How long does POOR play keep you down?

[ChrisinNC]

Anyway -- how long does poor play keep you down? How do you snap out of it?

Depends on your age? If you are in your 60s or older and have played since you were young, it is not going to get better. Sorry, but that’s reality!

The best you can hope for is to try to hang on and relish those short bursts of playing well, as they don’t last.

 

[jasonlaus]

This guy is a very good player. Better than most people even think about achieving.

I believe you are correct

 

[BasementDweller]

This guy is a very good player. Better than most people even think about achieving.

Thanks. I'm no world beater, but I can run a rack or two. I play well enough to be disappointed at times.

There's some good advice in here so far.

Guess I'm just at a crossroads, where pool totally becomes a hobby or I start working at it again.

I'm sure @ChrisinNC is right to an extent, but I'm not yet 50 and up until recently, I was still getting measurably better on the PRACTICE table for whatever that's worth. I know that window may be closing quickly though.

 

[j2pac]

Thanks. I'm no world beater, but I can run a rack or two. I play well enough to be disappointed at times.

There's some good advice in here so far.

Guess I'm just at a crossroads, where pool totally becomes a hobby or I start working at it again.

I'm sure @ChrisinNC is right to an extent, but I'm not yet 50 and up until recently, I was still getting measurably better on the PRACTICE table for whatever that's worth. I know that window may be closing quickly though.

In all honesty, go back to the basics. Above all else, enjoy yourself. We're here on this rock for a finite period of time. Enjoy it.

 

[BasementDweller]

In all honesty, go back to the basics. Above all else, enjoy yourself. We're here on this rock for a finite period of time. Enjoy it.

I do usually have fun when I play, just not recently. This is where the team events are fun but I haven't done one in several years. Think the locals have given up on me. I can play bad and still enjoy watching my teammates succeed.

Really I'm just venting.
I'm getting older.
Probably never got as good as I had hoped.
Probably won't get much better.
Kids are all about out of the house.
I'm enjoying some other things in life.

Poor play has always sucked the life out of me more than it should have. Especially considering how little time I've put in to competing.

Overall, life is good even if pool is bad.

 

[j2pac]

I do usually have fun when I play, just not recently. This is where the team events are fun but I haven't done one in several years. Think the locals have given up on me. I can play bad and still enjoy watching my teammates succeed.

Really I'm just venting.
I'm getting older.
Probably never got as good as I had hoped.
Probably won't get much better.
Kids are all about out of the house.
I'm enjoying some other things in life.

Poor play has always sucked the life out of me more than it should have. Especially considering how little time I've put in to competing.

Overall, life is good even if pool is bad.

You sound alot like me.

 

[BasementDweller]

It amuses me to no end to see guys who run a rack a month throwing fits at the tbl and getting mad at their (standard) poor play. I don't get it.

To me, u have to be pretty damn good at this game and have invested significant hours of practice to attatch enough expectation to ur results to be emotionally affected by poor play for any amount of time measured in days. I know a few snooker players like this and it kinda makes sense as they make centuries in practice on their off days. But anyone who isn't a ghost killer and practices hard at improving their game really should look into developing their mental game and setting appropriate expectations if playing bad depresses them. Fire u up to practice more? Sure. But make u sad and unmotivated despite not practicing to stay sharp to begin with? Grow up. And congrats on living a life where these tippy top first world problems even make a blip on ur emotional radar.

I've put in the time, just haven't competed enough over the years to validate my level of play. So I guess I haven't put in the time on the actual competitive table.

I don't think I need to "grow up". I'm just chatting with my pool playing buddies that I'd think would understand. But then, maybe you don't play well enough to understand.

 

[garczar]

In all honesty, go back to the basics. Above all else, enjoy yourself. We're here on this rock for a finite period of time. Enjoy it.

Agree big time on basics. When i lay off or get in a funk i pretend i've never played before and go back to total re-set. Grip, bridge, stance, all that boring shit that's crucial to playing decent.

 

[Fatboy]

The beauty of the game. The feel of hitting a shot just perfect. Goosebumps.

The pleasure of small motions is a pretty good book on the topic to be honest. Even if you never pick up a cue again it's still a good read.

Exactly, that feeling of hitting a ball perfectly is the bite. And yes I did hit a few perfect, they were easy, but perfect but perfect is perfect and when ya know, ya know. Can be an easy shot. That’s the bite that lites the fire

 

[BasementDweller]

The beauty of the game. The feel of hitting a shot just perfect. Goosebumps.

The pleasure of small motions is a pretty good book on the topic to be honest. Even if you never pick up a cue again it's still a good read.

We've both been on AZ a while. Percentage wise, what do you think the odds are that I've read that book more than once?

 

[Poolhall60561]

Just get back on that horse

 

[sciarco]

Chrisin NC ur bang on sir.

 

[Fitzz47]

One nights sleep gets me fired up. The last ball was history,the next is what matters. I’m 78 shooting poorly one day and running racks the next. Life goes on.

 

[boogieman]

We've both been on AZ a while. Percentage wise, what do you think the odds are that I've read that book more than once?

I'd imagine you've read it. I was quoting/talking with Fatboy, not directly advising you to read it.

