Not ashamed...

N

Neil

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Since the trolling thread about me was removed, and some think that was indicative of how I always play, I decided to throw up a video of around the same time frame when I was having a much better breathing day. This video is pretty indicative of how I actually played a couple of years ago. I feel that it does back up the things I have tried to teach on here. Some may not think so.

It's nothing great, by any means. I'm just an A player, not a pro or shortstop. Never claimed to be. But, on occasion I have held my own with a few shortstops and pros. You can fast forward through the set-up parts and just watch the actual shooting, and it takes about half the time to watch. I'm open to comments on it, just try not to be a horse's rear-end about it.;)

The video is me taking the Billiard University Masters test, part 1. Part 2 is most likely in the sidebar, but not worth watching. I fell apart at the end of the test and made some boneheaded mistakes that cost me a better score bigtime. Missed shots that I don't normally miss one after the other. :o

The test is a real good test that covers many aspects of play. If you haven't tried it, I strongly suggest trying it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0I4P7azhyE
 
I'm glad that trolling thread got pulled. I can't believe the trouble people take, just to try to make fun of and belittle people, even going so far as to try to make fun of peoples illness! I was disgusted. I hope that guy got banned!
 
Neil I personally have never had a problem with you or anything you have tried to teach.
I will check out the vid and thanks for the link. :cool:
 
I liked listening to the radio station more than watching you play. I had to give you a hard time. Excellent choice in music my friend.
 
Nothing to be ashamed about. That was some good shooting and I'm sure you hit them even better at a younger age. Johnnyt
 
Allen Brown said:
I liked listening to the radio station more than watching you play. I had to give you a hard time. Excellent choice in music my friend.
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After your post, I had to go back and watch it again. I wasn't sure if you were talking about the washing machine running in the beginning, or me passing gas near the end. I couldn't hear any music until I cranked the volume all the way up. Guess I'm going deaf too! :eek:
 
Neil said:
After your post, I had to go back and watch it again. I wasn't sure if you were talking about the washing machine running in the beginning, or me passing gas near the end. I couldn't hear any music until I cranked the volume all the way up. Guess I'm going deaf too! :eek:
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It was posted in December. Totally acceptable :P
 
Here's part 2 of the test. It really showcases how to take something going good and then totally blow it. It's those pesky little lapses in attention to detail that will screw up a good thing. In my case here, if I remember correctly, it was simply a case of knowing things were going good, and then making the amateur mistake of slightly letting up a little expecting things to continue to go good. It's those little let ups in focus that cost so much, and what separates a lot of good amateurs from being better overall. The old "capable of beating almost anyone in the tournament, but not likely to win it" syndrome.

In this case, I KNEW I would ace the rail and jacked up shots. Totally blew them. Same with the jump shots. The one jump I couldn't believe the ball didn't fall, even with tight pockets. And the scratch on another jump was just one of those "you got to be kidding me" shots. Crap happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYSdA7v7t4M

And, thanks for all the good replies guys.
 
Neil said:
Since the trolling thread about me was removed, and some think that was indicative of how I always play, I decided to throw up a video of around the same time frame when I was having a much better breathing day. This video is pretty indicative of how I actually played a couple of years ago. I feel that it does back up the things I have tried to teach on here. Some may not think so.

It's nothing great, by any means. I'm just an A player, not a pro or shortstop. Never claimed to be. But, on occasion I have held my own with a few shortstops and pros. You can fast forward through the set-up parts and just watch the actual shooting, and it takes about half the time to watch. I'm open to comments on it, just try not to be a horse's rear-end about it.;)

The video is me taking the Billiard University Masters test, part 1. Part 2 is most likely in the sidebar, but not worth watching. I fell apart at the end of the test and made some boneheaded mistakes that cost me a better score bigtime. Missed shots that I don't normally miss one after the other. :o

The test is a real good test that covers many aspects of play. If you haven't tried it, I strongly suggest trying it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0I4P7azhyE
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Neil, as the recipient of a lot of banned members posting (trolls), I empathize with your frustration. I realize today that the only reason it was so hurtful to me was because I used to care a great deal about AzBilliards Discussion Forum. I devoted a lot of time to contributing to pool-related threads, whether it be about historical events, trip reports, updates at tournament, photographs, and fun pool memories.

When they went after Keith because of their disdain for me, that ended me caring about this forum. When you let it go, it won't bother you anymore, either. ;)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. There really is a life outside of AzBilliards Discussion Forum. You can still enjoy the News Page on front page of the website without even having to venture into the Discussion Forum. I find I like reading the News page in the mornings.

