It's Official. I'm in Full Suckage Mode.

Just when I think I was turning a corner and felt like I was getting a handle on all the changes I've made to my pool game I go and lose again.

To a D+.

BADLY.

Final Score: 7-3.

That's now 4 consecutive D players I've lost to in a row in leagues with this particular D+ having beaten me twice during this period of ineptitude.

I even heard "Hey, we'll let you play him again. You've already beaten him once."

My big chance for "revenge"...and I get beaten even worse than last time.

I even spotted a game less this go round, 1 game on 7 instead of 2, cause I got lowered to a C and I still couldn't get it together to win.

And while the D+ wasn't bad and had some moments of brilliant play I really felt like I gave the match away.

Example 1:

I'm running out, I get good shape on the 8-ball, I take my time on the shot, I hit it good and the 8-ball rattles and sits in the pocket.

I have no idea how in the world the ball did not go into the pocket. I could shot this shot 100 times and I feel I would make it 100 times. It was like 4 inches from the pocket and I had a good angle on it. It was a gimmie.

And. I. Hung. It. Up.

Example 2:

I'm running out again. I make the 8-ball but the bouncy rails makes me over run my position leaving me straight-ish on the 9-ball. I now have a shallow cut on the 9-ball. The 9-ball's about 2 inches from the corner pocket with it frozen or close to being frozen on the bottom rail. Not a gimme but definitely a makeable shot. I take my time, I line it up and I hit it good. The 9-ball slowly rolls towards the pocket and STOPS for no apparent reason.

I. Hung. It. Up. To. Lose. The. Match.

You ever notice that when things are going bad you can't catch a roll? Ever? And it seems like the other person's getting all the rolls?

Example 1:

The D+ is on two fouls. All I need is one more foul for the win and there's a good cluster of balls for me to hide the 1-ball behind. So I hit the 1-ball off two rails and get the cue ball snuggled up nice and tight against the 3-ball. It's about one of the most perfect safes I've ever played a safes are one of my weak points.

Only the 1-ball banks two rails and goes into the side pocket.

Most decent players, they usually hit the object ball "pocket speed" and are usually on target for the pocket. If they miss it's a fraction of an inch and the object ball will usually hang up in the pocket.


D player? They miss by a mile. They hit everything way too hard and have the object ball bouncing all over the place...and because it's me, and I'm the one playing a D+, I can't catch a break. Every time the D+ missed I'm left with NOTHING.

And it kept happening throughout the ENTIRE MATCH.

Example 1:

D+ Miss the 8-ball but leaves me straight where I have to try a bank on it. (Or try a terrible safe but the bank was like a two way shot...so I thought.) I made sure to under bank it so I'd get a safe out of it if I missed it only I don't under bank it, thanks to the bouncy rails, I over bank it. Of course the 8-ball sits nicely near the pocket since...

I. Hung. It. Up.

Example 2:

I played a decent safety on the 8-ball. D+ kicks at it, makes contact and balls are rolling everywhere. After the dust settles...I'm safed right behind the 9-ball.

Example 3:

Early in the rack and there's lots of clusters. D+ fires some balls in, gets some balls a-moving, and - well, what do you know. The dust settles for a dead 9-ball combination.

A month or so ago, when the wheels were starting to come off, and not like it I am now - a stripped Honda sitting on cinder blocks under the FDR, I reacted to "unlucky rolls" with a lot of anger. Why? Cause it's FRUSTRATING.

I don't mind getting beaten if 1) I feel that I played well and 2) the player legitimately beat me by outplaying me. (I do realize I'm a hack and I can't win them all.) I just hate to LOSE and I hate to lose by "luck".

I know, there's that whole philosophical crap about "you created your own luck", "you did it to yourself", "rolls going both ways", etc. and I know I get my fair share of rolls too...but it just seems that at the most crucial time, in the most crucial situation, the rolls are going against me.

My display of "anger" was pointed out to me, by my teammates, as being a poor sport. That I must remain calm to play my best.

Okay. I'll try a new approach. I'll try and laugh it off. Smile therapy.

So during the match I tried not to let any of this bother me.

