Who's Your Daddy?

Well OK, it certainly COULD be your Dad, but in my case it's my Hubby!  As a lights out pool player himself for many years, he has become my biggest motivator!  Last night I'm at Hard Times Billiards in Bellflower, home of the tight pockets and really really good players (which is why I like to play tourneys there).  I lose my first match hill hill, and then declare that I will just have to fight my way back on the loser's side.  And FIGHT I do!  6 grueling matches, some hill hill, some a sweep.  It's like 1 a.m. in the morning - I'm starving my guts out - It's hot hot hot in there and I'm dripping sweat onto the cloth - I spent 3 hours earlier that day cleaning the garage, moving furniture, boxes, sweeping, and I'm exhausted - BUT I keep hearing my Hubby's voice.  "Winners figure out how to win somehow".  One match I'm down hill-0.  It doesn't look good.  I sit in my chair thinking - ok - I can come back, I can do this!  He misses the eight ball, then gets lucky and leaves it in the center of the end rail with cue ball at the other end. He chuckles a bit sarcastically about "playing safe" when it was really just a miss.  Now I'm a little pissed!  I think to myself "That's IT!  I've about had enough of this!"  So I quickly get down on the ball and fire it - and I DO mean fire it - banking into the back corner pocket.  My friend in the gallery said "You shoulda seen the look on his face!"  I end up winning the match.

I take breaks, I get air, I go to the little (ahem) girls room.  I plow through my next matches.  I don't get rattled when I miss a shot.  I let it go, I move on, I wait to get to the table again.  I laugh instead of cry when one of my opponents is getting the rolls from the heavens and all I can do is scratch! I just think about one ball at a time.

Before I know it, I'm in the finals match.  My opponent is stellar - I have watched him play between my matches.  BUT, I think - it's 1:15 a.m. AND he just went to get something to snack on and is eating during the match.  Aha!  I hang in there.  I get to the hill first, but he gets another game.  I think - "I gotta close this out now"!  He uncharacteristically misses a shot and leaves me right on the end rail, my last object ball for the win over halfway down the table at a back angle.

I draw a huge deep breath.  I get down on the ball.  I stay VERY VERY still, and the last thought before I let go is "I gotta win this one for my Hubby".  When I feel it's good, I let it go - WITH AUTHORITY and wham - it goes straight into the corner pocket for the tourney win!  OMG!

The owner of Hard Times shows up at the table a few minutes later congratulating me.  WOW!  And I owe it all to my mentor, motivator and best friend, my Hubby!  I have to tell you - what a difference it makes if you have SOMEONE in your life that is a positive influence!  I have had many many people help me with my game.  But NO ONE helps me mentally like him.  What you need is positive reinforcement, not what's wrong with your game or your mental outlook.  You need someone who can tell you how good you are and that they know you can do it. Winners just figure out how to win!  So true!

So Who's YOUR Daddy?