I come to the forum mainly to catch up on tournament updates. We have friends active on the tournament trail, and it's fun to see how far they advanced and how much money they pocketed.

Like the print newspapers that have gone belly up, the fourth estate has suffered a major blow thanks to the advent of crowd sourcing and social media. You can today get the news much faster on crowd-sourcing and social medial outlets than you can in print or on a discussion forum.

If camaraderie is what you're looking for, networking with like-minded folks, the forum used to be a great place to do this, but due to the trolls continuing to jump in and out of threads with their nasty and flippant posts made for the sole purpose of causing hurt and/or anger, this forum does not offer what it used to.
 
I give you a lot of credit for having the patience to go through all that. I have a GC3 in my basement, and if a buddy doesn't call me to play some straight pool or one pocket, that table sits idle.

If I tried to go down to practice it would go like this...... 5 or 6 serious, focused shots, another 5 or 6 bank shots one stroked at a zillion miles an hour, then totally bored, I stop playing.

I give everyone a lot of credit that practice. I envy the enthusiasm. I can't do it. I gotta be playing.
 
Neil said:
Since the trolling thread about me was removed, and some think that was indicative of how I always play, I decided to throw up a video of around the same time frame when I was having a much better breathing day. This video is pretty indicative of how I actually played a couple of years ago.
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I've seen video of you playing in a tournament and it was clear to me that you played pretty decent, even better than the video you posted today would indicate from what I saw.

Neil said:
I feel that it does back up the things I have tried to teach on here.
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The thing is there shouldn't really be a need for people to have to justify their physical skill level to be taken seriously for their knowledge as they have very little relation to each other. Some people just don't have much physical skill but have tremendous knowledge, and some people have tremendous physical skill and crappy knowledge. Very little relation. And it is only in pool that we hold the expectation that if someone can't play pro speed they can't have much knowledge. Most of the coaches and most knowledgeable people in the world for most sports were never pro level and sometimes they even really sucked and occasionally never even played the sport themselves at all. You don't have to have superior physical skills to have superior knowledge.
 
Poolplaya9 said:
........................

The thing is there shouldn't really be a need for people to have to justify their physical skill level to be taken seriously for their knowledge as they have very little relation to each other. Some people just don't have much physical skill but have tremendous knowledge, and some people have tremendous physical skill and crappy knowledge. Very little relation. And it is only in pool that we hold the expectation that if someone can't play pro speed they can't have much knowledge. Most of the coaches and most knowledgeable people in the world for most sports were never pro level and sometimes they even really sucked and occasionally never even played the sport themselves at all. You don't have to have superior physical skills to have superior knowledge.
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I agree with what you stated, and have said the same myself many times on here. With the one exception being someone that has been playing for many years and has never improved at all and has normal physical characteristics and still plays at a very low level. That person I would immediately suspect as having a lot of misinformation going on.

What I was actually referring to, and admittedly wasn't very clear about, is the fact that the pendulum stroke does not hinder play, that drills help one improve, that one can be very aware of just what they are doing without playing like a blind turtle, (which means one can have the conscious mind very aware of what is happening while still allowing the subconscious mind to do the actual work.), that I actually do know which end of the cue to use, ect.
 
abbassi said:
Looks boring and lonely.
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Oh, I assure you, it's not at all for me. (assuming you are talking about doing drills) Testing yourself should never be boring, and playing by yourself is only boring if one really doesn't like just being with themselves. When playing, one shouldn't be talking to friends, and when your friend is shooting, you shouldn't be talking to them. So, yes, in a way, pool is a lonely game meaning it should really be just you and the table. But one should enjoy that time with themselves.
 
Practice

Neil said:
Oh, I assure you, it's not at all for me. (assuming you are talking about doing drills) Testing yourself should never be boring, and playing by yourself is only boring if one really doesn't like just being with themselves. When playing, one shouldn't be talking to friends, and when your friend is shooting, you shouldn't be talking to them. So, yes, in a way, pool is a lonely game meaning it should really be just you and the table. But one should enjoy that time with themselves.
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Neil, keep doing what you are doing. All of that "boring and lonely" make for consistency so when you are in a tourney and there are plenty of people betting against you, you pull off that shot or run BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE THIS A MILLION TIMES.
I see guys just banging balls all the time and they call it practice but if you aren't concentrating it is just banging balls. Getting on the right side of balls for the next leave, making breakout shots when necessary and yes, even practicing safeties is where its at.
 
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