*(&$# this forum!!!

[sixpack]

I think it was more of a timing/pride thing... you know how it is when you're losing $$$ and someone offers to show you how to make the shot after you just missed the money ball (regardless of the good intentions of the person offering the advice)... just one of those things.... ya know.

I'll PM you now with my #.... thanks for offering to get the team shirts for us!

Laters,
B

You're right. Bad timing on my part...Wasn't thinking

 

[chefjeff]

Jeff,

Absolutely! After studying the difference between Tiger woods and the rest of the PGA tour, the difference I found is in his purposefulness. I think of it as, if you try harder, and play worse, then you don't know what you're doing. In other words, when you try harder you're trying harder to do it the wrong way. Your mental image of what you're trying to do doesn't match either the way you're actually doing it or the way you should be doing it. That is why a lot of golfers and pool players like to say to 'let it happen'. What that really means is let your natural ability take over. You can be good this way but not great. AND you can't exceed your natural ability. Tiger is willing to 'break' his game to get to the next level. That is essentially what I did.

Wasn't his interview at the Masters last weekend, about his swing changes, interesting? Already the best in the world and he wanted more, and he understands the process he's using and is within it always.

The post is tongue-in-cheek, but there is a valid point in it about the frustration of working on your game. The problem that I identified in my game that caused this slump/cure was that no matter how hard I tried, I was missing long shots. I've always been excellent at making long shots, so it was alarming. To make it worse, this problem went away when I shot hard or used a lot of English. I could play good that way, but not great. It's a limitation to HAVE to use english on a spot shot. While fixing the head position and address position on the cue ball, I broke several other things that are now falling back into place so even though I feel like I'm just getting back to my pre-work level, but in reality I'm setting the foundation for getting to a much higher level.

Notice that the new information you discovered didn't make it necessary to ADD anything to your shot; you ELIMINATED something (hard hit and english). More info doesn't necessary correlate with more analysis or paralysis. In this case, you actually now have less to think about, while your shot improved!

Case in point, a few days ago I beat the 9-ball ghost 6 games in a row in the 9' tables. I've done better on the barbox, but not on the big box.

Cheers,
Regas

Nice job. If I ever meet you in person, remind me not to gamble with you.

Jeff Livingston

 

[deadstroke32]

Sixpack, yours are the frustrations of improvement in anything having a long learning curve. One step backward to go two steps forward.

Still, you make a good case for avoidance of information overload. It's best to be focusing on a few things at a time when you strive for success.

Your expereince also tends to evidence that when it comes to improvement, you need a game plan. Despite the superabundance of wisdom on this forum, you cannot expect to succeed if you're continually willing to tweak your game at a moment's notice just because of something you just read or learned.

The best way to develop a game plan for improvement is to entrust your game to a qualified instructor, who will give you a plan and make sure you stick to it. To me, it sounds like you need a little more direction and a little more continuity in your developmental plan.

Hay sjm my last pool teacher .Had to get help .The last time played he lost so bad he took up horse shoes ..i went back to old and i love it better then the new .u have to find your game in u .If it works so far y change now ..I did the same thing .And my game went out the window so i fixed one thing .And now i can play a lot better the be 4 ..Cause they have to win i don't..The love of the game and god is all i need ..and i play maybe 2 time a week .and still in stroke ..

 

[sjm]

Hay sjm my last pool teacher .Had to get help .The last time played he lost so bad he took up horse shoes ..i went back to old and i love it better then the new .u have to find your game in u .If it works so far y change now ..I did the same thing .And my game went out the window so i fixed one thing .And now i can play a lot better the be 4 ..Cause they have to win i don't..The love of the game and god is all i need ..and i play maybe 2 time a week .and still in stroke ..

I'm with you, Deadstroke. Love of the game has always been plenty enough to ensure that I never get too frustrated playing pool. For me, pool has been a thirty six year joy ride, from the very moment I played my first rack of straight pool in 1969 until now.

 

[mark tadd]

When I found this forum I was playing pretty good. I was running out a lot and beating most. Then I read a post where Mark Tad talked about aiming and the movement in the tip being responsible for inconsistencies in ball striking. Suddenly I noticed my tip. It was moving around like the end of a Lance going full tilt towards a knight during a joust!

Then I thought, why the heck am I looking at the tip anyway, so I read a thread about what you look at last...next thing you know, it was taking me about 45 seconds to pull the trigger while I tried to look at the cue ball, no the cue, no the object ball, no....ARGH!

