What do you do when pool is no longer fun?

Dockter said:
This seems like the case for me lately. I like to be the best that I can be at anything I do and I also have an extremely addictive personality. I had some junk that I was addicted to when I was younger and when I cut most of that out pool has been my outlet and new addiction.

For the first few years I had fun shooting every time I shot no matter how I did. Now I'm to a point where all I care about is getting better. I find myself getting frustrated faster, I find myself getting pissy with the rest of my team when I'm struggling through no fault of their own, I feel like at this point pool is work. Even when I win it seems all I can think about is what I did wrong during my game and don't feel like I deserved to win they just happened to play worse. Last year I had 4 ero's and the most 10-0 of our league night. This year I have no ero's, no sweeps and I don't think I have a 10-0. I practice more than ever before yet the outcome is just getting worse and it's coming into tournament time. Maybe it's time to just put the cue down awhile and see if when I hit the table again the enjoyment comes back.

Has anyone else ran into this and how did you change your mindset?
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It sounds like your frustration is resulting from plateauing. Usually to break plateaus you need to learn different (different games, different books, improved mindset, lessons/different insight, etc.). Getting past plateaus is all about doing what it takes to unlock the necessary doors, and the willingness to put in the work.

You might ask yourself this question: If I improved at a more rapid rate, would the game still feel like work, or would I love it again?

Good luck
 
Maybe sometime in the next couple of weeks I will come down and school you in 1pocket.;)
 
Start taking vitamin D, 2-3000 units a day. Sounds weird, but just try it. It'll take a few days to kick in, but it'll help.
 
Take a Break

Take a session off and just play and practice if anything. Don't do team events of any kind and don't hit any balls for 3 weeks at least. Time for a vacation.

Dockter said:
This seems like the case for me lately. I like to be the best that I can be at anything I do and I also have an extremely addictive personality. I had some junk that I was addicted to when I was younger and when I cut most of that out pool has been my outlet and new addiction.

For the first few years I had fun shooting every time I shot no matter how I did. Now I'm to a point where all I care about is getting better. I find myself getting frustrated faster, I find myself getting pissy with the rest of my team when I'm struggling through no fault of their own, I feel like at this point pool is work. Even when I win it seems all I can think about is what I did wrong during my game and don't feel like I deserved to win they just happened to play worse. Last year I had 4 ero's and the most 10-0 of our league night. This year I have no ero's, no sweeps and I don't think I have a 10-0. I practice more than ever before yet the outcome is just getting worse and it's coming into tournament time. Maybe it's time to just put the cue down awhile and see if when I hit the table again the enjoyment comes back.

Has anyone else ran into this and how did you change your mindset?
Click to expand...
 
Q - "What do you do when pool is no longer fun?"

A - Stop playing APA.

That may sound like sarcasm but that's what I did and it worked for me.
 
erriep said:
may be it's time for you to make a pause ...
that's what i've done years ago. Some years of pause i've voluntary made. When i decided to play again, it took me "some" time to learn again, but i restarted with better basis, i worked my fundamentals, and now i think that the pause was the best choice i could make.

You have another solution : why not to learn carom ? starting by straight rail . the classic , very hard way, to 3C but be carefull : extremelly addictive.
Click to expand...


You beat me to it,
Give billiards a shot if your looking for a new challenge
And it is highly addictive
I haven't ever heard of it until last March of feb
Now I have a brand new Gabriel's at home
 
beneath_the_sur said:
You beat me to it,
Give billiards a shot if your looking for a new challenge
And it is highly addictive
I haven't ever heard of it until last March of feb
Now I have a brand new Gabriel's at home
Click to expand...

I might have to give it a try. I shouldn't say I never have fun playing anymore because when I can get on the 9ft table in town and some time to practice alone I love shooting 14.1. I'm new to it and suck ( my high run is like 10 ) but I find myself losing hours of time before I look at the clock. The only thing they have here is 8 and 9 ball barbox leagues. And there are only a few 9 fters in town. :(

Someone told me of a place that has a few more but I haven't got to check it out yet, it's at an Active Gernerations center.
 
I don't know that quitting its the right answer. But to get some interest back without being so negative on your failure to improve might be solved by getting a good DVD Pool Instruction set and try some new methods or drills. Quit worrying about losing and just focus on your own game and attitude.
 
Dockter said:
This seems like the case for me lately. I like to be the best that I can be at anything I do and I also have an extremely addictive personality. I had some junk that I was addicted to when I was younger and when I cut most of that out pool has been my outlet and new addiction.

For the first few years I had fun shooting every time I shot no matter how I did. Now I'm to a point where all I care about is getting better. I find myself getting frustrated faster, I find myself getting pissy with the rest of my team when I'm struggling through no fault of their own, I feel like at this point pool is work. Even when I win it seems all I can think about is what I did wrong during my game and don't feel like I deserved to win they just happened to play worse. Last year I had 4 ero's and the most 10-0 of our league night. This year I have no ero's, no sweeps and I don't think I have a 10-0. I practice more than ever before yet the outcome is just getting worse and it's coming into tournament time. Maybe it's time to just put the cue down awhile and see if when I hit the table again the enjoyment comes back.

Has anyone else ran into this and how did you change your mindset?
Click to expand...

Yes. Take some time off and also get and read "The Pleasures of Small Motions".
 
I've read this thread as I am sort of in the middle of one of these myself. For me I know it's mostly the winter time and I know even getting out of bed sometimes is a struggle for me, so first ask yourself, is it just pool, or is it other things as well? If it's other things too you may have a seasonal depression and soon you won't be able to buy a gun... probably.

Anyways, whether it's something like that or not, only you can know, but sometimes it's just not fun for a while, we don't get the same sort of enjoyment out of it that maybe we used to. I think that throughout our life time we're drawn by something to look forward to. Sort of like when we were kids and the whole "kid year" revolved around Christmas.

Think about it, do remember in June talking with friends about what you wanted for Christmas? Now as an adult maybe you look forward to a planned vacation in July or August, or a new car you're planning to purchase in March or something like that. For me, my pool year points toward the late Spring and Summer, when we play our qualifiers and have the National Tournament.

The thought of doing that and, generally, the year long planning that goes into it keeps me going, it's what I look forward to as a pool player. The nights get longer, the weather gets better playing pool on league night is easier and somehow more fun, and at the National Tournament, the nights don't end, you can always find pool or food or friends and drinks and for many of us it's an environment that, for a week or so, we really enjoy.

It's hard to tell which advice may be right for you. Maybe you need to take a break, maybe you need a new game or a new team, maybe it's time to shop for a new cue or case, or maybe if you don't already you should start planning a trip to your VNEA National Tournament, whether you qualify or not. Something to generate some personal excitement for you about pool.
 
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