i think i am losing my love for the game

The passion is always there but the intensity of it ebbs and flows. I am in a similar situation currently and it has happened to me before. I have started playing 3 cushion about 4 hours a week as a change of pace from the ordinary.

One good win against a better player in a tournament setting will get the fires flared up again.
 
Here are a few things I consider when I lose a match that I'm not "supposed" to:

1) I try to be honest about how I lost. Was I playing poorly, or did my opponent control the match and run out everything? Did I dog an easy shot to give up the table, or did I miss a tough shot? If I missed a tough shot, why was I taking it? Was it my own leave, or the shot that I stepped up to the table with? If it's something I left myself, was I intentionally playing aggressively and taking a chance, or did I blow a routine out? And so on... Once you get into the higher skill levels, it can just be one or two missed position routes or rattled balls that determines the outcome of the match. A fraction of an inch can mean the difference between running the rack out and being hooked on your opponent's ball.

2) Probability dictates that, unless you are so much better than your opponents that you consistently shut them all out, you are eventually going to have a string of losing games. You can come into a match a 90% favorite and still get shut out.

3) Sometimes your opponent just has a great match. Unless they are physically handicapped, there's really nothing preventing them from pushing balls around with a stick better than I do, or at least well enough to keep me in my chair. In a short race, an amateur that can string together a few racks can neutralize a pro by not ever giving them a chance, especially in 8 ball. I've seen it happen plenty of times.
 
lorider said:
I just cant figure out why my head aint in it every night like it was Monday night. Shouldn't be losing matches like I am and definitely should not be shut out like I was.
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One of the biggest demotivating factors is lack of improvement, or even the perception of not improving can sap your motivation. Since I was playing so many league matches, I rarely saw the improvement I made in previous seasons, even though I was gradually improving.

Overall, your game might still be improving, but you don't notice it because you are seeing more of the bad matches due to the frequency of your games.

Take a break from league or match play and spend more time working on your game. Learn new skills, review your PSR, work on your break, etc. And then use the limited matches you would play to highlight your improvements. There's no better way to elevate your motivation than to see real improvement, especially when if you get positive feedback from other people who the improvement.
 
lorider said:
You make some valid points cell about playing too much. Truthfully I was thinking that a while back and quit Tuesday apa 8 ball. After some reflection I also quit Friday night scotch doubles. I wanted to quit Monday night apa double jeapordy but the captain begged me out of it and we compromised to me showing up every other week.

So I was down to a manageable " to me ...not so to others lol " once a month masters on Sunday afternoon..sunday night apa double jeapordy I am captain of and Thursday apa.9 ball I am also captain of.

Then last session tap started in our area on Tuesdays and I was asked to form a team. I said no way in heck. I did want to see what tap was like and did agree to join a team. We came in first last session in 8 ball and won 1200.00.

Usapl started up this session on Mondays and the lo just happens to be the guy who was captain of my Monday team o had been wanting to quit. So I just had to try out usapl lol. So now I am back to Sunday,Monday,Tuesday,and Thursday.

Now about the girlfriend situation. She is now and ex girlfriend and no it was not all that great playing with her . She hated time outs called on her but I just could not help myself when I saw her start to make a mistake.

There are times I just dont want to leave the house and go play.

Kinda obligated on the 2 teams I am captain of. Tap is pretty cool. Short races and not very many low rated players.

I am really digging usapl. Its new to all of us ...including the lo and its been a learning curve with various rules. We had been playing much like tap but had some new rules added this week...only the 3 rd week ..no 4 weeks. I skipped Las week just cause I did not want to go. We changed to alternating break...rack your own and the 9 is wild like apa . We were calling the 9. A few more lower level players in this league than tap but not bad.

Doing some soul searching about quitting one of my apa teams but probly won't lol.
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I think I understand - You have a hard time saying 'no' to people.

