How to play the sharks when you're a guppy...

[ridinda9]

glad to hear drinkings not really a problem ! pocket reducers at
http://www.poolndarts.com/index.cfm...026&Fuseaction=Catalog.Product&productID=5884
sorry it took me so long to get back to you

 

[BRKNRUN]

Neil's great post brings up the most important thing, nobody in the world can beat you while they are sitting down. Hu

LOL...... I know if I keep trying....one of these days I will bring up something that sombody thinks is the most important thing....

Perhaps if I had spelled control correctly...:wink:

 

[ShootingArts]

I'm a sick puppy when it comes to playing pool

LOL...... I know if I keep trying....one of these days I will bring up something that sombody thinks is the most important thing....

Perhaps if I had spelled control correctly...:wink:

There isn't anything more fun than making a few balls maneuvering into a monster safety, then make a few more and do it again. When you are deliberately setting up safeties instead of shooting them as the better of two bad options it opens up a whole new world playing the rotation games. UJ Puckett said it well in a 60 Minutes interview, the people he played had never shot more times in their lives and lost. When you define the play, the other player is in for a long long evening.

A handful of us are saying the same thing, control the table, control the cue ball, control both player's table time at the table, it does all come down to the same thing. Control the table and the other player and you win.

Hu

 

[Jack Madden]

Just enjoy the experience:smile:

 

[Tbeaux]

A handful of us are saying the same thing, control the table, control the cue ball, control both player's table time at the table, it does all come down to the same thing. Control the table and the other player and you win.

Hu

LOL.....gee Hu, he just don't want ta look bad. :grin:

 

[ShootingArts]

that is why you sneak up on the big boys!

LOL.....gee Hu, he just don't want ta look bad. :grin:

I was talking to BRKNRUN there but the best way to not look bad is to jump out strong. I love the perfect safety where the other player can't hit the object ball and doesn't even have a decent shot to tie something up. Do that to somebody two or three times in a row especially early in a match and there are very few that won't feel the heat. The players with a name often feel even more heat thinking they are in danger of being defeated by a nobody. Often they had let themselves look past the match with a nobody a little bit and have to regroup when they find themselves in a battle. The very best competitors never do that but many of those capable of winning anywhere do sometimes.

Hu

 

[Da Bank]

i played the Texas Open as a C-level player and was by far the worst player in the tournament (that included SVB among other top pros...)... and it was one of the best weekends of my life. I really enjoyed it.

Sometimes, when you know you have no chance of winning is when you play your best pool.

I'll be returning to the Open (3rd year running now for me) this year as an A level with hopes/expectations of winning at least a match or two, but no expectation to get in the money.

 

[nancewayne]

How to play the Sharks when you're a guppy...

There is another consequence of CONTROL of the table....your opponent is sitting....and sitting....and sitting!
The opponent gets cold and "out of stroke". You don't want him to get back to the table, make a string of balls, get back in stroke and gain confidence !!! IF you can jump out in front early (keeping him from the table), not only is he cold, but IS feeling the pressure of a "nobody" being ahead! that is sure to increase your chances of winning!

There isn't anything more fun than making a few balls maneuvering into a monster safety, then make a few more and do it again. When you are deliberately setting up safeties instead of shooting them as the better of two bad options it opens up a whole new world playing the rotation games. UJ Puckett said it well in a 60 Minutes interview, the people he played had never shot more times in their lives and lost. When you define the play, the other player is in for a long long evening.

A handful of us are saying the same thing, control the table, control the cue ball, control both player's table time at the table, it does all come down to the same thing. Control the table and the other player and you win.

Hu

 

[i4pool]

Just do it!

Johnny,

There's been a lot of good input and feedback here already. Good stuff!

My 2 cents... "Just do it!" (swoosh)

Forget about what other people are going to think. Play your game and learn from the entire experience. You will likley return the following year stronger skill-wise as well as mentally!

