Quitting Smoking and Its Effect On One's Pool Game...

StevenPWaldon

StevenPWaldon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm quitting smoking, and I'm all agitated and fidgety after a few days without the nicotine.

Any helpful suggestions from those who have quit, to remain calm and loose?

I had a few practice sets with a teammate, and beat him 7-1, 7-2, 7-4. Despite the wins, and a few great break and runs, *whenever* I would miss a ball I wanted to snap my cue over my knee. It started to affect my game toward the end, and I need a way to calm myself down.

Advice from the quitters?
 
I quit smoking the same day my table was delivered Oct. 23 2008

the pool table became my cigarette.. instead of having a smoke I played a rack of 10 ball... or did a drill...

every craving every time..... and it eventually worked...

I was also taking chantix which I highly recommend you will have some strange dreams but stick with the pills until you finally break down and have a smoke..I made it a month and a half before I broke down I got 2 drags in and didn't get the AHHHHHHHH moment I was expecting.. I threw the rest of it on the ground.. and the other 19 in the trash and haven't looked back.

I quit taking the pills the week after that...

you can get there dude you just got to want it....


( where have you heard that before):thumbup:
 
It is the best move you will ever make. I stopped smoking Nov 3rd. 2008. Get the patch if you are finding it dificult to stop or having thoughts of harming your cue...

I used the patch for about a month, it made it so I was able to do it without killing me or those around me (Dieckman). I used the patch while I played it seemed to help.

I went from three packs a day to 0 cigs never cheated one time. I think the patch helped most. Good Luck man Wish I still had some left over patches to send.

Jamison
 
The worst effect is the one it has on your opponent's pool game. My buddy quit chew and came in bugeyed with unwashed hair and a stubble. He twitched, hollered, sang, bit his own shoulder, tapped his feet, and was a general spastic. I couldn't fade the distraction and my game went down 4 balls or more. By the end of the night I was begging him to take it up again.

Sadly he caved in and did that but I hope you stick with it. It's one of the hardest things you will do and you can hold your head up high if you pull it off.
 
I've been sucking on Jolly Ranchers and other hard candies. The jolly ranchers are OKAY, but a little distracting at first. I've also done the "toothpick" thing, might work better for you. Also, those cheap little "Dum-Dum" suckers help take the edge off, and I can put it down while I'm shooting so it isn't a distraction at all.

Good luck!
 
When you quit smoking, you need to cut down on your caffeine. Nicotine metabolizes caffeine in the body, so when you cut out the nicotine, the same caffeine intake will have a much more pronounced effect, typically about double.

Good luck.
 
I've been thinking real hard about quitting too. I also wonder what effect it will have on my game and with State coming up less than a month away I'm wondering if I should wait until after State is over just to be safe. :confused:
 
LoL, it's good to see a man with priorities!

IA8baller said:
I've been thinking real hard about quitting too. I also wonder what effect it will have on my game and with State coming up less than a month away I'm wondering if I should wait until after State is over just to be safe. :confused:
Click to expand...
 
StevenPWaldon said:
I'm quitting smoking, and I'm all agitated and fidgety after a few days without the nicotine.

Any helpful suggestions from those who have quit, to remain calm and loose?

I had a few practice sets with a teammate, and beat him 7-1, 7-2, 7-4. Despite the wins, and a few great break and runs, *whenever* I would miss a ball I wanted to snap my cue over my knee. It started to affect my game toward the end, and I need a way to calm myself down.

Advice from the quitters?
Click to expand...

Not sure how long you've been off them but it's been a little over 2 months for me. The first few days are the worst because that's when you are breaking the chemical/physical addiction. Within 10-14 it is completely out of your system and all that's left are psychological urges, your brain reminding you that you used to smoke during certan events.

I can tell you that once you get past the physical addiction you will become calmer than ever before. If you want a great site and the one that helped me get through it, go to: http://whyquit.com
and check out Joel's articles down the middle.

Good luck man.
Koop
 
The patch is the best because it gradually reduces the addiction to nicotine, without the harmful effects of smoking.

The fact that it's gradual also reduces the shock of instant total withdrawal.

Good Luck.
 
