My Excuses

D

DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ok, folks, last night, i decided to break some racks, and see how i would do at running out. one of the first few breaks, i managed to run out. then a dry spell occurred for about 30-45 minutes - basically no chance, no balls down, impossible spreads, etc.

then, all of a sudden, over the course of a few breaks i had a few chances (about 3) to run out, with two of them being the type that i should clear the table on. of course, i managed to mess up each and every one of them, and noticed i was using the following reasons:

1. "How can the cue ball possibly go there???"

2. "Great, the Laws Of Physics dont apply to my table!"

3. "Last night i made the shot doing it this way, and now tonight it misses by a mile!"

4. "That pocket is the worst one i have - nothing ever falls in!"

5. "Oh great, just my luck, get snookered by 1/4" of an inch, how can one guy be so unlucky???"

6. "Well, that wasnt an easy shot, the '5' Ball was blocking the pocket just enough!"

7. "What wonderful luck! i make an extremely difficult shot, and now miss position by about 1/2!"

8. "Now how can the cue ball go that far? i used inside english, which should have killed the speed off the rail??? But no, it has to run an extra two feet, and now i dont have a shot. I dont understand???"

DCP
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
ok, folks, last night, i decided to break some racks, and see how i would do at running out. one of the first few breaks, i managed to run out. then a dry spell occurred for about 30-45 minutes - basically no chance, no balls down, impossible spreads, etc.

then, all of a sudden, over the course of a few breaks i had a few chances (about 3) to run out, with two of them being the type that i should clear the table on. of course, i managed to mess up each and every one of them, and noticed i was using the following reasons:

1. "How can the cue ball possibly go there???"

2. "Great, the Laws Of Physics dont apply to my table!"

3. "Last night i made the shot doing it this way, and now tonight it misses by a mile!"

4. "That pocket is the worst one i have - nothing ever falls in!"

5. "Oh great, just my luck, get snookered by 1/4" of an inch, how can one guy be so unlucky???"

6. "Well, that wasnt an easy shot, the '5' Ball was blocking the pocket just enough!"

7. "What wonderful luck! i make an extremely difficult shot, and now miss position by about 1/2!"

8. "Now how can the cue ball go that far? i used inside english, which should have killed the speed off the rail??? But no, it has to run an extra two feet, and now i dont have a shot. I dont understand???"

DCP
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Your excuses are bumming me out. :confused: Please stop it at once. Also, you might want to edit your original post and make the "no insults" request like you have been lately. With a thread like this, you may just need it! :rolleyes: ;)
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
ok, folks, last night, i decided to break some racks, and see how i would do at running out. one of the first few breaks, i managed to run out. then a dry spell occurred for about 30-45 minutes - basically no chance, no balls down, impossible spreads, etc.

then, all of a sudden, over the course of a few breaks i had a few chances (about 3) to run out, with two of them being the type that i should clear the table on. of course, i managed to mess up each and every one of them, and noticed i was using the following reasons:

1. "How can the cue ball possibly go there???"

2. "Great, the Laws Of Physics dont apply to my table!"

3. "Last night i made the shot doing it this way, and now tonight it misses by a mile!"

4. "That pocket is the worst one i have - nothing ever falls in!"

5. "Oh great, just my luck, get snookered by 1/4" of an inch, how can one guy be so unlucky???"

6. "Well, that wasnt an easy shot, the '5' Ball was blocking the pocket just enough!"

7. "What wonderful luck! i make an extremely difficult shot, and now miss position by about 1/2!"

8. "Now how can the cue ball go that far? i used inside english, which should have killed the speed off the rail??? But no, it has to run an extra two feet, and now i dont have a shot. I dont understand???"

DCP
Click to expand...

If I may be so bold, my suggestion to you is to not beat yourself up. The ideas you've posted up above won't help you get better unless you use them to your advantage.

Here's what I'd do, with say, #8:

"8. "Now how can the cue ball go that far? i used inside english, which should have killed the speed off the rail??? But no, it has to run an extra two feet, and now i dont have a shot. I dont understand???""

I'd set that specific shot up, again, take the object ball you were shooting, and mark the cloth with some chalk, put the ball back in place. Do the same with the cue ball. Now, shoot the shot again, with inside english, and see what you need to do to get the shape you hoped to get. Perhaps the shape you wanted isn't actually possible with the angle you had, and the table speed, etc. However, the only way you'll really know is to shoot the shot over and over until you groove it into your brain. Make that shot, and make it so that it's a gimme for you, until it's a piece of cake. Memorize that shot. Make it your friend, so when it comes up again you look forward to it. If you've grooved the shot perfectly and it comes up again some time down the road, and you blow it, well, guess what? You blew it, that's all. Don't let it bother you. Just chalk it up to experience and continue. If it's a tough shot, you may want to practice it again. But if you should never miss it, don't be too hard on yourself. Just shrug and keep going. Does this method work? You betcha!

