Does pool appeal especially to intelligent people ... or does AZB prove otherwise?

[jsp]

A friend had to give 200 causes of the war of northern aggression. He first thought it was an impossible assignment but once started found it was quite easy. Interestingly, slavery didn't even make his list.

Hu

I've been living in the South for about a year, and I have yet to hear someone refer to the Civil War this way. But then again, I live in an area where Yankee transplants are a majority.

EDIT: As far as the subject of the thread, I do think that pool appeals to intelligent people. Just to keep in mind, intelligence doesn't necessarily mean eloquence. Just because Efren speaks in broken English does not mean isn't an intelligent person. There are many posters on this forum that don't express their thoughts very well in words, but that doesn't make me question their intelligence (well, at least for some).

 

[sde]

JoeyA,
Two things....

1. When I was first watching that video, it reminded me of the time that my ex-wife had a bunch of my family & friends over for a cook-out that she was kind enough to prepare. That video looked like we all did the next day, when whatever was wrong with it kicked in. I think we had some kind of salmon-yellow poisoning or something.

2. What the heck does MP. 00:42 mean? I know that ain't in the Bible. I can't find my Captain Crunch de-coder ring that I got back in 2nd grade when I mailed in 3 boxtops to decipher it, so can you help me out with a translation? Right now, my best guess is that you were a Military Policeman & your badge number was 42. Am I close???

3. Thanks for the laughs buddy!

I could be wrong, but I thought MP = Monty Python and 00:42 was a reference to the 42 second mark on the video.

Steve

 

[Terry Ardeno]

I could be wrong, but I thought MP = Monty Python and 00:42 was a reference to the 42 second mark on the video.

Steve

Thanks Steve.

I'll watch it again and count to 42 by Mississippi's to see what he wanted me to see.

 

[ShootingArts]

how you can tell

If someone refers to the war of northern aggression or even the war between the states odds are they are southern born and southern bred without the corrupting influence of yankees at an early age. As a side note, that is how it was easy to tell which side someone fought on in the years after the war, the north and the south had different names for many if not most of the battles too.

I'd say that Efren has an understanding of physics and spatial geometry on a working level that is second to very few! There was a gentleman in another field I was involved with that seemed very close to functionally illiterate. He was also one of the best in the world at what he did so I had a great deal of respect for him regardless of formal education. Turned out that he was the head of a school at a major university, PhD included of course. I didn't hold his overabundance of education against him after I found out!

Hu

I've been living in the South for about a year, and I have yet to hear someone refer to the Civil War this way. But then again, I live in an area where Yankee transplants are a majority.

EDIT: As far as the subject of the thread, I do think that pool appeals to intelligent people. Just to keep in mind, intelligence doesn't necessarily mean eloquence. Just because Efren speaks in broken English does not mean isn't an intelligent person. There are many posters on this forum that don't express their thoughts very well in words, but that doesn't make me question their intelligence (well, at least for some).

 

[Milo]

A new Az ers perspective

Have only been on for about 6 weeks. I am not a regular poster. I read and listen. There are many posters in my opinion that are obviously very smart and witty. I laugh out loud quite a few times when I sit down at my computer and log on to AZB. The thoughts and opinions are extremely interesting, educational, and enlightening. (And very entertaining) I weed out all the other stuff. It doesnt take long to figure out who is contributing in a positive way and who is contributing just to push buttons.
As far as the question of this thread? I believe you have to be smart to become a good pool player. The mental game is all about your brain and how to use it to its full advantage. The focus that is required, isnt that using your smarts?? I think so.
And the other proof is there are so many funny people on this site. I believe a sense of humor is a sign of high intelligence. Just my thoughts.

Andrea

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

Laughter Is The Best Medicine (if you're on a desert island without access to a Dr.)

And the other proof is there are so many funny people on this site. I believe a sense of humor is a sign of high intelligence.

Andrea

You said that just the way I paid you to.

