What happened to me? long but good...

Fatboy

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My back has been good all week except one day so I have been in small action 3 or 4 times this week, $50 to $100 short races with good players.

Last night I play a guy who has been playing over 50 years, he is 71, his best game is 1P, but he can play. regarding the A,B,C player thread he is a weak A player or a super strong B at 9 or 10B and a A player at 1P his age hasnt slowed him down a bit, know him 17 years.

Last time we played I was just getting back to playing annd lost to him playing 10 ball, We are friends but like to play for $$$, So we play a race to 7 for $40(he made the game) he offered me the 8 and the first break on a brand new Diamond table same as the tables at the US Open, I break and run out to the 8, the 9 was in the jaws, I win the set 7-5, it was a great set, no bad play rolls, we both ran out to win-not one of those bull shit sets where you win off the other guys mistakes and vice versa. I could have beat him easily playing heads up, and I wanted to, so next set I say "heads-up", I was down 2-0 i had no shot to win the first 2-was calm happy and feeling ok, my back was hurting and took a muscle relaxor-that didnt help 3 rd rack he was running out and missed the 9 leaving me tough, I had to streach and missed he comented that i looked uncomfortable-good read it hurt. 3-0, I run the next rack til I got introuble with a cluster he won, 4-0, he ended winning 15 games in a row, I had plenty of chances, road maps, he was missing, he wasnt on the stall on the first set and didnt start playing better I just couldnt make a ball, the pill didnt help, I wasnt angery or frustrated, I slept on it and I just got lazy is all I can think of,

The final set he gave me the 8 and I lose 7-3, I had every chance in the world to win that set, now my back was hurting, the pill was wore off but I couldnt get my head into the game, I lost my rythem etc. Afterwards he said you play better or as good me at 9 ball, but I need to figure out what happened, I wanted to win the first set and had the adrenelin flowing and was running out good, after the satifaction of that got lazy, I was never frustrated, mood was good but the killer instinct was just gone.


So there it is, I played a A player or damn close to it, Mailman in Vegas(is who i played) and I didnt get weak I just lost my focus, he read me like a book, and made comments while we were playing and told me again outside afterwards, he isnt looking to rob me nor am I, he wants to help me. he was suprised how good I played since the last time we played. I just lost focus and got board. you dont go from winning a set easily the score made it close than it was to losing 15 games in a row-without a problem, he didnt run out on me like SVB would I hsd chances, I wasnt nervious, upset. I was happy, the pill didnt help, I was in some pain he noticed it. but 15 in a row? any ideas on how to fix this, its like ADD I was somewhere else after that first set, my determination was gone.

sorry for long post, but this is important, I want to be an A player and almost am, hell I am in spots but that aint good enough. No doubt I could have beat him all night long, he got weaker as time went on as I did just not as fast.
 
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Part of being a great player is consistency and not losing focus. It seems like you know what to work on...its kind of up to you...learn how to stay focused and learn what will keep you focused. There is no magically cure for it. You have to learn to leave the excuses at home, though. To hell with your back and to hell with the pill that messed you up. If you plan on being a great player then you just have to suck it up and play through the pain and it cant slow you down. I, for one, have no focus and no consistency thus I am not a great player. Although, I do not choose to put in the time to be a great player so it kind of works out and dont really care if I am...and, to me, that is alot more fun. I have never taken this game very seriously on the table. I love it with all my heart but I just cant seem to make myself take it as seriously as a lot of people. I respect you for it. :)
 
Never

take muscle relaxer, especially strong ones when you play Pool. I have taken several in the past with back problems, and it gives you a 'care less' attitude, one that is not conducive to maintaining focus or intensity.

It's what I call the 'Cheech and Chong' syndrome, you won't care as long as you can watch the pretty butterfly fly by.... LOL
 
I want to be an A player and almost am, hell I am in spots but that aint good enough.

Like I gently push my 11 yr. old in Golf,Baseball,Basketball - Practice,practice,practice.

You,unlike the child who does not know what they are capable of,know you can get there.If it meens the knife for the back,well......
 
I'd love to know the answer to this as well. Happens to me all the time--- I play and don't care if I make a ball or not. I know when I'm instigated to play well or fired-up to play, I run out well. If I'm not in that mode, however, I feel so apathetic it's hard to even get into a stance.
 
Fatboy said:
My back has been good all week except one day so I have been in small action 3 or 4 times this week, $50 to $100 short races with good players.

Last night I play a guy who has been playing over 50 years, he is 71, his best game is 1P, but he can play. regarding the A,B,C player thread he is a weak A player or a super strong B at 9 or 10B and a A player at 1P his age hasnt slowed him down a bit, know him 17 years.

