Guide to reaching inner peace in pool

hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Realize that a making a tough shot will 90% of the time be rewarded with a scratch or with no shot at the next ball.

If you play a bad safe, your opponent will have an easy run. When he plays a bad safe, he'll hook you even better than the way he meant to.

A player worse than you will end up with better shape by luck than you will by trying.

I think in order to reach inner peace with the game, you must accept these things.

I had a tough time at work for a while, working in the so-called break-fix area of IT, till I came to a clear conclusion that it's actually two different groups, we have a projects and applications group that breaks stuff, and a group that fixes what they break. Made me be less angry at co-workers after that. I think I need to do the same thing for my pool game.
 
My guide isn't all that different, I guess some would also call it defeatist. But basically:

Don't get mad if you miss a tough shot, that's why they call it a tough shot. You're supposed to miss that shot. And after you do, you can say "yup, as expected".

Even a shot you make 70% of the time is a tough shot. That means ~1 out of 3 tries will miss like clockwork even if you're playing at your normal speed.

Enter a tournament with no expectation of winning it, assume you're donating for the experience of competition.

The longer you play without a catastrophe, the more likely it is that one will happen, and possibly several in a row. That's just regular statistics, not murphy's law or a slump or an unlucky streak.

There is always a better player than you, sometimes in the same room, probably within 100 miles, at the very least in the same state.

These are actually encouraging, positive thoughts just framed in a negative way :P
 
Brad Faxon was lauded as the best putter on tour for years. Asked what one of his secrets to succes was - he replied with "I'm not afraid to miss". I took that to mean it relieved him of some undue pressure.

As far as good and bad rolls, people that say they get the worst of them - well... I think that hinders themself. Unless you simply play stupid shots, I don't see how you can beat the law of averages. IMO, some people seem to remember the bad rolls more than the good ones.
 
creedo said:
my guide isn't all that different, i guess some would also call it defeatist. But basically:

Don't get mad if you miss a tough shot, that's why they call it a tough shot. You're supposed to miss that shot. And after you do, you can say "yup, as expected".

Even a shot you make 70% of the time is a tough shot. That means ~1 out of 3 tries will miss like clockwork even if you're playing at your normal speed.

Enter a tournament with no expectation of winning it, assume you're donating for the experience of competition.

The longer you play without a catastrophe, the more likely it is that one will happen, and possibly several in a row. That's just regular statistics, not murphy's law or a slump or an unlucky streak.

There is always a better player than you, sometimes in the same room, probably within 100 miles, at the very least in the same state.

These are actually encouraging, positive thoughts just framed in a negative way :p
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negative thoughts always produce negative results.
Rod.
 
I used to miss easy shots, sell out a lot, and play weak safeties to the point where it was actually affecting my health. Then, one day, a friend of mine suggested that I try transcendental meditation.
I began my quest for enlightenment by searching for a guru who would be sympathetic to my unique problems. Finally, after many months of traveling from one town to the next, I chanced upon the Maharishi Rajiv Vindaloo, in Pocatello, Idaho. He was working as a part-time assistant manager and fry cook at a local pool hall.
I asked him, "Master, what is the secret to playing great pool?"
He smiled, and said, "Meditation, my son, is the only path to true enlightenment. That, and a couple of shots of Quervo Gold."
Now, many years later, I can honestly say that I never did care much for that meditation crap, but a little Quervo from time to time, sure helped calm the nerves. :smile:
 
androd said:
negative thoughts always produce negative results.
Rod.
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Yeah, it's kind of like thinking about getting around a ball but you end up clipping it anyways. With shots like that, I just finally gave in and decided that if it goes then it goes.. and they started going a lot more often.

As for the OP's statements.. stuff will happen. Sometimes your rolls will be off, sometimes you'll sell out all of your safeties by a centimeter or less, sometimes your opponent will make a ball on all of the wild kicks they go for - and sometimes, every once in a great while, all of that happens together.

But.. when you start learning that kick that gets you the leave, make that excellent shot that gives you the game and lock up your opponent so tight that they get an asthma attack.. it makes you want to :happydance:.
 
Whenever I lose a game from a low percentage shot that means if I miss the other player will be let in I do the following:

1. Go away and practice the same shot over and over until I can get it 8 or 9 out of 10 on the shot and position or safety.

2. continue the process on every hard shot that I miss in any match until I have the confidence to look at most cliff hanger shots with the feeling that they are no longer hard. I have played the same shot for 8 - 10 hours a day on one shot. over and over

practice, practice practice,

makes perfect.....:smile:

good players are distinguished by those that can pot balls in situations under the most pressure.:wink: It is not about inner peace, it is about practice and confidence. With practice most difficult shots become second nature and you don't have to look twice any of these percentages will not occur regularly (eg 90%) when you have control of the table and control of the opponents confidence.
 
