I'm thinking about re-taking 3rd grade so I can feel really smart and happy.
This sums it up very nicely.
I'm thinking about re-taking 3rd grade so I can feel really smart and happy.
I am way to old and wise to get angry, mad or pissed when playing a better player. I like playing better players and wish I could a few times a week, as I always shoot better when I play a better player. So they help my game.
A steady diet of good competition helps one to become better. My problem is there is very little competition in my little hick Alaskan town, no pool hall and only crumby bar tables in bars.
If you have access to better players, count your blessings, embrace it, I envy you.
I truly enjoy pool, I have a good old 9 foot Rebco table and good Pat Diveney cues. If I had good competition on a regular basis my game would jump 10 to 20 percent.
For the most part I view getting angry when playing pool as a lack of self control and avoid those kinds of players as they take some of the joy out of the game.
Picture the great Efren, Alex, Parica, Shane, etc. throwing a hissy fit when playing pool, then picture Strickland. Who do you want to be like?
Imagine how it is if all the better players are like Strickland.
Every miss shot or bad shape turns into a award winning tragedy performance.
Efren and Shane have won so much, they probably don't get that feeling from a win. They just need to show up and they can have a good time.
D+ losers like me, need that win for a good feeling.
Player better players is not any fun.
Playing players that are worse feels great.
When they are worse its more relaxing and taking chances is easier.
When playing better players, every shot is stressful because the price of missing is much higher.
Just ranting
Player better players is not any fun.
Playing players that are worse feels great.
When they are worse its more relaxing and taking chances is easier.
When playing better players, every shot is stressful because the price of missing is much higher.
Just ranting
The general attitude is that playing better players can help improve one's game.
That logic doesn't work at the pro level.
There are tier 1 pros with a plenty of titles and wins.
The tier 2 pros with some titles.
Then the tier 3 pros, they hardly have any titles.
The same tier 3 pros keep playing against the same better players. But hardly do any of them every enter that top tier.
Then there are the rookie pros that enter tier 1 almost immediately. Thorpe I consider to be one of those players.
The logic does not hold up against player performance history?
Player better players is not any fun.
Playing players that are worse feels great.
When they are worse its more relaxing and taking chances is easier.
When playing better players, every shot is stressful because the price of missing is much higher.
Just ranting