Doug
( Rep for you, when I'm allowed )

 

[av84fun]

A friend had to give 200 causes of the war of northern aggression. He first thought it was an impossible assignment but once started found it was quite easy. Interestingly, slavery didn't even make his list.

Hu

Hey Hu,

I don't know if your friend's assignment was imposed upon him in some sort of learning institution but he was correct...it WOULD be impossible to assert 200 causes of the Civil War, unless, for example, individual belligerent speeches could be included.

But with respect to fundamental causes not only must slavery be on the list but it was the essential cause.

It would be incorrect to suggest that the preservation of slavery in the Southern states was the cause. Rather, it was the bitter confrontations over the EXPANSION of pro-slavery in the territories and states-to-be ("Bloody Kansas for example) that, combined with the economic imperative to preserve slavery in the Southern states, led to the inevitability of the conflict.

I am rather a student of that era and have close family on both sides of the argument so I make no judgments for or against the North or the South.

But I do think it important to understand what happened and why.

Without being judgmental, the South become addicted to the low-cost labor required to plant and harvest cotten for which there was a frenzied market both in North America and Europe.

Fortunes were accumulated for over 100 years and regardless of the repulsive nature of slavery, an entire population was raised with it and knew quite well that numerous Founding Fathers were slave owners and the Constitution was hopelessly conflicted on the subject.

But the Southerners knew quite well that if new States were admitted to the Union--which states had abolished slavery, then it was only a matter of time that the Constitutional ambiguities would be extinguished to their detriment.

Today, all right-thinking people despise the institution of slavery but students of history must project themselves into the 19th Century South and ask themselves if they would have been in a hurry to see their family wealth radically diminished or destroyed.

To suggest that slavery ought not to be on the list of causes...and on the very top of the list at that is revisionist history of dramatic proportions.

Again, it was NOT any opposition to any near-term movement to abolish slavery in the SOUTH that was the root cause...because there was no such movement that had any hope of prevaing at that time. Even LINCOLN promised not to initiate any such action.

Rather, it was the fear of migration of anti-slavery laws in the territories and wannabe states that the South knew would upset the "stalemate", if you will, over that issue and would tip the scales decidedly toward abolition and the ruin of the southern cotton-based economy. (Cotton...other agricultural commodities and the substantial monitary value of the slaves themselves who, in some cases, were worth more than the land they worked).

Regards,
Jim

 

[av84fun]

Have only been on for about 6 weeks. I am not a regular poster. I read and listen. There are many posters in my opinion that are obviously very smart and witty. I laugh out loud quite a few times when I sit down at my computer and log on to AZB. The thoughts and opinions are extremely interesting, educational, and enlightening. (And very entertaining) I weed out all the other stuff. It doesnt take long to figure out who is contributing in a positive way and who is contributing just to push buttons.
As far as the question of this thread? I believe you have to be smart to become a good pool player. The mental game is all about your brain and how to use it to its full advantage. The focus that is required, isnt that using your smarts?? I think so.
And the other proof is there are so many funny people on this site. I believe a sense of humor is a sign of high intelligence. Just my thoughts.

Andrea

More Rep to you for your thoughtful post...although I disagree with your conclusions.

Athleticism...in the sense of high levels of physical coordination...has never collrelated all that well with high IQs and TV interviews with many notable athletes has demonstrated.

Of course, there are great athletes who are VERY smart but the average IQs of the greats and near-greats likely was or is anything but...well...average.

On the mental side of the issue that you referred to...there is "mental toughness" and "intellect" and those are two VERY different things.

Regards,
Jim

 

[Milo]

Mental thoughness is about the intellect?? Isnt it??

More Rep to you for your thoughtful post...although I disagree with your conclusions.

Athleticism...in the sense of high levels of physical coordination...has never collrelated all that well with high IQs and TV interviews with many notable athletes has demonstrated.

Of course, there are great athletes who are VERY smart but the average IQs of the greats and near-greats likely was or is anything but...well...average.

On the mental side of the issue that you referred to...there is "mental toughness" and "intellect" and those are two VERY different things.