Sorry about your girl, I didn't know. Maybe that is part of the negative effect. On that
same item, you don't have to coach everyone. We have married couples and "committed"
couple on out team, it can be a bad situation if one tries to coach the other, so they let
someone else do it. It works out much better that way.

However, I think you really need to cut back if you can. There was a time a few years
ago that I was playing on 8 teams (afternoon and evening on Sundays), but I learned
something about myself, I loved to play pool, I just didn't care much for playing against
other people, and I still don't.

Now I play on one team, one night a week and I look forward to it, but for a while
I was in the same place you are.

Dragging myself out of the living room or away from a nap to go and play was a real chore,
I really dreaded heading out to play. So I finally made the decision that I had 'to cut back a bit.

I stopped being captain. I am still called on to coach and to consult on team decisions but
my responsibilities are minimal.

The weather this time of year is still an issue for me but I do look forward to getting out that
one night with my friends.

I think you play a lot and your passion is probably still the same but it's spread very
thin. Seriously, think about cutting back a little.
 
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Sounds like you're playing a lot and not practicing too much.
You gotta work to stay good. Work on focus, work on problem shots, work on feel.
If you just show up to leagues and bash balls around with middling players, you'll lose your focus right quick.
Get away from the league. Find people you like who are better than you, and play them for table stakes. Pay for your lessons.
 
Madnecity said:
Sounds like you're playing a lot and not practicing too much.
You gotta work to stay good. Work on focus, work on problem shots, work on feel.
If you just show up to leagues and bash balls around with middling players, you'll lose your focus right quick.
Get away from the league. Find people you like who are better than you, and play them for table stakes. Pay for your lessons.
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Hence, my comment stop playing in leagues. Pool is not, regardless of what some people say, a team game or a social one, for that matter. While good players CAN be social away from the table during a game they don't seem to be too often. It's way too easy to lose focus and concentration and if the scoring is different that will affect they way you play also.
See the 101 Tips in my sig, that may help.
 
philly said:
I am in a similar situation currently and it has happened to me before. I have started playing 3 cushion about 4 hours a week as a change of pace from the ordinary.
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Not a bad idea. How's it going?
 
Take a year off playing leagues and take that year to put all your focus on your A game. I'm sure you already know what to do. When you go back the following year, just choose one league to play in. The rest of the time, be selfish with just you and table time. Guys that can't structure themselves to table time with practice and only have the desire to play, will never improve beyond their current level.
 
BmoreMoney said:
You are going down the undeniable path of a player. It has to mean something. That something is money pure and simple. League is for funsies. Money is for real. Wanna REALLY see how good you are , bet $$$.
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Good lord here we go with this bullshit again ... pool is the only game where some of it’s less intelligent players tell you you have to gamble to get good at it. It’s non sense. Everyone is different. Maybe leagues or tournaments don’t get your juices going and money does...maybe (like me) money doesn’t mean anything to you and you get your rush from tournaments and leagues.Either way isn’t wrong. Pressure makes you better but preassure can come from anything not just money. the only thing wrong is constantly telling people gambling is the only way you get better. Just nonsense only said in pool....
 
If you are losing your love for the game, well, it was probably never really love to start with.

You might be intrigued with pool, fascinated or bemused with the game but you do not love it.

I can state that with some certainty becasue true love of the game never diee or leaves you.

Your game might be falling down and you might even be a mediocre player nowadays vs. the past.

But make no mistake......there is no substitute.....for "The Love Of The Game" because it never dies.



Matt B.
 
Bavafongoul said:
If you are losing your love for the game, well, it was probably never really love to start with.

You might be intrigued with pool, fascinated or bemused with the game but you do not love it.

I can state that with some certainty becasue true love of the game never diee or leaves you.

Your game might be falling down and you might even be a mediocre player nowadays vs. the past.

But make no mistake......there is no substitute.....for "The Love Of The Game" because it never dies.



Matt B.
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Well...........Maybe you always love it..... but sometimes you hate it so much that
You can't feel the love... IMHO

TD
 
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