Have you ever felt this way.

dr9ball

dr9ball

"Lock Doctor"
Silver Member
Have any of you ever arrived at a point in your lives where you would rather just practice playing patterns or games against yourself than play with other people?

I seem to have hit that point in my life where all I really want to do is be alone and enjoy my solo practice. I have no desire to be competitive and yet it bothers me because the "heart" "eye of the tiger" has disappeared.

It isn't a sudden occurrence and has manifested over the last year or two.

More so over the last 7 months since our straight pool league has been on hold awaiting the renovation of our pool room. I have been left with playing 8 ball in league. Perhaps that is it, 8-ball is my least favorite game. I am unsure as to why I feel this way.

I'm curious to hear if any of you have experienced something similar.

Thanks for your replies.
 
Hi Rufus my friend :)

I m exactly at this point atm-- and i m having fun while playing *solo. Further i try to work with other guys (students) because i really like it if they re feeling better afterwards :-)
It gives me more to see a satisfied friend or student than beating someone for me (now).
After my long break of 10 years i practiced about 3 months and then started on 2 innerstate tournaments with 3rd and 1st place. Of course i felt very good with it-but it was also extremly hard for me (condition etc).
Then the knee said *pause* , lol.

But now i m really at the same point- i enjoy playing alone, testing some practice drills-find interesteing new practice drills, or just new ways *to reach a student* to keep him on fire :)

lg from overseas,

Ingo
 
Absolutely! I've felt that way for several years now. There are very few places within 50 miles that have 9-foot tables, those have only one or two, and with one exception they're not in any kind of decent condition. For that matter, the 8-footers and bar boxes that have taken over the so-called pool halls are in generally crappy condition. I don't mind 8-ball, but I refuse to play what passes for that game in small town Texas bars. And finding somebody to play with who knows and will play by BCA/WPA rules is so rare as to be almost impossible.

Frankly, I've come to find 14.1 practice and drills to be a very relaxing, meditative activity.
 
LOL ... Be happy where you are, I'm in a worse place :( I have a GC in my basement, I have more desire to get food poisoning than I do to go downstairs to practice.

I hate the idea of having to visit a poolroom where that crazy music plays, so I don't go out to play at all and haven't for more than 10 yrs.

I get to play about 3 times a week with a friend and that time I enjoy. He is a dedicated player so we can have some serious games.

On the bright side, even playing 3 times a week, I'm able to tread water with some 40s and 50s now and then, and it feels much better when it happens since it's occasional. :)
 
Thanks

dr9ball said:
Have any of you ever arrived at a point in your lives where you would rather just practice playing patterns or games against yourself than play with other people?

I seem to have hit that point in my life where all I really want to do is be alone and enjoy my solo practice. I have no desire to be competitive and yet it bothers me because the "heart" "eye of the tiger" has disappeared.

It isn't a sudden occurrence and has manifested over the last year or two.

More so over the last 7 months since our straight pool league has been on hold awaiting the renovation of our pool room. I have been left with playing 8 ball in league. Perhaps that is it, 8-ball is my least favorite game. I am unsure as to why I feel this way.

I'm curious to hear if any of you have experienced something similar.

Thanks for your replies.
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Very good subject. Thanks for letting your feelings come out. I absolutely feel the same way. It's been like this for years and it's getting worst. I use to think that i had something wrong with me......... (I do...). b/c I do not have any and I mean any desire to go out & play in tournaments. Even this 14.1 league that I am in, I think about quiting all the time. (first it takes an hour to get there & then you have to deal with the smoke & poor tables).
As for the 8 ball/9 ball league that I play in. I have been playing my match and then leaving shortly after that. I tell myself that I need to get out once in awhile to play. That is why I hang in there and I do really like beating guys who think their so good.
My little World.
 
I certainly understand how you feel. Our local pool scene has grown weary for me with the poor equipment, etc. The only thing going is a weekly 9 ball tourney at a pool hall that I don't like and the BCA 8 ball league played in the dive bars around town which I have been playing in weekly. So, while I've not yet completely lost my competitive drive, it certainly is subdued relative to years past. I mostly find myself playing one guy on a regular basis at either his or my house or practicing at home racing against the ghost or practicing 14.1 (I need to get back to 14.1, btw, it's been about 2 months since I've tried it).

I have found a bit of a remedy to my situation though. While I don't like the local pool scene, I have seen fit (with my wife's blessing) to create my own. I own a 9' diamond pro w/ simonis 860 and aramith balls (my cadillac, if you will) and have just purchased a valley bar box from the 70's or early 80's. So, I have been hosting invitation only events with some of the stronger players in my area. We bet cheap sets and ring games and now, with my new addition, I might just host some type of tourney in my basement. How can a man argue with that? Create your own action. We all have a blast.
 
mike: the cig smoke is the ONLY thing keeping me from entering more tournaments. but long ago, you may have played at clicks on Alpha Road in north dallAss. during the day from 11am to 5pm they had FREE POOL. it was great fun. the drunks would come in during evening hours and pay the bills for we daytime pool bums. i really miss it....
 
wow

Wow, are you guys depressing. :crying:
I play in a weekly Tuesday night non-handicapped 8-ball bar league and our team is way out in front with 4 weeks to go of a 26 week season. I'm ranked #1 out of over 200 shooters. Three of my teammates, as of last night, were ranked #3, #4 and #5.

