Expectations

C

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I go in to every session (practice or a match) with a positive outlook, anticipating I’ll play at a skill / execution / consistency level like I know I’m capable of playing at and have played at before.

Virtually every session, I find I fall short of those expectations. I may play at that level in short spurts, possibly even for a complete race to 5 or race to 7 set against an opponent or against the ghost, but never for an entire session. Just curious if most others here experience the same - almost always failing to play at the level you know you are capable of playing at for an extended session?

Working harder and playing / practicing more is not an option with the amount of time I’m able to play. I know my fundamentals are sound, but I’m sure sometimes better than others. Yes, I realize my age, 64, may be the main reason, but I honestly feel my vision, health and/or lack of focus are not what is holding me back. Should I consider adjusting my expectations? That just seems like such a pessimistic and depressing outlook, even if it is realistic.

I guess it would just make me feel better to hear that most others, particularly those in my general age group, have a similar experience with their pool game?
 
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The key is to make your everyday play match the level you know you can play. I'll let you know how to do it as soon as I figure it out ;)

But yeah, knowing the level you can play and not living up to it is frustrating. I find focusing on concentration and giving every shot my full attention does the best for me. It's hard to do, but treat every hanger as if it were the difference between winning and losing, because it often is.
 
Allow me to offer this as a general observation and it has served me well.

Aligning your expectations realistically at the outset avoids needless frustrations later on.
Keep in mind there isn’t any sports endeavor where the competitor succeeds more than fails.
And never take any game or sport so seriously that it ceases being enjoyable and actual fun.

In baseball, a hitter is considered phenomenal if he gets a hit every 4 out of 10 times. The other
six doesn’t matter. And only Mr. Ted Williams has done it & failing 7 out of 10 times is still great (.300 avg).

In 1945, Byron Nelson won 11 PGA tournaments in a row. The next closest is Tiger Woods with 7 in a row.
But they entered more tournaments than they won. It is hard to maintain high level performance consistently.

Think of pool like your USGA golf index (handicap). As players, we get infuriated when we don’t shoot our index.
Imagine.....doesn’t matter if we’re on our home course or visiting another. After all, higher slopes raise our handicap.

In reality, your golf index is not compiled on your average of last 20 rounds. It is based on your best 8 scores out of
the last 20 rounds played. That means you played worse 12 times than your index. Pool is the same as other sports.

You are going to become hot sometimes like in baseball (look at the Skipper’s 56 game hitting streak), plateau, maybe
even occasionally struggle at times. Just like in other sports, it is how you perform when it counts.....under pressure.
As long as you’re still in any match or tournament, you can still prevail if your opponents don’t handle pressure like you.
 
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I returned to the game a few years ago after taking some extended time off for family. I have yet to return to my previous form, but I always start out expecting to play at that speed. That may not be realisitic and yes there are times I find it frustrating. However for me, that frustration, is fuel.

My advice is to use your frustration to drive you further. IMO, lowering your expectations is the first step toward giving up. That sounds more harsh then I mean it to, but I can't think of a better way to phrase it at the moment.

Also: check your PMs ;)
 
File this under easier said than done. As difficult as it may be we must be objective & realistic with our skills at any walk of life. The best and worst results do not define the level at which the game is played.
 
Yeah I agree...easier said than done, but I tend to think it’s just a matter of getting back to basics. I’ll go out on a limb and say most misses are just a breakdown in fundamentals. I think we all try to over think our misses.
 
Lawnboy77 said:
Yeah I agree...easier said than done, but I tend to think it’s just a matter of getting back to basics. I’ll go out on a limb and say most misses are just a breakdown in fundamentals. I think we all try to over think our misses.
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Yep, and the misses that I didn't over think, I didn't respect enough to give much thought...lol
 
I like Bava's take on it, although in some ways it may be a crutch so to speak. Fore is most likely onto the real deal though. The consistent focus and attention make this game much easier said than done.

...and not to derail your thread, but check your pm's like JV asked, lol... I sent you a question about your 10ft table last week sometime (y)
 
8cree said:
I like Bava's take on it, although in some ways it may be a crutch so to speak. Fore is most likely onto the real deal though. The consistent focus and attention make this game much easier said than done.

...and not to derail your thread, but check your pm's like JV asked, lol... I sent you a question about your 10ft table last week sometime (y)
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Sorry, I just responded to your question via a PM.
 
The problem is simple. Deep down we all feel we should be able to play at our best level all of the time. That isn't our real performance level. To be a successful gambler I based my performance level on what I could lay down 90% of the time. I had magic nights when I could have beaten anyone that night, but if I based my performance level on those nights I would have had a terrible overall record matching up.

