Giving credit and making excuses

L

lastdimetaker

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sorry another thought in my head I need to get out.
As a player, my desire to play or be in cheap action gets the best of me and I get in bad games against better players or my arch enemy Spot. I lose as much as I win, I find myself breaking even constantly. I reflect on my matches for a long time afterwards and I come up with excuses after excuses, if I would have did this or did that, if only I could go back.
This desire to go back is why I need excuses, without my excuses I don't know if I would have the courage to get back in the box. My excuses are not silly they are reasons I allow myself to believe in that promotes action. When I make these excuses I discovered I give myself credit for doing things that I proven already that I can not do.
For example my #1 excuse is I have a horrible break if only I broke better. Now my ego takes over and I start imaging getting back in the box, but this time I give myself credit for breaking better.
This is where I truly try to use my intelligence to my advantage. I will work prior to playing this opponent on my break or at least go into the rematch knowing I need to concentrate on my break.
There are players that have beaten me even when I played my best leaving me with no excuses to cling to no desire for rematch. Where did my credit go?
I don't like feeling like a coward frozen by fear.
I have 2 players that I avoid that I should be aggressively trying to get back in the box with. It's just bad business to try to hold a spot in the pecking order instead of trying to advance.
My thoughts on making excuses and giving credit are not focused on just me. I find myself doing this with other players in conversations, I maybe projecting or practicing lol
My thoughts only go so deep, I feel like I need to consider my opponent and do a role reversal.
It hits the nerve with me where I confront the question. Did I win or did my opponent lose? Did my opponent win or did I lose?
I hate when people tell me no excuses, I say excuses are powerful motivators used properly. Credit however needs to be backed up with collateral.
I'm lost in thought thinking of my opponent and the benefits of looking at the match from his perspective. If I could do this what would I see, what excuses would I have as my opponent to get back in the box with me.
Maybe I could use this .
My head hurts I'm lost in thought hope you guys see where I was going and give me your thoughts to help me get deeper.
Edit I wanted to give an example of giving credit, I miss a ball and say I could have made that ball a million times without ever having to actually shoot it a million times. Lol
My number one excuse in life is my job... probably my only collateral too... ouch
 
Last edited:
lastdimetaker said:
Sorry another thought in my head I need to get out.
As a player, my desire to play or be in cheap action gets the best of me and I get in bad games against better players or my arch enemy Spot. I lose as much as I win, I find myself breaking even constantly. I reflect on my matches for a long time afterwards and I come up with excuses after excuses, if I would have did this or did that, if only I could go back.
This desire to go back is why I need excuses, without my excuses I don't know if I would have the courage to get back in the box. My excuses are not silly they are reasons I allow myself to believe in that promotes action. When I make these excuses I discovered I give myself credit for doing things that I proven already that I can not do.
For example my #1 excuse is I have a horrible break if only I broke better. Now my ego takes over and I start imaging getting back in the box, but this time I give myself credit for breaking better.
This is where I truly try to use my intelligence to my advantage. I will work prior to playing this opponent on my break or at least go into the rematch knowing I need to concentrate on my break.
There are players that have beaten me even when I played my best leaving me with no excuses to cling to no desire for rematch. Where did my credit go?
I don't like feeling like a coward frozen by fear.
I have 2 players that I avoid that I should be aggressively trying to get back in the box with. It's just bad business to try to hold a spot in the pecking order instead of trying to advance.
My thoughts on making excuses and giving credit are not focused on just me. I find myself doing this with other players in conversations, I maybe projecting or practicing lol
My thoughts only go so deep, I feel like I need to consider my opponent and do a role reversal.
It hits the nerve with me where I confront the question. Did I win or did my opponent lose? Did my opponent win or did I lose?
I hate when people tell me no excuses, I say excuses are powerful motivators used properly. Credit however needs to be backed up with collateral.
I'm lost in thought thinking of my opponent and the benefits of looking at the match from his perspective. If I could do this what would I see, what excuses would I have as my opponent to get back in the box with me.
Maybe I could use this .
My head hurts I'm lost in thought hope you guys see where I was going and give me your thoughts to help me get deeper.
Click to expand...
Well said. We all go thru this. I personally feel that excuses are for losers. If you have one(or many) keep them internal and try to get better. I give credit when/where its due. If you get beat or dog it tell you're opponent 'good shootin'. Don't reveal any chinks you may have in your armor.
 
One of my mentors once gave me this sage advice "Focus on what you can control, not on what you cannot." and I extend that same philosophy to pool. Pool itself, is a game of personal control. In fact, the only time you lose control is when you yield your turn and let your opponent onto the table and the only way they can directly impact you is if they play a safety. With that in mind, the answer to your question most likely lies there.

