Something from Pete Rose

lfigueroa

lfigueroa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I played in the Seniors event and was pretty unhappy with how I played.

I replayed a couple of shots over and over in my mind, which normally I would have slammed in with any position play I wanted. But as soon as I got down on those shots at the tournament I knew I'd be lucky to even make the shot, forget about a difficult position play.

So after my loss I phoned Gail and said, "I'm driving cross town to another pool hall just to try and work out the bug."

And, maybe I found it, working on just those two shots. After, on my way out to dinner, I ended up catching an old interview with Pete Rose who recently died and at one point he said, to paraphrase: The right time to take batting practice is after you've struck out. That's when you fix things.

I think he was right.

Lou Figueroa
 
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lfigueroa said:
So I played in the Seniors event and was pretty unhappy with how I played.

I replayed a couple of shots over and over in my mind, which normally I would have slammed in with any position play I wanted. But as soon as I got down on those shots at tournament I knew I'd be lucky to even make the shot, forget about a difficult position play.

So after my loss I phoned Gail and said, "I'm driving cross town to another pool hall just to try and work out the bug."

And, maybe I found it, working on just those two shots. After, on my way out to dinner, I ended up catching an old interview with Pete Rose who recently died and at one point he said, to paraphrase: The right time to take batting practice is after you've struck out. That's when you fix things.

I think he was right.

Lou Figueroa
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What were the 2 shots and how did you fix it?
 
lfigueroa said:
So I played in the Seniors event and was pretty unhappy with how I played.

I replayed a couple of shots over and over in my mind, which normally I would have slammed in with any position play I wanted. But as soon as I got down on those shots at the tournament I knew I'd be lucky to even make the shot, forget about a difficult position play.

So after my loss I phoned Gail and said, "I'm driving cross town to another pool hall just to try and work out the bug."

And, maybe I found it, working on just those two shots. After, on my way out to dinner, I ended up catching an old interview with Pete Rose who recently died and at one point he said, to paraphrase: The right time to take batting practice is after you've struck out. That's when you fix things.

I think he was right.

Lou Figueroa
Click to expand...
I don't think practicing by yourself will fix things.

The only way is to keep putting yourself in high-pressure situations until you stop dogging it or quit altogether.
 
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I think you are WRONG .. All team practice .All people who want to get better have to practice . Please tell me a way to get better at a sport with out practicing ?
 
lfigueroa said:
So I played in the Seniors event and was pretty unhappy with how I played.

I replayed a couple of shots over and over in my mind, which normally I would have slammed in with any position play I wanted. But as soon as I got down on those shots at the tournament I knew I'd be lucky to even make the shot, forget about a difficult position play.

So after my loss I phoned Gail and said, "I'm driving cross town to another pool hall just to try and work out the bug."

And, maybe I found it, working on just those two shots. After, on my way out to dinner, I ended up catching an old interview with Pete Rose who recently died and at one point he said, to paraphrase: The right time to take batting practice is after you've struck out. That's when you fix things.

I think he was right.

Lou Figueroa
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Great post Lou👍🫡

That’s the best post you have made in a long time. I’m glad you went and worked out the bad shots, that’s critical when it’s fresh in your mind and you are determined to fix them.

When determination is high and the problem is fresh. That’s the moment of growth in a man’s life.

Hope your playing well,

See you around

Best
Fatboy 😃😃
 
On a similar and kind of parallel thought process, and cross-referencing golf here. A buddy that I worked with, and we both played on a league in the company, we were talking about how a driving range doesn't help most people. His thought was that most don't know when to leave. You go there, get your basket of balls, loosen up, and then hit a few to reproduce your problem. Then you try a few things to alleviate that problem, find a path forward, and then hit a few more for the mental assurance that you've addressed that issue. THEN LEAVE. Most people work that problem, or another one right back in, because there's still half a basket of balls. Just leave them and go home with your problem solved. That has worked for me more than a few times.
 
couldnthinkof01 said:
I always feel a little let down after doing that.
Walk away from practice muttering to myself....it doesn't matter if you can hit it when the game isn't on the line.
Makes me want to sign up for the next tournament
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In my experience it is a combination of competition and focused practice -- wash, rinse, repeat.

You absolutely have to compete. It makes you prepare, it gives you a naked to the world test of your true abilities, and the opportunity to refine and perhaps eliminate your failure points.

Lou Figueroa
 
penguin said:
I don't think practicing by yourself will fix things.

The only way is to keep putting yourself in high-pressure situations until you stop dogging it or quit altogether.
Click to expand...

Every man must find his own salvation.