It may not be as impressive but if a person accepts their 85% performance level as their real level and play above and below as the abnormal they will be a lot happier. Pistols lend themselves to measurement better than pool so I'll talk about my performance with them. I set four local records in tough fields so I wasn't shabby. However, looking over my performance for a season or two, I had to admit my normal was one major mistake a match where I dropped maximum score for a shot, ten points. It didn't please me to admit that but it was the fact. I had a really bad day when I made two or more mistakes, I had a really great day when I dropped less than five points.

One thing I was able to do is peak on demand. That is something all competitors need to learn to do. Peaking at the weekly event means little, peaking at a major event means a bunch.

So, the first thing is to understand our real ability over the span of time and the next thing is to try to narrow the gap between our average performance and our best performance.

I used to play at three speeds. Friends and dates, local gamblers, road players. Being able to kick it up to the level needed on demand was the key to bringing home the cash a lot more often than not.

Hu
 
ShootingArts said:
Being able to kick it up to the level needed on demand was the key to bringing home the cash a lot more often than not.

Hu
Click to expand...
This ^^^^^

Being able to kick it up on demand is indeed the trick to it all. This is where I believe the whole necessity of a quality PSR comes into play, (conversation in a different thread).
 
I don't have any expectations when i go play pool. That way i am not disapointed at the end of the night.
 
ChrisinNC said:
I go in to every session (practice or a match) with a positive outlook, anticipating I’ll play at a skill / execution / consistency level like I know I’m capable of playing at and have played at before.

Virtually every session, I find I fall short of those expectations. I may play at that level in short spurts, possibly even for a complete race to 5 or race to 7 set against an opponent or against the ghost, but never for an entire session. Just curious if most others here experience the same - almost always failing to play at the level you know you are capable of playing at for an extended session?

Working harder and playing / practicing more is not an option with the amount of time I’m able to play. I know my fundamentals are sound, but I’m sure sometimes better than others. Yes, I realize my age, 64, may be the main reason, but I honestly feel my vision, health and/or lack of focus are not what is holding me back. Should I consider adjusting my expectations? That just seems like such a pessimistic and depressing outlook, even if it is realistic.

I guess it would just make me feel better to hear that most others, particularly those in my general age group, have a similar experience with their pool game?
Click to expand...

Couple things in your post stood out to me. "- almost always failing to play at the level you know you are
capable of playing at for an extended session?"
Others have commented on this, I'll just add a couple things. Every pool player that ever played
(amateur and pro alike) suffers from this malaise. It may not seem that way when watching top players but the
same thoughts go thru their heads as do thru ours.
Bottom line: Try not to think about it. I'm not saying we shouldn't strive to improve our consistency. I'm
just saying that dwelling on our inconsistency does zero to improve it. Which could have an impact on:
"I go into every session (practice or a match) with a positive outlook, anticipating I'll play at a
skill / execution / consistency level like I know I'm capable of playing at and have played at before."
You go into each session with that attitude which is all well and good. What happens when you jerk a shot that
(in your mind) you would never have missed 20 years ago. Once thoughts turn in that direction the tendency is
that there's a high likelyhood things will deteriorate. Lowering expectations isn't going to change this.
I played straight pool for a lot of my life. Never mind how many but I could pretty much run balls at will. If
I needed to run 50 plus and out to win I could do it more often than not. Not anymore.
You mentioned age. You hear people say pool is such a great game because you can play at a high level even at
advanced age. Is that really true? Maybe for a few people but not most I'd think.
With age come physical ailments which of course are a factor. Lack of playing time is definitely involved.
Myself, I don't play much and when I do, it takes an hour or more to get a feel for the balls which just also
happens to be about the same amount of time it takes for pain to develop in my neck and shoulder.
All rambling aside, I think the biggest problem is lowered testosterone levels. Nowadays I find the only way I
can play well is if I'm highly motivated. Competitiveness drops right along with testosterone.
Practice? Forget about it. There's just no source of motivation there. Allan Iverson knew that way back. What
are we practicing for, to get better? We're not trying to get better, we're trying to play like we used to.
The only way I can play at a level near my past best, is to play someone I really have to work at to beat.
For a decent amount of money. Even then, I can't sustain it very long.
There's one guy in my area that I play. He's around 670 Fargo and we've been playing last pocket 8 ball. So the
opponent and also the game helps with motivation. While we both try to win we also are trying to run out most of
the time. Might change tactics if it's hill/hill but early or mid set always try and run out even extremely difficult
racks.
Couple observations that illustrate my point about motivation. Both of us tend to get out in the more difficult
racks but may screw up easier ones. And usually if I win the 1st set I lose the next. 40 years ago that wouldn't
happen. I would have went right thru him back then.
Anyway, my point is that conjuring up sufficient motivation becomes more difficult as we age. Much as I admire
your dedication to disciplined 14.1 sessions I think it'll be very difficult to maintain focus. Bet you'd come up
with better play and higher runs if you found a difficult opponent and played 3-4 games a week with them.
Course that's not always possible unfortunately.
One other thing... I completely disagree with adjusting expectations to avoid disappointment. That frame of mind
is why there's a zillion lifetime APA 5's floating around.
 
