I dont have a camera, mine bit the dust.
The humiliation of finding out your real level
- Thread starter CreeDo
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I dont have a camera, mine bit the dust.
Creedo said, “Ever have one of those moments where you realize that no matter how well you think you play pool, you're really just a big fish in a small pond? Or maybe just a fish?”
Sure all of the time. But what matters to me is that I love the game and all of its variations. I realized a long time ago that I do not have the killer instinct in sports. Sports are a form of relaxation for me and do not define me. I also know that I am not willing to put in the time and effort that is required to have exquisite control of the cue ball. Most of the other requirements for top level play are doable but my life is filled with other things that are more important. While I admire those who are world class, I’ll never be in their ranks, it simply requires more effort than I am willing to expend. And the purpose of this post is that I suspect that I am not the only one with these thoughts.
What I avoid is being the fish. I may be a recreational player, that doesn’t mean I am stupid. A man has to know his limits. Usually I find all the macho posturing amusing. I know how long my d..k is I don’t have a need to compare with others.
Sure all of the time. But what matters to me is that I love the game and all of its variations. I realized a long time ago that I do not have the killer instinct in sports. Sports are a form of relaxation for me and do not define me. I also know that I am not willing to put in the time and effort that is required to have exquisite control of the cue ball. Most of the other requirements for top level play are doable but my life is filled with other things that are more important. While I admire those who are world class, I’ll never be in their ranks, it simply requires more effort than I am willing to expend. And the purpose of this post is that I suspect that I am not the only one with these thoughts.
What I avoid is being the fish. I may be a recreational player, that doesn’t mean I am stupid. A man has to know his limits. Usually I find all the macho posturing amusing. I know how long my d..k is I don’t have a need to compare with others.
I am in a state of being "humbled" (beat down) now. I got my first table about three months ago and figured by now I would have dead ghosts stacked all around the table. What a laugh. I started tracking my races with the ghost, 9 and 10, thirty days ago. Races to ten, I have yet to win a BIH match. I am averaging 3.3 games against the 9 and 2.6 against the 10. I have a 9' GCIII with extended sub rails and 4 1/8 corners and 4 7/8 sides and have played some every day on it aside from the ghost matches. But, now the rainbow through my tears. This past Saturday went down to the local room and played much better than in the past on matching up. Once I got used to the speed difference (it seemed really slow) I played really well. No one worshiped my game or bowed at my feet, however I won all my matches during a twelve hour session. Viewing the players I matched up with it was an improvement. As far as a litmus test, only time will tell as it was only one day. I'm not a world beater, I just love to play. So for the time being my table is a safe haven for the haints circling 'round, over the next year I hope to make 'em a little nervous.
Do you play tournaments or gamble? where do you normally play is it a league thing or something you do with friends.
for some reason i really dig your answer here. you recognized that you love to play but accept that you're not going to be the guy in the pool hall that's on the prowl.
I know the feeling
I'm a TAP league 6, working on getting to 7, and I know exactly the feeling you're talking about. I play primarily 8 ball, because I usually only play on league nights. On a good night I feel unbeatable. Then once in a good while I head over to a nine ball tourney at a "real" pool hall. It seems like almost everyone there is better than me. It's a strange feeling, I'm used to being the big fish, the "expert", and then I get reminded that I'm not really very good at all, at least in 9 ball. I think it's a good thing to get way out of your comfort zone like that once in a while, it really keeps things in perspective. I can watch pros on TV all day, and I know exactly what shot they will take, and how they will get position. But knowing what to do and having the muscle memory in place to do it consistently is a completely different thing. Like a lot of others, I know I'll never be a pro, not even close, but it's really time constraints that make it impossible. There just aren't enough hours in the week to practice that much, most people have lives outside of pool. I really think you have to sacrifice almost everything else to get to a high level in this game. Of course, that only means it's worth doing it as well as you can in the time you are able to allot.
