Like Fast Eddie, I'm a Loser

hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There I said it. I don't know how to win, finish off a guy, whatever.

I read somewhere it's good to put this down in writing, kinda of a acceptance thing.

Tonight I played 10 ball cash per game. Was crushing the guy, running out all over the place. Was up 7 games. Then started missing a 10 ball here and there, then missing the 7 or something, then misplayed shape with ball in hand with 4 balls left. Ended up down 5 for the night.

The sad part it, usually I end up misplaying shape, getting hooked or something to finsh my runs. This time, was in line the whole rack, just started to dog the shots.

Yep, paint a big L on my forhead please.
 
Sad to say, you can't teach someone to have a killer instinct. You've either got it or you don't. Some guys who have it simply hate to lose. And some guys just want to win every game possible. Buddy Hall, the subject of another thread here, was in the latter category. He would never let up until his opponent was beaten or the match was over. I once asked him why he played a safety when he was leading 10-0. He looked me in the eye and calmly said, "I wanted to win the game," as if to imply I was crazy for asking.

If you've ever gone hungry or slept in your car, or maybe played "on ass", you might have acquired the killer instinct. As for me personally, I HATED losing! Even for a $1 a game, I wanted to win. And I usually did. The feeling that went with defeat lingered for a long time, and it wasn't one I liked. So I did everything possible to avoid having it. :wink:
 
Killer instinct

Some guys won't win till THEY HAVE TO. When you know what that means then you can start to acquire a killer instinct.

I hate to lose at anything. I was little growing up and sports were not easy for me against everyone bigger. I decided when I was little, I had to be smarter and faster than other guys. I worked hard at it growing up, and had quite a bit of success in various games and sports.

Pool was an equalizer for me, size didn't matter so much in Pool.

I hated making mistakes in Pool, my misses would replay thousands of times in my head later on. They still do, they won't leave me alone.

My profession was in Software Development on Mainframe and PC computers. Actually my playing pool helped with developing software and developing software helped me mentally on playing Pool.
 
You will Win..and..you will Lose..it happens to all..that is certain..
But how you Win and Lose makes all the differance..I have missed
shots with ball in hand too..i have seen Pros do it..its actually healthy
for the long haul..live and learn..and always strive to kick ass..and
never let up..tommorows another day!!:banghead:
 
Get out of the small pond.

Play for a while with stronger opponents who never dog shots and your attitude will change by necessity.

If you challenge the only B player in an otherwise C player room, you may just go down in flames. Play some guys that don't miss for a while then return. You'll feel contempt for those sloppy strokes that were once beating you.

Hand them the rack and take their cash.
 
If you ask me, the so-called 'killer instinct' is just another genetic predisposition. You either have it, or you don't. It is either strong, weak, or non-existant.
You can't practice domination, although my third wife would argue that point. There are no drills for developing a strong desire to win or to overcome one's opponent at all costs. It's either there or it isn't.
Losing is simply something that occurs when you don't win and losing a few games of pool has no relevance to the big picture what so ever. Remember that Jay, Efren, and yes, even the great Trampster himself, looses on occasion. Such is life. :)
 
I call it "hitting the wall" and it happens to me all the time. I can't number the times that I have had as much as a 40 point lead over my arch-enemy, Half-fast Larry in our usual match to 110 when I hit that wall. I concentrate, I want to win. I study each shot, I try to play iron clad safes. Nothing works. My lead dwindles and I lose the match. There is something at work that I don't understand. If I ever find it i'll flatten that guy.

Dave Nelson
 
Neil said:
I've seen this problem in a number of people. A lot of times, it's not that they don't want to win, or don't know how, it's that their value of winning is misplaced. By that, I mean that they start out to beat their opponent. Once they get a ways ahead, and feel that they are the superior player, they feel that they have 'won'.

Once they are convinced they 'won', they automatically start to let up a little because the challenge isn't there anymore. They accomplished their goal, they proved to themselves that they are the better player, and now they are just going through the motions of playing. Once they get to that point, they start losing games that they should win. Once that happens, they start getting confused, "I killed this guy, how is the score almost even now??" Once in that state, they start getting a little scared, and dog more shots until they lose the match.

