Milestones

[nathar]

When was the last time you reached a milestone in your game?

Just last week I reached a new milestone in my game. For the first time in competition I broke and ran. :D While I have achieved this feat on the practice table, I have never been able to pull it off during match play. I have come close many times, but I either blow position on the 9 or dog an easy shot on it. :?

The funny thing is that up until a few months ago I had never broke and ran in either 8 or 9 ball. I had a b/r in 8 ball first. Then I started breaking and running a few times per night in 8 ball. Just never during a match. Well, Thursday night I was put up against a higher rank player(in 9 ball) and finally got my b&r. I won the match in pretty good fasion too.

What I noticed as different between breaking and running vs the many times I was 1-2 balls away from a b/r was that until after I potted the last ball, I didn't even realize I was on a b/r. After I finished off the rack is when I became aware that I had ran the whole rack from the break. My 8 ball b/r's have been the same way.

Anyway, I was wondering what milestones any of you remember reaching and your thoughts regarding how they affected your play. 8)

[audiopro]

It has been a long time since I have hit any milestones. I think maybe about a year ago I ran 5 racks, at home not in a tourney... But I was still pretty stoked about it.

But as of lately, nohing special. However, I have not been playing in too many serious events. Been way to busy with work and other life happenings. So much to do, definitely not enough time in a day...

[graniteguy]

I just competed in my fourth trip to the City Tournaments in two years and second place second time in a row. Hoping to take first this session.

[Standbykid]

It sounds kinda stupid, but I made a great jump shot for the first time in a match. I did it Tuesday night at APA. I've been playing since 2003 (off and on) and I'm a strong "4" ranking. I was playing a strong "6" and he was playing great safeties, but I kept getting out of them. He locked me up bad and I had no option but to jump. It was perfect. I practice them alot, but I've never executed in a match. I lost by one point, but was ecstatic! I thought I played very well.

[StB]

I actually showed up for a match the other night.

[audiopro]

It sounds kinda stupid, but I made a great jump shot for the first time in a match. I did it Tuesday night at APA. I've been playing since 2003 (off and on) and I'm a strong "4" ranking. I was playing a strong "6" and he was playing great safeties, but I kept getting out of them. He locked me up bad and I had no option but to jump. It was perfect. I practice them alot, but I've never executed in a match. I lost by one point, but was ecstatic! I thought I played very well.

Yeah, pulling off a nice jump shot in a match makes anyone feel the King! Rarely the oppurtunity is there for it, but every now and then... :D

[skor]

I thought that jump cues are not allowed at APA :twisted:

[audiopro]

On felt cloth, who needs a jump cue to jump a ball??? :twisted:

On Simonis type material though, eh... Not so easy with a standard cue... :?

[skor]

How does the cloth affect the jump shot?

if you shoot down at the cue ball, it has no where to go but up, it's not the cloth that blocks the CB to go down, it's the slate....

[audiopro]

The thicker the cloth, the easier it is to jump. You have more to "bounce" off of, so to speak...

I've done tests myself, jump a ball.. Then adding a piece of cloth under it in addition to the cloth that is already there.. It makes jumping 100 times easier.

Trust me, there is definitely a difference...

[Standbykid]

I thought that jump cues are not allowed at APA :twisted:

You're right Skor, jump cues aren't allowed. I used my Schon. 8)

[nathar]

It sounds kinda stupid, but I made a great jump shot for the first time in a match. I did it Tuesday night at APA. I've been playing since 2003 (off and on) and I'm a strong "4" ranking. I was playing a strong "6" and he was playing great safeties, but I kept getting out of them. He locked me up bad and I had no option but to jump. It was perfect. I practice them alot, but I've never executed in a match. I lost by one point, but was ecstatic! I thought I played very well.

The moments where you make great shots against higher ranked opponents are always great. I recently let the cb run just a little too far and got corner hooked with my next ball being on the center of the foot rail, and the cb sitting in one of the corner pockets on the same end of the table. I didn't like the option of the long kick as just the 8 & 9 were remaining on the table. Instead, I hit a jacked up masse and made a good hit on the 8. I ended up only leaving my opponent with a bank on the 8, which they made :( and proceeded to get out. I ended up losing a close match, but that was still a hell of a shot. There were even players from surrounding tables applauding my effort.

Congrats on your jump.

[Standbykid]

Thanks Nathar.

[askirsh1]

I thought that jump cues are not allowed at APA :twisted:

You're right Skor, jump cues aren't allowed. I used my Schon. 8)

Actually jump shots and masse shots are at the discretion of the house.

[skor]

was not talking about the shots, was talking about the use of cues

[Standbykid]

Winning an APA match would be a nice milestone. I'm in a huge slump. I finished last session with five straight losses and started this session with two losses. I played a "6" tonight and lost 46-24. I'm a "4" and I keep playing fives and sixes, but still. It sucks losing all the time. :evil: Here's a run down of my losses: a 2 (19-30), a 4 (31-26), a 7 (alot-21), a 5 (38-23) and three sixes (46-28; 46-26; 46-24) Good grief! I'm about to sell my cues and take up golf! :( Anyone ever been in a slump like this? Any advice?

