Frustration

[hegeland]

Lol, sometimes you just have to realize that it's best to leave it as it is and come back fresh another day. The will to finish your practise session on a high note can be conter-productive if pushed too far.

[dantuck_7]

Statman thats pretty much what happened to me - think I had a 30 from the line out but nothing else. New table, new tip and new glasses were my excuse.

Looking forward to a good game in Sheffield then.

[The Statman]

Blimey is it really 4 months since I've had to vent my frustration?

Christ, I can't play this game! Have played absolutely [words deleted] for so long now it's unbelievable! Got into a bad patch, went on a nice holiday for two weeks, came back all refreshed; can't pot a ball.

Today I started with a break of 39 and I think it is more than double my highest break for over a month. Now I don't mind being beaten; I don't mind being outplayed. But I do struggle to come to terms with playing so shi te that I look like I first picked up a cue yesterday.

It also brings my opponent, with whom I'm supposed to be having some serious-ish practise, down because he doesn't need to worry about taking ridiculous shots on because he knows the most I'm going to make if he misses is approximately minus four.

And we're not just talking about missing a 50-50 shot by a couple of inches; we're talking basic, straight blacks off the spot with nothing even slightly fancy required for position. It is hard to remind myself that I am a player who fairly regularly makes breaks in double figures!

Any ideas? Apart from snapping the cue? (I must admit I've always had a slight curiosity as to the feeling of psychological satisfaction in the immediate aftermath of snapping a cue, but I'm not the kind of person to actually carry it out.)

The League's centenary season kicks off in about five weeks' time, it will be my sixteenth, and I think I seriously need to sort something out before then!

By the way, nothing in this post can be described as exaggeration. (Well, except the minus four bit.)

[Alex0paul]

Any ideas? Apart from snapping the cue? (I must admit I've always had a slight curiosity as to the feeling of psychological satisfaction in the immediate aftermath of snapping a cue, but I'm not the kind of person to actually carry it out.)

Its a wonderful feeling especially if you snap it in the right spot.

[The Statman]

I'll do it tomorrow then. I can say "Alex told me to." I think of the poor old piece of wood that's been unharmed for about 75 years until I came along, started playing my best snooker ever with it after playing for a decade, and then come along and snap it in a fit of pique (is that what pique means? I never have been sure) on recommendation from a trusted friend off the internet.

I'm beginning to warm to the idea. Do I need to have a pint at the time, Alex?

[dannyd0g]

Christ, I can't play this game! Have played absolutely [words deleted] for so long now it's unbelievable! Got into a bad patch, went on a nice holiday for two weeks, came back all refreshed; can't pot a ball.

Any ideas? Apart from snapping the cue? !

.)

Maybe go right back to the very basics ? - get the line of the pot, place the cue on that line, walk into the shot around the cue, cue precisely and robotically, head still - you cant miss.

Thats the theory anyway...

I know it wont be any consolation to yourself, but it is a consolation to a lesser player like myself that even better players also struggle just as badly sometimes ...

[Stunrunthru]

Chris - put your cue away until the start of the season.

I have been playing crap recently as well and always tend to do so during the summer therefore decided not to play until a day before the first match of the season.

You obviously love the game just like I do and I think you will miss it and be raring to go at the start of the season.

[Alex0paul]

I'll do it tomorrow then. I can say "Alex told me to." I think of the poor old piece of wood that's been unharmed for about 75 years until I came along, started playing my best snooker ever with it after playing for a decade, and then come along and snap it in a fit of pique (is that what pique means? I never have been sure) on recommendation from a trusted friend off the internet.

I'm beginning to warm to the idea. Do I need to have a pint at the time, Alex?

Its best to cause a scene. I missed a pathetically easy shot of which I had been doing constantly that day, put the cue against the table at a 45 degree angle and put me leg through it. Walked out and threw the two pieces in the bin. It felt good and the day after I played fantastic snooker with a cue from the rack.

Obviously if its an old cue I would recommend not snapping it,

[poolqjunkie]

Blimey is it really 4 months since I've had to vent my frustration?

Christ, I can't play this game! Have played absolutely [words deleted] for so long now it's unbelievable! Got into a bad patch, went on a nice holiday for two weeks, came back all refreshed; can't pot a ball.

Today I started with a break of 39 and I think it is more than double my highest break for over a month. Now I don't mind being beaten; I don't mind being outplayed. But I do struggle to come to terms with playing so shi te that I look like I first picked up a cue yesterday.

It also brings my opponent, with whom I'm supposed to be having some serious-ish practise, down because he doesn't need to worry about taking ridiculous shots on because he knows the most I'm going to make if he misses is approximately minus four.