Sure it's supremely disappointing to feel a skill level drop. If you're still interested in the game you gotta knock the ring rust off and get back as close as you can, or just enjoy it for what it is. I'm not trying to be silly or anything, if you don't have the time to dedicate to "get where you were" you might just have to accept that and find other sources of pleasure in the game.

 

[WobblyStroke]

I've put in the time, just haven't competed enough over the years to validate my level of play. So I guess I haven't put in the time on the actual competitive table.

I don't think I need to "grow up". I'm just chatting with my pool playing buddies that I'd think would understand. But then, maybe you don't play well enough to understand.

Ha. Nailed me. That was actually my response to my snooker friend who asked if playing bad gets me down. Flat out, I just said "I'm not good enough and sure as hell don't practice enough to get mad at pool". That said, while a clear dog vs a wooden rack random ball placement ghost, I am a decent favorite against a stencil pattern rack (easy mode) ghost on 9ft, so I can play a little and certainly a lot better than most of the vast majority of tantrum throwing players I see.

I get it when guys like my friend feel terrible when they play bad bc he works on his game every day and competes at a high level. But to feel bad about poor play when u don't put in the time and effort to prepare to play well is just looking for a reason to feel bad imo.

 

[WobblyStroke]

This guy is a very good player. Better than most people even think about achieving.

False. Lol.
Just in case others couldn't see ur comment was dripping with sarcasm.

I will say tho that this entire topic comes down to temperment and realistic expectations. I know sub550s league heroes that think they're world beaters and are insufferable when off anything but their ceiling, as well as a cpl 610-625s that enter opens and see themselves as bangers. They take missing gracefully bc they don't delude themselves into thinking they shouldn't. The guys north of 600 def have more reason to feel bad about poor play but the guys nearly 100fr points below them give them the 7 when it comes to the poor play blues.

Edit: thought 9ballky post was directed at me (sarcastically) rather than genuinely at bd. I believe it. My response was meant to be self-depricating, not a shot.

 

[Nick8400]

Sounds like you are at a bit of a crossroads.

I went thru this with golf about 10 years ago. I went from playing/practicing non-stop. Carried a plus handicap for a long time. And then I started fishing, got married, and the kiddo. Next thing you know I was a weekend golfer and hating the game because I couldn’t score. It took awhile to adjust to. So much of my identity was tied into how well I could play golf.

7 years later I am still a weekend golfer and love the game more than ever. I used to be a golf course snob. Now I am most happy playing the local muni with my dad. I also still play pretty solid. The years of experience and my mental game almost make up for how little I practice.

Things change. Priorities change. I think what we want and get out the game changes. Give it some time. You will find your peace with the game and I bet you will love it, just maybe in a different capacity.

Enjoy the life you have going. The pool table will never be too far away!! Good luck!!

 

[lfigueroa]

I haven't been playing at all, which includes hitting balls at home, but I had a free day so I went and played a bar table tourney. It was on Diamonds and I played poorly. Squeaked out a few matches but even those involved more luck than skill.

I'm almost a week removed from this and I can't shake it. I've loved pool for a long time, but maybe I'm nearing the end. I really don't know. I hate playing like crap so much but competing so rarely makes it more frustrating than enjoyable. I used to be able to do it because I had the drive to practice so much more than I do now. So I could show up pretty much ready to go in the past.

I have taken up some new hobbies in the past couple of years so maybe I'll move on. What's sad is if I'm not playing, I lose almost all interest in the game. I think a lot of my interest in professional pool revolves around being able to maybe not compete on a level playing field, but at least compare my game with what the big boys are doing. As the chasm grows, my interest wanes.

Anyway -- how long does poor play keep you down? How do you snap out of it?

BD, I feel that a lot depends on how you're wired.

Me, I just like to hit pool balls. Nothing finer to me than racking up the balls, separating out a break ball, and trying to run a few. In that vein, I firmly believe that you need context to challenge yourself and for me that's 14.1. If you're just banging them around, without some set format to get a sense of how you're doing, it's a useless endeavor. You need to find a puzzle within the game that get's your juices flowing again.

Lou Figueroa

 

[jlrowe]

Anyway -- how long does poor play keep you down? How do you snap out of it?

You can't....It will always keep you down if you take the game seriously. From the time i picked up a cue at about 19 I knew i wanted to be great at it. I practiced and practiced hard. I was the one that always played and practiced by myself on the 9 ft gold crown in the back room at Steepletons in Lexington Ky back around 93 94. This was the place back in the day. Lot of great players. miss it so much. I moved in 95. I very seldomly played anyone. I would actually get mad if someone wanted to shoot with me. I felt that they were taking away from my practice. I never played the tournaments. I was hard core serious and was always stressed and down on myself. . After quite a few years practicing and taking it very serious I started playing others and gambled cheap. I soon realized that i was actually having a great time and meeting lot of great people. I loved playing couple dollars a game and ring games etc. There was no stress and actually at times i would hit a gear for an hour and play better than i ever have and was having fun doing it. That is how i snapped out of it. You have to decide what your priorities are. I still go out in my pool room and practice hard sometimes but im not stressed. Im not trying to be a world beater any more. But i would never quit playing. It is a part of me and lot a great memories.

 

[jeagle64]

Don’t quit. Find another game that challenges you and practice on that. Pool is super hard and a lot has to happen right to play good, and a little luck. You have too much invested in this game to just walk away.


Sent from my iPad using AzBilliards Forums