man I suck

danick70

danick70

69 Beep Beep
Silver Member
I'm the top shooter(points)on my bca 8-Ball team, but I just can't win games; I've got a good points average overall but to me that means nothing without wins...my winning percentage is less than 40%...I don't feel like a winner, because I'm not winning...I'm losing...how can I win
 
Simple. You have to run out your ball grouping (solids or stripes) and follow that up by pocketing the 8ball, before your opp. has a chance to do the same.

I mean seriously, is this a rhetorical question? How can anyone answer this without at least an explanation of your game?
 
AZE said:
Simple. You have to run out your ball grouping (solids or stripes) and follow that up by pocketing the 8ball, before your opp. has a chance to do the same.

I mean seriously, is this a rhetorical question? How can anyone answer this without at least an explanation of your game?
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Jeez... and I thought you were supposed to make in your opponents balls, and then knock in the 8 ball... Its all coming together now. :D

But seriously, if your winning 40% of the time and your the best shooter on your team... maybe you should find a team with better shooting players. :D

Nevermind me, I didn't forget my medication... that causes muchos problemos.
 
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danick70 said:
I'm the top shooter(points)on my bca 8-Ball team, but I just can't win games; I've got a good points average overall but to me that means nothing without wins...my winning percentage is less than 40%...I don't feel like a winner, because I'm not winning...I'm losing...how can I win
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Exactly, why do you think you're losing? Bad safety play? Too aggressive? Not enough?
 
well danick, I'm unsure how to responde to this because I don't have enough informations about your game. but to be a winner, you gotta love to win! and hate to lose! It's a thing thats inside you... I know myself since i was a little kid, i've always hate to lose in almost anything, thus build up something inside me to learn things very very quickly... Thats how i am.

just remember, love to win ;) you gotta love it deeply. heh hope this helps
 
Play more 9 ball and your control of the cueball will improve.

Get some 8 ball accustats and study the patterns and strategy.

Smart 8 ball will win you a lot of games!!!!

Oh, and there's always taking a lesson and working on your fundamentals. If you win only 40% of your games and think you should be getting out more, you may have a slightly skewed perception of your actual ability.
 
danick70 said:
yea...I just ain't closing like I think I should be; I'm not shure why?
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It's because you are too results-driven, just like many other beginners.

What you need to do is start trying to become more process-driven.

The "process" being to work on your stroke, your position play, and your awareness of the proper angles to approach tight position zones from.

Your current "results-driven" play leads you to tighten up as you get closer to the 8 ball, making you fail to accomplish what your mind tells you needs to get done.

You need to practice "turning your mind off". Use your intellect to inform you on the proper angle to get on this next ball, in order to get on the third ball. Then, once you figure out WHAT you need to do, STOP THINKING.

This is the concept of "the quiet mind". In order to reach peak performance in most sports requiring fine motor control, you have to learn how to keep your logical mind out of the physical process.

Compare it to getting on a bike and riding. If you have to tell yourself WHAT to do at each part of the process, you will inevitably fall off the bike. When you let the body figure out how to ride the bike, it comes naturally.

This seems simple, yes?

Then why do people insist on "telling" themselves how to play certain shots, positions, etc. You cannot play effectively by doing so.

Turn the mind off, and just let your body do what it needs to do. The body learns simply when you PAY ATTENTION. That's it.. Just pay attention every time you approach the table. The body will learn how to do what it needs to do.

Russ
 
I would suggest that you are not playing the table correctly. Decent players often clear up much of the table, but are unable to finish, leaving an open table for their opponent, and plenty of blockers in case they miss. DO NOT make more than 2 or so balls (depending on the table setup) until you are fairly certain you can run the table out. Otherwise, break up clusters and get the table ready to be run. If the person you are playing is not likely to run out, let them finish a few balls, getting them out of your way. If they are likely to run out, then you will ahve to do this while playing safe. I had this problem a lot, because I was always clearing my balls out of my opponents way, only to be blocked from my last ball by the 5 or 6 left on the table when they missed.
 
Stop worrying about the numbers and worry more about making your next shot. As long as you make shot after shot, the numbers will take care of themselves.
 
danick70 said:
I'm the top shooter(points)on my bca 8-Ball team, but I just can't win games; I've got a good points average overall but to me that means nothing without wins...my winning percentage is less than 40%...I don't feel like a winner, because I'm not winning...I'm losing...how can I win
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Are you just playing the game, or are you using some strategy? Just a little strategy in the right places can give you a fairly easy (and fun) game.

If you can't make a ball, make a legal shot and hook the guy, where he's gonna be lucky if he can even hit his own ball. If he can't make a legal shot, you get ball in hand. If you then, still only have one good shot, call a safety... make your shot and leave the guy hooked, again. You will have him trying so hard to make a legal shot that he can't pocket a ball, ultimately giving you control of the game. And, if you play your game well, the win will be yours! :D

If nothing else, playing your game with a little strategy will up your game, all by itself.
 
My worthless 2 cents :rolleyes:

Without details I would guess that you are trying to run out the games to much.

IMO you have to look at the match games as if it were a war. Your job is to win and even if ugly its OK. To do so you HAVE to understand YOUR stengths and weaknesses. If you don't run out all the time (which 90+% of all players don't. Not even the majority of racks) then you need to figure out way to win. Safes and tough leaves, traps and placement of your balls etc.
If strategy is a major flaw then you need to make adjustments.

Practicing and playing with your buddies is the time to TRY things to WIN but matches are WHEN you do what is needed to win.

Have a better player watch your matches and offer some ideas for better game play and also find someone (instructor maybe) to help with any mechanics.
 
danick70 said:
yea...I just ain't closing like I think I should be; I'm not shure why?
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Tie your left shoe lace in a double knot, turn your hat around backwards, take all the change out of your pocket with the opposite hand and put it in the other pocket, and always chew gum. Now, just do it. Sound familiar???
 
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Are you one of those league players that just shoots a ball in.. then spins around lookin for the next ball they can make. Then when their shots up they go sit down and say they're winning because they only have 2 left?
 
cubc said:
Are you one of those league players that just shoots a ball in.. then spins around lookin for the next ball they can make. Then when their shots up they go sit down and say they're winning because they only have 2 left?
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Good point. ;)

Brian
 
Great answer, and very likely spot on! :D Any time you want to work on any part of your pool game, you must learn to be "process-oriented", as opposed to "results-oriented".

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Russ Chewning said:
It's because you are too results-driven, just like many other beginners.

What you need to do is start trying to become more process-driven.

The "process" being to work on your stroke, your position play, and your awareness of the proper angles to approach tight position zones from.

Russ
Click to expand...
 
when I lose, I usually leave 2 balls on the table; I'll have a plan, then I get out of shape & get stuck behind a ball or leave a tough shot; my safe play is my weakest aspect. The league I play on has some strong talent, more than 1/2 of my losses are 1 inning games or if I get back to the table with a safety.
 
My Opinion

1) I noticed you said top shooter, if you are not winning 60% or more of your matches, you are not a good player, depending of strength of the league.

2) You are trying to be a good player, but you are concentrating on the game, instead of the basics. This is a big problem today, players that put the horse before the cart. Pool skill and knowledge is a summation of building blocks, and you have to have all the lower level knowledge FIRST, before you can proceed in good form to higher levels. And for this very reason, is a good reason to take lessons from a qualified instructor, like Scott Lee or Randy G.

9 ball sounds simple, doesn't it, just make balls 1 through 9, and you make the 9 ball, you win. But, when you actually play it with other skilled opponents, it becomes much more involved, with many slight nuances
along the way.
 
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