For me, that goes like this... Everyone has their optimal probabilities on what shots and position plays they can make, including safeties and safety recoveries. So, if I lose the game and we review the loss, was it because I missed shots I could have made or was it because the opponent put me in a position that exceeded my own optimal probabilities of shot making or (on rare occasions) shaping? If it's the former, than I lost the game and credit to them for not doing enough to lose it. If it's the latter, then credit them for great safeties.

Now if I never got to shoot because they broke and ran, then it's moot point.
 
garczar said:
Well said. We all go thru this. I personally feel that excuses are for losers. If you have one(or many) keep them internal and try to get better. I give credit when/where its due. If you get beat or dog it tell you're opponent 'good shootin'. Don't reveal any chinks you may have in your armor.
Click to expand...
I'm with you I am thinking of those internal excuses for sure yeah I love a guy who attacks me with you got lucky. Luck or Roll is the ultimate non excuse. Lol
 
there is a difference between not practicing a shot and not knowing how to play it.

watching top level pros you can see which shots to practice. however most beginners just play the shot and dont practice it.

at higher levels of play you have to practice on the proper equipment.
 
Why?
Why are you playing?
For $?
To be the best in your area?
Finding the reason may help you keep focused on a goal and not win/ loss.

Are you making an excuse or finding
holes in your game? All a matter of
perspective.

If I lose, it doesn't matter why. My opponent
gets their due credit and I go back to work.
 
lastdimetaker said:
When I make these excuses I discovered I give myself credit for doing things that I proven already that I can not do.
For example my #1 excuse is I have a horrible break if only I broke better. Now my ego takes over and I start imaging getting back in the box, but this time I give myself credit for breaking better.
...
My thoughts on making excuses and giving credit are not focused on just me. I find myself doing this with other players in conversations, I maybe projecting or practicing lol
Click to expand...
Difficult to understand what you're trying to say about the getting/giving credit stuff. You're telling yourself you did something right just to not have to say you did it wrong? And that is the excuse? I'm so confused...

lastdimetaker said:
I hate when people tell me no excuses, I say excuses are powerful motivators used properly. Credit however needs to be backed up with collateral.
Click to expand...
Excuses will never do anything for you, no matter how you use them. They just distract you from the thing you have to come to terms with: apparently you weren't as good as your opponent in this particular match-up. Maybe that's just what it is, maybe it's something you can improve on. If so, get to work on that and all the other improvements you can make, and then at some point you have improved so much you beat that opponent. Or maybe not. Cause he improved too.
lastdimetaker said:
My head hurts
Click to expand...
Yeah mine too buddy.
 
couldnthinkof01 said:
Why?
Why are you playing?
For $?
To be the best in your area?
Finding the reason may help you keep focused on a goal and not win/ loss.

Are you making an excuse or finding
holes in your game? All a matter of
perspective.

If I lose, it doesn't matter why. My opponent
gets their due credit and I go back to work.
Click to expand...
I play all over and I promise it's not about the money it's about my need to know.
I think that the root of my thoughts today are more focused on my opponents not my play.
The pressure of playing someone who may or may not be the better player but I have not beat. Mr D is a rock solid player that has my number and I am focused on him to a certain point. I am tired of avoiding him he beat me last 3 times we played. I told myself he is too good don't play him anymore.
I'm left feeling like a coward and just walking into pool hall I feel like I'm avoiding him.
I woke up this morning with a hunger to get back in the box with him now I guess I'm searching for a reason.
True competition comes from the need to know...
I need to know 2 things does he still have my number and do I have the courage to find out.
Mr D is a great guy he has stepped up his game and it paid off.
I have been doing a little stepping too. Idk
 
lastdimetaker said:
I play all over and I promise it's not about the money it's about my need to know.
I think that the root of my thoughts today are more focused on my opponents not my play.
The pressure of playing someone who may or may not be the better player but I have not beat. Mr D is a rock solid player that has my number and I am focused on him to a certain point. I am tired of avoiding him he beat me last 3 times we played. I told myself he is too good don't play him anymore.
I'm left feeling like a coward and just walking into pool hall I feel like I'm avoiding him.
I woke up this morning with a hunger to get back in the box with him now I guess I'm searching for a reason.
True competition comes from the need to know...
I need to know 2 things does he still have my number and do I have the courage to find out.
Mr D is a great guy he has stepped up his game and it paid off.
I have been doing a little stepping too. Idk
Click to expand...

