Adapting To Playing Conditions

It's league night. You rock up to the club you're playing at. Your opponents give you a table to practice on before the match starts. All is good. You feel confident. You've been patiently waiting all week for this.

Then. You roll some balls out on the table and you notice the cloth is worn a bit thin and the cushions have an extra bounce in their step. As you start to play some shots and get a feel for the table you're losing the cue ball all over the place. The table is reacting completely differently to the tables at your club.

Panic sets in. You start making adjustments and things are going wrong. You're starting to miss basic pots. You feel yourself getting frustrated.

Then. The first games are called, you're up!

From there, things go from bad to worse. You win 1 frame out of 5 for the night when you expected to win at least 3. You go home annoyed, very annoyed.

😡😡😡😡

I think most players can relate to this. You spend so much time on your own table or at your club that you become acclimatised to those conditions. It's hard enough being an amateur player with the normal frustrations of the game. Then to have to deal with different table conditions - like it isn't hard enough! The "Pros" have it easy right? Always playing on perfect tables, new cloth, leveled, with bright, evenly distributed lighting.

But, you need to "earn the right".

To be a better player you must be able to identify conditions and pivot your game accordingly. I know, easier said than done. But, the fact is, if you don't, you'll struggle when you aren't in a familiar environment, and you'll never play at your best.

Next time you're playing on a different table, don't waste time. Get to know the table. Stay calm. Accept that you will most likely have to make some adjustments, and go with it. You must stay calm and don't let the conditions get under your skin.

Your attitude and mental state play a big part on how you perform. So, keep it in check, smile, be happy and go with it.