playing in the master league

L

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i am not trying to start a thread like skier girls, well maybe i am. i just want to share my experience playing at the highest level apa has to offer. i am one of those lowly 4s that some people on here degrade.

i was a bar banger in my younger years, never got serious,just a guys night out thing. i quit for 15 years dedicating my life to raise my family. i played in the bcapl breifly 5 years ago quiting for personal reasons . got back to playing last year in apa.

since my childre are grown and scattered to the 4 corners of the US i have time to dedicate to pool now. i have decided to be the best i can be now although i am way past my prime lol.

my 1st match last week i lost 7-0. my opponent broke and ran 4 games in a row in that match. the other 3 games i was able to put some 4-5 ball runs together but was not able to close the game.

i took a 1 day lesson from randy g 2 days ago and i think it has helped me some. i do know there is no such thing as a magic pill to make you better but i think if i put to good use what randy taught me i can continue improving.

i hope tonights results are an indication i am moving in the right direction. i lost 7-5. 2 of those games i dogged the 8, damn. old habits are hard to break lol.

if yall dont mind i would like to continue posting my progress playing in the masters. btw i also play s.d., d.j. and a money league. i think i am getting addicted to this game lol. please let me know what you think.
 
lorider said:
i am not trying to start a thread like skier girls, well maybe i am. i just want to share my experience playing at the highest level apa has to offer. i am one of those lowly 4s that some people on here degrade.

i was a bar banger in my younger years, never got serious,just a guys night out thing. i quit for 15 years dedicating my life to raise my family. i played in the bcapl breifly 5 years ago quiting for personal reasons . got back to playing last year in apa.

since my childre are grown and scattered to the 4 corners of the US i have time to dedicate to pool now. i have decided to be the best i can be now although i am way past my prime lol.

my 1st match last week i lost 7-0. my opponent broke and ran 4 games in a row in that match. the other 3 games i was able to put some 4-5 ball runs together but was not able to close the game.

i took a 1 day lesson from randy g 2 days ago and i think it has helped me some. i do know there is no such thing as a magic pill to make you better but i think if i put to good use what randy taught me i can continue improving.

i hope tonights results are an indication i am moving in the right direction. i lost 7-5. 2 of those games i dogged the 8, damn. old habits are hard to break lol.

if yall dont mind i would like to continue posting my progress playing in the masters. btw i also play s.d., d.j. and a money league. i think i am getting addicted to this game lol. please let me know what you think.
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I think it's very cool.

I wish we had a Masters League here. I would probably give it a try, even if I did get my brains beat in (like is happening to me currently in the regular 8-ball league, lol). It's always good to be able to test yourself against better competition.

Good luck. I'd like to know how you're doing. I have a feeling you'll be doing better and better.

(I'm still envious that you got to have a lesson with RandyG! :D )
 
I think its cool too. Myself, I hit little plateaus periodically and sometimes it feels like I slip backwards before moving on. It would be nice to hear about others progress along the way. Playing in the Masters Division is a pretty sporty way of doing it.
Good luck and good playing.
 
lorider said:
i am not trying to start a thread like skier girls, well maybe i am. i just want to share my experience playing at the highest level apa has to offer. i am one of those lowly 4s that some people on here degrade.

i was a bar banger in my younger years, never got serious,just a guys night out thing. i quit for 15 years dedicating my life to raise my family. i played in the bcapl breifly 5 years ago quiting for personal reasons . got back to playing last year in apa.

since my childre are grown and scattered to the 4 corners of the US i have time to dedicate to pool now. i have decided to be the best i can be now although i am way past my prime lol.

my 1st match last week i lost 7-0. my opponent broke and ran 4 games in a row in that match. the other 3 games i was able to put some 4-5 ball runs together but was not able to close the game.

i took a 1 day lesson from randy g 2 days ago and i think it has helped me some. i do know there is no such thing as a magic pill to make you better but i think if i put to good use what randy taught me i can continue improving.

i hope tonights results are an indication i am moving in the right direction. i lost 7-5. 2 of those games i dogged the 8, damn. old habits are hard to break lol.

if yall dont mind i would like to continue posting my progress playing in the masters. btw i also play s.d., d.j. and a money league. i think i am getting addicted to this game lol. please let me know what you think.
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You're already a hero in my book. Good luck in your pool game and no, not everyone looks down on 4's or league players.
 