I'm a TAP league 6, working on getting to 7, and I know exactly the feeling you're talking about. I play primarily 8 ball, because I usually only play on league nights. On a good night I feel unbeatable. Then once in a good while I head over to a nine ball tourney at a "real" pool hall. It seems like almost everyone there is better than me. It's a strange feeling, I'm used to being the big fish, the "expert", and then I get reminded that I'm not really very good at all, at least in 9 ball. I think it's a good thing to get way out of your comfort zone like that once in a while, it really keeps things in perspective. I can watch pros on TV all day, and I know exactly what shot they will take, and how they will get position. But knowing what to do and having the muscle memory in place to do it consistently is a completely different thing. Like a lot of others, I know I'll never be a pro, not even close, but it's really time constraints that make it impossible. There just aren't enough hours in the week to practice that much, most people have lives outside of pool. I really think you have to sacrifice almost everything else to get to a high level in this game. Of course, that only means it's worth doing it as well as you can in the time you are able to allot.
JoeW,
This is the kind of posting that I enjoy reading :thumbup:. I too was not born with a killer instinct, which I believe is detrimental to my ability to win more at pool. But, like yourself, I have other things in my life that I consider far more important. This is my rub on playing league pool: I am probably not a good person to have on a team because although I like to win as much as the next person, I don't have any specific objective (re: Vegas) that I am trying to obtain aside than just having fun. I never gamble (I know better). I will never see my game get any better than it is now, nor will my desire to attain anything more than just a night out for "fun" ever change.
Your post reminds me of me!!! Thanks.
Maniac
Sounds like you just didn't play well that day. I think it's important to let those days go. I had a similar one on last monday, I played after work with a friend of mine and I was useless. Granted I was playing with a crap cue, but I should still have been able to play reasonably well. A couple of days later I played again and did quite well.
Running lots of racks is all about the break, if you can't get nice spreads consistently you won't be running many racks.
I think 10 Ball is at least 30% harder than 9 Ball. Its harder to make a ball on the break and with that one extra ball it becomes alot more trouble. Balls seem to tie up more and playing lanes get tangled up also. Tougher game but I like it. Seems to be more safeties in the game also.
Yes I have played in leagues (APA, TAP and now a local "men's league." I am usually a six handicap but have been known to play better and far worse. In general I do not play in leagues anymore, sick of the sanbagging. The local men's league is appelaing because it is not handicapped. Put up your best player and we will put up ours. Then everyone sits back with beer in hand and plays rail bird.
I hold handicapped round robin tournaments at my home for $10.00 get in with from 5- 7 players and 100% payouts. I have even added some money on occassion.
I play in local tournaments and have won one of about 20 or so, made a couple of bucks and got Jim Rempe to sign a ball rack for the win.
I play with friends at home, in bars and at halls and sometimes gamble for a few bucks with people I know well to make it interesting. I give and get weight as needed.
Nope, I do not prowl the halls or other places.
And yeah, I think there are many people like me who have more time and money invested in a sport for which we have a great fondness.
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Yes :grin:
On this very forum, got laughed at for my lack of ability just last week.....the truth can be painful....but it keeps you grounded
Pool is kinda like golf.....on the toughest par 4 on the course, you can hit a 300 yd drive, 170 yard shot to 15 feet, and make a heavy breaking putt for birdie.....and then make 6 on the next hole, the easiest par 3 on the course.....in pool, one minute you can run a tough rack of 10 ball, breaking out 2 tough clusters and winning with a full table bank on the 10.....next rack, you miss an easy 4 ball on an easy straight in side pocket shot where all the balls are sitting in the corners....stupid game :grin:
What's humiliating about learning the truth? Take advantage of that fact and use it to get better. When you have an inflated ego you don't tend to learn as much because you already "know it all". When I started shooting with the same people that Big Perm shoots with, I learned real quick that I wasn't nearly as good as I thought. I'm over that now and use it to my advantage to improve.
I totally understand where you're coming from. It seems so easy when you're watching someone execute the rack but once you play...it's not the same.
