I don't wanna give up pool, but i don't understand why I keep playing!

phjunky

phjunky

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I just came back from a pool room where i've been playin straight pool with a pal. He kicked my ass (as usual) but this time specially hurt. 125 to 55. My best run was, i don't remember, like 5 or maybe 6... it sucks...

I was reading a book, I think it was from The Monk (not sure, but i think so). He was saying that pool was a game of problems. Each time you come to the table, you gotta see a problem to solve, a challenge. It's true. He was also saying that, as a game of problems, so many hard shots, nothing's easy in pool, that is also true. And he was saying : often you can ask yourself : why do I keep playing? He's right... I'm always asking this question to myself. Seriously, tonight, after we were done, i realised that i just can't remember when i won a match (of 9-ball) for the last time. I must make a couple a months... I got a shitty attitude, when i play pool (well, when i can't do nothing good at pool, shall i say) and i know that i can't become better with a negative attitude, but f** it's hard to keep head cold and keep self confidence, when you get your ass kicked all the time! ALL THE TIME!! I can't think to a pool player that i can beat (to raise my self confidence). I don't talk about those who shoot balls around the table without knowing the art of billiard. But within the 'players' that i know, i can't think to somebody i can beat.

Anyway... I know that tomorrow I will looking forward for the next time i'll play pool, but for tonight, i hate pool! I don't know why i torture myself by keeping playing.

I don't think that anybody can 'help' me... but please tell me I'm not alone to feel that way, and that it's normal to feel that way after a year and a half of playing pool!

When i practice, i consider myself as a strong B player... but in fact, I'm a C player, and even a weak C... strange. I'm tired of having mu ass kicked, and sometimes, when it happens, i just start to think something else, and i hate it, because i feel that i'm loosing a precious time fooling around at the poolhall.
 
i'm a negative person but if u seriously cannot remember the last time u won a pool match then u are too negative to be playing pool, u need to learn a lil patience and if u are negative u gotta work on finding ways to trick your mind into being positive, the monk isn't ever gonna shoot a shot for u, and also don't focus too much on things other than making balls and whats going on on the table, it also sounds like u are stuck on ratings way too much, worrying about what type of player u are is pretty pointless, u won't get better by constantly trying to gauge your skill level, jumping from one level to the next isn't gonna happen over night it will take months/years of failures, in order to win u must lose but to me nothing that's easy to do is really worth doing at all, work on using the k.i.s.s. method
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negative thoughts=negative results

you have to overcome the thoughts....i lost 5 weeks in a row 2 times a week for a total of 10 loses in league play. i lost to all handicaps 2-7, with myself being a 5. my teammates didnt know what was going on, im usually the goto guy. i didnt let it get me down, i adjusted then re adjusted, then adjusted some more...finally the last week i went on a tear...beating a 7 speed 3 nothing, then stomping another 5 tonight 4-0 with 2 break n runs to close the night out....i just stuck with the facts....i can shoot better than i was...take 1 ball at a time...and DONT force it....

good luck in finding your stroke again...
 
yea negative thoughts are the worst. if i ever think i am going to miss a shot while i am about to shoot it i almost always do! no matter how easy! what i do now is visualize it going in an tell myself i am going to make my shot, and if i have a negative thought during my pre-shot i stand up and then try again...this helped me a lot u should try it, seriously
 
phjunky said:
I don't think that anybody can 'help' me... but please tell me I'm not alone to feel that way, and that it's normal to feel that way after a year and a half of playing pool!
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That's the way I feel too . I think I've found the answer to the question " Why I keep playing pool?" . When I started to play pool seriously 2 years ago my plan was to became a pro pool player. I had many deceptions and many times I wanted to quit pool . Now I know that my chances of becomeing a pro are very low so I just play pool for fun , because I love this game, and with this atitude I hope my skills will improve. Anyhow I play at least 15 h/week.
 
phjunky said:
I just came back from a pool room where i've been playin straight pool with a pal. He kicked my ass (as usual) but this time specially hurt. 125 to 55. My best run was, i don't remember, like 5 or maybe 6... it sucks...

I was reading a book, I think it was from The Monk (not sure, but i think so). He was saying that pool was a game of problems. Each time you come to the table, you gotta see a problem to solve, a challenge. It's true. He was also saying that, as a game of problems, so many hard shots, nothing's easy in pool, that is also true. And he was saying : often you can ask yourself : why do I keep playing? He's right... I'm always asking this question to myself. Seriously, tonight, after we were done, i realised that i just can't remember when i won a match (of 9-ball) for the last time. I must make a couple a months... I got a shitty attitude, when i play pool (well, when i can't do nothing good at pool, shall i say) and i know that i can't become better with a negative attitude, but f** it's hard to keep head cold and keep self confidence, when you get your ass kicked all the time! ALL THE TIME!! I can't think to a pool player that i can beat (to raise my self confidence). I don't talk about those who shoot balls around the table without knowing the art of billiard. But within the 'players' that i know, i can't think to somebody i can beat.