sparkle84 said:
Couple things in your post stood out to me. "- almost always failing to play at the level you know you are
capable of playing at for an extended session?"
Others have commented on this, I'll just add a couple things. Every pool player that ever played
(amateur and pro alike) suffers from this malaise. It may not seem that way when watching top players but the
same thoughts go thru their heads as do thru ours.
Bottom line: Try not to think about it. I'm not saying we shouldn't strive to improve our consistency. I'm
just saying that dwelling on our inconsistency does zero to improve it. Which could have an impact on:
"I go into every session (practice or a match) with a positive outlook, anticipating I'll play at a
skill / execution / consistency level like I know I'm capable of playing at and have played at before."
You go into each session with that attitude which is all well and good. What happens when you jerk a shot that
(in your mind) you would never have missed 20 years ago. Once thoughts turn in that direction the tendency is
that there's a high likelyhood things will deteriorate. Lowering expectations isn't going to change this.
I played straight pool for a lot of my life. Never mind how many but I could pretty much run balls at will. If
I needed to run 50 plus and out to win I could do it more often than not. Not anymore.
You mentioned age. You hear people say pool is such a great game because you can play at a high level even at
advanced age. Is that really true? Maybe for a few people but not most I'd think.
With age come physical ailments which of course are a factor. Lack of playing time is definitely involved.
Myself, I don't play much and when I do, it takes an hour or more to get a feel for the balls which just also
happens to be about the same amount of time it takes for pain to develop in my neck and shoulder.
All rambling aside, I think the biggest problem is lowered testosterone levels. Nowadays I find the only way I
can play well is if I'm highly motivated. Competitiveness drops right along with testosterone.
Practice? Forget about it. There's just no source of motivation there. Allan Iverson knew that way back. What
are we practicing for, to get better? We're not trying to get better, we're trying to play like we used to.
The only way I can play at a level near my past best, is to play someone I really have to work at to beat.
For a decent amount of money. Even then, I can't sustain it very long.
There's one guy in my area that I play. He's around 670 Fargo and we've been playing last pocket 8 ball. So the
opponent and also the game helps with motivation. While we both try to win we also are trying to run out most of
the time. Might change tactics if it's hill/hill but early or mid set always try and run out even extremely difficult
racks.
Couple observations that illustrate my point about motivation. Both of us tend to get out in the more difficult
racks but may screw up easier ones. And usually if I win the 1st set I lose the next. 40 years ago that wouldn't
happen. I would have went right thru him back then.
Anyway, my point is that conjuring up sufficient motivation becomes more difficult as we age. Much as I admire
your dedication to disciplined 14.1 sessions I think it'll be very difficult to maintain focus. Bet you'd come up
with better play and higher runs if you found a difficult opponent and played 3-4 games a week with them.
Course that's not always possible unfortunately.
One other thing... I completely disagree with adjusting expectations to avoid disappointment. That frame of mind
is why there's a zillion lifetime APA 5's floating around.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your well thought out response. No question, my most enjoyable sessions that I look forward to by far the most now are my Monday night sessions against a player nearly 20 years younger than me who plays at a very similar level although he’s honestly a little more consistent. I know I have to play well to come out on top over the entire session. As of late, we’ve both been struggling very badly but we’re not giving up. Seems like when one of us struggles, the other plays down to their level, but when one of us plays well, we both play fairly well.
 
ChrisinNC said:
I go in to every session (practice or a match) with a positive outlook, anticipating I’ll play at a skill / execution / consistency level like I know I’m capable of playing at and have played at before.
Click to expand...
Winning is not the same as playing more skillfully. I can be in dead stroke and figure out a way of losing, but be out of stroke and figure out a way to win. If you can't put in more time on the table, put in more mental time managing your game off the table.

