Pool lessons

[rd500]

Hi Zues , hope its ok to post , you've entered the US open , WOW, kudos, instead of talking yourself down how about the opposite. Your obviously a real talent and even for guys that work at their sport 24/7 , the planets still need to align and lady luck needs to smile on them.

Maybe Zuess planets will align and his natural ability will do the rest.

Good luck and would love to put a bet on you , take care , Rd

[Zues126]

Thanks RD. I am proud of myself for how far I've come, but disappointed I haven't done everything I've set out to do. It is just something I have to do. Doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense to others or if no one understands why it's so important, but you'll just have to take my word for it. It is something I have to do. Almost like my life's work.

[CAUTION- TOURNAMENT UPDATE- FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS PART] Just got back from this tournament. I didn't place in the money, tied for 17th out of 96. But I feel pretty good overall about how I did. It was double elimination, and sometimes who you draw and a little bit of luck plays a big role in the outcome. So here's how it went down.

I got a bye first round, but then I had to play the winner of two top players. No easy first match. I ended up playing a former professional from Texas. He got me down 3-0 (going to 9), then I tied it up at 6-6. I got a bad break and he ran two racks to get me down 8-6. This was a grind, a late night match. This was now 2AM and they were shouting at everyone to hurry, they had to close, wrap it up, etc. I ran two racks back to go 8-8. The last game I got a shot and ran that one too, a little dicey but I got across the finish line.

My next match was against another well known top player. Not elite, but a top national player that is just on the cusp. He had me down 2-0 and then I caught a gear and won 9 out of the next 10 games to win 9-3. At this point I'm feeling good, I've beat two champions that are both favorites to me on paper.

The next match was a tough blow. I lost. My opponent is a very solid player and he played a great set on me, so he definitely deserved the win. It was just tough. He got a couple of early breaks to get the first few opportunities and then capitalized on it to build up a 4-0 lead. I blew a critical chance and went down 5-0. From there I tried hard to rally and won 3 in a row to close the gap to 5-3. But I just wobbled one time too many, and while I'd been putting some heat on him my slips gave him just enough opportunity and encouragement to fight through. He ended up winning 9-4 but it was much closer than the score looked because I was very close to flipping it around there until the very end.

Finally I played this morning against a good player I hadn't seen before. This guy played stupendously, I was surprised I didn't know him. He also got a little luck and a lot of early opportunities, but he was playing just stellar and was playing near perfect. Before I know it I was down 3-0, 4-1, 5-2. At 5-2 I broke and a ball knocked the cue ball into the pocket so I lost my turn, he ran two more racks to get to 7-2. And then it happened! I FINALLY got some chances at the table, and I charged at him! I won the next 5 racks to get to 7-7! He broke dry and I had a shot with really tricky position. I played a brilliant shot and got a horrible break and scratched in a way that was really unfortunate. That cost me the rack. Finally at 8-7 I had one last chance to tie it up. I made a gutsy run but got tripped up on the last two balls. I had to play defense and left him two back to back hail mary shots to win. He calmly made both shots and my jaw was on the floor. Great shooting. Seriously. I lose 9-7.

Well, I just got curious so I looked him up on google. Shoot, I DO know who this guy is! He's some prodigy champion from Germany! I watched him play some 10K gambling match in January giving up a handicap to one of our strong national players and running him over for the cash. This guy is a flat out monster. But I watched that match on a stream (wasn't there in person) and didn't get a good look at him. I didn't place him when we played our match this morning. Hahaha. They had one live streaming table at this event and they usually reserve it for the best match of the bunch to sell pay-per-views. This morning when I played this guy they put me on the streaming table. I was confused, I mean, there were national champions playing on my left and right. Now I know. No one wanted to watch me, they wanted to see this German guy.

So now I'm wondering if I would've played better or worse if I'd have known him. Honestly I don't know that I could've played much better, I played a great set overall. I like to think I could've done one pip better through inspiration, but whatever, it is what it is.



This tournament is the beginning of my new run at pool greatness. I have been dedicated to pool my entire life, but 3 years ago at BD I had to put it on hold. The emotional distress, fighting financially, fighting for my children, being there for my kids, navigating through the legal settlement, and of course not having a house with a pool table in it. Pretty much put me out of commission.

Now I have the house, the pool table. Now it is the beginning of phase one. Phase two starts in April 2019. That is when I am done paying my ex the maintenance payments. By then my goals are the following:

-Great physical shape
-Striking the balls well
-Pool bankroll and time off budgeted for me to play 10+ events annually with professional level competition

I will be turning 40 in 2 years, my work should be going smoother, my kids are doing well, I want to be ready to make my last run at pool and give it 5-10 years of my absolute, absolute, absolute best.

So between now and then it's ramp up. Working out. Practicing daily. Competing whenever possible against more difficult competition for larger sums (out of my comfort zone). And most of all, locking that vision in my mind and using it as a compass to steer every move until I get there. I've got more plans than I've mentioned, but this is already way too long.