StevenPWaldon said:
I'm quitting smoking, and I'm all agitated and fidgety after a few days without the nicotine.

Any helpful suggestions from those who have quit, to remain calm and loose?

I had a few practice sets with a teammate, and beat him 7-1, 7-2, 7-4. Despite the wins, and a few great break and runs, *whenever* I would miss a ball I wanted to snap my cue over my knee. It started to affect my game toward the end, and I need a way to calm myself down.

Advice from the quitters?
Click to expand...

Take my advice with a grain of salt since I've never been a smoker, but from what I understand, a lot of exercise is a great way to keep calm while quitting. It lowers your stress levels, vents your excess energy, and releases some of the endorphins your brain so desperately craves now that it isn't getting nicotine. Do some substantial working out every day. The endorphins are released in greater quantity the harder you push yourself, and pushing real hard during a workout can be a good way to vent the negative emotions that you're overly sensitized to right now.

-Andrew
 
Fortunately I'm on the patch.

Unfortunately, I'm still easily agitated.

I've found that making an effort to breathe while shooting helps. Of course, it wasn't something I stumbled upon alone. Last night after practice with one of my sparring partners, I kept on with the practice after he had left. I was playing halfway decent, but embarrassingly I would throw out an f-bomb when I missed and it was making me tense. Some stranger practicing some 14.1 on a table next to me looks at me and tells me, "Breathe!" He goes on to say how Abe Rosen always told him back in the day that you had to continue to breathe while down on a shot. Turns out it works pretty well. In addition to keeping my back arm a little loose, I was missing fewer balls and not having to keep on with the four-letter words.


worldison2 said:
The patch is the best because it gradually reduces the addiction to nicotine, without the harmful effects of smoking.

The fact that it's gradual also reduces the shock of instant total withdrawal.

Good Luck.
Click to expand...
 
I remember that day...

I quit smoking just over 10 years ago and at first I tried to go cold turkey. The funny thing is, that night I was shooting pool and I slammed every single ball. I could just feel anger... I guess I needed a fix.. LOL

Anyway, I bought a pack of Smokes and at the same time a box of Nicoderm patches. I smoked that night but got up the next morning, put a patch on and I've never touched a cigarette again.

It is tough being around pool rooms where there is usually a lot of smokers. But I made myself do it and I didn't consider myself a non-smoker until I had quit for 8 months.

Here is a pat on the back for you... Good Job!

Angela
 
Chantix

softshot said:
I quit smoking the same day my table was delivered Oct. 23 2008

the pool table became my cigarette.. instead of having a smoke I played a rack of 10 ball... or did a drill...

every craving every time..... and it eventually worked...

I was also taking chantix which I highly recommend you will have some strange dreams but stick with the pills until you finally break down and have a smoke..I made it a month and a half before I broke down I got 2 drags in and didn't get the AHHHHHHHH moment I was expecting.. I threw the rest of it on the ground.. and the other 19 in the trash and haven't looked back.

I quit taking the pills the week after that...

you can get there dude you just got to want it....


( where have you heard that before):thumbup:
Click to expand...


Exactly - I think the Chantix helped me a lot.

I quit four months ago (Nov 7) and I have now gone up to a SL7 in 9ball.
At first it was difficult, but once you are past the first few weeks, it will get a little easier all the time. I also do cue repair up at a local pool hall three nights a week and have everyone smoking while watching me - you just have to not let it bother you! And "breathing" does help!

BTW - I smoked heavy for 39 years - if I can do it, so can you!

Larry Hale
 
Waldron - why are you worried about the impact on your pool game ? What you should be worried about, and the ONLY thing that you worry about....is that you keep on TRYING to quit. I've been off them for years and I still try every day. If you get a nervous urge, you can a) take a deep breath, b) count to fifty backwards, progressively more slowly as you go, c) repeat (in your head) Carl Weather's famous line in Happy Gilmore...."Just Tap it in Happy, Taaaap it in..." or d) go have a butt and try to quit again tomorrow. The addiction is worse than heroin. Don't try to have it all at one time. Keep your eye on the prize and don't stop trying. Success if not "quitting", its that you keep on trying.

