Does anyone else fall apart (kind of a long post)

Standbykid

Standbykid

Results or excuses?
Silver Member
Hey Guys and Gals,
Just wondering if anyone else out there feels like they fall apart in league competition. I'm a solid "B" player in BCA and SL4/5 in APA and I feel like I disintegrate during league matches.

I've played three matches this session in APA and have only won one. I've lost the last two weeks to SL2's. I will not take anything away from my opponents because both played very well. However, both weeks I've been up 2-0 in a 4/2 race and run 2 racks down to the 8-ball and scratched, giving up both games and losing the match:angry:. I don't understand how this happens. I'm kind of at a loss. Both weeks were complete bonehead mistakes. Shots I know better than to take. Is it greed, aggressiveness, nerves? Maybe stupidity on my part?

I respect all skill levels in this great game because I know that anyone can step to the table and take control. I just feel like I find myself playing worse and worse as the weeks progress. Whether I'm playing a 2 or a 6, I just feel like I'm not "bringing it" to the table. Anyone else going (gone) through this? If so, what'd you do? Thanks for the input, Jeremy
 
Standbykid said:
Hey Guys and Gals,
Just wondering if anyone else out there feels like they fall apart in league competition. I'm a solid "B" player in BCA and SL4/5 in APA and I feel like I disintegrate during league matches.

I've played three matches this session in APA and have only won one. I've lost the last two weeks to SL2's. I will not take anything away from my opponents because both played very well. However, both weeks I've been up 2-0 in a 4/2 race and run 2 racks down to the 8-ball and scratched, giving up both games and losing the match:angry:. I don't understand how this happens. I'm kind of at a loss. Both weeks were complete bonehead mistakes. Shots I know better than to take. Is it greed, aggressiveness, nerves? Maybe stupidity on my part?

I respect all skill levels in this great game because I know that anyone can step to the table and take control. I just feel like I find myself playing worse and worse as the weeks progress. Whether I'm playing a 2 or a 6, I just feel like I'm not "bringing it" to the table. Anyone else going (gone) through this? If so, what'd you do? Thanks for the input, Jeremy
Click to expand...

A couple of things, IMO, first if you are a SL 4/5 in APA you are most likely not what most would consider a "B" player. I am a 7 in 8 ball and an 8 in 9 ball and I consider myself a C player or at the most a very weak B player in the big scheme of things (ie., unhandicapped tournaments).

Second, when playing a lower skill level, particularly a 2, the only way you should lose is to give away a game, which you did. Therefore, you need to concentrate on playing smarter against these players. If your only goal is to not give away a game, you will win 95+% of the games.

Therefore, to your specific question I have to say overconfidence is the reason you are losing. You go for aggressive shots when there is no reason to do so. The better play is to move the 8 near a pocket and wait for the 2 to miss their next shot and win the game easily.

Again, this is just my opinion, and the same thing I tell my teammates when they are playing SL 2's and 3's.
 
Standbykid said:
Hey Guys and Gals,
Just wondering if anyone else out there feels like they fall apart in league competition. I'm a solid "B" player in BCA and SL4/5 in APA and I feel like I disintegrate during league matches.

I've played three matches this session in APA and have only won one. I've lost the last two weeks to SL2's. I will not take anything away from my opponents because both played very well. However, both weeks I've been up 2-0 in a 4/2 race and run 2 racks down to the 8-ball and scratched, giving up both games and losing the match:angry:. I don't understand how this happens. I'm kind of at a loss. Both weeks were complete bonehead mistakes. Shots I know better than to take. Is it greed, aggressiveness, nerves? Maybe stupidity on my part?

I respect all skill levels in this great game because I know that anyone can step to the table and take control. I just feel like I find myself playing worse and worse as the weeks progress. Whether I'm playing a 2 or a 6, I just feel like I'm not "bringing it" to the table. Anyone else going (gone) through this? If so, what'd you do? Thanks for the input, Jeremy
Click to expand...

Sometimes it's just coincidence. You made two boneheaded mistakes. At two bad times. It happens. The worst thing you could do is make this into a thing. People miss. People scratch. So what? It just happened twice in a row in similar situations. No biggie.

Accept that every league match is practice on how to win league matches. You're not playing to see who lives or dies. So enjoy and learn. In that order.

~rc
 
Knowledge is power, if you would have known you were going to scratch then you would not have done it would you? Its a learning curve, keep a mental note of what you did in that situation and don't do it again. Don't try to be a hero and try to play higher percentage pool. Mostly, don't dwell on it, thats counter productive. Just move on, but keep in mind how those scratches hurt, and learn from it.
 
JDB said:
IMO, first if you are a SL 4/5 in APA you are most likely not what most would consider a "B" player.

JDB,
Sorry, I may have not explained myself thoroughly on being a "B" player. In my in-house league, we have A-D rankings in 8-ball. In the grand scheme of the pool world, I am definitely not the skill level a typical "B" player would be. Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...
 
You must have gotten out of line and then taken a dumb shot on the 8. Sounds like a reaction to the embarrasment of having gotten out of line. You didn't want to admit you blew position on the 8 so you compounded the problem by scratching and losing the match.

