[Pin]

In the past, when I would play non-seriousl players, I often wasn't that much better than them (if at all :S ), and I would feel a bit uncomfortable about my taking the game reasonably seriously.
The main reason for this is that playing a non-serious player (8-ball), we didn't really have a concensus on the rules, it was all played a bit more informally, and tactics largely went out of the window. My potting wasn't strong enough to make me stand out.

In the last month I've been playing *way* better. (See the Inner Game of Golf.)

Today we had a mass trip from work to watch the football at a local bar (for football, read: soccer - and well done on qualifying for the next round by the way!). After the game I played a couple of frames of pool with some friends.

In the first frame I blew everyone away. During a short game I played 4 incredible shots (that blew my mind that I could make tem) and 4 really good ones (that would make me really pleased to have played accurately). I had a tough shot to get on the 8 and left myself an impossible-looking cut (okay my position wasn't amazing). I put it in the jaws of the pocket, a fraction away from dropping. After that, the guy I was playing missed a shot that left me a straight finish, so in the firendly spirit of the game I thought I'd try something fancy to win. He had 6 balls creating traffic on the table and the only 'complex' route I could see to the black was going around the table off 3 cushions. I didn't think I had a high chance of making it, but I shot it the same way I shoot all shots of that kind, and the CB rolled up to the black with perfect weight and gently plopped it into the pocket.

I got a round of applause from a group of guys who'd started watching.


In the second game I played 2 'incredible' shots (and a really easy 3 ball plant with 2 balls very close together and a third over the pocket, that everyone who didn't know better thought was really hard ), a few that would have made me pretty pleased with my play, and several rubbish ones that made me look like a complete hack (the kind I might have played in the old days when I didn't look much better than my casual player opponents).


The difference? Partly I was slightly distracted talking to a friend, but mainly I was thinking about looking good in front of everyone who was watching. I was getting down to cue, with the intention to just see the table and feel the movement of my cue, but I was thinking about whether the shot would work, and how if it went I'd impress all the rail-birds.


I've very rarely played before a crowd before, and only once before a crowd who have been 'enjoying' my play. It's hard to keep your focus.

Anyone have any experience of this?

[Demondrew]

Anyone have any experience of this?

Yes I play much better when there is an opponent and even better if there is a group of spectators. Don't know why but I do. . .

Andy

[FASTLARRY]

Demondrew, on Jun 23 2010, 09:33 PM, said:

Anyone have any experience of this?

Yes I play much better when there is an opponent and even better if there is a group of spectators. Don't know why but I do. . .

Andy

Ah Ya just like,


Showin off.

[Pin]

I do too. I think that's why I cause myself problems

[Pin]

Today mid-match I overheard my team mates saying that I was playing really well, and was the best player on our team at the moment.

I also made some crowd-pleasing shots (if not good enough to earn a standing ovation!)

It probably distracted me a little bit, but broadly speaking I coped pretty much fine.

Good signs, but I'm not sure if/when I'll get to play before a truely adoring crowd again


I also suspected someone of sharking, but dropped it and focussed very well during my play. (In fact I'm pretty sure he wasn't - I think he was just careless about getting in peoples' way.)

[astetsoncowboy]

I can play just as spotty against an opponent and with an audience as well as without either. Usually I know within 10 minutes of my warm up period as to how the night is going to typically go for me.

I can deal with a lot of sets of eyes on me. Example: We recently completed our 9 ball and 8 ball City Cup tourneys. In 9 ball, my game was extremely solid and out of 9 matches I played, I lost 1. The one I lost, was the winner goes to Vegas match. I had been comfortable throughout the whole 9 ball tourney until it came down to the brass tacks. Yes, there was not only my opponent and I playing but his whole team, my whole team, and quite a few other spectators. Was it the "audience"? I do not know but what I do know is that during that last match, I struggled against the 7 I was playing against. I could pot balls but I needed to be running racks and I just couldn't get comfortable enough to do it and I have yet to run a rack of 9 balls. I can always pot 5, 6, 7, or 8 balls, but I just can't seem to find the right rhythm to run a full rack.

At the 8 ball tourney, I never got comfortable at all and yet it was the very same tables I had played the 9 ball tourney on. The difference being is that the tourneys are a week apart.

Problems of all sorts come and go. It has taken me 3 weeks to regroove from a bar box (the tourney tables) back to the 9' I usually play on. Case in Point: This past Tues. night at 8-ball, I'm matched up against a fellow 5 in a race to 4 games. I open with a break and run, then methodically wax his a$$ the next 3 resulting in a 4-0 win. Could he have been sandbagging? Perhaps but he was an established 5 from another league and this was his first night on our league.