Can you improve your control to leave yourself shorter shots?

Can you improve your strategic pattern play, better angles?

Can you learn easier, more reliable safeties?

What can you do to eliminate careless mistakes?

That sort of thing. I don't think age is necessarily a factor if you're healthy. Confidence and erasing doubt go a long way too.
 
TATE said:
Winning is not the same as playing more skillfully. I can be in dead stroke and figure out a way of losing, but be out of stroke and figure out a way to win. If you can't put in more time on the table, put in more mental time managing your game off the table.

Can you improve your control to leave yourself shorter shots?

Can you improve your strategic pattern play, better angles?

Can you learn easier, more reliable safeties?

What can you do to eliminate careless mistakes?

That sort of thing. I don't think age is necessarily a factor if you're healthy. Confidence and erasing doubt go a long way too.
Click to expand...
Saying that age is not a factor in my opinion is not accurate, when you’re talking about a player who took up the game very young, played your best pool in your 20s and 30s, and are now in your 60s or 70s. It’s simply not the case in any other sport and pool is most certainly no exception
 
ChrisinNC said:
Saying that age is not a factor in my opinion is not accurate, when you’re talking about a player who took up the game very young, played your best pool in your 20s and 30s, and are now in your 60s or 70s. It’s simply not the case in any other sport and pool is most certainly no exception
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That hasn't been the case with me. I'm older than you and I'm playing as well or better than I ever have. 60's is not that old. I just had a 7-3 9 ball ghost session a few hours ago on a 9'Brunswick, 4.5" corners (posted in the ghost thread). Pool doesn't require great physical stamina, more mental stamina. A lot of it depends on the individual, genetic, health etc. We have golfers here who are in their 70's driving the ball 250 and shooting their age quite often.
 
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Something not mentioned is medications. By the time we reach our sixties we are usually taking at least a few every day. While some of these drugs are said to have no significant side affects that isn't always true. I need to be a little on my toes to play my best, completely flat footed doesn't give me the feeling I usually get in competition. If we are taking two or three medications together that aren't claimed to have side effects sometimes the total drugs can affect us, sometimes there is a synergy and the medicines combined have affects not seeming likely when just considering the sums to what the anticipated whole is.
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Some want beta blockers to calm them. I took them for about five years for blood pressure. Hated them, it was very hard to get "up" for a competition. End of season championship? I guess I will show up and amble around if I don't have to get up too early. Even aspirin is a tranquillizer taken in larger doses. Makes me suspect that it has an affect if we just take a couple to fight a headache. We may not notice but I think it will hurt us a little in competition. I knew a competitor that always took half an aspirin before a match, did it for many years. He asked me if I thought he was cheating. I told him that half an aspirin was more likely to have a psychological affect than a real one. I only learned years later that a fellow circle track racer always smoked half a joint before a night racing. Another thought that things went better with coke but I am just talking legal substances here. We may have no choice but to take them but I think they often take a little wind from our sails.

An old poster said it was hard to soar with the eagles when you have been up all night with the owls or turkeys. That is how med's often make me feel, even if I am not short on sleep I often feel that way.

Hu
 
As a younger man I played pool between 4 to 10 hours a day. An off day then was still pretty sporty against the locals. At age 60 I notice my endurance is weaker and my desire wants me to still have it. Concentration and focus seems to wander away from issue at hand (Getting it done on table). I have joined a group of much higher level players and I either get it together or look like I don’t need to be there. I have found out that it has forced me to spend more time at the table. I had to find time at least and hour a day at the table with what i call serious or good effort. After about 3 weeks and working on the problem shots that I kept missing I started actually competing. Then all of a sudden I felt that DESIRE start to happen. Do not get me wrong I make sure my EGO status is where it should and I am probably 4 to 5 on the leaderboard consistently in a group of maybe 25 - 30 competitors. In summary after attending ’ The Derby City Classic” for maybe the past 15 years straight I have noticed while watching the best in the world for 4 days that I will never be that good with what appears to be effortless running around the table and sinking balls. But, I did learn a little about how they stroked the ball and realize they put more time in than I do. In summary, My opinion as to get better making free throws, you must shoot more free throws.
 
Takes a lot of work to get into your best form. If you see a guy making it all look so easy...it's from countless hours of effort.

Take the mindset that you are a student of the game. Work on weaknesses until they become strengths. Challenge yourself.

Still allow yourself to fail. Knowing you won't always be lazer focused. Set goals and do all you can to achieve them.
 
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