Don't worry though, there is an easy cure. It's as simple as changing your thinking about the game. As Jay mentioned, Buddy had the answer for you. All you have to do is look at winning each game, not your opponent. Your goal should be to keep your opponent in the chair, and if he does get a turn, he doesn't have an open shot at anything. Your 'win' needs to shift to each game, not your opponent. If you do that, pretty soon you are 7 games up, then 10, then 14, and your opponent quits. You haven't 'won' until you sink that 9 or 10 ball.

Just change your focus on what winning is. When you start playing better players, you will find that you can be 7 games up, and then even while only making one mistake. Games ahead does not equate to a win unless you are playing ahead sets or sets to a set number of games. Any other time, your opponent can always come back to even up the score.
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Neil I think you hit this right on the head. Great post . One I think we have all done at one time or another.
 
Neil said:
I've seen this problem in a number of people. A lot of times, it's not that they don't want to win, or don't know how, it's that their value of winning is misplaced. By that, I mean that they start out to beat their opponent. Once they get a ways ahead, and feel that they are the superior player, they feel that they have 'won'.

Once they are convinced they 'won', they automatically start to let up a little because the challenge isn't there anymore. They accomplished their goal, they proved to themselves that they are the better player, and now they are just going through the motions of playing. Once they get to that point, they start losing games that they should win. Once that happens, they start getting confused, "I killed this guy, how is the score almost even now??" Once in that state, they start getting a little scared, and dog more shots until they lose the match.

Don't worry though, there is an easy cure. It's as simple as changing your thinking about the game. As Jay mentioned, Buddy had the answer for you. All you have to do is look at winning each game, not your opponent. Your goal should be to keep your opponent in the chair, and if he does get a turn, he doesn't have an open shot at anything. Your 'win' needs to shift to each game, not your opponent. If you do that, pretty soon you are 7 games up, then 10, then 14, and your opponent quits. You haven't 'won' until you sink that 9 or 10 ball.

Just change your focus on what winning is. When you start playing better players, you will find that you can be 7 games up, and then even while only making one mistake. Games ahead does not equate to a win unless you are playing ahead sets or sets to a set number of games. Any other time, your opponent can always come back to even up the score.
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That's me! Great way of looking at it, Neil....thanks.

I remember down in Olathe at a pretty big tournament where a friend of mine had that good playing drunk guy....I can't remember his name:confused:....anyway my friend had him down 8-0 in a race to 9. My friend lost and that match pretty much ended his pool career. He was embarassed and devastated.

Jeff Livingston
 
Every Game

Neil said:
I've seen this problem in a number of people. A lot of times, it's not that they don't want to win, or don't know how, it's that their value of winning is misplaced. By that, I mean that they start out to beat their opponent. Once they get a ways ahead, and feel that they are the superior player, they feel that they have 'won'.

Once they are convinced they 'won', they automatically start to let up a little because the challenge isn't there anymore. They accomplished their goal, they proved to themselves that they are the better player, and now they are just going through the motions of playing. Once they get to that point, they start losing games that they should win. Once that happens, they start getting confused, "I killed this guy, how is the score almost even now??" Once in that state, they start getting a little scared, and dog more shots until they lose the match.

Don't worry though, there is an easy cure. It's as simple as changing your thinking about the game. As Jay mentioned, Buddy had the answer for you. All you have to do is look at winning each game, not your opponent. Your goal should be to keep your opponent in the chair, and if he does get a turn, he doesn't have an open shot at anything. Your 'win' needs to shift to each game, not your opponent. If you do that, pretty soon you are 7 games up, then 10, then 14, and your opponent quits. You haven't 'won' until you sink that 9 or 10 ball.

