No Practice...no problem?

[KingCarom]

Lately, and not by choice, I havent had any time to play.
I moved recently, broke down my table, and have only been playing league nights only...

....And I am shooting lights out! ... for three straight weeks.

I cannot explain it. I have played for 18 years, owning a table the whole time and putting in countless hours of practice and played much worse in months past.

Anyone else have this spells like this?

I know I know, it wont last. Have to practice to progress.

Just trying to touch on this and see if anyone else can relate.

 

[Billiard Architect]

I am a firm believer of what Bob J mentioned a long time ago on a far away forum called RSB. The discussion was about playing way above your skill level when taking some time off. He reasoned that if you take some time off 2 things happen. You forget bad habits and your confidence level increases.

I would like to add to that in saying when you are driving, working, eating or shopping you think about pool. (its ok, if you post here then you think about pool ALL the time like the rest of us) Do you think about missing shots? So basically you practice in your head and pretty much make every shot you shoot. So when it comes time to play you have had a solid week of mental practice where you have not missed a shot.

I had heard a story a few years back about a handicap 35 golfer that was in Vietnam. When he was captured and became a POW the only thing that would help him make it through was to think about his favorite golf course. He thought about every Stroke. Which club he would use. How his grip would be. Where he would like to play his shot. He thought about it day in and day out. When he was finally rescued and got to go back home he shot an 82 on that course. That is shaving 25 strokes off his game without picking up a club.

JV

 

[Rickw]

I also think that when you take a break from pool you miss it and are really motivated to play. You doubt that you would have played that good if you hadn't put all the practice in for 18 years.

 

[drivermaker]

I also think it has to do with the fact that you have lower expectations of yourself. You're assuming up front that you're going to shoot like crap from the layoff and if you miss it's expected and no big deal, so you're a lot looser.

Then, when you play everyday and put the time into it your expectations get greater and you start getting pissed when you miss and you put pressure on yourself, even if you're just playing by yourself.

Don't worry, just give it another week, you'll be back to your old self and missing shots.

 

[TATE]

Lately, and not by choice, I havent had any time to play.
I moved recently, broke down my table, and have only been playing league nights only...

....And I am shooting lights out! ... for three straight weeks.

I cannot explain it. I have played for 18 years, owning a table the whole time and putting in countless hours of practice and played much worse in months past.

Anyone else have this spells like this?

I know I know, it wont last. Have to practice to progress.

Just trying to touch on this and see if anyone else can relate.

There was a time period where my home table was being rebuilt. For about three weeks, I watched tapes of pro matches instead of playing.

I was a little rusty when I came back at first, then my game jumped a notch. I realized that my mental imagery of shots, rails, and position play was sharper after watching all those tapes instead of playing. Once my arm got loose, I was " a rockin' and a rollin' ".

Sometimes you just need a break from the game.

Chris

 

[Poolshark719]

I have taken some time off myself and I have bombed out in a couple of tournaments as a result. I do believe the layoff has done some good though.
I will play in a tri-state tournament this weekend at Amsterdam billiards in the C class. This is a straight pool tournament and I feel I have a good chance at wiinning it. My mindset and knowledge of the game is on an A level.
The reason why I am shooting at such a low level is that I don't play often enough and I tend to take the obvious for granted.
I will practice a couple of hours the night before the match and I think that will suffice. I will play the best shooters in practice.
The reason I label myself the poolshark is that I know it can take time to get in stroke and get your interest and confidence back in the game.
I have played guys straight up for time and lost big(I'm still getting in stroke and getting things together). I would turn the tables on these opponents when playing for money because all of a sudden for no apparent reason my game just got 100% better.
It's important to practice to gain confidence in your stroke and control of the cue ball.
It's even more important to know when to play a safe and when to go for it!
I'm a firm believer that your best defense is your offense.

 

[Razor_Blade]

Just trying to touch on this and see if anyone else can relate.

I`m in the same boat as you. I recently moved and my table is in storage, and I have been limited to about one night of play a week.

The first couple of weeks after a three week lay off, I was shooting lights out. I could see shots, and position plays that I would not have normally thought about. My shot making was well above average.

After a couple of weeks I began to notice my position play was slipping. I was suddenly having to pull off more and more big shots to stay alive in a match. This past Thursday I missed a couple of break outs, and dogged a few balls. I ended up losing to a much weaker player.

Sorry, but in my experience it won`t last long. There have been some very interesting posts on why that is.

 

[maximillion]

I also think that when you take a break from pool you miss it and are really motivated to play. You doubt that you would have played that good if you hadn't put all the practice in for 18 years.

Just like rick said. You are just so exited and motivated once you get a chance to play that your brain responds better. You play better when your having fun.

 

[sjm]

I think there is some truth in what has been said about a layoff providing some kind of rejuvenation that can cause you to come out very relaxed when you return. Still, my expereince has been that my speed control goes right down the tubes if I have a layoff, and it always takes a few sessions for me to get it back.

 

[XzyluM]

This often happens to me. When I take a few days, weeks, or even a month off, I seem to shoot at my best when I start playing again. Of course, it doesn't last and practice becomes necessary.