The match I lost last night was devastating. It was a huge, huge loss in the sense that I went from having a legit chance to make a deep run to being most of the way to elimination, and in the sense that I feel I had a good chance that set once I came back. That loss REALLY hurt. I regret in particular one shot I missed. I could've made that 7 ball. It may not have been enough, but I will never know. Because I hung it up. And I suffered from it. But the point is I realized that was the first loss in years that I have really suffered from. And that isn't good. That just means I haven't been competing enough. That ends today.

OK, calming down now.

In other news, I got some very good news from work while I was out. There was some concern on my team about the goals for September through end of year. Well, turns out they did a mid-year adjustment and reduced the goals based on actual business opportunities (versus projected). This is the second time this year. And this is very good news, it means I can keep my job and pay my bills. Always nice. And it gives me a lot of hope that I will be able to stay here. Things have been very up in the air, but my optimism that 2018 will be ok and I can stay for the count is slightly better. So yay.

I get my kids back tomorrow. Good times. Back to reality. Op, there goes gravity. Mom's spaghetti. You know.

Take care gang.

[JujuB]

Zues

I don't think there is any harm is disconnecting from people for a while and putting your energy and mindset into pool. (Congratulations Btw That's awesome placement considering your handicaps)

I always thought how nice it must be to have a real talent and passion for something, like art or music. Something that is consuming because it gives you a focus and drive in life. An escape, but that is not really the right word. Maybe outlet is a better word.

A lot of us have put things on hold during this time. God I have not read a book in years. Or watched a television show other then Power Rangers and the Amazing World of Gumball. I'm still transitioning but looking forward to getting my life back.

Great goals, glad to read your posts.

[Zues126]

Thanks for dropping by J!

Yeah, I'm good where I'm at. The game does make me happy. I think it's the pretty colors. And that feeling of a good shot. You take dead aim and see the point on that object ball you're targeting, and it's like everything's in slow motion, you aim on your back swing like drawing back and arrow, take a few practice strokes where the tip of your cue is right up next to the cue ball, the line is laser tight, then it's like your stroke is so powerful and straight that even on a long power shot it feels effortless, the cue stick goes through the cue ball and keeps going, remaining straight out along the line of the shot at the completion of the swing with a nice vibration, and the picture you had in your mind plays out with impossible precision. Again, again, like a hypnotic rhythm. Carving through racks with the cue ball on a string, stopping on the piece of lint on the table you had been staring at, making it spin, bounce off rails, dance through obstacles, landing in tiny windows, picking through clusters, slicing balls, smoothing them down rails, into pockets, until there are none left.

OK, I don't know why people play the game, but it is a great escape for me. I play some music and the hours, days, and years melt away.

Anyway, not much else to post. Kids tomorrow and this weekend. Nothing else new here and that's alright with me. Take care guys!

[Fogg]

Hey Zues, I'm happy to see things are going well for you. Grats on the tournament, looks like you had an amazing time and did really well competing against these top level players. Not much else to add, just wanted to say hi and let you know I still read your threads a bit even though I rarely post anymore. Keep it going man!

[JellyB]

Hey Zues,

I'm still reading. You're still in my thoughts, sending you lots of love to you and your lovely children.

Much love JellyB XXX

[Zues126]

Hey guys, thanks for following along. Jelly, I figured you were out there but I appreciate the bump. Always good to get that confirmation that you're hanging around. Johntay, I appreciate your post. I'm assuming you meant something I posted elsewhere unless you find fish stories about pool matches amazing

One last day of work then shipping out to the US Open Saturday super early. I'll be in action Sunday or Monday depending on what bracket I'm in. I stopped all drills a week and a half ago and am not just playing racks to get loose. It's hard to explain how helpless it feels to go up against the best in the world. David and Goliath all the way. Not that I don't play strong, of course I do, but there are a few dozen guys out there that are borderline supernatural. It's truly going into battle with less troops and fighting to the end hoping for some things to go your way. But I love the battle. There aren't battles to be found in my metro area so if I have to travel and pick a fight with someone bigger then so be it, at least I get to fight.

I'll bring my lap top so I can keep tabs on all of you while I'm on the move. Be well and take care of yourselves!

[rd500]

All the very best with the competition, they all have two arms two legs and two eyes. Anyone is beatable and the planets need to align for anyone to win at that level so positive thoughts for Zues's planets to align. Take care, Rd

[Zues126]

Thank you guys.

When I'm really in a tough spot before a match I always journal. You guys are some of my best friends so I'm going to write it out here.

Tomorrow morning I play my first match. My opponent is pretty intimidating. He is an young hotshot from across the globe that just broke through on the international scene by beating the top players in the world and winning a championship title a few months ago. This kid is scary in a few ways. He has grown up learning to play the game in a way that I didn't know existed when I was his age. He has tremendous fire power and all of the tools. He is also composed under pressure, and full of belief and confidence. He is on a roll right now and believes the world is his and things are going to go his way.