You should never worry about or focus on what your opponent can do, only about what you can do. Your opponent is never even sharing the table with you at the same time. He or she is always outside of your control.
 
lastdimetaker said:
I play all over and I promise it's not about the money it's about my need to know.
I think that the root of my thoughts today are more focused on my opponents not my play.
The pressure of playing someone who may or may not be the better player but I have not beat. Mr D is a rock solid player that has my number and I am focused on him to a certain point. I am tired of avoiding him he beat me last 3 times we played. I told myself he is too good don't play him anymore.
I'm left feeling like a coward and just walking into pool hall I feel like I'm avoiding him.
I woke up this morning with a hunger to get back in the box with him now I guess I'm searching for a reason.
True competition comes from the need to know...
I need to know 2 things does he still have my number and do I have the courage to find out.
Mr D is a great guy he has stepped up his game and it paid off.
I have been doing a little stepping too. Idk
Click to expand...
I got beat by a guy we will call Rob. He beat me in every tournament or match we played for a few years. Sometimes by out running me. Many times by out thinking me.
I kept at it. Tried to learn what he was doing.
Eventually I beat him. Fear was gone and not only that, but he started to be the one affected by the nerves. Now this guy he was walking through for years can win!
Keep grindin'
 
Get either one of these books the inner game of tennis or zen golf its all about mental aspect of the game and good luck i think most of us amateurs have experienced same thing certain times
 
hotelyorba said:
Difficult to understand what you're trying to say about the getting/giving credit stuff. You're telling yourself you did something right just to not have to say you did it wrong? And that is the excuse? I'm so confused...


Excuses will never do anything for you, no matter how you use them. They just distract you from the thing you have to come to terms with: apparently you weren't as good as your opponent in this particular match-up. Maybe that's just what it is, maybe it's something you can improve on. If so, get to work on that and all the other improvements you can make, and then at some point you have improved so much you beat that opponent. Or maybe not. Cause he improved too.

Yeah mine too buddy.
Click to expand...
Wish it was simple...
I try to keep it simple by playing anybody and everyone. If I'm at the pool hall I'm in action. I win I lose... I have been in wars. I'm just trying to find my place in the pecking order and it's easy to focus on those behind me keep them in check it's hard business trying to advance and the guy in front puts you in check gives that guy behind you hope lol
Sorry I'm not the writer you needed me to be.
 
couldnthinkof01 said:
I got beat by a guy we will call Rob. He beat me in every tournament or match we played for a few years. Sometimes by out running me. Many times by out thinking me.
I kept at it. Tried to learn what he was doing.
Eventually I beat him. Fear was gone and not only that, but he started to be the one affected by the nerves. Now this guy he was walking through for years can win!
Keep grindin'
Click to expand...
Yeah good for you ... I always say the most intimidating thing you can do when you get knocked out is get back up.
Mr D isn't going to stay down he truly is a killer..
I give that guy credit maybe too much.. nah he deserves it. Derrick has my respect for sure.
 
lastdimetaker said:
Yeah good for you ... I always say the most intimidating thing you can do when you get knocked out is get back up.
Mr D isn't going to stay down he truly is a killer..
I give that guy credit maybe too much.. nah he deserves it. Derrick has my respect for sure.
Click to expand...
Rob is a high 600 low 700 fargo. The guy is no push over. Mental dynamics affect everyone.
Keep Derrick close and learn what you can from him.
 
I am a pool player not an author, I try my hardest to be thoughtful with my post, but I'm not trying to write a book or something. I just thought this was the place to talk pool.
If my post isn't the quality read your looking for nothing you say is going to make me a better writer.
Why don't you try and understand what I'm saying and rewrite it in a way that could be understood.
It takes guts to write post like this. I appreciate insights and thoughts. I read some good ones. If I feel like I have to defend myself as a writer I just stay off azbilliards. Please send me a copy of your book.. so I won't get lost in my thoughts.
I wish I would keep my mouth shut... that's why my avatar has his mouth zipped shut ... good luck
 
When you compete at anything, at least half of the people competing lose, often far more than that. A 128 person tournament, 127 people lose!

We have to develop self assessment, no room for mental masturbation and dreams. If we win, if we lose, how did we perform? I have "won" over thirty or forty people when I played like crap, so did my closest competition. I remember an event when I made a mistake early then came in second pushing a good guy to his career best. I opened the door a tiny crack. Probably two dozen times before I had done the same and he had returned the favor before the event ended. This time I poured the heat on him and he dealt with it.

While we might seek reasons so we can try to improve, reasons and excuses fall in the same barrel if we are competitors. We win, we lose, why doesn't really matter after it is over until the next chance we get.

My favorite excuse was "the cue ball is warped!" Funny how many people picked up the cue ball for a closer look! It was just my bullshit excuse making fun of other bullshit excuses. I liked when I won and other people consoled themselves with excuses. That meant they would probably not try to improve before our next meeting, the loss wasn't their fault!

Consider if there is a valid reason you lost and try to shore up that weakness if it is there. Sometimes we can even make adjustments during a match. However, don't build images of yourself on sand. Race horse owners were perhaps the worst I ever saw, one horse won, nine more would have won "if only"!