Just take your time after each shot. Get up, think it through, chalk up slowly paying attention to the chalking process, look the shot over again and go through your pre-shot routine letting your body shoot the shot as it knows how to after you have made a good plan for position.

If you still get out of position safe him so tight he pukes.
 
If the thought of a scratch never entered your mind when you shot those two 8-balls, then your problem may lie in not knowing well enough where the cue ball is going after a shot. However, if you knew that a possibilty for a scratch existed before you actually hit the cue ball, your problem might instead lie in a simple lack of discipline.

I've seen many people (including myself) shoot a shot, get a bad result, and then say "I knew in the back of my mind that that was going to happen, but I shot it anyway". As people gain experience in the game, they develop a set of warning bells in their mind that tell them that a particular shot might not go so well. The player then has to step back, re-evaluate the shot, and determine without a doubt if the shot will work, or if the warning bell that went off in their head was truly on to something. However, this requires discipline in order to execute because the warning bells we hear in our minds want us to get up off of a shot when we are ready to shoot, and we don't always like that. That's what causes people to shoot a perilous shot instead of taking a 2nd look at the shot and considering other options.

So in your case, I would have to ask you: did you get up from those two 8-balls after the cue ball scratched, and think to yourself "I knew that might happen, but I shot it anyway"? If so you just need to be a little more receptive next time you hear the warning bells go off. If that's not the case, then as I mentioned before, you didn't know the scratch was "on" and you might need to work on your awareness of where the cue ball is going as you shoot a shot. Hope this helps.
 
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Players have to adapt to playing in the APA, it doesn't come over night.

When you play lower players, you should concentrate on not giving them a shot at all.

Play defense like every 3rd or 4th shot.
 
Standbykid said:
Hey Guys and Gals,
Just wondering if anyone else out there feels like they fall apart in league competition. I'm a solid "B" player in BCA and SL4/5 in APA and I feel like I disintegrate during league matches.

I've played three matches this session in APA and have only won one. I've lost the last two weeks to SL2's. I will not take anything away from my opponents because both played very well. However, both weeks I've been up 2-0 in a 4/2 race and run 2 racks down to the 8-ball and scratched, giving up both games and losing the match:angry:. I don't understand how this happens. I'm kind of at a loss. Both weeks were complete bonehead mistakes. Shots I know better than to take. Is it greed, aggressiveness, nerves? Maybe stupidity on my part?

I respect all skill levels in this great game because I know that anyone can step to the table and take control. I just feel like I find myself playing worse and worse as the weeks progress. Whether I'm playing a 2 or a 6, I just feel like I'm not "bringing it" to the table. Anyone else going (gone) through this? If so, what'd you do? Thanks for the input, Jeremy
Click to expand...

Jeremy

If you are interested, and if you have the time, get with me sometime this week. I have some mental game material that I can give to you to try out. PM me and let me know when is a good time for you and I to get together to go over this material. This is part of your free follow up.
 
Hey Jeremy,

I'm a SL7 in 9-ball and a SL6 in 8-ball. In 1 of my 9-ball sessions when i was a AL6, I lost my first 5 matches and still finished with a winning record, so don't let the slow start discourage you. The 9-ball handicap is a lot tougher to overcome than the 8-ball.

The biggest mistake people make in 8-ball is running all of their balls down to the 8 or down to their last ball. Then they scratch on the 8 by playing an overly aggressive shot, I've made this mistake many times, or they never have a shot on their last ball and their opponent catches up and eventually wins.

A good playing SL2, huh. I think that's an oxymoron. :D All you have to to beat a SL2 or a weak SL3 is basically play to not lose. Only shoot high percentage shots at the end and outmaneuver them. Just miss on purpose and reposition your balls close to the pockets to leave yourself an easy run out if you don't already have one. Just play the nuts and whatever you do, don't be overly aggressive. That's pretty much the only way you can lose. They'll screw up and leave you an easy shot most of the time.

If there's even a remote possibility of scratching on the 8, do whatever you have to do to make sure you don't scratch. Even if you give ball in hand, big deal. They're not gonna run out anyway. They're likely to leave you an easy shot when they miss. Give them as many chances as you can to make mistakes, and make a concentrated effort to minimize yours.



Standbykid said:
Hey Guys and Gals,
Just wondering if anyone else out there feels like they fall apart in league competition. I'm a solid "B" player in BCA and SL4/5 in APA and I feel like I disintegrate during league matches.

I've played three matches this session in APA and have only won one. I've lost the last two weeks to SL2's. I will not take anything away from my opponents because both played very well. However, both weeks I've been up 2-0 in a 4/2 race and run 2 racks down to the 8-ball and scratched, giving up both games and losing the match:angry:. I don't understand how this happens. I'm kind of at a loss. Both weeks were complete bonehead mistakes. Shots I know better than to take. Is it greed, aggressiveness, nerves? Maybe stupidity on my part?

