I sort of had an epiphany at the Super Billiards Expo. As I was watching some of the top ranked amateurs and the pros play I noticed how focused they were while sitting in the chair waiting for their next turn. They’d just sit there like statues, displaying very little emotion, watching and waiting. It’s a very similar approach to how they shoot shots actually.
I, on the other hand, often let my mind wander. I’d watch other matches that are going on... I’d start looking around... start thinking about what’s for dinner later... If I just missed or did something stupid, which is quite often, I’d probably be berating myself or talking to myself as I waited.
(I often wonder what the pros think about while sitting there. Are they wondering if they left the stove on before they left the house? Do they remind themselves that they have to pick up the dry cleaning later? Or that they’re out of milk and need to pick some up on the way home? Do they also wondering what they are going to get for dinner after the match? Inquiring minds want to know.)
So what I think I figured out is that I don’t need to learn howto win but, instead, I need to learn how to compete better by staying focused and “in the match”.
My problem is that I lose focus too often and it starts with THE CHAIR. I can’t be thinking about something else and then “snap back” into competition mode and suddenly expect myself to perform my best. Also allowing my mind to wander so often rather than training it to remain still and focused affects me at the table as well. I’ll often start thinking of something else, maybe the next shot, and miss the current shot. I figure that focus, like a lot of things, can be trained and then maybe, just maybe, I won’t “take my eye off the ball” or do any of those other euphemisms for losing focus. My new goal is to try and remain 100% focused on the match the entire time.
So, with this in mind, let me recap my recent matches in leagues.
Yesterday, Sunday, I had both APA and BCA leagues. I had to play immediately since I needed to leave right after to make the BCA league match. (Yeah, this is our THURSDAY BCA league, you know, the one with SUNDAY matches. Ugh.)
I was matched up against an APA 4 so it’ll be a 38 (me) to 31 (him) race. I’ve played this person before and the last time it was fairly close. I didn’t play that well and I think I only won by a few balls which is why his captain probably matched us up again. Unfortunately for them I was a little more focused this time around.
I won the lag, broke, but didn’t make a ball. He makes the 1 ball but misses the 2 ball. I then proceed to run the rest of the balls out. Score is 9-1 me.
I break and I make a ball. I run to the 7-ball, which I make, but I hit it a little too hard leaving myself a bit longer on the 8 ball than I wanted. It’s still a very makeable 8 ball but I miss it, hanging it up, as I was still thinking “Why’d you hit the 7 so hard for idiot?” (I’m working on my focus, I didn’t say I was there yet.) He makes the 8 ball but misses the 9 ball. I make the 9. Score is now 18-2 me. And it’s only been like 3 innings.
It pretty much stayed this way for the entire match. He had one good rack which was the bulk of his points as I played a bad safety on the 1 ball. (SAFETIES! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU STRAIGHT TO HELL!) He got the 1, 2 and 3. I made the 4 but hit it just a little too hard and just barely safed myself. I kicked at the 5 ball and made the hit but sold out and he made a few more balls after that. In the end the score was 38-18 me and I beat him in 12 innings which isn’t too shabby.
So I was feeling like I was playing pretty well going into my BCA match and thought I might have a chance for another win. I felt like I was focusing better, in the chair and at the table, and it seemed to be working. Only I fan into the Indian version of “El Bandido del Tiempo” – the Time Bandit.
Ugh.
The Time Bandit is my friend Mikey who, while a great guy, is known throughout the world for how slow he plays. How slow does he play you ask? The best description I’ve every heard is from Jude who said “Playing Mikey is like waiting for the train when you’re already 5 minutes late.” It’s pretty torturous to say the least.
And I got the Indian Version of him.
Ugh.
To avoid confusion I’m gonna call my opponent TDTESS, “The Day The Earth Stood Still”, instead cause playing him was as it the earth, and all time, stopped.
TDESS and I are both the same level, C, so it’s an even race to 7. I’m watching TDTESS warm up and he’s pretty sporty. TDTESS is making balls and moving the cue ball around pretty well and shooting at a decent pace. It's going to be a tight match and should be a lot of fun.
