What a Coach!

So even though the Barracuda didn't deliver all the goods in Phoenix, the trip was so well worth it!  On Sunday, Mr. Jerry Briesath who did the original BCA training film on "How To Play Pool Right" worked with me for about 3 hours and wow wow wow!  He is a master teacher!  I came home with a fabulous drill!  Take 3 or 4 balls and toss them on the table randomly.  Take ball in hand - Any positional error must be re-shot until perfect position on all balls.  No hard shot positions allowed.  You MUST get easy shape on all balls or you have to start over. What a fabulous drill.  Jerry says you will learn more shots faster with this drill than any other method and it is the only drill that makes you CORRECT your errors!  You can bet I will be at the table for awhile on this one for sure!
My first match in Phoenix was with one of the top players.  I won the lag, then busted the 9 on the break - woo hooooooooooie!  I then won the 2nd game.  The 3rd game I messed up and she got one.  We went back and forth the next few games, then I get on the hill first.  I failed to close it out and she caught up!  At hill hill now, we go back and forth, some safeties etc. and she's on the 9.  I'm thinking "this is over", but she misses the 9!  HOWEVER, she leaves the 9 in no man's "tweener" land.  I've got a really hard back cut into the corner pocket and playing safe from this spot would be just as hard, so I go for it.  I have a natural scratch in the side if I pocket this 9, so I put draw on the cueball to avoid that side pocket.  I execute perfectly and the 9 drops.  I then watch in horror as the cue ball, having been "let loose" now, goes 2 rails and heads straight into the OPPOSITE side pocket.  OMG!  And that is ALL I'm gonna say about matches this trip!  LOL!
I highly recommend you check out Jerry's video which you can find on thepoolschool.com.  It is one of the most informative videos and covers a LOT of information. I watch it often, then go work on key points.  I only wish he lived in California!  But if any of you in Southern Cal would like to "go in" with me, we could get him out here for coaching!  Just let me know!
Until next tournament, shoot well and have fun!

Phoenix Here I Come!

The Barracuda is leaving town!  It's off to Phoenix for the first Arizona Women's tour event of the year.  Having come in second at a tourney at Hard Times in Bellflower, the confidence is coming back!  It is really unbelievable how "mental" the game of pool is.  You can know all the technique you need and what to do, but execution and staying mentally focused is key.  Playing the table instead of your opponent is also a key factor.  However, knowing their weakness can be vital - like playing safe by leaving bank shots when you realize they suck at banks!  Or knowing that if you miss, they will probably run out, so HIDE THAT WHITE BALL and hope they don't kick it in!  Ha!
After having endured about 2 months of scratching, miscues, bad rolls etc., I am finally starting to purge the "curse".  And boy - that kind of bad luck can REALLY mess up the mental aspect of the game.  So off to Phoenix for me and as LUCK would have it - I will be able to spend some time with one of the greatest pool coaches in the world - Jerry Briesath, who created the "How To Play Pool Right" video for the BCA some years back.  This guy not only knows all there is about the game, he communicates it simply and can get you doing things at the table you never thought you could do, and quickly!  Best coach I have ever worked with!  The entire trip will be well worth it due to this impending "lesson"!
Stay tuned for the tourney results!

Taking a Break!