Practice is when you experiment and calibrate. And believe me, at least in my case, it's not dogging it. And that's because I'm an old dog who has been in money matches; exhibitions with world champions; played before big crowds; been in the finals of numerous events; and played on several streaming tables from CSI, TAR, and even this most recent event.

Exactly how many more high pressure situations do you think I need, lol.

Lou Figueroa
 
Fatboy said:
Great post Lou👍🫡

That’s the best post you have made in a long time. I’m glad you went and worked out the bad shots, that’s critical when it’s fresh in your mind and you are determined to fix them.

When determination is high and the problem is fresh. That’s the moment of growth in a man’s life.

Hope your playing well,

See you around

Best
Fatboy 😃😃
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Thank you, Eric.

It's a funny but critical process and you are correct it has to be while it's fresh in your mind and so you can re-create the set up that failed and then tinker with it. One other thing I do in these situations is to write down some notes and exactly what the differences in my set up were that created the failure and what leads to a fix. Then it's about incorporating the changes, presuming they're good, into your PSR.

Lou Figueroa
 
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Rickhem said:
On a similar and kind of parallel thought process, and cross-referencing golf here. A buddy that I worked with, and we both played on a league in the company, we were talking about how a driving range doesn't help most people. His thought was that most don't know when to leave. You go there, get your basket of balls, loosen up, and then hit a few to reproduce your problem. Then you try a few things to alleviate that problem, find a path forward, and then hit a few more for the mental assurance that you've addressed that issue. THEN LEAVE. Most people work that problem, or another one right back in, because there's still half a basket of balls. Just leave them and go home with your problem solved. That has worked for me more than a few times.
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I think this is true -- you must stay focused and know when to stop.

I seem to recall reading something on the mechanics of motions in sports and the thought was to stop when you've hit on a good mechanical change to let your mind and body absorb and incorporate it. If you just keep on hitting balls you can lose that.

Lou Figueroa
 
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lfigueroa said:
Thank you, Eric.

It's a funny but critical process and you are correct it has to be while it's fresh in your mind and so you can re-create the set up that failed and then tinker with it. One other thing I do in these situations is to write down some notes and exactly what the differences in my set up were that created the failure and what leads to a fix. Then it's about incorporating the changes, presuming they're good, into your PSR.

Lou Figueroa
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Are you going to the derby this year? Hope to see you😃😃
 
Golf's the same way. If i play like crap(a lot btw) i go hit a few balls on the range while its still fresh. Maybe 20-30 shots and then i'm gone. Any more and i get bored.
 
I video most of my solo practice sessions and review each session. I see my flaws - my reference material is “play Great Pool” by Mark Wilson. Practice, video , and review with a proper correction reference point helps create one’s best physical approach to the game.
Competition helps condition the mental part of your game to allow for your best choices to emerge and for your best stoke to appear most consistently under pressure.
 
lfigueroa said:
Exactly how many more high pressure situations do you think I need
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Looks like all that "experience" wasn't enough. You even said it yourself......

lfigueroa said:
I replayed a couple of shots over and over in my mind, which normally I would have slammed in with any position play I wanted. But as soon as I got down on those shots at the tournament I knew I'd be lucky to even make the shot
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If you can do it for practice, or when you have way the best of it, but not any other time..... then what could it be? :oops:

I think we both know the answer.
 
lfigueroa said:
Most likely.

January and you're pool player... what else you gonna do? Think the swallows back to Capistrano or maybe even more accurate, the lemmings in Norway, lol.

Lou Figueroa
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Been 10 years for me.
Thinking it's time again.
10 hr drive and days of no sleep....doesn't get easier.
 
penguin said:
Looks like all that "experience" wasn't enough. You even said it yourself......


If you can do it for practice, or when you have way the best of it, but not any other time..... then what could it be? :oops:

I think we both know the answer.
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I’m getting old, 71.

So for me, nowadays, it’s like the scene in the original Rocky when he’s says, “Legs ain’t working’, nothing’s working’, but they go, ‘Go on, fight the champ,’”. So I get in the ring and do the best I can.

That’s it. Sorry if you can’t understand it…. yet ;-)

Lou Figueroa
 
penguin said:
Then why did you have the same issues playing under pressure 10, 20, 30 years ago as well?
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Because I’m not perfect, I play pool as a hobby, and worked my whole life so that now, I can screw around and play pool : -)

I’m not a pro player. I am an amateur. But I have been blessed to play well enough to have had a wealth of great experiences playing pool with more achievements and successes than most and have transparently documented my traveils on line as an amateur playing the big dogs.

Lou Figueroa
 
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