Taking a Step Back

When I say that I am 2-4 for the season, it just sounds like a run-of-the-mill losing record. But when I think about how all four of those losses have come one after the other (spread out over several weeks), it's pretty painful. I've lost to two SL4s and two SL6s. In all four matches I played a combined total of 23 games of pool--seven wins and sixteen losses. I reached the hill in only one of those matches, against a SL6. In that match I had a comfortable lead and was one 8 ball away from winning before I gave up two games for him to win (our team ended up winning 4-1 that night so I wasn't too mad the next day). But my most recent match a couple weeks ago was the most painful. It was a pathetic 1-3 whupping from a killer SL4. It was a match where tiny mistakes cost me big. The final nail in the coffin was when I erroneously thought I had ball in hand and picked up the cue ball without asking. Also, it was the third loss of the night, officially ruling out a win for our team (fortunately, Grace stepped in at the end and won her match, giving us at least a point).

With all this bad pool in my head, I needed to take a step back and get my mind off my slump. I decided to go up to Space Billiards Cafe (above) on 32nd Street to practice some three cushion. Practicing billiards gives me a lot of confidence, and when I play by myself it's not a win/loss thing. There, the only stress is the cost ($15/hour). Conversely, I was in Kansas all of last week and spent a mere $2.35 at Billiards Sports Plaza in a quick session that I called quits when I reached 10 points. Refreshed, that night I finally got to play one-on-one pool with my Dad. I think the change of mindset/pace that I gained from practicing billiards was most apparent to him. He was unable to touch me in the four games of 9 ball that we played. In fact, I'd estimate that he took no more than 10 shots in those games. It started as a race to three but I just kept on winning. Eventually he said "I think it's time for you to pack and head home." That was my last night in Kansas. I hope the good playing sticks, because I've got to stay in shape when I return to league play next week. And, more immediately, for the pool tournament at the Hamilton Fish Rec Center this coming Saturday.