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It's not missing the shot that does it, it's making and getting nothing good after that. Making nice kicks, shots, etc... I'm just going to expect bad things to happen so I won't be so sad when they do. Just having a bad few weeks in tournaments I guess hehe.. playing good, but bizarro results from shots when there is even a .5% chance of them to go bad for me. One can only stand to hear "you got robbed that shot" so many times, maybe I need religion. I hear if you just close your eyes and let Jesus take care of things for you good things will happen. I've been trying to rely on my own abilities, next time I have a super thin cut to make, I'll yell "Jesus, please don't let the cue ball run 3 rails into 2 other balls and then go into the side like last time!" before the shot. But I'd rather go the Zen way and just accept the way things are and go with the flow and laugh.

jackthehat said:
Whenever I lose a game from a low percentage shot that means if I miss the other player will be let in I do the following:

1. Go away and practice the same shot over and over until I can get it 8 or 9 out of 10 on the shot and position.

2. continue the process on every hard shot that I miss in any match until I have the confidence to look at most cliff hanger shots with the feeling that they are no longer hard.

practice, practice practice,

makes perfect.....:smile:

good players are distinguished by those that can pot balls in situations under the most pressure.:wink:
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hang-the-9 said:
It's not missing the shot that does it, it's making and getting nothing good after that. Making nice kicks, shots, etc... I'm just going to expect bad things to happen so I won't be so sad when they do. Just having a bad few weeks in tournaments I guess hehe.. playing good, but bizarro results from shots when there is even a .5% chance of them to go bad for me. One can only stand to hear "you got robbed that shot" so many times, maybe I need religion. I hear if you just close your eyes and let Jesus take care of things for you good things will happen. I've been trying to rely on my own abilities, next time I have a super thin cut to make, I'll yell "Jesus, please don't let the cue ball run 3 rails into 2 other balls and then go into the side like last time!" before the shot. But I'd rather go the Zen way and just accept the way things are and go with the flow and laugh.
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Ok I will let you know from my experience of 25 years. you need CONFIDENCE in your ability to excel in this game. you cannot think that on a certain shot you will go in off. there are many many many ways to play any shot on the table. If you are playing any shot you should know exactly where the white ball is going - regardless if it is going to hit 1 or 14 balls.

It doesn't come down to god it comes down to you

When you put the hours in you should be able to put a dime on the table were you know the white will stop. I have played months of competitions and never potted the white because i have control of were it is travelling. This purely comes down to practice practice practice and not god or any special charms etc. OR IF I AM MISREADING THIS - PLAY PERCENTAGE SHOTS and don't let the white run wild. for example, when I was a kid I practiced position without using the cushions. If you want to slow the white down use drag - if you want to avoid obvious kisses use reverse side etc.
 
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Tramp Steamer said:
I used to miss easy shots, sell out a lot, and play weak safeties to the point where it was actually affecting my health. Then, one day, a friend of mine suggested that I try transcendental meditation.
I began my quest for enlightenment by searching for a guru who would be sympathetic to my unique problems. Finally, after many months of traveling from one town to the next, I chanced upon the Maharishi Rajiv Vindaloo, in Pocatello, Idaho. He was working as a part-time assistant manager and fry cook at a local pool hall.
I asked him, "Master, what is the secret to playing great pool?"
He smiled, and said, "Meditation, my son, is the only path to true enlightenment. That, and a couple of shots of Quervo Gold."
Now, many years later, I can honestly say that I never did care much for that meditation crap, but a little Quervo from time to time, sure helped calm the nerves. :smile:
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Can't rep you anymore LOL.
 
I keep reading that the way to get better is to play better players.

When better players miss, they will leave you better position than a banger.
You come to the incorrect conclusion that you are getting better.
So play worse players.
After all, that is what the better players are doing when they play you. :grin:
 
Scaramouche, my old friend, you have hit the nail on the head. The only thing that I might add would be to gamble. If you gamble you must get better out of necessity. :smile:
 
Tramp Steamer said:
Scaramouche, my old friend, you have hit the nail on the head. The only thing that I might add would be to gamble. If you gamble you must get better out of necessity. :smile:
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Yes that is indeed a true statement - but only if you play with your own money!:smile:
 
I think there needs to be some balance between the viewpoints posted thus far.

I agree that confidence is critical. I am example #1, when I am tentative (thanks, Thaiger :p ) I am far less accurate. I am quite sure there is a correlation.

But on the other hand, we need to realize that we are going to miss shots. It is going to happen. Having a way to process that without getting angry/upset is another critical area. Again, I am a prime example of this, as well.

I could not possibly estimate what the correct percentages would be for comparison, but remember that in baseball, a successful hitter makes an out 7 out of 10 times. A successful free throw shooter in the NBA misses 2-3 times out of 10. These are accepted parts of their respective games, pool is no different.

What should those percentages be, ye who are so learned? :grin:
 
justadub said:
I think there needs to be some balance between the viewpoints posted thus far.

I agree that confidence is critical. I am example #1, when I am tentative (thanks, Thaiger :p ) I am far less accurate. I am quite sure there is a correlation.

But on the other hand, we need to realize that we are going to miss shots. It is going to happen. Having a way to process that without getting angry/upset is another critical area. Again, I am a prime example of this, as well.

