Does drinking hurt or help your game?

Does drinking help or hurt your game.

  • A few drinks helps my game.

    Votes: 27 26.5%

  • A few drinks hurts my game.

    Votes: 39 38.2%

  • A few drinks makes no difference either way.

    Votes: 11 10.8%

  • Getting drunk (several drinks) helps my game.

    Votes: 3 2.9%

  • Too many drinks hurts my game.

    Votes: 37 36.3%

  • I have no game so why not get drunk.

    Votes: 18 17.6%
  • Total voters
    102
crawfish said:
Laugh if you will, but muscle memory and drinking and playing go hand in hand for me. Most money I've ever won, I had drank 16 over a period of about seven hours. Between 3-10, I'll play loose and fresh. After 10 or so, I'm sure I drop off a little. Depends on the time line. My body couldn't perform without a Miller Lite. The muscles aren't used to playing sober. That'd be weird. I'm sure if I began playing sober 25 years ago, drinking would be negative. But, if you've drank every time you've played, your body gets used to that same feeling. I play alot on instinct and feel. Not very good mechanics in general. I jump up on shots, have a weird shortened stroke, and have absolutely no concentration. Maybe I should quit.
Click to expand...

crawfish hit the nail on the head pretty much. There is a documented phenomenon called "state-dependent learning" and it has been demonstrated that skills that are mostly acquired while under the influence are actually recalled better while under the influence. This does NOT mean hammered!

I think that muscle-memory skills are particularly affected by this, and that's why you see a lot of pool players/golfers that do a little better if they've had a drink or two.

Just my 2 cents...
 
i cant attest

The more I drink, the worst i play. This Tuesat league I had 3 tweeking puerto ricans (red bull, barcardi, barcardi O, & Malibu) and a shot of Patron

My hand eye coordination goes bad, I get really excited and jumpy. I dont remember even playing my last match. It was a weird night, the team just wanted to party.

On the flipside, last night at league didnt have 1 drink. Shot a 60 (BCA)
 
after my 2nd Dr. Pepper (sometimes 3rd), I gotta pee, so I guess it may break my concentration a bit... :p
 
Doug said:
Intake of alcohol will not improve performance in any contest that requires hand to eye coordination. This was explained to me when I was asserting that one or two beers didn't make a difference in performance to a Dr. buddy of mine. He said it had been proven that an expert marksman could not group shots as closely after one beer and that pro tennis players could not judge the bounce of the ball as accurately after one beer. Sure, I have seen some pool players play fantastic and have a beer at or in hand continuously but never become intoxicated. Those people have developed a dependence on the tranquilizing effect of alcohol in the same way that some people got to have a cigarette while playing. Neither the nicotin or the alcohol is beneficial.
Click to expand...


Tennis is completely different from pool, and doesn't mix with beer. As to guns and beer..... bad idea :eek:.... as to pool and beer, your Dr. friend apparently doesn't believe in any drugs. Beer can reduce fine motor twitches, whether those come from nervousness or from a malady such as familial essential tremor, it can have a calming effect. It's a medical fact that alcohol can be of benefit to remedy that symptom..... alcohol impairment however comes with it's own set of problems as we all know, and it's a sliding scale that is tough to chase the perfect zone.

Not dogging on ya.... just your Dr. friend may not know what "playing" feels like. JMHO I know for a FACT that not shaking (:smile:) while playing CAN be beneficial to your game!! :D

Don't drive while intoxicated!!

td
 
I don't drink at all anymore but back when I enjoyed drinking I still didn't drink during tournaments or serious play, in my mind it was silly to put in hundreds of hours of practice then use a drug that hampers my ability to play.

I have seen some awesome shooters that drink but it never helped me, it hurt me.
 
most of the time it hurts, there are those rare occasions where I can just go
unconscience and run out from everywhere. Get 17 beers down and not feel drunk at all. then there are those times where 5-6 makes me feel and play like... well rather poorly.
 
dkindig said:
crawfish hit the nail on the head pretty much. There is a documented phenomenon called "state-dependent learning" and it has been demonstrated that skills that are mostly acquired while under the influence are actually recalled better while under the influence. This does NOT mean hammered!

I think that muscle-memory skills are particularly affected by this, and that's why you see a lot of pool players/golfers that do a little better if they've had a drink or two.

Just my 2 cents...
Click to expand...
My point exactly.
 
Drinks...

When I was younger (under 35), drinks screwed up my game big time. I drank cokes only when playing, but as I got older (40ish.. lol..), I have found that 2-3 shots evenly spaced over a 5 hour league play really helps me concentrate and keep steady. I am not sure why, but as I got older, I seemed to have gotten more nervous and less confident in my game. The shots bring that confidence and steady hands back.

Shrug. That is just me. lol.. if we ever play, a jager will be close at hand. At least 3 but no more than 4, after 4, OMG, I go from a pool player to.. well.. I should really put my shooting cues away after 4.

Felix
 
A few beers help me relax and be more fluid.

I am trying not to make it a habit or crutch though...
 
No choice for me, I haven't had a drink for about 20 years. However, when I did drink I'd say on average it hurt my game.
 
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