Last time we played I was just getting back to playing annd lost to him playing 10 ball, We are friends but like to play for $$$, So we play a race to 7 for $40(he made the game) he offered me the 8 and the first break on a brand new Diamond table same as the tables at the US Open, I break and run out to the 8, the 9 was in the jaws, I win the set 7-5, it was a great set, no bad play rolls, we both ran out to win-not one of those bull shit sets where you win off the other guys mistakes and vice versa. I could have beat him easily playing heads up, and I wanted to, so next set I say "heads-up", I was down 2-0 i had no shot to win the first 2-was calm happy and feeling ok, my back was hurting and took a muscle relaxor-that didnt help 3 rd rack he was running out and missed the 9 leaving me tough, I had to streach and missed he comented that i looked uncomfortable-good read it hurt. 3-0, I run the next rack til I got introuble with a cluster he won, 4-0, he ended winning 15 games in a row, I had plenty of chances, road maps, he was missing, he wasnt on the stall on the first set and didnt start playing better I just couldnt make a ball, the pill didnt help, I wasnt angery or frustrated, I slept on it and I just got lazy is all I can think of,

The final set he gave me the 8 and I lose 7-3, I had every chance in the world to win that set, now my back was hurting, the pill was wore off but I couldnt get my head into the game, I lost my rythem etc. Afterwards he said you play better or as good me at 9 ball, but I need to figure out what happened, I wanted to win the first set and had the adrenelin flowing and was running out good, after the satifaction of that got lazy, I was never frustrated, mood was good but the killer instinct was just gone.


So there it is, I played a A player or damn close to it, Mailman in Vegas(is who i played) and I didnt get weak I just lost my focus, he read me like a book, and made comments while we were playing and told me again outside afterwards, he isnt looking to rob me nor am I, he wants to help me. he was suprised how good I played since the last time we played. I just lost focus and got board. you dont go from winning a set easily the score made it close than it was to losing 15 games in a row-without a problem, he didnt run out on me like SVB would I hsd chances, I wasnt nervious, upset. I was happy, the pill didnt help, I was in some pain he noticed it. but 15 in a row? any ideas on how to fix this, its like ADD I was somewhere else after that first set, my determination was gone.

sorry for long post, but this is important, I want to be an A player and almost am, hell I am in spots but that aint good enough. No doubt I could have beat him all night long, he got weaker as time went on as I did just not as fast.
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It's funny how you can fall in to a funk and all of a sudden find ways to lose. I've been there. Position a little off on key balls, just catching the point with others. It is not a concsious thing and can be hard if not impossible to snap out of. Best to quit and start over another day.
 
Fatboy said:
sorry for long post, but this is important, I want to be an A player and almost am, hell I am in spots but that aint good enough. No doubt I could have beat him all night long, he got weaker as time went on as I did just not as fast.
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Howdy,
Mail Man is a strong player and if u were able to hold the fort that long against mailman,you now can definitely beat Jay.
 
vagabond said:
Howdy,
Mail Man is a strong player and if u were able to hold the fort that long against mailman,you now can definitely beat Jay.
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I KNOW in my heart I can beat him playing 9 ball, I did last night and then all of a sudden my mind was elsewhere and then he beat the hell out of me, so yes I have the game to beat him what I dindt have last night was the focus to keep beating him, he said so afterwards-he wants to help me, he was surprised I played as good as I did, last time we played I was comming off a long lay-off i'm still getting better everytime I play. Why I folded up last night I dont know-It wasnt from the pressure, if it was I would admit it, and I wouldnt have a question. Where the hell my mind went I just dont know, I have caved in under pressure or played over my head and then lost bad, but it wasnt like that last night. I play better 9ball than he does i know I do, not 1P.

He read me like a book, he is very smart, the first 9 i missed he said"you looked uncomfortable and in pain" he was right I got down on the shot a couple times and it did hurt, I also started jumping out of easy shots cause i hurt and that was a couple misses, he noticed that too, he also noticed I was losing my focus. he does play strong and those little things cost me alot of games, if I had those games plus the run outs I'm capable of it wouldnt have been 15-0 it would have been 9-6 or 8-7. We talked about it at length afterwards, I was just looking for ideas here. He isnt stringing me along for $$$ either, I've been around waaaay to long to fall for that, hell he offered to play free, he didnt want me to pay him for the sets either-but I bet so I paid.

What I am happy about is I never lost my cool, or felt weak, intimated etc while he put the 15 on me, I felt like I had a chance the whole time and feel like I can beat him otherwise, I'm not in denial-Gabe agreed that he has to play good to beat me. Years ago I would have been furious getting beat like that or just gave up, tony Watson beat me like that in 87 but I knew I didnt have a chance. So yeah I got drilled for 15 straight but I still like my game against his-heads up.

