When is it time to take a break from pool?

Pidge

Pidge

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been playing every day, and I mean every day for the past 15 months. Some days it might only be a 1 hour practice session and other days it may be an 8 hour session with friends.

At the moment its starting to feel like work, and in a job I dislike. I've lost all interest in the game tbh. It might just be a blip and next week I could fall in love with the game again, who knows.

I've won fairly decent amounts of money in cash games, but recently I can't get motivated to go and take a couple of hundred off some sucker for 2 hours work. Who the hell can't get motivated to win an easy 200? Well, me. I'd rather gamble 200 on who can hold their breath the longest tbh. I think its the money that's made me lose interest. With winning money comes a whole load of sh*t.

Any thoughts on how to bring back the enjoyment?

I'm taking a month off from playing completely, and then I'm just going to play with friends for fun once or twice a week there after and see how it goes.

Well, that's my ramble over with! Ha.
 
motivation

I am in a similiar place this year. I think gambling for decent money changes you a lot. You get accustomed to bigger thrills and rewards. After awhike the action dries up, you handicap is raised and well...as you stated it feels like work.

I would reccomend readingThe Pleasures of Small Motions by Bob Fancher.He is a psycholgist pool player who writes about healthy player motivstions. Bottom line you changed and what used to hold your interest doesnt now.

Best to learn a new game, work on some of your weaknesses, find new ways of challenging yourself. Realize that your game is always in axstate of flux, you need to actively maintain it.

I played very little over the summer and the local pool scene is drying up. Not enough action for me, but I try. I have a big event on the calendar, thats y motivstion for practice now, I like it when I show up in stroke. Missing shots/positions thst should be automatic is very frustrating.

Just try to find othef aspects of the game to love.
 
dbldown...Just FYI, Bob is a great guy, but is more of a pool "enthusiast" than a player...great writer though, who defintely understands the mental side of the game.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

dbldown said:
I would reccomend readingThe Pleasures of Small Motions by Bob Fancher.He is a psycholgist pool player who writes about healthy player motivstions.
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I play for the love of the game. I'm 59 & have played since I'm 13. Maybe some time off would be good as you have been playing everyday.

When you come back, playing with friends only for awhile might be a good idea but you might mis the action.

An idea might be to play for lees money with lessor players that you have to give some weight. Now the part you might not like or understand...when you beat them, you keep enough to pay the table time & give them half or all of the reat of the money back & then help them with there game. Just an idea.

Best wishes & regards,
 
Read it. Read it again. Then again. Loved it.

Still can't motivate my self.

I'm thinking of dying my hair jet black, buying some black clothes and listening to some heavy metal that relates to my deep depression about life!
 
learn to play for fun..just spend some time with a few
friends that have an interest in the game an enjoy yourself.
Gambling requires you to stay focused an in the moment..

In pool,as in life,there are pot holes.My road is always bumpy.
hope you find peace with in yourself an game.
 
Pidge said:
Read it. Read it again. Then again. Loved it.

Still can't motivate my self.

I'm thinking of dying my hair jet black, buying some black clothes and listening to some heavy metal that relates to my deep depression about life!
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Pidge,

Don't do that. Let your hair grow long. Get a pair of multi colored stiped pants with bell bottoms, a flowered shirt with 'baloon; sleeves, a wide belt with a square buckle, a pair of Beatle boots or better yet penny loafers & then go to the pool hall.

I bet your life will change.:wink: Oh yea, I forgat the small circle sun glassses.

Music always seems to help me when I'm down but not heavy metal.:smile:

Best Wishes,
 
Definitely sounds like you're getting burned out and it's time to take a bit of a break. Given that you've been playing every day for 450 or so days(!), start with a few days off at the very minimum. If, after those few days, you can't wait to get back to the table and shoot, that may have been all you needed. If you still feel unenthusiastic at the thought of playing, extend the break further.

Once you've gotten your enthusiasm back and are back into the swing of playing, IMHO taking more regular breaks will likely help you from getting burned out again. In my own experience, I've found that taking an average of one day per week off helps me immensely in terms of maintaining my enthusiasm to play and keeping pool from feeling like "work". After that day off, I can't wait to get back to the pool hall and play the next day.
 
That's great advice, thanks.

When I first started playing, which was snooker, one of the pool hall veterans kid of took me under his wing and showed me the ropes so to speak. We would play for small money and every time I would lose, but hed just say you played well, pay for the table and call it quits.

You get kids today that just watch you play, next time I'm having a practice session I'm just going to ask if they want a practice game and hopefully I can give them a few tips.

I've always enjoyed playing friends over a money match. A few beers, playing pool with friends just for bragging rights. What could be better? A new rule though, you break and run and your opponent does a forfeit. I'm not sure it would take to the pro game though...no one wants to see Earl running around the table naked with a beer on his head...
 
You need

to enjoy some other forms of entertainment for awhile. We all need to have a variety of things in our life, even though Pool may be one of the main things. Go out and eat a new type of food to you, and go see that movie you really want to see. Go to a zoo, or a musical presentation.
Go tour and see all the Christmas lights, just enjoy life and family for awhile.