My personal experience...
I participated in my first Swanee in 2008. Went 2 & Out! Found myself nervous a lot and did not play to my potential. I left the event very disappointed in myself but NOT discouraged. I was going to do better!

I participated again in 2009 and performed a whole lot better, cashed placing 13th-16th . I left the event this time only slightly disappointed knowing what I needed to work on for 2010.

Enjoy it bud! You will meet a lot of new people and make new friends.

-Abe - i4pool

 

[Snapshot9]

Matches

"Controlling the cue ball is 70% of the game" - Jimmy Caras (1962)

I was 14 when he told me that, and I took it to heart. Make sure all aspects of your game are 'in tune', and you, better than others, know what the weak points of your game are, you have to work harder on those. Being weak in one area can lose matches for you when you play against good opponents.

I'm sorry, but if you can only run 1 out of 20 racks of 9 ball, I would not call you a 'B' player, or else you have a lousy break. It doesn't do one much good to make a ball on the break if they have no shot on the one after the break. Perhaps you need to look into a different break shot. I use 6 different break shots, which one depends on the equipment and how the balls are racked. Don't assume that one break shot will work all the time for any table and any rack, because it won't.

Be prepared for the tournament, then relax, and just enjoy the experience and have fun, but play your best.

 

[JohnnyShakes]

I'm sorry, but if you can only run 1 out of 20 racks of 9 ball, I would not call you a 'B' player, or else you have a lousy break. It doesn't do one much good to make a ball on the break if they have no shot on the one after the break. Perhaps you need to look into a different break shot. I use 6 different break shots, which one depends on the equipment and how the balls are racked. Don't assume that one break shot will work all the time for any table and any rack, because it won't.

Be prepared for the tournament, then relax, and just enjoy the experience and have fun, but play your best.

I have what I like to think of as an inconsistent break, but again that is something I'm working on. Whether I'm overeatimating my abilities by saying mid B-level, the original point remains the same. I'm looking for advice on how to make as good a showing as possible with the acknowledgment that I won't have the time to turn myself into a runout player by tournament time. This will be my first time competing in an event that professionals also enter. And, yes, once the tournament rolls around, I will find my happy place, and soak up the experience as much as I can.

Johnny,

There's been a lot of good input and feedback here already. Good stuff!

My 2 cents... "Just do it!" (swoosh)

Forget about what other people are going to think. Play your game and learn from the entire experience. You will likley return the following year stronger skill-wise as well as mentally!

My personal experience...
I participated in my first Swanee in 2008. Went 2 & Out! Found myself nervous a lot and did not play to my potential. I left the event very disappointed in myself but NOT discouraged. I was going to do better!

I participated again in 2009 and performed a whole lot better, cashed placing 13th-16th . I left the event this time only slightly disappointed knowing what I needed to work on for 2010.

Enjoy it bud! You will meet a lot of new people and make new friends.

-Abe - i4pool

Abe,

I think what everyone has said is right, I'm just going to go and have fun. I always seem to have fun playing pool, so no reason this has to be any different. People have given me a lot to think about (6 different breaks? Holy Crap, I barely have two.), but the advice has been good, and whether or not it makes any difference at the Swanee, it is bound to make a difference in my game eventually. The Swanee won't be my last time ay a pool table, so I'll just go out, have fun, and meet some more people that like to play. And then when my game improves, maybe we can retry that race with a smaller spot from you. Maybe one day, I'll even be spotting you.

Johnny

 

[Tbeaux]

I was talking to BRKNRUN there but the best way to not look bad is to jump out strong. I love the perfect safety where the other player can't hit the object ball and doesn't even have a decent shot to tie something up. Do that to somebody two or three times in a row especially early in a match and there are very few that won't feel the heat. The players with a name often feel even more heat thinking they are in danger of being defeated by a nobody. Often they had let themselves look past the match with a nobody a little bit and have to regroup when they find themselves in a battle. The very best competitors never do that but many of those capable of winning anywhere do sometimes.

Hu

I know ....I was just messing with you!