There comes a time in all pool player's lives when it's time to just take a little teensy weensy break from the game.  Having been playing about 5 tournaments a week to get ready for the last "big one", nothing else was getting done for sure!  Now mind you, I DON'T mind other things not getting done when it comes to pool.  HOWEVER, this last Saturday's tourney sent me quite over the top, into the abyss, and I had a complete MELTDOWN!
You see, any pool player will tell you that there is a thing called the "luck" factor of the game.  There are "rolls" and either YOU or your OPPONENT are getting them.  This is when you dog a shot, but the cue ball hooks itself nicely behind some other ball, snookering your opponent.  This is when you try for a long shot, miss, but it goes two rails around the table and lands perfectly in a corner pocket.
Well, the last couple of weeks, the Barracuda has NOT, and I repeat, NOT had ANY rolls of any kind!  Not only that - what rolls I HAVE been getting have been just horrendous!  Now I don't mind an occasional match where the rolls don't go my way.  It happens, you deal with it and move on.  But after two weeks of "bad luck"  scratches, bad rolls, mis-cues, you name it - Saturday was the straw that broke the proverbial back!
So there I am, actually stroking quite well and pocketing balls nicely.  Then WHAM, here come the scratches.  Here comes the safety shot that rolled out 1/8 inch too far and left my opponent an open shot.  It went on and on the entire match.  I am now spewing all over the pool hall, sputtering, mouth open, disbelief, talking to myself.  I just can't believe that this could continue for this long, match after match.  I almost forfeit the day and leave.  But I just couldn't do it, oh no, not the Barracuda.  So I stay.
The next match, I just flat try not to care.  Now you have to get the picture here - I have been reduced to trying to outsmart the pool Gods.  Lo and behold, it actually worked!  I won the match!  Wait a minute, don't get too enthused - this could be a fluke!
So next match I try the "not caring" attitude.  Didn't work out so well this match.  In fact, after one roll, my opponent says "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen that happen as long as I've been playing pool!"  Okay, that did it.  More meltdown!  I then proceed to tell most of my player friends "That's it - I'm done - I'm takin a break". You see, I must have really pissed off the pool Gods somehow for them to be so flippin angry with me!  Geeeeeeeeeeeeez!
Now normally I would be at a tourney, but what am I doing?  Telling you how I'm taking a little break - and boy is it hard!  But I actually think this is going to be a good thing.  Gives me time to adjust my attitude and viewpoint on the game.  Gives me time to just practice quietly at home.  Gives the pool Gods time to settle down and maybe pick on someone else!  Now - if I can just hold out the rest of the week!

Sharks in the Water!

This is the UPDATE to my previous post!  Yes, the Barracuda got Sharked!  The 1st day of tourney play, the Barracuda "stroke" was on vacation in Siberia. After the 3rd match, I called Hubby to of course "get some sympathy" and lucky for me, I found NONE!  He slapped me up side the head a bit, so I promptly went back in and bit my opponent big time 6-1.  Next match I SHOULD (ahem) of won - it went hill hill.
Now to today, day 2.  Played pretty well.  The "stroke" had finally found its way home from Siberia, HOWEVER, the pool Gods as they are, were BRUTAL.  Safeties would end up 1/4 inch short or long, when my opponents missed, they would accidentally hook me, and when I missed, they'd have a wide open shot!  Now mind you, I'm not bitter - no really I'm not!  I am looking at all this as a big fat learning experience (sniff sniff).  The truth of the matter is I just didn't deliver the goods when I had the opportunity!
Next year (and I WILL make it into this next year), I will NOT be sick the 2 weeks before the event and I WILL be in tip top shape physically AND mentally)!!! So there all you contenders - watch out next year, cuz the Barracuda is gonna sink her gnarly teeth into all of you!  :)

Here I go!

Ok all you pool loving followers!  This is the weekend of my LIFE!  I have made it into the Regional Tour Final Championships at Hard Times Billiards in Bellflower, CA. The top 9 finishers get spots onto the WPBA Pro Tour for 2010!  Here's my chance to deliver the goods!  Please do whatever you do (chant, pray, or anything) that might help send me the good pool vibes!  Hard Times is a terrific hall and I've been busy with tournaments there all Jan and Feb!  I'll try and keep everyone posted as to updates during the tourney!  Thanks in advance for all your good thoughts my way!

AWBT Phoenix Final tour stop!

Great tourney!  So the BARRACUDA takes 5th place, biting a few chunks off opponents scoreboards!  Great drive from L.A and back - music blasting, singing along with all my fav's, sipping on Starbucks.  What more could you ask for?  Now I would have finished up higher had my last opponent in the winners bracket not snapped the 9 on me on a hill hill match!  ARRRRRRGH!  I'm gunning for you ASHEA!  HOWEVER, the great news is that I finished 9th on the tour which will qualify me for the Regional Tour Championships!  THEN, if I place in the top 12, PRO TOUR HERE I COME!  Guess I better get to drilling for hours every day!  But hey, I'm the BARRACUDA!

WELCOME to my Pool Adventures!

Welcome to my blog!  In the pool world, I'm know as the "Barracuda"!  That means I could seriously "bite" you at the table since I have some gnarly teeth.  I'm off to Phoenix soon for the final tour stop of the Arizona Women's Billiards Tour www.azbilliards.com/awbt  I'm hoping to place high in this event since the WPBA has changed the procedures for qualifying for the pro tour.  Starting now, they are taking the top points players from each regional tour and placing them on the PRO tour.  Each tour gets so many spots depending on how large their membership is.  With any luck and a WIN at this event, I COULD move into the top 5 and get onto the tour IF we get 5 spots this year.  If not, well there is ALWAYS next year and you can be sure I'll be there!  WISH ME LUCK!  :)