And we're not just talking about missing a 50-50 shot by a couple of inches; we're talking basic, straight blacks off the spot with nothing even slightly fancy required for position. It is hard to remind myself that I am a player who fairly regularly makes breaks in double figures!

Any ideas? Apart from snapping the cue? (I must admit I've always had a slight curiosity as to the feeling of psychological satisfaction in the immediate aftermath of snapping a cue, but I'm not the kind of person to actually carry it out.)

The League's centenary season kicks off in about five weeks' time, it will be my sixteenth, and I think I seriously need to sort something out before then!

By the way, nothing in this post can be described as exaggeration. (Well, except the minus four bit.)

Hi,

Speaking from experience, when I am missing shots I know I can usually make, it is usually a fundamental problem. More often than not, I am sighting incorrectly because my head is sighting at a slightly different angle. Sometimes, it is because I am hitting the ball too hard, or holding my cue funny.

So, now, when I am not playing well, I pay more attention on my angle to the shot, and my sighting position (where is my head and which direction is it facing). It has helped me a lot.

Another thing I have noticed that has worked for me is to get a good start in a match. By that I mean to play the right shot, and get into the right mind frame in the beginning. This helps to build confidence and flow.

I was playing someone yesterday. I was not feeling too good about the way I was stroking the balls, when I had a chance, I tried to make as many points as I can and I selected my shots carefully so I did not go for any reckless shots. I really focused on my potting, keeping my head down, thinking about where I wanted my cue ball to be and so on. I had a break of 30+ and another 20+ and was up almost 60 on my opponent soon. That gave me a lot of momentum and confidence.

Although I did not play really well, but I played tight and was really focused so I did not really missed the pots I went for and did not leave much when I played safe. This kind of set the tone for the remaining match and I won 6-2, without making any 50+ break. I was not really on and only had a 41 and then some 20+ and 30+ and such, but I could feel that my opponent was a mess and he started leaving me shots that he should not have gone for.

If I had gone for some low percentage shots in the first frame, missed a few, let my opponent made a few points--I would have most likely panic, tried to change something in the middle of the game, then got frustrated, made the wrong shot selections, missed more shots, and then just got destroyed...

I am not sure if this applied to you, but it does to me, that i got a good start with the correct positive mind frame in the beginning of a match-regardless of my condition on that day.

I would like to share with you something that is easy to say but hard to do: at the end of the day, everyone misses, and no one wins all the time.

When i loss, I go back tot he practice table, and work on beating the guy so bad that he will fear playing me.

Just look forward to have the last laugh at the end.

[The Statman]

Obviously if its an old cue I would recommend not snapping it,

Uh – NOW you tell me.......

[Gimme Danger]

Uh – NOW you tell me.......

Ha ha! I'll fetch the Duck tape......

[C-J]

Well,i have to admit i totally understand your feelings.I'v been on the brink of snapping my cue a number of times wich i managed to avoid only by biting it real hard........so i could still use it when the aggravation curve was on its way down again.
In twenty years of playing the game has drawn me through hell and back countless times but if it would have been easy i would never had stuck with it.

Because of my stuberness and singlemindness in the past years the game has showed me all that can go wrong during all those hours on the practice table and in matches.

I am not a good player so i had to learn a lot of things by myself and because of that i now fully understand how difficult this game really is(and admire the pro's even more,especially Steve Davis)

The problem you are facing at the moment i think is lack of confidence.
IMHO you can only have real confidence when you're in the "unaware capable" stage.Now when you start to miss easy balls you start to check your basics so you go back in to the "aware capable" stage.In this stage a lot can go wrong because your eyes can play tricks on you(especially if you have a dominant eye) and maybe causes you to change your technics while in fact you only see it slightly different.When you have a dominant eye it's also very easy to line up slighty across to the dominant side when you go down and try to hold contact with the aiming line.When you are playing fluent(unaware capable) you are not thinking about this line when going down and therefore you automaticly come straighter behind the middle of the white giving you more confidence in sightning which i think is the key....

[The Statman]

Thanks.

As soon as the Duck Tape arrives I'll be back down the club!

(PS No, I haven't really snapped it.)

[poolqjunkie]

What cue are you...or should I say were you... playing with?

[PaulTheSoave]

I have heard rumours you are missing a couple of tournaments this season. Well, it seems you are not in touch with the game anymore on the highest level, which will be transfered to your own play on the table I am afraid. My idea is therefore, order your GP tickets as quickly as possible!!!!!!!

Any ideas?