Frustration

[The Statman]

God I hate this stupid game!

Those people who watch but never play the game have no idea what a luxury it is to be in that position!

I just cannot stand playing way, way, way below par, day after day after day!

I know all that malarkey about, just shrug it off and good form will return blah blah blah, but how long do you have to wait?

I lost 7-2 to a guy who, honestly, is a fair bit better than me, but it is not the results that stick in the mind, it is the form you showed. Honestly, it was pathetic!

The last five weeks I have been abysmal. I cannot seem to pot, play position or play safe (other than that, everything is fine!). About three weeks ago I made an excellent 67 which had an outside chance of becoming a ton, but the last red and yellow were awkward so I didn't beat myself up about that. But I thought, "Goodie, this bad patch is at an end and I can actually play this game." But that, as I say, was three weeks ago and I am getting a bit impatient. I was ill all last week so you can knock a week off the length of this misery, but... Aaarrrgghh!

Thank you for listening. I just wanted to get it off my chest!

[hegeland]

I could dito that. The way I've been playing the last couple of weeks I've missed positions and pots that I honestly have not missed since I was just starting to play over one year ago. Funnily though, my ability to play safe and get out of snookers have improved a bit during this time, I think.

As a result of my poor playing, I've not played as much as usual, and that has also probably contributed to my ability to, at times, miss just about every ball that isn't hanging in the heart of the pocket.

[trevs1]

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.

I'm amazed at the fact that you were giving 60..ish start to someone when you played fourteen frames overall and your highest break was only 49.

When I played any form of league snooker last, I can remember playing off a handicap of -35, when the maximum handicap was +49.

Many was the time I played people and gave 50 - 60..ish start, but, the gulf in ability and experience was enormous. If I'd played fourteen frames in a one day competition against players receiving huge starts from me, I'd be scoring 'REALLY' heavily, as there would be a chance every ten to fifteen seconds coming along.

What I'm getting at here is this:

The system of handicapping in your competition appears to be a little off balance.

The only players involved in league snooker giving those kinds of start from my memory were more or less very very good amateur or pro level.

If this is where you're at, then I understand, but, you say some players offer you big start too???

I don't get it

[Juza]

I have also been little bit frustrated with my game lately. I have played under my ability but i try to be not too hard to myself as i haven't had time to practice as much i would liked due to my work.

Hopefully i can battle my way out of this bad form. I'm sure i'll be okay when i get chance to do some solo practice.

It's unbelievable how frustrating this game can be .

[The Statman]

Everything returned last night!

I beat one of our club's better players, 7-6 on the final black! Played really well and enjoyed it a lot more than recently!

If you had seen me last week for the first time, and then offered me a game yesterday, you would have thought I'd been trying to falsify my handicap.

[Erwan_BZH]

I know really well what you're talking about Statman. I used to experience the same thing : playing great one day, playing crap the day after. And it leds me to an enormous frustration sometimes. I'm just boiling inside, so ashamed not be able to hit any form of concistency whatsoever.

I'm not a very good player, though I think I can be a good player. I played horrendously the past weeks and two days ago, I knocked in a 95 break on a lineup!! Ok, ok, it's just practice, and it's just a lineup but just to tell that sometimes, when I manage to stay 'in my buble' I can do great. But if I go out of this bubble, it can drive me mad not to reach my own expectations (that can be too high maybe). It's almost physical, I mean, sometimes I just punch a wall or something as I'm so disgusted wih the way I play! It's stupid, I know, but I love this game so much that I really want to perform well...

This game is marvellous when everything is clicking but it's a torture when things aren't...

[dantuck_7]

I've been in a good run of form in the last couple of months. Have had breaks of 40, 45 and 51 and then a fair few 20's and 30's. I find that if you put in the practise it will pay off. I had a fairly bad condition in tight games of not being able to play some shots (not being able to release the cue). This has slowly drifted away which has got to be good!

I know what you're saying about being consistent though - some nights I can't seem to reach the same level and I think you just have to accept that your better game isn't there.

