lost my cool.....and my match

L

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I guess I should start with the particulars that led up to losing my cool.

I have a team mate that brags about his wins too much. Complains about his losses too much . Just talks too much. He is real bad about talking to people while they are in the middle of their match. Not while they are shooting of course but while waiting their turn at the table. He has a habit if standing in front of you while doing this and you have to poke your head around his to see what your opponent is doing at the table. Numerous people have mentioned to him ....including I about his little problem. After getting a few reminders to get the fvck out of the way he quits doing it ....for a few days or even a few weeks and then he goes right back at it.

Now a little about me. I hate to admit it but for the majority of times I probably fall into the category of those dastardly apa recreation players that so many people on this forum love to hate on. I am also pretty laid back 99.9 % of the time. Not much that goes on during a night out playing pool fazes me. Then again ....some nights I can be as serious as if I had a thousand dollars on the match.

Well last night was one of those nights I decided ti be serious. My team was down 39-21 in 9 ball after 3 matches and its my turn to play. I got my head on right for this match because I really want to win in order for us to hold on to second place. I am a 6 and they dump a 3 on me which pizzed me off. I had never seen this 3 before last night and kept score when he played 8 ball about 45 minutes earlier and thought he was far near 4 material.....like most people think the average apa player is underrated ...lol.

When I get in the serious mode I stay focused on nothing but the table the entire match....even when I am not shooting. When I am in a not serious mood I may sit down and not even watch my opponent shoot.

Some time during my match my above mentioned team mate gets in from of me telling me the other team does not have a player ready for the last 8 ball match. I am trying to look around him to watch my opponent and tell my team mate to have the other team choose a replay. He goes to the co captain and tells her what I said. After my inning he comes and stands in front of me saying they already had a replay. I say...i forgot. Tell the co captain to handle it.

Well he comes back again and says they do have a player but he is in a gambling match on the 9 footers at the moment. I again tell him to let the co captain handle it ...btw....i am getting more and more irate at him each time he steps in my line of sight watching my opponent. He comes back and says they ought to forfeit the last match.

Well....i go off like a rocket on him saying I fvckin told him I was in the middle of a match and I had said to let the co captain handle it cause that was what the fvck a co captain is for. Well I guess he got his feelings hurt cause he put his cues in his case and left.

I wound up losing. I went over the scoresheet afterwards and I was up 32-6 in a 46-25 race when he came up the first time . If I had managed to hold him at that 6 points.....which was possible the way I was focused and shooting I would have gotten a 19-1 score for our team and tied us back up. The more my team mate came up the less focus I had and the worse I shot. I lost 43-25. unfriggin believable I lost due to my own team.mate. Nah...i gotta blame myself for lettin him get to me.

I told the rest of the team is they ever see him heading toward me again while I am playing to grab him and tell him to sit his ass down. He really is a nice guy and plays pretty dang good but i believe he honestly is not aware of what he does sometimes.

Can't stress enough how important focus is to play your best.
 
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lorider said:
I guess I should start with the particulars that led up to losing my cool.

I have a team mate that brags about his wins too much. Complains about his losses too much . Just talks too much. He is real bad about talking to people while they are in the middle of their match. Not while they are shooting of course but while waiting their turn at the table. He has a habit if standing in front of you while doing this and you have to poke your head around his to see what your opponent is doing at the table. Numerous people have mentioned to him ....including I about his little problem. After getting a few reminders to get the fvck out of the way he quits doing it ....for a few days or even a few weeks and then he goes right back at it.

Now a little about me. I hate to admit it but for the majority of times I probably fall into the category of those dastardly apa recreation players that so many people on this forum love to hate on. I am also pretty laid back 99.9 % of the time. Not much that goes on during a night out playing pool fazes me. Then again ....some nights I can be as serious as if I had a thousand dollars on the match.

Well last night was one of those nights I decided ti be serious. My team was down 39-21 in 9 ball after 3 matches and its my turn to play. I got my head on right for this match because I really want to win in order for us to hold on to second place. I am a 6 and they dump a 3 on me which pizzed me off. I had never seen this 3 before last night and kept score when he played 8 ball about 45 minutes earlier and thought he was far near 4 material.....like most people think the average apa player is underrated ...lol.

When I get in the serious mode I stay focused on nothing but the table the entire match....even when I am not shooting. When I am in a not serious mood I may sit down and not even watch my opponent shoot.

Some time during my match my above mentioned team mate gets in from of me telling me the other team does not have a player ready for the last 8 ball match. I am trying to look around him to watch my opponent and tell my team mate to have the other team choose a replay. He goes to the co captain and tells her what I said. After my inning he comes and stands in front of me saying they already had a replay. I say...i forgot. Tell the co captain to handle it.

Well he comes back again and says they do have a player but he is in a gambling match on the 9 footers at the moment. I again tell him to let the co captain handle it ...btw....i am getting more and more irate at him each time he steps in my line of sight watching my opponent. He comes back and says they ought to forfeit the last match.

Well....i go off like a rocket on him saying I fvckin told him I was in the middle of a match and I had said to let the co captain handle it cause that was what the fvck a co captain is for. Well I guess he got his feelings hurt cause he put his cues in his case and left.

I wound up losing. I went over the scoresheet afterwards and I was up 32-6 in a 46-25 race when he came up the first time . If I had managed to hold him at that 6 points.....which was possible the way I was focused and shooting I would have gotten a 19-1 score for our team and tied us back up. The more my team mate came up the less focus I had and the worse I shot. I lost 43-25. unfriggin believable I lost due to my own team.mate. Nah...i gotta blame myself for lettin him get to me.