I could not possibly estimate what the correct percentages would be for comparison, but remember that in baseball, a successful hitter makes an out 7 out of 10 times. A successful free throw shooter in the NBA misses 2-3 times out of 10. These are accepted parts of their respective games, pool is no different.

What should those percentages be, ye who are so learned? :grin:
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I think when it comes to Percentages what I was taught by an ex Australian snooker champion was this ' only take shots that you KNOW you are going to get 100% of the time' any doubt play safe AND make damm sure it is a good safety:smile: pool is no different. As I said before it comes down to confidence and practice to know in yourself whether you have the minerals to get the ball consistently and to know when to back off. Of course we are all going to miss at some stage but this approach lessons the odds. What i am trying to reach out and say is that percentages in pool or any sport are entirely subjective to the individual.
 
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jackthehat said:
I think when it comes to Percentages what I was taught by an ex Australian snooker champion was this ' only take shots that you KNOW you are going to get 100% of the time' any doubt play safe AND make damm sure it is a good safety:smile: pool is no different.
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If you can assume that you can play a perfect safety from anywhere, sure. In reality, every time you decide to make a ball or play defense, you need to evaluate the relative risk of each option, which will often have you shooting shots that are well below 100% probability. Any time you turn over the table, you're taking a chance, even if it's just a chance of getting played safe right back. The worse your defensive options are, the more you have to consider taking a swing at a tough shot or tough leave.
 
Matt said:
If you can assume that you can play a perfect safety from anywhere, sure. In reality, every time you decide to make a ball or play defense, you need to evaluate the relative risk of each option, which will often have you shooting shots that are well below 100% probability. Any time you turn over the table, you're taking a chance, even if it's just a chance of getting played safe right back. The worse your defensive options are, the more you have to consider taking a swing at a tough shot or tough leave.
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I agree with you Matt, I thought about this after I posted my response. It depends entirely on the strengths and weaknesses of the individual weighing up which shot to play (eg, Safty or pot). And as you have stated it comes down to a Risk assessment.

It is an interesting subject because I was thinking if a player has the choice between a cross table bank to a corner pocket on the 9-ball or a cut down the rail to a corner pocket or playing safe by leaving the 9-ball on the back cushion and the white on the other far cushion at the end of the table.

In this case the percentage shot lies entirety with the individuals prowess on either option. For example, I am not the best banker of a ball and would feel more confident of the safety which would be the higher percentage shot for me personally.On the other-hand I know a lot of excellent bank players where the bank is the higher percentage shot for the person lining it up who may have a weak safety game.

The rest of the room may say he should have played percentage if he missed the bank. However, is this necessarily true? For example, that opinion is only from their own perspective based on their personal strengths and weaknesses on what the percentage shot might be for them. And in reading between the lines you have insinuated that there are no hard and fixed rules on what the percentage shot would be.

I was trying to point this out when I said earlier about practicing pots that you miss until you can increase your percentage on getting the shot. However, I realize on reflection of my statement that i manged to overlook that any shot would need to be in that equation (eg safety) not JUST potting. I think the main reason I went with this direction is because the original poster of the thread was talking about playing cuts and sending the white into numerous balls which i felt was a low percentage option as soon as you lose control of the white.

I agree with you 100% and see that I didn't explore the full range of possibilities before responding and sometimes two heads are better than one:smile:
 
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Many posts about missing shots on here. What I got a bit upset about was not missing shots. It's taking a risky shot where the cueball was more or less on it's own (from a very sharp cut angle), and the results end up bad way too often. If you hit the cue ball in the general direction of a pocket, and you are not sure exactly where it will be, there is a chance that it will go in, and a chance it won't. There is usually a lot less pocket than rail in most general area shots, yet the cue ball will manage to find the dead center of the pocket.

There is a saying "no good deed goes unpunished" I have another one for pool "no good shot goes unpunished". At least for me.

Just last night was playing with a friend, had a 45% angle on a combination of 2 balls almost exactly even against the the rail 2 feet from each other. Nailed the shot, about as good of a shot that anyone on the planet could have done. Cueball shot right into the center of the opposite side pocket.

There is something that Bert Kinister said on one of his tapes "if you want to be a pool player, get used to dissapointment". I think I finally am.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
I used to miss easy shots, sell out a lot, and play weak safeties to the point where it was actually affecting my health. Then, one day, a friend of mine suggested that I try transcendental meditation.
I began my quest for enlightenment by searching for a guru who would be sympathetic to my unique problems. Finally, after many months of traveling from one town to the next, I chanced upon the Maharishi Rajiv Vindaloo, in Pocatello, Idaho. He was working as a part-time assistant manager and fry cook at a local pool hall.
I asked him, "Master, what is the secret to playing great pool?"
He smiled, and said, "Meditation, my son, is the only path to true enlightenment. That, and a couple of shots of Quervo Gold."
Now, many years later, I can honestly say that I never did care much for that meditation crap, but a little Quervo from time to time, sure helped calm the nerves. :smile:
Click to expand...

You are one funny guy!
 
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