Headaches after difficult matches?

Billy_Bob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been playing better players lately (8-ball).

It is war! Safety battles! I have to "fight" long and hard for every win.

And after these difficult matches (I have been winning these so far), I have a headache and am stressed out like a cat which was given a ride in a clothes dryer! Then it takes me a couple of hours to un-wind after the match. Also I am mentally exhausted.

This is new to me - the headache thing. And this happens only with the most difficult matches against very good players. Playing other people/easy tournaments, I am fine.

This happen to anyone else?

Do the headaches go away after you have played these better players for quite some time?
 
No headaches, but often I feel tired.

Wednesday night I played a tournament. Of the 4 matches I played (and won), 3 went hill-hill in a race to 6 (9-ball). First match the guy got on the hill and I needed two. Third match the guy gets up 4-0, and I claw my way back to get a hill-hill win. The final fourth match my opponent gets up 5-1 (!!!) and I have to mount a comeback to win the next 5 in a row.

Then last night I'm playing a guy some sets in a race to 7. The first I win 7-4. The second set the guy goes up 6-2 after 3 9-ball combos/caroms! He's on the hill and I'm stuck at 2! So I claw my way back and beat him 7-6.

I tell ya, this game is fun and all but a tough match takes at least 6 months off your life. So I fully understand being stressed like you, but as for the headaches? I think that might be unique.

S.
 
Sometimes I get headaches after long, grueling matches. But most of the time, I just feel really tired afterwards.
 
I used to get headaches when playing several hours at a time, didn't matter the toughness of the match. I finally figured it out and it was the constant pressure I put on myself. Now, in between games, I forget about the game and kinda of joke around with people, it gives my brain a rest and lowers my blood pressure. I have more fun now too, even when I have a tough game coming up I feel lose and have a good time, my winning percentage has gone up as well.
 
I also have felt very tired and drained after concentrating during all day tourneys, mentally and physically. Takes its toll.

About a month ago my APA team won the Tri-Cups for Portland/Vancouver and during the final match I had a terrible headache. I was stressed out all weekend(friday night to sunday night) trying to get my team to win. After watching my teammates play, I get stressed and frustrated when they miss 3 foot away straight in 8balls. But thats APA. That final match I didn't pop any Advil and ordered a pitcher of ice water, which I drank straight from the pitcher. Still had that headache until 3AM when I finally fell asleep after reliving the entire tourney in my head laying there. That was the first time I got a headache while playing.
 
Billy_Bob said:
I've been playing better players lately (8-ball).

It is war! Safety battles! I have to "fight" long and hard for every win.

And after these difficult matches (I have been winning these so far), I have a headache and am stressed out like a cat which was given a ride in a clothes dryer! Then it takes me a couple of hours to un-wind after the match. Also I am mentally exhausted.

This is new to me - the headache thing. And this happens only with the most difficult matches against very good players. Playing other people/easy tournaments, I am fine.

This happen to anyone else?

Do the headaches go away after you have played these better players for quite some time?

The headache is usually nutrition related. Just take care that your blood sugar level is up and drink enough water. Forgetting to drink anything through the first half of a tourney usually gives me a throbbing headache which goes away after a few glasses of pure water (no soda, just water.)

Just my two cents.
 
you don't need glasses do you?......the extra focusing might be doing it?

G.
 
Also stress hormones released into the blood stream cause the small blood vessels to constrict in your head sometimes causing headaches, sometimes people feel their hands get cold too.

Relaxation is vital, check your shoulders, you might find your shoulders are hunched up which also creates tension in the neck. Check and see if you can drop your shoulders, if you can your holding stress in them. Massage your neck and shoulders or better yet get a nice helpful women to massage your shoulders, certainly can't hurt:D People I tell are surprised they hunch up their shoulders in tense situations.

They can be from a combination of all the things suggested by the others, all great things to check into. Also in a stressed state, smoke and loud music can set you off that may not otherwise.

I would do the following:
1. Check Vision (although I would think that would effect you all the time)
2. Drink Water (alcohol and soda dehydrate you)
3. Food/Nutrition (headache is a classic signal of low blood sugar)
4. Massage and stretch, try to relax (hardest to do of the 4)

But most likely your putting undue stress on yourself, like most of us do:)
 
mjantti said:
The headache is usually nutrition related. Just take care that your blood sugar level is up and drink enough water...

As a matter of fact, I did not eat much that day! (I was drinking plently of water during the match though.)

I try not to eat a big meal before a match. I'll try lightly snacking and see if that works next time.

Thanks!
 
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