I lost Islamabad Cup round-1 match AGAIN :( had waited for a year for this...

[Sidd]

Hi all,

So seems like I cannot completely get rid of snooker, its in my blood or something i don't know I think Steve Davis and I might have had the same family 100 generations ago anyway... I am a story teller so I shall tell you one:

Call of Passion

I was doing good with everything. I had published my first book (non-fiction) and had written two short stories. One of the short stories was taken up by an independant film-maker who asked me to write the screenplay for his movie based on my short story. I did that within a month and handed it over to him. The film is in pre-production. Then I had only started my third short story when I received this darned phone call, that had all the enzymes needed for the calling of passion. Strange but true, people follow passion but with me it is perhaps the passion following me.

'Sidd why don't you come down to the club tonight and watch the opening match of Islamabad Club' Usman said.
'Hi there Sani, well I guess i should' I said, surprised.
'Why dont you enter the tournament. Let me confirm your entry with the organisers' Usman inquired and then got me in to thinking.
'Heck why not' I said as I could not stop myself from saying what I said, as if I had to say so.

That was that.
=======================================

So I went in one night before my match and played a few frames. I played lousy of course as i had picked up the cue after a long long time, say 6 months. But then in one frame I took a black and cleared the colours ... 35 break yeah and then I saw the crucible cheer for me and heard the great ovation and applause of the Ali-pali so I entered the tournament and had my round 1 match against an opponent who was an easy one, a real easy one. A 17-20 break standard. I played casually and lost the first frame (best of three) then I played real well and went in to my zone in the second frame and scored 56 with three reds still on the table. won it easily... Something happened, that always happens to me, in the third frame I started missing and when he did was to take one colour without placing anything and play safe then a colour and play safe... it continued, i started sweating as he went on 28 with one red on the table ... then I got a chance to get the red.. it was just above black spot and the CB landed just behind it... it was a three quarters red in the corner pink was sitting nearby so I had to just push it in with soft screw for the pink on a power of say 3/10... easy bizy.. I missed it and then starrted self criticism... then I had two snookers by the time we reached the brown... and then he won ...

1. Why was i sweating in a cold weather? is it that I was under huge pressure?
2. if that is the case then it means i do not have the guts to play tournaments?
3. After making 56, when was it that took me in the very next frame?

Anyway, I have started going to the club again... It is disturbing my writing but I cant get over snooker I know that... I wont play every day and get in to that circle again cuz I cannot but then I will play off and on.

Cheers guys,
Sidd.

[Stupree]

I lost Islamabad Cup round-1 match AGAIN had waited for a year for this...

Hi Sidd

Well you are a writer and you have the writers mindset. You explore thoughts, feelings and actions in great detail seeking understanding to all of these in even the most mundane of situations, perhaps taking situations and drafting a possible story line from that point onwards. You are likely to have a constant internal dialogue that needs the volume turning down in certain situations, such as performing at the snooker table. It will take some commitment to check what feels natural to you but mastering it can be hugely beneficial.

Just a few thoughts for you.

Stu

[Stupree]

I lost Islamabad Cup round-1 match AGAIN had waited for a year for this...

'a lightning bolt flashed inside Sidd's mind as the words he read rang true, then a wave of bliss, an inner peace. Separated by thousands of miles and the trappings of different cultures yet there was....' STOP IT SIDD! That is exactly what I am on about

Well done by the way on your writing successes.

[itsnoteasy]

Sidd have you considered tinkering with your grip ?, sorry only joking. To fight in a calm way in the heat of battle, you must get used to the battle, what did you expect after that length of time away. You have also learnt an invaluable lesson TREAT ALL OPPONENTS WITH THE SAME RESPECT.
Onwards and upwards I say, good to have you back, I hope everything with the family is going well.

[Terry Davidson]

Sidd:

And now some advice from your snooker coach. WHY DON'T YOU WRITE ABOUT SNOOKER? That way you can combine your two loves and also doing the research for writing about snooker should help you with your mindset on snooker.

