Maybe it's life... Maybe it's just me?

Formula7

The Guerilla
Silver Member
Help me out here. This is possibly one of those easy cheesy "If you look inside, you'll find the answer." type things.

So I practice at the pool hall by myself 2-3 times a week. The rest of the time is with buddies because I'm not paying a full tab more times a week than that. Lol.

During these practice times, I tend to do a ball control drill that I recently learned. But, that's beside the point.

Lately, I've been letting them all roll out onto the table and just shooting to pot em. Oh, and position play when the amount of OB's run low.

Anyhow, I did that and a little more tonight. The pool room manager who I've become friends with, asked if I wanted to shoot a couple games. I beat him 2 times. Of course he is easily a B player, an A player when he plays with all he has and then some. I am a D player, becoming a C player, but I won't put myself there until consistency develops. BTW: I won by him scratching on the 8 and a couple other goofy fouls. Not to mention he knows my speed so he was banking the 8, which he still did tremendously at.

This brings me to my question.

40-50% of the time of these all by myself sessions I fall into stroke. More 40% than 50%. I'm in rhythm and unstoppable... well, as long as I don't play anyone above a C. Lol. I go on small runs here and there. 4 balls, 5. Sometimes up to 8 or 9 if I really find my stroke.

Other nights, such as tonight, I'm horrid. The little Asian geometry master inside of me slept in and maybe caught a flu. My cuts were terrible, my straight on shots were disgusting, but those are always bad, and it was all in pieces. Here and there I'd catch my rhythm for a moment and sink 2 or 3 in a row. Know the angle, chalk up, rhythm stroke, get down, warm up strokes, tip contact point check, wind up, pull the trigger, follow through, stay down and watch the magic happen.

But, most of the night I'd try that again and it wouldn't turn out the same. It came out all bad, sometimes missing the pocket by miles, sometimes missing the OB by miles. I almost wished I had left my equipment at home.

It's on and off. More off than on. Maybe it's just me slowly plowing forward into improvement, maybe it's the stress I've been under lately due to a manager who plays favorites and for some strange reason I didn't end up on her good side, maybe this vicious cycle will continue for eternity. Lol... I hope not.

I'm sure many of you have experienced this. What makes it more frustrating is that before I quit I was a mid range B player, so missing all these shots I know I can make is even more unbearable.

... help??? :confused::o:confused::o
 
Help me out here. This is possibly one of those easy cheesy "If you look inside, you'll find the answer." type things.

So I practice at the pool hall by myself 2-3 times a week. The rest of the time is with buddies because I'm not paying a full tab more times a week than that. Lol.

During these practice times, I tend to do a ball control drill that I recently learned. But, that's beside the point.

Lately, I've been letting them all roll out onto the table and just shooting to pot em. Oh, and position play when the amount of OB's run low.

Anyhow, I did that and a little more tonight. The pool room manager who I've become friends with, asked if I wanted to shoot a couple games. I beat him 2 times. Of course he is easily a B player, an A player when he plays with all he has and then some. I am a D player, becoming a C player, but I won't put myself there until consistency develops. BTW: I won by him scratching on the 8 and a couple other goofy fouls. Not to mention he knows my speed so he was banking the 8, which he still did tremendously at.

This brings me to my question.

40-50% of the time of these all by myself sessions I fall into stroke. More 40% than 50%. I'm in rhythm and unstoppable... well, as long as I don't play anyone above a C. Lol. I go on small runs here and there. 4 balls, 5. Sometimes up to 8 or 9 if I really find my stroke.

Other nights, such as tonight, I'm horrid. The little Asian geometry master inside of me slept in and maybe caught a flu. My cuts were terrible, my straight on shots were disgusting, but those are always bad, and it was all in pieces. Here and there I'd catch my rhythm for a moment and sink 2 or 3 in a row. Know the angle, chalk up, rhythm stroke, get down, warm up strokes, tip contact point check, wind up, pull the trigger, follow through, stay down and watch the magic happen.

But, most of the night I'd try that again and it wouldn't turn out the same. It came out all bad, sometimes missing the pocket by miles, sometimes missing the OB by miles. I almost wished I had left my equipment at home.

It's on and off. More off than on. Maybe it's just me slowly plowing forward into improvement, maybe it's the stress I've been under lately due to a manager who plays favorites and for some strange reason I didn't end up on her good side, maybe this vicious cycle will continue for eternity. Lol... I hope not.

I'm sure many of you have experienced this. What makes it more frustrating is that before I quit I was a mid range B player, so missing all these shots I know I can make is even more unbearable.

... help??? :confused::o:confused::o

It definitely sounds like you are distracted by something! I think the answer may lie in your final two paragraphs. Something is bugging you and affecting your life big time. When you get that handled you may find significant improvement in your pool game.

I love to play poker but will not go to the poker room if I have something on my mind. Whatever it is I take care of it first and put the poker (or pool) on hold until then. You definitely want to be able to play with a free mind. Kapeche?

One last thing to everyone, not just you. Pool is a game that requires complete and utter concentration and focus. To play well requires a Zen like state of mind. I like to say that it requires supreme mental discipline to play well. That is why many pool players become good at poker. Mentally we are already geared for it.
 
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I believe the only solution is for you to take two weeks off, then quit.:sorry:

Keep shooting- you will get better- sometimes you're the hammer; sometimes the nail.
 
Do you wear an ipod when you practice?
I have started that recently. It gets me going and ready, after a while it just becomes white noise that I don't hear, but it works out much better than all the distractions that come with a pool hall. Like leisurely bangers and obnoxious tweens and teenagers. Haha.

Anyhow, why do you ask?
 
I have been suffering from this for about 2 weeks, but finally dialed it in. I went through every single fundamental until I got to it. For me, I was getting down on my shots before lining up (no idea why I started doing that). I would seriously suggest getting back to your fundamentals, you may find an easy answer to a tough question.
 
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