Which Do You Prefer - Playing Bad and Winning or Playing Great and Losing?
- Thread starter BasementDweller
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GSitz89's Thread "Bad Night" found here - http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=248129 got me thinking. This usually leads me to trouble but oh well.
I was wondering what is worse - Playing Bad and Winning or Playing Great and Losing?
Like most of us humans, I really enjoy competition and I would prefer to winBut I also hate playing bad. I've also come to accept the fact that our game is very unique in that you can play your best pool and still lose depending on the game that you are playing. There are a lot of different ways to play great and lose, I'll leave that to your imagination.
So, for me the goal is to play my best pool and let the wins and losses take care of themselves.
Of course, if you are playing for high stakes, then I'm sure most guys just want the cash but aside from that I'll take playing my best any day.
It's all about playing well. Everyone you will ever meet is going to try and match up with you at your perceived top gear. If you play well and lose it just means you have to work on your matching up skills because if you hit your gear and still lose...
I've played champions, played great, and lost. I've played chumps, played poorly, and won. Playing great against the champion is better. It's not even close.
Lou Figueroa
prefer to get better
This is something to think about. My point of view is, if I am playing bad and winning I may not be playing a better player. If I am playing great and
losing I may be playing a better player. You can always learn from a better player. You can't learn very much playing some one not up to your level. take care, john
This is something to think about. My point of view is, if I am playing bad and winning I may not be playing a better player. If I am playing great and
losing I may be playing a better player. You can always learn from a better player. You can't learn very much playing some one not up to your level. take care, john
I played a Super 9 a few days ago. He missed exactly 4 shots on his path to 75 points.
2 of those shots missed led to awesome safeties. I couldn't get out of them well enough. The other 2 shots he legitimately missed, and I ran out. Then dry break each time, lol.
I felt I played well, minus the break, but still enjoyed the game.
Three weeks ago, I played lights out, and still lost to a 3. I know, playing lights out should not lead to losing, but it did. Couple fumbled safeties, he pisses a few in, leaves me bad and it gets out of hand quick. I hated it, frustrated me intensely.
2 of those shots missed led to awesome safeties. I couldn't get out of them well enough. The other 2 shots he legitimately missed, and I ran out. Then dry break each time, lol.
I felt I played well, minus the break, but still enjoyed the game.
Three weeks ago, I played lights out, and still lost to a 3. I know, playing lights out should not lead to losing, but it did. Couple fumbled safeties, he pisses a few in, leaves me bad and it gets out of hand quick. I hated it, frustrated me intensely.
I hate losing, it's easier to swallow against an excellent player, but I still don't like to lose. If I play great I can take some satisfaction that I played my best though.
That said, as much as it sucks to play poorly, there is something to be said about grinding out a win, especially against good players. We can't always play our A game or even our B game, so it's important to learn to win with our B and C games.
That said, as much as it sucks to play poorly, there is something to be said about grinding out a win, especially against good players. We can't always play our A game or even our B game, so it's important to learn to win with our B and C games.
Perserverence. The ability to dig down, knowing you are not playing your best and finding the way to the win. If you are playing bad and winning you are displaying heart. How many times have you seen a guy playing bad lay down and give up the game. You can see it happen in his demeanor and posture. Like Jay says they're finding a way to lose. Contrast that to the guy who just keeps digging, never quiting, aching to find the stroke every time he walks up to the table. Playing a safety to change the momentum, finding a way to tilt things his way.
There is great satisfaction in grinding out a win. There is no joy in losing only the consolation that you gave it your best, only the cold consolation that you know exactly where you stand in the food chain.
If I'm playing good, I expect to never lose. I've always taught my students over the years, your mistakes and misses are your teachers. If you can go back and remember Exactly what happened and what triggered your bad play, from that you can analyze and figure out what's needed to improve. Many a great player has played bad, and because of it won an event, because as we say, ''Whitey NEVER Lies'', and the answer always comes back to, if you are committed to your shot 100% and miss, ''within'' lies the reason for your error.
I had a match a week or so ago where I played absolutely horrid and won. I won because every darn shot I missed (and it was quite a few) I seemed to roll not just safe, but a really good safe. I actually felt guilty about winning and apologized to my opponent.
I have also lost a match where my opponent had the same thing happen. I played a D player a race to 5 I think and I kicked at every ball I hit. He also apologized, but I took it in good spirits and was actually chuckling at the end of it.