Last time I played Jay 9B i got drilled, Jay might have him in 9B.
 
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Fatboy said:
any ideas on how to fix this, its like ADD I was somewhere else after that first set, my determination was gone.
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Fatboy...IIRC, you take Adderol, don't you? If so, maybe you forgot yesterday. That could account for the "loss of focus". I know we talked about meds, and your daily regiment vs. my wife Patti's. Sometimes she forgets things too (probably related to having to take those things all the time). Luckily she has me to help her remember. Sounds like your game is improving since I saw you a month ago! Glad you could play...best wishes for continued success at the table.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
SpiderWebComm said:
I'd love to know the answer to this as well. Happens to me all the time--- I play and don't care if I make a ball or not. I know when I'm instigated to play well or fired-up to play, I run out well. If I'm not in that mode, however, I feel so apathetic it's hard to even get into a stance.
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thats a good summary of what happened to me last night, yearsago when I was playing alot that would happen-I was just burned out, thats not the case now, i'm hungry to beat the best players I can play. Strange.
 
BTW, i dont take heavy drugs or alot of any of anything, i hate them but have no choice, they dont affect my play, they make me sick and I cant play as in dont go play.
 
Fatboy said:
So there it is, I played a A player or damn close to it, Mailman in Vegas(is who i played) and I didnt get weak I just lost my focus, he read me like a book, and made comments while we were playing and told me again outside afterwards, he isnt looking to rob me nor am I, he wants to help me. he was suprised how good I played since the last time we played. I just lost focus and got board. you dont go from winning a set easily the score made it close than it was to losing 15 games in a row-without a problem, he didnt run out on me like SVB would I hsd chances, I wasnt nervious, upset. I was happy, the pill didnt help, I was in some pain he noticed it. but 15 in a row? any ideas on how to fix this, its like ADD I was somewhere else after that first set, my determination was gone.
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Say hello to Gabe for me. We have teed it up a few times in the past 30 or so years and the last time I saw him a few years ago at the Hard Times Jamboree, he was playing pretty sporty one pocket. He is an animated player, as am I, and while there was never a lot of money changing hands, I always enjoyed our games. John Henderson
 
Fatboy said:
BTW, i dont take heavy drugs or alot of any of anything, i hate them but have no choice, they dont affect my play, they make me sick and I cant play as in dont go play.
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It is possible that You are unable to sustain your focus on the game because- you do multi million Dollar buisiness whole day over the phone and your mind may be drifting into your buisiness affairs.Do not make a big issue out of it and u just enjoy playing pool.Others have to work hard to feed their kids and can`t afford to loose on a pool game and they are the one who have to focus on the game.:cool:
 
Focus comes one shot at a time. You can't focus on winning a match or a game. Focus must be on this shot, on the precise spot in the pocket that you want to make the ball... on the precise spot you have to contact the cue ball in order for it go to precisely where you need it for the next shot. Watch the archives of SVB and focus on every detail of every shot. Watch the way he glides around the table with his eyes intensely glaring at the table. Every shot he's on a mission to kill.

Staying focused over a period of several sets is VERY difficult to do when your body hurts and when you are taking some sort of drug that causes your brain chemistry to be out of balance. But the only way to stay focused for hours is to be focused on every shot. It helps me to stare at the object ball and cue ball in an extremely intense manner.. Like I would if I was feeling the need to kill somebody.

Also, as your skills increase you will play better and better even when you are not 100% focused and then when you actually ARE focused it'll be jam-up, lights out!!!! Keep on keepin on. That's ALL we can do. NO NONCHALANTIN AT THE POOL TABLE!!!
 
I play with neck pain half the time. When I first start there is no pain. As the session progresses the pain steps up accordingly in levels. Long sessions require lots of stretching and posture that takes away the pressure. Sometimes nothing works for the pain.

Neil is right (great post by the way) in that you use your mental energy blocking that pain. I think this might be a valid place to pinpoint the reason for your change in play.

First we have to have motivation for the game at hand. Sometimes I play my brother lights out just getting some time in on the table rack after rack, only to feel it leave me. I start playing sloppy like I don't care. The truth is I don't. I can consciously tell myself, or try and will myself to care, but it doesn't work. Bottom line is you have to have more than one type of motivation for the game.

Hell do what I did. List scenarios that would pump up your blood to play. List every conceivable one you can think of and guess what you will miss a few that you will see come up in your course of playing.

