Im the opposite ,Im a fairly good shooter when sober, but if I drink ,,I cant run more than 3 or 4 balls......
No win situation A.P.A.
- Thread starter Shaky1
- Start date
Do I detect a sandbagger? If you beat the 7's on your league "most of the time", why aren't YOU a 7?
Well........ here is what happened.
I went in with my wife to have dinner....
Before I ever sat down, the girls were there to give me a beer.
I didn't ask for it.
I took it . Drank it as slow as possible, about an hour.
The barmaids kept asking if I was ready for another. I said NO.
I then started to play pool. I ran the first two tables..,,,,,,,,,
Then I got nervous...........
I lost about the next 7 games.......
I then got pissed........
I ordered drinks.........
I only wound up losing about 15 bucks.
I drank , but I didn't shoot good at all! But I saved a lot of money.
I could have lost every game.
I played like @#it all night, but I hate losing. I did what I had to do.
Sounds like you have a pool problem that interferes with your drinking!:rotflmao1:
I remember reading something in a psychology book years ago about people performing better at something while intoxicated if they learned the skill while intoxicated.
WARNING: This story is not about condoning drinking at any time, while playing pool or otherwise. I was not there, I am just going to retell the story as I understand it. Enjoy if you wish, skip it if you will be offended.
Player C told me this story. Player A has a drinking problem. Player B is a road player. Player B will not play local player C because he knows he is a top player. Player C knows that player A can beat Player B but has not proven himself with the local crowd yet. Player C gets backers for A to play B, but the backers insist that C keeps player A sober.
Sure enough A looses to B. $2,500.
Player C is not finished, he finds new backers and this time tells them, let him drink ok, just trust me. Sure enough player A then drinks about a dozen beers during 8 hours of play and wins $18,000.
ADDITIONAL WARNING: This story is not about condoning the use of drugs of any type: over the counter, prescribed, herbal or illegal.
I think the real problem is nerves and Player C has told me about the little bottle of Valerian he keeps in his cue case. We have a standing joke now. He will tell me about a match he played against somebody I don't know and I will ask him, wait was this a one or two Valerian pill match.
WARNING: This story is not about condoning drinking at any time, while playing pool or otherwise. I was not there, I am just going to retell the story as I understand it. Enjoy if you wish, skip it if you will be offended.
Player C told me this story. Player A has a drinking problem. Player B is a road player. Player B will not play local player C because he knows he is a top player. Player C knows that player A can beat Player B but has not proven himself with the local crowd yet. Player C gets backers for A to play B, but the backers insist that C keeps player A sober.
Sure enough A looses to B. $2,500.
Player C is not finished, he finds new backers and this time tells them, let him drink ok, just trust me. Sure enough player A then drinks about a dozen beers during 8 hours of play and wins $18,000.
ADDITIONAL WARNING: This story is not about condoning the use of drugs of any type: over the counter, prescribed, herbal or illegal.
I think the real problem is nerves and Player C has told me about the little bottle of Valerian he keeps in his cue case. We have a standing joke now. He will tell me about a match he played against somebody I don't know and I will ask him, wait was this a one or two Valerian pill match.
@ TO: just go on, beer tastes GREAT :thumbup: on the other hand my straight and 8ball game is worse when i drank, 9 ball is much easier after some beers 
maybe the pattern games are more stuck to whiskey? ill try it out monday when the tables are reclothed
btw: sorry to say this but i lold reading "my captain tells me to drink".
maybe the pattern games are more stuck to whiskey? ill try it out monday when the tables are reclothed btw: sorry to say this but i lold reading "my captain tells me to drink".
And/Or perhaps you need to not try to do it all at once. Maybe you were on the right track initially, just slowing down. Maybe, if you have fewer of them, each night, you can get it down to a level that you don't actually see the "need" for it, but only have one to be sociable. Who knows? Only you will, by trying it to see.
Good luck, regardless.
1. Keep your pants zipped and nothing will be exposed.
2. Who gives a flying f#ck about the rating system? You need x games to win, your opponent needs y games to win. Get there first. Ratings don't matter when the shooting starts. You know what you are capable of, just do it.
3. It's a team, not a load you are carrying. Do you hate them when they lose? You obviously care about the team and it's success. If they can't see that f#ck them too.
If you aren't having fun, you're doing it wrong. Lighten up and stop taking it so seriously.
Pick up and read, "The Inner Game of Tennis", it applies to all sports regarding the "mental" aspect. This could NOT hurt you, that is for sure....