Good luck with all this!

Flex
 
Cuebacca said:
Your excuses are bumming me out. :confused: Please stop it at once. Also, you might want to edit your original post and make the "no insults" request like you have been lately. With a thread like this, you may just need it! :rolleyes: ;)
Click to expand...

Since that probably sounded like an insult or negative, maybe I should ad some constructive advice. Maybe on the thousanth time someone says it you might listen, be more positive at the table! Instead of thinking, "man this sucks, I got a bad roll. Stupid! Stupid!" Think, "what is the best thing I can do from this position that I'm at now?", or something to that effect.

Also, if it takes that many breaks to get an opportunity, why not practice your breaks? Then again, why am I even saying anything?

I already offered these ideas and you seemed to ignore it. :( I guess I'm not learning either. :p
 
Cuebacca said:
Your excuses are bumming me out. :confused: Please stop it at once. Also, you might want to edit your original post and make the "no insults" request like you have been lately. With a thread like this, you may just need it! :rolleyes: ;)
Click to expand...

maybe i need the insults. perhaps i deserve them.

i have practiced/played 2-4 hours a day, almost every day, for right at eight (8) years now, and am still worthless. got my first 7' Foot table on monday, august 31, 1998, and still continue to play bad pool. and most of the days i have missed playing i was either in Las Vegas at the BCA, or Peoria at the WPBA, which accounts for 98% of the days i missed playing. the other 2% i was probably too sick in the winter, and simply couldnt play.

its not all the bad luck that frustrates me, its hosing up racks when i should run them out. thats what just ties my guts in knots. to me, this is called, pure and simply, Failure.

DCP
 
"Please don't read these threads if you are going to insult me" -DCP

WHAT THE HELL IS THE POINT OF THESE THREADS THEN!? To tell the world you have bad luck? You need to suck it up and quit being a pansy. Learn from your mistakes or quit the game, stop wasting bandwidth.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
its not all the bad luck that frustrates me, its hosing up racks when i should run them out. thats what just ties my guts in knots. to me, this is called, pure and simply, Failure.

DCP
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Aha! Well, if you want to fail, I assure you it's easy to achieve. However, if you really want to improve to the point where you'll really do better, there are a few things you might wish to consider.

If you find yourself frequently overrunning position, may I suggest you try one simple thing: change the tip on your cue to one that is slightly slower than the one you're using now. It can make all the difference in the world, and is easy to do and doesn't cost much at all. That's the first thing I'd try. Why not give it a chance?

Flex
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
ok, folks, last night, i decided to break some racks, and see how i would do at running out. one of the first few breaks, i managed to run out. then a dry spell occurred for about 30-45 minutes - basically no chance, no balls down, impossible spreads, etc.

then, all of a sudden, over the course of a few breaks i had a few chances (about 3) to run out, with two of them being the type that i should clear the table on. of course, i managed to mess up each and every one of them, and noticed i was using the following reasons:

1. "How can the cue ball possibly go there???"

2. "Great, the Laws Of Physics dont apply to my table!"

3. "Last night i made the shot doing it this way, and now tonight it misses by a mile!"

4. "That pocket is the worst one i have - nothing ever falls in!"

5. "Oh great, just my luck, get snookered by 1/4" of an inch, how can one guy be so unlucky???"

6. "Well, that wasnt an easy shot, the '5' Ball was blocking the pocket just enough!"

7. "What wonderful luck! i make an extremely difficult shot, and now miss position by about 1/2!"

8. "Now how can the cue ball go that far? i used inside english, which should have killed the speed off the rail??? But no, it has to run an extra two feet, and now i dont have a shot. I dont understand???"

DCP
Click to expand...

Does the word accountability ever figure into any og this? When it does, maybe the word impossible will go away.
 
first off i want to say i havent read all your posts, the ones im familiar with all seem to be of the "how should i have played this" or "heres how i blew this runout" variety. Reading this it just occurred to me I dont really recall you asking much questions about things like form, stroke, stance, aiming, etc. I dont know what kind of lessons or training youve had, but to me it really sounds like if youre this much of a pool junkie, maybe thats the problem......you seriously need lessons or more lessons.
I shot pool nonstop for about 6 years.......quit and got married.......got divorced 6 years and started back. I read the books, watched the vids, matches on tv........and my game got better but it was up and down all the time.....sometimes it still is. But after lessons my game has never been stronger....and honestly, when youre shooting good......pool just aint that hard. Last night I was shooting awesome, and i cant tell you the times i blew position and still ranout. Hell one rack i blew position on almost every shot...i mean i was actually laughing as I went from shot to shot and i still ran out (the other guys in the ring game didnt see the joke lol). Quit torturing yourself......if you take pool seriously, which it sounds to me like you do.......then get serious about learning.
 
