How do you handle losing?

[Floppage]

Last night I sold out. Not once but three times. For the most part I executed my patterns as I wanted, executed most of the shots I needed, played safe when I had to and tried to manage the game but at the crucial point where it was time to close...I choked. For a beginner sometimes "choking" is more about bad decisions than not making a ball.

I am actually finding out that I learn more from my losses and I will get better. There will be a day when I don't choke. It's just that today isn't that day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either. The day after? Well, we'll see.

I try to keep my cool when I lose but inside I'm usually pretty torn up. That made me wonder how some of you handle losing.

 

[DallasHopps]

I mostly just pay off and try to put things behind me. If there was a shot that had a few options, and I didn't get my desired result, I might try out my ideas until I find the highest percentage choice for me. Other than that it usually doesn't come down to anything specific enough to agonize over.

 

[JC]

I never understand why the pros set up that 99% shot that they just dogged and shoot it again and again. It's still a 99% shot for them and where the balls were laying at the moment had zero to do with why they missed it. That's why it's a 99% not a 100%. They won't miss it next time.

JC

 

[nancewayne]

Handle losing ?

Afterward I sit down and cry a lot !

 

[NitPicker]

The sting from a loss, especially one where you beat yourself, will leave a mark, as it should. That's why you tend to learn more from it than a win. For me, I try to focus on diagnosis and correction so not only can I fix it next time, but my emotions remain in check while in analytical mode. Not always easy, but if I'm still thinking about mistakes after the match is over, I focus on what I want to do next time, rather than focus on how I screwed up the last time. I have also found that after several weeks of working on something and seeing minimal progress, at about the point when I'm almost ready to call it quits...a spark ignites and my game almost seems to elevate over night. Almost like I've thought about it so much that it finally just manifests. It has happened this way each time my game has progressed.

 

[pwd72s]

Afterward I sit down and cry a lot !

Whimpering is better....gets you more pity. :rotflmao:

 

[PoolBum]

I never understand why the pros set up that 99% shot that they just dogged and shoot it again and again.

To get it out of their system so they can put it behind them and move on.

 

[ENGLISH!]

 

[Baxter]

It depends. If the person I lost to has a bad attitude about it, (wants to brag, thinks they should beat me every time when clearly they're an inferior player, etc) I have no problem barking at them. I'm gracious in defeat if my opponent is gracious in victory. I'll shake their hand and tell them good game, but inside I'm probably fuming. If I lost because of something outside of my control (a literal table roll for example), well I admittedly don't handle that as well as I should. I should be able to just let it go, it was outside of my control after all, but for some reason losing like that pisses me off bad and I'm liable to hit something or want to break my cue. I'm working on it.

 

[Straightpool_99]

I don't like losing. I will shake the persons hand, maybe even compliment him on his shooting, but I'll be boiling inside, and I will complain afterwards to anyone that will listen. Can't help it, it's a character flaw and I know it's bad but I just can't help it. I do try not to, though, and after a day or so I can usually realize that it was all my own fault and stop being a little bxxxh about it.

It is hard to admit that one sucks at this game, but I do, and I know it. I guess it feels bad, because really, even if there are a million things you can blame a loss on, it usually is all your fault. You held the stick, you made the plan, you shot like a half blind granny etc, etc. I think what hurts the most is that I put so much effort into my game, so much time shooting shots, thinking about the game even dreaming about the game, yet I come up short some times. It is such a final defeat. My genetics are inferior some way or I started playing too late and there is nothing more I can do, I will never reach the highest level no matter how hard I practice, I've realized this and it's not a nice thought.

Still there is fun to be had trying, I suppose, and I'll never stop trying to improve just a little bit more. Every extra ball is a victory, but don't expect me to be happy about losing.

 

[Pidge]

I cry my self to sleep for a few days. Eat lots of cookie dough and re-watch Bridget Jones' Diary.

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

Other - accept it.

If it was a choke, no sense for me to run over to another table and shoot it again over and over. I'm just gonna make it every time and get real frustrated at not making it under pressure. Now, if it was a shot I could make but have been struggling with, I'll practice it at home until I get through that particular barrier once and for all.

Good example of this for me recently were long shots that were just about, but not quite, straight in. I'd hit them straight, into the point of the pocket. I'd been struggling with them, missing a few when they came up in matches, so I just started practicing them til it was no longer a problem.

 

[Floppage]

Other - accept it.