Anyway... I know that tomorrow I will looking forward for the next time i'll play pool, but for tonight, i hate pool! I don't know why i torture myself by keeping playing.

I don't think that anybody can 'help' me... but please tell me I'm not alone to feel that way, and that it's normal to feel that way after a year and a half of playing pool!

When i practice, i consider myself as a strong B player... but in fact, I'm a C player, and even a weak C... strange. I'm tired of having mu ass kicked, and sometimes, when it happens, i just start to think something else, and i hate it, because i feel that i'm loosing a precious time fooling around at the poolhall.
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unless your born with natural talent-it takes years of dedication, yes I wasted years in the pool room, i was nt born with any talent and became a weak A player at my very best, I could beat any B player, if your not having fun, i retired in 94 and just started back and I'm not hitting them like I was but i'm having fun-thats the bottom line. you have to decide.
 
phjunky said:
When i practice, i consider myself as a strong B player... but in fact, I'm a C player, and even a weak C... strange. I'm tired of having mu ass kicked, and sometimes, when it happens, i just start to think something else, and i hate it, because i feel that i'm loosing a precious time fooling around at the poolhall.
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On a player's road to becoming a great player, often he will go through a big slump before going to the next level. At this point there is often a lot of frustration at not being able to break through to the next level. If you've only been playing for a year and a half then I would say just keep at it, and try to work on bearing down and focusing, and playing the table, in competition. Things like this test if you really love the game. I know a guy who said he got his ass kicked for 8 years going to the weekly tournaments, and these days he is a front runner at the tournaments.
 
I feel the same way all the time. I'm going threw the heaviest ups and downs in my game right now. One month I'm running 20's easy, running racks of 8 and 9, and playing some jam-up 1p... next month I have trouble making 3 balls in a row in any game.
I think it's the fact that I keep trying to change my mechanics (because I never feel they are right, even when I'm shooting good) and it is hard to get good at something when you keep approaching it a different way every week.
The only thing that keeps my going in my head is the little voice that says "this is like everything in life, it's going to be up and down... next month you'll be playing lights out and wondering why you ever thought about not playing anymore".

Hope me saying you're not alone helps.
 
Buy "Pleasures of Small Motions", might help, it did me. Why, cause I forgot why I started shooting pool in the first place. Also, it helped me understand my mental approach to the game.

Also,"The Straight Pool Bible" is another good one. Its is focus more on straight pool, but the concepts can be applied to all games.

Many times, people forget to give themselves a pat on the back for when they do good. They are more focused on how bad they did. Just as everyone makes bad shots, they also make good shots. Incorporate the good and the bad when evaluating your game play.

Something that hit home from my last straight pool match was that game strategy is just as important as making balls. I've lost a lot of games because of my game strategy. Every pool game you play requires a different stategy. You got to be flexible in how you approach every game.

I stopped thinking in term of negitivity about my game, but more about weakness's in my game. Identify your weak area, and then work on those areas. It does no good if you just practice your strengths.

I also stopped worrying about winning games. That will come with time and practice and heart.

It all takes time. More time than you know really. You can be playing along and then one day, wham something clicks. You are now on the next level. Only to get to the point where you are at the step of the next level, but just can't make it quite yet. Then wham, something clicks and you make that step to the next level. This pattern is gonna repeat over and over as you learn this game called pool.

Lately, I've been losing more of my straight pool matches than I'm use too. One joy I get when that happens is when my opponent say "Damn, you are tough" I hear that alot when I lose. You maybe losing your game, but don't roll over and play dead. If they are goona beat ya, make em work for it. This sometime fustrates them so much, that I end up winning.

Don't be so hard on yourself.
 
Why some don't

progress is that they don't approach it as a sport, and dedicate themselves to it as athletes have to in other sports.

Another drawback is plain and simple: A lot people don't have the analytical and logic abilities to play well. Most players have to learn it over time.
It's cause and effect, action and reaction, it's being able to identify every potential problem with a table layout, and being able to solve it in a sensible
logical manner, both in the mind and through execution.

The analytical abilities extend off the table as well, in evaluating your game fairly, and your opponents game fairly, which then reflects whether you are smart in matching up or not.

And it's about always being willing and motivated to learn.
 
Don't think of it as wasted time, your suppost to have fun when you play, even when your competing. When you get really mad at yourself for losing so much, it will result in you missing easy shots and so on. This happens to me all the time. Just get a good nights rest and play the next day like nothing happened, this losing streak might even motivate you to play better and practice harder.