Hung the 8-ball? Smile and laugh.

The dust settles and I'm safed with no shot? Smile and laugh.

The D+ misses again and I've got no shot? Smile and laugh.

And what do I get accused of? Not trying hard enough.

ARE YOU F*CKING KIDDING ME?

Yeah, it's cause I f*cking enjoy losing.

I enjoy losing by such a huge f*cking spread that the team eventually ends up losing on points.

Cause. Of. Me.

So I'm back to being angry. (Works better for me anyway.)

Only I better start winning soon or there's gonna be blood...

Tuesday Night @ Skyline BIlliards

Went 1 and 2 tonight. Ugh.

I started off really slow, again, as I was still thinking way too much about my mechanics. So much so that I "forgot" to make the ball and/or leave myself a shot on the next ball. I had chances to win my first match but keep getting out of line and screwing myself late in the rack. I was lucky I didn't get donutted - ended up losing 5-1.

I was then put on a tight pocket table for my next match and I think that helped me out actually. I focused a little bit more on making the ball and simplifying my position. Did okay as I was finally making a few balls and able to run out a fairly open table a few times. I won 4-1. I think that was the score.

Next match went hill-hill and I dogged the 8ball badly and scratched to boot to lose. I turn into a pumpkin after 11pm and had a brain fart on the last two balls. Oh well.

I felt better tonight and I felt like my old self at the table as long as I can keep any thoughts about my mechanics in the background.

Let's see if I can keep it up as we've got a pretty fun League match this Thursday.

Quick boring pool update - sorry but, hey, it's something.

2009 - Let's Try This Again...

So, as you can see, I've made some changes. I also did some "house cleaning" and removed all my old posts. New site, new posts.

I'll try and be good and post more BUT it's gonna be more pool oriented with a few food and general silliness posts here and there.

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Speaking of food - I'm making a pretty mean steak these days. (Costco steaks are surprisingly good quality. 4 ribeyes, decent sized as you can see below, about $30.)

Here's a close up:

I gotta say the Lodge Logic Pro Grid / Iron Griddle is the sh*ts. The only problem is the smoke. My vent hood sucks and the smoke gets everywhere and the apartment smells like steak for like 3 or 4 days (Not really a bad thing but...) The other problem is the cleaning. Cleaning cast iron is one big pain in the arse.

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And in pool news...

I've been in a slump of sorts. I made a lot of changes to my pool game recently and I'm trying to get adjusted to it all. I figured that I had to break it all apart and rebuild it, I had a lot of bad habits and some really bad fundamentals, to make some major advancements in my game. I straighten out my "chicken wing", I changed my bridge from a closed bridge to an open bridge, I changed my stance and completely revamped my stroke. (Which is still a work in progress.)

It's really quite a bit in a short time and it's really messed me up, especially confidence wise. Too many mechanical things to think about when I really should be thinking about just making the ball and I'm a little shook. It's so bad I lost to 3 D players in a row in leagues and haven't been close to a win in weeks. I even got lowered recently from a C+ to a C.

Having said all that I feel like I'm getting comfortable with all the changes, FINALLY, and it all seems to be coming together. Getting lowered is gonna help too as I won't have to feel like I have to be playing at my best to win. As a C+ I was spotting the D players 3 on the wire going to 8. As a C it's just 2 on 7. Not a huge change but I felt like, as a C+, I was a little over rated and that I couldn't make a mistake which, of course, caused me to play tight and to...make mistakes. As a regular C player I got a little more leeway to make a bad mistake and not have it hurt my that much. We'll see I guess.

I'm also going to be playing more since the Amsterdam Billiards' team 9-ball league just started back up and an APA League I just joined will be starting up next Sunday. Oh, and the Predator 9-ball Tour will be starting back up in February. I can't wait as that Tour's a lot of fun.

So that's about it for now. Leave me some love and let me know what you think of the site.

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Check out the free stream of the Derby City Classic from January 23rd to the 31st on The Action Report here.

Skyline Billiards usually streams the Tuesday night Open tournament and I'm usually there. See if you can catch me here.