Terry

[Byrom]

'a lightning bolt flashed inside Sidd's mind as the words he read rang true, then a wave of bliss, an inner peace. Separated by thousands of miles and the trappings of different cultures yet there was....' STOP IT SIDD! That is exactly what I am on about

Well done by the way on your writing successes.

funny this

[Sidd]

Hi Sidd

Well you are a writer and you have the writers mindset. You explore thoughts, feelings and actions in great detail seeking understanding to all of these in even the most mundane of situations, perhaps taking situations and drafting a possible story line from that point onwards. You are likely to have a constant internal dialogue that needs the volume turning down in certain situations, such as performing at the snooker table. It will take some commitment to check what feels natural to you but mastering it can be hugely beneficial.

Just a few thoughts for you.

Stu

Thanks Stu.
Fully agreed. Easier said than done and in my case, I have been fighting with this for quite a long time now.

[Sidd]

Sidd have you considered tinkering with your grip ?, sorry only joking. To fight in a calm way in the heat of battle, you must get used to the battle, what did you expect after that length of time away. You have also learnt an invaluable lesson TREAT ALL OPPONENTS WITH THE SAME RESPECT.
Onwards and upwards I say, good to have you back, I hope everything with the family is going well.

Itsnoteasy: how are ya mate. Hope all is well at your end. Thanks for asking yes the family is doing fine. My daughter is on meds and has not shown any bad signs... she smiles all the time I am pretty much relieved these days.

Tinkering with the grip... Hell yeah buddy what else did you expect LOL If only I can get that grip right... hahaha

[Sidd]

Sidd:

And now some advice from your snooker coach. WHY DON'T YOU WRITE ABOUT SNOOKER? That way you can combine your two loves and also doing the research for writing about snooker should help you with your mindset on snooker.

Terry

Hello after long coach. I think it is an amazing idea. Dont know why it did not occur to me. Lets see then I will think about it. Right now I have two unfinished projects in hand i.e. a new short story and a translation of a book (Urdu to English).. I made that blog for writing about snooker but never wrote any blog. Hmmm well I do not know but for the time being its an either or situation for me considering my family and office life ... so its snooker OR writing ... perplexed

By the way, since I have started playing again there is something interesting I wanted to share. I went in last night and played bad real bad. Since I was playing bad to I thought why not try something ... although it did not give results, which will take time but what I did was that I intentionally in my mind and physically held the cue with the inner thumb and forefinger and asked my mind to only concentrate on that and forget about the rest of the hand and I potted a few balls with great screw action without real effort ... I think I am getting somewhere, which is what I have been thinking for over a year now but well that is that.

I only wish if I would write and play snooker both I am not as much in to writing about snooker given that writing has a whole new world of fiction open to me and it is rather hard restricting yourself in that fabulous world. Lets see...

[Sidd]

By the way... this tournament match and my snooker started also due to the fact that my wife is visiting her mother with the kids so I am all alone without the kids at home. Let us see what happens when they are back.

and itsnoteasy... my man... I am watching Nic Barrow youtube videos on the grip right now hope I can get it hahaha

[itsnoteasy]

Aha, Sidd, as Al Pacino once said, just when I thought I was out they sucked me back in, don't go down that well trodden road, it leads to heartache lol.

[Sidd]

Aha, Sidd, as Al Pacino once said, just when I thought I was out they sucked me back in, don't go down that well trodden road, it leads to heartache lol.

I think it was in response to that that Deniro said, 'Forget About It' and then Pacino replied as I might have replied about snooker 'You talkin ta me' .... nice signature line there mate !!!

[itsnoteasy]

Sidd,I don't even know what it means . I got Jack Karnehms video and on it when describing how to make a solid bridge he came out with the line, "I'm not saying this is easy but I am lucky to have been born with a right villains thumb" lol, what he means by that I have no idea, but he has one of those bendy thumbs like Steve Davis, why that's known as a villains thumb I have no idea, but I wish I had one.

[Sidd]

Sidd,I don't even know what it means . I got Jack Karnehms video and on it when describing how to make a solid bridge he came out with the line, "I'm not saying this is easy but I am lucky to have been born with a right villains thumb" lol, what he means by that I have no idea, but he has one of those bendy thumbs like Steve Davis, why that's known as a villains thumb I have no idea, but I wish I had one.

Well I guess he tried to invent a snookering term and let us say he got quite successful in doing so given that you and I and many others today know in terms of snooker what a villain's thumb refers to