Shooting Mad Or "pumped Up"

[dirtypool40]

I can't believe I missed this thread. I'm kinda having one of those days, and was cruising through the "Mental" threads, because, well.... I'm feeling mental.

Pool is another game with a very similar mental side.

I used to play pool like that, pissed at the world. So mad my fingers would freeze, I'd sweat and get a sick feeling in my stomach.

I "learned it" from learning to play against my Dad, the fiercest competitor I ever met. It was funny, my dad is a "shark", which in the true sense does NOT mean a good player, but rather a poor sport who would rather win by cheating and trying to get in your head than by playing better.

He was used to pissing people off, and intimidating them, and taking advantage of the subsequent poor performance.

It was rough for a while, I had to play like I was about to get in a knife fight every time Dad and I played for fun. But by the time I got to where I was going out looking for action, sharking and flagging got me hot FAST and I was conditioned to play like I was trying to kill you and eat your liver when you got me mad.

It was great, match me up with a jerk, and any game that should be even I'd run away with. Add that to the look of an ROTC or college kid that didn't belong in a pool room, and I was a fish just begging to be reeled in.

Then the "spiritually creamy" side kicked in and I realized I was becoming a.... "not nice person", and I gave up the game about fifteen years ago.

The residual down side was, if I played someone who was not a jerk and was not flagging, I found myself becoming my dad! I would try to find any way to get mad to summon good, intense play. It was like I was giving in to the dark side in search of power.

As some have noted for other reasons, I am good at riling people up, and in the case of pool getting them to jump on things they probably shouldn't. Call it, um.... salesmanship?

It took a long time to UN-learn, and I found I do everything better when I'm having a blast, cracking jokes and shooting for love of the sport with a sense of challenge and creativity instead of all "raged up".

In shooting I generally don't get that pissed, at least until they start scoring my run. But the few times I have it's been fun to shoot without fear

[want2race]

As some have noted for other reasons, I am good at riling people up, and in the case of pool getting them to jump on things they probably shouldn't. Call it, um.... salesmanship?

Besides, the above attribute wouldn't necessarily be wise in a shooting sport. Some people take it serious and might take it to a... 'ho notha leble'.

[Ben Stoeger]

When I was out practicing today, I felt myself slowing down and getting sloppy near the end. I slapped myself in the face as hard as I could a couple times... got good and pissed.. then shot really well.

I just need someone to follow me around at matches and punch me before every stage. I bet there will be plenty of volunteers.

[Z-man]

I volunteer Ben!! (after the thrashing you gave me out in Iowa)

Just kidding.

I'm learning that sometimes we just need to kick your own butt into gear and move FASTER. It's easy at a match to be chatting with your fellow shooters and i(n the pursuit of being relaxed), become lethargic. I like what others have said about keeping the body aggressive, the will competitive, and the mind focused.

Edited May 8, 2007 by Z-man

[Merlin Orr]

When I get all amped up I get tight and slow....... I am trying to find "The Force."

[want2race]

I shot pretty relaxed last sunday (local match) and was slow. I had it in my head to slow down a bit after blowing the classifier last month. It worked, I was slow. I wanted to really focus on all A's. Found out, that's a pretty good way to NOT win a match for me. My hit percentage was nearly the same, just slower.

I was in "having fun" mode. Chatting, pasting, fixing the odd gun, oop I'm up. "I'll go here, shoot there, ok I'm ready." Yep, that doesn't work out too well for me.

I need to shoot every stage of every match like it was 'the big match'.

[Pdoyle]

red bull plus rage equals sucess...ohh maybe it's cuz I work night shift before most of my matches....

[dirtypool40]

got good and pissed.. then shot really well.

I just need someone to follow me around at matches and punch me before every stage.

I had a wife who used to do that for me, or rather a "shot in the pills" before every stage, and oddly enough it really didn't seem to have the "positive" effect I was looking for

red bull plus rage equals sucess...ohh maybe it's cuz I work night shift before most of my matches....

I keep getting this picture of a raged up Pat crashing through doors like "Bateman" in The Replacements, dunking some meth lab guy's head in a vat of chemical yelling "Who's da man?? Who's da man???"

Come on brother you must have some video of better entries you can share...

Edited May 9, 2007 by dirtypool40

[Mo Hepworth]

When I am tense I shoot my absolute worst. It screws up my draw, grip, trigger control, etc....But, when I shoot my best, I am usually relaxed and having fun, but paying attention to the things.

Shooting "pumped up" works for me also sometimes; I think I become more "tuned" in to what is going up when I get pumped up. SHooting "mad" is rare for me. It means I am not having fun, and being "mad", takes a lot of energy, being a negative emotion. It is rare for me to shoot mad and do well.

[ogiebb]

i used to shoot in "Heart attack mode" a lot, i slowed down a bit because i was not hitting anything

[tightloop]

When I get all amped up I get tight and slow....... I am trying to find "The Force."

do ya think the Force is going to come in the front door of Benny's shop....or are you looking for it somewhere else and just not telling us..LOL

[SinistralRifleman]

I tend to shoot better in a controlled state of rage, or I guess it could be called "channeling aggression". I also tend to shoot better when I have had little sleep the night before too. As weird as that sounds, if I've had 3 hours or less I tend to be on edge and shoot better...then go home and crash the rest of the day.

[ampleworks]

Yes, definitely. Add in two reshoots because of crappy stage setup with "lazy" poppers and then the third time through you flat out miss it but think you did. You USAC and then find out you didn't hit the steel.

Could have been about 3 seconds behind Sevigny if I could have chopped off the first part of the run

I'd shoot in a controlled stage rage anytime!

[benny hill]

Tightloop, I tell merlin to shoot SMOOTH & it will be fast & accurate. He has moved up to A class last week & is doing much better than last year, but it is a work in progress. Merlin is a little " intense" most of the time.