lorider...I'm certain that Randyg told you that you'd play worse initially (and specifically that if you had to play league, you should just play your "old" game, and not try to employ the things you just learned, because you have to practice what he taught you. The main point is that you cannot play and learn and the same time. The reason you're 'dogging' shots (the 8 or whatever) is because you don't have a consistent process. Randy showed you how to figure out what your process is...and how to practice it most efficiently, until it can become an ingrained habit. That said, two days after your lesson, is not enough time to change years-long bad habits.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

.
lorider said:
i am not trying to start a thread like skier girls, well maybe i am. i just want to share my experience playing at the highest level apa has to offer. i am one of those lowly 4s that some people on here degrade.

i was a bar banger in my younger years, never got serious,just a guys night out thing. i quit for 15 years dedicating my life to raise my family. i played in the bcapl breifly 5 years ago quiting for personal reasons . got back to playing last year in apa.

since my childre are grown and scattered to the 4 corners of the US i have time to dedicate to pool now. i have decided to be the best i can be now although i am way past my prime lol.

my 1st match last week i lost 7-0. my opponent broke and ran 4 games in a row in that match. the other 3 games i was able to put some 4-5 ball runs together but was not able to close the game.

i took a 1 day lesson from randy g 2 days ago and i think it has helped me some. i do know there is no such thing as a magic pill to make you better but i think if i put to good use what randy taught me i can continue improving.

i hope tonights results are an indication i am moving in the right direction. i lost 7-5. 2 of those games i dogged the 8, damn. old habits are hard to break lol.

if yall dont mind i would like to continue posting my progress playing in the masters. btw i also play s.d., d.j. and a money league. i think i am getting addicted to this game lol. please let me know what you think.
Click to expand...
 
I tip my hat to you for entering into the master league. I like reading about other player's experiences, and will keep track of yours as well.

I would love to write about my own progress but wonder if it should be in a thread or a blog. The forum threads are more noticable, but a blog seems more appropriate and those buttons up top seem to be underused. Maybe a thread to announce a new blog?

Don't take that as a criticism of your thread though; I'm still feeling my way around here and could be inadvertently stepping on toes.
 
You're on the right track. I sure wish we had a masters division in my area. Those have no handicap, right? That might just change my opinion of league play.

Also, just remember that if you have fun, you can never lose...
 
I love the format and lack of handicapping. One league I actually enjoy playing. Good for you.

I guess it's fortunate your able to play it there , our masters only allows SL7s or higher.
 
Congrats on joining Masters. I have been playing Masters for about 5 sessions. Had my ups and downs but I will say that my game has much improved since starting. I was a good APA 5(locally) at the time and have since moved to a decent 7(locally) in the same frame of time. We have trouble getting people to play in our area because they are afraid of getting spanked every week but I strongly encourage anyone to play in Masters. The lack of a handicap lets you know if you won that night that you actually won. There is no reason for sandbagging and that's what I love about it. Well, that and the stronger competition. Thankfully in our area most of our APA leagues are done on 9' tables so it's even more fun.

Once again..congrats and hang in there. It can be a good time.
 
Plateauville

Blue Hog ridr said:
I think its cool too. Myself, I hit little plateaus periodically and sometimes it feels like I slip backwards before moving on. It would be nice to hear about others progress along the way. Playing in the Masters Division is a pretty sporty way of doing it.
Good luck and good playing.
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So true on the plateaus. As you learn new skills, your game changes as you try your new skills. This is also why many players games become stagnant. They are not learning new things so they STAY on that plateau. Much like the Peter Principle in economics, you rise to the level of your own incompetence! Lessons would be awesome if you can afford them. One pocket is the greatest learning game IMO. Anyone who wants to be serious about their game should start playing one hole with a good one hole player. Whitey is your best friend. Take care of whitey and whitey will take care of you.
 
You will get better alot faster playing at the top level like that. You are a rare breed, most people who play this game want an easy ride, they actually get pissed off when they "have" to play top players. In sports like golf your average golfer would love to play a round with a PGA pro. It is sad.
 
Masters APA

This session is my first APA exerience. I play in a group with just 4 teams and we played 14 weeks straight. I won 14 weeks in a row, the 2nd best player on the teams is still a big underdog to me. Our team is in 2nd place and the finals are Sunday to see who gets to Vegas. 4th place will play 3rd, 2 out of 3 sets, then the winner of that plays my team. Then we will play the 1st place team who is ahead of us by 5 games and we won just under 200 as I remember. The winner of that goes to Vegas. I know there our weakest player will be a problem, just too many monster teams there as I've heard. Winning the trip will be a great start, anything there will be a bonus.