What I do is look ahead and work the table like a maze. One at a time look at the 1 ball and question yourself about the trickiness. I am not a ten ball player but I played it a few times and I have the same problem.
Another thing too is when I play my boyfriend, I feel like I am hopeless and I get fustrated. I sometimes ask him if we can just stop playing for a little bit. However, if sort of thing happens to you and that person is running out, take it as a lesson. Look at the situation your opponent is in and figure out what they're going to do next.
You will get there..it takes time. Trust me...it took me a long time to reach my level in pool and I still think I'm way below from others.
Mary Rakin
I go look for a local worldbeater every now and then get a big spit and get my a$$ kicked. Just to remind myself that I suck in the whole scheme of things.
sad but true.
Oh man.. this was on my mind this weekend. It's almost winter time, and time to start playing again. The things that I have been trying to unlearn and learn again, make me play 2-3 balls below what I have in the past. Besides that, even if I practice, it does no good, cause I'm not in the fire often enough. Just went to a weekly tournament in Sacramento yesterday and never lined up on even one ball that I felt I was going to make, exactly how I pictured.
I think this is what we all do, unless it's a person who plays every day/week...
Confidence is a good thing, so many people overrate themselves.. I think I'm going to start thinking the other way... the real way. That I'm the dog in the match, and I have to play my best just to get there.
Oh man.. this was on my mind this weekend. It's almost winter time, and time to start playing again. The things that I have been trying to unlearn and learn again, make me play 2-3 balls below what I have in the past. Besides that, even if I practice, it does no good, cause I'm not in the fire often enough. Just went to a weekly tournament in Sacramento yesterday and never lined up on even one ball that I felt I was going to make, exactly how I pictured.
I think this is what we all do, unless it's a person who plays every day/week...
Confidence is a good thing, so many people overrate themselves.. I think I'm going to start thinking the other way... the real way. That I'm the dog in the match, and I have to play my best just to get there.
Yeah that's funny....
I was joking with Spanky because when we were playing on the same equipment on Saturday, playing about 20 games of tenball I had the same number of break and runs as Oscar did in the first 60 games that he and john played... Believe me I was just joking about it, but you know, it IS hard to make balls on the break on those tables.
The BNR that I had, I made three balls on the break and had an open table.
You can't play the pockets at all. If you are shooting a shot that is close to the rail and you slide against the rail AT ALL, that shot ain't gonna drop.
The pockets are actually about 4.25" but play much tighter. I'm not sure if that's because of the facing angle, or the way that they are shimmed. I know that if you straight up shim a table the facings become hard and tend to stop the balls momentum and spitting out balls.
Oh Well, I'm sure that John is capable of beating Oscar on another day and it'll be great to see a rematch in the future.
Jaden
I was joking with Spanky because when we were playing on the same equipment on Saturday, playing about 20 games of tenball I had the same number of break and runs as Oscar did in the first 60 games that he and john played... Believe me I was just joking about it, but you know, it IS hard to make balls on the break on those tables.
The BNR that I had, I made three balls on the break and had an open table.
You can't play the pockets at all. If you are shooting a shot that is close to the rail and you slide against the rail AT ALL, that shot ain't gonna drop.
The pockets are actually about 4.25" but play much tighter. I'm not sure if that's because of the facing angle, or the way that they are shimmed. I know that if you straight up shim a table the facings become hard and tend to stop the balls momentum and spitting out balls.
Oh Well, I'm sure that John is capable of beating Oscar on another day and it'll be great to see a rematch in the future.
Jaden
Thanks for this information Viet. It makes me feel a little better
knowing that I got my head handed to me by a pro level player. Until that night, I had heard of him but had never seen him play. I saw a LOT of him playing that night :grin:!!!Maniac
You never forget a good beatin! or at least I don't
I've known that feeling before, more than once for sure!
David Harcrow
I've known that feeling before, more than once for sure!
David Harcrow