getting to where i really hate 9 ball

[lorider]

Maybe you should focus on and review how YOU played. Is it possible that the fact that you were playing a 5 caused you to let up since they aren't as good as guys you beat? And that the reason you lost was not their slop but the chances you let slip away?

It is not at all uncommon in a lot of spots and games for players to "play down" to the level of their competition. You might be doing that. Or perhaps when you play a 5 you expect yourself to win and the added pressure of that expectation you put on yourself affects your shooting.

I'm just saying that you cannot do anything about their slop so you have to find the answer within yourself.

The more I think about the I think you pretty mu h hit the nail on the head.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was...play the table not your opponent


It has helped me many times when playing higher level players.

I need to quit letting it get to mw that my opponent shoulda been sitting down 3 balls ago and just play the table when its my turn.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Mr. Bond]

Any game you can win unintentionally is no longer a test of skill.

 

[BasementDweller]

That's obviously too strong of a statement Mr. Bond.

Face it -- 9 ball is a demanding game when it comes to execution. I think the game is too hard for our less advanced players. Where would I draw that line? Probably right around the APA 5 level. I think these less skilled players are fooling themselves half of the time when they play some of these safeties, when from a purely statistical standpoint they are probably better off whacking the ball around and trying to get lucky.

 

[pt109]

Any game you can win unintentionally is no longer a test of skill.

We are fallible human beings.....there is going to be luck at all our endeavours.

Chess....no luck...there is when I play. I made a move once....20 later it turned out better than I thought...I was congratulated for a Grand Master move...but that wasn't the reason for the move I made....I aint no grand master.

I once blasted out of a sand trap....caught too much of the ball...it was flying
...caught the pin dead center....ran down the pin...two inches from the hole.

Chess and golf are games of skill....so is nine-ball

 

[Kickin' Chicken]

there'll be matches where luck kicks you right in the behind but skill always gives luck the 6.

luck can't be consistently duplicated.

best,
brian kc

 

[Mr. Bond]

Yes, 9ball is meant to have the luck factor, because it originated as a group gambling game, and they wanted something quick, that the average Joe had a chance to win, even if he wasn't the most skilled player in the group.

Which is my only point.
The most skilled will not always win.

 

[us820]

The pool gods always even things out in the long run.

Ironically I just got beat this weekend by the worst player in the history of pool with two whammy slammy ride the 9 hail mary ridiculous banger hall of fame game winners in a match where he only needed 2 racks....Good luck headed my way.

 

[9Ballr]

It's realm frustrating to see a 5 run 4-5 balls...get outa position and them luck one in or hook you.

I love 9-ball.
Still my favorite game. 8 ball is for sissies......lol

But seriously what you describe is the reason why you need to always play several games of 9-ball and a pattern will emerge.

I like a race to 11 games at least.

 

[Mrdodd72]

I just got home from work and read every ones posts.

First thing I want to say is I probably worded the title wrong. It's not so much the game I hate. I am getting to where I hate playing 9 ball against several guys who are a 5 like me and a couple of 6's I know due to the amount of slop shots they attempt.

I am not talking about the occasional bank across table and it comes back across fo fall in the opposite pocket.

I am talking about guys who shoot as good as me but have no idea what cue ball control is and never attempt a safe. When they get jn trouble they just smack the ball at warp speed hoping something....any thing falls. If they are left hard again they just smack at warp speed again.

I honestly dont think they are 5's or 6's based on their level of play. I think its based solely on their innings which they keep down due to the number of slop shots made in that match.

Like I said I play double jeopardy which is 8 ball and 9 ball the same night. I can't tell you how many times wound up just like last night. Lose 9 ball to a guy who slopped about 25% of his balls in and then beat him soundly in 8 ball like I shut that guy out 4-0 .

To those who gave advice about working on my mental toughness...yea I realize I need to do that...thanks.

Now on to the subject of this lowly 5 giving advice to a kid who is a 3.

As dub said....i have never come on here trying to tell anyone how to play. Thanks for the xsfenss dub. I have never got into any of the aiming debates...debated about squirt...swerve...cte...toi...back hand English or any of that other crap. I am smart enough to know what I dont know.

However...it was obvious to this here lowly 5 that this kid was sorely lacking in proper fundamentals.

He was standing up to straight....had a very short bridge and his cue was jacked up on every shot. A blind man could see he had major problems.

I asked what his handicap was and he said a 3. I replied and you are here playing masters ? He replied yea ..that he wanted to learn all he could about pool.

During the 3 rd rack he was stuck bad and I asked him if he wanted advice on how to make the 8 ball. He said sure he would love the advice. Well he made it and the lokm on his face was priceless.

After the match was over I politely asked him if he wanted some advice on what I saw wrong. I also told him there were more qualified people than me that could help him out more than I could though.

He said he would gladly take advice from me .

Without going into detail I gave him some pointers on his stance....bridge and stroke plus how to hold his cue.


All this info I passed onto him was stuff I learned from taking a lesson from Randy g.

We threw some balls on the table and had him start making routine shots plus son he picked out that he had trouble with during our match.

I also gave him some drills to work on which he was doing when I left.

He came up to me later after my double jeapordy league was over and thanked me a d said he saw some pretty good improvement already after 3 hours based on what j showed him.

As for the comment about his captain or higher level team mates teaching him ..well he plays with them on a handicapped team also.do you really think they want him going up from a 3?.b

Also....my experience has been ..no one wants to show some one else how to get better. I asked an 8 to play with me and teach a few things that I would gladly pay his tab and table time. His reply was...why? ...so you van beat mw worse than you do now.?

Yea I have beat him. I replied ...look at it this way. If I get better I will be raised and you wont ha e to spot me like you do now. He declined.

Also.asked a 9..ne would rather practice by him self with his ear phones on.

Don't sweat the luck factor too much, the better you become, the less it will effect the outcome of any given match.

The more you progress, the more pleased you will be at playing an opponent who rides the 9 ball. Their constant attempts to luck in balls will more often, than not, result in a "sell out" rather than costing you the game.