Bottling it

Pidge

Pidge

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Not sure if the term "bottle" is used outside of the UK so let's start with that...

To bottle it; to completely shit out in a pressure situation not to be confused with the regular use of the word bottle. To lose ones nerve.
Example - Derrick, what the frig happened last night mate? You bottled it just like you did on your wedding day when you passed out during your speach. You numpty!

Now that's cleared up, let's go through a situation in which I bottled it like never before.

Playing pool, and I really didn't care of the outcome. It was a 1 game match so absolutely anyone can win. Barry Banger even has a realistic chance of winning against Peter Pro in a 1 game match. I'd had 2 beers so being drunk wasn't the issue. But I lost, badly, against someone that amazed me he could dress himself in the morning he was that bad. I just couldn't think straight. I got down on a shot without thinking about position, whilst down realised I needed to hit high right, I'd set up centre ball so rather than get up or atleast rise my bridge I tried to swoop up and right...went too high and missed the CB. How embarrassing! I was jabbing at balls too. Couldn't stroke smoothly at all. I underhit and overhit every shot. Not one shot was good or OK. Couldn't pot. Ratting balls for fun. What the hell made me play so bad?

The guy after he pocketed the 8 ball and won started bragging, slyly poking fun and I couldn't say anything, after all, I did play very poorly. He offered me a match after for £20. I accepted and kicked his arse left handed. Why couldn't I shoot right handed?

If anyone could shed some light on why I bottled it so bad please let me know. I don't want to suffer that knd of embarrassment ever again!
 
Pidge said:
Not sure if the term "bottle" is used outside of the UK so let's start with that...

To bottle it; to completely shit out in a pressure situation not to be confused with the regular use of the word bottle. To lose ones nerve.
Example - Derrick, what the frig happened last night mate? You bottled it just like you did on your wedding day when you passed out during your speach. You numpty!

Now that's cleared up, let's go through a situation in which I bottled it like never before.

Playing pool, and I really didn't care of the outcome. It was a 1 game match so absolutely anyone can win. Barry Banger even has a realistic chance of winning against Peter Pro in a 1 game match. I'd had 2 beers so being drunk wasn't the issue. But I lost, badly, against someone that amazed me he could dress himself in the morning he was that bad. I just couldn't think straight. I got down on a shot without thinking about position, whilst down realised I needed to hit high right, I'd set up centre ball so rather than get up or atleast rise my bridge I tried to swoop up and right...went too high and missed the CB. How embarrassing! I was jabbing at balls too. Couldn't stroke smoothly at all. I underhit and overhit every shot. Not one shot was good or OK. Couldn't pot. Ratting balls for fun. What the hell made me play so bad?

The guy after he pocketed the 8 ball and won started bragging, slyly poking fun and I couldn't say anything, after all, I did play very poorly. He offered me a match after for £20. I accepted and kicked his arse left handed. Why couldn't I shoot right handed?

If anyone could shed some light on why I bottled it so bad please let me know. I don't want to suffer that knd of embarrassment ever again!
Click to expand...

For me, the matches that cause the most stress are the ones I'm expected to win but can lose. There is the anticipation of winning that distracts me. In my opinion, the best method is to accept all outcomes. This applies to matches you're expecting to lose too. Just say to yourself, "We still have to play, right?" Once you've established that the games must be played anyway, all you can do is play your best and see what that yields.
 
Pidge said:
Not sure if the term "bottle" is used outside of the UK so let's start with that...

To bottle it; to completely shit out in a pressure situation not to be confused with the regular use of the word bottle. To lose ones nerve.
Example - Derrick, what the frig happened last night mate? You bottled it just like you did on your wedding day when you passed out during your speach. You numpty!

Now that's cleared up, let's go through a situation in which I bottled it like never before.

Playing pool, and I really didn't care of the outcome. It was a 1 game match so absolutely anyone can win. Barry Banger even has a realistic chance of winning against Peter Pro in a 1 game match. I'd had 2 beers so being drunk wasn't the issue. But I lost, badly, against someone that amazed me he could dress himself in the morning he was that bad. I just couldn't think straight. I got down on a shot without thinking about position, whilst down realised I needed to hit high right, I'd set up centre ball so rather than get up or atleast rise my bridge I tried to swoop up and right...went too high and missed the CB. How embarrassing! I was jabbing at balls too. Couldn't stroke smoothly at all. I underhit and overhit every shot. Not one shot was good or OK. Couldn't pot. Ratting balls for fun. What the hell made me play so bad?

The guy after he pocketed the 8 ball and won started bragging, slyly poking fun and I couldn't say anything, after all, I did play very poorly. He offered me a match after for £20. I accepted and kicked his arse left handed. Why couldn't I shoot right handed?

If anyone could shed some light on why I bottled it so bad please let me know. I don't want to suffer that knd of embarrassment ever again!
Click to expand...

Choking, is what we call it in the US. I used to have a problem with this and I overcame it by changing my outlook on it. I decided that instead of shrieking from a challenge in fear that I might lose, I decided that I don't care if I lose. I'm going keep hammering away until I get better.
I accepted any challenge I could afford. When I was playing league, and there was a tough opponent that no one wanted to play I asked for that match. I learned to thrive on the pressure.

The key for me was to understand that even high level players lose quite a bit. It's just part of getting better. One year in league a guy noticed that I had lost more matches than I had won. He thought I was in a slump but mentioned that it looked like I had been playing better than ever. I told him I had in fact been losing more often because I was playing the best opponents every week. I didn't mind losing to them because I was gaining quite a bit from it. Now, for the most part, I can beat all of those that were getting the bast of me back then.