For me it isn't as easy. I have always struggled with doubts and fears, feelings of inadequacy that lead to frustration and despair. It isn't all in my head either, because there are simply things that I can't do on the table that some of these guys can. And it's not for lack of trying. I know I've put in more hours on the table then this guy, I know I've worked harder. Maybe I learned from the wrong people. Maybe I didn't get in the ring often enough when I was young enough to sponge it all up. Maybe I had some bad habits that we didn't know were bad back in the 90s but the bar has risen. Maybe I set the bar too low of my personal goals, and now I look around and others developed themselves into players well beyond what I thought I could become. All in all, this tournament is waking up a lot of those familiar feelings.

I have to work myself through these. Years ago I came up with what I call the "invisible ninja" theory. It goes like this: When you compete, you are facing both physical obstacles and mental obstacles. The physical obstacles aren't easy to overcome, but they are easy to see. The mental obstacles are like invisible ninjas. You may not ever see them but they can take you out before you even knew what hit you.

I have seen many players fail to overcome a relatively easy physical challenge only to say "I shouldn't have missed that ball". This is because they only saw the physical challenge, and didn't even understand the ninja that they were doing battle with. It's hard to beat an opponent you don't see. It's even harder to beat one you don't believe exists.

I believe in the ninjas. I've faced them many times, and I've lost many battles to them. So these days when I prepare to play, I barely practice pool. That's not the hardest part. I try to get ready to face those ninjas.

Step one is spotting them. They never show themselves directly. But you might see a foot print, or hear a rustling in the branches, and know that one is about to strike. I try to be conscious of the signs that a ninja is nearby. This might be a sickening feeling of dread in my stomach, the fact that the pockets suddenly look impossibly tight and that the table is starting to look like an alien trapezoidal shape that I barely recognize. And oftentimes this is accompanied by a negative thought pattern.

Once I recognize the ninja I'm dealing with, I have to be ready to face them and do battle. Just like in physical pool where you learn the challenging situations and then practice ways to overcome them, I try to anticipate the mental challenges and then be ready to be aware of them when they arise and be prepared to navigate through them.

So as I sit with a feeling of dread and despair thinking about my match, I ask myself where that dread is coming from. I just found the match he played in the finals on Youtube and watched it to try to wake up those demons further, to magnify them until I could hear what they were saying. Here's what I heard, and here is the beginning of my defensive game plan:

Comparison Ninja:
How to spot: Self critical thoughts. This is one of those shots you don't hit as good as these guys. You'll never be as good as they are. You're going to show that when you fall short on this attempt.
Defense: This IS a hard shot for me, and others may be able to make it more often. But I only compete against myself. I'm here to enjoy giving it my best effort and try to handle this pressure the best I can.

Doubt ninja (when I have opportunity to lead or win):
How to spot: Doubt in my own ability, negative narrative. You can't win against this guy. You will find a way to mess this up because you're supposed to lose.
Defense: I'm not here to win or prove anything to myself or anyone else. I'm here to challenge myself with this exact adversity. I flew here just to face these doubts and I look forward to meeting them head on.

Defect ninja:
How to spot: Thoughts about how abnormal I am. Something's wrong with you, you have so many demons and fears, you have to work so hard just to play a match of pool.
Defense: That may be true, but the flip side is that I am so driven I do whatever work is needed for me to be ready to deliver my absolute best. This is one of my gifts and an advantages.

You don't fit in ninja:
How to spot. Self consciousness. Feeling left out. Everyone else here is tall and athletic and covered with sponsorship patches and they all know each other. No one even talks to you.
Defense: I don't expect permission or approval from my opponents. The challenge of the game is for me to give myself approval and permission. I'm proud of myself for being strong enough to take this on by myself without an armor of patches.


Now, you might think this is a lot to be going through your head when you're at the table. You are right. This is why I prepare. In the past when I've done my best I've spent hours and hours letting my brain spin ahead of time with all of these doubt and fears. I picture myself at the table with a shot and then being attacked by a ninja, then I'll picture myself using my response. I'll practice with a 'ninja flashcard deck' and pretend I'm being attacked every few shots. Basically I try to get all of the hopelessness, fear, and dread out ahead of time. At it's best when I get in the ring I find out it's never as hard as I imagined it. But for me it's only ever been easy when I've over-prepared and planned on it being impossible. I'm not expecting it to be easy. But I didn't come for easy. This is the toughest pool tournament in the world and I came for tough, so bring it on.

You never know how it's going to go. Maybe I lose to the ninjas and don't even give myself a chance. Maybe I overcome all mental adversity, bring my best game, and it isn't enough. Maybe I win this match.

But regardless of outcome one thing is clear in my mind. The match doesn't start tomorrow morning. The match has already started. I am competing right now as I type these words, sit with my emotions, and allow myself to find some tranquility within the storm.

And whatever happens, I am glad I'm here facing these battles then sitting at home wishing I had the courage.

[Zues126]

He got me. I am 100% satisfied with how I played. I brought my absolute best game, I felt pressure at times but it elevated my game, and I enjoyed the contest. All the demons were defeated last night, today it was just play and enjoy.

The kid flat out does a few things better than me and it showed up. I played my best. He played his best. His best looks a little different than mine.

That gives me some things to work on when I get home. That's good, I like working on my game. It's a road I'm glad I'm on.

I play again tomorrow, double elimination. Looking forward to watching some great matches tonight and trying again tomorrow.