I Hate Myself!!!

Vinnie

Vinnie

pool is cool.
Silver Member
Last night we had a make-up match for 8-ball pool league. There was two 5-man teams playing round robin format for a total of 25 games. Well, I did great all night until the last game which ended up being the deciding game of the match (12-12, hill-hill) with first place standing on the line! Needless to say, I was feeling more pressure than I've ever felt in a pool game. I ended up making a bad decision and went for a shot that I could have played a good safety on, leaving my opponent a bank into the side for position on the 8. Of course he made the bank and then the 8 and I lost. :-(
Even though I had a good night (4-1) I still feel like sh** because I wanted to "be the hero". Someone please tell me that I will not be re-living that game for the rest of my life!!


Vinnie
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Needs to learn how to play under pressure.
 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to your latest nightmare. You will appear in your dream as a little brown dog with no tail to wag. Atleast thats the way I appear in my dreams after a bad performance. Don't worry they will go away with your next victory.
Pinocchio
PS heres a little good rep for you it ain't always bad an it ain't all good
 
You will not be re-living that game for the rest of your life, however, it's gonna take a little time like the song says. Your opponent still had to drain a bank shot, no gimme. These things happen. If you are certain you could have executed the safety then you'll have learned from this deal.

If you would have missed the safe, you would feel just as bad. Chin up carry on. good luck.
 
Vinnie said:
Last night we had a make-up match for 8-ball pool league. There was two 5-man teams playing round robin format for a total of 25 games. Well, I did great all night until the last game which ended up being the deciding game of the match (12-12, hill-hill) with first place standing on the line! Needless to say, I was feeling more pressure than I've ever felt in a pool game. I ended up making a bad decision and went for a shot that I could have played a good safety on, leaving my opponent a bank into the side for position on the 8. Of course he made the bank and then the 8 and I lost. :-(
Even though I had a good night (4-1) I still feel like sh** because I wanted to "be the hero". Someone please tell me that I will not be re-living that game for the rest of my life!!


Vinnie
-----------
Needs to learn how to play under pressure.
Click to expand...

Dude, I think you need to listen to some Bruce Springsten, a song called Glory Days!!!!!!!!!!:D
 
Vinnie said:
Last night we had a make-up match for 8-ball pool league. There was two 5-man teams playing round robin format for a total of 25 games. Well, I did great all night until the last game which ended up being the deciding game of the match (12-12, hill-hill) with first place standing on the line! Needless to say, I was feeling more pressure than I've ever felt in a pool game. I ended up making a bad decision and went for a shot that I could have played a good safety on, leaving my opponent a bank into the side for position on the 8. Of course he made the bank and then the 8 and I lost. :-(
Even though I had a good night (4-1) I still feel like sh** because I wanted to "be the hero". Someone please tell me that I will not be re-living that game for the rest of my life!!


Vinnie
-----------
Needs to learn how to play under pressure.
Click to expand...

As long as you learned from this experience and don't repeat the same mistake again, you will be fine.
 
at least you went for it. Had it gone in, you would have had style. Bet you didnt lose any respect for your efforts. Thats the dice :cool:
 
Vinnie said:
Last night we had a make-up match for 8-ball pool league. There was two 5-man teams playing round robin format for a total of 25 games. Well, I did great all night until the last game which ended up being the deciding game of the match (12-12, hill-hill) with first place standing on the line! Needless to say, I was feeling more pressure than I've ever felt in a pool game. I ended up making a bad decision and went for a shot that I could have played a good safety on, leaving my opponent a bank into the side for position on the 8. Of course he made the bank and then the 8 and I lost. :-(
Even though I had a good night (4-1) I still feel like sh** because I wanted to "be the hero". Someone please tell me that I will not be re-living that game for the rest of my life!!


Vinnie
-----------
Needs to learn how to play under pressure.
Click to expand...


Dude, you need to take a break from pool. It's obviously too much for you. Stress, nightmares, bad karma, where will it all end? I shudder to think.

Just kidding!

Shake it off, forget about it, kill those emotions, they aren't helping you one bit!

Now, go set up that tough shot again. Mark the table with chalk so the setup is exactly the same each time. Shoot that shot over and over and over until you can make it in your sleep. Make that shot your favorite shot on the table. And the next time you're in a pressure situation like that, stand up, stroke your cue in the air like you're getting ready to make your favorite shot, just like grabbing a steak knife and fork just before cutting into a great big juicy steak! This is your moment, the one you've prepared for. Relish that feeling. Love the pressure. Get into it. This is what it's all about, not the easy shots. Look at the shot. See the angle. Plan how you'll stroke the ball. Give it your best. Let go of the result. And fire that ball into the heart of the pocket!!!

Flex
 
Vinnie said:
Last night we had a make-up match for 8-ball pool league. There was two 5-man teams playing round robin format for a total of 25 games. Well, I did great all night until the last game which ended up being the deciding game of the match (12-12, hill-hill) with first place standing on the line! Needless to say, I was feeling more pressure than I've ever felt in a pool game. I ended up making a bad decision and went for a shot that I could have played a good safety on, leaving my opponent a bank into the side for position on the 8. Of course he made the bank and then the 8 and I lost. :-(
Even though I had a good night (4-1) I still feel like sh** because I wanted to "be the hero". Someone please tell me that I will not be re-living that game for the rest of my life!!