I respect all skill levels in this great game because I know that anyone can step to the table and take control. I just feel like I find myself playing worse and worse as the weeks progress. Whether I'm playing a 2 or a 6, I just feel like I'm not "bringing it" to the table. Anyone else going (gone) through this? If so, what'd you do? Thanks for the input, Jeremy
Click to expand...
 
Dont take it the wrong way,but i think you think you are better than you really are or your just going by the APA handicapp #.
Once a player can honestly judge their own speed (C- speed)they will become a better player.That way you will define your mental and physical game as your skill level improves.

A players- Pros & open
B players- Mostly 7's and above
C players- Mostly 6's and very few 5's
C- players- Some 5's and some 4's
D players- Mostly 4's and below

Smokin joe
 
Have I ever.....LMAO where was I last NIGHT?!!lol

Standbykid said:
Hey Guys and Gals,
Just wondering if anyone else out there feels like they fall apart in league competition. I'm a solid "B" player in BCA and SL4/5 in APA and I feel like I disintegrate during league matches.

I've played three matches this session in APA and have only won one. I've lost the last two weeks to SL2's. I will not take anything away from my opponents because both played very well. However, both weeks I've been up 2-0 in a 4/2 race and run 2 racks down to the 8-ball and scratched, giving up both games and losing the match:angry:. I don't understand how this happens. I'm kind of at a loss. Both weeks were complete bonehead mistakes. Shots I know better than to take. Is it greed, aggressiveness, nerves? Maybe stupidity on my part?

I respect all skill levels in this great game because I know that anyone can step to the table and take control. I just feel like I find myself playing worse and worse as the weeks progress. Whether I'm playing a 2 or a 6, I just feel like I'm not "bringing it" to the table. Anyone else going (gone) through this? If so, what'd you do? Thanks for the input, Jeremy
Click to expand...

IT happens. Last night at BigTrucks showed that I believe.
Everyone has good days,everyone has bad days,but as long as you're learning something from the table,able to relax and enjoy the time, and start working through the little things that start adding up in your game, you'll have less of those low times, and more of those high times-

Everyone has gotten careless playing someone lower, and everyone has done a shot or two that haunts their dreams...
Once you can identify what caused the problem-stress,work,no sleep, or just feel off- you have a better understanding on how to improve.
Sometimes it's something simple like adjusting your feet or your bridge,sometimes it's just a mental block or fatigue, or just taking things for granted and slacking off.
Get your mind into the game. and let your game come through from there.
It gets better:D
 
I'm right there with you, I usually just pack up and go home before my melt down is complete though. It's hard to forgive yourself. Sometimes if you pretend you are someone else and think what you would tell that person and actually tell yourself that you wont get quite as down on yourself. I'm crazy so weird crap like that actually helps me.
 
There is no pressure, 15 people are not watching your game, you are playing the table not the person. It took me awhile to learn this, but I eventually did and it has helped alot.

The best advise I recieved for shooting at eightballs/moneyballs is: Play position for a ghost ball after the money ball. Just a simple position shot. For some reason I'd always break down on my moneyball shots. I think the reason was lack of focus, and if you play position on an imaginary ball it helps keep that focus in check. I watch superstars even make the mistake to work hard through a rack and choke it up on the moneyball or right before because they were focused on their pattern throughout the run but when no pattern is needed they ease up and make a mistake.

Take your time, most of my scratches happen because i didn't take the time to full examine the shot and consequences.
 
when I pratice at my house i run down to the 8 or 9 what ever game I am playing and then try to make the ball and scratch in some pocket. I will force follow, draw, spin balls in whatever i need to do scratch.

This has helped me out alot because I know were the cue ball could scratch at if I don't focus on my shot

also it helps with my cue ball control
 
I figure I'll add something cuz I have had the highest rating in our vnea and also the apa league (I know, braggy mcbraggart talking here). I don't really have any great secret to offer you except this:

I simply don't care at all about who my opponent is. I don't care what the score is, or how many balls we need. I don't care how many points we're giving up for the handicap. I don't ask anyone about which team we're playing, the shooting order, or anything. When other people ask me "is such and such playing tonight?" or "who's on their team?" I never know any of the answers. People have to tell me when I'm up, because I just relax and wait for someone to point me at the right opponent.

I then shake hands and play my best. Nothing really to it.

Part of what makes me do this with no fear about how I look or how I perform is because I always do well, and I do well because I played for many years, read lots of books, watched lots of movies, etc. Most importantly I play my best, I don't shoot a single shot in a lazy way. I pick out a dime-sized position for the cue ball on every shot, even the easy ones with a big position area... and I don't shoot it unless I like it more than any other option.

Basically there is no secret except to get better at pool, and train yourself not to care about anything except running the table in front of you. Sink the ball, get shape, rinse and repeat until the end of the season.
 
Thanks everybody

Hey guys,

Thanks for the support and advice. I appreciate the help. I knew I could count on this forum and it's members.

*breaknrunjr, you are correct. On both of those 8-ball shots, I knew of the scratch potential and shot them anyway. Mental error due to self imposed pressure, I guess.

**Blackjack, I'll be in touch once my schedule lightens up a little.:thumbup:
 
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