Me -- the ultimate moneyball bozo

[Peer]

I don't know what's wrong with me, but the closer I get to the moneyball the worse I play. Yesterday, new year's eve, I entered an eight-ball tourney, played my normal crappy game but managed to get to the semifinals where I was ahead two games, got on the hill, broke and ran all the way to the eight-ball, got in perfect shape on the eight (short & straight in)... but yet I somehow managed to figure out a way to miss. Got pissed and lost the match. (I would have met Eric Herada in the finals, which would have been fun.)

Even if I made some money, this was certainly not the best way to start 2009. Even more frustrating is the fact that I've been like this ever since I was a kid -- no matter what it is, if I get close to getting something desirable, I ought to screw it up. Again and again and again. It might be a brain disorder or something.

Although I certainly need some more tourney practice, the fundamental part I need to figure out is how to keep my marbles in order, especially when getting on the moneyball.

-- peer

 

[Terry Ardeno]

I don't know what's wrong with me, but the closer I get to the moneyball the worse I play. Yesterday, new year's eve, I entered an eight-ball tourney, played my normal crappy game but managed to get to the semifinals where I was ahead two games, got on the hill, broke and ran all the way to the eight-ball, got in perfect shape on the eight (short & straight in)... but yet I somehow managed to figure out a way to miss. Got pissed and lost the match. (I would have met Eric Herada in the finals, which would have been fun.)

Even if I made some money, this was certainly not the best way to start 2009. Even more frustrating is the fact that I've been like this ever since I was a kid -- no matter what it is, if I get close to getting something desirable, I ought to screw it up. Again and again and again. It might be a brain disorder or something.

Although I certainly need some more tourney practice, the fundamental part I need to figure out is how to keep my marbles in order, especially when getting on the moneyball.

-- peer

Happy New Year Peer!

The 9 ball doesn't know it's the 9 ball. The 8 ball doesn't know it's the 8 ball. Only you do....

If you can make the other balls, you can make the money ball.

Personally, I LOVE the pressure of having to make THE shot. The more pressure, the better I play for some reason. Love the pressure, don't fear it. It can make you or break you, so choose to let it make you!

This may sound funny, but maybe you need some more "kill" in you. Don't be afraid of winning.

Good luck buddy.

 

[Johnnyt]

Happy New Year Peer!

The 9 ball doesn't know it's the 9 ball. The 8 ball doesn't know it's the 8 ball. Only you do....

If you can make the other balls, you can make the money ball.

Personally, I LOVE the pressure of having to make THE shot. The more pressure, the better I play for some reason. Love the pressure, don't fear it. It can make you or break you, so choose to let it make you!

This may sound funny, but maybe you need some more "kill" in you. Don't be afraid of winning.

Good luck buddy.

I agree. Only other thing is when you come to the money ball, take a slow walk back to your table/cue case and wipe you hands and take of few deep breaths. Then go back to the table and fire it in playing position for anywhere but a pocket. Johnnyt

 

[Roy Steffensen]

Maybe you should just find yourself another hobby?

Keep practising, join tournaments and play better players. That's the 3 best advice I am willing to offer you

(Oh, btw, I think it's definitely a brain disorder in your case, though)

 

[fd_colorado]

Unfortunately, I can relate to that problem when playing with weaker players.

How about starting with the 3 ball ghost?

 

[btoneill]

I know I'll get slammed for this, but have you tried playing in a league? Playing in league's helped me immensely when it came to making the pressure shots. The fact that it is every week and something you put into your schedule makes it a nice reliable way to work on that. I have played much better in tournaments and making the "money shot" from the practice I get every week in APA...

Brian

 

[D_Lewis]

Peer, Ive had this in my mind for a while about my own game and for playing when it counts.

"Ive never been afraid to lose but always afraid to win. "

Slowly Im losing both of them, I play with a bit more caution and I win when I am supposed to.

