Billiards is an interesting application of geometry. I get geometry. Back in the day, formula math like algebra and calculus were challenging, but I easily earned 4 Aces in the study of angles and the Pythagorean theorem*. It’s a right brain thing. If you have the capacity to see the angles required, you’re halfway there, but then you have to execute. That’s the tricky part for ADD me because it requires focus. Lose focus on anything but the simplest of shots and you’ll miss. There are a few degrees of imperfection that will still result in a made shot on most efforts, but they shrink as shot length increases, so focus is needed to assure the easy shots and to drop enough of the tough ones to win. Many things can affect focus during billiards and here are some I experienced last night:

  • Environment – Noisy? Quiet? Lots of people moving about? Hot woman’s hips just beyond the corner pocket? Gotta focus…
  • Intake – There’s a fine balance between relaxation and impairment and that’s somewhere between one and three Maker’s Marks. I stopped at two. Oh, and wipe the grease from those chicken wings off your hands!
  • Headful – Bad day at the office? Monday audit with the IRS? That rash still hasn’t gone away? And then there’s that other stuff… Think like Crash Davis in “Bull Durham” and, “get outta the box you idiot, where’s your head? Get the broad outta your head!”

Anyway, last night all I saw was the ball, the angle and the pocket. Well, except that one hips and miss. I heard nothing while lining up a shot. I missed a few and had a bad scratch, but I played well and had some fun. It’s a right brain thing. Oh, and don’t forget to chalk your stick.

* a2 + b2 = c2