Nostalgia
04-26-2005, 08:30 PM
Some of you may remember my problems with tournaments. I've never placed in the money in the last 4 years I've been entering. The most recent one, at Comet, I have been consistently knocked off the winner's side in the first or second match. I've only made it to the third match once.
I entered again tonight. The format is double elimination, handicapped by balls. Race to 4 on the winner's side, race to 3 on the loser's.
First match: He's giving me the 6. I win 4-0.
Second match: I'm getting the 8. I win 4-1.
Third match: I'm giving up the 8. I win 4-2.
Fourth match: Playing even. I win 4-1.
By now I'm ecstatic. I'd never seen the fifth round! It was like a magical place where faeries and dragons live. I've been playing very consistently, making good runs and playing wicked safeties. I've made some dumb mistakes, but I always knew exactly what went wrong and didn't get upset.
So the next match gets called. Me vs. Jim, an old APA teammate who consistently beats me. But wait, isn't Jim on the loser's side?? YES! I'm in the finals!! And I'm getting the 8 ball.
It's a nail-biter. I win the first and second games. Jim comes back to tie it at 2-2. I run out from the 2 the next game, then lose the 6th game by missing position on the 8.
Now it's hill-hill. Somehow I picked up a heckler. I must have dropped a house on this girl's sister, because she was dying to see me lose. Now I'm on the seven...off a little on position for the 8, faced with this shot, the balls just about a ball apart:
START(%He6X7%Iq5F0%Pg5Y0%UD1D3%Vd7X2)END
Wei table:http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/~wei/pool/pooltable2.html
I take a breath, line up the shot, step into my stance, smooth, slow warmup strokes, look at the 8-ball and *crack*, dead into the heart of the corner pocket.
I damn near fell over /ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif
So I'll say it again: Thanks, Fran! Every time I stepped into my stance, I heard Karen say (quietly), "I think about my stance on every shot." Every time I lined up "that" shot, I heard Mark say, "Aim a little fuller than you think you should." Be sure to thank him for me, Fran.
Sorry if I'm a bit wordy, but I'm so excited I could burst.
-Joe
I entered again tonight. The format is double elimination, handicapped by balls. Race to 4 on the winner's side, race to 3 on the loser's.
First match: He's giving me the 6. I win 4-0.
Second match: I'm getting the 8. I win 4-1.
Third match: I'm giving up the 8. I win 4-2.
Fourth match: Playing even. I win 4-1.
By now I'm ecstatic. I'd never seen the fifth round! It was like a magical place where faeries and dragons live. I've been playing very consistently, making good runs and playing wicked safeties. I've made some dumb mistakes, but I always knew exactly what went wrong and didn't get upset.
So the next match gets called. Me vs. Jim, an old APA teammate who consistently beats me. But wait, isn't Jim on the loser's side?? YES! I'm in the finals!! And I'm getting the 8 ball.
It's a nail-biter. I win the first and second games. Jim comes back to tie it at 2-2. I run out from the 2 the next game, then lose the 6th game by missing position on the 8.
Now it's hill-hill. Somehow I picked up a heckler. I must have dropped a house on this girl's sister, because she was dying to see me lose. Now I'm on the seven...off a little on position for the 8, faced with this shot, the balls just about a ball apart:
START(%He6X7%Iq5F0%Pg5Y0%UD1D3%Vd7X2)END
Wei table:http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/~wei/pool/pooltable2.html
I take a breath, line up the shot, step into my stance, smooth, slow warmup strokes, look at the 8-ball and *crack*, dead into the heart of the corner pocket.
I damn near fell over /ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif
So I'll say it again: Thanks, Fran! Every time I stepped into my stance, I heard Karen say (quietly), "I think about my stance on every shot." Every time I lined up "that" shot, I heard Mark say, "Aim a little fuller than you think you should." Be sure to thank him for me, Fran.
Sorry if I'm a bit wordy, but I'm so excited I could burst.
-Joe