Frustration

[The Statman]

Well I played marvellously on Monday and last night. Knocking them all in and feeling so much happier about being round a snooker table! (Which, of course, is half the battle and a vicious circle – the crapper you play the more annoyed you get, and the more annoyed you get the crapper you play!)

We have just had three of our tables re-clothed and the one I played on yesterday has been transformed from a horrible table with big but deceptive, inconsistent pockets to one which runs extremely nicely and is a pleasure to play on – especially, of course, if you're playing well!

[hegeland]

I'm over the moon at the moment!

Before last night I was ready to pack it in, or at least take a break till after new year. Then I was playing this Class One player (There are four divisions, Elite, Class One, Class Two and Class Three). I was playing alright, not making a fool out of myslef, won a frame here and there, didnt' have the run of the balls. And he was really impressed, said he couldn't believe I had only ever played one tournament. He thought I was a Class Two player, and I think I barely make it in Class Three. It was nice to be able to play well against a good player, and getting quite some advice too.

So, understandably, I feel a bit more cheerful today. If only I could rasie my B game, cause right now it's more like an E game.

[The Statman]

Things are looking up and up!

We had a league match last night, and I made a 60 in an exhibition match beforehand (I like to call it an exhibition – it was of course only a practice knockabout before the game ) and, although the two frames of the match were not of that caliber (a notoriously defensive opponent), I played solidly without big breaks (nothing over 16, in fact), with good safety in the first, and in the second eked out a 3-3 draw from 3-2 down and 24 behind on the brown in the last frame. I got a good snooker from which he escaped, another from which he didn't and, after taking the brown singly, made the best blue-pink-black clearance I think I have ever made to shade the frame by two points.

My two teammates did not fare quite so well. They are teenage/twenty-year-olds whose game relies on potting. The first two frames were over in little over twenty minutes; the third and fourth took a total of about 40 minutes, and these are the kind of players who, if they are not left chances of long pots, are nothing. (They do not lack the skill to play good safety, but) they lack the mental attitude to decline a low-percentage long pot with no guaranteed position in favour of a good safety shot which may yield a better opportunity.

I played frames 5 and 6 against an old-school player who can bog you down in safety and make you lose your potting momentum. I like to think that I gave my teammates, who lack match experience of course (which is a relevant factor even at this lowly level, I am convinced) an illustration that, even if you're not throwing in big breaks here there and everywhere, you can still snatch the important frames which so often are lost because you are a little too greedy in your shot selection.

I think they were a bit peed off that they were still sitting there at gone ten o'clock when they'd played their four frames in about an hour total, but I think it's an important lesson for everyone (myself included, at times) that, if you persevere you can pull any kind of frame out of the fire.

I bring you this just because it is an interesting thing, snooker strategy, and there is such a variety of styles of play that you have to be ready to combat any of them. A player who takes two red-colours and always leaves you on the baulk cushion can often beat someone who normally would not miss a ball.

[The Statman]

As a matter of interest, does anyone else feel that they sometimes feel sort of disappointed when they don't get many chances – even if they play well – just because scrappy games don't give quite the same buzz?

I think I am learning to be pleased with frames that I play well safety-wise, just as much as by making biggish breaks.

It is this kind of mindset aspect that is so difficult to see past. You play well, but you've got no figures to show for it – you should feel pleased but somehow, you can't see how satisfied you should be.

Blimey, I rambled on in that last post, didn't I! Apologies! Hands up if you managed to read right to the end!

[Mitsuko]

I like playing scrappy. I'm good* at getting out of snookers and good at getting people snookered if needed

* By good I mean compared to the rest of MY game

[Ginger Freak]

I hate scrappy frames, as my natural games relies on me getting into a rhythm. I am not too good at making chances, but I am good at taking them, if that makes any sense!

That is not to say I cant win them though, as I would consider myself as having a decent 'Snooker Brain'

All in all, I would rather play bad and win a nice, open frame, than play well, and just scrape a boggy one. (Is that a paradox?)

[The Statman]

Time for an update ('cos I want to show off!).

Today I played magnificently, making a fine break of 79. I took the blue early on and went into the pack, and picked them off on a table that has recently been re-covered most beautifully.

I left myself short on the blue and had to go in and out of baulk to get up for the remaining reds, but I overscrewed it slightly and caught the green. I was a little annoyed to see the green roll into the pockets. I did not deserve to continue the break as it was a poor shot – but I deserved the 84 for the blue!

While I am in such an upbeat mood, may I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – by next week my form may have changed my mood......

[Cyril]

Merry Christmas to you too Statman and congrats on your 79 break! I must start playing again!

Ginger, I'm with you, when I play (which is only ever socially), I'm a bit of a "Great WT". I just want to get in around the black with a chance to make some sort of a break.

[The Statman]

Well things are still looking up as we enter the seventh year of the third millennium!

I had a 68, 56 and 43 over the weekend and I feel really enthusiastic about playing – not just looking forward to getting the cue out but a real feeling that when I get it out I will play well.