If it was a choke, no sense for me to run over to another table and shoot it again over and over. I'm just gonna make it every time and get real frustrated at not making it under pressure. Now, if it was a shot I could make but have been struggling with, I'll practice it at home until I get through that particular barrier once and for all.

Good example of this for me recently were long shots that were just about, but not quite, straight in. I'd hit them straight, into the point of the pocket. I'd been struggling with them, missing a few when they came up in matches, so I just started practicing them til it was no longer a problem.

In my case it was a couple of bad decisions that made the table layout toward the end a little more difficult than it had to be. I can make more and more shots but finding the best pattern is still something I'm working on. Fortunately my instructor was there watching and setup the patterns again later and had me work through a better strategy that left me with a much easier run out.

Still...sucks to lose.

 

[3RAILKICK]

I try to remember to congratulate the winner on some aspect of his game.

Unless it was the 3 sh1t - in shots with perfect shape on the hill-hill game.:angry:

In that case..I'll say 'good shooting' .


In that situation..I have purchased a house cue, go outside and wrap it around the corner of the building...being alert to cars that might be down range.

Child like behavior, but very soothing.

 

[jeffj2h]

The best thing that ever came from a loss for me was I learned to kick. I was playing the best guy in my bar league. Nobody had beaten him in like 10 weeks. I got him hill hill shot my last solid in and snookered myself behind his last stripe (playing 8 ball). I now know I had an easy 2 rail kick using the Corner 5 system. But that night I was clueless.

I spent the next three months reading everything I could find on kicking and practicing kicking.

BTW, the one best resource I found was Tor's video.

 

[The Kiss]

Forget it and flip the coin again and start a new set. That is the beauty of gambling redemption is just another set away. Screw up in a tournament your out in two. That can be harder to take. But then again if you can play sets after the tournament:thumbup:

 

[jeffj2h]

When I lose its usually the first thought that hits me when I wake up the next morning. But it helps that I have short-term-pool-memory-loss. For example I tend to not be able to remember the sequence of a runout minutes after I ran out. I choose not to relive bad shots from a loss so I tend to forget them. But on purpose I like to re-live run outs and great shots over and over in my mind. So i tend to have more positive memories floating around in my head compared to negative.

 

[Push&Pool]

Last night I sold out. Not once but three times. For the most part I executed my patterns as I wanted, executed most of the shots I needed, played safe when I had to and tried to manage the game but at the crucial point where it was time to close...I choked. For a beginner sometimes "choking" is more about bad decisions than not making a ball.

I am actually finding out that I learn more from my losses and I will get better. There will be a day when I don't choke. It's just that today isn't that day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either. The day after? Well, we'll see.

I try to keep my cool when I lose but inside I'm usually pretty torn up. That made me wonder how some of you handle losing.

I voted "other" because it's a little more complex than the options you presented. Sure, I'll feel like sh*t, but I'll have the guts to congratulate to my opponent. Then I'll look for the first opportunity to play him again and try to do the things right. At the same time, I'll remember at least some of the mistakes I made when I lost and practice those shots when I get the opportunity. However, in important games I'll do my best to avoid those situations, at least until I practiced enough.

 

[LuckyStroke]

I

I voted other. If I ever lose I'll let you know how I handle it. But then again I only play 9 ball ghost BIH after every shot…unless I don't need it.

Depends on how I lose. If the person is way better I just try to pay attention and maybe learn something.

Last week, as an APA 5, I was playing a 3 and was having a good night. Not sure of the final score, but at one point the score was 33-1. The match score was 18-2 and at the end the man (he goes by Catfish and is one helluva guy) shook my hand and said "That was fun to watch" and he genuinely meant it. It made me stop and think. This guy loves this game so much he just wants to watch it played well.

"A bad day of pool is better than my best day at work"
I don't know who said that originally, and I think they said "golf". But it's so true

Ben

 

[jeffj2h]

Last week, as an APA 5, I was playing a 3 and was having a good night. Not sure of the final score, but at one point the score was 33-1. The match score was 18-2 and at the end the man (he goes by Catfish and is one helluva guy) shook my hand and said "That was fun to watch" and he genuinely meant it. It made me stop and think. This guy loves this game so much he just wants to watch it played well.

There are several players in my APA masters league that are SL4-5 in the APA handicapped league. They end up winning about 15-20% of their matches. I'm not sure I could take getting beat week after week like that. Maybe they just love pool and don't want the BS that goes with handicapping. Maybe they want to pick up some pointers. I shake my head at these players, but in the final analysis I respect them for putting themselves out there.