The cursed friend

C

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
Does anybody else have a friend that always seems to drag their game down? One of my best buddies plays pool with me every once in a while he is a cross between a C player and a banger if that makes any sense. He is a fairly good shot and can run balls on the strength of his shotmaking but he bangs the balls around alot and constantly neglects position.

Anyways whenever we play he constantly drags me down. I tell him about running racks and everything but he doesn't believe me because the only time he has ever seen me play is against him, and I can't get anything going. My game just disolves.

He never wins though. Out 40 games he will win perhaps 5 or 6, but he souldn't be getting as many chances as he does recieve from me.

I have all but resigned myself to fact that I am suffering from the playing against a lesser player syndrome, so I don't take the games very seriously. But I was wondering if anyone else has that friend who drags their game down, and because of that does not realize or believe that your games is a good as it actually is.
 
I run into bangers in local handicap tournaments. Other than that I try to play players who are ranked the same as me or one notch higher. I think the quality of ones game goes up with the stiffer the competition.

There is generally no urgencey/pressure(if no spot is given) playing a banger and yes, it CAN effect your performance.
RJ
 
I get a lot of other players and onlookers wanting to play me or wanting me to play someone else when all I really want to do is practice. It seems like the players want to test their play against me and the onlookers want to watch a game. I'm one of those strange players that just enjoys practice sometimes.

I think that instead of taking the attitude that you'll never play well against your friend because he's a banger, you should see this as an opportunity to break through this slump and play your best game. It will also help you to work at ignoring who your opponent is and focus strictly on your game and each shot that you have. Think about it, if you can shoot lights out against your friend some day, won't that give you a boost?
 
Rickw said:
I get a lot of other players and onlookers wanting to play me or wanting me to play someone else when all I really want to do is practice. It seems like the players want to test their play against me and the onlookers want to watch a game. I'm one of those strange players that just enjoys practice sometimes.

QUOTE]

Me too! I constantly have to tell people that I am practicing alone when that is my intention. I hate to sound rude, but I think solitary practice is essential to improvement.
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GADawg said:
Rickw said:
I get a lot of other players and onlookers wanting to play me or wanting me to play someone else when all I really want to do is practice. It seems like the players want to test their play against me and the onlookers want to watch a game. I'm one of those strange players that just enjoys practice sometimes.

QUOTE]

Me too! I constantly have to tell people that I am practicing alone when that is my intention. I hate to sound rude, but I think solitary practice is essential to improvement.
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I agree....I used to close the pool room and hit balls for hours on end, kind of like meditation. Playing 14.1 there was a timing thing where the balls had a rhythm hitting the pockets......I dunno kinda hippyish, but it was cool...

Gerry
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sorry, back to the point....playing a lesser player is never a threat to you, so maybe you let up......or you won't learn anything, so you lose interest maybe?

Anyway, try playing opposite handed....you stay interested......

Gerry
 
Your Problem IS Your Friend

I think your maybe worried that if you whip up on your friend too much, he'll stop wanting to play you.......After you have talked up your game......the pressure is now on to "walk the walk"......Maybe your friend is adding to that pressure and it throws your game off.....

Next time you play him, before the first ball is shot, just tell him that you don't want him to take it personnally when you clean up the table with him.......Make it sound like a friendly challenge.......say it with a grin like you might be joking.........and then play YOUR game.....Don't comment on what you were trying to do when you missed that shot, forget it and focus on the shot you're about to take.

Banter during a game can be a choke maker......I've watched plenty of guys talk crap about a shot that will win the game, set, match or whatever only to miss it because of the preshot banter..

Try talking about your game after it's over. While you're playing talk about anything but your game......

In summary..... Play your game not your opponents game

But this is just the perspective of a ....

McCue Banger McCue
 
Cameron Smith said:
Does anybody else have a friend that always seems to drag their game down? One of my best buddies plays pool with me every once in a while he is a cross between a C player and a banger if that makes any sense. He is a fairly good shot and can run balls on the strength of his shotmaking but he bangs the balls around alot and constantly neglects position.

Anyways whenever we play he constantly drags me down. I tell him about running racks and everything but he doesn't believe me because the only time he has ever seen me play is against him, and I can't get anything going. My game just disolves.

He never wins though. Out 40 games he will win perhaps 5 or 6, but he souldn't be getting as many chances as he does recieve from me.

I have all but resigned myself to fact that I am suffering from the playing against a lesser player syndrome, so I don't take the games very seriously. But I was wondering if anyone else has that friend who drags their game down, and because of that does not realize or believe that your games is a good as it actually is.
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Just a guess, but it looks to me like you are letting him get inside your head. Instead of just playing the table you are playing your buddy.
 
I do like to socialize with friends, but most of my friends I like to be around and socialize with can't shoot worth a darn.

I've invited the better players over to play on my table, but they either don't show up or show up a few times until I win the majority of games one night, then they don't show up anymore.

Then one friend who is a better player likes to come over Friday nights...

But the most difficult tournament in my area with the very best players is on Friday night. This is a tournament I need to be playing in regularly. And my friend will not play in this tournament.

So I'm stuck between socializing - having a fun night playing my friend vs playing in the tough tournament and improving my game.
 
