Competing in same group

ceebee

ceebee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've played this game of Pocket Billiards for 50+ years, I've played all the games, even some 3-Cushion Billiards.

After competing in some "out of town tournaments", this year, & doing very well. I'm starting to wonder if competing with the same bunch, day in & day out, isn't mentally crippling to one's game.

I recently took a look at my tournament competition, over the last 5 years. The "pecking order" in my local pool room hasn't changed. We've all raised the level of our game, but the "order of skill level" is remarkably the same.

But, when I go out of town & compete with players I don't know, I play better, consistantly. After 2 weeks back home, my competitive level goes back to my normal 7-8 Speed. Anybody else notice this in their travels...
 
Yes I have.

I got out of playing for money and tournaments for several years. Then I took a friend to see PHJ whne it came out and told him I could teach him to play at a high level if he wanted. He got hooked and I got back into the game.

I started playing practically every day and the pecking order at the local hall became pretty evident. Then, chris and I went to Danny K's for a tournament and I just cleaned house. They rated me as a 2A which is probably a little low but hey, I wasn't complaining. But back at my home room, I just couldnt play as well as away. It was the mental aspect. I've since gotten over it, but I think, you just get it in your head that you SHOULD lose to certain people and you do.

You have to get past that and be able to think about nothing but your game. After all, you're not playing anyone on that table but yourself. It's only you on that table. Sure your opponent might get to that table but never at the same time as you, so you're really just playing yourself.
 
I certainly have. I flew in to the S. Cali and N. Cali women's tours for qualifiers and won one in both tours. There were no expectations. I ran through their top players because I didn't know who they were or how they played and vice versa. It was great. I think you get a fire in your belly that you think anything is possible and you come with it. At home, you know everyone's games and there is the personality factor that seeps into women's matches.
 
best level

I have long noticed that a competitor is very unlikely to get any better than just good enough to beat their competition even if they rise to that level. Too, when the same players shoot together all the time a certain pecking order is established that is hard to get past mentally as others have mentioned. You do have to get in deep water to find out if you can swim.

Hu
 
GUILTY!!! When I play around here, I don't play to my full potential... I don't have to. When I go to a tournament, it's a different story. I bring game with me then... game and a level of focus and concentration that I just don't need in Smalltown, OK. Like Charley, I come back here and shoot lights out for awhile then settle back into my old "do whatcha gotta do" rut. Really not good for the game, but playing is playing and if I ain't playing, I ain't happy...

Later,
Bob
 
Can't agree more, but to get out of it...

I travel alot and play the same people at the different places I go. Since I travel throughout the midwest, I have noticed only one variance in this trend.

When the trips were short at the places where I was the better player, I didn't improve much and the levels of ability doesn't change much among the others I am playing except they improve, but no one surpasses the other.

However, when my trips changed and I was spending more time playing the people much better than me, I notice level jumping in my games that has had some strong stay and my skills improved dramaticaly. Enough that I felt the difference which I never really noticed without playing 99 or other skills tests to measure with.

I play all the games, and that still is the fastest and best way to improve your abilities in other games.
 
ceebee said:
I've played this game of Pocket Billiards for 50+ years, I've played all the games, even some 3-Cushion Billiards.

After competing in some "out of town tournaments", this year, & doing very well. I'm starting to wonder if competing with the same bunch, day in & day out, isn't mentally crippling to one's game.

I recently took a look at my tournament competition, over the last 5 years. The "pecking order" in my local pool room hasn't changed. We've all raised the level of our game, but the "order of skill level" is remarkably the same.

But, when I go out of town & compete with players I don't know, I play better, consistantly. After 2 weeks back home, my competitive level goes back to my normal 7-8 Speed. Anybody else notice this in their travels...
Click to expand...


not trying to be a smart ass about this.

Your game starts with how hard you practice. If your "practice" is with friends only, then you're not setting your practice bar high enough. Set your own goals, (i.e. innings per rack, balls make per rack, points made per rack.)

If you want more out of your game, you have to set a goal for what you want. Your goal can be as small as how your wrap hand grips the cue consistantly, to how tight you want your sholder to be on your final contact stroke. Or, how many balls you want to make before you allow your opponent to shoot.

If you miss your marks, then practice alone until you reach those goals.
 
I don't need any suggestions about how to play better. I have the knowledge, I just don't have the youth or stamina. Old age & treachery can accomplish just so much, against youth & skill.

I was just making mention of a phenomenon, that I realized, & wondered if other players had experienced that too..

My game is about as good as can be. In fact, my game isn't near as good it was, but no one remains a champion, after a certain point in time. Age becomes your competition & you lose.

I have won a couple dozen local tournaments, in the last 5 years, but my game is now going away. I no longer have the stamina for 8 hours or more of competition, maybe 5 hours is my max anymore.

Good Luck to you folks who are still champions... at least I can still sweat great matches....
 
Ceebee you sure hit the nail on the head there and I really noticed it this past Sunday. But it was a good run while it lasted.

I have come to realize that people who think they are "just playing the table" are fooling themselves. How I play, what shot I take, depends a lot on who I am playing.

Jake
 
My sentiments ...

ceebee said:
I don't need any suggestions about how to play better. I have the knowledge, I just don't have the youth or stamina. Old age & treachery can accomplish just so much, against youth & skill.

I was just making mention of a phenomenon, that I realized, & wondered if other players had experienced that too..

My game is about as good as can be. In fact, my game isn't near as good it was, but no one remains a champion, after a certain point in time. Age becomes your competition & you lose.

I have won a couple dozen local tournaments, in the last 5 years, but my game is now going away. I no longer have the stamina for 8 hours or more of competition, maybe 5 hours is my max anymore.

Good Luck to you folks who are still champions... at least I can still sweat great matches....
Click to expand...

I agree. As I am approaching my 58th birthday in less than 2 months,
I am starting to find my interest in Pool waning a little bit. I don't always
look forward to the weekly tournament, or playing $5 games on the
challenge table. I just do it because that is what I have done for so long.
The money games are not out there like they used to be, or they are just
trying to get the nuts on you. I don't 'run' with other guys, just see them
at the pool room, and I would much rather be with a nice attractive woman.
I hate the dating scene today, and all that goes with it, so I just spend time
alone or with family. I don't practice my game unless there is a reason to, I can make a ball, and when I practice it is only to fine tune my banking or safeties. There, that's a little better ... lol
 
The Ah-Hah Moment...

CeeBee...good thread...and great observations by everyone...I have begun to notice this as well...I play APA, (I know), but I do it for a little competition without the gambling aspect...anyway, I Captain an 8-Ball Team, and have all SL3-SL4 level players, I play an In-House League, so I see the same 9 Teams week in and week out...I have begun to feel stagnate this session for the first time...I roll balls every Sunday with my Team...it's learning for them but really no competition for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm only a Sporty SL5, but can beat everyone on my Team at will...couple that with playing the same group of people constantly, I find my game in a rut?! I think to keep improving you have to put yourself in unfamiliar environments and take some bumps to keep the killer instinct alive...

my 2c-
 
You guys are depressing me, I just started playing again this summer (after 20 years) and am having a great time. I am on the radar screen of the top players where I play and enjoy the competition. My goal is to beat these guys regularly and probably will in another couple of months. I hope the challenge of the game never leaves me but reading this thread I'm sure it will.

Until then "Rack'em" and lets play again.
 
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