Frustration

[Stunrunthru]

I've not had a league match for a few weeks. Our next match is 2 weeks today and I have to play my league doubles semi final this month.

I'm practising once a week - every saturday a.m- with the Cuestars at my local club and I feel I'm hitting the ball really well.

With my team 3rd in our division and in my opinion heading for prmotion to the top division I'm really enjoying my game.

[The Statman]

I was going to resurrect this thread a week ago when the usuallu affable, easygoing Statman had a stinker of a night and was seriously peed off, and was not entirely respectful to either the table or his own knuckles!

However, I reached the final of our league's mini tournament, a one-evening, one-frame knockout for everyone except those in the top division. After my first opponent failed to show due to flu, it meant merely that I had won two frames and lost one, but I had played reasonably well and a little happiness was restored.

Yesterday I played really well. A couple of my mates couldn't make it at short notice, so I was on my own and actually embarked on some solo practice, something I rarely do (it is not for someone who possesses the amount of indiscipline that I do, and it gains one nothing!)

I was just packing up when another clubmate came in wanting a game, and we were still at the club at 11 o'clock! I finished off with a lovely 59 clearance, from four reds left, and today I am all smiles.

League match tonight; we shall see.

[hegeland]

Aye, nothing beats the feeling of finishing on a high note!

[dantuck_7]

I finished off with a lovely 59 clearance, from four reds left, and today I am all smiles.

Must have been pretty good. I had a decent practise yesterday was trying some of those mid-range straight screw shots. Still no good at them.

Statman, I'll defnitely be up for a rematch at Sheffield.

[royboy]

One of the things I do when I'm lacking confidence is lift my head on the shot too early because I'm anxious to see where the object ball is going. When I do this the cue usually comes through sideways, making it nearly impossible to pot the easiest of shots!

I find by concentrating on staying still and not worrying about the object ball I can usually get an improvement in my potting.

Hope this helps!

Cheers

[hegeland]

One of the things I do when I'm lacking confidence is lift my head on the shot too early because I'm anxious to see where the object ball is going. When I do this the cue usually comes through sideways, making it nearly impossible to pot the easiest of shots!

I find by concentrating on staying still and not worrying about the object ball I can usually get an improvement in my potting.

Hope this helps!

Cheers

Indeed; one should never neglect the fundamentals of the game.

[Deano82]

cheers guys read this thread yesterday morning then went and played pool and played rubbish was always losing 2-3 games behind against 1 guy the other was even worse than me so only lost once to him as i potted the black and white near the end of the session i was 7-4 down then won the next 9 games to win 13-7 so i only had a bad 3 hours thankfully

[Andy Evans]

But the most frustrating thing is that I see a shot and feel that I just don't have the energy to concentrate and think about all the things: stance, where to aim, where the cue ball will go, what pace is best to use, etc. I just sort of get down and swing my arm and hope the ball will go in. I know it sounds stupid saying that I don't have the energy to concentrate, but that's the best I can describe it right now. When I'm playing it seems to me as if I'm doing it just like I used to, with the difference that the ball no longer go in the pocket! >>

Yeah, right. I play with my son, who since he was 7 just picked up a cue and naturally played good shots. I agonise over my stance, cue action, cue and a million other things and he just thinks I'm self obsessed. He calls me "Martina" (Navratilova.... as in me, me, me, me) and can't see why I don't just play by feel.

The most depressing thing is what I do for a living - I'm a performance psychologist.

Enough to make you slit your wrists, isn't it. As they say - the cobbler's children have no shoes....... (I once had a girlfriend whose house had a half tiled bathroom with dripping taps - needless to say her dad was a plumber)

[dantuck_7]

But the most frustrating thing is that I see a shot and feel that I just don't have the energy to concentrate and think about all the things: stance, where to aim, where the cue ball will go, what pace is best to use, etc. I just sort of get down and swing my arm and hope the ball will go in. I know it sounds stupid saying that I don't have the energy to concentrate, but that's the best I can describe it right now. When I'm playing it seems to me as if I'm doing it just like I used to, with the difference that the ball no longer go in the pocket!

Andy,

I've had a few games like that in the last couple of weeks.

I think it was that I was just too tired to play properly. Every shot needed my full attention and it feels like you're putting everything into it. Running on empty.

[Andy Evans]

Andy,

I think it was that I was just too tired to play properly. Every shot needed my full attention and it feels like you're putting everything into it. Running on empty.

Well, there's the huge factor of depression and worry. Not really something to go into on a forum like this (or is it?) but a really large number of people hover about the mild depression line and when under stress show the typical symptoms like (from the Beck depression inventory):-

I feel sad
I feel discouraged about the future
I feel I have failed more than the average person
I don't enjoy things the way I used to
I feel guilty a good part of the time
I feel I may be punished
I am disappointed in myself
I am critical of myself for my weaknesses and mistakes
I am slightly more irritated now than usual
I put off making decisions more than I used to do
I am worried that I am looking old or unattractive
It takes an extra effort to get started at doing something
I get tired more easily than I used to

That little lot takes you into mild depression!!!

I wouldn't say I was depressed, but looking at the above that's pretty much how I feel after missing three easy shots in a row!!!

[dantuck_7]

Did anyone else read that today is the worst day of the year?

This was based upon weather, illness, debt and tidal surges on the River Severn.

A good excuse if anyone plays below par tonight.

[The Statman]

Did anyone else read that today is the worst day of the year?

This was based upon weather, illness, debt and tidal surges on the River Severn.

A good excuse if anyone plays below par tonight.

...or, if they're playing golf, above par!

I don't care: I'm not playing tonight!

[dantuck_7]

I had a couple of frames tonight. Had a missed blue on 37 with more reds on. That was quite pleasing but I then played football and missed 2 open goals!

[Alex0paul]

Been practising for a tournament this week. I had played brilliantly on Tuesday and Wednesday. However towards the end of my practice on Wednesday I started getting that tinny noise when I striked the cueball. Went to practice again on Thursday and couldn't control the cueball, struggled to make breaks over 10! Got home, had a look at the cue and the tip came off! Just put a new one on and will need to knock it in before saturday.

[The Statman]

I think I played as badly as I have ever done last night!

However, my cue was in for a re-tip and I was using a borrowd one substantially heavier than I am used to.

I was still surprised that it was so bad. I would have thought, with a heavier cue of similar tip width, that the main problem would be overhitting or overscrewing. But I was struggling to even make the correct angle, sometimes wildly wide of the pocket!

It was when I had had 8 attempts at the line-up and failed to exceed 17 that I decided my time would be better spent at the pub!