Determination and frustration

frankncali

frankncali

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
IMO pool is one of the hardest sports. Not only while physically but mentally as well. Watching the Pros or top players play at times can be utterly demoralizing. Frustration sets in and the game only gets harder.

Most everyone konws the right things to say when things like this occur but in all reality the truth hurts to much for clean thinking.

There are guys that have been playing their whole lives and are at best a
"B" level or slightly better than average player.

I am sure that each level of players think that they are in the most frustrating level. Also sometimes the added practice and extra table time
only seem to make it worse.

Has anyone here ever set out and made a big goal? How determined were you at going after it? Did you feel it was worth it?

In all honesty I wonder what my top consistent level is and what it could be. Theres no real way to find this out without setting major goals and
really being determined to give it an honest go. I have seem others
do this and then quit the game.

I am lucky that I can enjoy just going and playing but sometimes its
tough to find a good honest game for free.

What do you do when the times really get rough? and Have you ever made a serious run at finding your top game?

BTW-- I am that frustrated but have been around a good handful of people that are struggling with getting better and the will to
be determined. As one said " it was better when I did not care".
 
Pool is a baby game.

Want a tough way to make a (sporting) living? Try being matched up w/ 190+ competitors, all the same level as you, riding a bicycle over pavement, cobblestones and dirt, for 163mi.!

From: http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/apr06/roubaix06/?id=results
"194 riders left the confines of Compiegne at 10:50am, under sunny skies and moderate winds blowing from the northwest - conditions that would accompany them all the way to Roubaix..."
Final result:
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC 259 km (163.17mi)/ 6h, 7m, 54s (avg spd: 42.239 km/h (26.61mph)
and, 2 pics:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/apr06/roubaix06/index.php?id=s007

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/apr06/roubaix06/index.php?id=s040
 
Pool in my opinion is not in the same universe as golf for difficulty. Try putting a 1.5" ball into a 3" cup in 5 swings from 560 yards away. Now try and do it 17 more times from varying distances.

Now do it against guys who 1 out of every 3 holes will do it in 1 less stroke than par.
 
Frank, pool is difficult at least top level play is difficult. Hell, playing B level pool is tough. Just ask any of the C people in your local pool room.


For me I have not set specific high reaching goals because I cannot devote the time necessary to achieve those goals. I spend as much tiime playing pool as I can and it has kept me abreast of my goal which is to continue to improve each year, nothing more. When I can't improve any longer I will quit. The improvements have been slow in recent years and it is frustrating with the slow pace but that is something I cannot change, except with a pool lesson here and there and LOTS OF PRACTICE.
Warm Regards,
JoeyA



frankncali said:
IMO pool is one of the hardest sports. Not only while physically but mentally as well. Watching the Pros or top players play at times can be utterly demoralizing. Frustration sets in and the game only gets harder.

Most everyone konws the right things to say when things like this occur but in all reality the truth hurts to much for clean thinking.

There are guys that have been playing their whole lives and are at best a
"B" level or slightly better than average player.

I am sure that each level of players think that they are in the most frustrating level. Also sometimes the added practice and extra table time
only seem to make it worse.

Has anyone here ever set out and made a big goal? How determined were you at going after it? Did you feel it was worth it?

In all honesty I wonder what my top consistent level is and what it could be. Theres no real way to find this out without setting major goals and
really being determined to give it an honest go. I have seem others
do this and then quit the game.

I am lucky that I can enjoy just going and playing but sometimes its
tough to find a good honest game for free.

What do you do when the times really get rough? and Have you ever made a serious run at finding your top game?

BTW-- I am that frustrated but have been around a good handful of people that are struggling with getting better and the will to
be determined. As one said " it was better when I did not care".
Click to expand...
 
Having cycled, golfed and played pool, I think they all require similar traits, though there is a degree of physical disposition which can provide advantages / disadvantages in one sport over the other.

What determines if one is harder than another (in terms of reaching the higher echelons), I believe, is basically the number of people who are training in the sport with professional level dedication.