Try and work out when to be aggressive and when not to be - get a few points and play safe then hope for a nice chance to start off.

[The Statman]

Time for my approximately bimonthly moan!

I entered our club handicap comp this evening and drew a guy in the first round whom I was giving 35 points a frame. This I would judge as a fair handicap and one from which I would expect a close game.

Well I conceded the first on the green needing three snookers and in the second I managed to score 2 points, one of which was a fluke! I was in a bit of a mood, not because I lost but because I had oodles of chances but didn't even threaten to take one of them.

Anyway I decided to get some dinner and, while waiting, gave this guy, who was also struggling somewhat tonight, a few games.

In the end we both picked up a bit, but so frutsrating was it that I used immoderate language at one juncture, as I rolled the cue across the table leaving all the balls in a line on the side cushion. It was a terrible loss of composure; almost certainly my severest example in 20 years of playing snooker.

And then I made my third highest break of the year, a 70, and left the club a slightly happier chap!

Nevertheless that doesn't alter the fact that I was abominable. I have never been so furstrated to the extent that I lashed out like I did.

Merry Christmas, by the way!

[hegeland]

I have to say I would have liked to witness that scene as when I met you you came across as the real "Mr. Nice Guy" if there ever was one. But I know when competing most people form a different persona, and I have to confess I'm no exception. When playing cue sports, I'm very competitive, but never otherwise in life and not in other sports either.

Still quite a coincidence, I've had a really frustrating forthnight also. But it's been a mixed bag of emotions.

I went to Malmö to play in a ranking event. First day I played alright, kept my focus and composure and finished third out of approx. 45 players. This result made me certain to climb up one division on the national rankings, from class 3 to class 2, at the next event or two.
The next day it was a class 1 ranking event at the same place. Now I had no pressure on me as I had already fulfilled my goal for the weekend. But I still wanted to make a good run, as I felt my game was in good shape and I felt relaxed yet sharp.

I then faced a guy from the previous day. I beat him convincingly again. Then I faced a really good guy, lost by some margin but still played well and made two break and run outs. After that I had a match on the losers side of the draw. I had seen my opponent practise some before and I knew I had a very good chance, in fact I was certain I would win.

As the match progressed my game started to fell apart. I felt like I had lost my creativity and found myself more than once losing position badly or feeling unsure of what to do when at the table. The other guy was just as bad, and just as I had expected I got plenty of chances but blew them all. How frustrating! After nearly three hours (!) of pure blood, sweat and struggle from both players the score was 9-9 and the deciding frame was coming up. There was a possible plant on, although the odds of me making it was probably not even 50/50, and I probably rushed it a bit because not only did I miss the plant by a mile but also managed to go in-off with the cue ball. Ball in hand all over the table. My opponent then took the same plant on, sinked the 9 ball and won the match 10-9. Curtains.

It's 300 km to Malmö, so I had plenty of time to think about that match and that miss on my way home!

Then just the other night, a somewhat similar thing happened to me. I was playing in a local handicap tournament. My opponent had a handicap of 16, mine is 2, first to 21 frames. I won the lag, broke and ran out, broke and ran out again. Before long, the score was 20-18 to me. Then I just had to sink a simple 9 ball, and did just that, but as I was reaching my hand over to my opponent, the cue ball seemed (at least to me) to get a really big bounce of the cushion and just had enough energy to go in-off! The next frame I had ran the table and left myself with a thin cut on the 9 ball, but still a pot I made 19 out of 20 times. I overcut it and left it hanging in the jaws and all of a sudden the score was 20-20 and my oppnent hadn't potted more than five balls or so, in total! He then found some sort of magical form as the broke and ran out the table. Curtains again.

Not that I used any foul words, that would be below my dignity of course!

But I did almost break my cue in the first of these two incredibly frustraing matches. I also threw my cue away in disguist over my performance, on the snooker table next to our table, on more than one occasion, but luckily no one was playing on it!

I will take the holiday off and not go near a table for at least two weeks.

Let's hope we both get off to a fresh start in the new year!