Play only when you really feel like it. I quit playing league years ago because it felt too much like a job, and now just play tournaments and money games. I have played 50 years, and in that time, have been burned out on Pool twice for a period of time. Once was after playing league on 6 different teams each week.

It will come back to you.
 
Scott Lee said:
dbldown...Just FYI, Bob is a great guy, but is more of a pool "enthusiast" than a player...great writer though, who defintely understands the mental side of the game.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
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No he isnt, but he understands well how much of what western society deems as helpful mindsets for competitive sportsis really counterproductive.

Pidge, are there any strong players in your area to match up with? Iwould rather play a strong opponent for time than beat up some bum getting the 6 out for money. It just gets old, and there are very few " good losers".
 
dbldown said:
No he isnt, but he understands well how much of what western society deems as helpful mindsets for competitive sportsis really counterproductive.

Pidge, are there any strong players in your area to match up with? Iwould rather play a strong opponent for time than beat up some bum getting the 6 out for money. It just gets old, and there are very few " good losers".
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Not in 9 ball, 10 ball or 8 ball.

In the UK American style pocket billiards hasn't taken off yet, but it is getting more popular.

The really good players play snooker and English 8 ball. And although it would be nice to play against stiffer opposition, the thought of playing 8 ball on a 6ft table with 2" balls and a 1 7/8" CB just isn't appealing. Although I enjoy watching snooker, playing the game has bored me for 10 years now.

I might devote some time to one pocket and 14.1, both of which I've hardly ever played. Hopefully the difference in tactics can not only help by learning a "new" game but also improve my 8 9 and 10 ball game.
 
Every day? Seems crazy. I love pool but I can't imagine not giving yourself a day off for week after week after week.

At some point, you MUST have felt like you weren't having fun and were just playing because you felt obligated for some reason.

No wonder you want to take a month off. You need thirty days off, you just don't need them to be all in a row. How about playing 6 days a week or 5 days? Just don't hit balls if you don't particularly feel like it.
 
CreeDo said:
Every day? Seems crazy. I love pool but I can't imagine not giving yourself a day off for week after week after week.

At some point, you MUST have felt like you weren't having fun and were just playing because you felt obligated for some reason.

No wonder you want to take a month off. You need thirty days off, you just don't need them to be all in a row. How about playing 6 days a week or 5 days? Just don't hit balls if you don't particularly feel like it.
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Yeah, every day. Pretty frickin sad huh! Haha

I had games for money atleast once a week so prior to that was all preparation for games. I wouldn't go into a game if I didn't feel I'd done all I could to beat my opponent. Besides, I enjoyed practicing as much as playing.
 
Pidge said:
Not in 9 ball, 10 ball or 8 ball.

In the UK American style pocket billiards hasn't taken off yet, but it is getting more popular.

The really good players play snooker and English 8 ball. And although it would be nice to play against stiffer opposition, the thought of playing 8 ball on a 6ft table with 2" balls and a 1 7/8" CB just isn't appealing. Although I enjoy watching snooker, playing the game has bored me for 10 years now.

I might devote some time to one pocket and 14.1, both of which I've hardly ever played. Hopefully the difference in tactics can not only help by learning a "new" game but also improve my 8 9 and 10 ball game.
Click to expand...

In my opinion, you should learn to play one pocket. It is tough to get bored playing one pocket. There are endless numbers of shots to be played in any situation. Also you will get very precise with your cue ball control and banking. I feel one pocket can improve your other games as well because of thinking involved and the emphasis on execution. I have always thought of one pocket being chess and 9 ball being checkers. Try to find a solid player in your area. That should bring your interest back.
 
No one in my area plays one pocket. American style billiards isn't very popular and 9 ball only has a very small following here.

That being said, I'd only have to find someone with a similar ability of "pool" in general because I have no idea of the tactics and patterns involved in one pocket.
 
Like I tell anyone trying to improve strategy. Watch the pros play the game and pause at decisions and think about what you would do. Then see what they do and if it is different assume they made a better choice and figure out why they chose that option/what the result was. Most players who are good and get bored with rotation games love one pocket so finding a sparring partner shouldn't be too hard. Heck it may even catch on there! LOL
 
It sounds like you're playing out of habit now instead of enjoyment.

Have fun, because that's why you should be playing.
 
I like your style! Out of the last 763 days there have only been 4 days when I didn't play for at least an hour.

My advice for beating burn out and rekindling the fires of enthusiasm is to teach. Help as many folks as you can!

I got a thrill the other night watching a guy run a table of 8 ball leaving his opponent speechless with surprise. I had helped him about a month ago and apparently something in there clicked. It felt good!

When we get to knocking heads for money, we can easily become jaded. Giving to others helps to heal the soul!

Hope this helps! I know just thinking about it and trying to communicate to you has helped me!

Ken

p.s. laying off will help you short term but eventually you will be burned out again.
 
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