Too much D; a very bad thing

R

RichSchultz

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Licking my wounds from losing to an APA 3 last night by 2 frikkin balls. Tough race due to the handicapping, but I still should have won. Reason I lost? Messing around too much with my defensive shots. As a result, I never got into an offensive rhthym.

Guess that's the secret, huh? Knowing when to pull the trigger.

Oh well, lesson learned, so that's not a bad thing.
 
RichSchultz said:
Licking my wounds from losing to an APA 3 last night by 2 frikkin balls. Tough race due to the handicapping, but I still should have won. Reason I lost? Messing around too much with my defensive shots. As a result, I never got into an offensive rhthym.

Guess that's the secret, huh? Knowing when to pull the trigger.

Oh well, lesson learned, so that's not a bad thing.
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When you are playing/shooting well. This is one of the only ways to win.
 
I don't know what skill level you are or what you had to spot him, but if it were me in that situation I'd come out firing. Defensive is the last thing I'd worry about with an APA-3.

Unless he had every ball in the pocket, I think you probably could have made all your balls and out-maneuvered him when it came to a point you couldn't make a ball.

I assume you were playing 8-ball, since you didn't stipulate. If it was 9-ball, then playing a lot of defense on an APA-3 is the last thing I'm thinking about, no matter what the spot is.
 
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HawaiianEye said:
I don't know what skill lever you are or what you had to spot him, but if it were me in that situation I'd come out firing. Defensive is the last thing I'd worry about with an APA-3.

Unless he had every ball in the pocket, I think you probably could have made all your balls and out-maneuvered him when it came to a point you couldn't make a ball.

I assume you were playing 8-ball, since you didn't stipulate. If it was 9-ball, then playing a lot of defense on an APA-3 is the last thing I'm thinking about, no matter what the spot is.
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I'm a 5 (been a 6) and it was 9 ball. You are correct though. I should have played it differently. I'm fuming at myself, but at least I learned something important!
 
As in richard? Id say so. :eek:

But you goltta admit...by definition, 'too much' is an amount that is excessive or unnecessary, from a measured perspective.
 
RichSchultz said:
Licking my wounds from losing to an APA 3 last night by 2 frikkin balls. Tough race due to the handicapping, but I still should have won. Reason I lost? Messing around too much with my defensive shots. As a result, I never got into an offensive rhthym.

Guess that's the secret, huh? Knowing when to pull the trigger.

Oh well, lesson learned, so that's not a bad thing.
Click to expand...

The best defense is a good offense.

Seems trite, but applicable.


Also remember, no matter how good you are, you can lose any time, any where, to any body, even without a handicap. Therefore, play the table, not your opponent. You sacrificed your offense. You played your opponent with defense rather than play the table with offense. Playing the table never involves defense IMHO. It is simply less likely and less frequent to lose to a player with lesser skills.

Just how I see things. Could be wrong...just ask my wife.


.
 
11 in some circumstances probably isn't that excessive. But you do have to know when to pull the trigger. Sometimes playing the 'D' will allow us to get into stroke and alot of times one or two real good lock up safeties will take their heart. Sometimes the table might dictate that you play several in a game. I wouldn't worry about how many, the object is still to win. Sometimes you play more, sometimes you play less
 
I agree with the others, those who said the situation dictates how much "D" to play.

Here, it apparently wasn't working, so maybe you should have switched strategies a little earlier....?
 
If you felt your defensive game was more dominate, then your offense may have been a bit timid. You were less confident in your ability to pocket balls. The game, as in all things must be in balance. Don't worry about it. Like yesterdays lunch, all things must pass.
If, however, it becomes a trend then have someone take a look at what you may, or may not, be doing.
And, remember. It might only be one small thing that is causing your problem, so don't take the whole bottle of aspirin when you only need one. :)
 
Tramp Steamer said:
If you felt your defensive game was more dominate, then your offense may have been a bit timid. You were less confident in your ability to pocket balls. The game, as in all things must be in balance. Don't worry about it. Like yesterdays lunch, all things must pass.
If, however, it becomes a trend then have someone take a look at what you may, or may not, be doing.
And, remember. It might only be one small thing that is causing your problem, so don't take the whole bottle of aspirin when you only need one. :)
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Great advice, Tramp!
 
Interesting thread title wording lol :D

I had this happen once back in College at Northwest Missouri State about 17 years ago. I was playing in a bar for money (19 years old) vs a semi pro Butch (not sure if that was his nickname or real name). He was a very good player. I lost like $100 I want to say and he complimented me on my game but told me I play too much defense. I took it to heart. There is a time and spot for defense, but I also needed to grow some robusto and learn to runout when it is time to runout. Many times playing solid safeties has won me matches in the past, but just don't let it take over your game for situations where you should go for the runout!
 
Spimp13 said:
Interesting thread title wording lol :D

I had this happen once back in College at Northwest Missouri State about 17 years ago. I was playing in a bar for money (19 years old) vs a semi pro Butch (not sure if that was his nickname or real name). He was a very good player. I lost like $100 I want to say and he complimented me on my game but told me I play too much defense. I took it to heart. There is a time and spot for defense, but I also needed to grow some robusto and learn to runout when it is time to runout. Many times playing solid safeties has won me matches in the past, but just don't let it take over your game for situations where you should go for the runout!
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I play a guy who is an A-player every Sunday and beat him 4 or 5 games of 9-ball to his every one.

He is so afraid I will run out on him that he will play defense WAY TOO OFTEN.

I tell him over and over and over to take a chance once in a while and don't worry about your opponent...you are playing the table until you miss.

He is a year or two older than me and has been playing around the same amount of time, but he never seems to learn anything from playing experience. He reads tons and tons of pool books and watches videos on YouTube, but he refuses to listen to anything you tell him.

When he gets into his "defensive" mode, I will go into the same mode just to play mind games with him. We play winner breaks, so I do a soft break driving several balls to the rails, but the cue ball will go two rails and behind the balls left in the middle 95% of the time where he can't hit the one.

Then he is forced to push somewhere and I usually take the shot and put the cue ball behind the stack again. I 3-foul him out numerous times without every him hitting the one and eventually he tries to shoot at a ball instead of playing defense all the time.

Sometimes old dog learns new tricks and sometimes they don't.
 
mp8208 said:
sometimes a little defense is good but I wouldn't play it the whole match
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Wait a minute. Stop the presses. We have a new guy here.
Everyone say hello to, let's see it's mp8208 isn't it? Yes. mp8208.
Now listen up, mp. Go to the main forum page and click the box that says 'start a new thread', and tell the membership a little bit about yourself. Likes, dislikes, stuff like that. I guarantee you'll get thousands of responses. :)

Now what were we talking about?
 
Tramp Steamer said:
Wait a minute. Stop the presses. We have a new guy here.
Everyone say hello to, let's see it's mp8208 isn't it? Yes. mp8208.
Now listen up, mp. Go to the main forum page and click the box that says 'start a new thread', and tell the membership a little bit about yourself. Likes, dislikes, stuff like that. I guarantee you'll get thousands of responses. :)

Now what were we talking about?
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Tramp, we were talking about last night at my pool hall, excuse me, bar with two 9' diamond tables...and my idiocy.
 
RichSchultz said:
Too much D; a very bad thing
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