There are nights I can't make a one ball run from a foot away, speed control has gone to the dogs, safeties suck to having great nights like the 8 ball match I just mentioned.

Do I think playing a higher skill level player adds to the overall pressure? Absolutely. Do I think having an audience adds to that experience as well? Absolutley. Does it bother me? Only when I'm not in synch with my elements and then I feel like I could crawl into the smallest of knot holes just to escape the embarrassment and misery.

[Pin]

We are now just over half way through the summer league season, and last week the individual rankings for the first half of the season were published.

Guess who was top of his division? (Admittedly only second division of three, but there are some really strong players here!)
I've also won every match I've played so far. I've had some good luck on occasions but also played some good (and occasionally great) pool.

Last week, after I'd played my match, some of the guys from the other team were watching me play a friendly game. Our captain had been bragging about how I was top of the standings and they wanted to see whether I lived up to the hype.


I played pretty mediocre, but even though the circumstances were a little different, the distraction felt pretty much the same as when I was trying to show off for the people watching me that evening of the original post.


I was glad to have the opportunity to experience it again, and I hope that my winning run continues for as long as possible so I can experience this situation some more.

I appreciate that if I am to impress/entertain a crowd, my objective, as always, should be to play good pool, and this is achieved by concentrating on the game. But I think the attention does take a little aclimatising to.


By and large I'm still happy to win ugly though. You merit your place in the individual rankings based on whether you win frames, not whether you look good in front of people.

[Pin]

Quick brain dump on tonight's pool.

Tonight I played beautiful pool. I was on the best form I've been in for over a month. My positional play has been getting so strong recently, it's been an incredible improvement. For me, the best thing about pool is playing shots that impress myself, that I couldn't consciously make.

But I think improving areas of your game through the sub-conscious learning and improving at delivering what is asked of it is absolutely mind-blowing stuff. I'm dumbfounded by some of the changes in my own game of late.


In the league everyone plays a race to 2 frames against one opponent and so far (over half way through) I've won every match-up. Even though I was on great form (by my standards), I almost lost it 2-0. I got so lucky in the second frame. I was in a tactical hole trying to dig my way out. I failed, but the other guy got unlucky, screwed himself up, and gave me an opportunity to beat him. Then I beat him again in the final frame, and I've still won every match.

Phew.

The other guy was a quality player and I'd be sick if I'd lost the way he did. That said, he was an excellent player, but I think I played the better pool.

The temptation after a night's good play is to think that's my new standard, which is unrealistic because you'll always have some unusually good days. But I've been improving bits and pieces of my game and I'm aware of the things I did well today. So a good proportion of the good play should be repeatable.

I think sometimes with a step up in your playing level, sometimes it's necessary to change how you think of yourself as a player too, to support the positive changes. I don't really know what to think about that.

[FASTLARRY]

Pin, on Jul 28 2010, 07:34 PM, said:

Quick brain dump on tonight's pool.

Tonight I played beautiful pool. I was on the best form I've been in for over a month. My positional play has been getting so strong recently, it's been an incredible improvement. For me, the best thing about pool is playing shots that impress myself, that I couldn't consciously make.

But I think improving areas of your game through the sub-conscious learning and improving at delivering what is asked of it is absolutely mind-blowing stuff. I'm dumbfounded by some of the changes in my own game of late.


In the league everyone plays a race to 2 frames against one opponent and so far (over half way through) I've won every match-up. Even though I was on great form (by my standards), I almost lost it 2-0. I got so lucky in the second frame. I was in a tactical hole trying to dig my way out. I failed, but the other guy got unlucky, screwed himself up, and gave me an opportunity to beat him. Then I beat him again in the final frame, and I've still won every match.

Phew.

The other guy was a quality player and I'd be sick if I'd lost the way he did. That said, he was an excellent player, but I think I played the better pool.

The temptation after a night's good play is to think that's my new standard, which is unrealistic because you'll always have some unusually good days. But I've been improving bits and pieces of my game and I'm aware of the things I did well today. So a good proportion of the good play should be repeatable.

I think sometimes with a step up in your playing level, sometimes it's necessary to change how you think of yourself as a player too, to support the positive changes. I don't really know what to think about that.

If its working, then pour more of it on. It it aint broke, then dont try to fix it. Go with what, you know, go with what works.