Eyes were opened tonight.

RoryHunt

The King of "so close."
Silver Member
Played against a "master" level BCA'er in nine ball. I am dogsh!t at pool is all that I figured out after tonight.

I don't get to play against anything that is real competition at all, so when I do, I was excited. I got thumped.

At least I learned that after a year of playing, I have a long road ahead of me.
 
Played against a "master" level BCA'er in nine ball. I am dogsh!t at pool is all that I figured out after tonight.

I don't get to play against anything that is real competition at all, so when I do, I was excited. I got thumped.

At least I learned that after a year of playing, I have a long road ahead of me.


Roy, I think it is nice to hear some one honestly admit that they have short comings.

You are certainly well on your way to correcting the situation.

Have great night.
 
It's scary isn't it? And it gets even worse when you watch an actual pro. Closest I ever came was watching Mike Dechaine play. Kinda spooky. The main thing about seeing a pro is not that he does shots you never could or plays impossible shape. It's not even that they don't miss. It's the consistency. You just don't get turns at the table. They run one, two, three, four racks and you just sit there and never get to show your skills. And if you do play, and god forbid don't get out of the rack, you know you're all done.
 
I think now that you're playing with your eyes open you should start to improve. It's a good first step.
 
Good you have been gifted with the truth!

Played against a "master" level BCA'er in nine ball. I am dogsh!t at pool is all that I figured out after tonight.

I don't get to play against anything that is real competition at all, so when I do, I was excited. I got thumped.

At least I learned that after a year of playing, I have a long road ahead of me.


You should be happy to have had this epiphany after only one year of play....some go on for YEARS thinking that they play 3+ balls better than they really do....if not even worse.

After experiencing this know that even your "Master" level opponent has a LONG WAY TO GO also.

For whatever reason Pool is one of those things that participants judge their skills very bad, and to make matters worse they judge their games UP instead of down.

Whats funny is that most of the ones that judge their games up a few balls will not get in the box with an opponent that actually plays that speed.


I find the best rule for a progressing player (EVERYONE, even EFFREN as we are all progressing in some way/shape/form) is:

DO NOT JUDGE THY SPEED AND SKILL, that leads to dream land.
ONE MUST KNOW THY SPEED AND SKILL, that leads to the promised land.


Fact is you can never fix anything or better anything if you have a false sense of what is right and wrong. It's similar to good old fashioned corrective criticism, tho meant to be helpful from the informed...most of the recievers of it get defensive or upset as they feel judged or knocked down....NOT SO, it was only meant to inform and help better yourself!


I commend you for actually admitting it here (greenie for you my man!), as you could have pulled out the excuse list as to why you lost as many do....that never helps. You have done nothing short of removing one of the biggest obstacles to progression in this game we all love.




congratulations,:thumbup:
Grey Ghost
 
Even SVB can be beaten...Was it one of the guys who played in the Grand Master's Challange in Lincoln City a while back? No need to feel bad...no way can most hang with those guys...
 
Played against a "master" level BCA'er in nine ball. I am dogsh!t at pool is all that I figured out after tonight.

I don't get to play against anything that is real competition at all, so when I do, I was excited. I got thumped.

At least I learned that after a year of playing, I have a long road ahead of me.

Question for you, had you never seen the game played like that in person by someone who isnt considered a "pro player"?
Chuck
 
just figure that guy who beat you was probably playing pool before you were born lol!!
everytime i get beat by someone who is better,i always learn something new or realize the areas i need improving in. so if you think of it, it's a win win situation when you play someone of higher caliber.
 
I think the rule here is that your game rarely ever stays the same. It is either moving up or down. Cleary in your situation you are on your way up. That is great!
We all start somewhere, how fast you advance is up to you.
Yeah, those master players are something. I tend to remind myself that evey mistake I make they make me pay. So when they error, I want to make it hurt just as bad :)
Watch the masters in your area. See how they move the cue ball around. Learn, always learn.
 
here is usually the progression of realization for players not necessarily aware of how good players can be..

