Playing Badly

Rio19

Rio19

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello everyone.

Last night I had my first loss in league play which is no big deal (you can't win them all). But on this night it seems that I could not do anything right or my opponent could not do anything wrong.

My safety play was horrible, and even when I did make a good safe he not only hit the OB ball but played it.

Truth be told I could not make a ball and my focus really wasn't where it needed to be. But even so I played way below myself and I just could not pull it together.

So my question to my fellow AZer's is how do you guys pull it together when you are playing poorly?
 
You can try to focus on basics, your pre shot routine, how you're standing, etc. Make sure you haven't changed something by accident.

The second option you don't really have while playing league, but poker has taught me some days you're just going to be off. Be it mentally or physically and once you notice you're off, stop playing for the day. Go home and relax, or go do something you haven't done in a while. Go out to eat, go to a movie, etc.

If its league and you have to play, just try to focus on basics and get back in stroke. If its just a night out with friends, or you're gambling, try to pull it together with basics, but after a set or two, if you're not firing on all cylinders, just call it a night. Don't feel as though you have to "play through it" or "tough it out" all the time.

Bad nights happen. Smart players realize when they aren't playing well and don't play. Not so smart players keep playing an end up a bigger loser than they should have been.
 
I had the same problem on my 9ball game last Monday. It was terrible. I'm liking the suggestions so far. I have also gone back to doing a few drills as a pregame warm up. They always help me get a good groove even if I'm not feeling so great.
As for me I know last Monday, I got cocky, I got careless, and I had too much vodka.
Loren

Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 Windos mobile phone using Board Express
 
One loss isn't bad. I've been struggling in league for a few mths now. This is my first time playing league and I'm playing well under my abilities. I'll shoot decent one week, then fall apart the next. I play great in practice/night out with the team, but then it comes to league and my game falls apart. It's all in my head at this point and I can't seem to get out of there :angry:
 
he's right...if you're off...it's almost always basics. When I'm off I just check my psr and stance....if it's not that I'm not focusing on the shot and only the shot when I'm down. Simple as that. When I get those things back in line my game returns.

It's easy to let the game get away from you if you don't stop and realize that's what happening and it only gets worse each shot!
 
There's one thing that helps me keep my shit together.
Well, two things.

1. If I treat every shot with care, then nothing I did was "wrong" really. I did the best I could with the tools I had. The only reason to ever get down on yourself is if you hit a ball carelessly.

2. It's all statistics. Even a 90% shot can get missed, especially if it comes up a dozen times in a match. If I try a tough shot and miss, it's fine, because statistically I'm supposed to miss it. I knew that when I shot it, but I still went for it... because I've decided it's the right shot for the situation.

Sometimes you're trying, and it's just not good enough... the other guy gets crucial rolls, your kicks all sell out, his fly in the hole, etc. Certain shots in the match are what you'd call 50/50 propositions. Just as you can sometimes flip a coin 4 times and come up tails each time, occasionally you'll try these marginal shots or safeties or kicks and get boned each time. That's nothing to be mad about, it's just going to happen some nights.

The bottom line is to give every shot your full care and attention. When I know I'm doing this, it helps my mental game because it takes all the blame and pressure out of my shooting. I can't get mad at me, nobody else can either, so there's no reason to feel bad if I lose.
 
Not to be the devil's advocate, but sometimes you can try too hard. It's when you can use maximum effort without seeming to be using any effort at all. Effortless effort is what they call it and it's an elusive place to find.

When playing badly, usually from trying too hard, I go the bathroom and comb my hair, wash my face, tuck my shirt in, etc...When I come out, I look and feel like a winner, pure and simple.

However, when roadplayers made the "bathroom move," it was usually to partake in some nose candy.
 
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One thing that's easy to say but hard to do is not focus on what your opponent is doing, you mention his play in half of your post which means you paid a lot of attention to what he did. If you focus on your game more completely I think it will help you get back in line faster, it's hard for your game to get better when both you and your opponent are thinking about how he is playing.
 
I have times that I can not do anything right. I can't correct what is not there. I leave the room never wanting to go back.
The next day I'm real happy with the way I played. That's pool I guess.
 
League pool is just that way. Hell you barely get enough play to warm up your stroke. If I start off bad I just grab another double aiming fluid and try again.

JC
 
AAaaahhh!! I could take your original post and make it mine.

So I get my first FULL week off from league, 3 nights a week, then decide I'm going to extend my time off to refresh by ONLY playing my league games - and play fine.

Now go back to my normal practice schedule and shoot like the proverbial donkey. Me, I think I dropped practice and lost a little muscle memory, mental focus, likely both. So even though I was losing a little focus in my practice, I should NOT have stopped.

...and when you play next week, don't take any prisoners...
 
I have found that when I'm all amped up at a tourney or league match I really have to make an extra effort to slow the %$^* down. Nothing good ever comes from too much adrenaline or nerves. When my backstroke is slow and relaxed I shoot well, If not, I don't have a prayer. That being said, the hardest part is remembering that simple fact, but I'm getting there.
 
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