Cant Finish Off A Game!!!!

J

JonnyC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I dont know why but whenever i am in a set with someone , in tournament or if we are playing for some $$ i just cant seem to win that final rack , i can get to the hill fine , then i just lose it, miss easy chances!

Does anyone have any ideas why i do this , or what i could do to overcome this?

Thanks , Jonny
 
JonnyC said:
I dont know why but whenever i am in a set with someone , in tournament or if we are playing for some $$ i just cant seem to win that final rack , i can get to the hill fine , then i just lose it, miss easy chances!

Does anyone have any ideas why i do this , or what i could do to overcome this?

Thanks , Jonny
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Obviously, if you think you can't finish off someone, you're going to dog your face off each and every time. Quit defining your moments and allow things to just play out and you'll get your share of wins. If you say, "oh, I'm horrible at...", trust me, you're not going to get any better.

If there is one thing I will typically do, if I'm beating someone by a lot, I will say to myself, "Wow, he's a good player. I hope I get another chance to close this set." I mean, I'll convince myself that if I don't win now, he's going to catch-up. It's not a rub-it-in-his-face sort of thing but more a make-sure sort of thing. I dunno if that helps at all but who knows, right?
 
JonnyC said:
I dont know why but whenever i am in a set with someone , in tournament or if we are playing for some $$ i just cant seem to win that final rack , i can get to the hill fine , then i just lose it, miss easy chances!

Does anyone have any ideas why i do this , or what i could do to overcome this?

Thanks , Jonny
Click to expand...

It just depends on what kind of person you are...

If you're the kind of person that just flat-out hates your opponent, then you're off to the wrong road.

If you are the kind that just chokes because of such tremendous pressure, then just shrug it off and play smart and steady.

What I would do is just tune into the game and forget about everything that surrounds me (my opponent, onlooking fans, bad stuff that's going on in your mind, ect.). Your state of mind should be... "I am on the table by myself... play like you practice."
 
Also, clear your mind... let your physical self (self 2 for those of you who've read the Inner Game of Tennis) perform what it knows without telling yourself you did good or bad. "Good" or "bad" can kill your game. "Good" puts pressure on you for next time, "bad" dooms you just the same.
 
I remember an interview with Tiger Woods who was asked a few questions about his intensity level and his ability to play well under pressure, especially on the last few holes of a tournament.

The first thing I remeber him calmly saying (and I'm paraphrasing) is that he never alters his intensity level. Every shot at every moment is equally important regardless of whether you have a lead or your behind.

When it came to playing well under pressure on the final holes, he said that in his mind, he is playing through the hole rather than up to it, as if there is always more golf to play beyond the hole he is on at the time. Like a sprinter running through the finish line. You don't just run to the line, you run through it.
 
JonnyC said:
I dont know why but whenever i am in a set with someone , in tournament or if we are playing for some $$ i just cant seem to win that final rack , i can get to the hill fine , then i just lose it, miss easy chances!

Does anyone have any ideas why i do this , or what i could do to overcome this?

Thanks , Jonny
Click to expand...

Maybe if you lost your sulky attitude that might help.

I told you months ago don't start getting like that stupid ghetto and that knob Gavin!

There's a lot of people in Rileys with a wealth of knowledge that will pass it on to you if you're struggling but if gonna have an attitude like you did on wednesday with me and then watch you say stuff about me to that f*cking thieving lowlife Gavin, I wonder if any words of wisdom i try and give you is all a waste of time.

You got to learn how to lose if you want to learn how to win Jonny.
 
Obviously, you're thinking of results rather than process. Da Poet and Jude give good advice here.
 
imo you lose because you want to. Subconsciously theres a reward for losing. People are not offended by you or whatever. Look at those reasons and see that they are valueless. It can be harder to finish a game because the shots become more difficult or as in 8ball they have more balls in the way. The game can get tougher later. :cool:
 
imo you lose because you want to. Subconsciously theres a reward for losing. People are not offended by you or whatever. Look at those reasons and see that they are valueless. It can be harder to finish a game because the shots become more difficult or as in 8ball they have more balls in the way. The game can get tougher later. Some players save their best for last and make a comeback too. :cool:
 
Yes, focus. It sounds like your focus is changing from making shots to being on the hill. Eliminate the change in focus. Easier said than done of course but,still needs to be done. Good luck
 
BlackDragon said:
imo you lose because you want to. Subconsciously theres a reward for losing. People are not offended by you or whatever. Look at those reasons and see that they are valueless.
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Very good post. Success means you're going to catch heat and draw a lot of attention. And that also takes character to handle. You'll also experience less empathy from people if not animosity.

So long as success is a goal in itself, without the need to impress or step on people's toes, it's not a problem. You have a legitimate motivation.