Leave the excuses behind, they don't help you. Consider the reasons and decide if you need to make changes. Sometimes your opponent had an exceptional day. It happens, and if that is what happened perhaps no adjustments are called for. All improvement starts off with truth. Until you can look at why you really lost without excuses you will pad the hard ground of a loss and make it acceptable.

We need to break down why we lost while it is fresh in our minds. Maybe we did run into a chainsaw. Maybe the other player shot great early and we let a little give-up creep into our game. Tough to be three or four games down and we haven't picked up our stick yet. I think of Francisco Bustamonte. He lost I believe it was $3500 without ever getting out of his chair! He immediately reached for the money to go again, same game, same bet. His opponent was astonished. He had just ran the set and Busty was unfazed! "I haven't shot yet." How is that for self confidence?

I do believe excuses weaken our "heart". Great wins and bitter defeats are both good for building heart. A loss is supposed to sting!

Hu
 
lastdimetaker said:
Wish it was simple...
I try to keep it simple by playing anybody and everyone. If I'm at the pool hall I'm in action. I win I lose... I have been in wars. I'm just trying to find my place in the pecking order and it's easy to focus on those behind me keep them in check it's hard business trying to advance and the guy in front puts you in check gives that guy behind you hope lol
Sorry I'm not the writer you needed me to be.
Click to expand...
I see that all the native English speakers seem to get what you're saying, so I have to come to the conclusion that it is me.

I do honestly believe it is that simple though. I hate to see people make things unnecessarily difficult for themselves.
 
lastdimetaker said:
Sorry another thought in my head I need to get out.
As a player, my desire to play or be in cheap action gets the best of me and I get in bad games against better players or my arch enemy Spot. I lose as much as I win, I find myself breaking even constantly. I reflect on my matches for a long time afterwards and I come up with excuses after excuses, if I would have did this or did that, if only I could go back.
This desire to go back is why I need excuses, without my excuses I don't know if I would have the courage to get back in the box. My excuses are not silly they are reasons I allow myself to believe in that promotes action. When I make these excuses I discovered I give myself credit for doing things that I proven already that I can not do.
For example my #1 excuse is I have a horrible break if only I broke better. Now my ego takes over and I start imaging getting back in the box, but this time I give myself credit for breaking better.
This is where I truly try to use my intelligence to my advantage. I will work prior to playing this opponent on my break or at least go into the rematch knowing I need to concentrate on my break.
There are players that have beaten me even when I played my best leaving me with no excuses to cling to no desire for rematch. Where did my credit go?
I don't like feeling like a coward frozen by fear.
I have 2 players that I avoid that I should be aggressively trying to get back in the box with. It's just bad business to try to hold a spot in the pecking order instead of trying to advance.
My thoughts on making excuses and giving credit are not focused on just me. I find myself doing this with other players in conversations, I maybe projecting or practicing lol
My thoughts only go so deep, I feel like I need to consider my opponent and do a role reversal.
It hits the nerve with me where I confront the question. Did I win or did my opponent lose? Did my opponent win or did I lose?
I hate when people tell me no excuses, I say excuses are powerful motivators used properly. Credit however needs to be backed up with collateral.
I'm lost in thought thinking of my opponent and the benefits of looking at the match from his perspective. If I could do this what would I see, what excuses would I have as my opponent to get back in the box with me.
Maybe I could use this .
My head hurts I'm lost in thought hope you guys see where I was going and give me your thoughts to help me get deeper.
Edit I wanted to give an example of giving credit, I miss a ball and say I could have made that ball a million times without ever having to actually shoot it a million times. Lol
My number one excuse in life is my job... probably my only collateral too... ouch
Click to expand...
You got money in action and stay in action you have my respect.

You have to be in tough action to grow as a player, front running and robbing people is fun and profitable. But reinvesting that easy $ into tough action will toughen you up as a player, then the easy $ just gets easier. Rinse and repeat.

That’s the process. If you win 51% of the time and lose 49% you have 2% to the good. If that 2% is enough mission accomplished your a winning player.

If it’s worth doing-it’s worth doing for $. Free play pool is great for recreational players. When your serious about becoming a good player and improving your on the right path.

learn from the losses and wins. If you take on too many tough games in a row and get your brains beat in-your practicing losing. That’s bad too.

So balance how many tough and easy games you play or playing people your own speed 30% of the time is good too, you’ll see results there more than in the easy or hard games.

Play soft games-practice winning, then take the profit and go fire it at a tough game. You’ll learn something and if you break even and learn you actually won something.

Time is your friend, as much action as possible, no free play. Deliberate practice alone. That and if your into it tourney play is the route to becoming a solid player. No social pool of very little. Who has time for that?

respect
Fatboy
 
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