Regards,
Jim

Ok, I get your point. The mental toughness that is required takes some intellect and maybe some good make up of your basic character. In other words, having a huge heart for this game. I know we are getting into another issue of what is required. But dont you think the intellect is the base of mental toughness?? Thanks for you response. Always look forward to other peoples thoughts.

Andrea

 

[Milo]

LOL Doug

You said that just the way I paid you to.

Doug
( Rep for you, when I'm allowed )

LOL Shhhh. I thought you told me not to tell anyone??

Andrea

 

[av84fun]

If someone refers to the war of northern aggression or even the war between the states odds are they are southern born and southern bred without the corrupting influence of yankees at an early age. As a side note, that is how it was easy to tell which side someone fought on in the years after the war, the north and the south had different names for many if not most of the battles too.

I'd say that Efren has an understanding of physics and spatial geometry on a working level that is second to very few! There was a gentleman in another field I was involved with that seemed very close to functionally illiterate. He was also one of the best in the world at what he did so I had a great deal of respect for him regardless of formal education. Turned out that he was the head of a school at a major university, PhD included of course. I didn't hold his overabundance of education against him after I found out!

Hu

Hu, I am uncomfortable taking any contrary positions with you because you are one of the AZ members whose thoughts I most respect.

I live in the South (11 years) and although raised in Detroit, my father was born and raised in Virginia, revered the South and I spent part of every summer of my youth visiting with my Granddaddy who never set foot outside Virginia or Kentucky until he was 70 years old.

I never once heard ANY of my relatives use either of the above expressions...and have not heard those expressions in 11 years as a Southern resident in spite of NUMEROUS, in depth and sometimes heated discussions on the subject.

Regarding Efren, while he obviously has learned...no, MASTERED the paths that billiard balls take when traveling on a pool table, I would be surprised if he could recite the Pythagorean Theorum or any other of the theorums and postulates related to the geometric sciences.

Trust me...I do not suggest for a moment that the man is "ignorant."

Rather, I suggest that particularly high levels of "intelligence" as it is broadly defined, is not a prerequisite to the achievement of VERY advanced physical skills.

What IS required...regardless of physical skills...is "experience" which leads to knowledge (or ought to) but the nature of the popular pool games is simply not so complex that people of quite average IQs cannot learn all they need to know.

In fact, I suggest that there are a great many people who know MUCH more about the game than they are able to physically execute...in SPITE of their knowledge. I certainly am one of them.

Regards,
Jim

 

[ShootingArts]

causes

Hey Hu,

(clipped purely for space considerations. Hu)
I don't know if your friend's assignment was imposed upon him in some sort of learning institution but he was correct...it WOULD be impossible to assert 200 causes of the Civil War, unless, for example, individual belligerent speeches could be included.Regards,
Jim

It was a class assignment at the high school or college level, I forget which. There were many hundreds of reasons put together by the entire class, over a thousand if I remember correctly. I think that speeches, booklets and such were included if the link was direct but I am working from memory that may be a decade old. You are right that the struggle over the balance of power was huge at that time. Not just the pro-slavery/anti-slavery factions but perhaps an even a fiercer struggle over the issue of state's rights vs federal rights. States were in fierce power struggles with each other too. We have to remember that this wasn't all that long after the founding of our country and the issue over whether we should be a loose confederation of nation states or a single nation with the states being little more than areas in that nation was a hot topic from before the nation was born down through all of these years.

While trouble over slavery was certainly simmering there is strong documentation that slavery was deliberately used as a hot button topic against the south fermenting hatred mixed with envy. Envy of the southern states that were seen as richer and more influential in Washington had a huge amount to do with the war, in truth very possibly more than slavery. The common people were mostly whipped into a frenzy by BS on both sides, not a lot different than what takes place in today's elections. I am truly amazed at what I see playing out on the national and world stages right now.

