I lost.... Why am I so encouraged???

dirtypool40

dirtypool40

I love this freakin' game
Silver Member
I figure I am a "B" player, looking to polish and solidify up to A this year.

I played the ghost last night and lost.

Why am I happy about the performance???

I've been playing better lately despite a schedule that precludes practice. Last night I showed up cold and played two league matches.

I struggled through, was ROUGH but won both.

I took advantage of the free practice time and began hitting around by myself on a 9' GC with Simonis 860 and 4.5" pockets. Solid, smooth table that isn't a trap, but keeps you real honest.

I figure I'm not playing great, but I will play the ghost a set to end the night. Just as a baseline. I SHOULD have time to get back in stroke shortly, but the next couple weeks are going to be all school.

I can beat the ghost on the wooly 8' tables if I find a break spot and pay attention, but I've never beat the ghost on this 9'. I figured something like a 11-5 or 11-6 loss would be decent for me.

Instead, I jumped to a 5-1 lead (weird "wrong direction combo / cluster" on the 1 miss), then 7-3.

The table clammed up, quit allowing balls on the break and I started facing full 9-ball layouts with multiple clusters.

I fought like hell and was banking and combo-ing, scratching my way out...

But in the end, I lost a heart breaking 11-10 squeaker that came down to a slightly under hit 7, resulting in a scratch on the 8, hill-hill. ARGHGH!!!



Conditions:

9' GC w 4.5" pockets, simonis 860.
RANDOM rack
Side Rail break.
 
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In hind sight though, I think I am encouraged because.

I really didn't play that well.

I haven't been practicing.

I didn't break worth a shite (normally one of my strong suits).

I fought well and FORCED a couple outs that really weren't there.

When I made a couple balls and nothing was touching, I just cruuuuuised out.


Overall, I think cruising past the ghost under those conditions, is a very attainable goal, in the NEAR future.


Then I'll take away the side rail.

Then I'll "Bad Pattern" myself.

and only THEN will I try moving up to the dreaded 10-ball ghost. :thumbup:
 
played well, better than expected

Sounds like you played well, better than expected. That is always encouraging. Now you know you should be able to beat the ghost but you still have it to do.

Congratulations on the near miss and let us know when you beat the ghost.

Hu


dirtypool40 said:
In hind sight though, I think I am encouraged because.

I really didn't play that well.

I haven't been practicing.

I didn't break worth a shite (normally one of my strong suits).

I fought well and FORCED a couple outs that really weren't there.

When I made a couple balls and nothing was touching, I just cruuuuuised out.


Overall, I think cruising past the ghost under those conditions, is a very attainable goal, in the NEAR future.


Then I'll take away the side rail.

Then I'll "Bad Pattern" myself.

and only THEN will I try moving up to the dreaded 10-ball ghost. :thumbup:
Click to expand...
 
Little update.

Took a week or so off, then last night, as I was beginning to work out, got DRAGGED into playing league cold.

Showed up late, warmed up about two racks then played my match.

I jumped off the table the first rack. He ran out.

He scratched on the break, I ran out and B&R.

I run to a safety, he two rail kicked it in and ran out.

He broke and scratched, I ran out. Got BIH next rack and ran out from the 2.

We left 9-ball me up 6-2, never missed a ball I really shot at (one "if I miss" half ass stab).

I scratched the first break of 8-ball. He ran out.

He broke and scratched and I made the toughest 8-ball out of my life.

I think except for the scratching on the break and the one time I got BIH on a safety, neither of us missed a ball we shot at.

I won 7-3 and then started to practice against the ghost.




Random rack, siderail break.

Long story short, I ended up cruising to an easy 16-8 margin when they started closing up. It could have EASILY been 20-4.

I would CRUSH the balls, the rock would die and about half the time I didn't really need BIH.

I was making an average of about 2 balls per break.

Then I would unscramble and just cruise out. I missed EASY 6,7,8 & 9 balls, but there were four racks that were "un-runnable".

This was however an 8 footer, with 5" pockets. BUT, it still felt good to cruise through rack after rack, and I was breaking as good as I ever have.
 
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I played the ghost like this last night.

race to 5
8 ball
if you dont make a ball on the break, you lose
no ball in hand

i lost 5-3 and i feel i did ok, had two dry breaks.
 
All right I gotta ask: What are the rules when playing the ghost? Do you have to run out to win or are their different variations......
 
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