In golf there are thousands who make their living playing the games. In pool there are probably only a couple of hundred...and not enough rewards to inspire thousands of wanabees to put in 6+ hours per day. The IPT will hopefully turn that around.

But all sports have their barriers, much of them mental, and only the mentally strong get through to the highest levels.

To answer the initial question posed by Frankncali:
Has anyone here ever set out and made a big goal? How determined were you at going after it? Did you feel it was worth it?
Click to expand...
I set out to make the olympics in Track and Field in my youth. Was very determined and trained hard for several years. Would obsess about training. Push myself to the point of nausea often. Chant about my imperviousness to pain.

Along the way I made many mistakes, learned many things, got frustrated by injuries. I didn't reach my dream goal, few ever do, but I met many minor goals along the way, which put me levels above the enthusiast which I started out as.

Hard to have regrets if you put a lot of effort into something. The lessons learned carry through to other things in life. It's a good character builder I think.

Now with the IPT I'm going through a similar thing again. If I work hard, I'm sure I'll get something out of it. I say work, because it really does require pushing oneself. But there is a satisfaction and calm about long hours of practice...and endless attempt to overcome demons in sighting, speed control, losing concentration, twitches, cracks and chokes etc.

I think the biggest regret you can have is not really trying. Real trying is not just mind numbing repetition but thinking hard about the goals step by step and how to achieve them. If you can do that, progress can surely be made. How much progress is hard to know. Only a few become real champions, but it is also reason for a sense of pride to stand out as a big fish in a smaller pond. To reach the top 0.0001 percentile, even though you couldn't make the top 0.000001 percentile...or something like that if you get my drift:D
 
Thanks for the remarks so far

Randy I hope to make it soon $$$ are tight right now but you and your team are on my "to do" list.


I think frustrations are significant to each individual. For a low level player learning new shots and being more competitve with friends might be
his/her frustration.
For Pros it might be more monetary and performance based.

For one of if not the biggest spectrum of players IMO it has to be being stuck in the middle. Theres no guarantee to ever get better no matter how much practice and effort one puts into it.
In addition its a tough spot with so many players that play above you that
still cant play with the top players.

Maybe it would be easier if there was a benchmark as in Golf. Thats one reason like some of the progressive practice games like Fargo. In Golf
most people have days where they play much better than there average.
In pool IMO that does not happen too often.

In some ways I wish Pool were a more social game like golf. Fours guys go out and play hoping all does well. Most dont bet and if they do its secondary to the playing. In pool its almost like the better one is the
less socialable it becomes. Players are always competing against one another.

I believe as a sport pool is the toughest. Your opponet can win without you getting to play. Thats tough. As a game or as a skill its tough to
compare different actions.

As an OK player I have small goals but nothing major. I have been wondering if I should set something more definite. Now I wander to a
tourney and maybe have been playing a little or all to often I have not been playing. Its the outcome thats frustrating not my playing.

Recently I played Jimmy M in the Swanee. I played like I had never played before. Other matches were okay and I won 3 and lost 2. In the 2 losses
I played porrly in both. Jimmy M is the better player and I feel no shame in
losing there but I should have won the next match.

The situations in pool sometimes make alot of players question whether or not its worth it IMO. Hopefully that will change. The IPT is an answer for
a small portion of players. I hope one day it opens the door for the largest portion of players.
 
