Why Your Skill Doesn’t Matter in Matches - Just in Practice

dfreshlv said:
I’ve been playing around with that app some and while I like how it’s laid out I personally don’t find the numbers or percentages to mean much of anything and I’m skeptical that they reflect one’s true skill or performance. Just my opinion on it so far.
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Only the winners have even a clue.
 
straightline said:
Technically, pocketing the ball is major to the degree it should be developed to flawless. More important, that and all execution must be flawlessly consistent. For the not so ambitious, do what you can.

Still, people tend to depend on notions that nobody plays perfect which begets notions like just relax and do what you do and ultimately, not everybody is gonna be a champ anyway etc...
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All players miss, so what do you do when you miss? When I miss when playing league I try to solve why I missed, I can usually attribute it to not focusing on delivering the cue in a straight line properly during the shot, trying to change my aim while down on the shot, and thinking about the results of the shot, the only thing I can truly control is delivering the cue along the proper shot line, sometimes I use the wrong English, I don't beat myself up, I keep my head in the game and take advantage of my next opportunity to shoot.
 
SSP said:
All players miss, so what do you do when you miss? When I miss when playing league I try to solve why I missed, I can usually attribute it to not focusing on delivering the cue in a straight line properly during the shot, trying to change my aim while down on the shot, and thinking about the results of the shot, the only thing I can truly control is delivering the cue along the proper shot line, sometimes I use the wrong English, I don't beat myself up, I keep my head in the game and take advantage of my next opportunity to shoot.
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I also believe this IS a skill !!!! If you keep your mind on the last shot you missed that there is nothing you can do about you can't be focusing on what you CAN do on your next shot, as you play better you will be playing better players who will play great safeties against you, it's not just about shotmaking at least in 8 ball, you can learn even in a loss.
 
SSP said:
All players miss, so what do you do when you miss? When I miss when playing league I try to solve why I missed, I can usually attribute it to not focusing on delivering the cue in a straight line properly during the shot, trying to change my aim while down on the shot, and thinking about the results of the shot, the only thing I can truly control is delivering the cue along the proper shot line, sometimes I use the wrong English, I don't beat myself up, I keep my head in the game and take advantage of my next opportunity to shoot.
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Main reason I'm not a player is I can't bring myself to GAF about beating anyone. Last ten years or so, if I missed at King of the Table, TS BFD. The small 8 ball tourneys it was easy enough to go into player mode and crawl through. Just rifling through random memories, misses/mistakes were probably all due to indecision. It's this junction that hardens players. (don't want to be that guy anymore) Anyway what I do is keep working the method.
 
Jaden said:
Not even close. The higher skilled player often doesn't walk out with the money. The person walking out with the money is often the most skilled sharker or most skilled negotiator, maybe the most skilled under pressure, they are not necssarily the most skilled at playing pocket billiards.

It's funny this goes back millenium. If you haven't and you get the chance, read the book of the five rings. It's about combat and sword dueling. In it Miyamoto Musashi speaks to showing up late to the duel to get into your opponents head.

You can see this today with Magnus Carlsen doing the same thing even sacrificing time advantage to do so. That isn't what makes him more skilled at chess, but it allows him a mental advantage that often ends up with him walking away the winner ( and it helps that he's often the more skilled at chess).

Skill at playing pool is exactly that, getting the balls to do what you are trying to get them to do is the only thing that is skill at pool. The rest and walking away with the money is skill at walking away with the money, not playing pool.
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I 100% agree with you. Unfortunately, the guys that have all day to read all of these posts and reply aren’t on the road slaying pool rooms for cash. As a matter of fact, I would imagine most leagues have a rule about showing up on time for a match, because people have lives outside of pool leagues and/or wives and kids to raise. Many older writings are not a 1:1 translation within modern society or even 1 stoplight towns.
 
Rackaday said:
I 100% agree with you. Unfortunately, the guys that have all day to read all of these posts and reply aren’t on the road slaying pool rooms for cash. As a matter of fact, I would imagine most leagues have a rule about showing up on time for a match, because people have lives outside of pool leagues and/or wives and kids to raise. Many older writings are not a 1:1 translation within modern society or even 1 stoplight towns.
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To me it's like the guys playing basketball at the schoolyard, no one mistakes them for NBA players, but they still enjoy playing as hard as they can for their skill level, it's not different in any sport, I will never play at a pro level but every year I get a little better, we are playing for our league championship next Monday, it won't matter to anyone but our little circle but sharing this sport with friends and bragging rights for the year are something money cannot buy......
 
from what I understood from the video, practice and article, it is not about the skill itself but rather the mindset. you have the skill but during matches, there are times that you doubt or second-guess yourself with certain shots or what to do next. what I've noticed is that if you already have a certain mindset on what to do for certain preparations, the less you make mistakes. I think that the title should be how confidence make your game better.
 