 

[ShootingArts]

I did see the grin

I know ....I was just messing with you!

Yup, I did see the grin. Of course back in the early seventies when AJ Foyt was AJ Foyt somebody wanted to bring him to the local dirt track along with a car that cost over ten times what mine did. As one of the guys that would have to compete against him the track owner was asking my opinion.

My opinion was an enthusiastic hell yeah! Our local track was as gaffy as any I have ever seen and I'd never get a better shot at AJ than in my own backyard. Plus if AJ beat me neither he or anybody else would notice. If I beat AJ I would have rented out a billboard! :grin: The deal fell through much to my regret.

Hu

 

[Foolio]

youve got me thinking...

Johnny...after all this talk about tournament competition and after coming back from nationals and knowing that two people that I know will be playing in the tourney makes me want to play! I might not make it to the money but I have six months to actually focus on my game. This will be a challenging experience for me.

As for what I think about playing better players... I've always thought of pool not only fun, but when you are in stroke its euphoria. You are playing the table, you've been given this layout, this puzzle, how will you crack it? I think that I need to not dwelll on my opponents capabilities or rapport but focus on my game and what I know.

You've got me thinking johnny.

 

[JohnnyShakes]

Johnny...after all this talk about tournament competition and after coming back from nationals and knowing that two people that I know will be playing in the tourney makes me want to play! I might not make it to the money but I have six months to actually focus on my game. This will be a challenging experience for me.

As for what I think about playing better players... I've always thought of pool not only fun, but when you are in stroke its euphoria. You are playing the table, you've been given this layout, this puzzle, how will you crack it? I think that I need to not dwelll on my opponents capabilities or rapport but focus on my game and what I know.

You've got me thinking johnny.

Foolio,

You're going to know more than two players at the Swanee. I know of at least 4 people going that you will know, and if you start playing in the in-house league at Big Shots on Wednesday, you'll probably meet a lot more. It should be a great experience, and it could be a great confidence booster for you if you can go there and play well. That's always been one of the things that we both need to work on.

It should be a great time, and everyone we know there will be rooting for each other, unless they end up playing each other. This will definitely be the most supportive environment that you will get for an introduction into that next level of pool. And you know what the best part is? You won't have to worry about any sandbaggers. Now that I know you're thinking about it, I'm going to hound you about it until you sign up.

Gotta go, it's gonna be fun.

Johnny

 

[JohnnyShakes]

It's Swanee Time!!!

I'm pretty fired up for this weekend. This guppy is gonna jump in the water with the sharks tomorrow. Gonna try and take a bite out of a couple of them. Here we go!!

Johnny

 

[BigDaddyInc.]

I've been trying to find a way to approach this without sounding defeatist, or like I'm asking for a miracle, so I guess I'll just throw it out there.

First off, I love pool. I've been playing seriously for about 2 years, and I feel like I am making a pretty fair amount of progress. That being said, I'm well aware of my limitations and my standing in the hierarchy of ability. Mid-B level player, at best.

What I'm faced with is this. I finish my MBA program in December, and I've decided that I'm going to reward myself for all of the hard work that I have put into it by entering the Jay Swanson Memorial at Hard Times in February. Like Corey Harper I have been spotting the top players in the world 40(+) hours a week, two semesters (sometimes 3 when I was feeling especially masochistic and decided to take interterm courses) and a drinking problem that has ranged from mild to moderate (I don't have a wife. Maybe this could be why?). The difference is, I don't have any thoughts on making the cash. I just don't want to stick out as someone who doesn't belong on the same table as the great players that will be there.

My question to the forum dwellers is this: What would you recommend as being what I should work on in order to accomplish this? Safety play and ball pocketing are the strongest parts of my game, although I've never played on 4" pockets like the tournament room at Hard Times, so that could change. I kick ok, my patterns are ok, and cue ball control is probably my biggest weakness. I've been working on my break a little more, but it's still pretty inconsistent. I'll break and run maybe 1 out of 20 9 ball racks. That number goes up if we're only talking about breaks where I make a ball.