[Erwan_BZH]

May I join your club, folks?

I've been playing crap for a month now...I just can't figure out how it and most of all WHY it started! I went on holidays early November, and when back home, I played superbly, full of confidence...But then, after maybe one or two weeks, my game fell apart again...No feelings in my grip, my stance, my vision is rubbish and my angles had been somewhere between Earth and Mars!

I'm really looking for the new Year to help me. I'm moving to Ireland on Jan 8 to settle there and start a new job. I really hope to find a good snooker club where I could receive some savvy advices, as well as a bit of coaching lessons. I badly want to improve and eliminate my technical defaults!!!

[C-J]

I'v had a similar experience.Came back from a 2 week holiday and my vision looked like new,saw the lines crystal clear and played full of confidence.
In this periode i must have changed something in my line up or sightning(i'm left eyed) because after a week or so i started to miss a few easy ones and my confidence slowly disappeared.

When you're going to a slump it's because something you're doing has changed.When this is intentional it's o.k.You are trying to make a change wich in the end will be for the better.When unintentional you need to find out what ecxactly has changed;is it the way you're feeling or thinking or is it something you're doing.

What always has helped me is going back to practise the straight and easy shots.Nice and easily,check the sightning line and how you have arranged your body around the cue,and focus!This way you can slowly gain back your confidence and go on from there.

[poolqjunkie]

I was goi9ng through a big big terrible patch in the last few weeks, i changed my grip, and everyhtign else and things were not looking up.
So, I decided to go back to practising the basic--I practised potting the black from all angles, potting the blue into the corner from the baulk, potting the pink into the side from all angles, and so on. I did not play with anyone for a while, and just practised the basic, then soem drills around the black, pink, blue, and runnign the colors and such. I also tried very hard to pay attention to what my eyes, hands, and the rest of my body were doing when I practise.

I am happy to say that i feel much better now, and I am more confident. I have decided to keep this practise routine for a while, to make sure I do not just bang ball around when I practise. I also think that if I am not playing well, it is a good idea to practise more, and play less matches, so i do not get frustrated over and over again.

One thing i think was causing my slump was the fact that I was not focusing well in the last few weeks. So, I also tried to practise the line up and really focus on each and every shot. The problem is to develop a rhythm. When i was playing bad, i had terrible rhytm and I could not think properly.

[C-J]

It's very difficult to focus the right way when your playing bad.I think this one of the most difficult parts of the game.When you're not playing well and/or only get difficult shots and your opponent seems to have an easy starter all the time you're thoughts go on the run and focussing the right way gets almost impossible.If you are able to change this thinking proces during a match you have got what it takes to become a very good player.

[Erwan_BZH]

I didnt play the past weekend and today was my first trainig session since last friday. I admit I had a good one. My vision was better, my angles too...I tried new grip/Cue action....trying to snap my wrist a bit more when strinking the cue ball and my strokes were a lot sharper and more accurate.
I'm going to work on it again tomorrow...

[CoachGavin]

I can completely understand what you guys are going through. I actually keep a diary of my snooker results and I even make comments on how i think i have played and what breaks i have made. I sometimes read over them and sometimes I obviously feel like my game is completely down the pan! When i have had a bad patch i write how i am fed up with the game and how i am getting worse instead of better. Its funny though because i then read on a few weeks and I see things tend to improve and their are constant ups and downs. I can also see that taken as a whole my game has improved over the past 5 years. I think peoples games can be seen like shares in the stock market. Shares have their ups and downs over the sort term but over a longer term they tend to improve which is why people have accounts with them. In theory if your technique is quite sound and you believe in it and practice then you should be able to keep improving but along the way you will have ups and downs. As a coach when things go wrong i always go back to the basics. If the technique has not changed and is okay then it could be a loss of confidence and changes of tips, cues, a few losses etc can bring this type of thing on. Anything that would replenish confidence is the way forward. I usually put in extra practice and avoid playing people i usually lose to for a few weeks until i feel back into the swing of things. Thats just my way, I am sure other people have other ideas.