If I played horrible and won I wouldn't mind if I still played better than my opponent and not because the rolls ruled the entire match like the example I listed. When I play great nothing else really matters to me.
I have also lost a match where my opponent had the same thing happen. I played a D player a race to 5 I think and I kicked at every ball I hit. He also apologized, but I took it in good spirits and was actually chuckling at the end of it.
If I played horrible and won I wouldn't mind if I still played better than my opponent and not because the rolls ruled the entire match like the example I listed. When I play great nothing else really matters to me.
I'd rather win than lose obviously but I'm never one to sit on my laurels as I am very analytic about my game...maybe too much at that. Its all about confidence on the moment. For some reason when I practice for a tournament as opposed to to just practice to keep my stroke in line, I 90% of the time play bad and I don't know why but when the tournament day comes and they call my name on the microphone for my match I seem to bring a different level of focus and everything that was bothering me the night before vanishes.
In a tournament setting where I'm the most focused, if I played bad and won that's because my opponent was too weak because usually, the level of my opponents doesn't allow me to play poorly and win. They break and run racks those bastards!!
they're all buddies though....most of them.
I do feel that if I play my best game and still lose then I was the massive underdog.
off topic a little bit...
I realized that when 2 players of the same skill level (I'd say intermediate where you start to be able to break and run a few times during a match) and they both play bad its the one that makes less mistakes that will prevail but when they are both playing good, you can always pinpoint what specific shot or safety turned the match around.
In a tournament setting where I'm the most focused, if I played bad and won that's because my opponent was too weak because usually, the level of my opponents doesn't allow me to play poorly and win. They break and run racks those bastards!!
they're all buddies though....most of them.I do feel that if I play my best game and still lose then I was the massive underdog.
off topic a little bit...
I realized that when 2 players of the same skill level (I'd say intermediate where you start to be able to break and run a few times during a match) and they both play bad its the one that makes less mistakes that will prevail but when they are both playing good, you can always pinpoint what specific shot or safety turned the match around.
Winning.
Or what the hell are you keeping score for?
There's probably more to learn when you manage to win when your not playing your best game. This assuming the win wasn't just handed to you.
Or what the hell are you keeping score for?
There's probably more to learn when you manage to win when your not playing your best game. This assuming the win wasn't just handed to you.
In one of my games the other night, I ran down to the 8 and just blew the shot on it out my ass. The other player had 6 balls on the table and ran down to his last ball before the 8. It was as simple stop shot. For some reason, he put alot of draw/spin on it and he ended up scratching, giving me ball in hand for a easy win.
I had mixed feelings on that game. Glad I won cause it was a hill-hill game so I moved to the next round, but at the same time it was sorta a give me.
But, I had put the pressure on him by running 7 balls down to the 8 and having the 8 sitting close to the pocket. Handling the pressure is also part of the game.
Keeping the pressure on at all times is vital. It can force errors and that is also part of the game.
I had mixed feelings on that game. Glad I won cause it was a hill-hill game so I moved to the next round, but at the same time it was sorta a give me.
But, I had put the pressure on him by running 7 balls down to the 8 and having the 8 sitting close to the pocket. Handling the pressure is also part of the game.
Keeping the pressure on at all times is vital. It can force errors and that is also part of the game.
Sounds like you gave him the game, and he gave it back to you. That's not a gimme, that's both of you shooting 90% instead of 100%.
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God, are you kidding? If I could luck the 9 in three rails every time I came to the table i'd be totally ecstatic.
You would also be one heck of a good bank pool player.
I picked shooting great and losing because I'm getting sick of shooting bad and winning. I tend to lose focus when I'm not shooting well and end up playing a lot of two way shots, which just makes it look like I missed and got a lucky roll. I had a much better player than me in a tournament tell me after a few two way shots that I "could mess up a wet dream". Of course I ended up choking an easy 8 at the end, but in a way it was a moral victory just to make him have to work for the win.
Of course moral victories pay the same as losses
Of course moral victories pay the same as losses
I actually question the results here. Haha. I'm not sure what exactly this question implies, but this would be like asking.... would you rather negotiate a price for your house really well, and get a low selling price for it, or negotiate very poorly, and get a great price and have a sap buy it. Haha. Cmon.