Vinnie
-----------
Needs to learn how to play under pressure.
Click to expand...
If your teammates had won one more game for you, you would not have had to worry about it. There is no way I would blame myself for the team's loss. You did more than your share.
 
Eventually, you will remember it as an 'Oh well'. I shake my head ruefully when I remember the easy back cut 7 ball I missed to go 3 rails for the 9 on the other end rail for the win in the VNEA National Championships.

If you had not played superbly against the other team in the first place, you wouldn't have even gotten to the final game. There is no shame in getting that far and somewhere down the line, you may get your revenge. ;)

Pressure makes you do weird things, but it is all self-induced. Remember, the balls never feel pressure or know you are scared. :p

Don't hate yourself. You have just added to your experience. :)
 
This reminds me of a bit in an old MAD magazine. Four panels - first panel is a little leaguer striking out. Second panel is another little leaguer striking out. Third, a third little leaguer striking out. Fourth panel is the first two kids yelling at the third kid, "YOU lost the game for us!!!" :P

Don't sweat it. You had unusually high pressure on you. And like others said, if one of your other teammates had pulled out one more win, it wouldn't have been an issue. You did your best.

We had a similar situation a few weeks ago at a Valley team tournament, also round-robin 25-game format - but this was normal Valley points (10 for a win, etc) instead of just games won/lost. Our first round came down to us being two points behind, 184-182. At one point the opposing player goofed up and left our player in a SWEET spot to safe the hell out of him and likely lock up the win - but he got a little wiggy and went for the shot, missed, broke out the other player's ball in the process, and left him the easy out.

BUT - if any of the REST of us had done just a bit better - we wouldn't have been in that situation. So it was just bad luck that this guy had to play that last game with all that pressure on him.
 
Just suck it up and get over it. Easier said than done, but as said above it really is only a game. It has happened to everybody.

The bad thing is, at some point, it will happen again. Not just to you but to all of us.
 
don't worry about it.

Vinnie said:
Last night we had a make-up match for 8-ball pool league. There was two 5-man teams playing round robin format for a total of 25 games. Well, I did great all night until the last game which ended up being the deciding game of the match (12-12, hill-hill) with first place standing on the line! Needless to say, I was feeling more pressure than I've ever felt in a pool game. I ended up making a bad decision and went for a shot that I could have played a good safety on, leaving my opponent a bank into the side for position on the 8. Of course he made the bank and then the 8 and I lost. :-(
Even though I had a good night (4-1) I still feel like sh** because I wanted to "be the hero". Someone please tell me that I will not be re-living that game for the rest of my life!!


Vinnie
-----------
Needs to learn how to play under pressure.
Click to expand...

In 2003 I was playing in the Swanee memorial and broke and ran out 14 racks, nine of which I missed the nineball only on. My opponent made only nine balls and nothing else to win the match. If I don't beat myself up over that, you have no reason to beat yourself up over what you did. In fact, my wife stopped going to my tournaments after that because she thoguht she was jinxing me. She even decided not to go to the WSOP I played in last year even though we had free hotel room from the sattelite I won and her dad lives in Vegas.
 
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Not the rest of your life . . .

You won't relive this one the rest of your life, soon you will do something that makes this seem like nothing! That one will stick with you until the next major fubar.

You already have great advice. Back up and look at the overall picture. Obviously, you thought the shot was one you would make. Unless you really think that you would not make the same decision under other circumstances, it was the right decision for you.

I watched a nine ball hang in the pocket without falling a few nights ago. Not much on the line, just the world championships. It happens to everybody sometimes.

Hu



Vinnie said:
Last night we had a make-up match for 8-ball pool league. There was two 5-man teams playing round robin format for a total of 25 games. Well, I did great all night until the last game which ended up being the deciding game of the match (12-12, hill-hill) with first place standing on the line! Needless to say, I was feeling more pressure than I've ever felt in a pool game. I ended up making a bad decision and went for a shot that I could have played a good safety on, leaving my opponent a bank into the side for position on the 8. Of course he made the bank and then the 8 and I lost. :-(
Even though I had a good night (4-1) I still feel like sh** because I wanted to "be the hero". Someone please tell me that I will not be re-living that game for the rest of my life!!


Vinnie
-----------
Needs to learn how to play under pressure.
Click to expand...
 
Vinnie, trust me. It will be worse, and it will be a whole lot better. The biggest thing you have going for you is that you care about it! File it away, learn from it & keep going. It's all part of this wonderful game.
 
Update. I Don't Hate Myself Anymore

Last night we played the regular scheduled pool league match against the team we were tied with because of Tuesday's unfortunate match. It was a close match again and we ended up with a late rally to win it 16-9. Now we are in sole possession of first place with three "easier" matches to go.
I just want everyone to know that I appreciate all of the good advice and encouragement in this thread. It helped me to "let go" and get my focus to play well against the next hard team.

Vinnie
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Stroke
 
Vinny, your not the first or last competitor to melt under pressure. Some are naturals at it, most have to learn to play with it.
 
Come to think of it, I've already forgotten about last night. The way I look at it is, I went for the right shot at the right time, it didn't work out.

She ran out......... What ever will be will be. :D
 
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