The Comeback Has Come To A Halt

Johnnyt

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
Well the comeback has just about come to a halt. The weather down here in Tampa is too cold to play on my table in the screened room. I'm having a 18' x 20' shed type structure built with A/C and heat. If that weren't bad enough, my right shoulder is just about worn out from the arthritis and in constant pain. If I play the ghost and I get into my hard break, the next few days the shoulder hurts so bad it wakes me up whenever I turn on it.

There is no way I'll get surgery on it. As an ex ortho nurse I've seen all the surgeries that got botched or didn't help much after rehabbing for months. So being that my breaking days are finished I'll be switching to 14.1, and maybe even (I can hardly say it) one-pocket. So I'll pick up some dvd's for one-pocket and see if I can catch on quickly. The 14.1 I don't need a dvd for as I played it for years before the COM made 9-ball the gambling game of choice. But I probably will send for John's dvd. Anyone have it? Is the audio pretty clear, I'm hard of hearing? Only way I can play 9, 10, or 8-ball is to play a little lesser player and give the breaks away. It's a shame too. I was up to the way I played back in the day. What I've lost in long shot making I've gained in good position and shot selection. I was just going to go out in the cruel world of gambling and tournaments too. Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
Well the comeback has just about come to a halt. The weather down here in Tampa is too cold to play on my table in the screened room. I'm having a 18' x 20' shed type structure built with A/C and heat. If that weren't bad enough, my right shoulder is just about worn out from the arthritis and in constant pain. If I play the ghost and I get into my hard break, the next few days the shoulder hurts so bad it wakes me up whenever I turn on it.

There is no way I'll get surgery on it. As an ex ortho nurse I've seen all the surgeries that got botched or didn't help much after rehabbing for months. So being that my breaking days are finished I'll be switching to 14.1, and maybe even (I can hardly say it) one-pocket. So I'll pick up some dvd's for one-pocket and see if I can catch on quickly. The 14.1 I don't need a dvd for as I played it for years before the COM made 9-ball the gambling game of choice. But I probably will send for John's dvd. Anyone have it? Is the audio pretty clear, I'm hard of hearing? Only way I can play 9, 10, or 8-ball is to play a little lesser player and give the breaks away. It's a shame too. I was up to the way I played back in the day. What I've lost in long shot making I've gained in good position and shot selection. I was just going to go out in the cruel world of gambling and tournaments too. Johnnyt
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Too cold in Florida? Man it must have been 80 here yesterday. Maybe move over to Phoenix :) I hope you get everything straightened out, comebacks are awesome.

BVal
 
yeah, the audio is very clear on John's dvd. It is an interesting viewing.

but you get no sympathy from me on the cold. It was like -30F here all last week :)
 
OneArmed said:
yeah, the audio is very clear on John's dvd. It is an interesting viewing.

but you get no sympathy from me on the cold. It was like -30F here all last week :)
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Thank you OneArmed. This is Florida man. 30's in Tampa aren't supose to happen. Johnnyt
 
Hang in there Johnny. I've enjoyed reading your posts of the comeback. I was playing with an old timer friend of mine last night I use to play with when I started playing back when I was 13. We was talking about how the game has changed so much over the years and he was telling old stories of when he hitchhiked across the country playing in bars to bars. Always a pleasure to hear the old stories and see the folks who have them to tell still around the game. Best of luck to you in the future.
 
You could try a cortisone shot in your shoulder. Hurts like all get out but worth a try. I had to have them in both shoulders and both elbows. Johns video was easy to understand and like you I'm hearing impaired. Something else that helps is Knox NatralJoint Glucosamine and Celagen cream.
 
Johnnyt said:
Well the comeback has just about come to a halt. The weather down here in Tampa is too cold to play on my table in the screened room. I'm having a 18' x 20' shed type structure built with A/C and heat. If that weren't bad enough, my right shoulder is just about worn out from the arthritis and in constant pain. If I play the ghost and I get into my hard break, the next few days the shoulder hurts so bad it wakes me up whenever I turn on it.

