WINNER'S WIN!

Yours truly had a fantastic tournament in Phoenix, coming in 2nd ONLY because she ran outa steam!  I gnashed my way through the field undefeated until the last match before the hot seat, and got sent to the losers bracket.  The good thing is now I only had one match to win to get into the final two!

My first match was a slam with a 7-3 win, then a grueling hill hill match which I managed to pull off, and another hill hill, and then a 7-5 to get into the finals. A couple of my matches, my opponent was up 4-2 on me and I fought fought fought to come back and win! The player who sent me to the losers bracket was now waiting for me in the finals.  I was OUT FOR BLOOD!  But things started going wrong.  Scratches after brilliant get outa trouble shots, and the table speed was not there for me.  My safeties would roll out too far, or not far enough.  She was shooting well, but I battled to come back.  It was not in the cards and she took me out 9-4.

I learned so much however about stamina, determination, and MOST importantly, that I CAN WIN and take out good players.  A big confidence booster for sure!  Before I started my loser's bracket match, I called HUBBY.  I needed to hear that reassuring lecture and he came through for me big time.  This was a new player to the tour and she was a really good shot, several times running the table.  I had already beaten her in a hill hill match on the winners side.  I just strutted around the table determined to take her out again, and I DID!

Phoenix was hot hot hot - like 111 degrees - omg!  And it's only June!  So I'm a little concerned about Tucson next month at the end of July!  Will it be 120?  Yikes!

Stay tuned for more Barracuda wins cuz I'm sharpening my teeth!

Too darn hot!

And I mean that quite literally! 111 in Phoenix! And the Barracuda hot too!

After 1st day rounds I'm undefeated! Stay tuned for more! 1st match 7-2 then grueling hill hill match with really tough player-but I won so a win is a win!

Semi and finals tomorrow-wish me luck!

Hello Phoenix!

The Barracuda heads off this Friday to the sunny Metro Phoenix area for another women's tour event!  Watch out players cuz the 'Cuda is coming!

After the big win at Hard Times, I managed to come in 2nd at my next tourney, losing ONLY because I pooped out around midnight!  Well at least that was my excuse for blowing a couple of opportunities I had.  (sigh)

Am certainly looking forward to a great road trip with my music as loud as it will go without blowing out the speakers, the sunroof cracked - wind running wild through the hair, and of course a pit stop at the casino along the way.  But of course!  I like to call these, "Hit and runs".  You saunter in, stretch your legs, get some coffee, hit the casino for a grand, then stroll out with a big fat smile on your face!

I feel like this is the most prepared I've been mentally and physically for the next major tourney and am very excited.  My confidence is way better and my pre-shot routine is really getting grooved in.

So watch out ladies, I'za comin ta get ya!  :)

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?