Just change your focus on what winning is. When you start playing better players, you will find that you can be 7 games up, and then even while only making one mistake. Games ahead does not equate to a win unless you are playing ahead sets or sets to a set number of games. Any other time, your opponent can always come back to even up the score.
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You must strive to win every game. Don't "waste" shots. As in golf a wasted shot still counts as one full stroke. So basic, the importance of every stroke.
 
Neil said:
I've seen this problem in a number of people. A lot of times, it's not that they don't want to win, or don't know how, it's that their value of winning is misplaced. By that, I mean that they start out to beat their opponent. Once they get a ways ahead, and feel that they are the superior player, they feel that they have 'won'.

Once they are convinced they 'won', they automatically start to let up a little because the challenge isn't there anymore. They accomplished their goal, they proved to themselves that they are the better player, and now they are just going through the motions of playing. Once they get to that point, they start losing games that they should win. Once that happens, they start getting confused, "I killed this guy, how is the score almost even now??" Once in that state, they start getting a little scared, and dog more shots until they lose the match.
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OMG Neil....where have you been all these years! You just described perfectly and concisely what happens to me! Good advice that I am putting into practice immediatly! Rep for you!
 
hang-the-9 said:
I read somewhere it's good to put this down in writing, kinda of a acceptance thing.
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Please don't accept that. The kind of loss you describe is among the most devastating, and it's easy to beat yourself to a pulp afterward. Like Neil says, a shift in perspective can make a lot of difference.
 
ottersbro said:
had an old timer(86yo) once tell me never play for free it will ruin your killer instinct.
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It actually wasn't for free ;), no clue why I fell apart after playing pretty much perfect for over an hour. One rack I broke and ran I had pretty much every single shot be a full table length one, and nailed them. Just how position turned out, had to go from end to end with no way to get close to the ball.

Felt like I had the same focus in the last half of our match as in the first, just could not find the pocket. Blah. I'd run out 4,5,6 balls in perfect shape, and still be right where I need to be, and dog the shot.

Thanks for all the replies and support :)
 
hang-the-9 said:
It actually wasn't for free ;), no clue why I fell apart after playing pretty much perfect for over an hour. One rack I broke and ran I had pretty much every single shot be a full table length one, and nailed them. Just how position turned out, had to go from end to end with no way to get close to the ball.

Felt like I had the same focus in the last half of our match as in the first, just could not find the pocket. Blah. I'd run out 4,5,6 balls in perfect shape, and still be right where I need to be, and dog the shot.

Thanks for all the replies and support :)
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i think you have answered your biggest problem. If you ran out and every shot was table lenghth,,why would that be. that is going to last only so long for anyone. It just wears one out.
 
hang-the-9 said:
It actually wasn't for free ;), no clue why I fell apart after playing pretty much perfect for over an hour. One rack I broke and ran I had pretty much every single shot be a full table length one, and nailed them. Just how position turned out, had to go from end to end with no way to get close to the ball.

Felt like I had the same focus in the last half of our match as in the first, just could not find the pocket. Blah. I'd run out 4,5,6 balls in perfect shape, and still be right where I need to be, and dog the shot.

Thanks for all the replies and support :)
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This exact thing (well, not the layouts, exact) just happened to me over the weekend. I was playing this guy 1P and was up a few games, he was visibly hesitant, finally he paid up but then asked to change the game. After running the 2nd rack of 8-ball in a race to 4, I felt like he was on the ropes - then I started dogging. I dogged enough to lose that race, and the next one - then a short race in 9-ball. Same thing - i'd run 4-7 balls and dog a shot - getting position, just dogged the shot. I did actually hang the 9 in one rack. *sigh*

I think Neil pinned it pretty good. I am going to try and refocus my energy to a per-rack mindset as opposed to thinking "eh, if he gets this game, that's okay, i'm still up 3."
 
ironman said:
i think you have answered your biggest problem. If you ran out and every shot was table lenghth,,why would that be. that is going to last only so long for anyone. It just wears one out.
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That was just the one game, but not easy to pocket those shots on the tables we play on. Deep shelves, so if you hit a bit off, they stay out.
 
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