The elusive break and run out

Last night in my match I had a break and run out, probably the first during  an actual match.  It felt awesome, and at that point I would have been happy even if I lost.  For me pool is fine if I lose, as long as I play to my potential.  If I play as well as I can play, and get beat, that’s cool.  If I play like crap, I’m unhappy win or lose.

But anyways, I finally hit a break and run out. I’ve gotten close before, even gotten to the 8 ball, but the enormity of the situation often gets to me.  I’m about to run the table!  The more my conscious mind registers the possibility, the more likely I’ll miss an easy shot, even a duck.  This time I made sure to breathe, probably looking like I was hyperventilating the last few shots and made it.  What a feeling.

I’m now 2-2 as a five.  But even the games I lost I feel I could have won, it wasn’t like I was outclassed.  Needs to play more pool.

It does go to show though, how important it is to have a routine, a ritual set up to a shot.  Reptition, repitition, repitition!  Good free throw shooters in basketball do it.  Good baseball players do it.   And also how important it is to breathe.  How many times during a really important shot do you tense up, and hold your breath?  More often than you might think.

Pool flick: Legend of the Dragon

Last night I just found a new… old… pool flick.  Legend of the Dragon, starring Stephen Chow.  It has a lot of the classic chinese slapstick style humor, and revolves around snooker.  Cameo by Jimmy White.

It’s a really funny movie if you like that style of humor (which I do) and some cool pool scenes.  The pool is not featured, but is a major plot device.  Definitely worth watching again!

I’ve been bumped

So after this week in my pool leagues I’ve been bumped to a 5.    We’ll see how it goes in the future.  It’s a huge jump, but hopefully I’ll keep playing well.  I’ve been telling people recently that my banks have been good ever since we moved to Jillian’s.  So of course this week, I didn’t hit one bank shot out of I lost count how many times.  Maybe partially because I didn’t bring my stick with me.  Anyways, hopefully I’ll be able to bank again next week.

bye bye Boston Billiard Club

Good Times closed this summer. Now BBC has closed too. Two of my favorite pool halls, closed for business. This is really distressing. I’ve been going to both for many years, and BBC was just starting to have their tables maintained too. Agh. So sad. Now where am I gonna go? Jillian’s? Crappy tables. Big City. Even worse!!! I can’t be driving all the way to Nashua to play pool – that’s just stupid. World Class in Woburn? 4×4 is closed too. And I don’t want to go to Whitey’s all the time. Southie = bad juju if you’re not white. Boston Bowl? Unenthusing. I guess I could start going to King’s… sigh. I am the sad chinaman.

Pool – it’s fun again

My game has been coming back lately.   Not wholly, but I haven’t been sucking as bad as I have during this past slump of like a year or two.   Some of it may be I’m fixing some bad habits I’ve developed (popping up, etc),  or maybe it’s just coincidence.  But, tonight I played out of my mind.  I swept my opponent who was shooting well, even played some pretty good safeties on me.  One game four turns in a row.  But I was en fuego – kicking out every time, hitting my banks, running the cue ball really well, break outs on point.  I even did a 1/2 ball width masse on 1/4 length of the table.   And a bank to win the game.  No run outs tonight, but came close each time.

This ain’t to say I’m awesome.  Far from it.  But it’s just so… exhilirating to have a good night.  I haven’t felt like I played out of my mind like that since before I was bumped to a five.  Tonight pool was fun again.  Really really fun!  I hope this lasts- it’s really nice to be in groove again.