You Want a Piece of Me?

Think you can win?

1. Click Here to Check My Calendar

2. Choose day/time.

3. Then e-mail me!

I need some serious competition.
I'm spending too much time in my hammock!

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New Predator 314

The new Predator 314 #2 series shafts are shipping now.
Just ordered mine from Seybert's.
Supposed to be even less deflection, better feel.
Experiment: 30" shaft (one inch longer)

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Chess and Billiards

(click to BIGGIFY)

Chess and billiards are two of my favorite games.

New furniture delivered to the Fun House this week
significantly upgrades these facilities.
The table is the "Del Mar" model by Darafeev,
and has an inlaid chess board in the surface.
The chairs swivel, of course, and are ideal for
my opponents in billiards, who must endure long
periods of waiting for their turn, while
I run rack after rack after rack...
(it's a fantasy I have).

The new chairs, with arms and backs,
replace the armless, backless stools which
were quite uncivilized for the spectators.

Furniture purchased from Billiards and Barstools
in San Marcos, who also supplied the
Brunswick Gold Crown IV pool table
which I had recovered and releveled when they
deliviered the furniture.
They are a first class company to deal with.
Good people.

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Sweet New Simonis 860, and victory

Yesterday afternoon the Gold Crown IV table
was recoverd in new Simonis 860 cloth,
and releveled to be P E R F E C T.
How sweet it is!
I just love playing on new cloth.
Today I had a chance to really get into it
with a challenge match with the guy who
knocked me out of a tournament two years ago.

We played the Masters format,
both 8 and 9 ball, in a race to 7.
I won the first set 7-3, and was doing great
after winning the first 5 games in the second set.
I guess I lost focus because he came roaring back
to win the next 6 games in a row to get on the hill.

But I "stayed in the game" and ran the next two
racks of 8 ball to eke out the win for two sets to zip.
Dave is a serious competitor.
That second set could have gone either way.

I think the reason I won is because
I was focused on El Maestro's advice:

Because wining and losing is so important to you
try not to look at these matches
as a win/lose situation
as this adds unnecessary pressure on you.
Use them to test yourself to see if you can
approach every shot
with the same importance and intensity,
finding a comfortable rhythm and
maintaining a constant positive feedback
throughout the whole match.
Once you master this,
you will have conquered your demons.

He is truly a wise man.
I am fortunate to be his student.

Gracias, El Maestro!

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