What a year...

Between The Joss Turning Stone Classic VII and Turning Stone Classic IX (one calendar year), I played in 45 tournaments. Here is the breakdown: 8 Women's Pro Events, 1 Tri-State Tour Event, 3 Major 14.1 Events, 2 Women's State events, 8 Joss NE Tour events, and a whopping 23 Blaze Pro-Am Tour events.

I am officially patting myself on the back.

Last year, at the EnjoyPool.com event in Las Vegas, I asked Mike Davis for advice about how to become a better player. I like talking with Mike because he is brutally honest when he talks about pool. For example, I once said to him: "I'm thinking about playing John-Doe-over-there. What do you think about his game?" His reply: "That guy? He's terrible. Yeah, he sucks. You probably need the seven."

He told me that if I wanted to be a serious tournament player, I should play in as many tournaments as possible. Ok. Seemed pretty obvious. Then he mentioned that he plays in as many as 50 tournaments a year. In my head, the advice went from "Play in as many tournaments as possible" to "Play in as many tournaments as is physically possible."

Looking at this past year, I would have to say that Mike was right. Playing in that many tournaments really did help my game. I can tell that I have gotten better, other people have told me that I have gotten better and my results have gotten better. Now I might only need the eight-ball from that guy who sucks.

I am really going to enjoy this tournament-free Labor Day weekend. I have earned it.


LIZ

Top Ten List #1

Growing up in the 1980's, I hold a special place in my heart for Letterman-style top-ten lists, even though the novelty of them wore off around the same time my parents bought me my first Cabbage Patch Kid.

Recently, Rob Pole -- a friend of mine and owner of Skyline Billiards -- accused me of not actually liking pool-players. I think he took offense at the phrase "degenerate scum", which I use, regularly, as a term of endearment. So, since he has been helping me with my break, I thought I would show him how truly instructive my life around pool-players has been.

Here are the top ten things I have learned at the pool hall:

10. Everybody misses sometimes
9. The fastest way to get rid of someone you don't like is to lend them money
8. You should always crack a window if you are going to sleep in your car
7. Chivalry isn't dead -- I haven't been allowed to buy a drink or open a door in about two years
6. Mullets aren't extinct, they're just endangered
5. How to combinate
4. A high-four-and-a-half is just as good as a high-five (that's a joke about the legion of pool-players that are missing fingers or parts of fingers - courtesy of Keith. Uhh... the joke is courtesy of Keith... he has nothing to do with the missing fingers... at least I don't think he does.)
3. I have a nice butt
2. Playing good is much better than playing well

and the number one thing I have learned at the pool hall...

1. It doesn't matter what you look like or how many teeth you have -- good pool is sexy


LIZ

P.S. I'm not sure how or when it happened, but in the last year I, myself, have completed the transition from "person who plays pool" to "pool-player". Please pray for my soul :)

Gimme a Break...

Right now I am off to the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Turning Stone Classic at the Turning Stone Hotel and Casino in Verona, New York. If you see me there, come say "hi" and introduce yourself. CAUTION: If I look pissed-off, don't ask me how my match went, I am liable to hurt you.

Once I get home it will be time to do some intensive training on my break. I hit the balls about as hard as a nine-year-old girl can hit you with her red plastic purse. All kidding aside, my break is truly out of sync with the quality of the rest of my game. It often feels like I have to play twice as well in order to make up for it.

LIZ

P.S. If you are anywhere near New York City this week, be sure to check out the Sang Lee International Open 3-Cushion tournament. It is being held at Carom Cafe in Flushing and will feature the world's best 3-Cushion players.

FNJFP

If you are a pool-player in the Mid-Atlantic United States and you have ever traveled to a tournament you will know my pain when I write these words: New Jersey Turnpike.
(Better known to me as the "f@#king New Jersey F@#kpike". Because I'm a lady.)

Over the years I have played in the Northeast Women's Tour, the Chesapeake Area Tour, the Tiger Planet Pool Tour, Maryland 14.1 events and in the Blaze Pro-Am tour. These organizations hold events in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. As a New York City resident, pretty much any road trip south requires a ride on the afore-mentioned FNJFP. I estimate that I have taken at least 75 pool-related round-trip rides on the beast.