I don't drink at home. Unless there is a party or something, which is rare.
A case of beer would go bad around here if not for my wife. She won't let it go bad. :grin:
I did read that many years ago. Golf was my problem then. I might still have it around somewhere? I just don't know where.
Get on a new team. If you are not there to have fun, who cares. I have choked on the last ball on hill hill and I have made the last ball on hill hill. I work, I have chores at home. I beat people who live on the table because I finally learned to play safes and just enjoy the game. Do I miss safeties? Yeap. Do I lose? Yep. DO I win? Yep. Just like life.
OH NO NOT THE APA Again.
OH NO NOT THE APA Again.
Now THAT'S FUNNY!!!!!:thumbup:
First, as others have mentioned, if your team won't support you, then you should find a new team who will truly support you.
Regarding the alcohol, I can relate though it was not as bad for me. Once In while I realize I'm stressed and can just use a drink in general, so I have 2 or 3 beers. But now I refuse to drink just to try to perform in a game; it may work sometimes, but if you are not enjoying it then it's not worth it, and drinking should never be a solution to anything... Though I still believe gettting totally sloshed will rid you of the flu.
I believe what really works is embraceing your stress/mentalness. Instead of trying to avoid it, put yourself in more situations where it happens. I think you will find the best opportunities outside of league. There is nothing wrong with league, but I suggest something more than just league.
Enter tournaments. Find the best friendly players who don't play in the league and play them for money, lunch, or a beer... Just even a token something so you have skin in the game. Just examples, but the goal is to play in situations that trigger your shakes and chokes, and put yourself in those situations more often.
It will be hell at first, but if you keep doing it, you'll find that over time you'll get way more comfortable no matter who you play. You'll train your brain to get used to pressure, to feel less stress in a given situation. And when you get used to the stress of playing with something on the line, you'll find playing for points is nothing. It's not a quick fix, but over a couple months you'll be a new person.
And in the mean time, when you're in your APA games, just focus on each shot. Make sure you follow your pre-shot routine, that you give each shot it's full consideration just to focus. And breathe, it makes all the difference. So just focus on your game to distract you from your shakes.
In my case, not far from your situation, I hated choking or tweaking out whenever I'd play a better player just out of some uncontrollable fear of everybody seeing me get smashed and not live up to the other guys game.
Now I've gotten so much better wtih my choking and tweaking. I still get wigged out once in a blue moon, but when I do I can just shake it off after a few shots. And even though I've gotten way more comfortable now, I still put myself in stressful situations because I enjoy it now, at least in pool
I don't care if I win or lose, I just want to get in there and show people what I'm made of, even under pressure, even when I am likely going to lose. I just want to show my best game each time.
I say that, but it's not like I can be excited everytime. But he, 7 out 10 times I play, I'm itching to get in there and show people they really have to earn their game if they are going to win off of me.
I recently entered a local amateur tournament series, 3 tournaments once a month. Last month I played the first day, and I was bummed because I won all 4 matches I played that day. Those players just weren't hard enough to beat. I've played all those guys before, and each one has beaten me once in a while... But overall I knew I could beat all of them if I just didn't goof off.
So tomorrow is the second tournament. I will probably play those people who will destroy me, since because I won't play the same guys as last time. In the old day's I'd be nervous and freaking out knowing I was going to lose miserably and having to show everybody that I suck. But tomorrow I'm looking forward to it, super excited to get in there and battle it out, win or lose.
Good luck!
Regarding the alcohol, I can relate though it was not as bad for me. Once In while I realize I'm stressed and can just use a drink in general, so I have 2 or 3 beers. But now I refuse to drink just to try to perform in a game; it may work sometimes, but if you are not enjoying it then it's not worth it, and drinking should never be a solution to anything... Though I still believe gettting totally sloshed will rid you of the flu.
I believe what really works is embraceing your stress/mentalness. Instead of trying to avoid it, put yourself in more situations where it happens. I think you will find the best opportunities outside of league. There is nothing wrong with league, but I suggest something more than just league.
Enter tournaments. Find the best friendly players who don't play in the league and play them for money, lunch, or a beer... Just even a token something so you have skin in the game. Just examples, but the goal is to play in situations that trigger your shakes and chokes, and put yourself in those situations more often.
It will be hell at first, but if you keep doing it, you'll find that over time you'll get way more comfortable no matter who you play. You'll train your brain to get used to pressure, to feel less stress in a given situation. And when you get used to the stress of playing with something on the line, you'll find playing for points is nothing. It's not a quick fix, but over a couple months you'll be a new person.