It's been something different for me, still pool, still cool. If we win a trip to Vegas like I expect it will be great. Barbox 9 ball on a Valley is just too easy of a game, but still fun. And the 8 ball, well it's the future of pool right?

Good luck in the masters, it's always nice to play stronger players, the only way you learn really.
 
This might be a stupid question but how do I join a master league in my local area? Love playing the league but not a fun of the sandbagging in regular sessions.
Thanks.



leehayes said:
Congrats on joining Masters. I have been playing Masters for about 5 sessions. Had my ups and downs but I will say that my game has much improved since starting. I was a good APA 5(locally) at the time and have since moved to a decent 7(locally) in the same frame of time. We have trouble getting people to play in our area because they are afraid of getting spanked every week but I strongly encourage anyone to play in Masters. The lack of a handicap lets you know if you won that night that you actually won. There is no reason for sandbagging and that's what I love about it. Well, that and the stronger competition. Thankfully in our area most of our APA leagues are done on 9' tables so it's even more fun.

Once again..congrats and hang in there. It can be a good time.
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KoolKiller said:
This might be a stupid question but how do I join a master league in my local area? Love playing the league but not a fun of the sandbagging in regular sessions.
Thanks.
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You'll need to check with your LO to see if he/she offers Master League in your area. If so, they'll be able to let you know what to do next.

Some of the players in your handicapped league might already know the answer, as well.
 
I played briefly in the Masters division and enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it folded in our area. Don't think the LO was very interested in promoting it. Just IMO... :cool:
 
Thanks! will do so...

justadub said:
You'll need to check with your LO to see if he/she offers Master League in your area. If so, they'll be able to let you know what to do next.

Some of the players in your handicapped league might already know the answer, as well.
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jalapus logan said:
You're on the right track. I sure wish we had a masters division in my area. Those have no handicap, right? That might just change my opinion of league play.

Also, just remember that if you have fun, you can never lose...
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I know we have an APA master league. I don't know what the format is, but someone called me yesterday and asked if I could join a team. Something to look into sir. It is on Monday nights, but I don't know the place or the format. I'm guessing it's at SC.

To the OP, not everyone here looks down on lower skill levels. I find it encouraging when anyone is looking to improve, whether they play better or worse than me. Just remember, everyone who plays better than you had to start somewhere. All players were the equivalent to a SL 4 at some point (maybe not John Schmidt but he is a freak, lol).

Keep playing and keep improving. If there is anything you wonder about post it and I'm sure AZ can help. If you know how to use the Wei table you can learn a lot. If there is a rack you're not sure how to run, sketch it on a napkin, come here and start a thread. The different responses of how others would run the rack will really help with your strategy.

Good luck and don't give up. I'm looking forward to hearing about your milestones.

-Brandon
 
i want to thank all of your for your great responses. for those that are curious about the master league format or how to get on a team ask your lo or other players about one in your area. if you dont have a master league in your area you could ask your lo to attach a flyer to every teams scoresheet asking if enough people are interested in joining to form one.

in my area we play on bar boxes in a race to 7. there are 8 games of 9 ball allowed and 5 games of 8 ball. example : if after 8 games of 9 ball you are tied at 4-4 you would switch over to 8 ball and the 1st one to 7 is the winner. you lag for the option of breaking or choosing the game to start. example : if you win the lag and decide to break 1st your opponent gets to decide wether to start 8 or 9 ball 1st. if you choose to decide what game to start your opponent gets to break 1 st. winner breaks after that.

again thanks for the words of encouragement to everyone.
 
Celtic said:
In sports like golf your average golfer would love to play a round with a PGA pro. It is sad.
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Sure, but in golf the pro can't force you to bank at the pocket... You get to play your game and watch him play his game, and compare. Find a good enough pool pro and you'll never even get to the table for the comparison.
 
I started a Masters League in the spring and even though the bar and the league waived all fees for the first season, I only got 4 teams to play. The reason? Most 4s and 5s, and many 6s, were scared to play. Some did, and they all liked it and said they learned a lot. But most didn't even try.

In any case, kudos to you for trying something difficult. I wish more people had that attitude.

In my division, there wasn't a lot of strategy for most of the season, meaning the matches tended to be either 4s and 5s or 6s and 7s. So even a 4 will likely win a match here and there.

Cory
 
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