Several of the "excuses" you have listed relate to just missing position by a small amount. This makes me think you may be making the wrong choices for the cue route. Bert Kinister talks about this, it is important to pick a route for the cue ball that gives you the largest margin of error. Check out Bert's tapes 35-38, this subject comes up several times.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
maybe i need the insults. perhaps i deserve them.
i have practiced/played 2-4 hours a day, almost every day, for right at eight (8) years now, and am still worthless. got my first 7' Foot table on monday, august 31, 1998, and still continue to play bad pool. and most of the days i have missed playing i was either in Las Vegas at the BCA, or Peoria at the WPBA, which accounts for 98% of the days i missed playing. the other 2% i was probably too sick in the winter, and simply couldnt play.

its not all the bad luck that frustrates me, its hosing up racks when i should run them out. thats what just ties my guts in knots. to me, this is called, pure and simply, Failure.

DCP
Click to expand...

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! Don't jump man! :p Seriously, this game is tough. Some people make it look easy, and some people say its easy. They are either being modest or whatever, or perhaps they are just plain gifted at pool. Not all of us are gifted at what we'd like to be.

You just gotta suck it up. Don't beat yourself up over it. Enjoy the game! You just happen to love two of the hardest games there are, pool and golf (or used to with golf at least). Well, I don't play golf so I don't know, but I can tell, it ain't easy. You might as well love skateboarding too, as that's another extremely difficult, technical sport.

My point is, well, what's my point? Why do you play the game? To enjoy it. If you aren't enjoying it, take a week off (but don't "then quit", even though its funny). Take a week off. Give yourself the gift of missing the game you used to love. I think you're taking the game too seriously. Its good to take it seriously in some ways, but the negativity is strangling your pool-life to death. You're just too frustrated, which is probably holding your improvement back, but also taking away your enjoyment of the game, it seems.

This wasn't the best-worded post, but I hope it makes some sense and maybe hits home a little bit.
 
Let tell you what your problem is, DCP, for real for real. You can thank me later.

The problem you are having is that your expiations of yourself are set too high for what you can actually do at the table. If you really were that good, the issues you have would come easy, second nature, instead of hard, frustrating, and angry.

It's impossible to accelerate experience and knowledge that comes from instructors, competition, and practice. Even if you show up on the AZ daily with WEI board layouts of missed shots and blown opportunities.
 
Look man. It's your attitude.

Feel confident in yourself and your game. Stick up for yourself instead of saying "I suck because XXX XXX XXX XXX"
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
maybe i need the insults. perhaps i deserve them.

i have practiced/played 2-4 hours a day, almost every day, for right at eight (8) years now, and am still worthless. got my first 7' Foot table on monday, august 31, 1998, and still continue to play bad pool. and most of the days i have missed playing i was either in Las Vegas at the BCA, or Peoria at the WPBA, which accounts for 98% of the days i missed playing. the other 2% i was probably too sick in the winter, and simply couldnt play.

its not all the bad luck that frustrates me, its hosing up racks when i should run them out. thats what just ties my guts in knots. to me, this is called, pure and simply, Failure.

DCP
Click to expand...

DCP, you're certainly not the only one who gets frustrated from time to time. Playing pool and being good at it is hard. Some people will never get good at it; others will improve incrementally and still others pick it up very quickly. Wherever you belong on this sliding scale, try to learn from your mistakes and do better the next time. And try keep a positive attitude and have fun no matter what happens.
 
Can someone please go watch him play and report back?

He can't possibly be as bad as he lets on.
 
MFB said:
Can someone please go watch him play and report back?

He can't possibly be as bad as he lets on.
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That's a good point he's making, DCP. You're probably a lot better than you make it sound. Also, maybe you're comparing yourself to pros too much, and have unrealistic expectations set on yourself. Its a good thing to aim high, don't get me wrong, but just forgive yourself if you don't hit the mark.

I bet you've improved more than you've noticed in the last year, or two years, or five years at least. Maybe you should spend a chunk of your practice time on progressive drills (if you don't already), and keep detailed records, so that you can quantify your improvement over time. Just try not to beat yourself up so much along the way so that your mind will allow you to improve. Being too hard on yourself is not good for you (or us -- hehe -- except that it teaches us what not to do). :)
 
Eric. said:
Lemme see if I can help:




CueTable Help






Eric >going to Hell either way
Click to expand...

I don't think that shot can be made with center ball. Almost made it once, but I think I used top low. :confused:
 
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