Learning to loose

[Matya]

I've noticed many stories of the champions share this same point: You have to learn to loose in order to win.
I think I understand why this point is very true and important for the game, however I find it hard to truly learn to loose.
I've done many sports throughout my life (basektball and athletics competitively), but never was especially eager to win, if the match / race did not go well, my comment would be at most "oh well". I've started playing pool intesively 5 years ago, and for the first couple of years my reaction to lost match would be exactly the same "Oh well". 3rd and 4th year I would be a little bummed about it, but no big deal. And during the last year when I loose the frustration is just unbareable. I've been seriously considering to quit, although I love the game so much. Missed balls or/and missed positions are just plain too painful for me. At the same time I am fully aware how silly this is - there are far more important things in life than pool.
Instead of learning to loose, it seems to me I've "unlearned" to loose.
I don't mind loosing at all when not given a chance at the table. Sometimes I feel so pressed that I HOPE that the opponnet runs out and does not give me a chance to make a possible mistake.

Any advice on how to overcome this point? Thanks a lot. This has been bugging me for quite some time now.

Sorry about my English or if this thread has been discussed, I've missed it.

 

[ShootingArts]

I never lose!

I've noticed many stories of the champions share this same point: You have to learn to loose in order to win.
I think I understand why this point is very true and important for the game, however I find it hard to truly learn to loose.
I've done many sports throughout my life (basektball and athletics competitively), but never was especially eager to win, if the match / race did not go well, my comment would be at most "oh well". I've started playing pool intesively 5 years ago, and for the first couple of years my reaction to lost match would be exactly the same "Oh well". 3rd and 4th year I would be a little bummed about it, but no big deal. And during the last year when I loose the frustration is just unbareable. I've been seriously considering to quit, although I love the game so much. Missed balls or/and missed positions are just plain too painful for me. At the same time I am fully aware how silly this is - there are far more important things in life than pool.
Instead of learning to loose, it seems to me I've "unlearned" to loose.
I don't mind loosing at all when not given a chance at the table. Sometimes I feel so pressed that I HOPE that the opponnet runs out and does not give me a chance to make a possible mistake.

Any advice on how to overcome this point? Thanks a lot. This has been bugging me for quite some time now.

Sorry about my English or if this thread has been discussed, I've missed it.

You don't really want to learn how to lose, that would not only be foolish but totally unnecessary.

What you need to learn is indeed already in many threads, you need to learn to accept temporary setbacks and move on mentally. Accept that you aren't perfect. Nobody is so it is silly to beat yourself up over it.

What I do is take a long view, almost anything I do, I can look back on past successes. When I don't have the past track record I look to the future, my day is coming. Looking at the long view lets you keep today in perspective, good or bad.

I never lose at pool, haven't lost since sometime in the seventies. Sounds like a silly statement doesn't it? However it is true, any way that you measure things, cash won, games, or matches, I am so far into the black that if I lose every time I pick up a stick the world will still never catch up to even with me. That let's me accept when the world catches up a few games or dollars it still has a long long way to go to ever pull even with me.

Hu

 

[halhoule]

You Need Only One Angle To Pocket Any And All Manner Of Shot, All Day Long. Think About It. Hal Houle.