I figured if I could only aim better. I read a thread about ball slices and contact points. And who the hell is Hal Houle anyway! And what does he know....I'm serious, WHAT DOES HE KNOW? Inquiring minds want to know.

Then I thought possibly deflection and squirt were to blame. Do I need a predator shaft? Is my shaft whippy or stiff? How do I tell? I've had the same Cue for 15 years, what if it's the wrong one for me?!?!?!

Never mind that a one-piece house cue plays better.

Finally after months and months of being in a slump. I was so desperate that I gave up on the free water and I just went out, got drunk and played pool. Forgot everything I've learned and now I'm back to making balls and running out. Pool is comfortably boring again.

But it WAS a fun ride. So next time my practice sessions get boring, I'll start reading threads on pre-shot routines and the benefits of pausing at the end of the backstroke so that I'll have lots to work on, but until then, I'll see you on the table.

Cheers,
Regas

nice rebound

 

[Snapshot9]

funny ....

I know a comedy act that needs a straight man ... interested Regis ...

Maybe you just found out what everyone else has known for a long time ...
Most people don't know they are doing something wrong till they have think about it....lol (except if you're married ... you're wife will tell you ..... several times ...)

 

[kokopuffs]

Forget all of the intellectualizing. How does the g****** stick feel overall?!?!?

I agree with one poster: golf is overloaded with instruction. If the stick doesn't work, try something else. THAT'S the secret.

 

[sixpack]

I know a comedy act that needs a straight man ... interested Regis ...

Maybe you just found out what everyone else has known for a long time ...
Most people don't know they are doing something wrong till they have think about it....lol (except if you're married ... you're wife will tell you ..... several times ...)

LOL...just got married...know what you mean! I figured out all kinds of things I do wrong!

I would be interested in the comedy gig so long as I don't have to move back to Wichita Tell the gang at shooters that I don't miss wichita, but I miss them.

Cheers,
Regas

 

[sixpack]

Forget all of the intellectualizing. How does the g****** stick feel overall?!?!?

I agree with one poster: golf is overloaded with instruction. If the stick doesn't work, try something else. THAT'S the secret.

The stick feels GREAT!

Regas

 

[sixpack]

Wasn't his interview at the Masters last weekend, about his swing changes, interesting? Already the best in the world and he wanted more, and he understands the process he's using and is within it always.

It was. I have been laughing at his critics this whole time. Remember when he got rid of Butch and everyone thought he was being petulant? I agreed wholeheartedly because the swing Butch was creating for Tiger neutralized his greatest strengths and was holding him back. Tiger is the most courageous golfer since Ben Hogan. And I don't mean going for tough shots, I mean he isn't afraid of knowledge and improving his game. Chris Dimarco is the other extreme, he doesn't even practice on the range because he doesn't want to change his swing at all. He played as good as Tiger this masters, but I don't think he'll ever be as good a golfer.

=Notice that the new information you discovered didn't make it necessary to ADD anything to your shot; you ELIMINATED something (hard hit and english). More info doesn't necessary correlate with more analysis or paralysis. In this case, you actually now have less to think about, while your shot improved!

I hadn't thought of it like that, but after all of the hoolamagaggery, I went back to basics and made sure my stroke was straight (with the help of an instructor) and every slump I've ever been in before was the result of playing English on too many shots that could be played with just speed control.

=Nice job. If I ever meet you in person, remind me not to gamble with you.

Jeff Livingston

Thanks! No deal! Actually, I don't gamble all that much any more, I try to be just as intense for fun, it's more of a challenge.

If I do see you in person, I'll buy you a frosty beverage.

Cheers,
Regas

 

[chefjeff]

(snip)

Thanks! No deal! Actually, I don't gamble all that much any more, I try to be just as intense for fun, it's more of a challenge.

If I do see you in person, I'll buy you a frosty beverage.

Cheers,
Regas

My Brother-in-law lives in Alameda. Gonna be there this fall on our way to Hawaii. Better than Wichita. Where do you play? Maybe--if my wife lets me --I might have time to hit a few.

Jeff Livingston

 

[sixpack]

My Brother-in-law lives in Alameda. Gonna be there this fall on our way to Hawaii. Better than Wichita. Where do you play? Maybe--if my wife lets me --I might have time to hit a few.

Jeff Livingston

I usually play at the Broken Rack in Emeryville and Q-Time in Alameda. Let me know when you're going to be here.

Regas

 

[catscradle]

LOL.

As the book "Inner Game of Tennis" points out, don't let your mind get in the way of your body.