So, having said all of that,

Tap it in Happy, just Taaaap it in....

tim
 
It's not unusual to get tensed up. Just notice it and take a deep breath, or go wash up and take a few deep breaths.

Don't big deal the tension. Everybody experiences some tension but someone who is quitting smoking feels some tension and then gets worried about it and the worry amplifies the tension.

After 49 years of smoking it's been almost 6 years without a smoke. I still experience tension. It's part of life. Easy Does It.
 
I'm a Quitter!

StevenPWaldon said:
I'm quitting smoking, and I'm all agitated and fidgety after a few days without the nicotine.

Any helpful suggestions from those who have quit, to remain calm and loose?

I had a few practice sets with a teammate, and beat him 7-1, 7-2, 7-4. Despite the wins, and a few great break and runs, *whenever* I would miss a ball I wanted to snap my cue over my knee. It started to affect my game toward the end, and I need a way to calm myself down.

Advice from the quitters?
Click to expand...

Good for you Steven!
The 7, 14 & 21 day patch works wonders for calming you down. (It did for me at least 10 years ago, maybe 15 and I was a heavy smoker).

Quitting smoking is THE BEST THING YOU WILL EVER DO FOR YOURSELF*.

Just remember, that smoking is an addiction. Each time the desire to smoke is so great that you are ready to get some relief, simply say, "I am not going to smoke right now". In time, you will be saying that less often and the craving withdrawal symptons will be farther spread apart. And one day, one day a long time from now, you will wake up and a whole day will go by and you will not have the craving for the nicotine. Life is FAR BETTER without cigarettes, WHICH ARE GUARANTEED TO shorten your life and to diminish the quality of your life.

JoeyA (*based upon personal experience that you can take to the bank)
 
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6 yrs now

Feb 23 was my 6th year since I quit, best thing I ever did.
I did nothing special, just quit. although it did work on my game I just kept playing and tried to relax.

I did use the 7 day smoke away pills and after the 2nd day I was done.

Now mind you I still get that urge once in a while after I eat or have sex with myself, LOL.

You can do it if you want to, and you have to really want to quit.

highrun55
 
Why am I focused on my pool game? Because I know I can quit smoking. Quitting smoking isn't the issue here. Maintaining my cool at the table is.

I posted this *not* for suggestions how to quit smoking. There are plenty of resources online for that, and I've got a good group of friends to offer me support on quitting. This I'm not so worried about.

What I *am* worried about is keeping my cool when coming off smoking, be it deep breaths, chewing gum, screaming at the top of your lungs, etc.

stikapos said:
Waldron - why are you worried about the impact on your pool game ? What you should be worried about, and the ONLY thing that you worry about....is that you keep on TRYING to quit. I've been off them for years and I still try every day. If you get a nervous urge, you can a) take a deep breath, b) count to fifty backwards, progressively more slowly as you go, c) repeat (in your head) Carl Weather's famous line in Happy Gilmore...."Just Tap it in Happy, Taaaap it in..." or d) go have a butt and try to quit again tomorrow. The addiction is worse than heroin. Don't try to have it all at one time. Keep your eye on the prize and don't stop trying. Success if not "quitting", its that you keep on trying.

So, having said all of that,

Tap it in Happy, just Taaaap it in....

tim
Click to expand...
 
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stevenpwaldon said:
i'm quitting smoking, and i'm all agitated and fidgety after a few days without the nicotine.

Any helpful suggestions from those who have quit, to remain calm and loose?

I had a few practice sets with a teammate, and beat him 7-1, 7-2, 7-4. Despite the wins, and a few great break and runs, *whenever* i would miss a ball i wanted to snap my cue over my knee. It started to affect my game toward the end, and i need a way to calm myself down.

Advice from the quitters?
Click to expand...

STEVEN,

i gained about 100 lbs. When i quit smoking, then i lost about 100 lbs. That cycle has been repeated about three times in the past 14 years since i quit smoking. I have a hard time feeling comfortable at the (pool) table when i am carrying the extra weight. I was a three to four pack a day smoker for about 10 years. Be carefull about your weight & good luck with kicking the habit.

Slim
 
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