Alright, whatever your main motivation coming into a game is, just briefly recognize it for what it is. But understand it has a threshold of lasting power in terms of time and mental mass. Much like a computer CPU you only have so much space and bandwidth to work with. When your motivation goes you can feel it. I call it a DUMP. It's like a pressure valve has let go and you feel half relief and half agitation. (Agitation wondering why it went.) Pay close attention when you feel this dump as you will need to recognize it for what it truly is at other times. (Its quite easy to duplicate this during practice sometimes right?)

When it happens you will be in denial. Your motivation just walked out the door and you will make an excuse that it was just a temporary pothole in the road. Why? Because why take a chance with your confidence and screw things up if it was just a pothole right? If you dwell on it you will question the foundation of the confidence right?

Well yes and no, but more no. It's all in how you go about it. Be very analytical and truthful with yourself with what was passing through your thoughts during that time frame and if the recognized clues are indeed from a DUMP.

Sometimes mere thoughts that pass through our minds completely undermine our motivation without us recognizing it. (Thats why I say recognize your motivation before hand.)

Example: Motivation call it "Impress" motivation. Good looking girl she's checking you out and your game. The more shots you make the more interested she becomes. It feeds itself and you are making "how did he do that" shots. She talking, the body language is on, wow even your opponent who usually plays you even can't believe it......
What seems to be a boyfriend walks in, the attention she lavished on you is gone. Thoughts run through your conscious but one thought takes center stage and your sure it's spot on. It is her boyfriend and she is a tease...3,2,1, DUMP commencing. You play worse and your opponent is filled with joy.


O.K. I have gone on a tangent but here is where Pain, Motivation and the motions of the game come together. Lets go back to that computer scenario.

First, you have to have the motivation it is the "Programs" of your system. Many different programs you can use with different results. You choose the best programs for each unique scenario subconsciously for the best results.

Second, superior play is like being hooked up to roadrunner, Broadband as it gets. The mind and body work beautifully together in that you are playing in dead stroke. No interference....

Third, is emotion. It regulates and fine tunes your play. It can streamline your programs to razor edge sharp or it can dull it like cutting concrete. It has a slow response time so we shouldn't over tweek it.

Fourth, other programs in play. The more programs you add the more crowded it gets. Add another and that broadband just got a little narrower. Add another...a little more narrow, get the picture? Anything on your mind is a program in a since. Pain is one of those other programs. Sometimes that pain can take on virus proportions but we usually know it was more of something else than the pain.

So that CPU is humming along at 40% usage and rising. Programs are being added and some taken away (but mostly added). The Pain is a CPU hog but we have managed before right? We put in that mental pain blocker program and we will do fine.
We actually play pretty good when out of know where we see things just aren't right, they have changed. Its hard to put a finger on the cause. It's either the motivation, or too many thoughts downgrading your performance.

You have to be able to recognize the DUMP when it happens to get a better idea of what and why it happened. If it's not motivation we know your bandwidth is now 56k phone line. Your game is breathing through a cocktail straw... either scenario it seems like the concentration is gone.
 
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Fatboy said:
...I wasnt angery or frustrated, I slept on it and I just got lazy is all I can think of...

...after the satifaction of that got lazy, I was never frustrated, mood was good but the killer instinct was just gone....

...its like ADD I was somewhere else after that first set, my determination was gone...QUOTE]

Fatboy, it sounds to me like you know exactly what's wrong and what you need to do to fix it. Unless the meds you're taking brought this all on, and you say it didn't, it's just a matter of regaining that motivation and 'killer instinct' and maintaining it throughout the night. I have serious back trouble too, so I have some idea of what you're going through, and I know that when the pain lets up you'll have a much easier time maintaining your focus. Glad you had a few good days and a killer first set!
:p
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Wow, I've had that problem with the Mailman this weekend !!! Hes giving me 11-6 playing 1 hole and Im doing okay the first 3 games, I lost them but only by a ball or 2, then we got to the 4th game and I just started taking chances I normally wouldnt and just went off !! Arrgggghhh !!! I get too impatient and try to make something happen. Trying to work on that !! sucks that you were in pain to add to it ... keep firing at'em !! you'll get im !!
 
good idea

renard said:
Hell do what I did. List scenarios that would pump up your blood to play.
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Fatboy, Renard has something I think works. When I am practicing I lose intensity. However if I think about entering a fair sized tourney or playing someone I really want to beat, not just a friendly game, my intensity comes roaring back.

One shot at a time and even easing off and back on the gas sound like good ideas too. You might need a little breather between shots or go ahead and coast a little while shooting a few ducks. I know that isn't generally recommended but being naturally lazy I conserve all the energy I can, mental and physical.

Hu
 
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