So we start. And suddenly TDTESS’s measuring EVERY SHOT. TDTESS puts the tip of the cue where he wants to hit the object ball on every shot – even on straight in shots! - then TDTSS has to back up and line up the cue ball against his point of aim.
And, sometimes, TDTESS’ll have to stop and start over because he lost his point of aim.
And then, after that, TDTSS might go and get the chalk because he might have forgotten to chalk his cue.
So TDTESS will walk, slowly, to the other side of the table, get the chalk, chalk up and start the routine ALL OVER AGAIN.
This, of course, doesn't include his walking around the table planning his run out.
Which he does.
After every made shot.
Ohmigod I was freakin' out. I mean, I’m trying to stay focused in the chair here, stay “in the match”, but watching this routine is driving me mad! MAD I SAY! It’s basically taking him 10 minutes, if not longer, to run 2 to 3 balls. NO JOKE.
Then there’s TDTESS’s break.
TDTESS SOFT BREAKS.
TDTSS hits the 1-ball with just enough force to get the minimum 4 balls and the cue ball to a rail. No balls ever go beyond the side pocket.
It’s TDETSS’s ‘strategy’ where he’ll leave a lot of clusters forces you to engage him in a safety battle which, of course, slows down the game. WAY DOWN.
Yeah, it’s within the rules, I asked which is why I know about the 4 balls to a rail minimum, but it’s a DICKHEADED way to play.
And, yeah, TDTESS “got me”.
I feel into the trap.
I started to get pissed off and I started to rush and I started to slam ball to break up clusters.
And, yes, I entirely lost my focus and missed a few easy balls when I finally did have my opportunity.
Two hours later - final score 7-4.
I'd have more details of the match but, honestly, I can't remember anything else as I was comatosed the entire time.
I just really can’t believe someone would deliberately slow play and soft break for a LEAGUE match.
IT'S JUST LEAGUES DUDE. Will you freakin' play some pool? It suppose to be fun no?
But I’m an idiot as well. I could’ve put him on a shot clock, I didn’t ask until after the match was over, but who would ever think you’d need a freakin’ shot clock for LEAGUES?
So, yeah, TDTESS, you “got me”. You won. Congrats. You’re still a DICKHEAD.
(Guess I have to work on losing more graciously and my temper as well.)
I, on the other hand, often let my mind wander. I’d watch other matches that are going on... I’d start looking around... start thinking about what’s for dinner later... If I just missed or did something stupid, which is quite often, I’d probably be berating myself or talking to myself as I waited.
(I often wonder what the pros think about while sitting there. Are they wondering if they left the stove on before they left the house? Do they remind themselves that they have to pick up the dry cleaning later? Or that they’re out of milk and need to pick some up on the way home? Do they also wondering what they are going to get for dinner after the match? Inquiring minds want to know.)
So what I think I figured out is that I don’t need to learn howto win but, instead, I need to learn how to compete better by staying focused and “in the match”.
My problem is that I lose focus too often and it starts with THE CHAIR. I can’t be thinking about something else and then “snap back” into competition mode and suddenly expect myself to perform my best. Also allowing my mind to wander so often rather than training it to remain still and focused affects me at the table as well. I’ll often start thinking of something else, maybe the next shot, and miss the current shot. I figure that focus, like a lot of things, can be trained and then maybe, just maybe, I won’t “take my eye off the ball” or do any of those other euphemisms for losing focus. My new goal is to try and remain 100% focused on the match the entire time.
So, with this in mind, let me recap my recent matches in leagues.
Yesterday, Sunday, I had both APA and BCA leagues. I had to play immediately since I needed to leave right after to make the BCA league match. (Yeah, this is our THURSDAY BCA league, you know, the one with SUNDAY matches. Ugh.)
I was matched up against an APA 4 so it’ll be a 38 (me) to 31 (him) race. I’ve played this person before and the last time it was fairly close. I didn’t play that well and I think I only won by a few balls which is why his captain probably matched us up again. Unfortunately for them I was a little more focused this time around.
I won the lag, broke, but didn’t make a ball. He makes the 1 ball but misses the 2 ball. I then proceed to run the rest of the balls out. Score is 9-1 me.