Hang in there man. :)
 
You sound like you are a very competitive person like I am and hate to lose. I got beat twice by two different people a few years ago. I hated it. First I resolved to get better by practicing. Next thing I knew, I had my own table. Now I have a snooker table, too. Neither one of those guys that beat me stand a chance anymore. First, you have to ask yourself how important the game is to you. For me, it was easy. I looked back at my life and realized that playing pool was one of the most fun and exciting things I had ever done. It was relatively inexpensive as a hobby, plenty of competition at all levels in a lot of different venues anywhere in the world I might be, and it's not too hard on the body.
Next, (if you've decided you want to stick with it) you have to realistically decide how much time and effort you are willing/able to put in. Then you have to be realistic with yourself given the amount of time you can spend, what kind of progress you're going to be able to make. If you don't have a lot of time to devote to it, you'll need to maximize your effort to result ratio. This means take at least one 4 hour lesson (if you haven't already) to make sure your fundamentals are sound. Then do exclusively drills during all available individual practice time. Maybe take lessons again after six months if you don't feel you've made a lot of progress. If after a year you aren't beating 80-90% of your typical bar player, you may want to rethink your decision to keep at it. You should be at least 50-50 with B players.
If you have plenty of time to practice/play, then I would still get lessons and do drills for 1/4 to 1/2 of your available alone time. Use your competitive spirit to your advantage. Get rid of your negative thoughts (pool is an easy game, all shots are easy). Make yourself want/need to win, but without becoming emotionally attached to results. Just say to yourself, "I'm going to kick this guy's a**!", then shut your mind off, focus on each shot, and allow it to happen. Above all, relish the time you have to play. When you make a great shot or run out a tough rack, take the time to enjoy it, pat yourself on the back, jump up and down... however you personally celebrate your achievements. Then take the time to settle back down, regain your focus, and keep at it. Have fun or move on. Life's too short.
 
to tell you the truth man it sounds like you have the same problem i have. when i'm shootin good i shoot somewhat sporty. in the mid range b player level but the problem i think is that we never get started. playing better players tends to keep you in your seat more so you don't have the chance to get that arm loose. i know it's rough man just bare down more on those shots that you do get and try to enjoy youself
 
phjunky said:
I just came back from a pool room where i've been playin straight pool with a pal. He kicked my ass (as usual) but this time specially hurt. 125 to 55. My best run was, i don't remember, like 5 or maybe 6... it sucks...

I was reading a book, I think it was from The Monk (not sure, but i think so). He was saying that pool was a game of problems. Each time you come to the table, you gotta see a problem to solve, a challenge. It's true. He was also saying that, as a game of problems, so many hard shots, nothing's easy in pool, that is also true. And he was saying : often you can ask yourself : why do I keep playing? He's right... I'm always asking this question to myself. Seriously, tonight, after we were done, i realised that i just can't remember when i won a match (of 9-ball) for the last time. I must make a couple a months... I got a shitty attitude, when i play pool (well, when i can't do nothing good at pool, shall i say) and i know that i can't become better with a negative attitude, but f** it's hard to keep head cold and keep self confidence, when you get your ass kicked all the time! ALL THE TIME!! I can't think to a pool player that i can beat (to raise my self confidence). I don't talk about those who shoot balls around the table without knowing the art of billiard. But within the 'players' that i know, i can't think to somebody i can beat.

Anyway... I know that tomorrow I will looking forward for the next time i'll play pool, but for tonight, i hate pool! I don't know why i torture myself by keeping playing.

I don't think that anybody can 'help' me... but please tell me I'm not alone to feel that way, and that it's normal to feel that way after a year and a half of playing pool!

When i practice, i consider myself as a strong B player... but in fact, I'm a C player, and even a weak C... strange. I'm tired of having mu ass kicked, and sometimes, when it happens, i just start to think something else, and i hate it, because i feel that i'm loosing a precious time fooling around at the poolhall.
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I always suggest when somebody makes a post like this that they should read "The Tao of Sports"; it may improve your perspective. If winning is what it is all about for you, you'll never be happy with any sport. Winning comes and goes, the game remains, enjoy the game. One thing mentioned in the book is a piece of trivia about Cy Young. Most people know that Cy Young had more wins than any other pitcher (I think that's still true), but most people don't realize the flip side of that is that he had more LOSSES than any other pitcher. You've got to accept defeats as well as wins.
Enjoy the game, do your best, and accept the result.
 
Dont Sweat it.

phjunky said:
I just came back from a pool room where i've been playin straight pool with a pal. He kicked my ass (as usual) but this time specially hurt. 125 to 55. My best run was, i don't remember, like 5 or maybe 6... it sucks...