I played a guy at the club till well after midinight on Saturday night, haven't played him for ages. We were both playing fantastically and feeding off each other's good play.

As some of you know, I had a car crash a few years ago which has left me unable to do long stints of walking, such as round a snooker table for hours on end, but it was impossible to stop such was the thrill of both of us playiing well at the same time. It bodes well, hopefully, for 2007. I will pay for it in the next couple of days because I'll hardly be able to walk straight, but it serves as a good reminder that, if you persevere, the good days will return!

Happy new year everyone

[PaulTheSoave]

Did not seem to bother you last time when we walked to the pub for a mile in York!

As some of you know, I had a car crash a few years ago which has left me unable to do long stints of walking,

Happy new year everyone

[Welshsteve]

I'm going through a bad patch myself at the moment. Earlier this season (back in September/October) I was playing the best snooker of my life. Regularly knocking in 30s and 40s in just about every frame. This culminated in me getting my best ever break of 62 about 6 weeks ago. Then for some reason I changed practice partner as he went to play for a diferent club, and also one week in a match I played on a terrible table and never really got going again, ever since then I have been awful, and having won my first 6 matches of the season, I have now lost 4 of my last 6 matches.

To try and combat it, I'm trying to put in more practice, and have started practicing with better standard players. I'm hoping this will help.

[The Statman]

Well some things are meant to last and some things aren't.

On Monday evening (January 1) I went down to the club and, it has to be said, I played awfully! Having played so well on Saturday and Sunday (see above) I was a little bit concerned, and so yesterday I phoned one of my teammates to see if he wanted a game - with about ten minutes' notice!

We had a good session, some nice shots and breaks on both sides, and I won 7-2.

I even had a nice break of 77, although I missed a ridiculously easy red, about quarter-ball at close range. I think I had just realised that a couple of mates further down the room were watching. It was not the fact that they were watching, just the fact that I noticed! Of course once my mind had been distracted I should have got up, composed myself and got down again, but it was such an easy pot I thought it unnecessary. Anyhow my disappointment at missing an even higher break is outweighed by how pleased I am to have got that far in the first place!

I have sort of subconsciously realised that I have recently become much more focused on each shot individually – even yesterday I got slightly out of position on a break of 40 with a good table, and resisted the temptation to try to carry on the break with a low-percentage pot in favour of a safety – and it is this that brings about an upturn in confidence. It diminishes the vicious circle that made me start this thread a couple of months ago – you can't enjoy it while your playing rubbish but you can't play well when you're not enjoying it. And confidence suffers as a result.

This is fast becoming my snooker life story, but I feel that as I learn lessons at important junctures it would be wrong of me to keep them to myself!

I am sure I will have plenty more highs and lows in the coming months, and as they happen I will let you know what happens, how it affects me and how I'm going to go about rectifying it!

[Welshsteve]

I received the draw for the first round of the league cup last night. After a move to a new club, and players taking a while to settle in, we are currently one off bottom of the B Division (third division of the pyramid). We have been drawn to play the reigning Premier Division champions in the cup. We are home at least, but with our tables being among the very best in the league, it could be a very difficult night for us.

Having said that, it's a great incentive for us to show what we can do against superior opposition. My players are much better than they are playing at the moment, none of us have hit form all on the same night yet. A couple of seasons ago, we beat the then current league and cup holders 6-1 in the first round of the cup, the same year we lost just once on our way to promotion from the division we are now back in.

Who knows eh?

[Stunrunthru]

I've made it my new year resolution to play snooker again regularly.

I've been playing for around 21 years but the past 5 years I've not played as much as I normally would due to marriage and kids etc!

Anyway I returned from a 3 week holiday on new years eve and then played Snooker for the first time in around 3 months last night.

I began with a line up to get my cue arm going and decided to play for just the black from the reds. I managed 72 before missing one to the centre> I found I was finishing quite near to the cushion quite often during this excercise and in the end it proved to be my downfall.

I then practised potting the blue to the middle and aiming to smack the pink on the nose in doing so. I need more practise with this!

I then played a frame against myself and knocked in a 56 - 7 reds and 7 blacks before being forced to miss a long red. Willie Thorne would have said ' that wasn't the bad shot. It was the one before that. Why did he leave himself straight on the black!'

Anyway the main thing is I'm enjoying it again as that's what it's all about.

Also hoping to take a coaching qualification this year.

[Stunrunthru]

I'd like to use this thread to share news of my form with other members as the legendary Statman does.

I've just knocked in a break of 82. Just the colours were left. I left myself near to the side cushion and had to drop a straightish yellow into the yellow pocket so that I finished high on the green which was on the baulk cushion. Anyway I missed the yellow. I'm sure I'd have cleared with a 109 had it gone in as the rest of the colours were all on their spots.

Anyway it was nice to get a break which would have won a frame in one visit.

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'This young man is the most aggressive break builder the game has ever seen' - Willie Thorne referring to 7 times world champ Stephen Hendry.