What would you call this situation?

ctyhntr

ctyhntr

RIP Kelly
Silver Member
In the league, I can consistently beat player A. Player A can beat Player B and Player C. When I play Player B and Player C, I end up losing. Despite being a handicap league, we're classed the same, so we play even. When I see Player A, he mentioned to me that he usually loses to me. I checked my records, and sure enough, overall I won more matches.

Is it confidence, or lack of confidence?
 
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You might be giving up based on the skill level you are playing. Play your game and not the handicap.
 
In my limited experience, I've noticed that often times players of similar ability can have distinctly different styles of play. Meaning some are more aggressive, some better safety players, some kick better, etc. The style you play may not match up as well against certain styles of players.
 
justadub said:
In my limited experience, I've noticed that often times players of similar ability can have distinctly different styles of play. Meaning some are more aggressive, some better safety players, some kick better, etc. The style you play may not match up as well against certain styles of players.
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I 100% agree. Unless there is a significant difference in the players overall skill level I feel that a style of play difference can help the weaker overcome the stronger player if the gap between them is relatively small. There a certain guys in my area that i hate to play because of this.

Mind you it works the other way too. There are a couple of guys who are far better than me but they hate playing against my style. They mostly say its because i have a very strong break and so they are generally coming to the table a few balls behind more often then not.
 
I'd say it's a timing issue. Player A might be doing to you what you are doing to players B & C. You may be outrunning the gun on the two weaker players but cannot finish, leaving them a wide open out or lots of chances to safe you. Likewise, player A may be strong enough to finish them or just weak enough to not empty as much of the table so they don't have as open of a run finish. It's all timing.

I find it's good to lay a little low on weaker players unless I have a wide open run. You have to know when to push on through with the finish. Not every game is a runner. Time it & take your shot when you feel confident that you can finish. Otherwise, you get stuck and leave an empty, wide open table and then anybody can win. At least this is how things go for me, anyway.
 
When I play Player A, we pretty much play our hearts out. In 8-ball, it's usually a two-three inning game if one of us makes a ball on the break.

As for playing style, he does it the balls softer and roll his shots. I tend to be more reckless, hit harder and take bank shots.
 
ctyhntr said:
When I play Player A, we pretty much play our hearts out. In 8-ball, it's usually a two-three inning game if one of us makes a ball on the break.

As for playing style, he does it the balls softer and roll his shots. I tend to be more reckless, hit harder and take bank shots.
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So how many innings are you getting against players B & C ? Are they simply playing safe on you while you play "your heart out" ? Perhaps ' soft & smooth' player A just overcomes their safety play better . . . .

Here's a simple , yet very effective tip - if you dan't yet have the ability to run out consistently ( 0 or 1 inning games) and you know you're going to go more than 2 innings , use the early innings to put your balls in position to run , rather than using your early innings to make balls .

Worst 8-ball strategy in the world is to make 6 balls in the 1st inning , and then have to chase that last ball from wherever your opponent 'happens' to leave you . Is this what happens against player s B & C ?

Bank shots should be a last resort unless you practice them constantly and have completely mastered them . And even then , you can only trust them on your home table , because every table banks differently .

I have found that RECKLESS is usually not an effective playing strategy .
 
ridinda9 said:
So how many innings are you getting against players B & C ? Are they simply playing safe on you while you play "your heart out" ? Perhaps ' soft & smooth' player A just overcomes their safety play better . . . .

Here's a simple , yet very effective tip - if you dan't yet have the ability to run out consistently ( 0 or 1 inning games) and you know you're going to go more than 2 innings , use the early innings to put your balls in position to run , rather than using your early innings to make balls .

Worst 8-ball strategy in the world is to make 6 balls in the 1st inning , and then have to chase that last ball from wherever your opponent 'happens' to leave you . Is this what happens against player s B & C ?

Bank shots should be a last resort unless you practice them constantly and have completely mastered them . And even then , you can only trust them on your home table , because every table banks differently .