My constraints are that I am starting my last semester next week, and odds are pretty good that I will only be able to really practice one or two days a week until the end of the year. Starting in January, I will have significantly more time to practice (unless, god willing, I get a new job that I actually enjoy, then I might not have quite as much time), and will be able to go up to Hard Times a few times a week, but since the event is in February, that is not a whole lot of dedicated practice time.

All rambling aside, I'm really looking forward to this, and no matter what I intend to have a good time. If people run out a set on me, I'll have a story to tell, a heartfelt handshake for them and a smile on my face. I've won plenty of times, and lost plenty of times, so I'm not setting goals related to games won or how far I advance. This will be my baseline run in a truly open, unhandicapped event. At the next Swanee, or similar tourney, then I can worry about doing better than this time. This time is just for fun, to be able to say I did it, meet some new people, and play against the best that living in Southern California allows me to play against. I just don't want the people in the bleachers looking down and saying "What the heck is THAT guy doing down there? He should have saved the $80 and paid for lessons instead".

Any advice that you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Johnny

I would recommend working on your safety play.Keep those champions hooked until you can run out. Safeties i think are your most powerful weapon against a pro. If you can get them off balance just a little it will increase your chances greatly.

 

[ridinda9]

Good Luck , Johnny !

 

[Williebetmore]

First of all cut the crap about working 40 hours a week and all that nonsense. You aren't the only pool player with other priorities, or the only one with a job. And many of them have families too. So leave all the excuses at the door. Good!

Now, you are getting some great advice here. If you are truly a mid level B player, you will fit right in at the Swanee. There will be some guys who are better than you and some who are worse. I wouldn't concern myself too much with the results this first time. Hey, it's only an $80 entry fee and you don't have travel expenses other than gas. Go out there and enjoy yourself! I mean it, just enjoy playing the game and don't worry if you miss a ball or two. You will, and so will everyone else.

As far as preparations go, you have plenty of time, and once or twice a week isn't too bad right now. Try to play some tournaments ahead of time, at Danny K's or Hard Times. That's always good. And when you have more time in January, get down to Hard Times and hit balls every chance you get, just to get comfortable with the tables. And quit with the negative crap too, "I know I can't get in the money. I feel like I will look bad." Blah, blah, blah. No one cares if you play good or bad, they are more concerned with themselves. You are allowed to win matches you know, and you can even get in the money, even if it is your first time. There is no rule against it!

All right, you're free to go now. I'll see you in February. :smile:

P.S. You sound like you're aware you have a drinking problem as well. Pool is all about self discipline. Get some!

Heyyyyyy, JH has weighed in with some heavyweight advice here. I'm always surprised by how little discussion there is of the importance of the mental game in pool. Players like Johnny Archer, Nick Varner, Jeanette Lee, George Breedlove, Mark Wilson all believe that a strong mental game is as essential to success as strong physical skills (though you must develop both).

No negativity, strong flow of positivity, and NO excuses will immediately make you look and play closer to your potential. Even the pros get nervous and uncertain in critical situations, but they disguise it well and deal with it well.

My only advice is based on a great pro player who told me that when the money is big, and the uncertainty starts to creep in; the best thing to do is FAKE IT (meaning fake the self-assurance and confidence that is really starting to erode inside you). You should find the best, most professional player in the room and imitate them. Watch Efren or Ralf. If they miss, they calmly accept it, return to the chair, and psyche themselves up for their next inning. No whining, crying, or shows of disgust (all "ego protection mechanisms" that people use to try to convince those around them that they are really better than that miss they just delivered). Take it all in stride with equanimity; you will not only avoid embarrassment, you will probably improve your performance as well. JMO.

 

[pwd72s]

I'm pretty fired up for this weekend. This guppy is gonna jump in the water with the sharks tomorrow. Gonna try and take a bite out of a couple of them. Here we go!!

Johnny

Have fun! That's why we play the game, right???