pretty well,and use left hand spin to ideally bring the cue ball back to either straight in or slightly underneath it like this.
START(
%FK5M2%Ga0U3%H`4E0%If1R9%PZ5Y6%WL2N2%XZ4Y5%YC7C8%ZK4M4%[C5L9
%\K4M9%]N9R3%^B5L6
)END
> I know it is a complete sin to play position on a ball you already have a shot on,but due to my lack on confidence in the equipment,I did it and was totally solid with my decision,I was totally focused on the fundamentals at this point,and even though I didn't get cocky and assume I was out,I felt consumed by assurance that I had planned my way through the rack and was about to get there. This is where I wound up.
START(
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%\K4M9%]V6K7%^C3J7
)END
> As you can imagine,my heart just SUNK,knowing I just turned an easy shot into a real tester,with the angle on the 7 taking me precariously close to the side pocket,a possible scratch in either side pocket if hit badly. I wound up missing the 7 thick and selling out. Most of you will ask "why didn't you just shoot the 6 and stick?" Even though I had reservations about the cue ball we were playing with,if I had taken the time to stand up and look at it from the end of the table,that WOULD have been my choice,since it was so much simpler than what I chose to do here. The problem with this is a philosophical thing with me. Once I make a clear-headed decision,and am convinced it was the correct shot,like I was here,I get down and concentrate on executing exactly what I mentally drew up,and stopping myself in stride like this is uncomfortable as BEST. I have conditioned myself correctly to make all my decisions standing up,not while over a ball,so once I decide to shoot,instinct takes over. Forcing myself to stop once I have mentally switched into attack mode is akin to driving a car KNOWING that the road you are on will get you where you are going,as opposed to stopping to read the map. After mentally reviewing my last 100 matches where I had a shot to run out for the match,the times that I got there were the times that I made my mind up as far as my plan of attack,and just let if FLOW,as opposed to having to stop and rethink something,which we all know under pressure can be harder than it seems. There have also been times where I wound up playing a safety because that was my initial reaction to the situation,when a broader view of the situation would have pointed out an offensive shot that lead to a win,and lost because of it,other times it's been the opposite,I made a decision to try and come with the shot,when a much higher percentage safety was available,once again costing me a win. Does anyone else have a problem seeing the forest because of the trees? All constructive comments are appreciated,Tommy D.