There is no way I'll get surgery on it. As an ex ortho nurse I've seen all the surgeries that got botched or didn't help much after rehabbing for months. So being that my breaking days are finished I'll be switching to 14.1, and maybe even (I can hardly say it) one-pocket. So I'll pick up some dvd's for one-pocket and see if I can catch on quickly. The 14.1 I don't need a dvd for as I played it for years before the COM made 9-ball the gambling game of choice. But I probably will send for John's dvd. Anyone have it? Is the audio pretty clear, I'm hard of hearing? Only way I can play 9, 10, or 8-ball is to play a little lesser player and give the breaks away. It's a shame too. I was up to the way I played back in the day. What I've lost in long shot making I've gained in good position and shot selection. I was just going to go out in the cruel world of gambling and tournaments too. Johnnyt
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I take Piroxicam every day. It works VERY well for me.

Another thing that a fellow cueist mentioned to me this week. He had discovered for himself a "new" break that worked extremely well for him. He is limited physically but plays very well although he doesn't have the power of some players. The "new" break he was explaining to me was something I saw many years ago and it is called the cut break by professional pool players who use it. I would strongly consider using the cut break or some other finesse break before giving up on the breaks.

With properly racked balls in good condition, you can almost guarantee wing ball in corner pocket or with precision, the one ball in the side pocket.

The tight pocket diamond tables or tables that are exposed to humidity like yours is, reject balls more easily than tables with less humidity. I imagine that you can program yourself into believing that you break doesn't work any longer because of the playing conditions.

When I play in nine ball tournaments, I have quit trying to blast the balls, even though I can still hit them with lots of power and often only break with my playing cue. If the softer break isn't working I break to make my opponent push out after the break and take practically every push out offered.

Did I say that Piroxicam works for me? :smile:

Good luck and work on the cut break which doesn't require as much power to work well, IMO.

The other thing that will help your breaking is cleaned and polished balls!!!!
It will also cut down on the skidding but everyone already knows that. :o

If I were you I would play only with cleaned and polished balls, take Piroxicam, carefully rack the balls the same way (tight) and practice the medium hard cut break (probably about 10mph).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piroxicam
Good luck.
JoeyA
 
mongoose- said:
Hang in there Johnny. I've enjoyed reading your posts of the comeback. I was playing with an old timer friend of mine last night I use to play with when I started playing back when I was 13. We was talking about how the game has changed so much over the years and he was telling old stories of when he hitchhiked across the country playing in bars to bars. Always a pleasure to hear the old stories and see the folks who have them to tell still around the game. Best of luck to you in the future.
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Thank you mongoose. Johnnyt
 
Fenwick said:
You could try a cortisone shot in your shoulder. Hurts like all get out but worth a try. I had to have them in both shoulders and both elbows. Johns video was easy to understand and like you I'm hearing impaired. Something else that helps is Knox NatralJoint Glucosamine and Celagen cream.
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I have tried both...no help. And yes the shots hurt like hell, and my doctor can't stand me, so he makes them hurt more. Thank you anyway though. Johnnyt
 
Thanks Joey. I'll give both the cut break and the Piroxicain a try. I like anything the ends in cain. Do I need a script for it? Johnnyt
 
Schmidt/Harriman dvds

Johnnyt said:
...The 14.1 I don't need a dvd for as I played it for years before the COM made 9-ball the gambling game of choice. But I probably will send for John's dvd. Anyone have it?
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John's 245 run dvd is excellent quality and very entertaining to watch. Also, check out Danny Harriman's 280 ball run dvd. Quality is top notch as well, definitely worth the price of admission.
 
Joey, I see that med is spelled Piroxicam, not Piroxicain. What was I thinking. Johnnyt
 
I have recently got a problem with my left hand, but haven't noticed since I've only done drills or played the one-pocket ghost lately. But when I started to play the 10-ball Ghost the other day my hand hurts like hell when I break hard.

I have no idea what it is, but it might be a sprain. Will have to go visit a doctor if it's not better after the DCC.

I will use the cut-break in DCC, if it works on the tables and my hand is not ok. If not I might have to break with my right hand. Did that in practice yesterday, and it worked ok. Smash em hard, but not very much control on whitey though :o

Hope you figure out what to do Johnny. Give the cutbreak a chance. And if not, I hope you get addicted to one-pocket. It's the best game ever made.