Gerry said:
sorry, back to the point....playing a lesser player is never a threat to you, so maybe you let up......or you won't learn anything, so you lose interest maybe?

Anyway, try playing opposite handed....you stay interested......

Gerry
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Thx for saying that. Gives an easy opportunity to talk about biggest mystery in practicing. If everybody should play their practices against better player how in the #### does any games begin? There is no way that everyone is playing always against better, that is absolutely impossible.

IMO, we all should play and practice both against better and worse players to learn and to give lessons; that keeps it in balance and in a long run it may even create some good players to come up when current ones quit.
 
I find often that when playing bangers, or non skilled players, one often gets left with some of the crappiest leaves out there. Sometimes they get safe leaving you with impossible shots. Makes you feel like your playing down but they just seem to keep getting lucky. They rearrange the table constantly. It can be tough....lol.....JMO
 
Everybody gets on my nerves so I just play my best game all the time and try to punish everyone.:) I try not to lax because if you do you just teach yourself bad habbits. Like it or not pool is a memory game. If you don't remember what you did wrong then you can't find a reason to fix it. But yes I have certain people I play where my game isn't up to par but its my fault and I will correct it sooner or later.:D
 
NineBallNut said:
I find often that when playing bangers, or non skilled players, one often gets left with some of the crappiest leaves out there. Sometimes they get safe leaving you with impossible shots. Makes you feel like your playing down but they just seem to keep getting lucky. They rearrange the table constantly. It can be tough....lol.....JMO
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I agree with this. In 9 ball, on average, when a good player misses they will leave the object ball close to the intended pocket (ie., rattle it, etc). However, when a lower level player misses, on average, they miss badly and the object ball ends up being nowhere near their intended pocket.
 
Cameron Smith said:
Does anybody else have a friend that always seems to drag their game down? One of my best buddies plays pool with me every once in a while he is a cross between a C player and a banger if that makes any sense. He is a fairly good shot and can run balls on the strength of his shotmaking but he bangs the balls around alot and constantly neglects position.
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IMO, it sounds like you take the game for granted because you know that it is near impossible for you to lose. Instead of focusing on your opponent, focus more on your own game. What I mean by that is that if you are playing him in a game of 9Ball, try to see how many racks you can string together. Personally, when I play with ball bangers, I prefer to play 14.1; this way they can see that running balls is not an easy task and the more racks I run, the more my opponent appreciates my skills. The longer you can keep him in that chair the more he'll realize how much you are better than him and maybe he'll start listening to your advice. If your high run is X amount of balls, try to break that run everytime you get to the table. This turns the game into "you vs. the table" as opposed to "you vs. your friend." If the game still turns out to be too easy, give your friend a spot until you reach a medium where it isn't easy for you to win anymore.
 
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Thanks for all the reply's guys. My problem certainly isn't letting up or trying to give him some games. I'm very competitive and I always try to go for a shut out victory over my opponent regardless of who they are.

As I mentioned in my first post, he has never seen me play against anyone but himself. When I first picked up a pool cue he was the guy I would go and play with, but he rarely plays with me any more. He is pretty sure he knows my game, but if he were to rate me he would say I was mid B player, which is far from my speed.

I want to show him what I can do so bad that I think I end up trying too hard. As I get frusterated that I'm not playing as well as I would like to, my arm tenses up and things get worse.

Against most of my friends I don't care about how I play. I just go out and have fun and because of this I am relaxed and I play very well. I generally don't have any problems against bangers, other than the ones Nineballnut described, because I don't take the games very seriously. Im not running out every rack but I'm not missing much because I am staying relaxed.

The cure for the curse is to just go hang out and play pool. I won't concern myself with running racks together, and just hang out. We are after all just playing with no money involved. So what does it matter? Nothing.

Thanks again for the reply's, and listening to (reading) my rant.
 
The weekly tourney I play in has alot of bangers in it aswell...usually I just sloth off a little (it's handicapped) if the rack is screwed with balls being tied up or something...I'll run to the ball before it and then dump the shot usually they're so gung-ho to be at the table they break it up and get left a bad leave....:D
________
 
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Cameron Smith said:
He is pretty sure he knows my game, but if he were to rate me he would say I was mid B player, which is far from my speed.

I want to show him what I can do so bad that I think I end up trying too hard. As I get frusterated that I'm not playing as well as I would like to, my arm tenses up and things get worse.
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It is important for you to remember that he is your friend. That said, you shouldn't have to prove yourself to him. It is also important to remember that many players believe themselves to be stronger than they actually are. Nature's way of helping us preserve our sanity is by letting us remember the good things and forget the bad. This applies to the shots we play in pool as well. We remember the TV shots that we make but not the ass we make of ourselves repeatedly trying these shots and selling the farm in the process. Being a friend means never having to explain yourself to someone. Good luck and "Play the table, not your friend."
 
Just a Guppy said:
It is important for you to remember that he is your friend. That said, you shouldn't have to prove yourself to him.
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Its more that I want to show him what I can do. He knows I am a good player but, I kinda want to show him how good. Its probably some sort of psychological complex or whatever :D.
 
A friend/buddy will always remain a friend/buddy. I have a couple of very good friends who shoots good enough. I play with them on Friday and Saturday nites and we'll defintely have fun. This is when I practice my banks and kicks.
 
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