In 1975 I would have bet large that by now we would be past the huge level of racism and bigotry present in all races that exists today. I also thought we were past widescale holy war even then. Now I am pretty cynical and believe that all of this garbage probably moves in cycles and will never be really gone as long as there are multiple races and multiple religions.

Hu

 

[av84fun]

Ok, I get your point. The mental toughness that is required takes some intellect and maybe some good make up of your basic character. In other words, having a huge heart for this game. I know we are getting into another issue of what is required. But dont you think the intellect is the base of mental toughness?? Thanks for you response. Always look forward to other peoples thoughts.

Andrea

No...not at all Andrea. In fact, I might venture the theory that raw intelligence might actually be detrimental to "mental toughness"...at least my definition of that term.

So, let me start there. IMO, mental toughness is composed of...

1. An exceptional ability to focus intensely on one task at a time and to maintain that intensity over long periods of time.

2. An extraordinary will to win. I am very close friends with one world champion in particular and can tell you for a FACT that he/she does not like to lose a SINGLE RACK....EVER...even to a friend!

3. True self-confidence...not the macho faked variety but rather a very deep-seated belief that absent bad rolls they are quite DESTINED to win.

4. Related to the above, an ability to almost instantly shake off bad luck or even bad shots and re-dedicate themselves to the only important thing...the NEXT shot. Such people realize that they are not PERFECT and that errors will creep in from time to time...BUT...they know EXACTLY what caused the error...they KNOW that such things will happen from time to time and they just immediately refill their resovoir of self-confidence.

5. Finally, really otherworldly goal orientation that extends all the way from the next shot to their place in history. In other words, the best of them are just as interested in how many tournaments they will win in their LIFETIMES as they are about winning the next tournament.

None of the above attributes requires any particularly advanced level of raw intelligence.


Two perfect examples of the above are Tiger Woods and Allison Fisher. tiger has been WILDLY dedicated to breaking Jack Niclaus's records of total wins and total majors since he was a boy.

And trust me...Allison is enormously interested in compiling a record of tournament wins, majors and Player of the Year awards that will not be duplicated in her lifetime...or in this Century for that matter.

(Turns out both Tiger and Allison are VERY smart people)!!!

Regards,
Jim

 

[ShootingArts]

Nothing wrong with discussion

Jim,

Nothing wrong with discussion and you are one of my favorite people to discuss things with because it is possible to have discussion without argument. "The War Between the States" in the south and "The Civil War" in the north dates back to that time period. We haven't forgotten much in South Louisiana. Sherman ran Louisiana State University after the war. He was the only person of such exalted position that didn't have a hall named after him as late as the nineteen-eighties, possibly nineties. When an attempt to rectify that occurred it was only after a fierce battle that he had a hall named after him.

"The War of Northern Aggression" was a very real term also, not sure of the time period. I use it slightly tongue in cheek although there is much to document the truth of the name. I once had more interest but I never had a great passion about the war and my main interest was over three decades ago so I have to admit my references are very scanty now.

Moving on to Efren, I did specify a working knowledge. I'm quite sure that even without the language barrier he could not begin to hold up his end of a technical discussion with any of several dozen of the most knowledgeable on here. However if I could choose my partner playing sets for $1000 a head . . .

I learned my lessons young competing against almost totally uneducated old men that spanked me handily in a half-dozen forms of competition. They could not begin to tell me the engineering or scientific theory behind what they did, they just knew what worked and what didn't. Perhaps the most knowledgeable dirt farmer and livestock man I ever met had a third grade education or less too. I felt sure he was sometimes wrong about why things happened, he honestly believed in witchcraft for example. However if he told me something did work, I never doubted.

I find the technical discussions interesting since I spent time working in design engineering but I can't help noting that I am unable to recall one top competitor getting involved in them for more than a post or two. They are too busy doing to concern themselves with why they do. In fact, I myself played by far my best pool long before I knew a fraction of what I know now.

Hu

Hu, I am uncomfortable taking any contrary positions with you because you are one of the AZ members whose thoughts I most respect.