Some people advise playing more money games to get over that fear and I agree that it can help. But understanding why you "bottle it" is as important as overcoming it.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
For me, the matches that cause the most stress are the ones I'm expected to win but can lose. There is the anticipation of winning that distracts me. In my opinion, the best method is to accept all outcomes. This applies to matches you're expecting to lose too. Just say to yourself, "We still have to play, right?" Once you've established that the games must be played anyway, all you can do is play your best and see what that yields.
Click to expand...

+1 and great post. I was trying to say about the same thing just in a more complicated way! :thumbup: But that is a excellent way to look at it.
 
Cdryden said:
Choking, is what we call it in the US. I used to have a problem with this and I overcame it by changing my outlook on it. I decided that instead of shrieking from a challenge in fear that I might lose, I decided that I don't care if I lose. I'm going keep hammering away until I get better.
I accepted any challenge I could afford. When I was playing league, and there was a tough opponent that no one wanted to play I asked for that match. I learned to thrive on the pressure.

The key for me was to understand that even high level players lose quite a bit. It's just part of getting better. One year in league a guy noticed that I had lost more matches than I had won. He thought I was in a slump but mentioned that it looked like I had been playing better than ever. I told him I had in fact been losing more often because I was playing the best opponents every week. I didn't mind losing to them because I was gaining quite a bit from it. Now, for the most part, I can beat all of those that were getting the bast of me back then.

Some people advise playing more money games to get over that fear and I agree that it can help. But understanding why you "bottle it" is as important as overcoming it.
Click to expand...
Cheers for that. I've not taking any cue sport seriously for a good 10 years back when I was a teenager. Win or lose, If I have fun I'm not bothered. I play in a lot of money games, some big, some small but again I don't care if I win or lose. Seems nowadays the only games I care about are ones when me and my opponent have "previous".

I always go into a match thinking about how I'm going to play. My mentality is if I play my best, the best players in the world aint got shit on me. Not true, obviously but in my head it is. Makes me play well I guess. I shall try your advice though.

What you said reminded me of, well, me. Always welcoming a challenge, no matter if I don't stand a chance of winning. I have never taken a spot, and have never given a spot out. I play even, and the amount I bet on a game depends on how I fancy my chances. Sure I could bet 3k and have a 5 game headstart, but I'd rather bet 2k and play even. I found that got me playing way more games against better players growing up and really helped me out.

Cheers for the advice, buddy.
 
Cdryden said:
+1 and great post. I was trying to say about the same thing just in a more complicated way! :thumbup: But that is a excellent way to look at it.
Click to expand...

A few years ago, I played at Turning Stone. My grandmother lived about an hour away (if I'm driving, two hours). My fourth match, my second attempt at making the money, I had to play a top pro with her watching. I can't put it any other way than to say when your 92 year old grandmother is watching, there are no excuses. My nerves about playing someone that caliber were gone. We went back and forth in the set until it got to 7-7. I broke, made a ball but had to push. He banked the 1 the length of the table and ran out and finished me off by breaking and running out to win 9-7. I walked away glad she got to see me play and especially happy that I had a champ on the ropes. At 7-7, nobody can count me out against anybody and I earned it. If you sit there, worried about what *should* happen, you might keep yourself from doing something special. *Even you* don't know what you're capable of.
 
Those 1 game matches are a beast. If I seem to be missing shots that I normally make with consistency, I try to play through it. Hard to do in a one game format, but you need to shoot the shots the way you are supposed to. Don't take short cuts, or second guess yourself, it will hurt you in the long run.
 
You bottled it because you're a numpty (whatever that is :p)

You guys in Great Britain really need to learn how to speak English.
 
bdorman said:
You bottled it because you're a numpty (whatever that is :p)

You guys in Great Britain really need to learn how to speak English.
Click to expand...
Numpty = idiot

And I know, us English really struggle when it come to our native language. We suck?
 
Pidge said:
Not sure if the term "bottle" is used outside of the UK so let's start with that...

To bottle it; to completely shit out in a pressure situation not to be confused with the regular use of the word bottle. To lose ones nerve.
Example - Derrick, what the frig happened last night mate? You bottled it just like you did on your wedding day when you passed out during your speach. You numpty!

Now that's cleared up, let's go through a situation in which I bottled it like never before.

Playing pool, and I really didn't care of the outcome. It was a 1 game match so absolutely anyone can win. Barry Banger even has a realistic chance of winning against Peter Pro in a 1 game match. I'd had 2 beers so being drunk wasn't the issue. But I lost, badly, against someone that amazed me he could dress himself in the morning he was that bad. I just couldn't think straight. I got down on a shot without thinking about position, whilst down realised I needed to hit high right, I'd set up centre ball so rather than get up or atleast rise my bridge I tried to swoop up and right...went too high and missed the CB. How embarrassing! I was jabbing at balls too. Couldn't stroke smoothly at all. I underhit and overhit every shot. Not one shot was good or OK. Couldn't pot. Ratting balls for fun. What the hell made me play so bad?

The guy after he pocketed the 8 ball and won started bragging, slyly poking fun and I couldn't say anything, after all, I did play very poorly. He offered me a match after for £20. I accepted and kicked his arse left handed. Why couldn't I shoot right handed?

If anyone could shed some light on why I bottled it so bad please let me know. I don't want to suffer that knd of embarrassment ever again!
Click to expand...

If I was you I would stick to shooting left handed.:thumbup:
 
Allen Brown said:
If I was you I would stick to shooting left handed.:thumbup:
Click to expand...
I don't know what caused my right arm to not work, but my left worked pretty good. The guy thought I just hustled him. Thinking I lost my game with him on purpose so he'd take the offer of playing for money. No, I just played the poorest pool of my life! I'm not brilliant shooting left handed but I stroke pretty straight with it. Fortunately he wasn't brilliant with either hand.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top