I have found that RECKLESS is usually not an effective playing strategy .
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Was my point exactly...but you said it better.
 
Your in the head of player A. Hes thinking of last time you beat him before the match even starts. I say this due to the fact that he mentions you usually beat him. My buddy who is a skill level better than me lost to the guy a beat last week. when they played the match went hill hill. Last week i played the same guy and he had to give up a game to me. The first and second games of the match was close but i pulled them out. After that he had head problems and could not make a ball the rest of night.
 
For me, when I play Player "A", he kicks the lining outta my shorts. Then, when I play Players "B" and "C", they whup me like a junkyard dog. I don't win too often. In fact, I lose a LOT. I suck at pool :embarrassed2:!!!

Maniac
 
One thing that I have found myself doing in the past, and had to get over is playing down or up to others levels. If I felt that I was playing someone who was not as good as myself I would tend to play too loose, or not put my full game into the match. On the other side, if I played someone who I knew was better than myself, I knew that I had to be at the top of game and would play much better. I still find myself falling into that rut every once in a while, it's just important to play all your game all the time.
 
justadub said:
In my limited experience, I've noticed that often times players of similar ability can have distinctly different styles of play. Meaning some are more aggressive, some better safety players, some kick better, etc. The style you play may not match up as well against certain styles of players.
Click to expand...

This is especially true in one pocket it seems.
 
Yes, running 4-6 balls in the first inning, then chasing after the last ball and the 8-ball sums up my 8-ball game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUmnl2uZw2w

I've been trying to move away from being a 'feel' player/banger to a thinking ahead player. Transition isn't happening, so I fall back to my old playing style and habit to stay above water.

ridinda9 said:
So how many innings are you getting against players B & C ? Are they simply playing safe on you while you play "your heart out" ? Perhaps ' soft & smooth' player A just overcomes their safety play better . . . .

Here's a simple , yet very effective tip - if you dan't yet have the ability to run out consistently ( 0 or 1 inning games) and you know you're going to go more than 2 innings , use the early innings to put your balls in position to run , rather than using your early innings to make balls .

Worst 8-ball strategy in the world is to make 6 balls in the 1st inning , and then have to chase that last ball from wherever your opponent 'happens' to leave you . Is this what happens against player s B & C ?

Bank shots should be a last resort unless you practice them constantly and have completely mastered them . And even then , you can only trust them on your home table , because every table banks differently .

I have found that RECKLESS is usually not an effective playing strategy .
Click to expand...
 
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Someone said it above--- you match-up well with player A. You know his game and play to it well. You're not playing to B/C well. If they bank/kick better, learn what they're good at and start leaving them weird. Eventually, they break down. Be more patient.
 
ctyhntr said:
Yes, running 4-6 balls in the first inning, then chasing after the last ball and the 8-ball sums up my 8-ball game.

I've been trying to move away from being a 'feel' player/banger to a thinking ahead player. Transition isn't happening, so I fall back to my old playing style and habit to stay above water.
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If you can run 4-6 balls, then you can run out when you need to. Bar box 8 ball is a game of strategy and ball management. If you can't get out, then most of the time you should never make more than 1-2 balls at most. If you make your balls, you have no pieces to move.

A good 8 ball player will win > 90% of the time if there opponent only has one ball left on the table. Think of it like chess. If you only have one piece left, eventually you will get trapped.

If you can't get out on the break, try declaring a group (make a ball) so you have control of the table, and then play safe. If you can break up a cluster with your safety, you may be able to run out on your next inning.
 
brandoncook26 said:
If you can't get out on the break, try declaring a group (make a ball) so you have control of the table, and then play safe. If you can break up a cluster with your safety, you may be able to run out on your next inning.
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You can also miss a ball so that the shot blocks a much-needed pocket of your opponent. This pretty much "handcuffs" a player when their pocketing options are numbered.

Maniac
 
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