Sometimes when Im playing someone, playing well, I offer a rediculous spot to them. I played a guy, 7-5 (I was the five) and won hill-hill. He wanted to play even, I asked for the eight, he said he wanted the eight and I accepted and also won. No idea how it happened but sometime the biggest thing to get over is mental.

Get a few nine balls and only play with them so you can visualize potting the 9. You never know, it could help.

 

[grindz]

I don't know what's wrong with me, but the closer I get to the moneyball the worse I play. Yesterday, new year's eve, I entered an eight-ball tourney, played my normal crappy game but managed to get to the semifinals where I was ahead two games, got on the hill, broke and ran all the way to the eight-ball, got in perfect shape on the eight (short & straight in)... but yet I somehow managed to figure out a way to miss. Got pissed and lost the match. (I would have met Eric Herada in the finals, which would have been fun.)

Even if I made some money, this was certainly not the best way to start 2009. Even more frustrating is the fact that I've been like this ever since I was a kid -- no matter what it is, if I get close to getting something desirable, I ought to screw it up. Again and again and again. It might be a brain disorder or something.

Although I certainly need some more tourney practice, the fundamental part I need to figure out is how to keep my marbles in order, especially when getting on the moneyball.

-- peer

Did you already "give" it to yourself before you shot it??

td

 

[AnitoKid]

I sometimes do this!
And I kid you not!

I agree. Only other thing is when you come to the money ball, take a slow walk back to your table/cue case and wipe you hands and take of few deep breaths. Then go back to the table and fire it in playing position for anywhere but a pocket. Johnnyt

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

The wife and I spent New Years Eve at our favorite pool hall. I was shooting the 8 right as the 12 o'clock countdown started. It was a straight in shot.
I said to her, "watch, my first 8 ball of 09". Guess what I did. I think they call it 8 ball fever, I get it all the time.

 

[Bamacues]

Try imagining that there is another ball after the money ball, ie, 9 after 8 or 10 after 9. It is tough to do sometimes, but you just need to think about the actual shot and not the magnitude of the shot. If you can run 7 or 8 balls, you can certainly make one more.
Joe

 

[gunzby]

This has been a hump that I haven't gotten over yet so far as my comeback is concerned. For some reason or another it doesn't really happen to me in 9ball, but is a near certainty for 8ball or 14.1. In 8ball and straight it'll happen on either the last ball or the ball before it. Doesn't matter if it's easy or not.

One thing that made a huge difference last night was after losing my apa match I played someone else and changed the length of my stroke (not distance from bridge to CB, but how far I backstroke).

Since coming back I knew I had a fundamental flaw in my approach, but couldn't figure it out. I went through different stances, rhythms, bridges, strokes and follow throughs. It was incredibly frustrating because I knew a flaw was there, but didn't know what it was. For some reason last night I began to backstroke the cue till the tip was nearly in my bridge hand. This straightened out the shot and my shotmaking did a 180.

I know that was long, but maybe it'll help. Another thing that helped was walking up to the table, taking a deep breath and saying in my head "chalk up (chalk your cue), chalk down (feel the chalk hit the table), stroke and shoot".

 

[Peer]

Maybe you should just find yourself another hobby? (Oh, btw, I think it's definitely a brain disorder in your case, though)

Thank you so much Roy, you are certainly a paragon of sensibility and inspiration -- or more eloquently expressed in norwegian; gaa og knull deg selv ;^)

-- peer

 

[Black-Balled]

Thank you ...expressed in norwegian; gaa og knull deg selv ;^)

-- peer

You wanna gamble!? :wink:

 

[Purdman]

Your Kidding Me

I know I am going to miss it 3 balls ahead. :thumbup: I'm willing to be honest about it. I was watching a friend playing in an 8 ball league the other night. She missed the shot. When she came over by me, I told her she knew she was gonna miss it. She agreed and wanted to know how I knew that. I told her to remember the feeling. Next time you feel it, GET UP and look a it again.
It's a fun game folks.
Purd