I live in the South (11 years) and although raised in Detroit, my father was born and raised in Virginia, revered the South and I spent part of every summer of my youth visiting with my Granddaddy who never set foot outside Virginia or Kentucky until he was 70 years old.

I never once heard ANY of my relatives use either of the above expressions...and have not heard those expressions in 11 years as a Southern resident in spite of NUMEROUS, in depth and sometimes heated discussions on the subject.

Regarding Efren, while he obviously has learned...no, MASTERED the paths that billiard balls take when traveling on a pool table, I would be surprised if he could recite the Pythagorean Theorum or any other of the theorums and postulates related to the geometric sciences.

Trust me...I do not suggest for a moment that the man is "ignorant."

Rather, I suggest that particularly high levels of "intelligence" as it is broadly defined, is not a prerequisite to the achievement of VERY advanced physical skills.

What IS required...regardless of physical skills...is "experience" which leads to knowledge (or ought to) but the nature of the popular pool games is simply not so complex that people of quite average IQs cannot learn all they need to know.

In fact, I suggest that there are a great many people who know MUCH more about the game than they are able to physically execute...in SPITE of their knowledge. I certainly am one of them.

Regards,
Jim

 

[av84fun]

Great Post!

It was a class assignment at the high school or college level, I forget which. There were many hundreds of reasons put together by the entire class, over a thousand if I remember correctly. I think that speeches, booklets and such were included if the link was direct but I am working from memory that may be a decade old. You are right that the struggle over the balance of power was huge at that time. Not just the pro-slavery/anti-slavery factions but perhaps an even a fiercer struggle over the issue of state's rights vs federal rights.

"States' Rights" was a straw horse euphemism for...in general, the preservation of the Southern economic system which, in particular, relied on the institution of slavery.

Had the Constitution been amended to prohibit anti-slavery laws in the territories and newly proposed states the Civil War would not have happened when it did at least.

The other States' Rights issues, while as hotly debated as such issues still are today (read...abortion, gay marriage) were candles in the wind compared to the CORE issue, which was the preservation of the Southern economy which, perforce, required the maintainence of slavery.

And by the way, there was reportedly a pool table in the Lincoln White House which is the ONLY thing that is keeping this subject pool-related!! (-:

States were in fierce power struggles with each other too. We have to remember that this wasn't all that long after the founding of our country and the issue over whether we should be a loose confederation of nation states or a single nation with the states being little more than areas in that nation was a hot topic from before the nation was born down through all of these years.

While trouble over slavery was certainly simmering there is strong documentation that slavery was deliberately used as a hot button topic against the south fermenting hatred mixed with envy. Envy of the southern states that were seen as richer and more influential in Washington had a huge amount to do with the war, in truth very possibly more than slavery. The common people were mostly whipped into a frenzy by BS on both sides, not a lot different than what takes place in today's elections. I am truly amazed at what I see playing out on the national and world stages right now.

In 1975 I would have bet large that by now we would be past the huge level of racism and bigotry present in all races that exists today. I also thought we were past widescale holy war even then. Now I am pretty cynical and believe that all of this garbage probably moves in cycles and will never be really gone as long as there are multiple races and multiple religions.
Hu

Unfortunately correct....and typically well put.

Regards,
Jim

PS: The War did not begin with the shots fired at Ft. Sumter. In TRUTH it began when the "Bloody Kansas" episode took place wherein gangs of pro and anti-slavery factions literally murdered each other in the streets in an effort to intimidate each other concerning the pending slavery legislation there.

I was one of the worst insurrections in U.S. history to that date and was entirely slavery oriented. The reports of the event...which was horrible in fact...were nevertheless greatly exaggerated by the press that was just as prone to that sort of thing then as now and it utterly horrified the nation.

It was in IN YOUR FACE experience easily on a par with the 911 tragedy (relatively) and made it clear to both North and South that armed conflict was not only possible but HAD HAPPENED.

At that point, Southernerns with good reason, came to fear an invasion of anti-slavery activists and the uprising of the slaves who outnumbered the whites by...I forget...at least 5-1 if not double that.