It's never just about winning and losing a particular game or match. Because the game continues indefinately...
 
finish game

I had a [a] player that would come in my room , and practice just befor a big tourny , i would slance over now and then he , he would break take ball in hand and run down to 7-8 then miss. after a couple days of this he paused and ask STICK what am i doing wrong??i answered you really want to know??? YES was the reply!!!----er if you weoud shoot the last 4ball as focused as you shoot the first 5 . you would be hard to beat, [focus] i told him to think after the 5 ball each match.came in 1st next tourny and top 4 the next 5 tourny FOCUS DEAD CONCERATION :D :D :D :D :D
 
Getting over the hill

This is one of the hardest things to do, especially playing someone that has a good reputation in Pool as being a good player.

When a set goes hill-to-hill, any sandbagging goes out the window, and both players bring all the skill and knowledge they have to the table for that last game. The better player will use his knowledge of the game and your weaknesses to help defeat you in that last game. Meaning, that he knows if he plays a safety at a certain point in the game on you, that he will get ball in hand, and win the game and set.

Keep your mind on the game. Take one ball at a time. I always watch for where my opponent might mess up, like missing a ball, or at least getting out of line for a ball that will become a bigger problem for him. Usually I am right, and many players can not make the recovery shot to get back on track when the pressure is on.

You losing the last game because you are miaking a mistake. What is causing to make the mistake .... not being prepared for the layout or shot, or the pressure? Either way, you are not prepared. To handle the pressure, you have to be prepared emotionally, and have grit. I can not teach you grit, but if you are good in any sport, you should know what I am talking about. You have to believe in yourself, and you have to rely on the training you have had. Unless your opponent breaks and runs out, or gets a simple combo after the break, you will have a chance to win.
How you USE THAT CHANCE will determine if you will or not.

The first $1,000 set I shot, my heart was pounding, my mind was going a million miles an hour, and I overran shape for the 9 on a hill-to-hill set, and left myself a tough shot. I had to regain control of myself, calm down, took my time, aimed a couple of times, made doubly sure I would not scratch, and shot the 9 ball. You know what? I made it. I had an incredible rush right after that, and I knew that was a milestone for me.
You see, when your belief in yourself is reaffirmed, it is a great confidence booster, and opens you up for more good things to happen. And if you did it once, you can do it again, and again.
 
Man, I used to have the same trouble. I would enter tournaments or play for $$$ the same as you and get totally pumped up to the point of extreme nervousness. I learn to focus on the table instead of my opponent. That helped me tremendously!! I learned to study the layout of the table before I took my first shot and look for the shots that would enable me to runout or run down for position to play safe. As mortal pool players we tell ourselves that we should never miss a ball. We should only miss shape. After developing the right fundamentals for the game we have to trust ourselves in those pressure situations.
 
Snapshot9 said:
This is one of the hardest things to do, especially playing someone that has a good reputation in Pool as being a good player.

When a set goes hill-to-hill, any sandbagging goes out the window, and both players bring all the skill and knowledge they have to the table for that last game. The better player will use his knowledge of the game and your weaknesses to help defeat you in that last game. Meaning, that he knows if he plays a safety at a certain point in the game on you, that he will get ball in hand, and win the game and set.

Keep your mind on the game. Take one ball at a time. I always watch for where my opponent might mess up, like missing a ball, or at least getting out of line for a ball that will become a bigger problem for him. Usually I am right, and many players can not make the recovery shot to get back on track when the pressure is on.

You losing the last game because you are miaking a mistake. What is causing to make the mistake .... not being prepared for the layout or shot, or the pressure? Either way, you are not prepared. To handle the pressure, you have to be prepared emotionally, and have grit. I can not teach you grit, but if you are good in any sport, you should know what I am talking about. You have to believe in yourself, and you have to rely on the training you have had. Unless your opponent breaks and runs out, or gets a simple combo after the break, you will have a chance to win.
How you USE THAT CHANCE will determine if you will or not.

The first $1,000 set I shot, my heart was pounding, my mind was going a million miles an hour, and I overran shape for the 9 on a hill-to-hill set, and left myself a tough shot. I had to regain control of myself, calm down, took my time, aimed a couple of times, made doubly sure I would not scratch, and shot the 9 ball. You know what? I made it. I had an incredible rush right after that, and I knew that was a milestone for me.
You see, when your belief in yourself is reaffirmed, it is a great confidence booster, and opens you up for more good things to happen. And if you did it once, you can do it again, and again.
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Great post! The thing that bothers me at the moment is I seem to go from playing with confidence one week to being full of doubt the next. This happened to me the other day, I just felt like I was playing well below the standard I'm capable of. In 3 matches I messed up on the 6 ball 3 times & started berating myself over it, to the point of building a phobia on the 6!

When my penultimate match was underway I lost the first rack convincingly & I was telling myself "Well, you're playing crap but you got this far. You had a good run." My opponent then missed early in rack 2 & my whole demeanour changed, now I'm thinking I can do this. I won the next 3 racks to move on, including a very iffy shot on the 6. I told myself it's just another ball.

Sadly, the guy I played next pretty much whupped me. I broke & failed to make a ball, he ran out. He then broke & ran out. He did miss one shot (on the 6!) to give me a chance but my fine cutting let me down.

I think I just need to remind myself more often that I can do it. After all, it doesn't matter who you are playing, it's the balls on the table that matter!
 
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