SSP said:
To me it's like the guys playing basketball at the schoolyard, no one mistakes them for NBA players, but they still enjoy playing as hard as they can for their skill level, it's not different in any sport, I will never play at a pro level but every year I get a little better, we are playing for our league championship next Monday, it won't matter to anyone but our little circle but sharing this sport with friends and bragging rights for the year are something money cannot buy......
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I understand what you are saying and I am going to guess you are over 55 by your use of schoolyard. I get it, but basketball and pool are so very different. Basketball requires a whole different level of physical fitness and 2, 3, 4 other players. I would argue pool takes the edge in mental toughness due to fewer mistakes can cost you a game vs basketball is so many shot attempts and running up and down the court for a set time. But, I mostly get it. You and your crew are putting forth effort while playing pool w/ mostly self imposed pressure and win or lose are still content with your slice of life. Who can argue with that. No one. Good luck on your championship game.
 
Rackaday said:
I understand what you are saying and I am going to guess you are over 55 by your use of schoolyard. I get it, but basketball and pool are so very different. Basketball requires a whole different level of physical fitness and 2, 3, 4 other players. I would argue pool takes the edge in mental toughness due to fewer mistakes can cost you a game vs basketball is so many shot attempts and running up and down the court for a set time. But, I mostly get it. You and your crew are putting forth effort while playing pool w/ mostly self imposed pressure and win or lose are still content with your slice of life. Who can argue with that. No one. Good luck on your championship game.
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👍
 
Hail Mary Shot said:
from what I understood from the video, practice and article, it is not about the skill itself but rather the mindset. you have the skill but during matches, there are times that you doubt or second-guess yourself with certain shots or what to do next. what I've noticed is that if you already have a certain mindset on what to do for certain preparations, the less you make mistakes. I think that the title should be how confidence make your game better.
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I think you have the right take on the article but I would argue that preparing to face adversity during a match is a skill that can and should be learned, some people never quit and fight till they win or lose, a loss doesn't make them doubt themselves, they learn from it while others won't admit that there were opportunities they didn't take advantage of, like Tennis or Golf YOU are the team during a match, the only way to learn to compete is to do it.....
 
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SSP said:
I think you have the right take on the article but I would argue that preparing to face adversity during a match is a skill that can and should be learned, some people never quit and fight till they win or lose, a loss doesn't make them doubt themselves, they learn from it while others won't admit that there were opportunities they didn't take advantage of, like Tennis or Golf YOU are the team during a match, the only way to learn to compete is to do it.....
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That's one reason why I don't like it when people say you've got to gamble to improve. No, gambling will only help you to improve at gambling. Competing will help you to improve at competing and practice will help your skill level in general.
 
Rackaday said:
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I played at Super Billiards Expo a few years ago in the amateur tourney, 2 races to 5, First set I'm up 3-0 and lose 5-3 second set I'm down 3-0 in the second set and come back to win 5-3, and then go on to win the last set, it would have been easy to give up, I have been on the other side as well, love it, win or lose, love to compete.......
 
Hail Mary Shot said:
from what I understood from the video, practice and article, it is not about the skill itself but rather the mindset. you have the skill but during matches, there are times that you doubt or second-guess yourself with certain shots or what to do next. what I've noticed is that if you already have a certain mindset on what to do for certain preparations, the less you make mistakes. I think that the title should be how confidence make your game better.
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They all skirt the looney issues - understandably so. I think you can improve just by experiencing how much context a competition can put on you. Things like how much weight is a group of heavies who just want you out the way so they can get to more cash. :ROFLMAO:
 
straightline said:
They all skirt the looney issues - understandably so. I think you can improve just by experiencing how much context a competition can put on you. Things like how much weight is a group of heavies who just want you out the way so they can get to more cash. :ROFLMAO:
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There's a possibility of that one and sort of a trap. I see some guys do that and you can see it from a mile away if you experienced it enough. But then again, that's another story.
 
SSP said:
I think you have the right take on the article but I would argue that preparing to face adversity during a match is a skill that can and should be learned, some people never quit and fight till they win or lose, a loss doesn't make them doubt themselves, they learn from it while others won't admit that there were opportunities they didn't take advantage of, like Tennis or Golf YOU are the team during a match, the only way to learn to compete is to do it.....
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Of course. There's that as well.
 
Jaden said:
That's one reason why I don't like it when people say you've got to gamble to improve. No, gambling will only help you to improve at gambling. Competing will help you to improve at competing and practice will help your skill level in general.
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The difference between a competitor and a gambler of a sport. Plainly, what is at stake.
 
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