Conversely, you are correct that the North harbored jealosies...not so much over aggregate Southern wealth...because aggregate Northern wealth was far greater...but the SAME *****ing about unfair competition due to zero wage costs that we complain about today relative to China, India etc....SAME ISSUE!

But you can be jealous as hell and not start shooting people. Very little cotton was grown in the North and not being stupid, Northerners who wore lots of cotton realized that it would cost THEM much more if slavery was abolished....JUST LIKE most Americans have stopped *****ing about the slave-like wages being paid in China/India and instead, are flocking to stores to buy as much of their output as they can...SAME ISSUE!

This may be a world record long PS: so I'll shut up now.
(-:

 

[Milo]

No...not at all Andrea. In fact, I might venture the theory that raw intelligence might actually be detrimental to "mental toughness"...at least my definition of that term.

So, let me start there. IMO, mental toughness is composed of...

1. An exceptional ability to focus intensely on one task at a time and to maintain that intensity over long periods of time.

2. An extraordinary will to win. I am very close friends with one world champion in particular and can tell you for a FACT that he/she does not like to lose a SINGLE RACK....EVER...even to a friend!

3. True self-confidence...not the macho faked variety but rather a very deep-seated belief that absent bad rolls they are quite DESTINED to win.

4. Related to the above, an ability to almost instantly shake off bad luck or even bad shots and re-dedicate themselves to the only important thing...the NEXT shot. Such people realize that they are not PERFECT and that errors will creep in from time to time...BUT...they know EXACTLY what caused the error...they KNOW that such things will happen from time to time and they just immediately refill their resovoir of self-confidence.

5. Finally, really otherworldly goal orientation that extends all the way from the next shot to their place in history. In other words, the best of them are just as interested in how many tournaments they will win in their LIFETIMES as they are about winning the next tournament.

None of the above attributes requires any particularly advanced level of raw intelligence.


Two perfect examples of the above are Tiger Woods and Allison Fisher. tiger has been WILDLY dedicated to breaking Jack Niclaus's records of total wins and total majors since he was a boy.

And trust me...Allison is enormously interested in compiling a record of tournament wins, majors and Player of the Year awards that will not be duplicated in her lifetime...or in this Century for that matter.

(Turns out both Tiger and Allison are VERY smart people)!!!

Regards,
Jim

Than you for your response and opinion. I have only been playing about 12 yrs. I am on the masters list nationally. Have been very successful in tournaments. Its something to think about for sure. Maybe I need to simplify my thought process. I am VERY hard on myself, but I am getting better about forgiving my errors.(we are all only human.) It sounds like you have been to the rodeo a time or two.


Andrea

 

[av84fun]

Than you for your response and opinion. I have only been playing about 12 yrs. I am on the masters list nationally. Have been very successful in tournaments. Its something to think about for sure. Maybe I need to simplify my thought process. I am VERY hard on myself, but I am getting better about forgiving my errors.(we are all only human.) It sounds like you have been to the rodeo a time or two.

Andrea

Unfortunately...far too many! But without pretending to any world class bounty of knowledge, let me give you the ONE bit of advice because I am convinced it is CRUCIAL.

Of course, we all get down on ourselves from time to time but you HAVE TO fight it tooth and nail because it is a VERY destructive process.

How?

You have to have a VERY VERY clear understanding of what your skill level is. Whatever that level is, you must KNOW that you are going to miss a certain percentage of tough shots and will DOG IT with a certain frequency.

In the Predator 10 Ball, Busta dogged the 7 ball once and JJ dogged it TWICE....IN THE SAME RACK!!!!

Ok...so if you know what your "mistake frequency" is then two GREAT things happen.

1. You will develop a matrix of what KINDS of shots you miss most frequently and THAT should be factored into your practice sessions BIG TIME. J. Lee says that when she misses a shot in practice she will force herself to shoot the shot 100 times in a row. I don't know if that is true but the ATTITUDE is correct.

