'slump' --what do you do to get yourself outta a??

[CueJunkiee]

i kinda have to say with the walk away thing wouldn't work for me... sure we may feel that way, we get disgruntled and say such things, and even stop for a couple few days... but what makes us 'athletes' playing a sport or whatever is dedication and pushing yourself to go beyond limits and concentration <i am a mountain bike racer also> and improve... Ups and down are part of it... Derek Jeter when he is playing poorly just can't walk away... Effren when he is shooting poorly doesn't walk away.... you gotta push through it... I could never 'convince' myself i was really giving up, i'd know i was lying.... and besides i got too much cash tied up in cues..

i put up this post just to hear ideas and stories on what you all do when you are in that 'slump' If yours is to 'give up' and convince yourself then ok-that works . Mine was the above... we are all different but i love the game no matter how much i hate it and i know i'm not the only one floating in that boat.. that's why i love AZ <and if i stopped everything i'd have too many pages to read on the AZ forums to catch up current when i started again <VBG> >

keep 'em coming...

 

[Rod]

Slump threads come up a fair amount and until now I don't recall posting to one. It's my opinion you're only in a slump if you think you are.

Many years ago I had a stroke problem, at least that is what I thought. No matter what I did I just couldn't get the c/b reaction that I wanted. It was frustrating to say the least and that bled over a little to my shotmaking ability.

This lasted for 3 or 4 days when I made an important discovery. The handle had come loose from the forearm. Not real loose but enough to make it play like a dead cue with no feel.

All along I thought it was me but it was the cue! Since then I've never had a slump. Sure I have had a few days over the years when I played like dogie do do but it rarely happens and it's just that day. That's all, I don't dwell on that stuff. If you do it will surely get worse and it will frustrate you so much you don't know what to do.

I know this from playing golf. I played pretty good, 9 to 10 handicap. My game went down hill and I could not do anything right. Distance suffered and accuracy, well one shot went to texas and others to oklahoma. Anybody find a few titlist balls out there? LOL

Anyway I just gave up the game. I have enough to do without putting myself through that torture. It's a long boring story and it stops here.

So you either keep a positive outlook or if you just can't handle it, give it up. Instruction for many will help you avoid slumps. If your fundamentals are poor it will keep comming back and biting you in the a**. If you truly love the game it's worth it to keep your sanity. LOL

BTW, In my case I spent at least a grand on golf lessons but I still played like crap. ha ha ha

Rod

 

[Island Drive]

Slump threads come up a fair amount and until now I don't recall posting to one. It's my opinion you're only in a slump if you think you are.

Many years ago I had a stroke problem, at least that is what I thought. No matter what I did I just couldn't get the c/b reaction that I wanted. It was frustrating to say the least and that bled over a little to my shotmaking ability.

This lasted for 3 or 4 days when I made an important discovery. The handle had come loose from the forearm. Not real loose but enough to make it play like a dead cue with no feel.

All along I thought it was me but it was the cue! Since then I've never had a slump. Sure I have had a few days over the years when I played like dogie do do but it rarely happens and it's just that day. That's all, I don't dwell on that stuff. If you do it will surely get worse and it will frustrate you so much you don't know what to do.

I know this from playing golf. I played pretty good, 9 to 10 handicap. My game went down hill and I could not do anything right. Distance suffered and accuracy, well one shot went to texas and others to oklahoma. Anybody find a few titlist balls out there? LOL

Anyway I just gave up the game. I have enough to do without putting myself through that torture. It's a long boring story and it stops here.

So you either keep a positive outlook or if you just can't handle it, give it up. Instruction for many will help you avoid slumps. If your fundamentals are poor it will keep comming back and biting you in the a**. If you truly love the game it's worth it to keep your sanity. LOL

BTW, In my case I spent at least a grand on golf lessons but I still played like crap. ha ha ha

Rod

A few years back at Derby City I was talking to Pat Fleming (Accu-stats) about his pool game and why he quit. Back in his prime Pat was subject to beat anyone in match play, he had a great east coast all around game. What he said surprised me, but did make some sense. He found he was way too hard on himself when he lost. Why is pool so hard on some of us when other times its a love like no other? Pool is perfection, and perfection is not attainable all the time. But when we lose because of something as simple as a straight in stop shot that we haven't missed for years the critical thing for our mental health is knowing the reason 100%, accepting it and moving forward. If you don't know the "real" reason its frikin torture and selfdestruct mode can be set in motion. Physical chess is what pool is and one has to covet ones lifestyle in every way to perform at the very top. Souquet comes to mind with what I just said, not many others.