How important are milestones in your game?

[Gerry]

Flex,
I think that the IPT cloth is DEFINITELY NOT a help in 14.1. The cloth wears very unevenly, so that balls will wobble back and forth on slow rollers; and even worse, the cue will slowly roll up against an object ball, which starts to roll away as it should, and then rocks backwards and rests against the cue ball, or sideways into an unexpected place. It's goofy.

In addition, heavy inside English does not "take" as well so it is difficult to force the cue ball to take an unnatural reverse even with heavy inside (not that you want to be using it all that often, but sometimes you paint yourself into a corner).


To TheVeryThinInteger,
Have I mentioned the table was very tight???? Really.

Actually, in my defense, I mention it only because it is quite different than the usual Diamonds in town (which are fairly tight themselves). (it's also a better excuse than "I suck" which I might otherwise be forced to use)

This might sound funny, but I get into stroke really fast on the slower cloth. I grew up playing on the Mali cloth, and used to practice on it all the time at a bowling alley near my house. When everything switched to Simonis ANYONE with half a stroke could draw the ball 3 rails with ease. I don't remember getting the "skids" and sliding you get on Simonis....especially when it's new. The perfect combo would be slow NAPLESS cloth.

As far as milestones, I still remember my first 50 in 14.1. I think that was harder than my first 100. Honestly my runs got easier and longer when I was taught to forget the "how many" of the run, and concentrate on just shooting the right shots!

My favorite milestone is kind of recent. For years I played with too much of EGO. I'd shoot silly low percentage shots instead of taking the easy safety. I just got really tired of sitting down after shooting at a flyer and watching my opponent run out. Now it's about playing the percentages, and knowing my limitations. In the end it's about who won, not how many pretty 3 rail inside spin shots I missed!.

Gerry

 

[chefjeff]

When my buddy and I played everyday for a month. We started at 4:00 pm and played everywhere available, gambling, drinking, etc. until 4:00 am...at least. That improved my competitive play greatly.....but it didn't do much for my business!

Now if I had done that for 10 years instead of just one month, I'd be something. Not sure what, but something!

Jeff Livingston

 

[Cornerman]

What are some of your milestones?

Quitting this devil of a game...

But seriously, milestones are great if everyone keeps them in perspective. My milestones included things like break and runs, multi-packs, winning certain top gun tournaments, running 50 in 14.1.

Now that I've hit all those, I don't have any more milestones that I want to put any effort into. Sad, I know, but I don't love playing this game like I used to. Not enough to put in the work for the next milestones.

Fred <~~~ next milestone is to get a pool-related tattoo

 

[Williebetmore]

Now if I had done that for 10 years instead of just one month, I'd be something. Not sure what, but something!

Jeff Livingston

JL,
Let's see, the possible results (in reverse order of likelihood): broke, divorced, homeless, illiterate, happy. Possibly Mr. Jennifer Chen.

 

[hobokenapa]

Tim, I can't believe you posted this and reminded me of this ugly incident in our past . I will try to forget it again .

- Steve

... I remembered it because about two seconds after you said it, I knew you were 100% right, and I realised I was focusing on a number which is something that not doing has helped my game.

 

[Kevin]

One milestone not mentioned yet...

We all enjoy those special moments of past glory, and I have mine... but...

How about when a younger player passes you in status, has taken his fundamentals training a bit more seriously, and is now a young tough straight-shooting son of a gun, with consistently better shotmaking and position play abilities, and the older used-to-be-the-better-player you, must acknowledge those facts and deal with it. How?

Some popular choices: Wail loudly at the moon it was just a bad day, try again with more edges on your side. Never play him again, fantasy of superiority and status stays alive. Play more defense next time. Or, oooh this hurts, go to the practice table and work smart and hard (life is short) to absolutely NAIL DOWN some of your problem areas.

The last is tough, and thus the longest river in the world is "De nile".

I think a super critical milestone is realizing when you have allowed your natural talent to rot somewhat, and a harder worker has earned status above yours... the only question left is:

 

[Kevin]

Quitting this devil of a game...

But seriously, milestones are great if everyone keeps them in perspective. My milestones included things like break and runs, multi-packs, winning certain top gun tournaments, running 50 in 14.1.

Now that I've hit all those, I don't have any more milestones that I want to put any effort into. Sad, I know, but I don't love playing this game like I used to. Not enough to put in the work for the next milestones.

Fred <~~~ next milestone is to get a pool-related tattoo

I sense the faint whiff of burnout seeping in here, and as a peer of yours with similar love of the game I simply don't approve of this attitude one bit. Pool players like us face IT every day. Reality. Deal with it well every shot.

Weren't you one of the first RSB voters back in '94 like myself, or if not, by '97 or so established online as at least one clear voice from the pool world? Now you have a monthly cuemakers column, a burden to be sure, but maybe it isn't quite getting you where you really want to go? What, you want DCC now? It's coming soon, and I'll be there! We can meet and swap stories, what more can you ask, or come to Japan now? My sliding shoji doors are open for you.

Time possibly to touch base with who you are now and where mayhaps you might like to be? Talk to friends, take a break, recharge the old batteries, rethink priorities perhaps. Some fresh whole new avenues may await exploring or new angles worth pursuing on proven paths, a novel, a movie, true tales of the gambling greats, reality, fantasy, politics and pool playing of presidents, and what it may mean to the nation...

Take a breather, stand up and think a bit what position you ideally need for your next shot, and spin and speed necessary to get there, and you will. Trust me on this, you can and are playing our game at a high level. Just take it a bit further.

Kevin in Japan

Try some real beauty sleep if all else fails.

 

[Kevin]

Fred <~~~ next milestone is to get a pool-related tattoo

I'm curious what you may desire from fleeting life. no need to answer. I'm 46 and consider tattoos a mere snapshot of life back when, or more fatefully, a momentary foolish choice branded, tattooed if you like, closing more doors than opening, like uhm, smoking, because the female desire of the moment once did, so you repeat ad infinite-stupidism. (still smoke, still stupid, know it well now).

Old tattoo, cross it off like a girls name, add the next under the older... spreading skin over age, lines blurring... the old 9-ball making way for the 10-ball game artfully overwriting the old... now banks... then one pocket... snooker gives way to 3-cushion... new game, old arm to cover and be embarrassed about and new arm to show the world? Favorite cuemakers logo to attach then discard on future experience? And once you get old and naked in the jacuzzi, so much backpedalling...

I think I prefer natural warts and scars with real stories to spin anew with wisdom than to explain away snapshot inkspots as "seemed like a good idea at the time!"

Of course, the real inkspots are the ones we write right now on the web, which future employers will peruse. Tattooing oneself in different, yet permanent ways.