Making mistakes is human...Failing to learn from them is stupidity itself.

2. While you will never be HAPPY about any given failure, you will know that it is normal...that you are not a fool and that it is just a numbers game.

The greatest hitters in baseball fail to get hits MORE THAN SIXTY PERCENT OF THE TIME!!!

They don't LIKE striking out or hitting one-hoppers into double plays but if they allowed that dislike to persist for more than MOMENTS they would all be in mental wards before the end of their first seasons.

Rather, they TRUST their abilities and just keep GRINDING until the numbers game turns in their favor.

But it is SO important to assess your skill level realistically because if you don't, you will CONSTANTLY beat up on yourself when, in fact, you may be playing up to your average skill level...AND...you won't be motivated to SUBSTANTIALLY increase your skill level if you think you're the nuts to start with.

Sorry to rant on but you seem to be taking your pool career very seriously and I felt like sharing what in my personal opinion...for whatever that is worth...are crucial concepts.

Regards,
Jim

 

[Milo]

Yes, I do take it seriously, but im realistic about my level

Unfortunately...far too many! But without pretending to any world class bounty of knowledge, let me give you the ONE bit of advice because I am convinced it is CRUCIAL.

Of course, we all get down on ourselves from time to time but you HAVE TO fight it tooth and nail because it is a VERY destructive process.

How?

You have to have a VERY VERY clear understanding of what your skill level is. Whatever that level is, you must KNOW that you are going to miss a certain percentage of tough shots and will DOG IT with a certain frequency.

In the Predator 10 Ball, Busta dogged the 7 ball once and JJ dogged it TWICE....IN THE SAME RACK!!!!

Ok...so if you know what your "mistake frequency" is then two GREAT things happen.

1. You will develop a matrix of what KINDS of shots you miss most frequently and THAT should be factored into your practice sessions BIG TIME. J. Lee says that when she misses a shot in practice she will force herself to shoot the shot 100 times in a row. I don't know if that is true but the ATTITUDE is correct.

Making mistakes is human...Failing to learn from them is stupidity itself.

2. While you will never be HAPPY about any given failure, you will know that it is normal...that you are not a fool and that it is just a numbers game.

The greatest hitters in baseball fail to get hits MORE THAN SIXTY PERCENT OF THE TIME!!!

They don't LIKE striking out or hitting one-hoppers into double plays but if they allowed that dislike to persist for more than MOMENTS they would all be in mental wards before the end of their first seasons.

Rather, they TRUST their abilities and just keep GRINDING until the numbers game turns in their favor.

But it is SO important to assess your skill level realistically because if you don't, you will CONSTANTLY beat up on yourself when, in fact, you may be playing up to your average skill level...AND...you won't be motivated to SUBSTANTIALLY increase your skill level if you think you're the nuts to start with.

Sorry to rant on but you seem to be taking your pool career very seriously and I felt like sharing what in my personal opinion...for whatever that is worth...are crucial concepts.

Regards,
Jim

Thanks for the advice. I am VERY realistic about my skill level.I totally understand what you are saying about that subject. I know players that dont understand or want to face there TRUE level of play. Pool is not the first on my list in my life. My marriage in number one. Pool is about 3 on the list. It is still a very important part of my life, but I am realistic about how it rules my thought process. When I have a bad match, I think about for about 10 minutes, then its history. And I know it comes from just paying my dues and experience. I have worked very hard on my game for the last ten years. I feel a certain reward for my hard work.
Ive had alot of help along to way. I have been around some world class players. I am a lucky girl. Again, thank you for your thoughts. They are appreciated more than I can say in words.


Andrea

 

[av84fun]

Again, thank you for your thoughts. They are appreciated more than I can say in words.


Andrea

Ah...but you have....THANKS!

Jim

 

[rossaroni]

The greatest hitters in baseball fail to get hits MORE THAN SIXTY PERCENT OF THE TIME!!!

Ah, I think you are being generous with this statement. I can't remember the last MLB player who hit .600 in a season.