I told the rest of the team is they ever see him heading toward me again while I am playing to grab him and tell him to sit his ass down. He really is a nice guy and plays pretty dang good but i believe he honestly is not aware of what he does sometimes.

Can't stress enough how important focus is to play your best.
Click to expand...

I love you...and that’s on you. You need to protect your mind. For some that means telling people who are distracting them to knock it off. For others it’s just about clearing your mind and take the time needed to get back in the game before shooting.
 
lorider said:
Can't stress enough how important focus is to play your best.
Click to expand...

you said it! mental is so important. what I find particularly interesting about what you said is that you were serious to start, but ended up losing.

I realize on this occasion there were other things going on, but how do you typically fare when you're in a serious mood? laid back? how do you think going into a match either way affects your play?
 
evergruven said:
you said it! mental is so important. what I find particularly interesting about what you said is that you were serious to start, but ended up losing.

I realize on this occasion there were other things going on, but how do you typically fare when you're in a serious mood? laid back? how do you think going into a match either way affects your play?
Click to expand...

Well there are obviously other variables at play sometimes.... Mainly how you opponent is shooting also.

Some matches that stick out when I was really serious and focused
Getting my first skunk in apa.....at Vegas nationals no less in my first match there Score was 38-4 vs another 5.

Winning 19-1. ....score was 38-10 in my second match there.

During playoffs or higher

Winning 18-2 vs an 8

Winning 15-5 vs a 9

Winning 17-3 vs a 7

Playing laid back.

Results vary.....win some lose some.

Have won vs higher levels playing laid back simply because I thought I had no chance at all or put no pressure on my del at all.

One other category also. Frustrated

Examples are playing again low levels who it seems like the pool god is sitting on their shoulder . Make shots only efren could and then leave you hooked when they miss. They wind up getting bih and do the same thing to you all over again. Sometimes I van manage to keep my wits about me in these situations but more often than not I make mistakes which helps them out even more.

Lost 18-2 vs a 2 in tri cups that way one time .embarrassing as hell .
 
Your teammate got a lesson...maybe he'll learn and change.

We have a mate who, for some reason, will stick his phone in your face like a kid does to his grandpa--right in your face, close, too close---to show you some stupid video with a cat or something. I, too, have to look around it to see the match I was obviously watching. wtf?

Good luck,


Jeff Livingston
 
Pal..., You had every right to be upset. I hate you didn't get a win being that far up. I replay things like that in my mind after a loss. I have let things like that get to me too.

If I find myself getting ill like that in the middle of a match. I change whatever habit I can just to reset myself. Like if I normally dock at one particular spot. I will start standing in another. I have actually walked 20 yards away from the table I am playing on just to give myself something else to think about. Like you, I hate letting that happen. But at least you recognize it and learned from it.

Hopefully the team will keep him on a tighter leash next time too.
 
I just left my team because of this reason. I always show up early, set tables, warm up, even push my teammates to shoot with me couple of hours before, I keep score, I am always easy going nice guy..

AND I ask for 1 thing and 1 thing only from my teammeates;

Do not talk to me during my game unless someone very close to me has passed!

Result? Every single member of my team except 1 walks up to me and talk about table and tactics and shots. It's like they are testing me.

So I would say you did the right thing lol.
 
Yeah, crappy thing to have happen.

I totally get it about outside concerns changing your concentration, and your focus. And for me, even if I recognize it while it's happening, it's difficult to get it back.

With me, it can be stuff going on in the room. (I'm a DivRep, so sometimes the drama finds me. I'm the DivRep for 8-ball, but I end up getting calls or complaints on our 9-ball night, too...and don't think that doesn't set me off! I like to help, but c'mon guys, take it to the other guy that night!)

Or it can be outside concerns that find their way to me, as well. (I have to check my phone for messages from my family. I don't need to get into the "why", I just have to.) Of course, because I check when a message comes in, it mostly ends up being something that could have waited, sigh....and there's no explaining that to mama bear. :rolleyes:

Good luck! Hope he comes around...
 
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Sorry to hear you lost. I believe most of us have experienced this type of distraction at one time or another which may result in a loss of match.

If this person's actions continues like you say no matter what you or anyone else has said to him then he is a detriment to the team...drop him. Eventually he'll get the message or look for a new place to play where no one knows him.
 
Yep, it's bad when you blow your top, especially if it's way out of character for you. I
did it at the worst possible time and spent the next 4 years feeling bad about it.
Don't let it get to you, I'm sure even your pain in the ass guy knows it's not like you.
Shit happens, you'll get 'em next time
 
beermug said:
I just left my team because of this reason. I always show up early, set tables, warm up, even push my teammates to shoot with me couple of hours before, I keep score, I am always easy going nice guy..

AND I ask for 1 thing and 1 thing only from my teammeates;

Do not talk to me during my game unless someone very close to me has passed!

Result? Every single member of my team except 1 walks up to me and talk about table and tactics and shots. It's like they are testing me.

So I would say you did the right thing lol.
Click to expand...
Do not talk to you during your game? I assume you're talking about "your game" that starts a couple hours before match play. And this is where you have "pushed" them to play with you 2 hours before your match starts and you don't want anyone talking to you? Wow, quitting that team is the best thing you could've done!
 
The last team I played on we sharked each other just for fun. Several of us "retired" from league play because of the drunks and meth heads on other teams.

In a league you have no choice but to play who the league tells you to play.
 
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