Friday, Saturday and sometimes Sunday are my poolroom days. I have 5 different rooms I visit, all with 9-ball and straight pool games available and all with 9-ball action and 2 with straight pool action ($50-$100/game). I regularly see and play with some of the best shooters in PA. Saw and talked with Jimmy Rempe a few weeks ago. And if I get bored around here I pick up a friend, jump on I-80 East and head over to the rooms in Jersey to play. Been to Breaker Billiards (Clifton), Castle Billiards (Rutherford) and Sandcastle Billiards (Edison) within the last 4 months. If you're ever near Edison, NJ stop at Sandcastle Billiards. AZ member Sandman is the owner and a very hospitable host.

Messaged Darren Appleton Tuesday on Facebook and he confirmed he's now living in Allentown, PA - about an hour south of where I am. So I guess a trip to Gallery Billiards needs to happen soon. Can't wait for the Expo and the 14.1 Challenge and really want to get to Amsterdam Billiards in NYC in the spring. Maybe by then Steve's back will be feeling better and we can finally roll some balls around. I'm also waiting for 2 cues to arrive - 1 a Varney wrapless that I'm trading a Lee Peppers cue for and a personalized Balabushka tribute cue currently on the lathe in Jerry Rauenzahn's shop. I'm sure I missed a bunch of things, but I'll stop there.

Ron F
 
Ron F said:
Can't wait for the Expo and the 14.1 Challenge and really want to get to Amsterdam Billiards in NYC in the spring. Maybe by then Steve's back will be feeling better and we can finally roll some balls around. Ron F
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Ron, I look forward to it !!! i am sure the spring thaw will help with that, and once the moving process is over it will help too. feeling a bit better the last few days, so i am hoping it is a good sign.

Looking forward to the 14.1 challenge as well. i am sure we will have a blast (i hope your stomach can handle the laughter that Charlie will put us through during the wee hours of the morning :grin::grin:)

-Steve
 
Wow, are you guys depressing.
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lol.... exactly. when i lived in the texAss country, i'd drive an hour one way to play in a shit-hole for some action. banging balls around at home gets old. and when i heard of a pro visiting a dallAss hall, i'd drive a 3hr round trip.
 
i don't get where you think this is a Problem. ;)

straight pool, more than any other game except maybe golf, has always seemed to me something where the real opponent is You. and i like that.

i really, Really, REALLY don't understand guys who get bent when i don't take them up on a game in an empty room. they look baffled, or hurt, like someone stole their dog.
 
Are you the best player in your area? If so, its probably the lack of challenge. I'm guessing playing in an 8-ball league for you is like being a junior high school student sent back to elementary school. You'll do well, but won't grow.
 
The mindset of a player practicing is a lot different than one competing especially in differing locations. I think that serenity is one thing that I don't have in competition and conquering the mental obstacles of competing come up when I spend too much time practicing alone.
 
This is a great discussion, and I believe there is NO right answer.

I remember 15-20 years ago at Chris's Billiards in Chicago, I would see these old timers playing straight pool by themselves. Some would run rack after rack. I asked a few to play on different occasions, and was turned down with the typical "Nope just practicin".
At that time in my life I thought it was crazy to be playing against yourself, all I played was 8-ball or 9-ball. I had no idea why they would do that.

Now playing more straight pool I enjoy practicing alone. It is strange how intense your practice time could be with out an opponent. I guess 20 years later, I owe those guys up at Chris's an apology!

That being said, I still need to compete. Practice is a must of course. But there is a HUGE difference between missing an open shot, shrugging it off before you rerack while adjusting your ipod..........................and missing an open shot only to watch your opponent run 50 on ya!!

Mike
 
ctyhntr said:
Are you the best player in your area? If so, its probably the lack of challenge. I'm guessing playing in an 8-ball league for you is like being a junior high school student sent back to elementary school. You'll do well, but won't grow.
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Not even close to being in the top 10 :) Maybe not even the top 100, there are about 4 million people here.
 
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I don't understand how you can just practice and not compete.:confused:

If you don't compete, why are you practicing?

Where is the motivation to improve your game and test it underfire?

You can can get all the ingrediants together in a bowl and do it over and over, but it isn't a baked cake until you put it into an oven and bake it.

Competition is the only test of how well you succeed in practice.

Now, and I hope this doesn't ruffle anyone's twinkies, maybe competition is being avoided because that is when the opportunity for failure exists. Fear of Failure is a powerful emotion and can keep players at the practice table for the rest of their life, content like an old retired bull, just grazing and not looking twice at the heffers.

IMO, I want to keep testing and even if I fail, I will not because of 'ring rust', or fear of failure.
 
Tap, Tap, Tap !!!!

Tom In Cincy said:
I don't understand how you can just practice and not compete.:confused:

If you don't compete, why are you practicing?

Where is the motivation to improve your game and test it underfire?

You can can get all the ingrediants together in a bowl and do it over and over, but it isn't a baked cake until you put it into an oven and bake it.

Competition is the only test of how well you succeed in practice.

Now, and I hope this doesn't ruffle anyone's twinkies, maybe competition is being avoided because that is when the opportunity for failure exists. Fear of Failure is a powerful emotion and can keep players at the practice table for the rest of their life, content like an old retired bull, just grazing and not looking twice at the heffers.

IMO, I want to keep testing and even if I fail, I will not because of 'ring rust', or fear of failure.
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Wow Tom....That was truly amazing, thanks for the inspiration !!!!

-Steve
 
ctyhntr said:
Then how are you doing in the 8-ball league?
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Depends on the night. Most nights I don't care, I don't try and the result is what you would expect. That is perhaps the problem. I have no desire to win. I'd rather not be there but I'm obligated to be there. Some nights for whatever reason I do care and I play well but those are few and far between.

I could tell you that i'm the worst player to ever play in a pool league but that wouldn't be correct. Basically my Give adamn! is Busted.
 
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