I've been playing in handicapp 14.1 leagues, weekly 8 ball tourney's locally for a number of years. I've always felt that playing handicapp was not a good way to gauge how well I play.
So, I decided to play in the Chet Itow Open 9 ball tourney since it was so close to me and being at Cal Billiards was not a bad thing either. I'm not a 9 ball player at all. I seldom play the game. I've only played it once in the last year or so.
Knowing that this was my first open 9 ball event and I seldom play 9 ball, I decided to set certain goals for this event. The biggest one was not chickening out of playing. I met that goal. Some of the other goals were to play my best, watch and learn, and have fun.
This was a race to 8, double elimination, playing on 9 ft tables. When my first match was called, I could not believe how fast my heart started beating. It was racing like crazy, for no real reason. I've come to learn this is just stage fright and will go away shortly and it did.
I lost the first match 8-6. At one point I was two games behind, then worked to where I was one game ahead with two for the win. But and there is always a but, simple errors killed me. Make great shots only to have simple errors stop me.
The strange thing about this match was my breaks. I never, ever practice 9 ball breaks or racking. However, for some strange reason, there were five breaks maybe six breaks where I made the wing ball right into the corner pocket and get a shot on the one. It was unreal, and kinda creepy. I was told later that when something like that happens, just go with it and don't change a thing.
After the match, I mentioned to the guy that this was my first ever open 9 ball and that I seldom play 9 ball. He didn't believe me at first. Said I need to play more and that I play real well. He did like how I could hide the cue ball.
Second match I lost 8-6, also and for the exact same reasons. Simple errors at the wrong time. I was even ahead two games with two to go, again.
The break that was working on the other table in the first match was not there on this table. I found that interesting, but for whatever reason, this table was just being mean on the breaks to both of us.
I hate to say the biggest error was my bridge. My hand on the table was solid as a rock, but, what I call the cue finger, was sloppy. The cue finger, to me, is the finger that goes over the top of the cue to help keep it going straight and not held sloppy letting the cue slide to one side causing a miss.
I'm not too disapointed in my results. I met my goals and even had fun doing it. It was a real confidence booster in that I was able to gauge my skill level in a non handicapp tourney. I made some great shots, played some lock up safes, got out of some safes because I can use rails, so there was good along with the bad.
Another thing I noticed was the cycle of my attention span. In practice today, I really was aware about when my attention started to wander and noticed it would start to wander about the same time as during the matches.
I learn a few things also. Like a race to 8 is not easy, I was not ready for the length some of the games took. Another is that unlike the weekly tourney thats gonna be there next week, there was only one 2nd Annual Chet Itow tourney to win. The next one is a year away, not a week. Realizing this, the phrase "Every shot matters" took on a whole new meaning to me.
Overall, it was a very positive experince. I know where I am in my pool playing, I know what I need to work on and more important, I can have fun playing pool, win or lose.
Plus, I got T-Shirt too.
FWIW
So, I decided to play in the Chet Itow Open 9 ball tourney since it was so close to me and being at Cal Billiards was not a bad thing either. I'm not a 9 ball player at all. I seldom play the game. I've only played it once in the last year or so.
Knowing that this was my first open 9 ball event and I seldom play 9 ball, I decided to set certain goals for this event. The biggest one was not chickening out of playing. I met that goal. Some of the other goals were to play my best, watch and learn, and have fun.
This was a race to 8, double elimination, playing on 9 ft tables. When my first match was called, I could not believe how fast my heart started beating. It was racing like crazy, for no real reason. I've come to learn this is just stage fright and will go away shortly and it did.
I lost the first match 8-6. At one point I was two games behind, then worked to where I was one game ahead with two for the win. But and there is always a but, simple errors killed me. Make great shots only to have simple errors stop me.
The strange thing about this match was my breaks. I never, ever practice 9 ball breaks or racking. However, for some strange reason, there were five breaks maybe six breaks where I made the wing ball right into the corner pocket and get a shot on the one. It was unreal, and kinda creepy. I was told later that when something like that happens, just go with it and don't change a thing.
After the match, I mentioned to the guy that this was my first ever open 9 ball and that I seldom play 9 ball. He didn't believe me at first. Said I need to play more and that I play real well. He did like how I could hide the cue ball.
Second match I lost 8-6, also and for the exact same reasons. Simple errors at the wrong time. I was even ahead two games with two to go, again.
The break that was working on the other table in the first match was not there on this table. I found that interesting, but for whatever reason, this table was just being mean on the breaks to both of us.
I hate to say the biggest error was my bridge. My hand on the table was solid as a rock, but, what I call the cue finger, was sloppy. The cue finger, to me, is the finger that goes over the top of the cue to help keep it going straight and not held sloppy letting the cue slide to one side causing a miss.
I'm not too disapointed in my results. I met my goals and even had fun doing it. It was a real confidence booster in that I was able to gauge my skill level in a non handicapp tourney. I made some great shots, played some lock up safes, got out of some safes because I can use rails, so there was good along with the bad.
Another thing I noticed was the cycle of my attention span. In practice today, I really was aware about when my attention started to wander and noticed it would start to wander about the same time as during the matches.
I learn a few things also. Like a race to 8 is not easy, I was not ready for the length some of the games took. Another is that unlike the weekly tourney thats gonna be there next week, there was only one 2nd Annual Chet Itow tourney to win. The next one is a year away, not a week. Realizing this, the phrase "Every shot matters" took on a whole new meaning to me.
Overall, it was a very positive experince. I know where I am in my pool playing, I know what I need to work on and more important, I can have fun playing pool, win or lose.
Plus, I got T-Shirt too.
FWIW