I believe God created one-pocket just to give us a sign of what it is like in Heaven. (Ok ok... I don't believe in God, but if I did, I would mean what I just said. If there is a heaven I guess they are all playing one-pocket up there. In hell, they might be playing some 7-ball speed pool)
 
I know the feeling....

Johnnyt said:
Well the comeback has just about come to a halt. The weather down here in Tampa is too cold to play on my table in the screened room. I'm having a 18' x 20' shed type structure built with A/C and heat. If that weren't bad enough, my right shoulder is just about worn out from the arthritis and in constant pain. If I play the ghost and I get into my hard break, the next few days the shoulder hurts so bad it wakes me up whenever I turn on it.

There is no way I'll get surgery on it. As an ex ortho nurse I've seen all the surgeries that got botched or didn't help much after rehabbing for months. So being that my breaking days are finished I'll be switching to 14.1, and maybe even (I can hardly say it) one-pocket. So I'll pick up some dvd's for one-pocket and see if I can catch on quickly. The 14.1 I don't need a dvd for as I played it for years before the COM made 9-ball the gambling game of choice. But I probably will send for John's dvd. Anyone have it? Is the audio pretty clear, I'm hard of hearing? Only way I can play 9, 10, or 8-ball is to play a little lesser player and give the breaks away. It's a shame too. I was up to the way I played back in the day. What I've lost in long shot making I've gained in good position and shot selection. I was just going to go out in the cruel world of gambling and tournaments too. Johnnyt
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Luckily the surgery I had actually helped. I had my right shoulder scoped about nine or so years ago and it was done right. It's starting to get bad again, but I'm trying some exercises to help hold it in place.

I have a deformity that I only have three of the four tendons that hold the shoulder in place. I don't have the bicep tendon.

The worst it ever was, I couldn't feel it or move it for like three days. One time I woke up and thought I had broken my arm in the night because I couldn't feel my arm and it was just dangling limply for a few hours...

After that I had it scoped and it helped.

It was funny having the doctors do everything, (8 x-rays, 2 MRI's etc....) and still not be able to see anything wrong, and then I would say hold my shoulder and pop it for them, they would always do the same thing, they would jump a little and say " That's NOT right!!!".

then they finally scoped it just to figure out what was wrong....

Jaden
 
You might also start watching and practicing the soft break, I bet there are videos on youtube of Corey D. using it very affectively. And don't be afraid of moving to one pocket it is addicting but may give you a headache now and then I hope it warms up soon, good luck JT.
 
Cuebuddy said:
You might also start watching and practicing the soft break, I bet there are videos on youtube of Corey D. using it very affectively. And don't be afraid of moving to one pocket it is addicting but may give you a headache now and then I hope it warms up soon, good luck JT.
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WOW thats weird I quoted myself:p This video shows it over and over again. You have no doubt seen these breaks before but just in case.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H6OlaGA5eE
 
Sorry to hear about your bump in the road. This may be a dumb question, but have you tried glucosamine? You can actually buy equine glucosamine for your joints at a farm supply store. I used it during my powerlifting years and it helps. I think I'll have to start using it again because my shoulders are really getting some sharp pains again which is sad considering that I'm only 33.

Stretching is also a great help to your joints......particularly your back.
 
John,
Well my friend, taking a couple of months off may actually HELP your game because after some rest, not only may your shoulder heal up, but also, you may get real hungry again. If someone had told you a year ago that you were going to make such a strong comeback in '08, would you have believed them? It can happen again.....

Also, I had a complete tear on my left rotator cuff in 2003. It was just about shreaded. I had the full open surgery (not othroscopic) and it's now the second strongest part of my body. :) Until I hurt my back last year, I was still spending rounds on my heavybag with no pain or loss of power. I, like Efren, "got lucky" I guess.

One other good thing came out of my surgery. I'm a right handed player. While I was healing up, I learned to shoot way better left handed, since that's all I could do with my left arm, lay it down as a bridge. I'm pretty comfy shooting whole games left handed to this day. Maybe something good can come out of getting it fixed now, while you're still spunky! :grin:

As you put your game on hold for now, maybe a few months off is just what the Dr ordered!

Always wishing you the best!
 
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