No wonder you're having trouble, you're keeping the cues with bad vibes. Pm me for my address so you can get rid of these cues that are negatively impacting your game.
The REASON you don't play pool well.
- Thread starter JoeyA
- Start date
No wonder you're having trouble, you're keeping the cues with bad vibes. Pm me for my address so you can get rid of these cues that are negatively impacting your game.
Masta Cruz
Registered
Don't have enough money to get the experience and seasoning I desperately need. In gambling most importantly, and tournament play.
Pool, in general is a sport that doesn't reward people for improved play. You get your handicapped raised, you have less people who want to play you for cash. The better you play the more you have to practice to maintain that level and you spend more money in the long run. To most players its just not worth it.
Why get better when it's so much easier to adjust the game?
That's why I play pool for a "hobby". Tournaments give me a chance to compete and measure my game against other players.
Thats the secret.
For me it's not bearing down as I'm taking my final stroke thru the ball...
I'm working on it though...But if there's a hot skirt anywhere around...FORGET ABOUT IT!!! :embarrassed2:
Clint
I'm working on it though...But if there's a hot skirt anywhere around...FORGET ABOUT IT!!! :embarrassed2:
Clint
I'm glad it is teaching an old dog new tricks :smile: I feel at my age i am still improving as you get older you get wiser and gain more knowledge.
Pool, in general is a sport that doesn't reward people for improved play. You get your handicapped raised, you have less people who want to play you for cash. The better you play the more you have to practice to maintain that level and you spend more money in the long run. To most players its just not worth it.
Why get better when it's so much easier to adjust the game?
What you say is true for some players.
For a very long time, I focused on the end result of the cash only. As I got older I made a decision to replace that focus on the cash to focusing on improving my level of play.
Yes, it is true that getting better will mean that your handicap is going to be raised. Yes, it means that your coffers will have to filled with something besides other people's cash, not entirely, but it does mean that you will get less action.
The upside to focusing on your game instead of the cash, is an appreciation for your improvement, a sense of pride in doing a job to the best of your ability. Pool is a hobby for most of us so making sure that we get paid for it is myopic at best. By improving your game
I don't see anything wrong with someone focusing on just getting the cash. I really don't. I have no problem with gambling. I'm not real fond of hustling but gambling is ok by me.
These days I just prefer to practice to see if I can improve my game. I get satisfaction from that. I still enjoy going to the tournaments and testing my mettle against others and the occasional money match will always be there regardless of your level of play.
Here in Louisiana, it seems that people just enjoy gambling much more than they do in other parts of the country. Maybe that's why we continue to see road player after road player coming through and picking our pockets clean.
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Mental Part of
GAME
is hard to
MASTER
GAME
is hard to
MASTER
Pool, in general is a sport that doesn't reward people for improved play. You get your handicapped raised, you have less people who want to play you for cash. The better you play the more you have to practice to maintain that level and you spend more money in the long run. To most players its just not worth it.
Why get better when it's so much easier to adjust the game?
How about if we(myself)are not gambling and just playing to enjoy the game. The reward is definitely there. That good shot, the good run, closing the game. Your opponent complimenting you. People telling you your game has gotten better. That's rewarding to me.
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cause the damn balls are too round and they keep rolling away.
The main reason I don't play pool well is because I'm not good at it.
I've been noticing lately that pool players talk a lot about reward and punishment. "You're not rewarded for better play." "You're punished if the other guy misses and leaves you safe." I rarely say this but man up, it's just a damn game.
But... that is the reward. You've gotten better and here's the proof, you have a higher handicap and people don't want to play you. I think that's very good feedback that my skills have improved.
What's the point of playing at all then?
Personally, I love to practice and play and I have no problem being rewarded with a higher handicap.It just makes it that much harder and that is why I love it.
"Playing well" is all too often associated with winning. In a match, only 50% can win, in a tournament, depending upon the number of participants, the percentage is going to be in the lower two if not one digits. Subjectivity resulting in misperception.
I recommend counting. Counting how many makable balls (and position play) per match one misses (makable meaning, can do 8 out of 10 times in practice at the very least!), and in particular, how many easy ones (= easy meaning, can do 10 out of 10 times in practice). Counting how many balls one attacks that do not even fall in either category (= look out for decision-making/self-perception problems). Counting the percentage of key shots one misses (match-deciding ones, i.e. look out for nerves coming into play).
Personally, I'm saying to myself that when I'm at three and under in a match, I must have played (at least reasonably) well regardless of whether I win or lose, and regardless of what it subjectively felt like being out there. Over three and lose, fair enough. By contrast, over three and win should make me feel like the tom that stole the cream.
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________
„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
I recommend counting. Counting how many makable balls (and position play) per match one misses (makable meaning, can do 8 out of 10 times in practice at the very least!), and in particular, how many easy ones (= easy meaning, can do 10 out of 10 times in practice). Counting how many balls one attacks that do not even fall in either category (= look out for decision-making/self-perception problems). Counting the percentage of key shots one misses (match-deciding ones, i.e. look out for nerves coming into play).
Personally, I'm saying to myself that when I'm at three and under in a match, I must have played (at least reasonably) well regardless of whether I win or lose, and regardless of what it subjectively felt like being out there. Over three and lose, fair enough. By contrast, over three and win should make me feel like the tom that stole the cream.
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________
„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
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There are two main reasons that I don't play as well as I could or would like to play.
The first reason is I'm not good enough to make a living from playing pool, so I have to have this funny thing called a "JOB". I work 6 days a week. As I'm sure many of you do.
The second reason is I'm married! If I like being married and would like to stay married, I have to dedicate a lot of my free time to my wife and two kids.
The first reason is I'm not good enough to make a living from playing pool, so I have to have this funny thing called a "JOB". I work 6 days a week. As I'm sure many of you do.
The second reason is I'm married! If I like being married and would like to stay married, I have to dedicate a lot of my free time to my wife and two kids.
in all seriousness, I have given it alot of thought... and there in lies the problem...
thought.
I think that I think to much. Too much left brain, not enough right brain.
I catch myself thinking about the fundamentals of my stroke, the length of my backswing, focusing too much on the little details and I think my mind is just to clogged up with information... I have watched too many video's, and read too many books... when things arent going right I tend to fall back into my overfilled bank of knowledge... getting so much imformation from so many sources you tend to have some conflicting ideas...
I wish I could simpilfy my brain and fall into the zone and just play pool... quiet my brain and just play.
thought.
I think that I think to much. Too much left brain, not enough right brain.
I catch myself thinking about the fundamentals of my stroke, the length of my backswing, focusing too much on the little details and I think my mind is just to clogged up with information... I have watched too many video's, and read too many books... when things arent going right I tend to fall back into my overfilled bank of knowledge... getting so much imformation from so many sources you tend to have some conflicting ideas...
I wish I could simpilfy my brain and fall into the zone and just play pool... quiet my brain and just play.