When is it time....

Sorry to hear about this Grindz .

There's a older guy that comes into are local bar and he had a stroke a few years back and still plays but also he has alot of trouble holding his cue with is right hand , he tells me that he's got to make up his mind on a shot quickly because he doesn't know when he's going to drop his cue , the sad thing is that back in the day he was a great shot .

The only thing I can say is just go to a doctor and see if there is anything that may or can help you , as for having a few drinks to calm you down , I wouldn't even think of it , you know they say once you have one you have to have another and another .

Best wishes to you and hope you can get everything figured out .
 
Don't know if you remember an old guy by the name of George Ellis. But, he got the shakes bad too. His whole bridge hand would pop up off the table! It was kind off amuzing to watch because he still could run 80 balls! He would get his aim, and then just let it fly. He couldn't draw worth a lick anymore, so he mainly used center ball for position control. Always amazed me how he could even hit the cb. Once in a while, he wouldn't because his timing was off when he shot and his hand was about 3" above the cb.

He just accepted that he couldn't play like he used to, but sometimes could still put a whipping on you. He played for the enjoyment of playing, not the wins anymore.
 
You have shared some wise words here..

ArtOfTheCue said:
Pool is a part of you. Your condition is a part of you, too. Get comfortable with you, and the rest of it will probably fall into place pretty quickly.
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I'm on that road.... it's rocky and the soles of my shoes are worn thin... but I know that it's a journey and I'll try to enjoy it all the way to the end.

td
 
Every other Fri night, I play with a gentleman who won an actual billiards tourneyment in 1957. 3 weeks ago he turned 90. And although he has various tremors, moves slowly, and the stick operates like a pendulum (side to side); he has adjusted his stroke to hit the ball when the pendulum is in the right place. He often give us a run for our lives on the table.
 
I guess the answer for me is...

supergreenman said:
Quit when they have to pry the pool cue from your cold dead hands.

Seriously, why would you ever quit.
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when the joy of playing is no longer comensurate with the frustration of not being able to play the game at a level where it's beauty shines.

That was a mouthful... :grin-square:

td
 
Thanks Neil...

Neil said:
Don't know if you remember an old guy by the name of George Ellis. But, he got the shakes bad too. His whole bridge hand would pop up off the table! It was kind off amuzing to watch because he still could run 80 balls! He would get his aim, and then just let it fly. He couldn't draw worth a lick anymore, so he mainly used center ball for position control. Always amazed me how he could even hit the cb. Once in a while, he wouldn't because his timing was off when he shot and his hand was about 3" above the cb.

He just accepted that he couldn't play like he used to, but sometimes could still put a whipping on you. He played for the enjoyment of playing, not the wins anymore.
Click to expand...

I loved George.... he had a great soul! He, Boyd P., Eddie, big Jim, Harold Jr., a handful of others, and I played partners snooker at the Comet many afternoons during the week (back when I was in college :)). Memories that no one can take away... RIP George!

The hard part for me is the frustration at not being able to play at the level I want to. I hesitated to post this thread for fear of focusing on the malady even more and giving it more reality.... law of attraction... but it is a whole another battle, and I hoped that people here may have some help for me with it. Everyone's kind words of encouragement have helped, and are not wasted on deaf ears.

I guess I'm mostly looking for solutions that have worked for others... because I know some have been successful in overcoming this at a high level. I'm hoping I can too.... because my knowledge base of the game is at a lifetime peak level for me.

td
 
grindz said:
when the joy of playing is no longer comensurate with the frustration of not being able to play the game at a level where it's beauty shines.

That was a mouthful... :grin-square:

td
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How often do you compete? If it is rarely it may not be enough to keep the nerves down. The more often you compete the easier it will be to control the nerves, it may be a case powering through it until you get more comfortable in these situations. It probably won't help if you are focusing on the fact you are shaking.

