how are ya'll doing in league ?

The_JV said:
My "problem" is the commitment to year round league play that the CPA (APA) requires to maintain "qualification". Now if I could find a team that would be willing to field a 7 at the absolute minimum commitment. Then I'd probably bite. Playing only 12 nights a year isn't so bad...lol
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Many teams around here are happy to try and accommodate a higher level player, but more than playing once a month ;)

Most teams here would want the player to play 6 times per 15 week session, which is the minimum to play in the local playoffs.

I do see the occasional player that shows as being on a team, but hasn't played. Most times, those folks aren't anyone that I'm aware goes to play in Singles, but maybe
 
justadub said:
Many teams around here are happy to try and accommodate a higher level player, but more than playing once a month ;)

Most teams here would want the player to play 6 times per 15 week session, which is the minimum to play in the local playoffs.

I do see the occasional player that shows as being on a team, but hasn't played. Most times, those folks aren't anyone that I'm aware goes to play in Singles, but maybe
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Well I'm being a little tongue in cheek with the only 12 evenings a year...lol

I'm used to being a cornerstone on teams, and really just don't want to be that guy again on a team that I know has little to no chance of winning anything as a group. The team aspect is basically a league "user agreement" to access singles.
 
So not really league play, but our local APA had an Appreciation Tournament this weekend. Nice thing that the League Operator does, and they have a little 3-person team tournament that goes along with it. The location is a Legion hall that has 8 tables, and they're all Valley or Valley clone tables. Typical bar tables, with some typical bar table issues, but nothing major. That said, one table, the one we played all three of our matches on, has a set of cushions on it that run out into the pockets far enough that the gap is only about 4". Two balls together won't even get past the points, not even close to the facings on the pockets. And those facings are parallel, and so far into the pocket, that a ball running down the rail will hit the point and miss if it is even ¼" off the rail. Every game was double or more the usual number of innings. To add to this, the location only uses the heavy mud balls for cue balls. Completely different than every one of our weekly league locations.

What I noticed is that it seemed to get into the head of higher skill level players more than lower levels. Maybe the lower levels are more accepting of a miss, or they just don't expect to run balls, I don't know. It bugged me, and my teammates and I just couldn't seem to find a comfort zone on that table. Some of the people that play their league matches there said they all hate playing on that table. It changes your shot selection, and running one down the rail is practically ruled out. But we're all playing on the same table, and the other teams missed the same ways we did.

If nothing else, it sure did show how having a positive mental approach helps, in this case by showing how negativity towards the equipment didn't help, and how accepting the conditions and playing within those constraints did help.
 
I think the stronger player you are in any sport, the more important consistent equipment becomes as part of the advantage is being able to execute more consistently difficult skills.
If the equipment you are playing on doesn't allow you to do so, it eliminates some of your skill advantage.
Thinking things like bumpy greens hurting strong putters, or slow tennis courts mitigating players power, or slick basketballs hurting strong ball handlers.
 
Frustrating.... I'm a mediocre SL5... probably around 57-58% win rate with close to 500 matches. Pretty average. And I struggle. Of course, the single biggest reason is that I don't play and/or practice enough. This is a given. I own that.

Still... it is frustrating to know how good I can play, and still lose. Down 3-1 to another SL5 last night, a guy I match up reasonably well with, tho he's had my number the last few times. Never running over me, good matches, but still... So I'm down 3-1, and he manages to hang an 8-ball for me, so now we're 3-2, me breaking. I've struggled all night. I proceed to break and run the rack. I might do that once a year. Most SL5's in our division rarely do that.

So I can play sometimes. ;)

Then I lost the hill-hill game, of course.

Humbling, this game.
 
Strange feeling last night... I won my match, and almost felt bad about it. Played a lady who I've matched up with many times over the years, pretty good player, same Skill Level as me. Always fun to play. We both had our ups and downs, I really messed up a fairly easy shot in the hill-hill match, she should have been out from there, only two balls. She also messed up...allowing me to scrape out the win.

I don't know why I felt bad about winning. I just felt that I didn't deserve it, the way I donkeyed the easy shot near the end. (Among other glaring misses.) Obviously there were a lot of shots over the course of 8 games that we both screwed up on. Just a bizarre feeling.

I was a bit proud of my hanging in there through the match. And I did a pretty good job with defensive shots, leaving her tough shots (not lockup safeties, but stuff that made her shots difficult), so there was something to feel good about.

I certainly will take the win, god knows I needed one. ;) I should just stop thinking...
 
So, I've been thinking about this for a while this season of league and I want the opinion of other players.

We had a new team join the league this season. It's made up of mostly the family of the league operator, who is a good player (Fargo 550ish). The family though, are all very amateur players. Let's say players who really have no shot to beat a Fargo 500 or better, if the better player is playing smart.

So we match up against this team. My team is mostly 500 or better players. The last time we played them, we gave up 17 games in a five on five format league. Meant that we had to beat them 21-4 to win the night.

