Slump... HELP!!

[BryanJca]

I need advice..

I am in the worst slump of my billiards life. (only been playing for 4 or 5 years). I play in a league and normally win with a .650 average, last season was my best ever at .800. So far this season I am barely over .500 and its the same competition. I feel like I am just giving away game after game and the harder I fight and the more I practice the more frustrated I get on league night. I have heard this kind of thing refered to as "quicksand" in other sports.

I know there are people in here who have been playing for 30-40 years and must have been through this.. Any advice? I am at a point where pool is no longer fun and I leave frustrated from league night every week. I know one option is to just put my cue away for a month or so but I cannot let my team down as I commited to play each week.

HELP!!

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

I need advice..

I am in the worst slump of my billiards life. (only been playing for 4 or 5 years). I play in a league and normally win with a .650 average, last season was my best ever at .800. So far this season I am barely over .500 and its the same competition. I feel like I am just giving away game after game and the harder I fight and the more I practice the more frustrated I get on league night. I have heard this kind of thing refered to as "quicksand" in other sports.

I know there are people in here who have been playing for 30-40 years and must have been through this.. Any advice? I am at a point where pool is no longer fun and I leave frustrated from league night every week. I know one option is to just put my cue away for a month or so but I cannot let my team down as I commited to play each week.

HELP!!

You're in a slump because you've defined it as such. You're already walking into the night thinking you're going to lose. Statistically, you can flip a coin several hundred times and have all kinds of streaks. Does this mean the coin is hot or slumping? Not at all. It's a normal pattern we see in large populations in statistics that we have given names to.

Just go out there and hit the balls and quit thinking so much about losing.

 

[PoolSleuth]

Even the GREAT BABE RUTH STRUCK OUT, everyone remember his Home Run Record. Few can tell you how many time he STRUCKOUT.

Return to Basis Drill, and work on what you are doing pool at. If you were a perfect player, who never hit a slump, you would be Efrin II

 

[Island Drive]

I need advice..

I am in the worst slump of my billiards life. (only been playing for 4 or 5 years). I play in a league and normally win with a .650 average, last season was my best ever at .800. So far this season I am barely over .500 and its the same competition. I feel like I am just giving away game after game and the harder I fight and the more I practice the more frustrated I get on league night. I have heard this kind of thing refered to as "quicksand" in other sports.

I know there are people in here who have been playing for 30-40 years and must have been through this.. Any advice? I am at a point where pool is no longer fun and I leave frustrated from league night every week. I know one option is to just put my cue away for a month or so but I cannot let my team down as I commited to play each week.

HELP!!

Just from the 'tone' of your keyboard either something else is going on in your life that makes you feel like your wasting your time, or a good tune up/trip to a great instructor or a pool school would be time well spent, or it could be mid life. There was a poster awhile back that had video of himself shooting and a few of us pointed out some flaws, it was a still camera so what we were able to see was very limited. Hope this helps, but sounds like a major change in one of your fundamentals would/could do it providing "life" is truly good. Pool I have always found, if something is going on in ones life it comes out on the table.

 

[bruin70]

I need advice..

I am in the worst slump of my billiards life. (only been playing for 4 or 5 years). I play in a league and normally win with a .650 average, last season was my best ever at .800. So far this season I am barely over .500 and its the same competition. I feel like I am just giving away game after game and the harder I fight and the more I practice the more frustrated I get on league night. I have heard this kind of thing refered to as "quicksand" in other sports.

I know there are people in here who have been playing for 30-40 years and must have been through this.. Any advice? I am at a point where pool is no longer fun and I leave frustrated from league night every week. I know one option is to just put my cue away for a month or so but I cannot let my team down as I commited to play each week.

HELP!!

play with another cue.

 

[Sore_Aintya]

play with another cue.

That's not as crazy as it sounds either. Little changes effect how you think.

I live for slumps anymore, though they used to bug me like they are doing you.
Now, I think OK, something big is coming! I'm about to improve!

Many people believe that slumps, ruts, peaks, valleys or whatever colorful name you want to call them, are major learning curves that up your skill. The better the player the harder the "slump" is to overcome. You just have to have the desire to keep shooting until it passes.

A Instructor is probably the best and fastest way to overcome what seems to be "failing" you, but lets face it, they are not cheap and not always locally available. My first post here on AZ was along the same line as you. I was in a "slump" and was looking for ideas to overcome it. You are getting the same advice I got (as well as many other posters before and after us will get), "See a qualified Instructor!".

Another sound advice is, read a book. Phil Capelle writes great, easy to read books that get right to the point of whatever problem you are looking for. Books are a lot cheaper then getting lessons, though not quite as personal to your needs/faults that a good teacher with a video recorder can provide.

 

[CueJunkiee]

play with another cue.

yep-- that's why i have 15 cues
but really- sometimes it does help me if i'm just not on top of my game...

here's a link to my thread i posted a few days ago... same boat...
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=44750

i'm out now... shot lights out sun nite and monday ran 5 zip on league nite.. so i'm playing on my higher end of good play now that i'm out... i was same boat as you and wanted to stop league for a while, put cues up for a few weeks etc.... just kept playing, used some advice from my thread, thank goodness now it's over!!