If you used to compete a lot, but currently do so rarely, your tolerance can decrease. For example, I used to perform shows (music) all the time when I was in University, a crowd of 200 or more people had no effect on me. After two years away from playing I agreed to play in a friends charity talent festival thingy. The crowd was small (only 50-100 people) but I was nervous as hell, couldn't keep my hand from shaking, couldn't sit still. I paced outside until it I was up.

Try breathing excercises they can do a lot to calm you and get you thinking straight. Inhale slowly through your nose, hold it briefly, exhale slowly through your mouth, repeat 10 more times.

I wouldn't give up the game, if you can't compete you can always just play for fun.
 
I'm hoping I can too.... because my knowledge base of the game is at a lifetime peak level for me.
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LOL! Welcome to the start of old age! This is so true in so many ways and different things.Sometimes it takes a lifetime to learn some things, and by the time you finally figure something out, you are to old to use it! Take some of that wisdom and try and pass it on. Maybe, some young'un will pick up on it, and that wisdom won't be wasted.:thumbup::wink:
 
If I had the shakes as you describe them and after I had a medical evaluation here is what I would do. Wait until the shakes start at the practice table (per your post) then try to figure out what kicked them in. This would help me to avoid triggering the shakes.

Next I would try various techniques to see if I could reduce the shakes: deep breathing, music, different stance (higher or lower over the cue). My bet is that some trick could be found that would have some effect. Whatever worked I would then create an exercise that addressed the issue and run a behavior check over time to see if the exercise helped to alleviate the problem.

Perhaps left handed shooting might help me figure out the problem. Perhaps shooting several shots with a mechanical bridge would teach me more about what triggers it. It is a matter of being creative. I have often found that much study is needed to find what will alleviate or at least reduce a problem but something can usually be found. For instance, one way to address the anxiety associated with dropping the cue is to tape the fingers in such a way that the cue could not be dropped and yet would not interfere with your usual grip. Get creative, be tenacious, and know that you can in some way address the issue.

No one can address the issue or find a solution as well as you can. Others might kick in ideas but you will determine if they work. I gues to some extent it is a matter of belief and tenacity.

What happens to the quality of your life if you quit? Challenges are what life is about. If nothing else I could see starting a league / group for myself and others with physical problems.

PS nearly all of the men in my family die of a heart attack by age 50 or so. I am 65 and going strong. Not quitting yet because I am having too much fun beating the odds.
 
I agree....

Neil said:
LOL! Welcome to the start of old age! This is so true in so many ways and different things.Sometimes it takes a lifetime to learn some things, and by the time you finally figure something out, you are to old to use it! Take some of that wisdom and try and pass it on. Maybe, some young'un will pick up on it, and that wisdom won't be wasted.:thumbup::wink:
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it's good to pass it on.....

It can be tough though in the male dominated, egocentric pool world to help anyone w/out coming off as an old blowhard.... "I used to be able to play"..... and not using it as my own ego booster (I'm getting close to killing that bugger).

Showing someone something they really want to learn is a VERY satisfying thing though... as I'm sure you know with your instruction.

td
 
My wife calls it OAD (old age disease). There is a trick I call the smoking gun technique. Shoot the gun, throw it in the middle of the floor and wait for someone to pick it up. Goes like this.

“Looks like your having trouble with two rail kicks”

Now you gotta wait for it till he says, “yeah they are tough, I need a way to figure them out.”

“I know a guy who xxx.”

Never me, always some other guy and of course I end with,

“Smart guy like you probably doesn’t need it, but it might be worth a try.”

Throw out the idea, disown it, and let the idea work its magic.

Now you have to wait two weeks. If you listen closely you will hear a variation of your idea being explained to some other guy.


Seems if your idea was so good I would have known it already. If it is a good idea and I try it and add my own wrinkle, then it is my idea and I will pass it on to others. We never win an argument but we do affect other people. You just have to wait for it.

Works well with "hard headed" people.
 
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