Frustration

[hegeland]

OK, I just have to brag a little:

I played in a national ranking tournament (9-ball) today, my second ever.

And would you believe, I got all the way to the final and lost 8-7 after having missed two seemlingly unmissable 9-balls!

But I feel like a million at the moment, everyone came to congratulate me and said it was very very good of me to get to the final in my second ever tournament. Prize: a silver plate and some money.

[Miss_S]

Congratulations,Hege! That's great!
Let's hope you'll go all the way and win the next time around

[Valderie]

Well done Hege - let's hope it's your first final of many!

[abextra]

Congratulations, hegeland!

[The Statman]

Well done mate!

I'll have to do the same this morning – it's our club's top-16 handicap knockout with £400 for the winner, down to £10 for those losing in the first round.

I'll let you know....

[snookersfun]

Good luck, The Statman
Are you off to the Masters after that?

[The Statman]

No, no – no Masters for me this year. Cannot afford either the money or the time off!

I won one match this morning but collapsed in the second, but I got £30 for my troubles and can't really complain.

I was drawn on a table which I hate – not an excuse, of course, because my opponent didn't seem to have any problems with it! But a psychological obstacle that may not have made any difference anyway – I'm easily capable of playing crap on any table!

[MrRottweiler]

The ultimate disaster for me happened today. I re-tipped my cue recently and after a bit of sanding I was playing better than ever. Then I noticed the tip was split at the base. (There are always a few 'split' tips in a box)

I changed the tip to another which wasn't split and have been getting lots of solo practice and frankly I have been performing my best break building ever. This morning I got to my club before it opened and prepared my table and match balls. Iron, polish etc. I then went home and had a bacon sarni and casually got ready for a 4 hour practice session. I get back to the club (excuse me going in to detail here) and popped to the loo before approaching my table exited about how well I was going to play. To cut a story that is fast getting boring short I pulled out my cue and noticed the tip was soaking wet. Probably from when I put it down in the loo while it was in its case. I'm usually so careful with my tip as well. I played for about an hour but it was no good as it had to come off. It started flaking and I got a horrible 'thud' every time I struk the cue ball. Applying spin, with confidence, was out the window.

Anyway, never mind!

[hegeland]

You put your cue and cue case in the toilet!? Excuse me for laughing, but LOL!!

[MrRottweiler]

Not actually 'in' the toilet I'm sure you understand. On the floor where its clear to me now there was a puddle. I just hope it was water.

I just re-tipped and its a great fit. The first tip I attempted to put on I sanded the base and it practically fell apart! I paid 50p for it and the thread had clearly gone.

[The Statman]

My 'frustration' thread has lain dormant for a while, so do I presume that none of us has been all that frustrated recently?!

Well it's back. I played last night, and in the first frame I made two twenties and cleared with 37 to blue to take the frame 80-0. I thought it was going to be a good evening!

But it was not. I couldn't pot a ball thereafter and was getting more and more peed off, so much so that I got myself a pint (I never drink alcohol while trying to play properly) and drowned my sorrows!

I'm sure I will go to the club tomorrow and it will all be forgotten, but I just thought I'd reopen this thread and let you know what a happy bunny I am this morning!!

[Welshsteve]

I'm with you on that Statman. I too won my first frame of the evening last night, with breaks of 23, 22 and yeloow to pink for a 20, to win the frame 90-4. My next two frames were against two chaps in my team squad, who aren't the best, but only a colours clearance got me out of jail in one of them, and I lost a black ball game in the next. I too then decided to have a couple of beers. Then, would you believe it, I played really well in my next frame against a better player and won it.

[The Statman]

Gosh it's three months since this thread was visited!

Well, tonight was wonderful.

In our club's twice-weekly handicap competitions, it seems I need to give a reasonable start to someone in my first round to instil in me the discipline to play properly. I happen to be of that kind of standard where there are several people who give me a sizy start, and several to whom I give a sizy start.

If I am given a start I seem unable to discipline myself whereas if I am giving the start I am somehow able to knuckle down and do the business. And thus it was tonight.

First match I was giving 56 a frame, was 1-0 down (best of 3) and needed 4 snookers in the second. I got them and won the match. My safety was superb! I had almost forgotten how capable I was of a good safety game. I won my next match 2-0, the next 2-1, the semi-final 2-1 after needing a snooker on the pink in the decider, and lost the final only on the final pink, 2-1 against an opponent to whom I give 63 points a frame.

I think this could just be the beginning of a new me! I've played 14 frames tonight, and it's been non-stop from 5 o'clock till just before midnight, which gives an idea of how methodically I've played.

My highest break was a good 49 (I played safe on the next red rather than risk a long red which I would normally have taken on) and no other 20+ break that I can think of.

I think I have just turned an important corner and will be a more consistent player for it. I will report back.

[Lee Vilenski]

Uurg! The worst frame I have had! I scored 89 with a break of 23, 28, 9, 2, 17 and 10. I thought the frame was dead. But, The guy i was playing kept on playing... ! He made me miss 7 snookers, and cleared up to win on an extra black!

[Welshsteve]

Uurg! The worst frame I have had! I scored 89 with a break of 23, 28, 9, 2, 17 and 10. I thought the frame was dead. But, The guy i was playing kept on playing... ! He made me miss 7 snookers, and cleared up to win on an extra black!

I did the reverse earlier in the season. My team were 3-2 down with two frames left to play. I then went on and found myself 34 down with only the pink and black left. I forced three snookers, each time he hit the black in his escape attempt. I then potted the pink and black to force a re-spot. I then potted the black on the re-spot to win the frame and send the match into the decider. I was well happy as you can imagine. That is until we lost the decider