My question is this. The idea of league is that hopefully everyone has fun. How is it fun for a team of amateurs if every time they get to the table, they are buried without a shot because the better team has to do that to them to win. I felt awkward playing the way we were supposed to play. (play a safe anytime you weren't comfortable with the shot).

I realize that everyone has to start somewhere in their life as a pool player. It just seems to me that this is an awfully rude introduction to the game. I don't know of an answer to make it any better though. Am I just being too sensitive towards the other team?
 
azhousepro said:
So, I've been thinking about this for a while this season of league and I want the opinion of other players.

We had a new team join the league this season. It's made up of mostly the family of the league operator, who is a good player (Fargo 550ish). The family though, are all very amateur players. Let's say players who really have no shot to beat a Fargo 500 or better, if the better player is playing smart.

So we match up against this team. My team is mostly 500 or better players. The last time we played them, we gave up 17 games in a five on five format league. Meant that we had to beat them 21-4 to win the night.

My question is this. The idea of league is that hopefully everyone has fun. How is it fun for a team of amateurs if every time they get to the table, they are buried without a shot because the better team has to do that to them to win. I felt awkward playing the way we were supposed to play. (play a safe anytime you weren't comfortable with the shot).

I realize that everyone has to start somewhere in their life as a pool player. It just seems to me that this is an awfully rude introduction to the game. I don't know of an answer to make it any better though. Am I just being too sensitive towards the other team?
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I'm with you, 100%. That was always a concern for me. In my 8-9 years of captaining a team, during the regular session, I would always try my best to match up as close as possible in skill levels, especially the lower level players, as opposed to throwing off, like some captains like to do.

In my opinion, how much fun is it for a beginner to be racking, and kicking all night? And what are they actually learning? Similarly, what fun is it for a high level player to have to beat up on the baby seals?

When it comes to playoffs, or down to the the final weeks leading to playoffs, you pretty much have to do everything you can, strategy-wise, for your team, I get that. But in the regular session, I kinda want to get the beginners to want to keep playing. I'm very interested in keeping the league busy and active. New players are important. (No, I'm not the LO. I just like our league and want it to thrive.)

Of course, for me, this is in a league (APA) that has beginner level players, regularly. If another league is a higher level of play on average, all of this might very well not apply.
 
I've played in three different pool leagues and I don't have a clue what my Fargo rate maybe , however I'm in the top 5 of players in each league .

My teammates and I also play against players who are as you explained and it's a struggle to get through the match at times , safety play isn't allowed ( I agree dumb rule ) and they at best make a legal hit to a rail .
When they break it's more like the opening break of a 14.1 game than a 8 ball match .
It was priceless when I expressed how I enjoyed playing straight pool and explained to them that they broke as if that was what we were playing . You could hear the collective " Oh Nooooo " ha ha

When asked by my teammates what to do , I suggested we return the favor and do our best to not give up any ball in hand shots ( which are from the kitchen , I agree another silly rule ) and make then break up the cluster .
 
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azhousepro said:
So am I overthinking it and should just feel happy that the team gets their wins the way they should?
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low players are so tricky to play in 8b
they have so many options to make balls, they run into balls and cluster up your balls, often time your completely in the open no where to hide, no ball to make and your toast. they often run 6 balls per inning against me.

at 9 ball, its very easy to control the game at any time on a low skill player.


21-4 handicap is just insane, handicaps ruin pool. how can you win 21-4 as an amature? , you have to play like a pro!

i would bury them all at any chance i got
 
i played a 3 and im a 7 apa 9
i safed at any chance i needed, 3 straight times in a game
i wanted to keep her under 10 balls made but when it was over she had 15 to 55

it was great practice on how to win. which is what im there to do, not hit em and hope and leave them dead in.
 
azhousepro said:
So am I overthinking it and should just feel happy that the team gets their wins the way they should?
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In your original question, you noted that you thought leagues were supposed to be fun. I guess that should factor in your thought process here, one way or the other. It does, for me.

I'm not suggesting giving your opponents anything, but at the same time, I'm going to play my players that aren't the strongest on my team. I still want my players to win, and to be trying to win. I always want all my players to get their chances to play, so maybe this particular week, the stronger players don't all play. (assuming you have more players on your team than you play on a given week.)
 
It’s a league. It’s for competition. It’s heavily handicapped in their favor. Shoot to win.

That said, there are still ways to make it enjoyable. With the permission of opposing captains, I have often counseled my low level opponents on technique, or rudimentary cue ball control (like, “give yourself a little angle like this, here, see? Make this not too difficult slightly angled shot and you’re perfect on the next ball” - if he or she might be with BIH and is setting up a dead straight shot that won’t get to the next ball), or which ball to shoot next and why.

So far it’s always been received well, in spite of the general rule to not provide unsolicited advice. But I always check with opposing team captain first.
 
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