I was reading a book, I think it was from The Monk (not sure, but i think so). He was saying that pool was a game of problems. Each time you come to the table, you gotta see a problem to solve, a challenge. It's true. He was also saying that, as a game of problems, so many hard shots, nothing's easy in pool, that is also true. And he was saying : often you can ask yourself : why do I keep playing? He's right... I'm always asking this question to myself. Seriously, tonight, after we were done, i realised that i just can't remember when i won a match (of 9-ball) for the last time. I must make a couple a months... I got a shitty attitude, when i play pool (well, when i can't do nothing good at pool, shall i say) and i know that i can't become better with a negative attitude, but f** it's hard to keep head cold and keep self confidence, when you get your ass kicked all the time! ALL THE TIME!! I can't think to a pool player that i can beat (to raise my self confidence). I don't talk about those who shoot balls around the table without knowing the art of billiard. But within the 'players' that i know, i can't think to somebody i can beat.

Anyway... I know that tomorrow I will looking forward for the next time i'll play pool, but for tonight, i hate pool! I don't know why i torture myself by keeping playing.

I don't think that anybody can 'help' me... but please tell me I'm not alone to feel that way, and that it's normal to feel that way after a year and a half of playing pool!

When i practice, i consider myself as a strong B player... but in fact, I'm a C player, and even a weak C... strange. I'm tired of having mu ass kicked, and sometimes, when it happens, i just start to think something else, and i hate it, because i feel that i'm loosing a precious time fooling around at the poolhall.
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Hey dont sweat it.You ll get your chance to beat poeple in a game of pool.You have to practice and practise and try to clean table on them, and it will come before u ever expect it.Shure it is a game of problems but it is also a game of solutions to and the more you play the better you will get.I lost games to but you got to keep fighten on,Know matter what and say i am not going to let poeple take me.
 
First and foremost, I dont care what instruction book or video or DVD you buy, you cant really expect it to improve your game on a grand scale. its not going to happen. The best thing to do is get help up front and personal. go to someone you know can play twice your speed and ask for help, I think youve reached a stalemate in your game, your proboly shooting the same speed as you did a year or two ago or maybe longer, Now you need incentive and the drive to move forward.

If a decent B player plays without motivation over time that same player will be beat bad by a c player who plays in competition at least once a week. You may have more ability as a player but loose because your not prepared to play someone with the will to win. they will give 100% on every shot, every time. and if your not careful, all you will do is watch them play.

Get to the practice table, give yourself a winning chance, give everything you have every shot, practice like this for a week, and when your not at the table watch matches on TV or even Pool Movies but do not read any instructional book or video. you dont want to change anything, just play at 100% of your ability right now. Then go wipe the floor with this fellow..

Come back let us know how it all went. good or bad, then we can evaluate what happened knowing you have the right mindset.




SPINDOKTOR
 
To build your self-esteem up, when you make a great shot, tell yourself that you've done well, that you've accomplished something. Never say aloud or to your opponent that you got lucky when you pocketed a called shot. I see this all the time, someone calls a three rail kick, makes the ball and then says "I got lucky". No, you made a great shot, leave it at that.

When you miss, study it like a math problem. Walk away thinking about what you did wrong. Did you rush it, was your form bad, did you not take the time to prepare mentally for the shot?. This will give you the feeling that you're walking away with new found knowledge rather than just relinquishing your turn at the table. Never let anger get the better of you, when anger sets in the brain turns off and you learn nothing from your mistakes.

You're human, you'll miss, it's what you do after the miss that counts.:)
 
I don't wanna give up pool, AND I KNOW WHY I KEEP PLAYING!

I know, it's true, maybe i've been hard on myself. Thanks to all for your advices and opinions. I know that i'm just starting. A year and a half is too soon to give up. Tonight, i played in a local tournement. Didn't have much sleep this week-end, haven't shoot pool for 4 days, but i played.... and i finished 3rd!! over 15 players, i think. But i finished 3rd... i'm happy. I played very good, i'm glad about it. I know why i keep playing... it's true, it's not the winning, it's more to successfully make the shots. When you make a shot and play good position for the next shot, the feeling inside is so great. Sure i lost a few games tonight, but i didn't get angry at all for the whole evening.

Of course, i can't tell that my problem is sove. Like this, in a week. But tonight, i played very good, i know i can do so, and that helps for the self esteem.

Oh man, I love pool!! lol

i know that it can happen (and probably will) have another bad night, and i won't be capable of making 3 balls in a row. But all i got to keep in mind, is that i haven't loose anything of my game... "it just doesn't work today, but it might work tomorrow or next week"
 
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never give up charley boy! You might beat me next time 125-55 when we play straight pool again. You know I believe in you and I will always be there for you whenever you feel bad about pool. You work alot and don't play as much as before...that has to affect everyone's playing I think.
 
I know exactly how you feel, last weekend I lost a set of 8 ball and as I drove home I literally could not stand the thought of picking up a cue and hitting balls I was so bummed out, by the time I made it home I was down in the basement playing straight pool by myself :confused: :cool: It's just too irresistable.
 
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