Beginner plays APA level 6-7 - "holy shit, I'm dogshit... I've got a long way to go"

APA level 6-7 plays BCA master - "holy shit, I'm dogshit... I've got a long way to go"

BCA Master plays BCA Non-pro Grandmaster - "holy shit, I'm dogshit... I've got a long way to go"

BCA Grandmaster plays Pro (Bartram-level) - "holy shit, I'm dogshit... I've got a long way to go"

Pro plays Top Pro (Souquet, SVB, Orcullo, etc.) - "holy shit, I'm dogshit... I've got a long way to go"
 
here is usually the progression of realization for players not necessarily aware of how good players can be..

Beginner plays APA level 6-7 - "holy shit, I'm dogshit... I've got a long way to go"

APA level 6-7 plays BCA master - "holy shit, I'm dogshit... I've got a long way to go"

BCA Master plays BCA Non-pro Grandmaster - "holy shit, I'm dogshit... I've got a long way to go"

BCA Grandmaster plays Pro (Bartram-level) - "holy shit, I'm dogshit... I've got a long way to go"

Pro plays Top Pro (Souquet, SVB, Orcullo, etc.) - "holy shit, I'm dogshit... I've got a long way to go"


Well .... In my defense, I am getting old, I don't play league or follow BCA stuff, or even really like nine ball, so :) with that disclaimer, what the heck is a BCA master?

Is there a link to this progression of BCA level player that I could learn more about?
 
As a general rule

Well .... In my defense, I am getting old, I don't play league or follow BCA stuff, or even really like nine ball, so :) with that disclaimer, what the heck is a BCA master?

Is there a link to this progression of BCA level player that I could learn more about?

The BCA Masters, consist of what most know as Shortstops. Guys,{and ladies} who are capable of hitting you with 3, 4 or 5 racks playing 8 ball or 9 ball at any given time. Most times, with a wide open table, they will run out. The Grand Master division, consists of people who are basically at a low level pro status.

Cheezdog, Don't get discouraged. Take what you can from it, and work from there. Thats a good statement. Don't matter who you are playing, you can always learn from watching what the balls do. But, if you're playing a really good player, you can learn patterns, and a multitude of things, just by watching. Everyone plays at different levels. You may play like crap when compared to him, but seem to play like a really good player to someone else. Just enjoy the game and learn all you can
 
Thanks Satman ... :) so are these merely terms used to describe player level or is there some formal ranking system acknowledged? I mean do you have to press your forearms against steaming hot 8 balls and 9 balls or something. :)
 
Even SVB can be beaten...Was it one of the guys who played in the Grand Master's Challange in Lincoln City a while back? No need to feel bad...no way can most hang with those guys...

Kinda, only Master division, not Grand Master. Like I said it was an eye opening experience, but the guy was cool. The shape he was getting was what was really amazing to me. Potting is potting, but he was really moving on that table.

:thumbup:
 
Rory, each and every one of us can share your wonderful experience. To have ones clock cleaned in a matter of minutes, right in front of God and everyone, is a sight to behold.
It was just the other day when my life coach, Tiny Rosewater, who is also a part-time bail bondsman, demonstrated to me that the true path to happiness is when one can learn to embrace their losses. I helped him pick up a skip out of Memphis the other night and Tiny embraced him so hard that one of his legs broke.
As Tiny said, as he was throwing the guy into the van. "This oughtta teach the bum a lesson." :grin:
 
I remember the first time I ever saw pro speed up close was when I drew Tomoki Mekari in a pro-am. I was still only about a year into my game, and thinking I was progressing well. He ran rack after rack, and thinking back now, he was really cool in the sense that he played me (the table) hard. I couldn't string 3 balls together, but he still never let up and gave me a shot.
I really remember though, thinking to myself as I watched him play that "this guy isn't doing anything that I can't or haven't done before" He just does it EVERYTIME!! I still think that's the biggest difference between the better and lesser players. Consistency. And, I also believe that's why pool players always judge their speed to be better than what it really is. It's because in pool, generally speaking after you get to a certain level, yes you can make all the shots, get all the positions, kick the kicks, or whatever. Lot's of us just forget that we can't do it all of the time.

dave
 
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