Superstitions and your game

BillYards

BillYards

Playing Style: Wu Tang Fu
Silver Member
I used to have a few superstitions about my game... and still have one or two...

For example... I used to like to break one of my own racks during the first couple of warm-up games... for some reason I thought I always shot lights out after doing that....

I also had certain shoes, shirts, drinks, etc. that I thought were contributing to my game. Later found out that Jagermeister will make you believe your name is Efren Balaparica Jones.

Anybody else have superstitions? Carry a lucky coin? Wear a pink thong? Let us know!
 
OMIGOD! Don't come out to see my Tuesday night team! We have "approved" shooting shoes, socks and shirts. We have to do our team chant before the match starts or, at the very latest, before the first game is over, and the team captain's hand has to be on top in the huddle. When we travel to away matches we have one teammate with a conversion van and everyone has assigned seats. If we're missing anyone that seat remains vacated. No, we're not too superstitious.:rolleyes:

Hey, what can I say? We've pulled off this league for the past 7 years straight.:cool:

Barbara
 
Wow! You guys sound more synchronized than a bobsled team!

I used to have certain music that I liked to play in my car on the way to league nights....

Right now... I am listening to Season of the Witch by Donovan.... Great song!

Oooooo! This is my 777th post following your 7 years straight! My lucky day!!!
 
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I like to put the 13 at the head of the rack. :rolleyes: Just my little psycological warfare against any of my opponents that might be a little superstitious.

:D
 
I have a ratty old towel with the Air Force logo on it. I have to carry it in the handle of my case. I don't use it for anything anymore, but I still got to have it.

Jim
 
BillYards said:
Wow! You guys sound more synchronized than a bobsled team!

I used to have certain music that I liked to play in my car on the way to league nights....
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I have certain music I like to listen too on the way to the pool hall to kinda put me in the mood. Rage works well.. LOL

I think I shoot better if I wear a hat.

DJ
 
PlynSets said:
I think I shoot better if I wear a hat.

DJ
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Do you cover your eyes?

I too listen to music on the way to league night.
Most of the tunes are to settle me down after a hectic day at work.
No other routines to speak of...
 
I used to only wear Doc Marten shoes when shooting pool, not a specfic pair, but just Doc Martens, until one day when I went to pool with DC sneakers on. I am an APA 6 and I crushed an APA 7 with a score of 17-3. Now I dont care what I have on my feet when shooting.
 
When I'm playing nineball, I always feel the need to rack with the 1 ball in front and the 9 in the middle.
 
Njhustler1 said:
When I'm playing nineball, I always feel the need to rack with the 1 ball in front and the 9 in the middle.
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I like to switch the one and the 9 and call a foul on the breaker right away, if he smashes the rack without noticing the switch! Throws them off for the rest of the match!
 
I have certain music that I listen too. I don't like to ride with other people or have them in my car to go to the match. I feel that I can't unwind and prepare properly with someone else there. Also like to have 1 drink before I knock any balls around....lol
 
Wierdo

During league or in a tourney I have to take a leak, wash my hands, and make the sign of the cross (in that order) before every game or race. I wish I knew how that even started...what a freak.
 
alpine9430 said:
Do you cover your eyes?
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No, actually that hat bothers me on long shots if it's on forward.. LOL I think it's becuase I'm losing my hair, and I might on some subconcious level be thinking.. "That ***** is looking at my hairline while I"m shooting" :D

That and you can't go into "soooooooopersonic" mode and twist the hat around backwards if ya don't have the hat. ;) :D

DJ
 
BillYards said:
Anybody else have superstitions? Carry a lucky coin? Wear a pink thong? Let us know!
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I think superstitions are silly in general. I don't think there's any difference what you do, one way or the other. Since everyone places the chalk cubes up, and lines up their edge exactly parallel with the cushion, then we have no issues. It doesn't matter if I have to have my shooting cue and break cue together on the first game, even though it's not my break. And of course, when they're not in use, they have to be lined up tip to bumper, whether on another table or against my cue holder.

I don't care what kind of shirt I have on, as long as the sleeves doesn't touch my elbows. Print on my shirt doesn't matterm either, so long as it's embroidered not silk screened. I really could care less what Levi 550 Red Tab jeans I have on. And since there reallly isn't any other sneaker to play in other than less than 3 month old New Balance 620's, I don't even have to make a choice.

And when I get on a plane, I have no superstitions... other than that two taps on the outside of the plane just before I walk on.

Hope this helps,

Fred
 
Great post, Fred. Glad you are not superstitious.... but you better watch the movie: "As Good As It Gets"... ya compulsive bastahd! Hahaha!
 
BillYards said:
Great post, Fred. Glad you are not superstitious.... but you better watch the movie: "As Good As It Gets"... ya compulsive bastahd! Hahaha!
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The big problem I have at the Valley Forge Super Billiard Expo is that I find myself always lining up the cues, either bumper to bumper, or end cap to end cap, or name to name. Stuff like that. It's brutal.

Fred <~~~ OCD
 
I don't know if it's a superstition, but when I have to rack, I lay my cue on the table in front of the rack until I'm done racking, then pick it up. It started when I played in a 9ball tourney and drew one of those D**KS that likes to smash the rack while your still standing there. So I slow racked him, and left my cue on the table, and kept the cue ball in the tray til I was done racking......He was going nuts!:D

Gerry
 
Don't know if it's a superstition, or simply proof that I'm a basket case, but I'll never take a free 9 if it's the end of a break and run. If I get dead on and close to the 9 and my opponent gives me the "ok", I still feel like I have to pocket it because:
1-Just a technicality, but taking a free 9 at the end of a break and run somehow disqualifies that it was a break and run in my mind. And, walking back to the chair knowing that I just got out from the break in the middle of a match can sometimes be that little confidence booster that can make the difference in the outcome.
2-If I've gotten dead on the 9 after a break and run, it usually is because I'm in the zone and playing pretty quickly from shot to shot. Sounds stupid, but I believe that there is actually "footwork" involved when walking around the table when in the zone, and when I'm doin' da funky 9 ball boogie, having somebody interrupt me to give me the "ok" can also break my groove and mess up da funky 9 ball boogie!
I'll take any other 9 as long as it's not the easy 9 at the end of my break and run.
dave
 
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