I break and I make a ball. I run to the 7-ball, which I make, but I hit it a little too hard leaving myself a bit longer on the 8 ball than I wanted. It’s still a very makeable 8 ball but I miss it, hanging it up, as I was still thinking “Why’d you hit the 7 so hard for idiot?” (I’m working on my focus, I didn’t say I was there yet.) He makes the 8 ball but misses the 9 ball. I make the 9. Score is now 18-2 me. And it’s only been like 3 innings.
It pretty much stayed this way for the entire match. He had one good rack which was the bulk of his points as I played a bad safety on the 1 ball. (SAFETIES! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU STRAIGHT TO HELL!) He got the 1, 2 and 3. I made the 4 but hit it just a little too hard and just barely safed myself. I kicked at the 5 ball and made the hit but sold out and he made a few more balls after that. In the end the score was 38-18 me and I beat him in 12 innings which isn’t too shabby.
So I was feeling like I was playing pretty well going into my BCA match and thought I might have a chance for another win. I felt like I was focusing better, in the chair and at the table, and it seemed to be working. Only I fan into the Indian version of “El Bandido del Tiempo” – the Time Bandit.
Ugh.
The Time Bandit is my friend Mikey who, while a great guy, is known throughout the world for how slow he plays. How slow does he play you ask? The best description I’ve every heard is from Jude who said “Playing Mikey is like waiting for the train when you’re already 5 minutes late.” It’s pretty torturous to say the least.
And I got the Indian Version of him.
Ugh.
To avoid confusion I’m gonna call my opponent TDTESS, “The Day The Earth Stood Still”, instead cause playing him was as it the earth, and all time, stopped.
TDESS and I are both the same level, C, so it’s an even race to 7. I’m watching TDTESS warm up and he’s pretty sporty. TDTESS is making balls and moving the cue ball around pretty well and shooting at a decent pace. It's going to be a tight match and should be a lot of fun.
So we start. And suddenly TDTESS’s measuring EVERY SHOT. TDTESS puts the tip of the cue where he wants to hit the object ball on every shot – even on straight in shots! - then TDTSS has to back up and line up the cue ball against his point of aim.
And, sometimes, TDTESS’ll have to stop and start over because he lost his point of aim.
And then, after that, TDTSS might go and get the chalk because he might have forgotten to chalk his cue.
So TDTESS will walk, slowly, to the other side of the table, get the chalk, chalk up and start the routine ALL OVER AGAIN.
This, of course, doesn't include his walking around the table planning his run out.
Which he does.
After every made shot.
Ohmigod I was freakin' out. I mean, I’m trying to stay focused in the chair here, stay “in the match”, but watching this routine is driving me mad! MAD I SAY! It’s basically taking him 10 minutes, if not longer, to run 2 to 3 balls. NO JOKE.
Then there’s TDTESS’s break.
TDTESS SOFT BREAKS.
TDTSS hits the 1-ball with just enough force to get the minimum 4 balls and the cue ball to a rail. No balls ever go beyond the side pocket.
It’s TDETSS’s ‘strategy’ where he’ll leave a lot of clusters forces you to engage him in a safety battle which, of course, slows down the game. WAY DOWN.
Yeah, it’s within the rules, I asked which is why I know about the 4 balls to a rail minimum, but it’s a DICKHEADED way to play.
And, yeah, TDTESS “got me”.
I feel into the trap.
I started to get pissed off and I started to rush and I started to slam ball to break up clusters.
And, yes, I entirely lost my focus and missed a few easy balls when I finally did have my opportunity.
Two hours later - final score 7-4.
I'd have more details of the match but, honestly, I can't remember anything else as I was comatosed the entire time.
I just really can’t believe someone would deliberately slow play and soft break for a LEAGUE match.
IT'S JUST LEAGUES DUDE. Will you freakin' play some pool? It suppose to be fun no?
But I’m an idiot as well. I could’ve put him on a shot clock, I didn’t ask until after the match was over, but who would ever think you’d need a freakin’ shot clock for LEAGUES?
So, yeah, TDTESS, you “got me”. You won. Congrats. You’re still a DICKHEAD.
(Guess I have to work on losing more graciously and my temper as well.)
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