[nathar]

I'm just coming out of one. I wouldn't say I'm playing that bad, as much as I've just been getting a bad lay of the balls. I make my shots when I get a chance to take them. Here lately, I never seem to get that first decent shot to get in line. I either end up bad off the brake, or my opponent leaves me safe. The really frustrating thing is that they are getting safe on accident. I don't mind it so much if they are attempting to play safe, but when they dog an easy shot and leave me absolutely no chance of making a ball, it wears on you.

Keep your head up and keep practicing. I've noticed that when I don't have time to practice, my game shows it. Also remember that the balls roll bad for everyone eventually. So therfore, they will roll good for you eventually as well. When things start going bad for me, especially in 9 ball I keep telling myself "slow--and middle of the table". Because most of the time I will try to get out of trouble by trying to het the ball too hard, and overlook a simple shot that could have been played softer and under much more control. Not to mention it's hard to go wrong playing for position in the center of the table. Most of the time.

Something positive to look at.
At least your consistent. Your ball count is pretty close in every match. You just need to concentrate on making a few more balls per match. Which could equal out to one or two more balls per turn at the table, and your golden.

[Standbykid]

Thanks for the encouragement Nathar! Maybe I'll hold off on buying those golf clubs. :)

[Standbykid]

Finally!! I broke the losing streak last night! I played a three, but that's all their team had, pretty much. I beat the three pretty handily. Trust me, I'm not bragging. After seven straight losses, I'm just happy to win one. I'm going for two in a row next week (lol). :lol:

[nathar]

Congrats!!! Keep it up. 8)

[DaFeldman]

My last milestone was my first hustle. I've won a modest amount of money playing pool, but this was the first time when I thought to myself "I can take all of this kid's money" and proceeded to do just that. I got 30 bucks off him before he called it a night. I know it's not much to real hustlers, but I felt awesome. That was about a month and a half ago, and I've done it once since then for about 20 bucks.

[DaFeldman]

I just wanted to add that I am hoping to reach what would personally be my biggest milestone: beating my dad. He used to be a real hustler back in the day, and back before I started seriously playing pool, I would only win if he let me. He's the one who really inspired my love of pool, and beating him decisively would mean a lot. I haven't played him since I got good and he hasn't seen the inside of a pool hall in a couple years and is getting into his mid 50's. I know I've got the game to beat him, but you know what they say about old age and treachery... I'm going to play him before I go back to college and I'll let you know how it goes. I've got to say that part of me wants him to win (you know that whole thing Mark Twain set about the saddest day of his life), but that won't stop me from playing my best.

[audiopro]

Both my dad and my step dad were great pool players, and both inspired me as well.. Now I get to beat them all the time, it's fun... he he...

Seriously though, they are both real proud of where my pool game has gone. And I never need to tell anyone how good I am, they do all the bragging for me.. lol... 8)

[dags_lax]

Recently broke and ran five racks in a row. A personal best. Unfortunatly it was practice games, not match play.

[nathar]

That's awesome!!! So far I have only pulled off 2 b/runs in competetive play. And those were about a month apart. I have them more frequently in practice. I can't wait until I can say I pulled off 5 in a row. Practice or not. 8)

[katokahn99]

Played a total of 5 matches (race to 3) for a total of 18 games last night. Won the tourney with 11 B&R and only 3 games lost. Those 3 were to the same guy...two early on and 1 in the final match.

Milestone: first time to EVER have better than 50% B&R. What made the difference? I've been watching what I eat, taking vitamins, and exercising more than 3 times a week. Never less than 2 miles running. If it's less than 3 miles, I do exercise stations ever 1/4 mile. That's a real gut-check! I'm sucking wind after the 1st mile.

The difference: Noticed much better focus (mental and eye-balls), much less muscle twitches (better touch and control), and increased stamina (felt as fresh on the final rack as I did on the first). I started playing 2 hours before the tourney began. Played from 1700 to 0015...6 hours!

Recommendation: To improve your game, exercise regularly!

[tsuguy]

Most recent milestone..... Got away from hustling, I am very fortunate to have never been hustled myself or lost any amount of money I wasn't planning on losing, but I believe it is finally time to take the next step and quit hiding in the pubs and corners of the pool halls, and to throw games in fear of my name becoming the whisper in a guys ear that is looking to find some action. Now I shoot everyone the same. Whether it be my wife, who stands there and takes the beatings with a big smile on her face (but then again she distributes them on down the line to her friends when I'm not around) or the average 2 or 3 ball run guy that seems to always "be shooting bad"(They shoot the same every day) or occassionally the guy that brings in $5,000 worth of pool accessories that he thinks he's mastered, but can barely manage.

So what is my milestone??? I don't hustle. I get good thought invoking practice out of every rack, and believe it or not it was only a matter of days before my game went up another notch.

My jump cue is collecting dust. I probably couldn't make the easiest of massé's now, but I would trade all the hype and crowd pleasing shots just to be able to run more racks. It's working!

[katokahn99]

The worst I've gotten hustled was $1200 by a Navy guy called Tuggs inn Hawaii. That hurt! I met him again almost 2 years later...even though I knew exactly who he was, I acted like I didn't know him from Adam and took him for $3000!
He got better in that time but my game had improved even more.