I think that you have to be realistic when you set goals. I have to admit, it is amazing what one can accomplish when they set their mind to it. Personally, I've achieved most of the things that I have wanted out of life. Most times I just project what it is that I want and then work to achieve it. Things just almost magically fall into place. I'm kind of lucky in that I tend to do well in just about every endeavor or field of contest that I engage in. Some people aren't so lucky. I feel comfortable knowing that I can do things better than most people and don't really strive to be the best in the world at things. I am happy if I can beat most competitors. I realize that there will always be someone better than me and am comfortable getting beat by those better than me. If I have someone that beats me at something consistently, I will strive to become better so that I can occasionally beat them or at least give them some stiff competition. If I find something that I can't do well (football was one of those sports for me), I'll move on to something that I can do better at. I don't like competitions where there is a lot of luck involved. I like to be in control and know that I have some say in the outcome. My goals re pool are sort of nebulous. Initially, I had played some games with a co-worker and my cousin. They both beat me. I had some pride and quite a bit of time involved in pool already as well as some very fond memories. Pool was always a pasttime that I derived a great deal of pleasure from. I decided to get my own table and practice enough where I could beat most people. I'm there. Now my goal is to get good enough to compete in the higher levels of the lower level tournaments (and leagues) in my area. I may never reach that goal, and I'm okay with that. I have a feeling that I will, though. I will never get frustrated by someone else's play (unless they are clearly getting all of the lucky rolls, lol) but almost surely will with my own if it is not up to my ability. It's a tricky combination of supreme confidence and humility.
I get the most enjoyment from the small victories at the table. That impossible kick shot or a perfect leave in a tight spot; teammates on both sides saying "Nice shot"; slicing one up the rail the full length of the table; that's what keeps me going. That is what makes it worth it to me.
 
Pool can be difficult but I think many other sports are a lot tougher. I love golf but I think it is much more difficult then pool. With golf you have 4-5 different club types that all require a little different technique. At least with pool the fundamentals of almost every stroke are the same.
 
bsmutz said:
I think that you have to be realistic when you set goals. I have to admit, it is amazing what one can accomplish when they set their mind to it. Personally, I've achieved most of the things that I have wanted out of life. Most times I just project what it is that I want and then work to achieve it. Things just almost magically fall into place. I'm kind of lucky in that I tend to do well in just about every endeavor or field of contest that I engage in. Some people aren't so lucky. I feel comfortable knowing that I can do things better than most people and don't really strive to be the best in the world at things. I am happy if I can beat most competitors. I realize that there will always be someone better than me and am comfortable getting beat by those better than me. If I have someone that beats me at something consistently, I will strive to become better so that I can occasionally beat them or at least give them some stiff competition. If I find something that I can't do well (football was one of those sports for me), I'll move on to something that I can do better at. I don't like competitions where there is a lot of luck involved. I like to be in control and know that I have some say in the outcome. My goals re pool are sort of nebulous. Initially, I had played some games with a co-worker and my cousin. They both beat me. I had some pride and quite a bit of time involved in pool already as well as some very fond memories. Pool was always a pasttime that I derived a great deal of pleasure from. I decided to get my own table and practice enough where I could beat most people. I'm there. Now my goal is to get good enough to compete in the higher levels of the lower level tournaments (and leagues) in my area. I may never reach that goal, and I'm okay with that. I have a feeling that I will, though. I will never get frustrated by someone else's play (unless they are clearly getting all of the lucky rolls, lol) but almost surely will with my own if it is not up to my ability. It's a tricky combination of supreme confidence and humility.
I get the most enjoyment from the small victories at the table. That impossible kick shot or a perfect leave in a tight spot; teammates on both sides saying "Nice shot"; slicing one up the rail the full length of the table; that's what keeps me going. That is what makes it worth it to me.
Click to expand...
Try projecting your mind on the enter / return key :p

Good reading but pretty hard on the eyes to follow.:D
 
I haven't read this entire thread, but let me just make the same point I always make whenever this sort of debate about the comparative difficulty of different sports/ games. Unless perfection is acheivable, the difficulty of any game has nothing to do with how much strength or precision or instinct or anything else it requires. There is one and only one determining factor: how good is the competition?

Whether is is more difficult to sink a golf ball or a nine ball is totally irrelevant. What matters is how hard it is to beat the best... consistently. Beating the best is extremely difficult in just about any game. Whether it is more difficult to reach the top in pool or golf depends on which game you have more natural ability at and which game interests you enough to keep you coming back for hours a day year after year.
 
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