And in the mean time, when you're in your APA games, just focus on each shot. Make sure you follow your pre-shot routine, that you give each shot it's full consideration just to focus. And breathe, it makes all the difference. So just focus on your game to distract you from your shakes.
In my case, not far from your situation, I hated choking or tweaking out whenever I'd play a better player just out of some uncontrollable fear of everybody seeing me get smashed and not live up to the other guys game.
Now I've gotten so much better wtih my choking and tweaking. I still get wigged out once in a blue moon, but when I do I can just shake it off after a few shots. And even though I've gotten way more comfortable now, I still put myself in stressful situations because I enjoy it now, at least in pool
I don't care if I win or lose, I just want to get in there and show people what I'm made of, even under pressure, even when I am likely going to lose. I just want to show my best game each time.I say that, but it's not like I can be excited everytime. But he, 7 out 10 times I play, I'm itching to get in there and show people they really have to earn their game if they are going to win off of me.
I recently entered a local amateur tournament series, 3 tournaments once a month. Last month I played the first day, and I was bummed because I won all 4 matches I played that day. Those players just weren't hard enough to beat. I've played all those guys before, and each one has beaten me once in a while... But overall I knew I could beat all of them if I just didn't goof off.
So tomorrow is the second tournament. I will probably play those people who will destroy me, since because I won't play the same guys as last time. In the old day's I'd be nervous and freaking out knowing I was going to lose miserably and having to show everybody that I suck. But tomorrow I'm looking forward to it, super excited to get in there and battle it out, win or lose.
Good luck!
Buzzed
I would wonder how you would perform when multiple matches were played. Something must give. I agree with another poster who recommended playing tourneys. Little bar tourneys with no league buddies around. No one knows you and cares about your performance. Have your little beer blanket but just sip on it. It's mental. Deal with it! Many players are in this boat with you. Some are called alcoholics. I went thru this beer buzz thing years ago and figured out a short cut! Don't wait for your beer buzz to kick in. Have two shots right before your match and a beer to sip on. Better yet is man up and deal with it! The alcohol makes you comfortable. Find another way to get there. Good luck.
I would wonder how you would perform when multiple matches were played. Something must give. I agree with another poster who recommended playing tourneys. Little bar tourneys with no league buddies around. No one knows you and cares about your performance. Have your little beer blanket but just sip on it. It's mental. Deal with it! Many players are in this boat with you. Some are called alcoholics. I went thru this beer buzz thing years ago and figured out a short cut! Don't wait for your beer buzz to kick in. Have two shots right before your match and a beer to sip on. Better yet is man up and deal with it! The alcohol makes you comfortable. Find another way to get there. Good luck.
i used to drink a lot, played pretty good but only when at a certain level of buzz. i quit drinking totally 25yrs ago, had to learn confidence by playing top players all the time, took about a year then got more confident and better thinking during a match. now i play better than i ever could have while drinking! so glad i quit! now my attidued is "who's the best in this tournament? i want to draw him first!
I'm currently reading POSM. It is worthwhile. Anyway, keep playing sober.... you will overcome the anxiety. You can do it. Might not happen overnight but one day you will come to terms and believe in yourself. You'll enjoy the game more.
BTW...you are not alone when feeling edgy in league. There is a certain tension. We want to play perfect. We want to perform. Learn how to relax and the table is yours.
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I'll save you some cash and tell you what a therapist would say about all of this. In a nutshell, you don't seem to have a problem with HAVING to drink to play better. Seems to me you have a slight anxiety issue or two going on. When you drink, your inhibitions are lowered, and, as a result, the anxiety subsides and you claim to play better. Long story short, you are medicating yourself physically with alcohol to offset a mental stumbling block of anxiousness. Isolating that issue(s) as well as it's root causes and developing a mental approach to taking on that mental hurdle is the key for you to be a-ok without the booze. It's kind of like the shanks in golf. See the movie Tin Cup for a better reference. Also, you may want to consult a physician just to rule out the oddball chance of any neurological conditions that would make all of what I just said a load of bs.
As far as the state-dependent learning that was mentioned earlier in the thread, I think that may be a stretch. You know the game sober, but your issue is with execution and not that you actually know the game better intoxicated.
As far as the state-dependent learning that was mentioned earlier in the thread, I think that may be a stretch. You know the game sober, but your issue is with execution and not that you actually know the game better intoxicated.