I thought that it would be fresh and clever to blog about the Turnpike. Then I searched Google with the the keywords "New Jersey Turnpike" and "hate" (also "f@#k the") and found a glut of pre-existing rants. I don't really have anything new or interesting to add to their litany of complaints so I'll just offer a little prayer for any of my pool brethren or "sistren" who might be out there on the stanky asphalt tonight.

My friend and fellow pro, Sueyen Rhee (a Virginia resident), sowed the seeds of my FNJFP hatred after her own vow never to drive the Turnpike for a pool tournament ever, ever again. A vow she recently broke in order to play in the WPBA US Open in Rhode Island. She was understandably heart-broken.

Here is a picture of us at the Florida Classic:



I think there is a creepy resemblance between us and the Shining twins:




Come play pool with us, Danny. Forever... and ever... and ever...

LIZ

Thank You

Thank you to Billiards Digest for naming LizFord.net the #1 Female Player Site for 2007! And for calling me "charming". I will let the editor, Mason King, skate on that beer he owes me.

Thanks also to Rob Omen at PoolontheNet.com for building the site.

And thank you for reading my blog!

LIZ

Getting Creative

Practice makes perfect, right? If you are struggling with cut shots, it makes more sense to get on a table and shoot cut shots for an hour than it does to wait and "practice" them when they come up in a game. When they come up in a game you want to make them not practice them.

Similarly, if you are a competitive player, you might encounter situations, not just certain shots, that will require practice. In the quest to consistently get the best performance out of yourself that you can, it is helpful to train for some of the specific situations and adversities that you routinely face.

Here is one situation that I have been struggling with lately: At WPBA events I am sometimes scheduled to play a match that starts at 10 pm and doesn't end until after midnight. The problem is that I am very keyed-up and full of adrenaline after playing and it is very hard to change gears and fall asleep so that I will be fresh in the morning. Even though I am careful about how much coffee I drink in the afternoon and I try to do relaxing things before bed, I inevitably toss and turn for hours and sleep fitfully. The next day I try my hardest to stay positive and focus but I am usually dog tired and produce a sub-par effort.

Since there are only eight pro events each year, I can't afford to "practice" playing under these circumstances while at the tournament. So, it is time to get creative and to recreate these playing conditions when I am training at home.

Here is what I have been doing (only once a week so that I get enough sleep) : I take a short nap in the afternoon followed by a couple of cups of coffee. I play some sets from about 9 pm until 1 am. I use visualization to try to get as "intense" and full of adrenaline as I would be at a Pro event. I come home and practice relaxation exercises before trying to go to sleep. I inevitably toss and turn for hours and sleep fitfully. I get up in the morning and practice visualization to energize myself and become "intense" again. Then, I go and play some more sets.

It is a strange comfort to me that I also play terribly when I recreate this situation at home. Instead of beating myself up for "dogging it" at the tournament, I realize that these are some new skills that I have to learn and practice. I also know that once I have conquered this situation in practice, I will be more familiar with it and will have more confidence in my ability to deal with it at tournaments.

I'm going back to bed now,
Liz

Photo courtesy of William Fuentes

Total Immersion

For the last two months, I have given myself over to pool completely. I am unable to talk about anything else and I'm not happy unless I am playing. This is both good and bad. Good for my game, bad for my relationships with friends and family :(

Like most pool-players, I continue to have ups and downs in performance. The ups have included some strong finishes on the Blaze Pro-Am tour and also an exciting hill-hill WPBA match with a certain Blonde Brit. And the downs... what downs? I get to play pool all day, every day, so when I look closely at it there are no real downs.

Seeking some balance, my husband and I spent the weekend visiting my parents in Vermont. I got a chance to play at Van Phan Sports in Burlington, which is one of my all-time favorite poolhalls. Van is so super-cool that she even has her own beer: Van Phan Ale. She set up a game for me while I was there so that my family could watch me in action. I got to hit them around with (and rack for) Dave Fernandez, Vermont's #1 Player.


Me and Dave at Van Phan Sports in Burlington, VT


The vacation is over now and I am ready to get back to work!

LIZ